The effects of cement volume on clinical outcomes of percutaneous vertebroplasty.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There exists significant variability in the volume of polymethylmethacrylate cement injected during percutaneous vertebroplasty. Larger cement volumes injected may be associated with better clinical outcomes, but larger volumes may also be associated with greater risk of complications related to cement leakage. We describe an analysis of the association between clinical and procedural variables, including cement volume injected, and the clinical outcomes of patients treated with single-level vertebroplasty.

METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 158 patients treated with single-level vertebroplasty was performed. Relationships among patient and procedural variables and relationships between these variables and ordinal clinical outcome scores of pain and medication use at postprocedure time points from 1 week to 2 years were evaluated with bivariate and multivariable analyses.

RESULTS: There was no significant association between the volume of cement injected and the clinical outcomes of postprocedure pain (P = .159-.871) and medication use (P = .223-.875).

CONCLUSION: Vertebroplasty operators need not feel compelled to achieve particular cement volumes injected in the pursuit of better clinical outcomes but should strive to achieve the maximal safe filling of individual vertebral bodies.