• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제29권3호
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• pp.365-371
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• 2000

Objectives : To describe a technique for percutaneous vertebroplasty of osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures and to report preliminary results of its use. Methods : The technique was used over a 8-month period in 9 patients with 10 painful vertebral fractures. The technique involves percutaneous puncture of the involved vertebrae with a Jamshidi needle via a transpedicular approach followed by injection of polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) into the vertebral body. Results : The procedure was technically successful in all patients, with an average injection amount of 5.9 cc per vertebral body. One patient complained of flank pain postoperatively in spite of improvement in back pain caused by the fractured vertebra. Remaining eight patients reported significant pain relief early after treatment. The patients were followed up for 3 to 15 months(average 7.2 months) and demonstrated no recurrence of pain or aggravation of deformity. Conclusion : Vertebroplasty appears to be a valuable tool in the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures, providing acute pain relief and early mobilization in appropriate patients. However, it needs to have more extensive prospective clinical study to confirm its definitive role in the management of this condition.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제42권1호
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• pp.6-10
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• 2007

Objective : The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of bone cement augmentation of pedicular screwing in severe osteoporotic spondylolisthetic patients. Methods : Twenty patients with spondylolisthesis (8 : spondylolytic spondylolisthesis 12 : degenerative spondylolisthesis) who had undergone pedicular screwing and interbody fusion for osteoporotic lumbar spine (T-score on bone mineral density<-3.0) from 2002 to 2005 were reviewed. Mean age was 62.3 years with 3 male and 17 female patients. Average follow-up period was 14 months. Average T-score on bone mineral density (BMD) was -3.62. After decompression of neural elements, about 6cc of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was injected into the each vertebral body through transpedicular route. All patients underwent one level interbody fusion and pedicular screw fixation. Clinical outcome was assessed using Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) on the last clinical follow-up. In addition, a modified MacNab's grading criteria was used to objectively assess patient's outcome postoperatively. Radiographic analysis of sagittal contour was assessed preoperatively, immediately postoperatively, and at final follow-up including fusion rate. Results : Eighteen of 20 patients were graded as excellent or good according to the modified MacNab's criteria. An significant improvement of ODI was achieved in both groups. Mean sagittal angle at the preoperative state, postoperative state and at the last follow-up state was $11.0^{\circ},\;20.1^{\circ}$ and $18.3^{\circ}$, respectively, with mean sagittal angle correction gain $7.3^{\circ}$. Firm fusion was achieved in all patients. There were one compression fracture above the fused segment after 6 months follow-up and one case of seroma. But there were no postoperative complications related to bone cement leakage and pedicular screwings such as screw pullout or screw cut-up. Conclusion : Bone cement augmentation of pedicular screwing can be an effective procedure for osteoporotic lumbar spine in spondylolisthetic patients.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.27-32
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• 2004

본 논문에서는 골다공증성 척추압박골절에 대한 척추성형술시 골강화제인 PMMA 주입방법을 제안하였다. 척추성형술의 정량적 분석을 위해서는 유한요소해석을 사용하였으며 1m간격의 척추체 CT를 바탕으로 보다 정교한 척추체 모델을 제시함으로써, 단순화된 척추의 기하학적 형상과 간단한 재료 물성치를 사용하는 기존의 연구의 한계를 극복하고자 하였다. 본 연구 결과를 토대로 추체내 망상골에 주입되는 PMMA의 주입형태, 주입위치를 정량적으로 평가하여 이상적인 수술방법을 제시하였다. PMMA의 구입위치는 망상골의 앞쪽-위쪽에 많은 양이 집중하여 주입되었을 때, 가장 효율적으로 추체를 보완해 주는 것으로 나타났다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제42권4호
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• pp.271-275
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• 2007

Objective : Although a significant correction of local kyphosis has been reported previously, only a few studies have investigated whether this correction leads to an improved overall sagittal alignment. The study objective was to determine whether an improvement in the local kyphotic angle improves the overall sagittal alignment. We examined and compared the effects of thoracic and lumbar level kyphoplasty procedures on local versus overall sagittal alignment of the spine. Methods : Thirty-eight patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures who showed poor response to conventional, palliative medical therapy underwent single-level kyphoplasty. The pertinent clinical data of these patients, from June 2006 to November 2006, were reviewed retrospectively. We measured preoperative and postoperative vertebral body heights, which were classified as anterior, middle, or posterior fractured vertebral body heights. Furthermore, the local and overall sagittal angles after polymethylmethacrylate deposition were measured. Results : More height was gained at the thoracic level, and the middle vertebral height regained the most. A significant local kyphosis correction was observed at the fractured level, and the correction at larger spanning segments decreased with the distance from the fractured level. Conclusion : The inflatable balloon kyphoplasty procedure was the most effective in regaining the height of the thoracic fractured vertebra in the middle vertebral body. The kyphosis correction by kyphoplasty was mainly achieved in the fractured vertebral body. Sagittal angular correction decreased with an increase in the distance from the fractured vertebra. No significant improvement was observed in the overall sagittal alignment after kyphoplasty. Further studies in a larger population are required to clarify this issue.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권3호
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• pp.199-202
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• 2010

