Percutaneous vertebroplasty at C7 for the treatment of painful metastases -A case report-

The cervical spine is a less common site for metastatic disease than is the thoracolumbar spine. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in the cervical spine can be performed using an anteromedial or lateral approach. A 51-year-old woman with breast cancer had been experiencing severe weight-bearing neck pain for 2 months, even after undergoing radiation therapy. Imaging studies revealed an osteolytic compression fracture in the C7 vertebra. For performing PVP at C7 using the anteromedial approach, a needle was inserted from the left side of the patient's neck. The needle was advanced to the anterior 1/3 anterior 1/3 or 1/2 of the vertebral body by hammering, and approximately 2 ml of cement was injected. Immediately after the operation, the patient could move her neck without pain. In conclusion, PVP using an anterolateral approach may be an option for treating metastatic osteolytic vertebral lesions in the cervical spine for alleviating intractable axial neck pain.