Open dorsal vertebroplasty of the axis

Vertebroplasty of the axis is always a challenging procedure. We report the case of a young, HIV-positive patient suffering from an osteolytic metastasis of the axis. An open dorsal vertebroplasty was performed. A leakage of the cement formed a new cortical bone of the massa lateralis of C2, and stabilized the C1-C2 articulation by an arthrodesis-like effect. Durable pain relief and stabilization were obtained. The location of the cement, although atypical, had all desired effects of a conventional vertebroplasty. The intra-articular injection of cement into the facets for stabilization and pain relief could be considered in the future.