Frequent imaging after a completed multimodal therapy of osteosarcoma is recommended by therapy optimization studies to detect local or systemic tumor recurrence. Considering the low rates of local recurrence, regular local imaging has to be questioned.

150 patients with osteosarcoma were treated in our department between 1991 and 2005. The median age of patients with osteosarcoma was 17 years with a range of 4 – 79 years and a female:male ratio of 1:1.1. The primary tumors of 147 patients were treated surgically, while 3 patients refused to be operated. After a wide resection, a tumor endoprosthesis was implanted in 103 (70.1%) of the 147 patients, 16 (10.9%) patients underwent a Borggreve rotationplasty, a resection and biological reconstruction was implemented in 10 (6.8%) patients, while further 18 (12.2%) patients were amputated. The median follow up was 95 months.

Local recurrences appeared in 2 (1.4%) patients which had been treated with a hemipelvectomy. After implantation of a tumor endoprosthesis, local recurrences were not observed. Postoperative complications observed after the implantation of a tumor endoprosthesis included infections (n=14; 13.6%), loosening, fractures and wearing of endoprotheses (n=7; 4.8%), luxation (n=1; 0.7%) as well as traumatic shaft fractures of involved bones (n=5; 3.4%). All complications included specific symptoms and were diagnosed outside the routine follow up.

In conclusion, local radiological imaging after resection of an osteosarcoma and reconstruction with a tumor endoprosthesis as a routine examination should be questioned, however it is definitely indicated in patients with specific symptoms.