@article{3084399,
    title = "Advances and challenges in the surgical treatment of metastatic bone
disease",
    author = "Jacofsky, DJ and Papagelopoulos, PJ and Sim, FH",
    journal = "Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research",
    year = "2003",
    number = "415, S",
    pages = "S14-S18",
    publisher = "Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins",
    issn = "0009-921X, 1528-1132",
    doi = "10.1097/01.blo.0000093046.96273.07",
    abstract = "There are numerous challenges facing the orthopaedic surgeon who treats
metastatic bone disease in the twenty-first century. The orthopaedic
surgeon must be familiar with the indications for surgical intervention,
the available implants for fixation of a given anatomic lesion, the
appropriateness of fixation versus resection and replacement, and the
viability of newer, less invasive treatment options for a given lesion.
Determination of the best surgical candidates still is controversial,
especially in the arena of prophylactic treatment. Recent advances have
made fixation with intramedullary devices and standard plates simpler
and more rigid. The advent and improvement of megaprostheses has made
complex joint reconstructions more durable. Advances in interventional
radiology such as radiofrequency ablation and percutaneous
vertebroplasty and acetabuloplasty with polymethylmethacrylate continue
to be promising options for future treatment. Better methods are
necessary to evaluate the status of the patients preoperatively and
postoperatively, to classify functional improvement after surgical
treatment, and to determine the impact of treatment on the quality of
life."
}