Twenty-two patients with primary tumors of the sacrum were surgically treated between 1983 and 1997. Seventeen male and 5 female patients were followed up for a mean of 53.6 months (range 12-203 months). The histopathologic diagnoses were giant cell tumor (GCT) in 7 patients, chordoma in 4 patients, aneurysmal bone tumor in 3 patients, chondrosarcoma in 2 patients, osteoblastoma in 2 patients, synovial sarcoma in 2 patients, Ewing's sarcoma in 1 patient, and simple bone cyst in 1 patient. Currettage and thermo- or chemocauterization was applied to 8 patients, a subtotal sacrectomy was done in 11 patients, and total sacrectomy and lumbopelvic stabilization was done in 3 patients. The surgical margins were wide in all patients with GCT. The surgical margins were wide in 3 patients and wide contaminated in 1 patient with chordoma. The 2 patients with chondrosarcoma had high sacral lesions and were managed with total sacrectomy and lumbopelvic fixation. The surgical margin was wide in 1 patient and wide contaminated in the other, who relapsed locally and systemically in the 30th postoperative month. Three patients with aggressive aneurysmal bone cyst and 1 patient with simple bone cyst were managed by curettage and thorough debridement. One patient with low sacral Ewing sarcoma was managed by subtotal sacrectomy with wide margins. The two osteoblastomas were localized to the posterior elements of the sacrum. None of the patients relapsed. Most of the tumors of the sacrum are benign aggressive lesions or low grade malignancies. Intralesional resections in the form of curettage, with the addition of chemo- or thermocauterization, provide a complete cure for benign lesions. In contrast, wide resections are necessary for complete disease control in radio- and chemoresistant malignancies. Nerve root dissection should be performed in order to achieve wide margins.

Study Design. Nonrandomized, retrospective, comparative, and single-center trial. Objective. The aim of this study is to compare the long-term clinical and radiographic results of thoracolumbar burst fractures in neurologically intact patients, treated surgically or nonsurgically with the aim to optimize their management. Summary of Background Data. There is an ongoing controversy regarding the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures (TLBF) (A3, A4) in neurologically intact patients. Surgical treatment as well as conservative treatment methods are advised to this specific group of patients, while contrasting results exist in the literature. Methods. Forty-five neurologically intact patients with TLBF (A3 or A4) (2010–2016) were included. Twenty-one patients with a mean age of 34.3 and a mean follow-up period of 63.1 months were treated surgically with short segment posterior fixation (group 1), while 24 patients with a mean age of 45.7 and a mean follow-up period of 67.1 months were treated conservatively (group 2) with thoracolumbosacral orthesis. Results. At the final follow-up groups 1 and 2 had an average segmental kyphosis of 4.09°/11.65° (P = 0.027), an average loss of kyphosis of 2.04°/4.03° (P = 0.038), an average loss of anterior/posterior vertebral body height of %12.89/%2.84/%17.94/%7.62 (P = 0.027/ P = 0.03), a median JOA score of (16.6/16.75) (P = 0.198), a median ODI score of (11.7/12.1) (P = 0.25), a median VAS score of (1.9/2.3) (P = 0.3), SF-36 PCS of (56.74/56.67) (P = 0.25), SF-36 MCS of (55.47/55.5) (P = 0.3), mean durations of hospital stay of 9–11 days (P = 0.3), respectively. Conclusion. While there is an ongoing controversy regarding the management of stable thoracolumbar burst fractures in neurologically intact patients in the literature, this study concluded that surgical management of stable thoracolumbar burst fractures in neurologically intact patients provided better radiolographic outcomes, despite the result, that the difference between surgically and nonsurgically treated patients in terms of clinical outcome parameters and quality of life was not statistically significant. Level of Evidence: 3

We reviewed 17 patients with distal intraarticular humeral type C fractures, treated by open reduction and internal fixation, followed by an early rehabilitation programme. The results, as judged by the criteria of Jupiter, were excellent in ten, good in five and fair in two. Non-union of the olecranon osteotomy occurred in one patient.

The axis is a very rare location for the occurrence of primary osteosarcoma. Osteosarcoma may histologically mimic chondroblastoma. The axis can be surgically exposed, resected, and instrumented transorally. The stabilization must be augmented by posterior occipitocervical fusion.

AIM: To compare posterior surgery alone versus combined anterior and posterior surgery for the management of spinal tuberculosis. MATERIAL and METHODS: Data from 31 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for spinal tuberculosis were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups as group A (posterior surgery alone) or group B (combined anterior and posterior surgery), and groups were compared in terms of invasiveness of the procedure, spinal deformity, fusion, neurological status, and postoperative complications. RESULTS: Group A included 16 patients (mean age: 56 years, range: 29-75) with a mean follow-up period of 29 months (range 12-60) while group B included 15 patients (mean age: 60 years, range: 35-73) with a mean follow-up period of 28 months (range 12-60). Procedurally, average operation time and mean length of hospitalization were shorter, and mean blood loss was lower in group A (p<0.05) compared to group B. Postoperative bone fusion took significantly (p<0.05) longer time in group A (10.5 ± 2.1 months)than in group B (9.3 ± 3.1 months), and all patients with a neurological deficit recovered completely during the postoperative period. No significant differences were observed between two groups with respect to postoperative complications (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Combined anterior-posterior surgery may not be required for treating vertebral tuberculosis as posterior surgery alone appears to be sufficient.