Vertebroplasty: Cement Leakage into the Disc Increases the Risk of New Fracture of Adjacent Vertebral Body

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Patients successfully treated with vertebroplasty often return with new pain caused by a new vertebral body fracture. The new fractures often are adjacent to the vertebral bodies that were initially treated. In our clinical work, we have observed that cement leakage into the disk increases the risk of new fracture of the adjacent vertebral body. This study analyzed the risk of new fractures of adjacent vertebral bodies in relationship to cement leakage into the disk. METHODS: This study was based on 38 patients with painful compression fractures treated with vertebroplasty. Patients who returned with new pain after initial successful vertebroplasty were evaluated by repeat MR imaging. We analyzed the incidence of new fractures of adjacent vertebral bodies in relationship to cement leakage into the disk that had occurred during the initial vertebroplasty. RESULTS: Fourteen patients developed new fractures during the follow-up period. In 10 patients, the new fractures were associated with cement leakage into the disk, whereas four patients had new fractures that were not associated with cement leakage into the disk. This difference was statistically significant (P = .018). A detailed analysis showed that 58% of vertebral bodies adjacent to a disk with cement leakage fractured during the follow-up period compared with 12% of vertebral bodies adjacent to a disk without cement leakage (P < .0005). CONCLUSION: Leakage of cement into the disk during vertebroplasty increases the risk of a new fracture of adjacent vertebral bodies.