Vertebral augmentation

Treatment of painful vertebral compression fractures by spinal augmentation was first introduced in 1987 when Galibert et al. injected acrylic cement percutaneously into the vertebral column of patients with vertebral angiomas [1]. Since that time, it has gained acceptance around the world as a minimally invasive and effective procedure to alleviate painful spinal lesions after more conservative treatment options such as drugs and supportive care prove inadequate. Its use has been expanded, especially in the last decade, to treatment of fractures resulting from osteoporosis, metastatic cancer, and multiple myeloma.