Percutaneous Vertebroplasty: A New Technique Minimizing Cement Leak

Since the introduction of vertebroplasty to clinical practice, the cement leak is considered the most frequent and hazardous complication. In literature, the cement extravasation ranged from 26 to 97% of the time. This study discussed a new technique for injecting cement in the affected vertebra.Patients and Methods A total of 123 patients were treated by vertebroplasty using the current technique. The package of the cement powder and the solvent was divided into five equal parts. Each part of the powder and the solvent was mixed as a single dose and injected to the affected vertebra. The duration between subsequent injections was 10 minutes. Each injection is formed of 1 to 1.5 mL of cement.Results This new technique gives the surgeon enough time to make multiple separate injections with the same package. The time interval between injections makes cement harden enough and makes it not pushed by the next cement injection. This technique of injection gives time to the injected cement to seal off the cracks and cavities in the vertebra and subsequently leads to a highly significant decreased in cement leak ( p < 0.001) compared with the literature.Conclusion This study demonstrates a previously unreported technique for vertebroplasty that adds more safety to the procedure by significantly decreasing cement leak. It also gives the surgeon much more relaxation time and self-confidence during performing the procedure.