Functional results in patients with sarcoma around the knee joint

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Musculoskeletal Oncology

Background:

• Sarcomas around the knee joint present complex treatment challenges.
• Multidisciplinary approaches involving chemotherapy and surgical resection are crucial.
• Evaluating functional outcomes after different surgical modalities is essential for patient recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare functional outcomes of three distinct surgical procedures for knee joint sarcomas.
• To assess the efficacy of preoperative chemotherapy in conjunction with surgical management.
• To determine the rate of local tumor recurrence following these interventions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 16 patients with sarcoma undergoing surgical treatment around the knee.
• Patients received 4-6 preoperative chemotherapy courses.
• Surgical groups included: 1) proximal fibula and tibialis anterior resection, 2) distal femur/proximal tibia resection with total knee replacement, and 3) radical amputation.

Main Results:

• Mean functional outcomes were 100%, 95%, and 80% for the three groups, respectively.
• All marginal resections of the proximal fibula resulted in excellent functional outcomes.
• No local tumor recurrence was observed at a mean follow-up of 24 months.

Conclusions:

• Surgical management of knee joint sarcomas, including limb-sparing techniques and amputation, can achieve favorable functional results.
• Marginal resection of the proximal fibula appears to be a highly effective limb-sparing option.
• Preoperative chemotherapy combined with surgical intervention demonstrates promising oncological control and functional preservation.