Introduction and Aims: Improved survival has motivated aggressive surgery with musculoskeletal tumors. Pelvic resection is challenging because of the constraints of adjacent vital anatomy, and the considerable impact on limb and visceral function. The aims of this study was to assess the functional, oncologic and surgical outcomes following resections of the bony pelvis.

Method: Between 1996 and 2003, 49 patients underwent tumor resections of the pelvic ring. The mean age was 43 (range 15–72) years. There were 44 primary (36 bone, nine soft tissue) and five secondary tumors. Of the bone tumors, there were six osteosarcomas, five Ewings sarcomas, 12 chondrosarcomas and 13 others. Of the soft tissue tumors, nine were of neural origin. Tumor locations included the ilium, periacetabulum, pubic bones, sacrum or combinations of these. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (seven patients) and pre-operative radiotherapy (eight patients) were also used. Function was assessed using the American Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Functional scoring system. No patient had metastases at presentation.

Results: Surgery – There were 40 limb sparing resections and nine hindquarter amputations. The surgical margins were intralesional (four), marginal (12), wide (28) and radical (five). Of the limb sparing surgery, prosthetic reconstructions were used in nine patients, biologic reconstructions in seven patients a combination of biologic and prosthetic reconstructions in three cases and no reconstructions in the others. The mean operating time was five (range 1.5–10) hours. The mean intra-operative blood loss was 10 (range 2–26) units. The average length of stay was 22 (range 2–110) days. Fifty percent of patients developed acute complications. Survival – There was one intra-operative death. There were nine local recurrences and 16 metastases. Death from disease occurred at a mean time of 13 (range 1–51) months. Mean follow-up was 28 (range 1–90) months. Functional assessment – Hind quarter amputation and periacetabular resections had the worse functional outcome. These accounted for almost 40% of all cases. Surprisingly, patients with periacetabular resections had the best score for emotional acceptance.

Conclusion: Pelvic resections are complex, demanding and accompanied by a high complication rate. Surgery significantly affects functional outcome. Disease control is similar to limb tumors and medium to long-term survival is possible. Emotional acceptance of surgery in survivors was surprisingly high. Major pelvic resection for malignancy appears justifiable.