• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제52권5호
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• pp.435-440
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• 2012

Objective : The purpose of this study is to find the optimal stiffness and volume of bone cement and their biomechanical effects on the adjacent vertebrae to determine a better strategy for conducting vertebroplasty. Methods : A three-dimensional finite-element model of a functional spinal unit was developed using computed tomography scans of a normal motion segment, comprising the T11, T12 and L1 vertebrae. Volumes of bone cement, with appropriate mechanical properties, were inserted into the trabecular core of the T12 vertebra. Parametric studies were done by varying the volume and stiffness of the bone cement. Results : When the bone cement filling volume reached 30% of the volume of a vertebral body, the level of stiffness was restored to that of normal bone, and when higher bone cement exceeded 30% of the volume, the result was stiffness in excess of that of normal bone. When the bone cement volume was varied, local stress in the bony structures (cortical shell, trabecular bone and endplate) of each vertebra monotonically increased. Low-modulus bone cement has the effect of reducing strain in the augmented body, but only in cases of relatively high volumes of bone cement (>50%). Furthermore, varying the stiffness of bone cement has a negligible effect on the stress distribution of vertebral bodies. Conclusion : The volume of cement was considered to be the most important determinant in endplate fracture. Changing the stiffness of bone cement has a negligible effect on the stress distribution of vertebral bodies.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권4호
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• pp.278-281
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• 2010

Objective : For the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) is currently widely used as an effective and relatively safe procedure. However, some patients do not experience pain relief after PVP. We performed several additional PVP procedures in those patients who did not have any improvement of pain after their initial PVP and we obtained good results. Our purpose is to demonstrate the effective results of an additional PVP procedure at the same previously treated level. Methods : We reviewed the medical records and the radiologic data of the PVP procedures that were performed at our hospital from November 2005 to May 2008 to determine the patients who had undergone additional PVP. We identified ten patients and we measured the clinical outcomes according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) score and the radiologic parameters, including the anterior body height and the kyphotic angulation. Results : The mean volume of polymethylmethacrylate injected into each vertebrae was 4.3 mL (range: 2-8 mL). The mean VAS score was reduced from 8 to 2.32. The anterior body height was increased from 1.7 cm to 2.32 cm. The kyphotic angulation was restored from 10.14 degrees to 2.32 degrees. There were no complications noted. Conclusion : The clinical and radiologic outcomes suggest that additional PVP is effective for relieving pain and restoring the vertebral body in patients who have unrelieved pain after their initial PVP. Our study demonstrates that additional PVP performed at the previously-treated vertebral levels could provide therapeutic benefit.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제45권6호
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• pp.369-374
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• 2009

Objective : Percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP) can provide immediate stabilization in pathologic fractures of spinal tumors. However, long term follow-up data in cases of pathologic fractures are lacking. The authors report follow-up results of VP in 185 pathologic fractures of 102 spinal tumor patients. Methods : Percutaneous VP was performed at 185 vertebral bodies of 102 patients from 2001 to 2007. Retrospective analysis was done with medical records and radiological data. The change of visual analogue score (VAS), vertebral body (VB) height and kyphotic angle were measured preoperatively and on postoperative one day and at 3, 6, and 12 months. Results : The patients were composed of metastatic spine tumors (81%) and multiple myeloma (19%). Involved spinal segments were between T6 and L5. Mean follow-up period was 12.2 months. VAS for back pain was 8.24 preoperatively, 3.59 (postoperative one day), 4.08 (three months) and 5.22 (one year). VB compression ratio changed from 21.33% preoperatively to 13.82% (postoperative one day), 14.36% (three month), and 16.04% (one year). Kyphotic angle changed from $15.35^{\circ}$ preoperatively to $12.03^{\circ}$ (postoperative one day), $13.64^{\circ}$ (three month), and $15.61^{\circ}$ (one year). Conclusion : Immediate pain relief was definite after VP in pathologic compression fracture of osteolytic spinal disease. Although VAS was slightly increased on one year follow-up, VP effect was maintained without significant change. These results indicate that VP could be a safe and effective procedure as a palliative treatment of the spinal tumor patients.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• 제35권1호
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• pp.56-60
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• 2022

The most common cause of foot drop is lumbar degenerative disc herniation, particularly at L4/5. We present a rare case of spinal cord injury accompanied by a thoracolumbar lesion that presented with bilateral foot drop. A 69-year-old male patient presented with sudden-onset severe bilateral leg pain and bilateral foot drop. Radiologic findings revealed T12 spondylitis compressing the conus medullaris. He had undergone vertebroplasty for a T12 compression fracture after a fall 6 months before. A physical examination showed bilateral foot drop, paresthesia of both L5 dermatomes, increased deep tendon reflex, and a positive Babinski sign. An acute bilateral L5 root lesion and a conus medullaris lesion were suspected based on electromyography. A surgical procedure was done for decompression and reconstruction. After the operation, bilateral lower extremity muscle strength recovered to a good grade from the trace grade, and the patient could walk without a cane. The current case is a very rare report of bilateral foot drop associated with T12 infectious spondylitis after vertebroplasty. It is essential to keep in mind that lesions of the thoracolumbar junction can cause atypical neurological symptoms. Furthermore, understanding the conus medullaris and nerve root anatomy at the T12-L1 level will be helpful for treating patients with atypical neurological symptoms.

