Biomechanical effect on adjacent vertebra after percutaneous kyphoplasty with cement leakage into disc: a finite element analysis of thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture

Abstract

To explore the biomechanical effects on adjacent vertebra of thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) after percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) with cement leakage into the disc by using finite element analysis. T10-L2 segment data were obtained from computed tomography (CT) scans of an elder female with single T12 OVCF undergoing a cement leakage into the T12-L1 disc after PKP. A three-dimensional finite element Model of thoracolumbar spine (T10-L2) was built in the Mimics and the ABAQUS software. The stress on annulus fiber, nucleus pulposus, endplate and facet joints under axial pressure (0.3, 1.0, 4.0 MPa) were analyzed. The 3D finite element after percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) with cement leakage into the disc may be strongly related with the changes of biomechanical effects on adjacent vertebra of thoracolumbar OVCF. Models of thoracolumbar OVCF before and after PVP with a cement leakage into the T12-L1 disc were successfully established. The stresses increased with a rising axial pressure in the model of cement leakage into the disc after PVP, the stress augmentation scope on adjacent end plates(T11 low plate & L1 top plate) and intervertebral disc (T11-12 & T12-L1) increased. The maximal Von Mises stress on adjacent vertebra (T11 & L1) increased while but the maximal Von Mises stress on end vertebra (T10 & L2) decreased. Postoperative adjacent vertebral fracture.