Aims. Limb salvage for pelvic sarcomas involving the acetabulum is a major surgical challenge. There remains no consensus about what is the optimum type of reconstruction after resection of the tumour. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical outcomes in these patients according to the methods of periacetabular reconstruction. Methods. The study involved a consecutive series of 122 patients with a periacetabular bone sarcoma who underwent limb-salvage surgery involving a custom-made prosthesis in 65 (53%), an ice-cream cone prosthesis in 21 (17%), an extracorporeal irradiated autograft in 18 (15%), and nonskeletal reconstruction in 18 (15%). Results. The rates of major complications necessitating further surgery were 62%, 24%, 56%, and 17% for custom-made prostheses, ice-cream cone prostheses, irradiated autografts and nonskeletal reconstructions, respectively (p = 0.001). The ten-year cumulative incidence of failure of the reconstruction was 19%, 9%, 33%, and 0%, respectively. The major cause of failure was deep infection (11%), followed by local recurrence (6%). The mean functional Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) scores were 59%, 74%, 64%, and 72%, respectively. The scores were significantly lower in patients with major complications than in those without complications (mean 52% (SD 20%) vs 74% (SD 19%); p < 0.001). For periacetabular resections involving the ilium, the mean score was the highest with custom-made prostheses (82% (SD 10%)) in patients without any major complication; however, nonskeletal reconstruction resulted in the highest mean scores (78% (SD 12%)) in patients who had major complications. For periacetabular resections not involving the ilium, significantly higher mean scores were obtained with ice-cream cone prostheses (79% (SD 17%); p = 0.031). Conclusion. Functional outcome following periacetabular reconstruction is closely associated with the occurrence of complications requiring further surgery. For tumours treated with periacetabular and iliac resection, skeletal reconstruction may result in the best outcomes in the absence of complications, whereas nonskeletal reconstruction is a reasonable option if the risk of complications is high. For tumours requiring periacetabular resection without the ilium, reconstruction using an ice-cream cone prosthesis supported by antibiotic-laden cement is a reliable option. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(4):795–803

We report our early experience with the use of a non-invasive distal femoral expandable endoprosthesis in seven skeletally immature patients with osteosarcoma of the distal femur. The patients had a mean age of 12.1 years (9 to 15) at the time of surgery. The prosthesis was lengthened at appropriate intervals in outpatient clinics, without anaesthesia, using the principle of electromagnetic induction. The patients were functionally evaluated using the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society scoring system. The mean follow-up was 20.2 months (14 to 30). The prostheses were lengthened by a mean of 25 mm (4.25 to 55) and maintained a mean knee flexion of 110° (100° to 120°). The mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score was 68% (11 to 29). Complications developed in two patients; one developed a flexion deformity of 25° at the knee joint, which was subsequently overcome and one died of disseminated disease. The early results from patients treated with this device have been encouraging. The implant avoids multiple surgical procedures, general anaesthesia and assists in maintaining leg-length equality.

Between 1996 and 2003, 16 patients (nine female, seven male) were treated for a primary bone sarcoma of the femur by wide local excision of the tumour, extracorporeal irradiation and re-implantation. An additional vascularised fibular graft was used in 13 patients (81%). All patients were free from disease when reviewed at a minimum of two years postoperatively (mean 49.7 months (24 to 96).

There were no cases of infection. Primary union was achieved after a median of nine months (interquartile range 7 to 11). Five host-donor junctions (16%) united only after a second procedure. Primary union recurred faster at metaphyseal junctions (94% (15) at a median of 7.5 months (interquartile range 4 to 12)) than at diaphyseal junctions (75% (12) at a median of 11.1 months (interquartile range 5 to 18)).

Post-operatively, the median Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score was 85% (interquartile range 75 to 96) and the median Toronto Extremity Salvage score 94% (interquartile range 82 to 99). The Mankin score gave a good or excellent result in 14 patients (88%).

The range of movement of the knee was significantly worse when the extracorporeally irradiated autografts were fixed by plates rather than by nails (p = 0.035).

A total of 16 (62%) of the junctions of the vascularised fibular grafts underwent hypertrophy, indicating union and loading.

Extracorporeal irradiation autografting with supplementary vascularised fibular grafting is a promising biological alternative for intercalary reconstruction after wide resection of malignant bone tumours of the femur.

