[Surgical treatment of bone metastasis in advanced renal cell carcinoma]

Operative treatments for bone metastases were performed in 7 patients with an advanced renal cell carcinoma. Spinal instrumentation using a Harrington's rod and Luque's wire was the method employed in 4 cases as the initial treatment. In one other case, an anterior fusion by an autologus bone transplantation was used, followed by a posterior fusion. In the 2 remaining cases an endoprosthetic replacement for a metastasis in the right femur and a transplantation of a Kotz's knee joint was done for a metastasis in the left tibia, respectively. In 5 patients with vertebral column lesions, the stabilization of spinal instability was effected by the spinal instrumentation. Three patients with vertebral metastases recovered sufficiently to walk by themselves. This beneficial result was invaluable from the viewpoints of physiotherapy and nursing care.