title: Treatment for long bone metastases based on a systematic literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide treatment guidelines for patients with long bone metastatic disease based on a systematic review of the literature and to propose an algorithm to guide orthopedic surgeons in decision-making for these patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a computerized literature search in MEDLINE, EMBASE and Scopus for studies on patients with long bone metastases. We used the key words "long bones", "metastasis" and "treatment" for published studies that evaluated any treatment for long bone metastases. The articles found were then studied to determine the accuracy of surgical treatments for long bone metastases in every anatomic location, regardless of cancer type, stage and grade of the oncologic disease. Guidelines inferred from this literature review were collected, and an algorithm was proposed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no clear evidence to support excision of a long bone metastatic lesion at the same surgical setting with internal fixation or prosthetic reconstruction. However, en bloc resection of an isolated bone metastasis may have a beneficial effect on survival. The life expectancy of the patients should be considered for any surgical treatment. Internal fixation preferably with reconstruction nails is indicated for meta-diaphyseal lesions; their rate of mechanical failure and complications ranges from 2 to 22 %. Prosthetic reconstruction is indicated for extensive lytic lesions or pathologic fractures in a meta-epiphyseal locations; their rate of mechanical failure and complications ranges from 3.7 to 35 %. Most of the internal fixation-related complications occur more than 1 year after treatment, in contrast to prosthetic reconstruction-related complications that may occur earlier.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intramedullary nail fixation or prosthetic reconstruction should be chosen on the basis of the location of the lesion, the extent of bone destruction and the stability of the construct to outlast the expected life of the patient. Implant-related complication is similar but may occur earlier with prosthetic reconstructions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Costantino
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Errani
authors.affiliation: First Department of Orthopaedics, ATTIKON University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece. afm@otenet.gr.
authors.forename: Andreas F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Mavrogenis
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cevolani
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Catholic University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spinelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Catholic University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Piccioli
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Umberto I University Hospital, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maccauro
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Baldini
authors.affiliation: Department of Musculoskeletal Oncology, Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Donati
mesh_terms: D001858:Bone Nails; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms; D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making; D005260:Female; D005266:Femoral Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D005594:Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary / Q000379:methods; D005598:Fractures, Spontaneous / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms; D008175:Lung Neoplasms; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms
keywords: Long bones; Metastatic bone disease; Surgical treatment