Surgical treatment of metastatic spinal tumors
- VernacularTitle:脊柱转移瘤的外科治疗
- Author:
Wei GUO
;
Wanpeng XU
;
Rongli YANG
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Spine;
Neoplasm metastasis;
Orthopedic procedures;
Treatment outcome
- From:
Chinese Journal of Orthopaedics
2001;0(01):-
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Objective The patients with metastatic spinal tumors often suffered from severe back pain and spinal cord compression directly caused by tumor tissue or severe spine kyphosis.In order to treat or prevent spinal cord paralysis,decompression and stabilization should be performed on the patients with spinal pain and /or severe spinal cord compression.Methods From July1998through July2001,62patients(27women and35men)with metastatic spinal tumors had been treated at our department.Of 62patients,the thoracic vertebrae were involved in37cases,lumbar vertebrae in19and cervical vertebrae in6.Among43of 62patients who pre sented with neurological dysfunction,24patients were incompletely para plegic and the others were completely paraplegic.The fol low-up ranged from8to36months.Results Pain relief was ob-tained in58of 62patients(94%),and good neurological recovery was obtained in33of the43patients.Improved bowel and bladder function was obtained in12of 25patients who presented with bowel and blad der dysfunction.After decompression,neurological function,evaluated as Frankel grade E or D,was ob-tained in5patients whose neurological function had been evaluated as Frankel grade A or B,and other9pa-tients ex perienced a neurological recovery from Frankel grade A or B to C or D.Conclusion The time developing from neurological dysfunction to complete para plegia is the most important prognostic factor.Poor prognosis is often inevitable when complete paraplegia appeared less than48hours.Complete loss of bowel and bladder function is also a factor for poor prognosis.Decompression should be performed immedi -ately if the patient is presented with neurological dysfunction.Spinal metastasis of thyroid or breast cancer has a rela tive good prognosis.However,metastasis of lung or liver cancer is associated with a short-term survival.Neu rological function of patients with spinal metastasis at thoracic region is more difficult to recover.Com-mon motor and sensory functions are often improved earlier than bowel and bladder function.Thorough re-section of metastatic tumor and stable in ternal fixation should be performed when single vertebra is involved.Conservative tumor resection,decompression and posterior internal fixation should be performed when two or more seg ments are involved in order to alleviate paraplegia,improve spinal stability and the quality.[
