Modification of PMMA vertebroplasty cement for reduced stiffness by addition of normal saline: a material properties evaluation.
Christian SchröderMai NguyenMichael KraxenbergerYan ChevalierCarolin MelcherBernd WegenerChristof BirkenmaierPublished in: European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society (2016)
The compressive stiffness of PMMA-based vertebroplasty cement can be reduced to almost a third by the addition of saline. The probable explanation is an increase in microporosity. Future simulator experiments will show whether the achieved reduction in stiffness is large enough to reduce the rate of subsequent vertebral fractures.