[Therapy indications and options for skeletal metastases].

Pathological fractures are dreaded complications due to skeletal metastasis. Modern oncological therapies and more sophisticated new radiological techniques such as MRI and positron emission tomography have improved multimodal treatment concepts. Surgical intervention is determined by the primary disease, general condition and life expectancy of the patient. The goals of surgical treatment are improvement of life quality, pain relief and maintenance of mobility.