Clinical effectiveness of hemipelvic reconstruction using computer-aided custom-made prostheses after resection of malignant pelvic tumors

This is a retrospective analysis of 16 patients with primary malignant pelvic tumors who underwent wide resection of the hemipelvis and consequent reconstruction between 2003 and 2007. Mean patient age was 27 years, whereas median follow-up was 36 months (range, 23-62 months). Hemipelvic prostheses were individually designed for each patient based on preoperative computed tomographic scans and consequent surgical modeling. The 3-year prosthesis survival rate was 69%. There were 3 cases of local recurrence (19%), and 4 patients died because of pulmonary metastases. The mean follow-up Musculoskeletal Tumor Society functional score was 72%. In conclusion, computer-aided custom-made hemipelvic prosthesis can be applied to quickly and effectively restore the bone defect after internal hemipelvectomy for treatment of pelvic tumors.     

Tumors of the pelvis: complications after reconstruction

Introduction Complications after pelvic sarcoma surgery are frequent; however, the reports on complications are limited. Results of the authors' experience with 110 primary pelvic tumor resections and methods to achieve low complication rates for pelvic reconstruction are reported.Materials and methods From 1982 to 1996, 110 patients with pelvic sarcoma (42 Ewing sarcomas, 40 chondrosarcomas, 21 osteosarcomas, and 7 other malignant tumors) underwent surgery. Sixteen patients underwent implantation of a hemipelvic megaprosthesis, 13 patients had implantation of an allograft for sacroiliac arthrodesis, 12 patients had implantation of an autograft for sacroiliac arthrodesis, and 17 patients underwent hip transposition. There were 9 hindquarter amputations, 6 implantations of allograft and total hip endoprosthesis, 1 implantation of prosthesis with autograft, and 1 implantation of allograft and autograft. No skeletal reconstruction was done in 35 patients.Results Postoperative function was as follows: 37% in patients with prosthesis, 60% in allograft, 66% in autograft, 66% in hip transposition, 37% in amputation, and 79% without reconstruction. In total, 10/16 patients with prosthetic replacement, 9/13 with allograft implantation, 4/12 with autograft implantation, 7/17 with hip transposition, 5/9 with amputation, 6/6 with prosthesis and allograft, and 12/35 without skeletal reconstruction had complications. Frequent complications depending on the reconstruction were infection in 6/10 prostheses and in 5/13 allografts, leg length discrepancy in 2/12 autografts and 4/17 hip transpositions, hematoma in 3/9 amputations, and infection (6) and skin problems (5) in 6 prostheses with allograft.Conclusion Because of the small number of complications and good function, autograft implantation after iliac resection and hip transposition after acetabular resection are advisable.     

Paget's sarcoma: limb salvage by custom mega prosthesis: four case reports

Of 4 Paget's sarcoma patients (age range, 55-68 years) underwent limb salvage surgery by custom mega prosthesis, 3 had lesions in the upper extremity and one in the proximal femur. Three of the patients were at stage IIB of the disease, according to Enneking's system of staging musculoskeletal tumours. All 4 patients underwent wide resection with a mean length of 152.5 mm. The defects were reconstructed with custom-made prostheses: proximal humeral prostheses in 2 of the patients, total elbow prosthesis in one, and total hip prosthesis in one. During a mean postoperative follow-up period of 40 months, one died of disseminated disease 14 months after surgery; one remained disease-free; 2 had local recurrence and required amputation, of whom one died of disseminated disease one year after amputation, the other had no further evidence of the disease. We report the functional outcomes of the 2 patients who were alive at the latest follow-up. The 2-year patient survival rate was 50%.     

