An algorithm for surgical treatment of children with bone sarcomas of the extremities

Limb salvage surgery in children following bone sarcoma resection is a challenging problem because of the small size of the bones, the lack of appropriate size-matched implants, and the risk of limb-length discrepancy once skeletal growth is complete, secondary to the loss of the epiphyseal plate. Although several reconstruction options are available in children with bone sarcomas, such as vascularized fibula, massive bone allograft, extracorporeal devitalized autograft, endoprosthesis, and allograft-prosthesis composite, a consensus has not been reached on the best reconstruction method. The purpose of the present study is to propose an algorithm for reconstruction after resection of bone sarcomas in children.

In this review, we analyzed reports on limb reconstruction in children following treatment for bone sarcoma, to provide a comprehensive overview of the different reconstruction options in children with bone sarcomas, the outcomes, and the risks and benefits of the different surgical approaches.

Despite a high risk of complications and the necessity for limb-lengthening procedures, prosthetic or biological reconstructions seem to achieve good functional outcomes in children with bone sarcoma. The use of massive bone graft seems to be recommended for intercalary reconstructions, with a free vascularized fibular graft for long defects, while for osteoarticular reconstruction a modular or expandable prosthesis or an allograft-prosthesis composite seems to have good results. For reconstruction of the proximal humerus, modular prosthesis or allograft-prosthesis composite are more commonly used than expandable prosthesis since there are fewer functional constraints related to possible limb-length discrepancy on the upper limb compared to the lower limb.

We discuss the advantages and limitations of the different available surgical options for bone reconstruction following tumor resection in children and propose an algorithm of potential surgical treatments for children with bone sarcomas of the extremities.