Paradoxical cerebral arterial embolization of cement during intraoperative vertebroplasty: case report

Paradoxical cerebral embolism of cement occurred in a 78-year-old woman after cement-assisted transpedicular spinal fixation surgery. Multiple pulmonary emboli of polymethylmethacrylate precipitated pulmonary hypertension and right-to-left shunting into the systemic circulation through a patent foramen ovale. This rare complication occurred because of failure to recognize venous migration of cement during the procedure and the injection of multiple levels in one setting. Although this was an open procedure, the technical aspects were the same as for vertebroplasty and the precautions should be applied to percutaneous vertebroplasty.