Surgery is often a treatment of last resort. That's because the sacrum serves as an important connecting structure and stabilizer for the lower end of the lumbar spine and the two bones that make up the pelvic girdle. Without the sacrum, the lower portion of the spin floats freely, creating pain. Walking and even rolling over may be impossible with the loss of the supporting structure of the pelvic girdle. Traditional replacement of the sacrum with metal plates and screws has not always produced satisfactory results.
Patients often spend weeks in a total body cast recovering from the surgery.
Even after the surgery, patients may never be able to get out of bed. Researchers at UCLA have developed a new surgical technique for treating tumors of the sacrum by replacing the diseased bone with a special implant. The custom-made prosthesis rigidly secures the spinal column and the two iliac wings. The patient doesn't require a body cast after surgery and recovery takes only a few days. In just a few weeks, the patient can even start walking again.