Surgical procedure: Under the condition of local anesthesia or intravenous sedative, the patient is prone on the operating table and monitored by instruments such as heart rate, blood pressure and oxygen concentration. After washing the local skin with disinfectant, cover it with sterile surgical towel. Under the guidance of X-ray, insert a special steel needle through the back skin into the fractured spine. If spinal tumor is suspected, bone slices can be made for pathological analysis at the same time. Under the guidance of X-ray, artificial bone cement (PMMA) is slowly injected into the vertebral body, usually 5cc of bone cement can fill the vertebral body, and then the steel needle is pulled out. After a short period of compression to stop bleeding, the operation was completed. The artificial bone cement will completely harden in 10 minutes, and then the patient only needs to lie in bed for two hours before he can move freely. The average operation time of each vertebral body is 1 hour, and it is best to operate multiple vertebral body fractures in several stages.
This kind of operation is generally very safe, but complications may still occur. The incidence rates are: benign compression fracture (1~2%) and spinal tumor (5~ 10%). Possible complication include:
1. Pneumothorax, rib fracture (thoracic vertebra fracture)
2. Local hematoma
3. Temporary pain increases
4. Local skin or spinal bacterial infection, severe cases need surgical debridement.
5. Bone cement causes acute pulmonary embolism, causing pneumonia, dyspnea and even respiratory failure and death.
6. Bone cement leakage leads to nerve or spinal compression. Emergency surgery may cause neuralgia or hemiplegia when necessary.
7. Drug allergy, shock, and very few deaths.