The surgical treatment of metastases in long bones

The authors report their experience in the treatment of metastases in long bones. Between 1980 and 1985, 51 cases were submitted to surgical treatment. They comprised osteolytic lesions in the femur (44), tibia (2), and humerus (5). The most frequent primary tumours were: carcinoma of the breast (37%), lung (25%), kidney (16%), rectum (9%). The remaining 13% were from the prostate gland, bladder, ovaries, uterus, chronic lymphatic leukemia, and haemangiopericytoma. Surgical treatment was supplemented by medication and physiotherapy. The choice of instrumentation (prosthesis, total prosthesis, plates, endomedullary nailing) was based on the site of the metastasis and the general condition of the patient. Palliative surgery in these cases was fully justified by the results in that it achieved the aim we set ourselves, namely to restore these unfortunate patients to as normal a lifestyle as possible.