Joint preserving surgery for osteonecrosis and osteochondral defects after chemotherapy in childhood

As a complication of chemotherapy/corticosteroids for the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and other malignancies during childhood, avascular osteonecrosis appears in up to 30 % of the patients. Weight-bearing joints are involved in over 90 % of the cases. Total joint replacement is often necessary to restore function. Yet, endoprostheses in young patients again bare the risk of later complications and the need for several revision surgeries. In this report, joint preserving surgical strategies will be discussed.

Three hips and eleven knee joints in 8 patients (4 male, 4 female) were operated on for symptomatic ON and/or osteochondral defects (OCD) after chemotherapy. Four of the patients underwent surgery in more than one joint. The average age at the time of surgery was 18 years (range 14 - 26). The procedures included retrograde drilling (core decompression), bone grafting, implantation of collagen sponges with autologous bone marrow aspirate, osteochondral autograft transplantation and transplantation of periosteal flaps. Two hip joints underwent total joint replacement. Average follow up was 25 months.

After an average follow up of 2 years, all patients were satisfied with the functional results after the last follow up with pain free walking for a minimum of 60 minutes. No night pain was reported. One patient complained about intermittent periods of dysaesthesia around the bone harvest area at the iliac crest.

The aim of surgery for ON and OCD after chemotherapy should be the reduction of pain and preservation of the joint to bypass the risks of joint replacement in young patients, although total joint replacement may become indicated in endstage degeneration of the involved joint.