Corpectomy and Vertebral Body Reconstruction with Expandable Cage Placement and Osteosynthesis via the single stage Posterior Approach: a Retrospective Series of 34 Patients with Thoracic and Lumbar Spine Vertebral Body Tumors

World Neurosurg. 2015 Nov;84(5):1412-22. doi: 10.1016/j.wneu.2015.06.072. Epub 2015 Jul 9.

Abstract

Background: Metastatic disease of the spine requires a multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach to patient care, especially, for patients in a lot of pain with neurological deficit or spinal instability requiring surgical stabilization.

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to report our experience on 34 patients who underwent spinal metastasis resection. We used a single-stage posterior approach with vertebral body reconstruction by an expandable titanium cage and a posterior instrumentation. The parameters assessed were neurologic status, OMS score, angle of sagittal deformity, and morbidity.

Methods: Between January 2011 and June 2014 we performed a monocentric consecutive case review of 34 patients with vertebral body tumor. All of them underwent a single-stage vertebrectomy with circumferential reconstruction and an arthrodesis by posterior approach.

Results: 34 patients underwent a single stage surgery by posterior approach, including 30 thoracic lesions and 4 lumbar lesions. Pre operatively, sixteen patients presented a neurologic impairment. The mean follow-up was 13.7 months [1-32 m]. No neurologic impairment was observed in the 34 cases. At the last term of follow-up, neurologic status was improved in 23 cases. OMS score was improved in 23 cases (67.6 %), and worsened in one case. Before surgery, the average of visual analogic scale was 8.94/10 [7-10] and decreased to 2.62/10 [1-5] after surgery. Single posterior approach surgery significantly reduced the average sagittal deformity to 10.0° (0.01-19.96; P = 0.013, Mann-Whitney test).

Conclusion: Our outcomes suggest that it will be more efficient to perform an aggressive approach in spinal metastatic treatment in order to improve quality of life.

Keywords: Corpectomy; Expandable cage; OMS status; Single stage posterior approach; Spinal metastasis.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Arthrodesis
  • Embolization, Therapeutic
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Internal Fixators
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / pathology
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / surgery*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Nervous System Diseases / epidemiology
  • Nervous System Diseases / etiology
  • Nervous System Diseases / physiopathology
  • Neurosurgical Procedures / methods*
  • Plastic Surgery Procedures
  • Postoperative Complications / epidemiology
  • Postoperative Complications / physiopathology
  • Quality of Life
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Spinal Neoplasms / pathology
  • Spinal Neoplasms / secondary
  • Spinal Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / pathology
  • Thoracic Vertebrae / surgery*
  • Titanium
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Titanium