Objective To investigate the clinical application and early results of combined epiphyseal preservation and autograft bone transfer for limb salvage in children with osteosarcoma. Methods Between March 2010 and March 2011, 3 children with osteosarcoma were treated with epiphyseal preservation and autograft bone transfer. There were 1 boy and 2 girls with the age of 10-14 years. The disease duration was 2 weeks to 3 months. The tumors were rated as type II according to San-Julian radiological classification and as type IIB according to Enneking surgical classification. The locations were the distal femur in 1 case and the proximal tibia in 2 cases. The surgical technique included preoperative neoadjuvant chemotherapy, excision of part of the epiphysis, preservation of subarticular epiphysis, external fixation with Ilizarov apparatus and transport osteogenesis treatment. Safe excision border was confirmed by histological examination. Postoperative observation included the wound healing, local recurrence or distant metastasis, length, speed, alignment, and regeneration of transplanted bone, the length and function of the affected limb. Results The postoperative histological examination proved the safe surgical margin in all 3 patients. The incision healing by first intention was obtained at distal femur in 1 case and by second intention at proximal tibia in 2 cases at 4 weeks after changes of dressing. Three patients were followed up 12, 18, and 24 months, respectively. There was no local recurrence or distant metastasis during follow-up. Two cases had pin-tract infection at 10 months after external fixation and were cured after changes of dressing and antibiotics administration. The length of transplanted osteogenisis was 18.0, 9.5, and 16.0 cm, respectively. The speed of lengthening was 2.57, 2.07, and 1.20 cm/month, respectively. One patient had alignment deviation during lengthening, which was adjusted under anaesthesia. Bony healing was achieved at 8 months after lengthening end in 2 cases and external fixation was removed; 1 patient had poor bone growth and was given retraction for promoting bone growth. At last follow-up, the length of the affected limbs was 1.0-1.5 cm shorter than that of normal limbs, but no abnormalities was observed at donor sites. The affected knee flexion reached 90° and 120° in 2 patients and poor knee function was observed in 1 patient for external fixation. Conclusion The combined epiphyseal preservation and transport osteogenesis technique can be used for bone defect repair by lengthening the residual bone. It is a promising limb salvage treatment for children with osteosarcoma.
Objective To discuss the reconstructive method of the bone defect after resection of the upper extremity bone tumor and to assess the outcome of the autograft to reconstruct the bone defect after the bone tumor resection. Methods From August 1998 to March 2004,16 patients aged 7~45 years suffering from bone tumor of the upper extremity were treated with the wide resection of the bone tumor and the reconstruction of the bone defect by the autograft. The following diagnoses were confirmed by pathological examination:Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma of theproximal humerus in 1 patient each; Ewing’s sarcoma of the distal humerus in 2 patients;giant cell tumor in 8 patients, highgrade chondrosarcoma in 2, malignant fibrohistiocytoma in 1; and osteosarcoma in 1 of the distal radius. Substitution of the proximal humerus with the clavicle was performed in 2 patients, andthedistal humerus with the fibula in other 2 patients. Of the 12 patients with tumor in the distal radius, 1 was reconstructed with autograft of the iliac bone and 11 with autograft with the fibula. The functional outcome was evaluated by the MSTS score. Results The follow-up for 36 and 12 months respectively revealed that in the 2 patients undergoing the autograft with the clavicle in the proximal humerus, good shoulder functions of flexion and extension were obtained although the function of abduction was poor, with the MSTS scores of 23 and 22 respectively. In the 2 patients undergoing the autograft with the fibular in the distal humerus, good elbow function and bone union were observed according to the followup for 3 and 4 months respectively, with the MSTS scores of 24 and 19 respectively. Of the 12 patients undergoing the autograft in the distal radius, 11 had an excellent or good function with no complication, with the average MSTS score of 22.6 (ranging from 18 to 27), accordingto the follow-up for 6-75 months; only 1 had no bone union 10 months after operation and lost the follow-up afterwards. Conclusion Reconstruction ofthe bone defect with the autograft after the wide resection of the upper extremity bone tumor is an ideal and reliable method for some suitable patients, especially for some children.