Allogeneic grafts for bone tumor: 21 cases of osteoarticular and segmental grafts

We treated 21 aggressive and malignant bone tumors by wide resection and replacement with deep-frozen osteoarticular and segmental (intercalary and block) allografts. Radiologic and histologic studies showed a gradual accretion of new bone on the graft trabeculae, sometimes with total creeping substitution. Substantial resorption of grafted condylar bone occurred in 3 of 14 cases. One of them ended with arthrodesis; in the other 2 the result after augmentation autografts was fair. Radiographically, a gradual joint surface destruction was observed in all the osteoarticular grafts after 5 years, not correlating with joint function, however. Biopsies showed some cartilage regeneration. Each patient underwent, on an average, two operations. Function after osteoarticular grafts at 3-16 years was excellent in 1 case, good in 4, fair in 6, and poor in 1 case; 2 cases were too recent for evaluation. Function 3-12 years after segmental grafts was excellent in 3 cases and poor in 3 cases (1 amputation due to nonunion, 1 amputation due to recurrence, and 1 prosthetic replacement due to recurrence); 1 case was too recent for evaluation. We conclude that an allograft is an acceptable alternative in the reconstruction of large tumor defects. However, it still presents unsolved immunologic and preservation problems, which make the prognosis guarded.