Limb salvage surgery for malignant bone tumor of the extremities / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyze the clinical features of limb salvage surgery with epiphyseal preservation in children and adolescents, and to evaluate the recurrence rate, metastasis, complications, and the joint functional results after tumor resection. Methods From December 1995 to January 2003, we operated on 33 patients aging from 8 to 16 years (average 12.2 years) with diagnosis of primary malignant bone tumor of the extremities with preserving the epiphysis in the limb salvage surgery. In this group, the tumor located in distal femur in 24 cases and in proximal tibia in 9 cases. There were 23 osteosarcomas, 6 Ewing sarcomas, 2 chondrosarcomas, and 2 invasive osteoblastomas. The tumors were staged clinically, 2 cases inⅠA, 2 cases inⅠB, 17 cases in ⅡA, and 12 cases inⅡB. According to the relationship between the tumor and epiphyseal plate, the metaphyseal tumors in children were classified into 3 types 18 cases were categorized as type Ⅰ, 13 as type Ⅱ, and 2 as type Ⅲ. The patients received 2-4 cycles of preoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, and another 6 cycles after surgery. Serious bone defects after tumor resections were repaired with massive allograft bone transplantation, followed by internal fixation by intramedullary nails and cancellous screws. Results Among the 33 cases, 3 cases were lost to follow up. 29 cases had complete clinical data. Postoperative follow-up was 12-72 months (average 37.6 months). Recurrences were seen in 3 cases, with one local recurrence in type Ⅲ case one year after tumor resection, other 2 recurrences around the femoral vessels in typeⅡcases 15 and 30 months after the tumor resection respectively. The recurrence rate accounted for 10.3%. Amputation was performed for the cases with recurrences. But pulmonary metastasis developed and the patients died. In this cohort, 9 cases died. Five-year survival rate was 57.9%. 4 cases reported 5 complications (17.2%). No patient reported skin necrosis, hematoma, infection, rejection to the allograft, and nonunion at the end of the follow-up. According to the functional evaluation criteria of Enneking, excellent were 11 cases, good 13 cases, fair 3 cases, and poor 2 cases. The excellent or good rate was 82.8%. Conclusion The limb salvage surgery with preservation of epiphysis for malignant bone tumors in children and adolescents guarantees the patient's satisfactory postoperative limb functional results. Preoperative effective adjuvant chemotherapy and prevention of postoperative complications deserve great attention.