The cranial vertebral body suffers a higher risk of adjacent vertebral fracture due to the poor biomechanical environment in patients with percutaneous vertebralplasty.

Background Context: Adjacent vertebral fracture (AVF), a frequent complication of PVP, is influenced by factors such as osteoporosis progression, increased intervertebral cement leakage (ICL), and biomechanical deterioration. Notably, the risk of AVF is notably elevated in the cranial vertebral body compared with the caudal counterpart. Despite this knowledge, the underlying pathological mechanism remains elusive.

Purpose: This study delves into the role of biomechanical deterioration as a pivotal factor in the heightened risk of AVF in the cranial vertebral body following PVP. By isolating this variable, we aim to unravel its prominence relative to other potential risk factors.

Study Design: A retrospective study and corresponding numerical mechanical simulations.

Patient Sample: Clinical data from 101 patients treated by PVP were reviewed in this study.

Outcome Measures: Clinical assessments involved measuring Hounsfield unit (HU) values of adjacent vertebral bodies as a representation of patients' bone mineral density (BMD). Additionally, the rates of ICL were compared among these patients. Numerical simulations were conducted to compute stress values in the cranial and caudal vertebral bodies under various body positions.

Methods: In a retrospective analysis of PVP patients spanning July 2016 to August 2019, we scrutinized the HU values of adjacent vertebral bodies to discern disparities in BMD between cranial and caudal regions. Additionally, we compared ICL rates on both cranial and caudal sides. To augment our investigation, well-validated numerical models simulated the PVP procedure, enabling the computation of maximum stress values in cranial and caudal vertebral bodies across varying body positions.

Results: The incidence rate of cranial AVF was significantly higher than the caudal side. No notable distinctions in HU values or ICL rates were observed between the cranial and caudal sides. The incidence of AVF showed no significant elevation in patients with ICL in either region. However, numerical simulations unveiled heightened stress values in the cranial vertebral body.

Conclusions: In patients postPVP, the cranial vertebral body faces a heightened risk of AVF, primarily attributed to biomechanical deterioration rather than lower BMD or an elevated ICL rate.