Objective
This study compared the efficacy of posterior pedicle screw fixation with 5.5-mm rods (PPSF5.5) with anterior corpectomy (AC) for metastatic cervicothoracic junction (CTJ) tumors.
Methods
This retrospective analysis included patients with CTJ tumors who underwent PPSF5.5 or AC from January 2000 to December 2023. Data collected included demographics, surgical details, clinical outcomes (visual analogue scale scores for neck or back pain, Spinal Instability Neoplastic Scale score, McCormick scale, Nurick grade, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group score), radiologic results (cervical segmental Cobb angle), and surgical complications (instrumentation failure, tumor regrowth, and wound infection).
Results
The AC group showed a tendency for short-level fusion. Patients in this group had tumors primarily located near C7 and generally confined to the vertebral body. AC was associated with more significant postoperative kyphotic changes in the index vertebra during follow-up than PPSF5.5. Moreover, AC was associated with a higher incidence of instrumentation failure, necessitating revision surgeries. Conversely, patients in the PPSF5.5 group tended to require revision surgery due to tumor regrowth.
Conclusion
For CTJ metastatic tumors, PPSF5.5 provides superior resistance to forward bending and collapse prevention and minimizes instrumentation failure rate compared to AC. Moreover, AC may reduce the risk of tumor recurrence, but this approach is recommended only if the tumor is confined to the vertebral body and located at the upper level of the CTJ.

Objective
The cervical spine presents challenges in treating metastatic cervical spinal tumors (MCSTs). Although the efficacy of cervical pedicle screw placement (CPS) has been well established, its use in combination with 5.5-mm rods for MCST has not been reported. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of CPS combined with 5.5-mm rods in treating MCST and compare it with that of CPS combined with traditional 3.5-mm rods.
Methods
This retrospective study analyzed 58 patients with MCST who underwent posterior cervical spinal fusion surgery by a single surgeon between March 2012 and December 2022. Data included demographics, surgical details, imaging results, numerical rating scale score for neck pain, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status, and Spine Oncology Study Group Outcomes Questionnaire responses.
Results
Preoperative Spinal Instability Neoplastic Scores were significantly higher in the 5.5-mm rod group. Greater kyphotic changes in the index vertebra were observed in the 3.5-mm rod group. Neck pain reduction was significantly better in the 5.5-mm rod group.
Conclusion
CPS with 5.5-mm rods provides superior biomechanical stability and effectively resists forward bending momentum in posterior MCST fusion surgery. These findings support the use of 5.5-mm rods to enhance surgical outcomes.