title: Indications and range of surgery in the treatment of spine metastatic tumours.
abstract: Background. Spine is the most common place of metastatic tumors in the skeletal system. Due to diagnostic problems and the risk of quickly increasing neurological defects, the treatment of metastatic spine tumors is a significant clinical problem. The goal of surgical treatment is decreasing pain, neurological improvement and achieving full spinal stability. <br /> Material and methods. Material consists of 31 patients with metastases in spine, who underwent spine surgery. Tumors were placed in thoracic spine at 48% patients, at lumbar spine - 42% patients, and at cervical spine in 10% patients; one level was involved in 56% cases, two or more levels - in 44 % cases. Qualification for surgery contained: the type of primary tumor, the amount of metastases to the spine impairment of spinal biomechanics and overall patient's condition of the. Corporectomy with anterior stabilization (intervertebral cage) was performed at 13 patients, and with additional anterior implants at 2 cases. At 8 patients, with destabilization of posterior spinal column, in spite of corporectomy, posterior stabilization was done. Surgery from posterior approach was performed in 3 cases. <br /> Results. After operation, we noted pain relief at 34% of patients, while in 14% of them transient increase of pain occurred. Neurological status worsened after surgery at 1 patient. We achieved proper spine stabilization, without the need of use of external orthoses at 30 patients. At one patients, reoperation with change of implants and the range of stabilization was necessary. The amount of complications correlated with patient's general condition at the time of surgery.<br /> Conclusions. 1. The main condition of success in operative treatment of spinal metastatic tumors is individual patient's qualification for surgery, including the extent of disease and general patient's condition. 2. Good stabilization with use of implants is a necessary element of surgery of spinal metastases from both anterior and posterior approach.
authors.affiliation: Uniwersytet Jagielloński, Collegium Medicum, Klinika Ortopedii i Rehabilitacji, Zakopane.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zarzycki
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tesiorowski
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jasiewicz
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lipik
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kacki