The basic principle and clinical outcomes of epiphysis preservation limb salvage in the treatment of limb osteosarcoma in children and adolescents

Abstract

Epiphyseal preservation limb salvage is a method for the treatment of limb osteosarcoma in children and adolescents. The purpose is to avoid the unequal length of bilateral limbs and improve the affected limb function without increasing the occurrence of life-threatening complications. Strictly following the indications is the key to ensure the success of the operation.Before operation, epiphyseal distraction or imaging method is used to determine the position of osteotomy in operation, which has reached the safe boundary of tumor resection. Many ways were used to repair the tumor bone defect. A lot of studies confirmed that all kinds of surgical methods have achieved satisfied clinical outcomes, but there are different surgical complications. Only when the epiphyseal plate and epiphysis are kept at the same time can the length of the limb be ensured to be equal; the result of intra-epiphyseal osteotomy is that the block of bone growth leads to the unequal length of the limb. The biological reconstruction of bone defect can restore the length of limbs by bone lengthening after bone growth stops. Key words: Osteosarcoma; Extremities; Surgical procedures, operative; Treatment outcomes