Treatment: Vertebroplasty: Procedure

Patients lie on their stomach throughout the entire procedure. They are sedated intravenously with Midazolam (Versed), fentanyl (Duragesic), or other medication. A local anesthetic is then administered. Patients who are in severe pain may require general anesthesia to tolerate the prone positioning required for this procedure.

A small nick is made in the skin near the spine. Contrast dye is injected into the vertebral body to highlight local anatomy. Using sterile technique and fluoroscopic guidance, the surgeon then injects biocompatible bone cement called polymethylmethacrylate through an 11-gauge needle into the affected vertebra. The total volume of injected cement ranges from four to 12 cm. The needles are then removed.

A small amount of cement is retained on the bench as a control. After approximately 10 minutes, the cement solidifies and becomes harder than the native bone. Once the control sample has solidified, the patient can be safely transferred to a stretcher. The cement sets in less than one hour and should stabilize the vertebra by forming a hard internal "cast." Following the procedure, the patient is required to lie flat for one to two hours in the recovery room while the cement hardens.

Step 1: Initial Entry: A biopsy needle is guided into the fractured vertebra through a small incision in the skin.
Step 2a: Stabilization: Acrylic bone cement is injected into the vertebra.
Step 2b: Acrylic bone cement fills the spaces within the bone.
Restored vertebra with hardened cement.
Stabilized vertebral structure, relieves pain within 48 hours post-op.

Review research that contains additional information about vertebroplasty, including recent studies related to the procedure and patient outcomes.

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