The use of a modular titanium endoprosthesis in skeletal reconstructions after bone tumor resections: method presentation and analysis of 37 cases

ABSTRACT

We analyzed 37 patients who underwent segmental wide resection of bone tumors and reconstruction with a modular titanium endoprosthesis at the Orthopaedic Oncology Group, between 1992 and 1998. Twelve patients were male and 25 were female, with a mean age of 30 years (9 - 81). The mean follow-up was 14 months (2 - 48). The diagnoses were steosarcoma (14 cases), metastatic carcinoma (10), Ewing's sarcoma (4), giant cell tumor (4), malignant fibrous histiocytoma (3), chondrosarcoma (1), and aneurysmal bone cyst (1). Eleven articulated total knee, 8 partial proximal femur with bipolar acetabulum, 8 partial proximal humerus, 3 total femur, 2 partial proximal tibia, 2 diaphyseal femur, 2 diaphyseal humerus, and 1 total proximal femur with cementless acetabulum endoprosthesis implant procedures were done. The complications related to the procedure included infection (5 cases), dislocation (3), module loosening (1), and ulnar nerve paresthesia (1). We used the following criteria for the clinical evaluation presence of pain, range of motion, reconstruction stability, surgical and oncologic complications, and patient acceptance. The results were good in 56.8 per cent of the cases, regular in 32.4 per cent and poor in 10.8 per cent.