Tumors of the thoracic and lumbar spine: surgical treatment via the anterior approach.

We are reporting our experience in 23 patients with tumors of the thoracic or lumbar vertebrae treated via surgical anterior decompression and stabilization. Seventeen patients had metastatic disease and were treated with vertebral body resection followed by stabilization with anterior polymethylmethacrylate and threaded Harrington rods with sacral distraction hooks. Six patients had primary tumors and, following tumor resection and partial vertebral body resection, had autogenous bone graft struts placed anteriorly as well as posterior instrumentation. Posterior instrumentation was transpedicular one level above and below in the lumbar spine, and segmental hooks and rods three levels above and below in the thoracic spine. Nineteen patients presented with severe unremitting pain, and 16 had neurologic deficits, including 7 who were unable to ambulate. Radiation therapy was used as an additional treatment and routinely begun 2 weeks postoperatively. All patients survived the surgery, and none had neurologic deterioration immediately postoperatively. Eight patients had died at the time of review. The mean survival was 14 months and ranged from 6 to 38 months. Of the surviving patients, follow-up ranged from 24 to 40 months with an average follow-up of 30 months. Pain relief was excellent in all but two patients (93%). Motor recovery occurred to some extent in all patients, and only one remained nonambulatory. Complications were minor in three patients (13%) and major in one (4%). Tumor recurrence with neurologic deterioration occurred in two patients. We are very encouraged by these results, and we recommend that patients with tumors of the vertebral body with neurologic deficit or severe unremitting pain be studied with MRI and/or myelography and CT. The patients with gross vertebral destruction and greater than 50% collapse of the vertebral body, those in need of a tissue diagnosis, or those with major neurologic deficit can be effectively treated by anterior decompression and stabilization.