Role of computed tomography in selecting patients for hindquarter amputation

Nine patients with soft tissue sarcomas close to the pelvic girdle and one patient with a primary malignant bone tumour of the pelvis were referred for consideration of hindquarter amputation. Patients were considered unsuitable for hindquarter amputation on clinical grounds if malignant disease infiltrated into the perineum or across the sacro-iliac joint. If disease in the femoral triangle extended above the inguinal ligament the tumour's operability was seriously questioned. Buttock tumours which had passed through the greater sciatic notch to become palpable on pelvic examination were also considered likely to be inoperable. On computed tomographic (CT) examination, tumours were considered inoperable if the psoas muscle was involved above the inguinal ligament, or if malignant disease involved the sacro-iliac joint, sacrum or perineal structures. Soft tissue tumours of the buttock extending significantly through the greater sciatic notch were also considered likely to be inoperable. Five patients thought suitable for hindquarter amputation on clinical assessment had no excluding features on CT; four undergoing hindquarter amputation were proven on histological examination to have good clearance of their tumours. In another patient, considered suitable for hindquarter amputation on clinical grounds, CT suggested that en bloc wide excision of the tumour was feasible enabling the affected limb to be preserved. Four patients after clinical examination were considered unsuitable for hindquarter amputation and in all cases inoperability was confirmed by CT. CT complements clinical examination and provides an objective and reliable means of selecting patients for hindquarter amputation which should avoid unnecessary surgical exploration.     

Long‐term outcome of giant cell tumors of bone around the knee treated by en bloc resection of tumor and reconstruction with prosthesis

Objective: To study the long‐term outcomes and complications of giant cell tumors around the knee treated with en bloc resection and reconstruction with prosthesis. Methods: From January 1991 to March 2005, 19 patients (11 men, 8 women, average age 35.4 years) were treated in our hospital with en bloc resection and reconstruction with domestic prosthesis (15 hinge knee and 4 rotating‐hinge knee). The distal femur was involved in 12 and the proximal tibia in 7 cases. Nine tumors were primary and 10 recurrent. All cases were Campanacci grade III. The affected limb functions were evaluated by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scoring system. Results: All patients underwent operation successfully with no complications. The mean follow‐up time was 128.9 months (60 to 216 months). Apart from one patient who underwent amputation because of wound infection two years after reoperation, the range of knee motion of 18 patients was 30°–110°. The mean functional score of the affected limb was 22.7 (15 to 27 points). The length of the lower extremities was equal in nine cases; the affected limb was 2–9 cm shorter in the other ten cases. Prosthesis fracture and loosening developed in one, prosthesis aseptic loosening in three, and delayed deep infection and prosthesis loosening in two cases. The prosthesis loosening rate was 31.6%. One patient developed a proximal femur fracture. Conclusion: En bloc resection and reconstruction with prosthesis is a feasible method for treating giant cell tumor of bone around the knee. Complications related to the prosthesis, mainly prosthesis loosening and limb shortening, increase gradually with longer survival time.     

累及骶骨的骨盆恶性肿瘤切除及重建

目的 探讨累及骶骨的骨盆恶性肿瘤合理的手术切除及重建方式.方法 1999年7月至2007年7月,共有19例累及骶骨的骨盆恶性肿瘤患者在北京大学人民医院骨肿瘤科接受肿瘤切除重建手术.平均年龄37岁(12～78岁);男性12例,女性7例. 其中,软骨肉瘤5例、尤文肉瘤4例、骨肉瘤4例、恶性纤维组织细胞瘤(MFH)1例、骨巨细胞瘤1例、转移癌4例.切除髂骨翼及部分骶骨、保留髋臼手术10例,采用了钉棒系统内固定,其中5例患者同时进行了自体腓骨或髂骨植骨;切除部分骶骨、髂骨翼及髋臼手术9例,应用组配式人工半骨盆重建骨盆环完整性.结果 肿瘤学结果:7例出现局部复发(7/19,36.9%),其中骨肉瘤2例、软骨肉瘤2例、尤文肉瘤2例及转移癌1例.19例患者随访时间为1至7年,平均4.5年.功能结果:9例保留髋臼、钉棒重建的患者术后正常行走,无步态异常.9例行Ⅱ区肿瘤切除、人工半骨盆重建的患者中,8例术后2个月能够扶拐行走.ISOLS评分平均20分以上,其中,良好3例,一般5例,较差1例.人工半骨盆重建的患者中,术后脱位1例,行切开复位;因深部感染取出假体1例.结论 对于保留髋臼的髂骨肿瘤切除,采用钉棒内固定结合自体骨植骨是一种理想的重建骨盆环稳定性的方法,可使患者早期恢复行走功能.将股骨头颈植于骶骨侧方,将组配式人工半骨盆卡于质骨块的下方,重建累及骶骨及髋臼的骨盆切除,是一种可取的重建方式.     

