[Letter to the Editor] Bipolar radiofrequency ablation for metastatic spinal tumors: an evolving paradigm in palliative care

Abstract

I read with great interest the article by Wallace and col- laborators focusing on the combination of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and vertebral augmentation for palliation of painful spinal metastases [1]. In a retrospective approach the authors reviewed a group of patients who underwent RFA for vertebral metastases in a period spanning almost 2 years. In a cohort of 110 patients, 72 RFA procedures were performed. Interestingly, 81 % of the metastatic lesions involved the posterior vertebral body and 45 % the pedicles. In almost all the cases, vertebral augmentation was performed following the ablation procedure.