title: Prognostic factors in anterior decompression for metastatic cord compression. An analysis of results.
abstract: During the 10-year period 1981-1990, 59 patients suffering from spinal cord or cauda equina compression underwent anterior spinal decompression and in most cases spinal restabilization with methylmethacrylate cement and/or instrumentation. Follow-up in 55 patients showed that 75% were improved neurologically by the procedure, one-third of these showing complete recovery from the spinal cord compression. The results in younger female patients suffering from metastatic breast cancer were considerably better than those of older men with prostatic metastases. Other genitourinary system tumors also had a relatively poorer prognosis. There was a significantly better result for metastatic lesions of the thoracic or thoracolumbar spine than for lesions in the lumbar spine causing cauda equina paralysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sucher
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Margulies
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Floman
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Robin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001843:Bone Cements; D001860:Bone Plates; D001863:Bone Screws; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020366:Methylmethacrylate; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000556:secondary*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D001843:Bone Cements; D008768:Methylmethacrylates; D020366:Methylmethacrylate