Can neurological recovery occur after late decompression of an intradural cement leakage?

Abstract

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) can be applied widely from osteoporotic to metastatic fractures. Pain, radiculopathy, spinal cord compression, pulmonary embolism, and infection are common complications of this procedure. However, rare complications such as intradural cement leakage have also been reported. There is little or no data on the results obtained after the late intervention. In addition, the midline total laminectomy method, which is the classical method, was predominantly used in intradural cement leaks after PV. We would like to report a 69-year-old female patient who underwent vertebroplasty for her L1 osteoporotic fracture about 3 months ago in an external center and subsequently developed paresis. The patient’s surgery was successfully performed without the need for stabilization by hemilaminectomy. The improvement in the clinical findings of our case despite the late decompression shows that surgery is the most satisfactory option in such patients. As a surgical method, total excision can be achieved with the posterior hemilaminectomy approach.