A classification system of joint-salvage tumor resection in osteosarcoma of the knee: A retrospective cohort study

Joint-preserving surgery is possible for patients with juxta-articular osteosarcoma of the knee, even when the tumor invades the epiphysis. Oncologic and functional outcomes may vary due to the extent of tumor invasion, the amount of epiphysis preservation, and reconstruction methods. We aimed to introduce a novel classification facilitating clinical evaluation of different surgical treatments.

We identified 52 patients with osteosarcoma of the knee undergoing joint-preserving tumor resection and intercalary reconstruction. We classified procedures into two types and six subtypes based on the tumor location and adjuvant treatment employed. Oncologic outcomes, limb function and complications were compared among different types.

None of the patients had a local recurrence in the preserved epiphysis apart from three (5.7 %) who had local recurrence in soft tissue. Overall survival rate of the patients was 82.7 % at 5 and 10 years. There was no difference in survival rate (P = 0.909), local recurrence (P = 0.642) between type I (tumor not invading epiphysis) and type II (tumor invading epiphysis). In addition to one skin necrosis in the 3D-printed prosthesis reconstruction and one infection in Capanna reconstruction, all complications necessitating additional surgery occurred in allograft. The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores ranged from 21 to 30 with a median of 26. There were differences in the MSTS scores among six subgroups (P = 0.015), with the highest in type Ia and the lowest in type IIc. The less of the viable epiphysis retained, the worse the knee function was at long-term follow up.

The suggested classification can guide surgical strategy and is convenient for comparison of the functional results.