• Tsung-Ting Tsai, Wen-Jer Chen, Po-Liang Lai, Lih-Huei Chen, Chi-Chien Niu, Tsai-Sheng Fu, and Chak-Bor Wong.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
• Spine. 2003 Nov 15; 28 (22): E457-60.

Study DesignA case report is presented.ObjectivesTo report a rare complication of delayed cement displacement following percutaneous vertebroplasty.Summary Of Background DataAlthough percutaneous vertebroplasty is considered a minimally invasive procedure, it may result in several complications. To our knowledge, this is the first report of delayed cement displacement after percutaneous vertebroplasty.MethodsA 69-year-old man with T12 osteoporotic compression fracture received percutaneous vertebroplasty. One month after surgery, the patient complained of progressive severe back pain, and roentgenographic image revealed a breakdown of the anterior cortex of the T12 vertebral body with anterior displacement of the bone cement.ResultsThe complication was solved by one stage anterior and posterior operation: thoracoabdominal approach with removal of the displaced cement and posterior instrumentation from T11 to L1. The severe back pain with associated weakness improved after surgery.ConclusionsThis complication is rare and likely to occur in treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fracture with avascular necrosis and anterior cortical defect.

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