This article details an approach for evaluation as well as minimally invasive percutaneous
treatment of spinal metastases focusing on thermal ablation and most recent advances.
Safe and effective management of certain subgroups of patients with spinal metastases
can be achieved by minimally invasive percutaneous thermal ablation with or without
vertebral augmentation. Adjunctive palliative treatment options such as epidural or
neuroforaminal corticosteroid and long-acting anesthetic injections may also be performed
in patients who have nerve and radicular pain including those who are not candidates
for thermal ablation. Thermal protection strategies should be implemented to minimize
the risk of neural thermal injury.
Keywords
spinal metastases - thermal ablation - vertebral augmentation - pain palliation -
local tumor control - interventional radiology
