Schoenfeld AJ, et al. - In an analytic sample of 402 patients, after propensity score matching, who were treated operatively (n=201) and nonoperatively (n=201) for spinal metastases, researchers determined the impacts of operative and nonoperative management on maintenance of ambulatory function and survival. The participants aged 40 to 80 years old, were independent ambulators at presentation, and had less than 5 medical comorbidities. Loss of ambulatory function 6 months following presentation was less likely to occur among those treated operatively vs those managed nonoperatively in a sample of patients with similar demographic and clinical characteristics.