In developing countries locally-made low-cost prostheses are mainly used in limb-salvage surgery to alleviate the economic burden. We retrospectively collected data on 104 patients treated by limb-salvage surgery between July 1997 and July 2005. We used a locally-designed and fabricated stainless-steel endoprosthesis in each case. Oncological and functional outcomes were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 47 months (12 to 118). A total of 73 patients (70.2%) were free from disease, nine (8.7%) were alive with disease, 19 (18.2%) had died from their disease and three (2.9%) from unrelated causes. According to the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scoring system, the mean functional score was 76.3% (SD 17.8). The five-year survival for the implant was 70.5%. There were nine cases (8.7%) of infection, seven early and two late, seven (6.7%) of breakage of the prosthesis, three (2.9%) of aseptic loosening and two (1.9%) of failure of the polyethylene bushing. Multivariate analysis showed that a proximal tibial prosthesis and a resection length of 14 cm or more were significant negative prognostic factors. Our survival rates and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society functional scores are similar to those reported in the literature. Although longer follow-up is needed to confirm our results, we believe that a low-cost custom-made endoprosthesis is a cost-effective and reliable reconstructive option for limb salvage in developing countries

Aims. The aim of this study was to determine the risk of local recurrence and survival in patients with osteosarcoma based on the proximity of the tumour to the major vessels. Patients and Methods. A total of 226 patients with high-grade non-metastatic osteosarcoma in the limbs were investigated. Median age at diagnosis was 15 years (4 to 67) with the ratio of male to female patients being 1.5:1. The most common site of the tumour was the femur (n = 103) followed by tibia (n = 66). The vascular proximity was categorized based on the preoperative MRI after neoadjuvant chemotherapy into four types: type 1 > 5 mm; type 2 ≤ 5 mm, > 0 mm; type 3 attached; type 4 surrounded. Results. Limb salvage rate based on the proximity type was 92%, 88%, 51%, and 0% for types 1 to 4, respectively, and the overall survival at five years was 82%, 77%, 57%, and 67%, respectively (p < 0.001). Local recurrence rate in patients with limb-salvage surgery was 7%, 8%, and 22% for the types 1 to 3, respectively (p = 0.041), and local recurrence at the perivascular area was observed in 1% and 4% for type 2 and 3, respectively. The mean microscopic margin to the major vessels was 6.9 mm, 3.0 mm, and 1.4 mm for types 1 to 3, respectively. In type 3, local recurrence-free survival with limb salvage was significantly poorer compared with amputation (p = 0.025), while the latter offered no overall survival benefit. In this group of patients, factors such as good response to chemotherapy or limited vascular attachment to less than half circumference or longitudinal 10 mm reduced the risk of local recurrence. Conclusion. The proximity of osteosarcoma to major blood vessels is a poor prognostic factor for local control and survival. Amputation offers better local control for tumours attached to the blood vessels but does not improve survival. Limb salvage surgery offers similar local control if the tumour attachment to blood vessels is limited. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1024–1031

Aims. For paediatric and adolescent patients with growth potential, preservation of the physiological joint by transepiphyseal resection (TER) of the femur confers definite advantages over arthroplasty procedures. We hypothesized that the extent of the tumour and changes in its extent after neoadjuvant chemotherapy are essential factors in the selection of this procedure, and can be assessed with MRI. The oncological and functional outcomes of the procedure were reviewed to confirm its safety and efficacy. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 16 patients (seven male and nine female, mean age 12.2 years (7 to 16)) with osteosarcoma of the knee who had been treated by TER. We evaluated the MRI scans before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for all patients to assess the extent of the disease and the response to treatment. Results. The mean follow-up period was 64.3 months (25 to 148) after surgery and no patients were lost to follow-up. On MRI evaluation, 13 tumours were near but not in contact with the physes and three tumours were partially in contact with the physes before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Bone oedema in the epiphysis was observed in eight patients. After neoadjuvant chemotherapy, bone oedema in the epiphysis disappeared in all patients. In total, 11 tumours were not in contact and five tumours were in partial contact with the physes. The postoperative pathological margin was negative in all patients. At the last follow-up, 12 patients were continuously disease-free and three had no evidence of disease. One patient died due to the disease. Functionally, the patients with retained allograft or recycled autograft had a mean knee range of flexion of 126° (90° to 150°). The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society functional score was 27.6 (23 to 30). Conclusion. TER is an effective limb-salvage technique for treating malignant metaphyseal bone tumours in paediatric and young osteosarcoma patients with open physes when a good response to chemotherapy and no progression of the tumour to the epiphysis have been confirmed by MRI. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(6):772–778

