Background: We reviewed the reported data related to iatrogenic lumbar artery injury (ILAI) in spine surgery with a focus on which iatrogenic procedure might cause lumbar artery injury.
Methods: We conducted a comprehensive search in the Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, and Chinese biomedical databases in July 2018.
Results: A total of 20 reports on ILAI were selected for the present study. Most of these were case reports, with a total of 26 cases. The causes of ILAI were as follows: puncture injury in 9 cases, transforaminal endoscopic operation in 5 cases, pedicle screw injury in 3 cases, intervertebral foramen decompression in 2 cases, disc rongeur injury during discectomy in 2 cases, lumbar artery tear caused by transverse process fracture in 1 case, vertebral fracture restoration in 1 case, retractor injury in 1 case, cage insertion or pedicle screw injury in 1 case, and drainage tube stimulation in 1 case. The treatment methods included transarterial embolization in 20 cases, percutaneous embolization in 2 cases, surgical ligation in 1 case, and steroid and cyclophosphamide treatment in 1 case. All patients were treated successfully. One patient died during antishock therapy, and another patient died because her family refused any further intervention.
Conclusions: Attention should be given to the surgical procedures that are likely to cause ILAI, such as percutaneous vertebroplasty/percutaneous kyphoplasty, vertebral biopsy, pedicle screw implantation, discectomy, transforaminal endoscopic operation, and intervertebral foramen decompression. Once a diagnosis of ILAI has been confirmed, selective endovascular transarterial embolization is the preferred treatment.
Keywords: Iatrogenic injury; Lumbar artery; Lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm; Spine surgery.
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