Risk Factors for Pulmonary Cement Embolism (PCE) After Polymethylmethacrylate Augmentation: Analysis of 32 PCE Cases

OBJECTIVE: Pulmonary cement embolism (PCE) is an underestimated but potentially fatal complication after cement augmentation. Although the treatment and follow-up of PCE have been reported in the literature, the risk factors for PCE are so far less investigated. This study aims to identify the preoperative and intraoperative risk factors for the development of PCE. METHODS: A total of 1,373 patients treated with the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) augmentation technique were retrospectively included. Patients with PCE were divided into vertebral augmentation group and screw augmentation group. Possible risk factors were collected as follows: age, sex, bone mineral density, body mass index, diagnosis, comorbidity, surgical procedure, type of screw, augmented level, number of augmented vertebrae, fracture severity, presence of intravertebral cleft, cement volume, marked leakage in the paravertebral venous plexus, and periods of surgery. Binary logistic regression analyses were used to analyze independent risk factors for PCE. RESULTS: PCE was identified in 32 patients, with an incidence rate of 2.33% (32 of 1,373). For patients who had undergone vertebral augmentation, marked leakage in the paravertebral venous plexus (odds ratio [OR], 1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.1–10.3; p=0.000) and previous surgery (OR, 16.1; 95% CI, 4.2–61.0; p=0.007) were independent risk factors for PCE. Regarding patients who had undergone screw augmentation, the marked leakage in the paravertebral venous plexus (OR, 4.2; 95% CI, 0.5–37.3; p=0.004) was the main risk factor. CONCLUSION: Marked leakage in the paravertebral venous plexus and previous surgery were significant risk factors related to PCE. Paravertebral leakage and operator experience should be concerned when performing PMMA augmentation.