Extended indications for functional limb-sparing surgery in extremity sarcoma using complex reconstruction.

From 1980 to 1991, 29 patients underwent complex reconstruction following extremity sarcoma resection. Soft tissue was the site of origin in 15 patients (52%) and bone was the site of origin in 14 patients (48%), with 20 sarcomas (69%) in the lower extremity. Resection consisted of the following procedures: extended anatomical soft-tissue resections (21 patients [72%]), bone resections (18 patients [62%]), and joint resections (14 patients [48%]). Reconstruction involved the following: myocutaneous flaps (20 patients [69%]), joint prosthesis (eight patients [28%]), and bone reconstruction (15 patients [52%]). There was no surgical mortality; one patient required an amputation owing to surgical complications. The site of the first failure was local (four [31%] of 13 patients), lung (five patients [38%]), others (four patients [31%]). At a median follow-up of 23 months, 18 patients (62%) had no evidence of disease, 27 (93%) had no local disease, 21 (72%) had good extremity function, three (10%) had major disabilities, and five (17%) underwent amputations. Local control improved when the margin of resection was larger than 10 mm. Disease-free survival was 67% at 3 years. Overall survival was 51% at 5 years. Tumor size was an independent predictor of overall survival. Local recurrence did not affect overall survival.     

Sciatic nerve resection in the thigh: a functional evaluation

Patients with a soft tissue malignancy involving the sciatic nerve who present with neurologic loss generally are advised to have an amputation. Twenty patients who underwent limb-sparing procedures with complete resection of the sciatic nerve as treatment for neurofibrosarcomas (12 patients), liposarcomas (four patients), malignant fibrous histiocytomas (two patients), recurrent desmoid tumor (one patient), and epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (one patient) were reviewed retrospectively. The mean age of these nine women and 11 men at the time of surgery was 51 years (range, 28-84 years). The right sciatic nerve was affected in 12 patients. These tumors were large and high grade. A mean of 22 cm of the nerve had to be resected (range, 8-42 cm). Ten patients received preoperative radiotherapy and 16 patients had intraoperative or postoperative radiotherapy. At a mean followup of 35 months (range, 7-97 months), 14 of the 20 patients were alive. Two patients had local recurrences develop (10%), whereas 12 patients had distant metastases. The function of the 10 patients as assessed by the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score averaged 74%. Most patients indicated that walking in the house is not difficult, but walking is compromised as soon as an effort is needed. Four patients walk without a cane, four needed one cane, and two needed two canes. The patients experienced stiffness, a sense of numbness, and premature fatigue. The use of analgesics was infrequent. Generally, patients rated themselves to be mildly to moderately disabled. From this small number of patients, it is shown that a tumor involving the sciatic nerve can be treated by limb-sparing surgery, including complete nerve resection, as an alternative to hip disarticulation or hindquarter amputation because the limb salvage option provides an acceptable functional outcome.     