Objective : Balloon kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that is mainly performed for refractory pain due to osteoporotic compression fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of balloon kyphoplasty performed at different times after an injury. Methods : In this retrospective study, the records of 99 patients who underwent one level of balloon kyphoplasty between January 2005 and December 2007 were reviewed. The patients were divided into three groups : 21 patients treated within 3 weeks of an injury (the acute group), 49 treated within 3 weeks to 2 months of an injury (the subacute group), and 29 patients treated at more than 2 months after an injury (the chronic group). Clinical outcomes were assessed using a visual analogue scale (VAS). In addition, modified MacNab's grading criteria was used to assess the subjective patient outcome. The radiology findings, including vertebral height restoration and procedure related complications, were analyzed based on the different time intervals after the injury. Results : Patients in all three groups achieved marked pain relief in terms of the VAS within 7 days of the procedure. Good or excellent results were achieved by most patients in all three groups. However, the height restoration, the main advantage to performing a balloon kyphoplasty, was not achieved in the chronic group. Moreover, evidence of complications including cement leakage was observed significantly less frequently in the subacute group compared to the other two groups. Conclusion : Although balloon kyphoplasty is an effective treatment for osteoporotic compression fractures, with regard to pain relief, the subacute stage appears to be optimal for treating patients with a balloon kyphoplasty in terms of achieving the best outcomes with minimal complications.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.278-281
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• 2010

Objective : For the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is currently widely used as an effective and relatively safe procedure. However, some patients do not experience pain relief after PVP. We performed several additional PVP procedures in those patients who did not have any improvement of pain after their initial PVP and we obtained good results. Our purpose is to demonstrate the effective results of an additional PVP procedure at the same previously treated level. Methods : We reviewed the medical records and the radiologic data of the PVP procedures that were performed at our hospital from November 2005 to May 2008 to determine the patients who had undergone additional PVP. We identified ten patients and we measured the clinical outcomes according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and the radiologic parameters, including the anterior body height and the kyphotic angulation. Results : The mean volume of polymethylmethacrylate injected into each vertebrae was 4.3 mL (range: 2-8 mL). The mean VAS score was reduced from 8 to 2.32. The anterior body height was increased from 1.7 cm to 2.32 cm. The kyphotic angulation was restored from 10.14 degrees to 2.32 degrees. There were no complications noted. Conclusion : The clinical and radiologic outcomes suggest that additional PVP is effective for relieving pain and restoring the vertebral body in patients who have unrelieved pain after their initial PVP. Our study demonstrates that additional PVP performed at the previously-treated vertebral levels could provide therapeutic benefit.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제62권5호
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• pp.594-602
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• 2019

Objective : Although surgical intervention, such as percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP), is the standard treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs), its effectiveness and safety are unclear. Therefore, this study compared the safety and efficacy of conservative treatment with that of PVP for acute OVCFs. Methods : Patients with single-level OVCFs who were treated conservatively with a transdermal fentanyl patch (TFP) or with PVP between March 2013 and December 2017 and followed-up for more than 1 year were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with pathologic fractures, fractures of more than two columns, or a history of PVP were excluded. Clinical outcomes (visual analog scale [VAS] scores) and radiographic factors were evaluated, including changes in the compression rate of the corresponding vertebral body at onset and after 12 months, sagittal Cobb angle at onset and after 6 and 12 months, and the incidence of adjacent compression fractures. Results : Of the 131 patients evaluated, 75 were treated conservatively using TFPs and 56 underwent PVP. We divided the patients into TFP and PVP groups. Their baseline characteristics (including sex, level of fracture, and bone mineral density T-scores) were similar, but the TFP group was significantly younger. The overall VAS score for pain showed a greater decrease during the first month (1 week after PVP) in the PVP group but remained similar in the two groups thereafter. The compression rate after 12 months increased in the TFP group but decreased in the PVP group. Five patients in the PVP group, but none in the TFP group, experienced adjacent compression fractures within 12 months. Conclusion : We compared clinical and radiological outcomes between the TFP and PVP groups. The immediate pain reduction effect was superior in the PVP group, but the final clinical outcome was similar. Although the PVP group had a better-preserved compression rate than the TFP group for 1 year, the development of adjacent fractures was significantly higher. Although TFPs seemed to be beneficial in reducing the failure rate of conservative treatment, the possibility of side effects (22.6%, 17 out of 75 patients, in this study) should be carefully monitored.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.54-56
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• 2011

