Rare sacral space-occupying lesions, their surgical management and reconstructive measures involved

Nine cases of space-occupying lesions of the sacral bone are presented. The problems of the clinical diagnosis, which in many cases comes too late, are discussed together with the indications for surgical treatment in this special group of tumours. The main clues are provided by the changes in the X-rays as well as the more modern imaging techniques (CT and MRI). The surgical technique aims at a most radical tumour removal with preservation of the sacral nerve roots, after which stabilisation of the sometimes weakened pelvic girdle may be necessary. The good prospects of complete removal of these tumours of the sacrum with satisfactory results seem to be very little known and justifies further dissemination of this information.