Development of Lumbar Disc Herniation Following Percutaneous Vertebroplasty

Study Design. A case report and review of the literature. Objective. To describe an extremely rare case, development of lumbar disc herniation after percutaneous vertebroplasty complicated with intradiscal cement leakage. Summary of Background Data. Intradiscal cement leakages are frequently seen during vertebroplasty operations. They are generally asymptomatic. To the best of authors' knowledge, this is the first case describing development of lumbar disc herniation after percutaneous vertebroplasty complicated with intradiscal cement leakage. Methods. A 74-year-old woman with the 2-week history of percutaneous vertebroplasty of L4 vertebrae was admitted to our emergency unit. She was suffering from an excruciating low back pain radiating to her right leg. Neurologic examination and lumbar MRI revealed right L5 radiculopathy due to a sequestrated disc fragment. She underwent microlumbar discectomy. Results. Free disc fragment on the L5 root was removed. She was pain free and her neurologic deficit immediately improved after surgery. Conclusion. Although extremely rare, intradiscal cement leakage during percutaneous vertebroplasty may promote development of lumbar disc herniation.