• 대한의용생체공학회:의공학회지
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• 제25권3호
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• pp.171-182
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• 2004

본 연구에서는 의료 영상과 유한요소 해석을 이용하여 골절된 척추체의 치료를 위해 골 시멘트를 주입하는 추체 성형술(vertebroplasty)에 영향을 미치는 여러 인자들에 대해 생체 역학적으로 분석하여 평가하고자 하였다. 의료 영상을 통해 구현된 모델들은 분석하고자 하는 인자에 대하여 크게 단분절과 다분절 유한요소 모델의 2 가지 형태로 구분하였다. 단분절 유한요소 모델을 통해 골다공증의 정도, 주입된 골 시멘트의 양, 골 시멘트의 주입량 및 환자에게 주입된 골 시멘트 양의 적절성을 평가하였으며, 골 시멘트의 주입이 척추체의 구조적 안정성에 미치는 효과를 분석하기 위하여 척추체 상종판에 수직 압축하중을 가하여 이때의 최대 수진 변위량을 분석하였다. 또한 단분절 척추체의 강성도(stiffness) 값을 산출한 뒤, 정상 상태의 척추체의 강성도 값으로 정규화 하였다. 다분절 유한요소 모델의 경우, 압박 골절 상태를 적용하여 척추 만곡의 변화가 인체에 미치는 영향을 분석하기 위하여 골절의 정도를 3 가지로 구현하였으며, 모델의 최상부에 압축 하중을 가한 후의 척추 만곡의 변화 정도를 분석하였다. 추체 성형술에 대한 다양한 인자들에 대한 분석 결과, 추체 성형술을 통해 환자의 골밀도가 상대적으로 높은 경우(BMD 50mg/$m\ell$이상)와 환자의 척추체 망상골 부피의 약 15%에 해당하는 골 시멘트 주입 시 가장 큰 척추체의 구조적 안정성의 증가 효과를 가져올 것으로 예측되었다. 또한 척추 골절이 미치는 영향에 대한 분석 결과, -2.8$^{\circ}$의 정상적인 후만곡을 가지는 T12∼L2 운동 분절이 골절의 모델링 후 약 9∼17$^{\circ}$의 큰 전만곡을 가지게 되었으며 이러한 척추 만곡의 변화는 동일한 하중 하에서 급격한 척추 만곡의 변화를 야기하는 것으로 나타났다. 또한 골절의 정도가 심할수록 척추 변형은 더욱 크게 증가하는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 연구 결과들로부터, 전반적으로 추체 성형술은 골 시멘트의 주입량 또는 골밀도에 상관없이 약화된 척추체의 자체의 구조적 안정성의 증가 효과를 가져왔으며 골절로 인해 추체의 높이가 손상되었을 경우 이를 회복하는 것이 중요한 인자의 하나임을 나타내는 결과로 사료되어진다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제30권2호
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• pp.173-179
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• 2001

Purpose : To assess therapeutic effects of percutaneous polymethylmethacrylate(PMMA) vertebroplasty on the pain caused by osteoporotic thoracic and lumbar vertebral body compression fractures in a large scale of a prospective clinical design, and to determine clinical factors influencing its therapeutic effects. Methods : A prospective clinical study was carried out in 349 vertebral levels of 159 patients between April 1998 and July 1999. The compression fractures were confirmed with bone scan and spine CT, and bone marrow density was measured. Visual analogue scale(VAS) score was used for pre- and post-operative assessments of the pain. All 159 patients were assessed immediately after surgery, and 140 patients of them were followed-up for about 6 months in average. Results : Partial and complete pain relief was sustained immediately after operation in 73%, through follow-up period in 88% of the patients. Pain relief was not proportional to the amount of PMMA or the rate of increase in the height of the compressed vertebral body. It appears that 3 to 6cc of PMMA was proper enough to sustain pain relief. Better clinical improvement was achieved in the patients treated within 6 months after occurrence of vertebral body fracture. The most frequent surgical complication was epidural leakage of PMMA, and the most serious complication was extravertebral leakage into the paravertebral muscles, which appeared to exert the worst influence on the outcome. However, surgery was not required in these patients. Conclusion : Therapeutic effects of PMMA percutaneous vertebroplasty on osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures were confirmed in a relatively large scale of prospective clinical study. It appears that good outcome can be achieved in patients treated within 6 months after fracture, treated each level with 3 to 6cc of PMMA in amount. without serious complications.

