Effects of extremity salvage surgery of osteosarcoma in children of different ages

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of extremity salvage surgery of osteosarcoma in children of different ages. Methods A total of 57 children aged under 11 years with malignant osteosarcoma from June 2008 to June 2011 were selected into children group. And 38 cases underwent biological reconstruction while another 19 cases received prosthesis. For control group, 60 adolescent patients aged above 12 years with malignant bone tumors during the same period were designated as control group. And 42 cases had biological reconstruction while 18 cases received prosthesis. The postoperative survival rates of three groups were observed. And the optimal extremity salvage surgery was summarized with statistical processing. Results During follow-ups, the mortality rate was 33.3%. And 1, 2, 3 and 5-year survival rates were (86.2±4.9)%, (70.2±6.8)%, (66.2±5.0)% and (57.4±4.3)% respectively. Significant differences existed with control group (P 0.05). And the overall incidence of postoperative complications had no significant difference between groups A and B (23.7% vs 31.6%, P>0.05). Conclusions Age is a major prognostic factor for osteosarcoma. And extremity-sparing surgery and prosthetic reconstruction are effective treatments for children with osteosarcoma. Key words: Osteosarcoma; Child; Limbs