Fig 2. Tumor infiltration or damage to portions of the cube depicted in Fig 1 may destabilize the spine in varying fashions. Destruction of the middle third in the axial plane (A) results in gross instability, whereas destruction of the middle third in the sagittal plane (B) may not be associated with significant destabilization. A lesion in the ventral portion of the vertebral body in the coronal plane (C) affects stability more than a lesion in the middle (D) or dorsal (E and F) portions. (Reprinted with permission from Elsevier Ltd.)