Acta Orthop Belg
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The authors present the very rare complication of widespread pulmonary artery cement embolism after pedicle screw augmentation with bone cement for multilevel spine fusion. A 69-year-old woman with severe osteoporosis underwent a posterior T12S1fusion because of lumbar scoliosis. After two months the superior pedicle screws loosened, and a revision spondylodesis T8L1 was performed with bone cement augmentation of the pedicle screws. ⋯ The existing literature offers no clear strategy for prevention or treatment of pulmonary cement embolism. The authors feel, as far as prevention is concerned, that creating a cavity by means of balloon distention before pedicle screw augmentation allows to inject the cement under lower pressure, so that the incidence of cement embolism might be reduced. Treatment options include, besides surgical removal in symptomatic embolism, heparin or warfarin treatment for 3 to 6 months.