A 48-year old man presented with back pain that was resistant to treatment. An MR scan showed spondylolisthesis at L4-5 and narrowing of the exit foraminae. He had a posterior fusion which did not relieve his symptoms. He continued to have back pain and developed subcutaneous nodules in both forearms. Biopsy from the skin revealed cutaneous sarcoidosis, and one from the lumbar spine showed sarcoidosis granuloma between the bone trabeculae. A CT scan of the abdomen and chest revealed axillary lymphadenopathy, mediastinal enlarged nodes, apical nodular nodes and splenomegaly. The patient was started on large doses of methotrexate and steroids. His angiotensin-converting enzyme and calcium levels returned to normal and the back pain resolved.

Metastatic epidural compression of the spinal cord is a significant source of morbidity in patients with systemic cancer. With improved oncological treatment, survival in these patients is improving and metastatic cord compression is encountered increasingly often. The treatment is mostly palliative. Surgical management involves early circumferential decompression of the cord with concomitant stabilisation of the spine. Patients with radiosensitive tumours without cord compression benefit from radiotherapy. Spinal stereotactic radiosurgery and minimally invasive techniques, such as vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty, with or without radiofrequency ablation, are promising options for treatment and are beginning to be used in selected patients with spinal metastases.

In this paper we review the surgical management of patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression.

Osteonecrosis of the knee comprises two separate disorders, primary spontaneous osteonecrosis which is often a self-limiting condition and secondary osteonecrosis which is associated with risk factors and a poor prognosis. In a series of 61 knees (38 patients) we analysed secondary osteonecrosis of the knee treated by a new technique using multiple small percutaneous 3 mm drillings.

Total knee replacement was avoided in 59 knees (97%) at a mean follow-up of 3 years (2 to 4). Of the 61 knees, 56 (92%) had a successful clinical outcome, defined as a Knee Society score greater than 80 points. The procedure was successful in all 24 knees with small lesions compared with 32 of 37 knees (86%) with large lesions. All the procedures were performed as day cases and there were no complications. This technique appears to have a low morbidity, relieves symptoms and delays more invasive surgery.