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is frequently associated with inflammatory lesions of the spine and continuous fatigue stress fractures; however, an association with an intraspinal synovial cyst has not been previously reported. A 55-year-old man with a five year history of AS who presented with back pain and a right radiculopathy was admitted to the hospital. Five years previously, he underwent a percutaneous vertebroplasty for an osteoporotic L1 compression fracture, and was diagnosed with AS at that time. Plain radiographs showed aggravated kyphosis and a stress fracture through the ossified posterior element, below the prior vertebroplasty. Magnetic resonance images revealed a right foraminal cystic lesion at the L2-L3 level with effacement of the nerve root. A 1.6 cm cystic lesion that appeared to arise from the L2-L3 facet joint without direct communication was excised from the L2-L3 foramen. Pathological examination confirmed synovial cyst. The patient's symptoms resolved immediately after surgery except for a mild dysesthesia of the right leg. We report herein a rare case of foraminal synovial cyst associated with AS accompanying posterior element fracture with a review of literature.

• 대한정형외과학회지
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• 제56권3호
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• pp.208-214
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• 2021

목적: 급성 골다공증성 요추 골절 환자에서 척추 변형의 진행을 예측할 수 있는 여러 인자들 중 척추의 자기공명영상 촬영에서 척추 주변 근육의 정량적 분석을 통해 척추 기립근 및 다열근의 감소와 후만각의 변형의 상관관계를 알아보고자 한다. 대상 및 방법: 이 연구는 2007년 1월부터 2018년 3월까지 단일 분절의 급성 요추 골절로 진단되어 보존적 치료 중인 환자를 대상으로 하였다. 다열근 및 척추 기립근의 감소는 지방으로 변성된 비율을 통해 확인하였고 이는 진단 당시 촬영한 요추 자기공명영상 촬영을 사용하여 측정되었으며, 지방으로 변성된 비율은 총 지방 침윤율로 정의하였다. 1년 추적 관찰에서 요추의 측면 방사선 사진에 기초하여 추체 압박률, 콥스각 및 쐐기각을 측정하였다. 피어슨 상관 계수를 분석하여 통계적 유의성을 확인하였다. 결과: 연구 대상은 129명으로 30명은 남자, 99명은 여자를 대상으로 하였다. 평균 연령은 71.28±9.55세, 평균 BMD 점수는 -3.53±0.79 g/cm², 평균 지방 침윤율은 15.20%±11.99%였다. 지방침투율은 수상 당시 나이(R=0.373, p<0.001)와 양의 상관 관계가 있었지만, BMD 점수(R=-0.252, p=0.004)와는 음의 상관 관계를 보였다. 1년 후 추적관찰하여 확인한 결과에서 지방 침윤율은 추체 압박률(R=0.369, p<0.001) 및 콥스각(R=0.386, p<0.001)과 양의 상관 관계를 보였다. 요추 골절이 아래 분절로 내려 갈수록 추체 압박률(R=-0.191, p=0.030) 및 후만각(R=-0.428, p<0.001)은 감소하는 경향이 있었다. 결론: 급성 골다공증 요추 골절 환자에서 지방 침윤율은 보존적 치료를 위한 중요한 예측 인자가 될 수 있다. 지방 침윤율이 높은 환자의 예후는 환자 교육 과정에서 설명을 해야 하며 단기 외래 환자 후속 조치를 통해 환자를 면밀한 모니터링이 필요하다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제37권2호
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• pp.116-123
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• 2005

Objective: Percutaneous kyphoplasty using a balloon-catheter is an widely accepted method which achieves the restoration of vertebral height and the correction of kyphotic deformity with little complication in osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. The authors assess the results of 59 patients who underwent kyphoplasty, and analyze the factors that could affect the prognosis. Methods: From December 2001 to May 2003, fifty-nine patients underwent kyphoplasty. The patients included 49 women and 10 men aged 52-85 years. Average t-score on bone marrow density was -3.58. About 7cc of polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) was injected into the fractured vertebral body using $Kyphon^{(R)}$ under local anesthesia. The vertical height of all fractured vertebrae was measured both before and after surgery. Outcome data were obtained by comparing pre- and post-operative VAS score and by assessing postoperative satisfaction, drug dependency and activity. Various clinical factors were analyzed to assess the relationship with the outcome. Results: The VAS score improved significantly, and the mean percentage of restored vertebral height was 53%. The mean improvement in kyphosis was $3.6^{\circ}$. Eighty-nine percent of the patients gained excellent or good results. Any of the clinical factors including the interval between fracture and operation, the degree of height loss, the degree of the vertebral height restoration or the correction rate of kyphosis did not affect the clinical results. Conclusion: Kyphoplasty is associated with a statistically significant improvement in pain and function with little complication. The clinical results are not affected by any clinical parameters. Further follow-up study is needed to determine whether the restoration affects the long-term clinical results.