Percutaneous Vertebral Augmentation with Polyethylene Mesh and Allograft Bone for Traumatic Thoracolumbar Fractures

Figure 5

A forty-one-year-old man presented with a fracture of L1 after a fall. He underwent stand-alone PVA with mesh and allograft bone without complications. (a) A coronal reconstructed CT scan was obtained immediately after surgery and demonstrated the dislocation of the lateral border of the vertebral body on the right side. The mesh should have been placed more centrally. At that time point, the patient’s symptoms had considerably improved compared to before surgery. The patient again suffered from back pain approximately one week after surgery when he began to perform more physically demanding activities. (b) A coronal reconstructed CT scan demonstrated progressive extravertebral displacement of the bone graft containment system. At this time point, the patient was almost free of symptoms, provided that he did not undertake strenuous physical activities. He did not wish to undergo surgery. Two weeks later, however, coronal (c) and axial (d) CT scans showed paravertebral extrusion of a major portion of the mesh and granular bone graft material. Surgical revision was then performed.

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