Large Pulmonary Embolus after Percutaneous Vertebroplasty: A Case Report / 대한척추외과학회지

Percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic compression fractures or malignant osteolytic spinal tumors provides pain relief. A pulmonary embolism caused by polymethylmethacrylate migration after this procedure is rare and its major complication, pulmonary infarction, involves necrosis of the lung parenchyme, resulting from interference with the blood supply. We report a case of a large pulmonary embolus (diameter 2 cm) after cement vertebroplasty for an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture and successful management with anticoagulation only.