title: The effect of early surgical treatment on recovery in patients with metastatic compression of the spinal cord.
abstract: We analysed the influence of the timing of surgery (< 48 hours, group 1, 21 patients vs > 48 hours, group 2, 14 patients) on the neurological outcome and restoration of mobility in 35 incomplete tetra- and paraplegic patients with metastatic spinal-cord compression. Pain and neurological symptoms were assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association impairment scale. More improvement was found in group 1 than in group 2 when comparing the pre-operative findings with those both immediately post-operatively (p = 0.021) and those at follow-up at four to six weeks (p = 0.010). In group 1 the number of pre-operatively mobile patients increased from 17 (81%) to 19 patients (90%) whereas the number of mobile patients in group 2 changed from nine (64%) to ten (71%). These results suggest that early surgical treatment in patients with metastatic spinal-cord compression gives a better neurological outcome even in a palliative situation.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic University Hospital Heidelberg, Schlierbacher Landstrasse 200a, D-69118 Heidelberg, Germany. carl.hans.fuerstenberg@ok.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Fürstenberg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiedenhöfer
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Gerner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Putz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult