Abstract
80% of myeloma patients have lytic bone lesions and osteoporosis secondary to corticosteroid therapy with high rate of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). The consequences include pain and spinal deformity. The treatment ideally should address both the fracture-related pain and associated spinal deformity. Kyphoplasty provides a new tool that may impact bone care entailing the insertion and expansion of an inflatable bone tamps (IBT) in a fractured vertebral body. Bone cement is then deposited into the cavity to correct the deformity and improvement in structural integrity of collapsed vertebra.
Eighteen VCFs were treated during 11 balloon kyphoplasty procedures in 7 multiple myeloma patients. The clinical outcomes were assessed according to visual analogue scale with 0 representing no pain and 10 severe pain. Patients rated their pain before surgery, 1 week after surgery and at 1 year-postoperative period.
Mean improvement in local sagittal alignment was 12.3°. All of the patients who had reached the 1-year postoperative period had reported a high reduction in pain.
Treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy is very important in the control of bone disease. Patients treated with kyphoplasty in combination with pharmacologic therapy return to higher activity levels, leading to increased independence and quality of life.
Correspondence should be addressed to Ariella Neustadt at Studio EGA, Professional Congress Organisers, Viale Tiziano, 19 - 00196, Rome - Italy.
