Efficacy and complications of 125I seeds combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty for metastatic spinal tumors: A literature review

To review the efficacy and complications of 125I seeds combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty for the treatment of metastatic spinal tumors. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE from its inception to November 2018 for articles on metastatic spinal tumors treated with 125I seeds combined with percutaneous vertebroplasty. A total of 273 articles were identified in PubMed/MEDLINE based on the search criteria. After deleting duplicate articles including two retrospective studies and three case control studies, five studies were included in this systematic review. In total, 161 patients aged from 49.2 to 62 years were included. The operative levels consisted of the thoracic vertebrae and lumbar vertebrae. Bone cement leakage occurred in 7 cases. None of the patients developed radiation myelopathy. Percutaneous vertebroplasty plus 125I seeds implantation is an effective palliative treatment and can alleviate back pain and enhance vertebral body strength in patients with end-stage spinal metastatic tumors. In future research, the effective dosage of 125I seeds implantation, the anchoring of seeds with safe distance, and the bone cement distribution in the vertebral body will be next research hotspot.