Bronchoplastic procedures and pulmonary artery reconstruction in the treatment of bronchogenic cancer

Nineteen patients with primary bronchogenic carcinoma underwent bronchoplastic procedures (six wedge and 13 sleeve resections) between 1970 and 1982. In six of them lobectomy was combined with sleeve resection and reconstruction of the pulmonary artery: In one a synthetic prosthesis was inserted. Twelve patients had squamous cell carcinoma, five adenocarcinoma, and two large cell carcinoma. No operative deaths were observed, and the 5 year survival rate is 28.1%. One patient had an early bronchial fistula and two patients had bronchial stenosis (one suture granulation and one local recurrence). No patient with resection of the pulmonary artery had vascular complications. Survival rates on the basis of nodal involvement indicate 50% survival at 5 years without nodal metastasis (11 cases) versus 9.7% with nodal involvement (eight cases) (p less than 0.05). Bronchoplastic procedures, even if accompanied by segmental resection of the pulmonary artery, can be performed safely with long-term results comparable to those following major pulmonary resections.     

Limb salvage surgery complimented by customised mega prostheses for malignant fibrous histiocytomas of bone

PURPOSE: To assess functional and oncological outcomes of patients with malignant fibrous histiocytomas of bone, after limb salvage surgery complimented by a customised prosthesis. METHODS: Between May 1991 and December 2002, 15 men and 5 women (mean age, 42 years) with histologically proven malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone underwent treatment involving limb salvage surgery complimented by a customised mega prosthesis. Most of the tumours were stage II according to the Enneking system, and located around the knee. Wide resection margins were achieved in 18 patients. RESULTS: Following a mean follow-up of 58 months, 4 patients underwent amputation for local recurrence and 5 died of the disease. Two patients had prosthesis fractures; revision of the prosthesis was carried out in one. The functional result was excellent in 5 and good in 9 patients. The Kaplan-Meier 5-year survival rates of the patients treated without chemotherapy and with chemotherapy were 50% and 76%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Limb salvage surgery with chemotherapy is a viable treatment option for patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone. It achieves higher survival rates than resection alone. Such therapy improves quality of life and provides a useful and functional limb.     

骨盆骨肉瘤的外科治疗策略探讨

目的 探讨手术治疗骨盆骨肉瘤的切除及重建方式.方法 回顾性分析2000年6月至2009年6月接受肿瘤切除重建手术的21例骨盆骨肉瘤患者的病例资料.其中男性12例,女性9例;平均年龄30岁.肿瘤累及范围:Ⅰ区3例,Ⅰ+Ⅳ区3例,Ⅰ+Ⅱ区4例,Ⅱ+Ⅲ区4例,Ⅰ+Ⅱ+Ⅲ区1例,Ⅲ区1例,Ⅰ+Ⅱ+Ⅳ区5例.其中经典骨肉瘤19例,高分化骨肉瘤2例.21例均为ⅡB期.所有病例均行整块切除,外科边界为13例广泛切除,8例边缘切除.重建方式包括:可调式人工半骨盆假体重建13例;自体骨移植+钉棒系统重建5例;半骨盆截肢2例;单纯切除1例.患者术后平均随访时间30.3个月(6.0～87.0个月).结果 21例患者中13例存活,总体生存率为61.9%,无瘤生存率23.8%;5年生存率为44.2%.局部复发率为28.6%(6/21),其中累及Ⅱ区肿瘤复发4例(4/13),Ⅰ区肿瘤复发1例(1/3),Ⅰ+Ⅳ区肿瘤复发1例(1/3),Ⅲ区肿瘤单纯切除的1例患者及2例半骨盆截肢患者未发生局部复发.肿瘤广泛切除术后复发率为23.1%(3/13),边缘切除术后复发率为37.5%(3/8).9例患者术后出现肺转移(42.9%),1例患者发生骨及淋巴结转移.13例存活患者MSTS 93功能评分为(20.6±5.4)分.4例自体骨移植+钉棒系统内固定患者功能评分为(22.5±2.1)分;7例町调式人工半骨盆重建患者,于术后8周开始扶拐行走,半年后可去拐行走,功能评分为(17.7±5.5)分.结论 选择合适的切除与重建方式,多数骨盆骨肉瘤患者可以行保肢治疗,可保留部分肢体功能.     

Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Hand: Functional Reconstruction and Outcome Analysis

Functional hand reconstruction following treatment of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is a difficult surgical problem. Because survival rates between amputation and limb salvage do not differ, there is a trend toward reconstruction. Unlike amputation, hand salvage usually requires multiple complex operations in combination with adjuvant radiation or chemotherapy, prolonged rehabilitation, and carries a high complication rate. We investigated tumor recurrence, survival, and scored functional outcomes to determine if limb salvage is justified after hand STS resection. Patients treated for hand STS between years 1985 and 2005 were reviewed by two surgeons in three medical centers. All patients having functional reconstruction instead of amputation were reviewed. Patient demographics, tumor type and grade, resection extent, reconstruction procedure, timing, adjuvant therapy use, complications, tumor recurrence, survival, and functional outcome were recorded and analyzed. Five patients underwent functional reconstruction for hand STS. All patients underwent attempted curative resections, and four patients received neoadjuvant or postoperative radiation therapy. Three patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Reconstructive techniques included three modified pollicizations, one free-tissue transfer, and one groin flap. All patients were alive and disease-free at a mean follow-up of 5 years (range 1.5-17 years). Three patients (60%) had local complications, requiring secondary surgeries. Two complications were related to radiation therapy. Hand function was evaluated using the Enneking Scoring System, and ranged from 17 to 28. The average Enneking score was 22.4, representing an average preservation of 74.6% of function. Because most patients retain excellent function and survival is unaffected, we advocate functional reconstruction despite high complication rates.     

A reappraisal of a modified through-knee amputation in patients with peripheral vascular disease

BACKGROUND: Through-knee amputation provides a longer lever arm and improved muscle control of the limb compared with above-knee amputation. Through-knee amputation also allows use of a total end-bearing prosthesis, which avoids the ischial pressure and suspension belts required of the above-knee amputation prosthesis. Several reports in the European literature tout the superiority of the through-knee amputation over the above-knee amputation in the patient with vascular disease. Through-knee amputation has received little attention in the United States, however, owing to the belief that the long flaps necessary to close a standard through-knee amputation are associated with an unacceptable rate of wound problems and offer no functional ambulatory advantage to above-knee amputation. We reviewed our experience with a modified technique of through-knee amputation in a group of patients with severe lower extremity ischemia who were not candidates for below-knee amputation to determine the incidence of wound complications and their functional outcome. METHODS: Since 1996, 12 patients with severe lower extremity arterial insufficiency have undergone through-knee amputation utilizing a technique designed to limit flap length and facilitate the fit of a suction prosthesis. Two patients died of myocardial infarction in the immediate postoperative period and were excluded from the study. In the remaining 10 patients (1 man, 9 women; mean age 63 years (range 40 to 86), the below-knee amputation level was precluded because of gangrene or nonhealing wounds of the mid leg in 5 patients, failure of a previous below-knee amputation attempt in 4 patients, and severe ischemia that would compromise below-knee amputation healing in 1 patient. Nine patients had at least one failed vascular reconstruction procedure. RESULTS: Mean follow-up is 25 months (range 6 to 41). Six (60%) patients had primary healing of their amputations. Two (20%) patients had delayed healing (6 weeks and 8 weeks). Two (20%) patients developed wound infections, which required amputation revision to the above-knee level. Seven (70%) patients were fitted with a suction socket prosthesis and are fully ambulatory. One patient healed but has not ambulated because of ischemia and subsequent ulceration of the contralateral limb. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that through-knee amputation is associated with an acceptable primary healing rate (80%) and satisfactory functional outcomes (70% ambulation) in a high-risk vascular population. The functional advantages of through-knee amputation over above-knee amputation make it the preferred alternative for patients with vascular disease.     

