Serious pyogenic spondylitis following vertebroplasty - A case report

Study Design. The aim of this case report is to examine the problem of serious pyogenic spondylitis that may follow vertebroplasty. Objectives. To report 1 case of serious pyogenic spondylitis caused by percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethyl methacrylate. Summary of Background Data. Serious pyogenic spondylitis caused by percutaneous vertebroplasty with polymethyl methacrylate is a rare complication. We herein report a case of pyogenic spondylitis that occurred after the patient had undergone vertebroplasty. Methods. A 78-year-old woman with a T12 osteoporotic compression fracture, and without a magnetic resonance imaging sign of infection, underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty using polymethyl methacrylate without complication. Results. About 1 month after the operation, the patient was readmitted because of severe backache, and the diagnosis of pyogenic spondylitis was made using radiograph and magnetic resonance imaging. Anterior inter-body fusion with a strut bone graft after debridement and posterior instrumentation were then performed. Conclusions. Vertebroplasty should proceed under sterile conditions. Excluding the possibility of spinal infection before surgery and a detailed evaluation assuring that the patient is without systemic infectious disease before the vertebroplasty procedure is crucial.