Posterior surgery for the treatment of thoracolumbar pathologic fractures in metastatic patients.

A total of 25 pathologic fractures in patients affected with thoracolumbar vertebral metastases associated with neurologic deficit are reported. None of the pathologic fractures were stable, while 14 were unstable and 11 were very unstable. Decompression with intralesional excision of the neoplastic mass compressing the dural sac was performed in all of the cases. Posterior stabilization was performed in the first cases using systems of sublaminar segmental fixation, and thereafter using systems of pedicle fixation. Removal of the vertebral body followed by anterior fusion after preventive posterior stabilization was performed in 2 cases. Pain symptoms regressed in 85% of the cases and in more than 50% of the patients there was improvement in the neurologic findings and in vertebral deformity consequent to fracture. Mean survival rate was 12 months. Despite the limited number of cases posterior stabilization of pathological fractures is a good choice of treatment in patients with severe neurologic deficit.