Vertebroplasty - a mixed picture

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Although vertebroplasty can help with osteoporosis, it also carries a risk of producing further fractures.
In vertebroplasty, bone cement is injected into spinal fractures to stabilize them. It is often used to treat osteoporosis where it helps relieve pain caused by these fractures. However, according to doctors at the Mayo Clinic, patients should be aware that there are also risks associated with the process.

The study covered 432 patients receiving vertebroplasty and reveals that vertebroplasty can increase the risk of fractures in the adjacent vertebrae. Specifically, the risk of a fracture in an adjacent vertebra is nearly five times that in a non-adjacent vertebra. These adjacent fractures also happened sooner than the non-adjacent fractures, suggesting the procedure destablizes the spine. What is now needed is further explanation of why this should occur. Vertebroplasty is a valuable procedure, but patients should be warned of the risks.

Source
American Journal of Neuroradiology January 2006

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