The practicing orthopedic surgeon's guide to managing long bone metastases.

Long bone skeletal metastases are common in the United States, with more than 280,000 new cases every year. Most of these will be managed by the on-call orthopedic surgeon. A practical primer is offered for the evaluation and surgical management for the practicing orthopedist, including questions to ask during the history, pertinent physical examination findings, appropriate imaging requests, proper laboratory work, and biopsy options. Finally, 7 scenarios are presented to encompass most situations a practicing orthopedic surgeon will encounter, and guidelines for treatment and referral are offered.