The value of routinely performing a bone biopsy during percutaneous vertebroplasty in treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective histologic evaluation of biopsies obtained during percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) procedures as treatment for presumed osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the rate of unsuspected malignancy in bone biopsies of patients undergoing PVP for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA

Most vertebral compression fractures, which result from minimal, or no trauma have osteoporosis as underlying cause. The diagnosis osteoporosis is based on clinical and radiologic findings. Even in patients with proven osteoporosis it is not always the true cause of the fractures. In literature, outcomes of bone-biopsies obtained during vertebroplasty have been described with inconsistent percentages of unexpected malignancy.

METHODS

To determine the rate of unsuspected malignancy, 78 biopsies were obtained from 78 patients (18 male; 60 female; mean age, 73 years). The histologic diagnoses of vertebral body biopsy specimens were analyzed in a retrospective study.

RESULTS

Seventy-one biopsies (91%) obtained from 71 patients, were suitable for histologic evaluation. Seven biopsies (9.0%) could not be interpreted as a result of suboptimal quality biopsy material. The population included 10 patients (13%) with a history of malignancy, in this group no malignancy was found in the bone biopsies. In 3 patients (3.8% of all biopsies) previously undiagnosed malignancies, 2 multiple myeloma stage IIa and 1 chondrosarcoma grade I, were found.

CONCLUSION

Obtaining bone biopsies during PVPs does not lead to increased morbidity and can verify the pathologic process underlying the vertebral compression fractures. Since this study showed an unsuspected malignancy rate of 3.8%, we recommend routine obtainment of a vertebral body bone biopsy, preferably using a biopsy needle with a diameter larger than 14 Gauge (>2.1 mm/0.083 inch), during every PVP procedure.