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Ex vivo experiments of a new injection cannula for vertebroplasty
Gamal Baroud1, Pierre-Luc Martin, François Cabana
1Laboratoire de biomécanique, Génie mécanique, Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada. Gamal.Baroud@USherbrooke.ca
Study Design:
An experimental study using cadaveric vertebrae.
Objectives:
To measure the injection pressure in an ex vivo model and determine whether the redesigned cannula, featuring 2 distinct sections of different diameters, significantly reduces the injection pressure.
Summary Of Background Data:
An important limitation of vertebroplasty is the excessive pressure required to inject sufficient cement. The redesigned cannula accounts for the "bottleneck" of the injection previously identified. It has a distal section that is adapted to the pedicles and a proximal section with a larger diameter.
Methods:
Two cannulas were tested, a conventional 8-gauge and the redesigned cannula. There were 3 mL of cement injected in small strokes of 0.75 mL into the left and right hemivertebrae. A custom-made injection device monitored the injection pressure and cement volume.
Results:
Average injection pressure was 2.3 MPa, often approaching the human physical limit and resulting in insufficient filling. The average pressure of the redesigned cannula was 44% lower than that of the conventional cannula, a highly significant result (P < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The new cannula may improve vertebroplasty by significantly easing cement injection. It is cost effective and can be easily integrated into the existing procedure.
