[Preoperative embolisation of spinal metastases].

In the management of spinal metastases bringing about neurological symptoms and signs, palliative surgical treatment plays an important role. The goals of surgery are preservation of neurological function especially that of the mobility, pain relief and local tumor control. Many of spinal metastases are hypervascularised, accordingly, preoperative embolisation offers logically improvement in technical realisation of surgery by means of reduction of intraoperative profuse bleeding.

[Fractionated conformal stereotactic irradiation of recurrent sacral tumour. Case report and first description of the method in Hungary].

Non-invasive procedures completing traditional surgical treatment play an increasing role in the management of central nervous system malignancies. Conformal stereotactic irradiation (radiosurgery) has become a routine method in intracranial malignancies. However, application of this modality in tumours of the spinal cord and spinal column is much more difficult to perform.

[The use of minimally invasive instrumental spinal surgical technique in lumbar diseases of degenerative or traumatic origin].

Paradigm change has recently taken place in spine surgery with the application of minimally invasive techniques. Minimally invasive techniques have several advantages over the open traditional techniques: less blood loss, preservation of spine muscle integrity, shorter hospitalization, early mobilization, reduced pain levels, lower risk of infection. The presented cases cover following lumbar pathologies: segmental spinal instability, LV-SI grade II.

Comparison of CT characteristics of extravertebral cement leakages after vertebroplasty performed by different navigation and injection techniques.

Objective: This study was intended to assess the results of post-operative CT scans in three groups of patients following percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP) using different navigation and injection methods, in an attempt to explain the radiological characteristics of extravertebral cement leakage with relation to needle placement and focused on the ventral epidural accumulation of bone cement. Furthermore, we have suggested a morphological (and functional) classification of the types of cement leakage.

Methods: Between July 2001 and February 2005, 123 percutaneous VP procedures were performed during 75 sessions in 65 patients for treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures.

[Application of vertebroplasty, neuronavigation and kyphoplasty in the treatment of multiplex osteoporotic vertebral fractures--case report].

Vertebroplasty is a image-guided therapeutic procedure, consisting of an injection of acrylic cement through a bone biopsy needle into a vertebral body. Main indication for vertebroplasty is painful vertebral body compression fracture due to osteoporosis. The procedure is an efficient mean with high success in pain release and prevention of further collapse of the treated vertebrae; however, the technique does not allow to realign the spine.

[Percutaneous transpedicular acrylate vertebroplasty for the treatment of lumbar vertebral hemangioma--case report].

The authors present the management of a patient suffering from lumbar vertebral hemangioma. Percutaneous transpedicular acrylate vertebroplasty was performed. This method has widely been used for the treatment of pathological vertebral bodies of different aetiology.

[Molecular genetic background of developmental bony malformations at the craniocervical junction and cervical spine].

In this review a new interpretation of the origin of bony developmental malformations affecting the craniocervical junction and the cervical spine is presented based on recent advances in the understanding of embryonic development of the spine and its molecular genetic control. Radiographs, CT and MRI scans or CT myelograms of patients with Klippel-Feil syndrome were used for demonstration. Detailed clinical and radiological analysis of these patients was published earlier [David KM, Stevens JM, Thorogood P, Crockard HA.

[Vertebroplasty: a percutaneous procedure for the treatment of diseased vertebral bodies of various etiologies].

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a radiologically guided invasive technique consisting of the injection of surgical cement into the diseased vertebral body. The procedure results in immediate pain relief and strengthening of the bone due to the polymerization process of the filling material hardening the vertebral body and preventing further collapse. This method is suitable for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures and of osteolytic vertebral body metastases without neurological signs, in multiple appearance as well.