CT-guided percutaneous screw fixation plus cementoplasty in the treatment of painful bone metastases with fractures or a high risk of pathological fracture

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous screw fixation plus cementoplasty (PSFPC), for either treatment of painful metastatic fractures or prevention of pathological fractures, in patients who are not candidates for surgical stabilization. Materials and methods: Twenty-seven patients with 34 metastatic bone lesions underwent CT-guided PSFPC. Bone metastases were located in the vertebral column, femur, and pelvis. The primary end point was the evaluation of feasibility and complications of the procedure, in addition to the length of hospital stay. Pain severity was estimated before treatment and 1 and 6 months after the procedure using the visual analog scale (VAS). Functional outcome was assessed by improved patient walking ability. Results: All sessions were completed and well tolerated. There were no complications related to either incorrect positioning of the screws during bone fixation or leakage of cement. All patients were able to walk within 6 h after the procedure and the average length of hospital stay was 2 days. The mean VAS score decreased from 7.1 (range, 4–9) before treatment to 1.6 (range, 0–6), 1 month after treatment, and to 1.4 (range 0–6) 6 months after treatment. Neither loosening of the screws nor additional bone fractures occurred during a median follow-up of 6 months. Conclusions: Our results suggest that PSFPC might be a safe and effective procedure that allows the stabilization of the fracture and the prevention of pathological fractures with significant pain relief and good recovery of walking ability, although further studies are required to confirm this preliminary experience.