Surgical phocomelia or phoco-reduction as a method of limb salvage for sarcomas of the upper limb: A suitable...

Reconstruction following resection of sarcomas of the upper extremity with methods described in the prevalent literature may not be possible in few selected cases. We describe surgical phocomelia or phoco-reduction as a method of limb salvage in such cases of extensive sarcomas of the upper limb with its functional and oncological outcomes.

Evaluation of functional and oncological outcomes was performed for 11 patients who underwent surgical phocomelia or phoco-reduction for extensive sarcomas of the upper limb between 2010 and 2019.

The mean follow-up period in the study was 27.8 months. Five patients required a segmental resection including the entire humerus while six patients underwent segmental resection around the elbow with a mean resection length of 21.5 cm. Mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society 93 score was 22 depicting a good functional outcome. Mean handgrip strength on the operated side was 62% of the contralateral side with preservation of useful hand function. Meantime to humeroulnar union was 6.7 months. Radial nerve palsy and implant failure occurred in one patient each. No patient developed local recurrence while three patients died of metastasis.

Surgical phocomelia is a prudent alternative to severely incapacitating amputations in situations where other reconstruction methods are not feasible.