Cementoplasty of pelvic bone metastases: systematic assessment of lesion filling and other factors that could affect the clinical outcomes

Objectives To evaluate lesion filling and other factors that could affect the clinical outcomes of cementoplasty for pelvic bone metastases. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the files of 40 patients treated for 44 pelvic bone metastases, collected the parameters related to patients (pain relief evaluated on a visual analog scale, subsequent fractures, and need for surgery), lesions (size, cortical breach score, fracture, soft-tissue extension), and cementoplasty procedures (number of needles, volume of cement, percentage of lesion filling, cement leaks, residual acetabular roof defect), and performed a statistical analysis. Results The lesions were on average 43.2 mm in diameter and the mean cortical breach score was 2.5 out of 6, with a pathological fracture in 14 lesions. The number of needles inserted was one in 32 out of 44, two in 10 out of 44, and three in 2 out of 44. On average, the volume of cement injected per lesion was 10.3 ml and the filling was 54.8%. Mild or moderate asymptomatic cement leakage occurred in 20 lesions (45.5%). The mean pain score was 84.2 mm before the procedure (with no correlation with lesion size, cortical breach score or fracture) and 45.6 mm at follow-up. The pain relief of 38.6 mm was statistically significant (p < 0.001) and did not correlate with the filling percentage. There were no fractures of the treated lesions at a mean follow-up of 355 days. Conclusions Cementoplasty of pelvic bone metastases appears effective for providing pain relief and may prevent subsequent fractures. We were unable to demonstrate a correlation between the lesion filling and the degree of pain relief.