We reviewed 25 patients who had undergone resection of a primary bone sarcoma which extended to within 5 cm of the knee with reconstruction by a combination of a free vascularised fibular graft and a massive allograft bone shell. The distal femur was affected in four patients and the proximal tibia in 21. Their mean age at the time of operation was 19.7 years (5 to 52) and the mean follow-up period 140 months (28 to 213). Three vascularised transfers failed. The mean time to union of the fibula was 5.6 months (3 to 10) and of the allograft 19.6 months (10 to 34). Full weight-bearing was allowed at a mean of 21.4 months (14 to 36). The mean functional score at final follow-up was 27.4 (18 to 30) using a modfied 30-point Musculoskeletal Tumour Society rating system. The overall limb-salvage rate was 88%. The results of our study suggest that the combined use of a vascularised fibular graft and allograft is of value as a limb-salvage procedure for intercalary reconstruction after resection of bone tumours around the knee, especially in skeletally immature patients

We assessed the results of 17 limb-salvage procedures using osteoarticular allografts after wide resection of high-grade malignant bone tumours. All patients received chemotherapy. At the five-year follow-up, three patients had died from metastases. The allografts survived for five years in only seven patients all of whom had good function, ranging from 73% to 90% of normal. The allografts were removed because of fracture in seven patients and infection in one, and in all of these a second limb-salvage procedure was undertaken. With such a low rate of survival of osteoarticular allografts, we believe that their use in the management of high-grade malignant bone tumours should, at best, be considered a temporary solution

From the European Osteosarcoma Intergroup study 202 patients were assessed with respect to their surgical treatment. Although treated in three different centres the survival of the three groups was identical (57% at five years). Two of the centres had rates of limb salvage of 85% and 83%, respectively, while the third had a rate of 49%. The corresponding risks of local recurrence were 13.3%, 6.8% and 2.5%, with all local recurrences arising in limbs with attempted limb salvage. Local recurrence was closely related to the adequacy of the margins of excision and to the chemotherapeutic response. Patients who had undergone limb-salvage surgery and who developed local recurrence still survival at five years). Of patients who relapsed, 31% of those with local recurrence alone were cured by further treatment, as compared with only 10% of those with metastases. Limb-salvage surgery with effective chemotherapy remains the optimum treatment for osteosarcoma

We have studied 560 patients with osteosarcoma of a limb, who had been treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy, in order to analyse the incidence of local and systemic recurrence according to the type of surgery undertaken. Of these, 465 patients had a limb-salvage procedure and 95 amputation or rotationplasty. At a median follow-up of 10.5 years there had been 225 recurrences. The five-year disease-free survival and overall survival rates were 60.7% and 68.5%, respectively, with no significant difference between patients undergoing amputation and those undergoing resection. The incidence of local recurrence was the same for patients treated by either amputation or limb salvage and correlated significantly with the margins of surgical excision and the histological response to chemotherapy. The outcome for patients with a local recurrence was significantly worse than for those who had recurrent disease with metastases only. We conclude that limb-salvage procedures are relatively safe in osteosarcoma treated by neoadjuvant chemotherapy. They should, however, only be performed in institutions where the margins of surgical excision and the histological response to chemotherapy can be accurately assessed. If the margins are inadequate and the histological response to chemotherapy is poor an immediate amputation should be considered

Aims

Endoprosthetic reconstruction following distal femur tumour resection has been widely advocated. In this paper, we present the design of an uncemented endoprosthesis system featuring a short, curved stem, with the goal of enhancing long-term survivorship and functional outcomes.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and impact of tourniquet use in patients undergoing limb salvage surgery with endoprosthetic reconstruction for a tumour around the knee.

A total of 157 hindquarter amputations were carried out in our institution during the last 30 years. We have investigated the reasons why this procedure is still required and the outcome. This operation was used as treatment for 13% of all pelvic bone sarcomas. It was curative in 140 and palliative in 17, usually to relieve pain. There were 90 primary procedures (57%) with the remaining 67 following the failure of previous operations to control the disease locally. The indication for amputation in primary disease was for large tumours for which limb-salvage surgery was no longer feasible. The peri-operative mortality was 1.3% (n = 2) and major complications of wound healing or infection arose in 71 (45%) patients. The survival at five years after hindquarter amputation with the intent to cure was 45%, and at ten years 38%. Local recurrence occurred in 23 patients (15%). Phantom pain was a significant problem, and only 20% used their prosthesis regularly. Functional scores were a mean of 57%. With careful patient selection the oncological results and functional outcomes of hindquarter amputation justify its continued use. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:127–31

Aims

Dislocation of the hip remains a major complication after periacetabular tumour resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction. The position of the acetabular component is an important modifiable factor for surgeons in determining the risk of postoperative dislocation. We investigated the significance of horizontal, vertical, and sagittal displacement of the hip centre of rotation (COR) on postoperative dislocation using a CT-based 3D model, as well as other potential risk factors for dislocation.

