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BACKGROUND CONTEXT With improvements in adjuvant radiotherapy and minimally invasive surgical techniques, separation surgery has become the default surgical intervention for spine metastases at many centers. However, it is unclear if there is clinical benefit from anterior column resection in addition to simple epidural debulking prior to stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). PURPOSE To examine the effect of anterior column debulking versus epidural disease resection alone in the local control of metastases to the bony spine. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE Ninety-seven patients who underwent open surgery followed by SBRT for spinal metastases at a single comprehensive cancer center. OUTCOME MEASURES Local tumor recurrence following surgery and SBRT. METHODS Data were collected regarding radiation dose, cancer histology, extent of anterior column resection, and recurrence. Tumor involvement was categorized using the International Spine Radiosurgery Consortium guidelines. Univariable analyses were conducted to determine predictors of local recurrence and time to local recurrence. RESULTS Among the 97 included patients, mean age was 60.5±11.4 years and 51% of patients were male. The most common primary tumor types were lung (20.6%), breast (17.5%), kidney (13.4%) and prostate (12.4%). Recurrence was seen in 17 patients (17.5%) and local control rates were: 85.5% (1-year), 81.1% (2-year), and 54.9% (5-year). Overall predictors of local recurrence were tumor pathology (p

Background and importance En bloc resection of sacral tumors is the most effective treatment to help prevent recurrence. Sacrectomy, however, can be destabilizing, depending on the extent of resection. Various surgical techniques for improving stability and enabling early ambulation have been proposed. Clinical presentation Here, we report a case in which we use PMMA (poly[methyl methacrylate]) to augment pelvic instrumentation to improve mechanical stability after sacrectomy for en bloc resection of a solitary fibrous tumor. Conclusion We highlight the use of sacroplasty augmentation of pelvic ring reconstruction to provide biomechanical stability without the need for fusion of any mobile spine segments, which allowed for early patient ambulation and no appreciable loss of range of motion or mobility.

Total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) is a surgical treatment option for lumbar chordomas. However, surgical treatment still varies among international cancer centers due to differences in morbidity and complications. TES of the lumbar spine has been described in three surgical approaches, which are posterior-anterior, posterior-anterolateral, and posterior-only. Spinal reconstruction typically includes at least two adjacent segments of posterior fixation and vertebral body replacement to provide sufficient mechanical stability. The average intraoperative blood loss and operative time for a two-staged TES of the lumbar spine was approximately 3200 mL and 18.5 h. The instrumentation failure rate was estimated at 37.5% at an average of 29.2 months follow-up. In this chapter, we describe the surgical management of lumbar chordomas including surgical approaches for tumor resection and spinopelvic reconstruction as well as complications. We also present an illustrative case of a 53-year-old female diagnosed with L5 chordoma who underwent a two-staged, posterior-anterior TES with posterior fixation from L3 to S2 with structural fibular allograft augmentation and titanium mesh cage (TMC).

Background Three Dimensional (3D) printed models can aid in effective pre-operative planning by defining the geometry of tumor mass, bone loss, and nearby vessels to help determine the most accurate osteotomy site and the most appropriate prosthesis, especially in the case of complex acetabular deficiency, resulting in decreased operative time and decreased blood loss. Methods Four complicated cases were selected, reconstructed and printed. These 4 cases were divided in 3 groups of 3D printed models. Group 1 consisted of anatomical models with major vascular considerations during surgery. Group 2 consisted of an anatomical model showing a bone defect, which was intended to be used for substantial instrumentation, pre-operatively. Group 3 consisted of an extra-compartmental bone tumor which displayed a deteriorated cortical outline; thus, using CT and MRI fused images to reconstruct the model accurately. An orthopedic surgeon created the 3D models of groups 1 and 2 using standard segmentation techniques. Because group 3 required complex techniques, an engineer assisted during digital model construction. Results These models helped to guide the orthopedic surgeon in creating a personalized pre-operative plan and a physical simulation. The models proved to be beneficial and assisted with all 4 cases, by decreasing blood loss, operative time and surgical incision length, and helped to select the appropriate acetabular supporting ring in complex acetabular deficiency, pre-operatively. Conclusion Qualitatively, using 3D printing in tumor cases, provides personalized advantages regarding the various characteristics of each skeletal tumor.