Kyphoplasty for tumor-associated spinal fractures

Kyphoplasty is a newly introduced procedure for the treatment of painful osteoporotic fractures of the spine. Limited experience suggests that this procedure could be also safely performed in patients with cancer. The medical records of 50 patients with history of cancer and painful compression fractures of the thoracic and/or lumbar spine who underwent 56 consecutive kyphoplasties at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute over the last 18 months are reviewed. The majority of patients (46%) suffered from multiple myeloma. Other malignancies included lung, breast, prostate, colon, esophageal, uterine and sarcoma origins. A total of 128 spinal segments were treated or approximately 2.56 per patient. Sixty-five percent of cases involved the thoracic spine with the remainder involving the lumbar spine. There was one complication of a patient who experienced asystole at the end of the operation requiring CPR. Complete or significant pain relief was obtained in 96% of patients. Most patients (69%) were discharged within 24 hours. Kyphoplasty can be a safe and beneficial procedure in cancer patients who present with painful compression fractures of the spine.