title: Anterior expandable cylindrical cage reconstruction after cervical spinal metastasis resection.
abstract: Surgical therapy of cervical spine metastases had evolved a in the last years from posterior decompressive approaches to a direct anterior reconstructive approaches. Indication for surgery included intractable neck pain, spinal cord compression and stabilization of impending pathological fractures. We report our experience with expandable cylindrical cages in order to reconstruct and to stabilize cervical spine with metastasis. Between June 2004 and January 2006, a consecutive series of six patients underwent to resection of metastatic tumor in the cervical spine followed by expandable cylindrical cage reconstruction of the anterior vertebral column. All patients achieved immediate stability with neurological preservation. There were no significant complications related to the expandable cages in a mean follow up period of 10.5 months. Expandable cylindrical cages are effective resources for functional reconstruction after tumor resection in patients with cervical metastasis with advantages in the quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Ernst-Grube-Strasse, 40, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany. alex.alfieri@medizin.uni-halle.de
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alfieri
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gazzeri
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Neroni
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galarza
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005770:Gastrointestinal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019547:Neck Pain / Q000209:etiology; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D009984:Orthopedic Fixation Devices; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011788:Quality of Life; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D013117:Spinal Cord Compression / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D013125:Spinal Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome