The surgical treatment of thoracolumbar metastases

Between 1990 and June 1995 a total of 41 patients affected with vertebral metastases caused by neoplasm with different histotypes were treated at the Ist Clinical Orthopaedics and Traumatology Division at the University of Turin. A method proposed by J. Harms was used, nearly always involving a combined anterior and posterior surgical approach. At the Division of Orthopaedics of the Ospedale Maria Adelaide in Turin between 1993 and June 1995 a total of 16 patients affected with vertebral metastases caused by neoplasms of different histotypes were treated. Decompression and posterior stabilization alone using Diapason instrumentation was prevalently performed. Patients with a life expectancy of at least 6 months were treated. Follow-up was obtained by interviewing the patients over the phone during August of 1995. In the cases at the Ist Division of Orthopaedics the number of levels that were instrumented were on the average 2.5, at follow-up 83% of the patients stated that they were satisfied, while only 7.4% were unsatisfied. In the second series (Ospedale Maria Adelaide) the number of levels instrumented was on the average 8, at follow-up 62.5% of the patients said that they were satisfied, while 31.8% said that they were unsatisfied.