Staged Cement Injections for Massive Sacral Hemangioma

Vertebral hemangiomas are typically asymptomatic; however, they can also be a source of severe axial back pain. In this report, the authors describe the case of an unusually large sacral hemangioma that was effectively treated with staged cement augmentation. A 57-year-old man presented with chronic mid-sacral pain that was episodically severe. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a massive lytic defect involving a majority of the body of S1 with features consistent with a hemangioma. It was theorized that the patient's pain could be attributed to the compromised structural integrity of the proximal sacrum with associated microfractures. Extensive conservative treatment failed to ameliorate the pain. A cement augmentation procedure was therefore recommended to stabilize the proximal sacrum. Due to concern about the potential for cement embolic complications, a staged bilateral approach was chosen. In the first procedure, 12 mL of bone cement was injected into the right proximal sacrum. The pain was partially improved by this injection. A 2-month interval was observed before the second cement injection in order to give time for pulmonary recovery from any potential microscopic emboli. In the second stage, 8 mL of bone cement was injected into the left proximal sacrum with excellent pain relief. There were no complications from either injection. At the 5-year follow-up, the patient reported no recurrence of mid-sacral pain. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case reporting the effective treatment of a sacral hemangioma with staged cement injections. [Orthopedics. 2023;46(4):e253-e256.].