• 대한영상의학회지
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• 제82권4호
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• pp.1011-1017
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• 2021

골 시멘트 색전은 경피적 척추성형 후 드물지 않게 발생하는 합병증이다. 이는 보통 작은 폐동맥 색전이고 대부분 무증상이기 때문에 치료를 필요로 하지 않는다. 하지만 심장 내에 생긴 골시멘트 색전은 매우 드물며, 치명적인 결과를 야기할 수 있다. 이전 보고된 증례들은 심장 내 골시멘트 색전을 주로 개심수술을 통해 제거하였으며, 중재시술로 제거한 것은 3개 증례만 보고되어 있었다. 따라서 저자들은 경피적 척추성형 후 발생한 우심방 내 6 cm 크기의 골 시멘트 색전을 도관경유로 안전하게 제거한 1예를 보고하고자 한다. 색전이 시술 중에 두 동강나 우폐동맥으로 이동하였으나 두 개의 스네어와 하나의 필터 제거 장치를 이용하여 서로 반대 방향에서 접근시켜 우폐동맥 내의 색전 조각들을 조심스럽게 잡아 끌어낸 후 쉬스와 일렬로 만들어 제거하였으며, 시술 후 합병증은 발생하지 않았다.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제50권1호
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• pp.54-56
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• 2011

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is frequently associated with inflammatory lesions of the spine and continuous fatigue stress fractures; however, an association with an intraspinal synovial cyst has not been previously reported. A 55-year-old man with a five year history of AS who presented with back pain and a right radiculopathy was admitted to the hospital. Five years previously, he underwent a percutaneous vertebroplasty for an osteoporotic L1 compression fracture, and was diagnosed with AS at that time. Plain radiographs showed aggravated kyphosis and a stress fracture through the ossified posterior element, below the prior vertebroplasty. Magnetic resonance images revealed a right foraminal cystic lesion at the L2-L3 level with effacement of the nerve root. A 1.6 cm cystic lesion that appeared to arise from the L2-L3 facet joint without direct communication was excised from the L2-L3 foramen. Pathological examination confirmed synovial cyst. The patient's symptoms resolved immediately after surgery except for a mild dysesthesia of the right leg. We report herein a rare case of foraminal synovial cyst associated with AS accompanying posterior element fracture with a review of literature.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제47권1호
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• pp.58-63
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• 2010

Sacral insufficiency fracture is a debilitating injury not easily found in general radiologic examinations and is rarely diagnosed, since its symptoms are obscure. It is known to frequently occur in patients with osteoporosis, but the treatment has not yet been established and various kinds of treatment methods are being attempted. Sacroplasty is sometimes performed by applying percutaneous vertebroplasty which is known to be a less invasive treatment. Since the course of diagnosis of sacral insufficiency fracture is difficult and clear guidelines for treatments have not yet been established, many spine surgeons fail to diagnose patients or speculate on treatment methods. We report our experience in diagnosing a sacral insufficiency fracture in a 54-year-old healthy female patient using MRI and treating her with sacroplasty. From a therapeutic point of view, we then cover the usefulness, effects and characteristics relating to the complications of sacroplasty, along with literature review.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• 제43권6호
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• pp.288-293
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• 2008

Objective : Bone cement leakage is a well-known potential complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in patients with osteoporotic compression fracture. Even though there has been a controversy in the efficacy of antecedent venography to prevent this complication, many authors have performed intra osseous venography before bone cement injection. The goal of this study was to classify the venous drainage patterns of spine before PVP, and compare their patterns at different vertebral levels. Methods : The authors retrospectively reviewed 1,042 intraosseous venographic patterns in 321 patients with 574 osteoporotic compression fractures during six-year period in one institution. To classify venogram patterns, we selected simple lateral X-ray of spine taken immediately after injection of the contrast dye. We classified the venography patterns according to contrast leakage pattern and leakage direction as follows; trabecular (TR), trabecular anterior (TA), trabecular posterior (TP), trabecular anterior-posterior (TAP), trabecular lateral (TL), venous anterior(VA), venous posterior (VP), venous anterior-posterior (VAP), soft tissue (ST). Also, we compared venogram patterns according to different spinal levels. Results : In overall, the most common pattern was TP type accounting for 37.4% (390/1042) of all intraosseous venograms. This is followed by TAP in 21.5%, TR 17.4%, TA 116%, TL 5.8%, ST 4.1%, VA 1.2%, VP 0.6%, and VAP 0.4% in descending order of frequency. According to the spinal level, TR and TAP types were most common in thoracic spine (T6-T10), TP type was most common in thoraco-Iumbar spine (T11-L2), and TP and TAP types were most common in lumbo-sacral spine (L3-S1). Contrast dye leakage to soft tissue such as psoas muscle or disc were detected in 43 (4.1%) venograms. Direct venous drainage without staining of vertebral body was found in 23 (2.2%) venograms. The 8.3% of thoracic venogram showed direct venous drainage. Thoracic level showed a more tendency of direct venous drainage than other spine levels (p<001). Conclusion : The authors propose a new classification system of intra osseous venography during PVP. The trabecular-posterior (TP) type is most common through all spine, and venous-filling (V) type was most frequent in thoracic spine. Further study would be necessary to elucidate the efficacy of this classification system to prevent bone cement leakage during PVP.