Biomechanical effects of cement discoplasty on the lumbar spinal unit

BackgroundPercutaneous cement discoplasty (PCD) is used to treat patients with low back and leg pain due to the intervertebral disc vacuum phenomena. Whether PCD can restore lumbar spinal stability remains unknown. ObjectiveThe purpose of our in vitro study was to evaluate the biomechanical changes brought about by PCD. MethodsEight fresh pig lumbar spines were tested in the following order: intact, after nucleotomy, and after discoplasty. Flexion/extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation were induced by pure moments. The range of motion and neutral zone were recorded. A CT scan was performed to assess the injection volume of the bone cement and to observe whether the bone cement was fractured. After removing the facet joint, a compression failure test was conducted to observe the fracture of bone cement. ResultsCompared with nucleotomy, range of motion (ROM) after discoplasty was reduced only in lateral flexion (P