The influence of orthopedic corsets on the incidence of pathological fractures in patients with spinal bone metastases after radiotherapy

BACKGROUND: Clinical care of unstable spinal bone metastases in many centers often includes patient immobilization by means of an orthopedic corset in order to prevent pathological fractures. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to evaluate the incidence of pathological fractures after radiotherapy (RT) in patients with and without orthopedic corsets and to assess prognostic factors for pathological fractures in patients with spinal bone metastases. METHODS: The incidence of pathological fractures in 915 patients with 2.195 osteolytic metastases in the thoracic and lumbar spine was evaluated retrospectively on the basis of computed tomography (CT) scans between January 2000 and January 2012 depending on prescription and wearing of patient—customized orthopedic corsets. RESULTS: In the corset group, 6.8 and 8.0 % in no-corset group showed pathological fractures prior to RT, no significant difference between groups was detected (p = 0.473). After 6 months, patients in the corset group showed pathological fractures in 8.6 % and in no-corset group in 9.3 % (p = 0.709). The univariate and bivariate analyses demonstrated no significant prognostic factor for incidence of pathological fractures in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis, we could show for the first time in more than 900 patients, that abandoning a general corset supply in patients with spinal metastases does not significantly cause increased rates of pathological fractures. Importantly, the incidence of pathological fracture after RT was small.