Postoperative spine imaging in cancer patients

Primary or metastatic spine tumors can present with pain and/or neurologic compromise depending on their location within the spinal axis. Metastases and multiple myeloma comprise most of these lesions. Management of spinal tumors includes surgical decompression with stabilization (neo), adjuvant chemotherapy and radiation therapy, curettage, bone grafting, bone marrow replacement, and palliative treatment with vertebral augmentation. Pre- and postoperative imaging plays a critical role in the diagnosis and management of patients with spinal tumors. This article reviews postoperative imaging of the spine, including imaging protocols, immediate and long-term routine imaging findings, and emergent findings in symptomatic patients.