Abstract
Study design
We analyzed the diagnostic values of two simple tests for adequate needle positioning in vertebroplasty.
Objectives
We wanted to suggest performing the aspiration test and patency test, which can replace some of the roles of intraosseous venography (IOV) in vertebroplasty, and we also wanted to analyze the two tests' diagnostic values.
Summary of Literature Review
Intraosseous venography is an existing safety test for vertebroplasty, but it is less frequently performed nowadays because of its drawbacks.
Materials and Methods
The aspiration test is defined as positive if blood is easily aspirated through a vertebroplasty needle, and a positive aspiration test means that the needle tip is communicating with the venous system. This and IOV were carried out on a total of 114 sides of 61 vertebrae of 40 consecutive patients. Agreement between the two tests was evaluated with using Cohen's kappa coefficient, and the diagnostic values of the aspiration test, with using IOV as the gold standard, were also evaluated. The patency test is done in the intra-vertebral vacuum cleft cases. After bipedicular insertion of needles, saline is injected into one needle. If the saline gushes out of the other needle, the test is positive, and it means that both needles are inserted in the vacuum cleft. The patency test was performed in 25 vertebrae, and the positive rate and causes of the negative result were investigated.
Results
Cohen's kappa coefficient between the aspiration test and IOV was 0.88. The sensitivity of the aspiration test was 88%, the specificity was 99%, the positive predictive value was 97%, and the negative predictive value was 93%. The patency test was positive in 88% of the vacuum clefts. In all the positive cases, both needles were located within the vacuum cleft. In all the negative cases, one of the two needles was located outside the cleft.
REFERENCES
01). Landis JR., Koch GG. The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics. 1977. 33:159–174.
02). Cotten A., Dewatre F., Cortet B, et al. Percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteolytic metastases and myeloma: effects of the percentage of lesion filling and the leakage of methyl methacrylate at clinical follow-up. Radiology. 1996. 200:525–530.
03). Deramond H., Depriester C., Galibert P., Gars DL. Percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethylmethacrylate. Technique, indications, and results. Radiol Clin North Am. 1998. 36:533–546.
04). Padovani B., Kasriel O., Brunner P, et al. Pulmonary embolism caused by acrylic cement: a rare complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty. Am J Neuroradiol. 1999. 20:375–377.
05). Ratliff J., Nguyen T., Heiss J. Root and spinal cord compression from methylmethacrylate vertebroplasty. Spine. 2001. 26:300–302.
06). Rauschmann MA., Stechow D., Thomann KD., Scale D. Complications of vertebroplasty. Orthopade. 2004. 33:40–47.
07). Yeom JS., Kim WJ., Choy WS., Lee C., Chang B., Kang JW. Leakage of cement in percutaneous transpedicular vertebroplasty for painful osteoporotic compression fractures. J Bone Joint Surg. 2003. 85-B:83–89.
08). Do HM. Intraosseous venography during percutaneous vertebroplasty: is it needed? Am J Neuroradiol. 2002. 23:508–509.
09). Gaughen JR Jr., Jensen ME., Schweickert PA., Kauf-mann TJ., Marx WF., Kallmes DF. Relevance of antecedent venography in percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of osteoporotic compression fractures. Am J Neuroradiol. 2002. 23:594–600.
10). McGraw JK., Heatwole EV., Strnad BT., Silber JS., Patzilk SB., Boorstein JM. Predictive value of intraosseous venography before percutaneous vertebroplasty. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2002. 13:149–153.
11). McGraw JK. Re: Is intraosseous venography a signifi-cant safety measure in performance of vertebroplasty? J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2002. 13:856.
12). Peh WC., Gilula LA. Additional value of a modified method of intraosseous venography during percutaneous vertebroplasty. Am J Roentgenol. 2003. 180:87–91.
13). Vasconcelos C., Gailloud P., Beauchamp NJ., Heck DV., Murphy KJ. Is percutaneous vertebroplasty without pre-treatment venography safe? Evaluation of 205 consecutives procedures. Am J Neuroradiol. 2002. 23:913–917.