It was analyzed the safety and mechanical resistance of 30 vertebral bodies obtained from human cadavers submitted to "vertebroplasty" were analyzed. After bone "densitometry", they were distributed into two groups: A and B. In group A, they were compressed to the second apex of force (graph by Force of Deformation), while in the group B, to the first. Acrylic cement was injected in the vertebral body by transpedicular access. It was observed the cement leakage and the temperature of the vertebral body. The resistance was tested and compared to the one of vertebrae not compressed before. The surrounding structures can be damaged due to the extravasation of the cement. Considering the temperature, this technique is safe, since extravasation does not take place. The resistance of the vertebra after the procedure is dependent on the degree of initial flattening, since bodies which had smaller flattening, presented the largest resistances.
vertebroplasty; bony cement
