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Percutaneous treatment of insufficiency fractures

Principles, technique and review of literature

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Abstract

Insufficiency fractures of the pelvis, sacrum, spine, and long bones are painful, debilitating, and are common consequences of osteoporosis. Conventional treatment for these fractures varies from conservative therapy to surgery with plate and screw fixation. The former fails to address the underlying problem of fracture and frequently does not alleviate symptoms, while the latter is invasive and not always possible in older populations with low bone density and numerous co-morbidities. Osseous augmentation with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) has been used for over two decades to treat fractures related to osteoporosis, but has not been commonly used to treat fractures outside of the vertebral bodies. Osseous augmentation with PMMA is an image-guided procedure and various techniques have been utilized to treat fracture in different locations. We describe various techniques for image-guided osseous augmentation and treatment of insufficiency fractures with bothPMMA and allograft bone for fractures of the pelvis including sacrum, acetabulum, pubic symphysis, pubic rami ilium; appendicular skeleton including distal radius, proximal femur, and vertebral body. We also describe the potential risks and complications associated with percutaneous treatment of insufficiency fractures and techniques to avoid the pitfalls of the various procedures. We will present the process for patient follow-up and data regarding the pre- and postprocedure pain response in patients undergoing treatment for pelvic insufficiency fractures.

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Acknowledgement

All work originated at Edmond Medical Center, Edmond, OK, USA, and performed by the personnel of Clinical Radiology of Oklahoma.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Oklahoma City, OK, 73104, USA

    Douglas P. Beall, Sharon L. D’Souza, Logan S. D’Souza, Divya Gunda, John Morelli, Michael Brandon Johnson & Nima Nabavizadeh

  2. Clinical Radiology of Oklahoma, Edmond, OK, 73083, USA

    Douglas P. Beall

  3. Department of Radiology, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 4LP, UK

    Abhijit Datir

  4. 610 NW 14th Street, Oklahoma City, OK, 73103, USA

    Douglas P. Beall

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  1. Douglas P. Beall
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Correspondence to Douglas P. Beall.

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Beall, D.P., Datir, A., D’Souza, S.L. et al. Percutaneous treatment of insufficiency fractures. Skeletal Radiol 39, 117–130 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-009-0722-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00256-009-0722-x

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