Palliative transpedicular partial corpectomy without anterior vertebral reconstruction in lower thoracic and thoracolumbar junction spinal metastases

摘要

BackgroundThe thoracolumbar junction is the transition from a stiff (thoracic spine) to a mobile zone (lumbar spine) and is relatively unstable compared with the thoracic and lumbar portions of the spine. The need for anterior reconstruction after a corpectomy has been emphasized by several authors. However, for patients with a relatively short life expectancy, anterior reconstruction may be unnecessary. Posterior instrumentation alone may be sufficient to provide pain relief and stability for such patients. The goal of this study was to assess the postoperative outcomes and survival rates of patients with tumor metastases of the lower thoracic spine and thoracolumbar junction (T10–L1) who underwent transpedicular partial corpectomy without anterior vertebral reconstruction.