Management of spinal metastasis by minimal invasive surgery technique: Surgical principles, indications: A literature review

Introduction. - Spinal metastasis are getting more frequent. This raises the question of pain and neurological complications, which worsen the functional and survival prognosis of this oncological population patients. The surgical treatment must be the most complete as possible: to decompress and stabilize without delaying the management of the oncological disease. Minimal invasive surgery techniques are by definition, less harmful on musculocutaneous plan than opened ones, with a comparable efficiency demonstrated in degenerative and traumatic surgery. So they seem to be applicable and appropriate to this patient population. Material and methods. - We detailed different minimal invasive techniques proposed in the management of spinal metastasis. For this, we used our experience developed in degenerative and traumatic pathologies, and we also referred to many authors, establishing a literature review thanks to Pubmed, Embase. Results. - Thirty eight articles were selected and allowed us to describe different techniques: percutaneous methods such as vertebro-/kyphoplasty and osteosynthesis, as well as mini-opened surgery, through a posterior or anterior way. Discussion. - We propose a surgical approach using these minimal invasive techniques, first according to the predominant symptom (pain or neurologic failure), then characteristics of the lesions (number, topography, type...) and the deformity degree. Whatever the technique, the main goal is to stabilize and decompress, in order to maintain a good quality of life for these fragile patients, without delaying the medical management of the ontological disease. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.