Limb salvage surgery for primary bone tumors: retrospective study in a tertiary care centre

Abstract

Background: Limb salvage surgery is the standard of care for patients with primary bone tumors. The study retrospectively analyses a single center experience of use of endo-prosthesis for limb conservation in cases of primary bone tumors over a five-year period (2015-2020). Methods: Total of 34 histologically proven primary bone tumor were retrospectively studied which included 25 males and 9 females who received limb salvage surgery for bone tumors at department of surgical oncology, Rajiv Gandhi Government general hospital, Madras medical college, Chennai. Results: Median age at diagnosis was 23 years. Tumor localized to lower limb in 23 patients, and upper limb in 9 patients, pelvic bones in 3 cases. Tumors were malignant in 24 patients (70.4%) and benign in 10 patients (29.4%). The most common diagnosis was osteosarcoma17 patients (50%). The median resection length was 10 cm. High grade tumors (grade 2a and 2b and grade 3) was found in 14 cases (41.1%). 6 patients had prosthesis related complications. The mean follow-up was 5 years (range: 3-7). 27 (79.4%) patients of 34 were alive with the endo-prosthesis at the last follow-up. Conclusions: The custom mega prosthesis favored by us in most of the cases in limb sparing surgery for bone tumors results in satisfactory results in terms of local tumor control and limb function.