Among a series of 740 spinal tumours treated in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Nordstadt Hospital in Hannover, Germany, between September 1977 and December 1996, 106 spinal metastases in 101 patients were operated on. After an average period of 4.0±6 months (2 days to 5 years) patients presented at an average age of 62±12 years. 79% of the tumours were operated on by a posterolateral approach, 12% by an anterior and the remaining 9% by an anterior and posterior approach. A complete resection was achieved for 43.4% of the metastases while 48.1% were removed partially, 7.5% were biopsied and one patient received an opiate pump. Operations were followed by radiotherapy, chemotherapy or hormone treatment.