Osteosarcoma of the lumbar vertebra: case report and a review of the literature: rare localization with long survival.

Classic osteosarcoma (OS) is a highly malignant sarcoma with the production of osteoid matrix. The most common sites of origin are the metaphyseal regions of the distal femur, proximal tibia, and proximal humerus, although the tumor can develop in any bone. Flat bone involvement is very rare (8%). Vertebral involvement is also very rare with 2-4% of all cases. In this report, we presented a 27-year-old woman with OS of the fourth lumbar vertebra. She was treated with surgical debulking and posterior enstrumentation, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. She is now in the 15th year postoperatively and still alive without any neurological impairment. This case has the longest survival reported in the literature with primary vertebral osteosarcoma.