Solid Corrosion Products in the Periprosthetic Tissues of a Distal Femoral Endoprosthesis Used to Treat Osteosarcoma

Abstract

The case of a child is described who was treated for distal femoral osteosarcoma with chemotherapy, removal of the distal femoral bone, and the implantation of a series of distal femoral endoprostheses with hinged tibial components. The design of this modular prosthesis allows for expansion during the years that the bones continue to grow. The tissues from nine surgical procedures were examined, along with one tibial bearing and axle component. Wear debris was noted in variable amounts in nearly all of the tissues but solid corrosion products from the modular junctions were abundant only in the last revision tissues. The amount of wear and corrosion of the explants seemed inconsistent with the size and amount of corrosion products in the tissues. The source of the debris is likely to be in the modular connections that were not revised.