Vertebroplasty: reusable flange converter with hub lock for injection of polymethylmethacrylate with screw-plunger syringe.

During percutaneous vertebroplasty, a screw-plunger syringe provides a powerful controlled injection, but coupling of the screw plunger with interchangeable disposable standard syringe barrels results in syringe flange bending failure during the middle of the injection. A flange converter produced from stainless steel and a hub lock produced from plastic or aluminum were used during vertebroplasty at 172 levels in 86 patient-treatment sessions. The flange converter and hub lock increase the achievable volume that can be injected, can be fabricated with hand machining, and cost much less than other commercially available devices.