title: Anterior decompression and stabilisation of metastatic spinal fractures.
abstract: Seventeen patients with pathological fractures of the thoracolumbar spine which had not responded to conservative treatment are reported. All had compression of the spinal cord and/or severe pain. All (except one treated by lateral rhachotomy) were treated by anterior decompression followed by stabilisation; when the lesion was below T2 the spine was stabilised anteriorly, and when it was higher posterior instrumentation was used. Sixteen of the 17 patients benefited from the procedure.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008722:Methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009983:Orthopedic Equipment; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013124:Spinal Injuries / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*