OBJECTIVE: To evaluate retrospectively the results of a series of patients undergone thoracic or lumbar corpectomy via single posterior approach with placement of cage and segmental instrumented arthrodesis. The surgical technique performed was described. METHODS: The retrospective study evaluated six patients with vertebral collapse, biomechanical instability or neurological damage caused by different etiologies. These patients showed neural decompression and received indication to perform corpectomy and circumferential reconstruction with cage being conducted exclusively by posterior approach. RESULTS: Four patients were male and 2 female. The average age was 58 years (22-82 years) and mean follow up was 10.5 months (2-24 months). In three cases the resection was only one vertebral body and in three cases two vertebral bodies. All patients improved in neurological status and low back pain or radicular pain. The indications for surgery were three cases of spondylodiscitis, one of osteoporotic fracture, one case of metastatic tumor and one case of primary tumor. Three patients had complications requiring surgical revision; which resulted in improvement of symptoms. The complications that occurred were cerebrospinal fluid leakage, lumbar radiculopathy, wound infection, meningitis and failure of instrumentation. CONCLUSION: Patients submitted to corpectomy via single posterior approach showed favorable outcomes with improvement of neurological deficit or pain in all cases. This technique was efficient in the reconstruction of circumferential column avoiding the complications of the traditional anterior-posterior approach.
Spine; Spinal fusion; Orthopedic procedures; Prostheses and implants; Treatment outcome
