We have studied 35 patients with infected reconstructions after segmental resection for bone tumours. Two different regimes of treatment were employed both of which entailed debridement and the use of cement impregnated with antibiotic. In 25 patients gentamicin-PMMA beads were used and in ten an antibiotic-impregnated cement spacer. Better results were achieved with the second procedure in terms of cases healed, the number of operations, time of healing, time of recovery and the functional score. The use of vancomycin in the cement spacer gave better local control

Aim. was to analyze infections after bone tumour surgery. Method. 1463 patients treated from 1976 to 2007 were analized: 1036 with resection and prostheses in the lower limbs, 344 with resection and prostheses in the upper limbs, 83 with surgery for sacral tumours. Infections were analyzed for time of occurrence (“postoperative” in the first 4 weeks from surgery, “early” within 6 months, and “late” after 6 months), microbic agents, treatment, outcome. Results. In lower limbs, infections occurred in 80 cases (7.7%): generally monomicrobial, caused by gram positives, postoperative in 9, early in 12, late in 59 cases. Treatment was “two stage” in 73, “one stage” in 4, primary amputation in 3. Revisions for infection were successful in 63 patients (79%), while 17 patients were amputated (21%). In upper limbs, infections occurred in 20 cases (5.8%): generally monomicrobial, caused by gram positives (88.5%), postoperative in 2 cases, early in 7, late in 11. “Two stage” treatment was attempted in all cases, but only in 3 prosthesis was re-implanted, since the cement spacer yelded similar function. No infections were observed in 28 intralesional excisions of sacral giant cell tumours. Infection occurred in 23/52 resected sacral tumours (44%) (Three patients died postoperatively were excluded from this group): postoperative in 16 cases and early in 7, caused by gram negatives in 62% and multimicrobial in 74%. Surgical debridements associated with antibiotic therapy according to coltures cured infection in all cases. Conclusion. Infection is a severe complication in orthopedic oncology. Its incidence in the extremities (7.7% and 5.8%) is lower than after sacral surgery (44%). It is influenced by chemotherapy and by the presence of foreign bodies. Infections were mostly late, monomicrobial, gram positive in extremities, while early, multimicrobial and gram negative in sacral surgery

Aims

The aims of the study were to analyze differences in surgical and oncological outcomes, as well as quality of life (QoL) and function in patients with ankle sarcomas undergoing three forms of surgical treatment, minor or major limb salvage surgery (LSS), or amputation.

Aims

The aim of this study was to report the results of three forms of reconstruction for patients with a ditsl tibial bone tumour: an intercalary resection and reconstruction, an osteoarticular reconstruction, and arthrodesis of the ankle.

Aims

We analyzed the long-term outcomes of patients observed over ten years after resection en bloc and reconstruction with extracorporeal irradiated autografts

Aims

The purpose of this study was to report the long-term results of extendable endoprostheses of the humerus in children after the resection of a bone sarcoma.

Aims

We retrospectively report our experience of managing 30 patients with a primary malignant tumour of the distal tibia; 25 were treated by limb salvage surgery and five by amputation. We compared the clinical outcomes of following the use of different methods of reconstruction.

Aims

Children treated for osteosarcoma around the knee often have a substantial leg-length discrepancy at skeletal maturity. The aim of this study was to investigate the results of staged skeletal reconstruction after a leg lengthening procedure using an external fixator in these patients.

We analysed the outcome of patients with primary non-metastatic diaphyseal sarcomas who had en bloc resection with preservation of the adjoining joints and reconstruction with re-implantation of sterilised tumour bone after extracorporeal radiation (50 Gy). Between March 2005 and September 2009, 32 patients (16 Ewing’s sarcoma and 16 osteogenic sarcoma) with a mean age of 15 years (2 to 35) underwent this procedure. The femur was the most common site in 17 patients, followed by the tibia in 11, humerus in three and ulna in one. The mean resected length of bone was 19 cm (10 to 26). A total of 31 patients were available at a mean follow-up of 34 months (12 to 74). The mean time to union for all osteotomy sites was 7.3 months (3 to 28): metaphyseal osteotomy sites united quicker than diaphyseal osteotomy sites (5.8 months (3 to 10) versus 9.5 months (4 to 28)). There were three local recurrences, all in soft-tissue away from irradiated graft. At the time of final follow-up, 19 patients were free of disease, one was alive with disease and 11 had died of disease. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score for 29 patients evaluated at the last follow-up was 26 (9 to 30).

Extracorporeal irradiation is an oncologically safe and inexpensive technique for limb salvage in diaphyseal sarcomas and has good functional results.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the incidence of local argyria in patients with silver-coated megaprostheses and to identify a possible association between argyria and elevated levels of silver both locally and in the blood. Between 2004 and 2011, 32 megaprostheses with silver coatings were implanted in 20 female and 12 male patients following revision arthroplasty for infection or resection of a malignant tumour, and the levels of silver locally in drains and seromas and in the blood were determined. The mean age of the patients was 46 years (10 to 81); one patient died in the immediate post-operative period and was excluded.

Seven patients (23%) developed local argyria after a median of 25.7 months (interquartile range 2 to 44.5). Patients with and without local argyria had comparable levels of silver in the blood and aspiration fluids. The length of the implant did not influence the development of local argyria. Patients with clinical evidence of local argyria had no neurological symptoms and no evidence of renal or hepatic failure. Thus, we conclude that the short-term surveillance of blood silver levels in these patients is not required.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:988–92.

We review the treatment of pelvic Ewing’s sarcoma by the implantation of extracorporeally-irradiated (ECI) autografts and compare the outcome with that of other reported methods.

We treated 13 patients with ECI autografts between 1994 and 2004. There were seven males and six females with a median age of 15.7 years (interquartile range (IQR) 12.2 to 21.7). At a median follow-up of five years (IQR 1.8 to 7.4), the disease-free survival was 69% overall, and 75% if one patient with local recurrence after initial treatment elsewhere was excluded. Four patients died from distant metastases at a mean of 17 months (13 to 23). There were three complications which required operative intervention; one was a deep infection which required removal of the graft. The functional results gave a mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score of 85% (60% to 97%), a mean Toronto extremity salvage score of 86% (69% to 100%) and a mean Harris hip score of 92 (67 to 100).

We conclude that ECI grafting is a suitable form of treatment for localised and resectable pelvic Ewing’s sarcoma.