The treatment of malignancy of a vertebral body

Five cases with collapse of a vertebral body due to malignancy were surgically treated. A posterior exposure was adequate for removal of the tumor within the vertebral body; and stabilization of the spine appears to have been achieved satisfactorily with Harrington rods. The indications for surgical treatment and the results are discussed. In selected cases, this procedure has been worthwhile. It has relieved pain, restored ambulation, and allowed a normal existence for patients who otherwise would have been bedridden.