Purpose of this study is to compare the reduction of discogenic pain associated with disk herniation in two groups. Group A (31 patients) with lumbago, with/ without sciatica, with no neurologic deficit followed consernative treatment (antiflammatory drugs, physiotherapies) and the group B (31 patients) with the same symptoms submitted in percutaneous disc decompression after six weeks consernative treatment with poor results. Follow up had a period of six months, one year and two years in two groups. All patients in both groups evaluated clinically and the symptoms registrated in special protocol that included pain distribution, sensation, muscle strength and reflections (ahilleus and patellar). All of them submitted in X-ray and MRI so that the two groups have the presuppositions for percutaneous decompression of disc (absense of a free, non-contained or sequestered fragment, remained disc height > 50%, no neurologic deficit, no arthritis in facets). An AVS scale on a questionnaire adapted to Greek population helped assessing pain relief degree, life quality and mobility improvement. The method that we used is t-test for small independent patterns.

We found a statisticasignificant decrease on terms of pain relief, mobility and life improvement during the one and two years follow-up in group B which submitted in percutaneus decompression of intervertebral disks comparetively with A

Introduction: Two example case reports are presented of symptomatic vertebral haemangiomas. These were managed by percutaneous acrylic vertebroplasty in preference to total vertebrectomy and trivertebral fusion.

Subjects: Both patients were female and presented with severe thoracolumbar pain. One, aged 23, had an implosion fracture of L₂ with kyphosis. The other, aged 73, had continuous back pain made worse by lying down. MRI revealed haemangiomas in both cases replacing the vertebral bodies of L₂ and L₄ respectively. There was no neurological deficit.

Technique: Percutaneous vertebroplasty was performed in both cases under general anaesthetic by bilateral synchronous transpedicular injection of polymethyl-methacrylate, using continuous biplanar image intensifier control to monitor the distribution of the acrylic.

Results: Both cases were relieved of all symptoms from the moment of waking from the anaesthetic. The total number of haemangioma cases treated in Athens and Geneva is 11, and these current results are typical of the series¹ where all cases have been effectively treated without significant complications. Follow up one to seventy-two months.

Conclusion: Percutaneous acrylic vertebroplasty should be the treatment of choice for symptomatic vertebral haemangiomas without neurological involvement. The reason for this presentation is to emphasise not only the relative simplicity of the technique but also the impressive immediate resolution of symptoms.