Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for vertebral compression fractures #202

Does Balloon Kyphoplasty Deliver More Cement Safely into Osteoporotic Vertebrae with Compression Fractures Compared with Vertebroplasty? A Study in Vertebral Analogues

Study Design A biomechanical and radiographic study using vertebral analogues. Objectives Kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty are widely used techniques to alleviate pain in fractures secondary to osteoporosis. However, cement leakage toward vital structures like the spinal cord can be a major source of morbidity and even mortality. We define safe cement injection as the volume of the cement injected into a vertebra before the cement leakage occurs. Our objective is to compare the amount of cement that can be safely injected into an osteoporotic vertebra with simulated compression fracture using either vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty techniques. Methods Forty artificial vertebral analogues made of polyurethane with osteoporotic cancellous matrix representing the L3 vertebrae were used for this study and were divided into four groups of 10 vertebrae each. The four groups tested were: low-viscosity cement injected using vertebroplasty, high-viscosity cement injected using vertebroplasty, low-viscosity cement injected using balloon kyphoplasty, and high-viscosity cement injected using balloon kyphoplasty. The procedures were performed under fluoroscopic guidance. The injection was stopped when the cement started protruding from the created vascular channel in the osteoporotic vertebral fracture model. The main outcome measured was the volume of the cement injected safely into a vertebra before leakage through the posterior vascular channel. Results The highest volume of the cement injected was in the vertebroplasty group using high-viscosity cement, which was almost twice the injected volume in the other three groups. One-way analysis of variance comparing the four groups showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.005). Conclusions High-viscosity cement injected using vertebroplasty delivers more cement volume before cement leakage and fills the vertebral body more uniformly when compared with balloon kyphoplasty in osteoporotic vertebrae with compression fractures.

Bone health in breast cancer patients: a comprehensive statement by CECOG/SAKK Intergroup

Bone is the most common site of distant metastases in breast cancer that can cause severe and debilitating skeletal related events (SRE) including hypercalcemia of malignancy, pathologic fracture, spinal cord compression and the need for palliative radiation therapy or surgery to the bone. SRE are associated with substantial pain and morbidity leading to frequent hospitalization, impaired quality of life and poor prognosis. The past 25 years of research on the pathophysiology of bone metastases led to the development of highly effective treatment options to delay or prevent osseous metastases and SRE. Management of bone metastases has become an integral part of cancer treatment requiring expertise of multidisciplinary teams of medical and radiation oncologists, surgeons and radiologists in order to find an optimal treatment for each individual patient. A group of international breast cancer experts attended a Skeletal Care Academy Meeting in November 2012 in Istanbul and discussed current preventive measures and treatment options of SRE, which are summarized in this evidence-based consensus for qualified decision- making in clinical practice.