Selection of patients for through-the-knee amputation

Forty-six adult patients had a through-the-knee amputation (disarticulation of the knee) in a four-year period. Thirty-four of the patients had peripheral vascular insufficiency and were judged to lack the potential for using a prosthesis functionally, although the evaluation indicated that they had the potential for healing of the wound at the below-the-knee level of amputation. At a minimum follow-up of one year, the amputation wound had healed in thirty of these patients, and no joint contracture had developed. Two patients died in the first postoperative month, and two had failure to heal and needed revision to an above-the-knee amputation. The remaining twelve patients who had a through-the-knee amputation were judged to be potentially able to use a prosthesis functionally, but they did not have the capacity for wound-healing at the below-the-knee level. Therefore, in these patients, a through-the-knee amputation was performed as an alternative to an above-the-knee amputation. The amputation wound healed in eight of these patients, but four (33 per cent) had failure to heal and needed subsequent revision to an above-the-knee amputation. All twelve patients were able to use a prosthesis. The through-the-knee amputation provides good muscular balance and has a low risk for the late development of joint contracture. The residual limb (stump) provides an excellent surface area for sitting balance and a lever-arm for transfer. In a patient who has the potential to use a prosthesis functionally, the residual limb allows direct load-transfer (end weight-bearing).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Long-term followup of uncemented tumor endoprostheses for the lower extremity.

Between 1982 and 1989, 100 primary lower limb reconstructions were done using the Kotz Modular Femur Tibia Reconstruction System after resection of a malignant tumor. In 32 patients a proximal femur prosthesis was implanted, in 40 patients a distal femur prosthesis was implanted, in 19 patients a proximal tibia component was implanted, in four patients a total femur prosthesis was implanted, and in five patients a total knee prosthesis was implanted. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of the overall survival rate of the prostheses was 85% after 3 years, 79% after 5 years, and 71% after 10 years. The most common reason for implant failure was aseptic loosening in 27% of patients (11 patients; range, 10-121 months) after the initial operation. The other reasons for revision surgery were implant fracture (n 5 4) and infection (n 5 4). Early repair of prostheses-related minor complications, such as worn polyethylene bushings, resulted in a statistically significant reduction of implant failure. After a median followup of 127.5 months after the initial surgery, 51 patients had died and eight patients were lost to followup. Forty-one patients were evaluated clinically and radiologically using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score and the radiologic implant evaluation system of the International Symposium on Limb Salvage; these 41 patients had a mean of 80% (range, 40%-100%) of the normal functional capability.     

Hemipelvic allograft reconstruction after periacetabular bone tumor resection

We reviewed the results of 19 patients with hemipelvic allograft reconstructions after periacetabular tumor resection at Massachusetts General Hospital from 1977 to 1996. Histological diagnosis showed chondrosarcoma (in 7 patients), osteosarcoma in 5, and other tumors in 7. Seventeen patients were continuously disease-free for 12–228 months (mean, 57 months). One patient died of sepsis caused by wound infection after surgery for local recurrence. Results of evaluation (by the Mankin scale) in the 19 patients were: excellent in 1, good in 6, fair in 5, and failure in 7. Of the 19 patients, 5 (28%) had wound infection, and 3 patients had local recurrence. Allograft fracture was observed in 1 patient. Allograft and bipolar prosthesis were used in 11 patients, and migration of the bipolar prosthesis was observed in 4 of these patients. In 7 patients the femoral head was preserved; 2 patients received total hip arthroplasty because of osteoarthrosis in the hip joint or collapsed allograft. Migration of the bipolar prosthesis, with eventual osteoathrosis in the hip joint was also observed. However, hemipelvic allograft was thought to be an alternative useful reconstruction method despite the unresolved problems of loosening, dislocation, and breakage of the custom-made prosthetic hemipelvis. Received for publication on Sept. 24, 1998; accepted on Nov. 4, 1999     

Chondrosarcoma of the hand: is a wide surgical resection necessary?

