Abstract
Vertebroplasty is a radiologically guided therapeutic procedure that consists of percutaneous injection of surgical cement into unhealthy vertebra. Vertebroplasty originated from radiologists in Europe to stabilize malignant vertebral tumor by injecting PMMA cement (polymethyI methaerylate) percutaneously with a fluoroscopic guidance. With the achievement of an analgesic effect associated with vertebral reinforcement, Gangi (1996) and other radiologists (1998) extended the use of percutaneous injection of PMMA to the patients with spinal osteoporosis.
Since 1991, the authors have developed biomechanical augmentation of osteoporotic vertebral fractures by injecting self-hardening bioactive calcium phosphate paste, and reported in 1995 that the increased mechanical strength and osteoconductivity of the surrounding bone were achieved by the augmentation by bioactive calcium phosphate cement in the experimentally induced osteoporotic animals. In 1998, the authors reported clinical experiences of repair of osteoporotic vertebral fracture using transpedicular injection of calcium phosphate paste in 15 patients with fresh fracture or with vertebral pseudoarthrosis.
Various kinds of bone-substitutes including hydroxyapatite, calcium phosphate, carbonate and others have been currently utilized to stabilize the fractured osteoporotic vertebra. As the number of the patients with osteoporotic vertebral fracture is increasing with growing elderly population, the repairing of the spinal osteoporosis using biomaterials will be needed more and more. The current treatment and the future’s task will be discussed.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor Jegan Krishnan. Correspondence should be addressed to him at the Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park 5047, Australia.
