title: Total en bloc spondylectomy.
abstract: We have developed a surgical technique of total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) through a posterior approach applied to solitary metastatic vertebral tumors. Our TES is a radical en bloc resection of a whole vertebra in two parts with an oncological wide margin to obtain local curability. It consists of two steps: (1) en bloc laminectomy and setting of posterior spinal instrumentation for stabilization and (2) en bloc corpectomy and replacement by a vertebral prosthesis. We have performed this procedure in 72 patients with malignant vertebral tumors. Three of these 72 patients had local recurrence. TES is the most radical method for malignant spinal tumors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kanazawa University School of Medicine, 13--1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920--8641, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Abdel-Wanis
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomita
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007796:Laminectomy; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013131:Spine / Q000601:surgery*