Surgical management of spinal multiple myeloma: insights from the National Inpatient Sample database

Spinal surgery seems to be increasing for the management of spinal MM in the inpatient setting, while the rate of vertebral augmentation is decreasing. Vertebroplasty and similar palliative procedures may continue to decrease as advancements in surgical technology and technique allow for safer surgical intervention. The decision to employ aggressive surgical intervention, however, must always take into account the patient's comorbidities, overall systemic disease burden, and the potential for significant enhancement in meaningful clinical outcome.