The authors report their own experience with percutaneous vertebroplasty, one of the so called--minimally invasive methods, used to treat a certain group of spinal lesions affecting the vertebral bodies. The paper contains a brief review of the current literature, basic problems, indications and operative technique. The authors remark, that insertion of the needle into the vertebral body gives an access for biopsy before cement injection. This procedure was realised in the case of diagnostic uncertainty. Technical details of transpedicular biopsy are described. The authors present 2 representative cases.
First case: a female with pathologic fracture of the Th7 vertebral body of osteoporotic origin.
Treatment: combination of biopsy and vertebroplasty by percutaneous transpedicular approach. Second case: a female with cancer metastasis in L1 vertebral body, vertebroplasty was performed to support the anterior spinal column. Needle insertion was controlled either by radiofluoroscopy or by CT. The authors confirm pain relief related to vertebroplasty.