Endoprosthetic replacement of the pelvis is one of the most challenging types of limb-salvage surgery, with a high rate of complications. In an attempt to reduce this and build greater versatility into the reconstruction process, a new type of pelvic endoprosthesis was developed in 2003, based on the old McKee-Farrar prosthesis. This study reviews the outcomes in 27 patients who had an ice-cream cone pelvic prosthesis inserted at two different specialist bone tumour centres in the United Kingdom over the past six years. The indications for treatment included primary bone tumours in 19 patients and metastatic disease in two, and six implants were inserted following failure of a previous pelvic reconstruction. Most of the patients had a P2+P3 resection as classified by Enneking, and most had resection of the ilium above the sciatic notch. The mean age of the patients at operation was 49 years (13 to 81). Complications occurred in ten patients (37.0%), of which dislocation was the most common, affecting four patients (14.8%). A total of three patients (11.1%) developed a deep infection around the prosthesis but all were successfully controlled by early intervention and two patients (7.4%) developed a local recurrence, at the same time as widespread metastases appeared. In one patient the prosthesis was removed for severe pain. This method of treatment is still associated with high morbidity, but early results are promising. Complications are diminishing with increasing experience

In 45 patients we assessed the functional results and complications for three different reconstructive procedures after resection of primary tumors of the proximal humerus. An osteoarticular allograft was used in 11, a clavicula pro humero operation in 15 and a tumour prosthesis in 19. The glenoid was resected with the proximal humerus in 25 patients. The axillary nerve was resected in 42 patients. The complication rate was lowest after reconstruction with a tumour prosthesis. The clavicula pro humero operation resulted in the most revisions. Cumulative survival rates for all the reconstructive procedures were similar. At follow-up at two years the functional results for the three reconstructive procedures were the same with a mean functional rating of 79% (Musculoskeletal Tumor Society). Excision of the glenoid had no influence on the functional result. Our findings indicate that the use of a tumour prosthesis is the most reliable limb-salvage procedure for the proximal humerus. The clavicula pro humero is an appropriate procedure if a prosthesis cannot be used

A continuous ambulatory activity monitor allows objective measurement of the amount and intensity of physical activity. We examined the reliability and validity of this device in the assessment of seven aspects of function over a period of 24 hours in 20 patients who had undergone limb salvage or amputation for a tumour in the leg. The test-retest reliability was determined by undertaking identical assessments on two separate days. The measurements were compared with other indicators of functional status and quality of life in order to determine the validity of the monitor. Its reliability was satisfactory, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.65 to 0.91. Significant correlations were seen between the ‘time spent walking’ and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society rating scales and the Rand-36 physical functioning score. There was also a significant association between the ‘movement intensity during walking’ and the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score. The satisfactory reliability and validity of the monitor shows considerable promise for its use as a device for measuring physical activity objectively in patients after surgery for limb-salvage or an amputation

Aims

Urgent referral to a specialist centre for patients with a soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) has been recommended by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK since 2006. However, the impact of this recommendation on the prognosis for these patients remains unclear. We aimed to determine the impact of the NICE guidelines on the disease-specific survival (DSS) of patients with an STS.

Autogenous bone graft which has been either autoclaved or irradiated is commonly used in oriental countries as an alternative to allograft. We started to use the technique of extracorporeal irradiation of the resected specimen and reimplantation (ECIR) in 1991. There was, however, a high incidence of fracture of the irradiated bone and loss of articular cartilage. In an attempt to reduce these complications, we combined the irradiated autograft with a conventional arthroplasty. Between 1995 and 1998, 14 patients underwent limb salvage by this method. Seven had an osteosarcoma, two bony metastases, three a chondrosarcoma, one a malignant fibrous histiocytoma, and one a leiomyosarcoma. Ten tumours were located in the proximal femur, two in the proximal humerus, and two in the distal femur. One patient who had a solitary metastasis in the proximal part of the left femur died from lung metastases 13 months after operation. The remaining 13 patients were alive and without evidence of local recurrence or distant metastases at a mean follow-up of 43 months (28 to 72). Postoperative palsy of the sciatic nerve occurred in one patient, but no complications such as wound infection, fracture, or nonunion were seen. All host-irradiated bone junctions healed uneventfully within eight months. Using the Enneking functional evaluation system, the mean postoperative score for all 14 patients was 80% (57 to 93). The use of irradiated autograft prosthesis composites reduces the complications of ECIR and gives good functional results. It may be a good alternative in limb-salvage surgery, especially in countries where it is difficult to obtain allografts

Aims

The primary objective of this study was to compare the postoperative infection rate between negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) and conventional dressings for closed incisions following soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) surgery. Secondary objectives were to compare rates of adverse wound events and functional scores.