Percutaneous vertebroplasty in 1,253 levels: results and long-term effectiveness in a single centre.

Several authors claim that vertebroplasty (PVT) is a successful technique, but long-term effectiveness is still debated. Our goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of PVT in patients with symptomatic vertebral fractures that had not responded to conservative treatment. In our centre, 624 patients with 1,253 compression fractures were treated by PVT.

Nucleoplasty in the treatment of lumbar diskogenic back pain: one year follow-up.

Purpose: The spine is an important source of pain and disability, affecting two thirds of adults at some time in their lives. Treatment in these patients is mainly conservative medical management, based on medication, physical therapy, behavioral management, and psychotherapy, surgery being limited to elective cases with neurologic deficits. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous nucleoplasty in patients affected by painful diskal protrusions and contained herniations.

MRI and bone scan imaging in the preoperative evaluation of painful vertebral fractures treated with vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty.

Background: This study compared the role and timing of bone scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), before treatment with vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty. To our knowledge, no prior articles have described, in osteoporotic and pathological vertebral fractures, the role of MRI and bone scintigraphy as pre-procedural work up in those patients candidated to undergo spinal interventional procedures.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of thirty patients treated with interventional procedures for painful vertebral fractures at our institution between January 2002 and July 2003.

Radiofrequency Heat Ablation and Vertebroplasty in the treatment of neoplastic vertebral body fractures.

Background: Metastatic cancer is the most common malignant disease of the skeletal system. Traditionally, conventional fractionated external beam radiotherapy has been the treatment of choice. Recently, minimally invasive surgical techniques (MISS) have been added to the therapeutic armamentarium.

Pyriformis muscle syndrome: CT/MR findings in the percutaneous therapy with botulinic toxin.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic capabilities of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in pyriformis syndrome (PS) and the long-term outcomes of CT-guided percutaneous treatment with botulinum. PS is a cause of sciatica and disability. The pain is usually increased by muscular contraction, palpation or prolonged sitting.