• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.154-163
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• 1995

With the development of anticancer chemotherapy and improved radiographic imaging studies, limb salvage operation became possible in the treatment of malignant and aggressive benign tumors. High grade sarcomas of the shoulder or the upper extremity can be surgically treated with a forequarter amputation, shoulder disarticulation or limb salvage surgery such as Tikhoff-Linberg procedure, segmental resection and replacement with endoprosthesis, segmental resection and replantation, or segmental resection and free vascularized bone graft. Among them the limb salvage surgery showed not only preservation of the remained upper extremity but also the excellent functional results. When comparing amputation and limb salvage operation while performing anticancer chemotherapy in both cases, 5 year survival rate, local recurrence, and distant metastasis did not show much difference. We studied 13 cases of limb salvage for the malignant and aggressive benign bone tumor of the upper extremity from March 1986 to December 1993 at Severance hospital. The summarized results were as follows. 1. There were 21 cases of malignant bone tumors and 5 cases of benign aggressive ones. 2. Of the 26 cases of malignant and benign aggressive bone tumors, limb salvage procedures such as Tikhoff-Linberg operation(8 cases), endoprosthetic replacement(2 cases), segmental resection and replantation(2 cases), and segmental resection and free vascularized fibular graft(l case) were done in 13 cases. 3. In 13 patient on whom the limb salvage procedure was performed, there were 3 osteosarcomas, 4 chondrosarcomas, 3 giant cell tumors, 1 Ewing's sarcoma, 1 leiomyosarcoma and 1 chondroblastoma. 4. In 13 patients, there was no local recurrence nor distant metastasis except one who had a segmental resection of the entire humerus part including glenoid and then postoperative anticancer chemotherapy for the treatment of the Ewing's sarcoma of the entire shaft of the humerus with pathological fracture. Local recurrence occurred 2 years and 6 months postoperatively in this Ewing's sarcoma patient, so forequarter amputation was performed and the irradiation and the anticancer chemontherapy were performed, but multiple bony metastasis developed and died of the disease 22 months after local recurrence. 5. The patients were followed-up for I year to 7 years and 5 months(average 4 years 5 months). 6. In 8 cases in which Tikhoff-Linberg procedure was performed, the function of the hand was almost normal. 7. Segmental resection and endoprosthetic replacement was performed in 2 cases, and the function of the remained upper extremity was good with no evidence of aseptic loosening or nerve palsy. 8. In 1 case of segmental resection and free vascularized fibular graft for the patient of the chon drosarcoma in the humerus, the function of the shoulder, elbow and hand was nearly normal. 9. In I case of leiomyosarcoma which involved both forearm muscles and bone near wrist joint, segmental resection and replantation was performed, and the patient has useful hand function.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.8-17
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• 1996

The purpose of this study is a comparative evaluation of range motion, especially extension deficit between the group of total patellectomy and that of intact patella, after reconstruction of the patellar tendon in the prosthetic replacement of a proximal tibia. Between 1990 and 1994, 15 patients who had a primary malignancy on proximal tibia were operated on. All patients were evaluated clinically and radiographically. Two patients were excluded because one had a deep infection treated with arthrodesis of the knee and the other was a composite allograft. The mean follow-up of the 13 patients was 27 months(15-47), including 10 osteosarcomas, 1 chondrosarcoma, 1 malignant fibrous histiocytoma and 1 malignant giant cell tumor. Eleven patients had a resection of the proximal tibia and 2 had an extracapsular total knee resection with distal femur. Reconstruction of the defect was done in 8 cases with a custom-made Link Endo-Model Total Rotation Knee Joint Prosthesis, and in 5 with How Medica Modular Resection System (HMRS). We used two methods to reconstruct the ligamentum patellae. Fixation of the patellar tendon to the prosthesis only with suturing and/or stapling(group SS) was done in 7. Transposition of gastrocnemius muscle to enhance fixation and to cover the prosthesis(group TG) was done in 6. Regardless of fixation methods, total patellectomy was done in 5 either to lengthen the patellar tendon or to make primary skin closure easier or for both. In 8 cases, patella was left intact or resurfaced with polyethylene prosthesis. Active extension was measured while the patient was in a sitting position. There is no statistically meaningful difference in terms of extension deficit (Wilcoxon rank test, p=0.8800) between patellectomy group and intact patella group, and between group of fixation only with suturing and that of gastrocnemius transposition. Two cases of extension deficit over 30 degree were seen in group SS and in the group of intact patella. Conclusively, total patellectomy could be an option without increasing the risk of extension deficit when primary skin closure is difficult or patellar tendon is a little bit short to be fixed. There is no rating in the Enneking system of functional evaluation that this finding into consideration.

• The Journal of the Korean bone and joint tumor society
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.10-16
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• 2000

Object : The aim of the current study is to assess the results of segmental resection and replantation for primary malignant or aggressive tumors of the upper limb. Materials and Methods : From 1986 to 1994, ten patients who had primary malignant or aggressive tumors of the upper limb were managed with segmental resection and replantation method. The average duration of follow-up was 7 years and 7 months. Primary indication of this method is stage II B tumors which, because of their extend, could otherwise be adequately treated only by amputation. Three patients had chondrosarcoma, two had osteosarcoma, two had giant cell tumors with pathologic fracture, one had extensive chondroblastoma, one had Ewings sarcoma, and one had leiomyosarcoma. The location of the tumor was humerus in 6 patients, scapula in 3 patients, and soft tissue of forearm in 1 patient. Wide resection margins were achieved in 7 patients and marginal margin in three. Results : One patient died on 40 months after surgery due to systemic metastasis. Nine patients have remained disease free without local recurrence or metastasis. The average overall functional rating was 65% (43~90%) for ten patients on the last follow-up by the functional rating system of Enneking. The mean grasping power and pinching power of operative hand was 75%(28~95%) and 65%(43~90%) of the opposite hand, respectively. Complications associated with this surgical method included three wound dehiscences and one nerve injury that resolved with proper wound care and time. Conclusion : It was concluded that segmental resection and replantation might be used for partial limb salvage in selected cases for the treatment of primary malignant or aggressive tumors of the upper limb.