History of radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
History The first known use of thermocoagulation for the treatment of chronic pain was in 1931, with successful ablation of the gasserian ganglion for trigeminal neuralgia by Martin Kirschner. A…
Radiofrequency ablation for metastatic bone lesions with vertebral augmentation
Introduction Bone is the third most common site of tumor metastasis after lung and liver. Of all bones, the spine is the most frequent site of metastasis ( Table 8.1…
Vertebral anatomy
A detailed understanding of spinal anatomy is requisite to performing spinal procedures. The spine consists of bones, ligaments, discs, blood vessels, and nerves. Bony structures and ligaments of the spine…
Basivertebral nerve ablation
Introduction One of the most common health conditions worldwide is chronic low back pain (CLBP). In fact, the point prevalence of low back pain is noted to be around 12%…
Vertebral augmentation using expandable intravertebral implants
Introduction Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) is one of the most common manifestations of osteoporosis. OVCFs occur in approximately 20% of individuals over 70 years of age. The fractures can…
Balloon augmentation
Introduction Back pain remains one of the most common complaints seen by primary care and pain treatment providers. Lifetime prevalence has been reported to be as high as 84%. Roughly…
Vertebroplasty/kyphoplasty: Transpedicular approach
Introduction Percutaneous vertebroplasty is an image-guided procedure for the injection of bone cement into the vertebral body. The benefits of vertebroplasty include bone strengthening and potential decompression of spinal nerves…
Outcome measurement for vertebral augmentation
Introduction The prevalence of spine fractures in the United States was estimated to be 11% in people 70 to 79 years old and 18% in those over 80 years of…
Vertebral augmentation with osteotome
Introduction The incidence of vertebral compression fracture is estimated at 800,000 per year in the United States, and they often result in hospitalization. Osteoporotic compression fractures affect 30% to 50%…
Perioperative care for vertebral augmentation
Preoperative care Various procedures are used today for vertebral augmentation, including percutaneous vertebroplasty, balloon augmentation, vertebral osteotomy augmentation, and kyphoplasty—for example, the SpineJack system (Stryker, Michigan, USA). Preoperative, intraoperative, and…
