Experimental And Clinical Studies Of Vertebroplasty

We studied the long-term results of thoracolumbar burst fractures treated with posterior short-segment pedicle instrumentation. Burst fractures were created in 8 fresh adult thoracolumbar specimens. After reduction and vertebroplasty with injectable self-setting calcium phosphate, the intracoporael gap and bone mineral density were measured and contrasted. Biomechanical studies showed vertebroplasty restore the specimen stiffness and strength nearly to initial value. In Vivo experiments on dogs, the suitable cement for percutaneous vertebroplasty(PV) and measures to prevent complications were studied. Furthermore, methotrexate(MTX) was slowly released from the cement after MTX loaded PV.In clinical studies,vertebroplasty with injectable self-setting calcium phosphate was used as an addition to the posterior procedure for thoracolumbar fractures in 10 cases. PV was performed in 4 cases of painftil vertebral hemangioma. And 2 cases of solitary thoracic vertebral tumor were treated by posterior tumor resection and nerve decompression combined with vertebroplasty. All the above patients had successful procedures.Xu Baoshan (ORTHOPAEDICS)Directed by Prof. Tang Tiansi...