Biomechanical considerations

The practice of PV has experienced explosive growth in recent years and, with it, many questions regarding the efficacy of the procedure and its optimal practice. Percutaneous vertebroplasty functions primarily to stabilize fractures, thus preventing pain and providing a stable environment for healing. The amount of cement needed to affect stabilization is unknown, but it is probably 4 to 6mL rather than the volume needed to fill the vertebral body completely (>10 mL), as previously thought necessary. Altering the cement composition by adding antibiotics, opacifying agents, and more monomer alters the material properties of the cement, but with the availability of cements approved by the Conformitè Europèene or the FDA, such alterations are of more academic than clinical interest. The primary concerns relative to cement selection are whether or not the cement can be injected easily and visualized properly under fluoroscopy.