Chondrosarcomas of the hand are rare and generally treated with surgical resection. Thirteen patients with Grade 1 chondrosarcoma of the small bones of the hand were followed up for a mean of 99.8 months (range, 26-293 months). In eight patients (Group 1) curettage and reconstruction with cancellous bone was done and in five patients (Group 2) a wide resection was done. No patient experienced relapse in Group 2. In Group 1 one patient had a local relapse 18 months after intralesional resection. Using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score for evaluation, the clinical results showed an average of 98% and 95% of the normal function in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. None of the patients had evidence of systemic spread of the disease. With a relapse rate of 12.5% and no distant metastases after curettage, intralesional resection is the preferred method of treatment in Grade 1 chondrosarcoma of the hand, allowing the patient to avoid amputation and major loss of function.     

Prosthetic arthroplasty of the knee after resection of a sarcoma in the proximal end of the tibia. A report of sixteen cases

The results of a specific type of prosthetic reconstruction of the knee (total replacement arthroplasty) after resection of a sarcoma of the proximal part of the tibia in sixteen patients were retrospectively reviewed. The diagnosis was stage-IIB osteogenic sarcoma in nine patients, stage-IIB malignant fibrous histiocytoma in three patients, and stage-IB sarcoma of various types in four patients. The length of tibial resection ranged from 100 to 257 millimeters. Of the eleven patients who were available for functional examination (mean duration of follow-up, sixty-three months), three patients had an excellent result, seven had a good result, and one had a fair result. Of the five patients who were not available for functional testing, one who was doing well was lost to follow-up at eighty months, one had died of metastases at sixteen months, and three had had a secondary amputation for infection or for loosening of the prosthesis.     

Outcome of surgical resection of pelvic osteosarcoma

Background:

The aim of the following study is to evaluate the morbidity, oncologic results and functional outcome in nonmetastatic patients with primary osteosarcoma of the pelvis treated with surgical resection.

Materials and Methods:

Twelve cases of nonmetastatic osteosarcoma of pelvis were operated as part of their multimodality treatment regime between November 2003 and May 2011. There were 5 males and 7 females with a median age of 22 years (range 8-39 years). Ten patients underwent limb sparing resections while 2 had a hindquarter amputation. All 10 cases of limb sparing surgery included resection of the acetabulum. A pseudarthrosis was carried out in 7 cases. Extracorporeal radiation therapy and reimplantation of the bone followed by fixation with plates was used in 1 case and an ischiofemoral arthrodesis was carried out in 2 cases.

Results:

Surgical margins were free in 11 patients. Seven patients had a poor histological response to chemotherapy while 4 patients had a good response to chemotherapy. In the patient reconstructed with radiated auto bone graft, the histological response to chemotherapy could not be assessed. Surgery related complications were seen in 8 out of 12 patients (67%). Three of these patients (25%) required additional surgical intervention for their complications. All patients were available for followup. The median followup of survivors was 56 months (range 24-102 months). Four patients (33%) developed a local recurrence. At 5 years, overall survival was 67%. Patients with a good response to chemotherapy had a better overall survival when compared with patients with a poor response to chemotherapy. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society functional score was 22 (range12-27).

Conclusions:

Though complex and challenging, surgery provides good local control and oncologic outcomes with acceptable function in patients with osteosarcoma of the pelvis treated with appropriate surgical resection as part of their multimodality treatment.     

Endoprosthetic reconstruction using total femoral custom mega prosthesis in malignant bone tumours

We analysed 17 patients with primary malignant bone tumour of the femur who underwent limb salvage surgery with the total femoral custom mega prosthesis during the period 1994–2008. The patients were in the age group of 12–73 years, with a mean age of 30.94 years. There were 14 males. The most common diagnosis was osteosarcoma. The average follow-up period was 54.05 months with the longest being 168 months. The average Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) functional score was 66.6%. The two- to 14-year overall survival was 82.4%. Three patients died of disease and one patient required amputation. Complications encountered were deep infection and dislocation of the prosthesis.