Outcome after palliative posterior surgery for metastatic disease of the spine--evaluation of 106 consecutive patients after decompression and stabilisation with the Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation.

From 1987 to 1996, 106 consecutive patients with metastatic disease of the spine who underwent palliative decompression from a dorsal approach and subsequent stabilisation with Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation (CDI) were followed prospectively, and independent of the surgeons. Parameters evaluated were neurological function, perioperative complications, survival and rehabilitation. Following the Frankel system for the assessment of neurological disorder, 33 patients had a major deficit (grade A, B or C), 23 a minor deficit (grade D) and 50 no deficit. If there was no neurological dysfunction, the only patients who underwent operation were those graded as class IV according to Harrington. Our surgical strategy combined posterior decompression of the spinal cord followed by CD stabilisation without bone grafting. Of 56 patients who had a neurological deficit preoperatively, 35 enjoyed complete or partial recovery within the first 3 months after the operation. Of the 50 patients without neurological dysfunction, 3 developed an incomplete transient paresis. The rate of survival was 72% (76 of 106) at 6 months and 50% (53 of 106) at 12 months. At 12 months 42 of the 53 patients who were alive were still able to walk. All but 13 patients were able to return home. Overall survival time was 19.2 months, with 5 patients still alive. Six patients required re-operation for tumour recurrence at the same or at a new level. The results of this study show that neurological function, pain level and mobility can be enhanced by decompression and stabilisation through a posterior approach.