The safety of cement fixation in the cervical spine. Studies of a rabbit model

Immediate postoperative ambulation of patients with terminal neoplastic disease of the cervical spine can be permitted by vertebral stabilization with wire reinforced with polymethylmethacrylate. Precautions are necessary to avoid a temperature rise during cement polymerization and prevent vasular or nerve damage. Experiments on 20 rabbits and 2 human cadavers indicate that temperature at the cement-lamina interface can rise as high as 90 degrees while temperature under the intact lamina measures only 50 degrees. Precooling and insulation with Gelfoam may prevent heat injury to spinal cord.