UNDERSTANDING LIMB SALVAGE SURGERY FOR BONE SARCOMAS
Bone sarcomas can undergo surgical resection with limb salvage surgery i.e. no need for amputation of the limb. This procedure involves resection of the part of the bone with a tumor with a replacement of the resected bone with a modular prosthesis. Replacement with prosthesis allows preservation of the limb with normal mobility at the affected joint.
Sarcomas that most often start in bones, include osteosarcomas in adolescents, Ewing’s sarcomas in young children and chondrosarcomas in adults. The most common site of origin are bones of the lower limb around the knee joint and upper arm. The diagnosis of bone sarcoma is confirmed with a bone biopsy and MRI to asses local extent. Most patients need multimodality approach with the correct sequence of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Currently most bone sarcomas can undergo surgical resection with limb salvage surgery i.e. no need for amputation of the limb. This procedure involves resection of the part of the bone with tumor with replacement of the bone with a modular prosthesis which allows for normal mobility at the affected joint. Chondrosarcomas are the most common bone tumors in adults. These tumors do not respond to chemotherapy and radiotherapy and need radical surgical resection as the main treatment.