gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Radio frequency ablation is an established method to treat hepatic and pulmonary metastases. The method has been performed in our hospital to patients with vertebral metastases since 2006. We analysed the effect of radio frequency ablation (RFA) on patients with spinal metastases and report our findings in patients treated from 2013 til October 2016.

Methods: In a retrospective study we analysed 27 cases of patients we treated with RFA for spinal metastases between 2013 and October 2016. Three patients were under 50 and one patient was over 80 years old. Nearly 40% of patients were between 70 and 80 years old. 19 patients were men, 8 women. Fifth patients were treated on 2 locations. Mostly affected vertebra was the 3rd lumbar vertebra. The most frequent primary tumor was the carcinoma of the kidney (12 cases).

Results: In 11 patients an additional kyphoplasty was performed. 8 patients needed further stabilisation. In 9 patients spinal decompression was added at the index level. In 3 patients decompression of another level was performed.

22 patients reported a reduction of pain after RFA during hospital stay, one patient reported a complete resolution of pain. In two cases neurological improvement was noted. No patient suffered additional neurological deficits after RFA. One patient suffered a secondary neurological deterioration associated with recurrent tumor growth.

Conclusion: More than 80 per cent of the patients reported a reduction of pain after RFA. Nearly 70 per cent of the patients needed an additional method for stabilisation, in 11 patients a second minimal invasive operation was sufficient.

We concluded, RFA is an effective palliative adjunct to common operative strategies and a successful minimally invasive procedure to reduce pain in patients with spinal metastases.