Preliminary establishment of a spinal stability scoring system for multiple myeloma

Core Tip

Core Tip: Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable malignant plasma cell disorder that represents the most common primary malignant bone tumor. According to the 2010 Spine Oncology Study Group, spinal instability is defined as the loss of spinal integrity due to tumor growth, which is associated with motor-related pain and symptoms, progressive deformities, and/or impairments in neurological function under physiological loads. Many studies have validated this scoring system and applied it in clinical practice for diseases including primary spinal tumors, metastatic spinal tumors, and MM. However, MM is different from other primary and metastatic malignant tumors of the spine. Osteolytic destruction is the most common type of bone destruction in most MM patients; it commonly involves bone metastasis in multiple vertebral bodies, and is often accompanied by peripheral soft tissue masses and nerve compression symptoms. To some extent, Spinal Instability Neoplastic Score is not applicable to MM patients. Based on the disease characteristics of multiple myeloma, a simple and practical new method for evaluating spinal stability in individuals with multiple myeloma is proposed, and can be used for the clinical evaluation and intervention of multiple myeloma patients.