[Total spondylectomy in metastasizing osteosarcoma of the spine--case report]

We report on a case of a 28 year old male patient, on whom in 1984 a rotation plasty was performed, due to an osteogenic sarcoma of the left distal femur. Eight years after the incidence of the primary tumor, a metastasis of the osteogenic sarcoma in the twelfth thoracic vertebra occurred. The tumor extended from the vertebral body to one pedicle and did not pass over the bony limits. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy an total spondylectomy was performed. Due to this method wide surgical margins could be achieved. Up to now these margins could only be executed with malignant bone tumors located in the extremities, whereas they could not be realized with the methods of spondylectomy, that were already introduced. By this case we want to present an innovative operation method for the treatment of primary malignant tumors or solitary metastasis of the spine, with the help of which we could give these patients a promising life expectancy.