Acetabulum malignancies: technique and impact on pain of percutaneous injection of acrylic surgical cement

Abstract.

The aim of our study was to describe the technique of percutaneous injection of acrylic surgical cement into acetabulum malignancies [percutaneous acetabuloplasty (PCA)] and determine its efficiency in relieving pain. Eighteen patients (8 men, 10 women; aged 40–81 years) with painful acetabular malignancies (18 lesions; 17 metastases, 1 multifocal bone sarcoma) were treated with PCA. Procedures were done using lateral approach with fluoroscopic guidance. The 18 procedures were evaluated and resulted in 4 (22 %) total improvement, 7 (39 %) clear improvement, 4 (22 %) moderate improvement, 1 (6 %) no improvement, and 2 (11 %) worsening in keeping with a cement leak in contact with the sciatic nerve and a leak towards the joint. Follow-up ranged from 2 to 48 months (average 9.4 months). We observed 2 cases of recurrence of pain at 6 and 39 months, both in keeping with local tumoral progression. PCA of malignancies is a minimally invasive and low-cost procedure that provides immediate and long-term pain relief.