[Surgical therapy of soft tissue sarcomas II. Sarcomas of the extremities and their surgical resection]

In the past, the rate of amputation for soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities was 40-50%. In recent years this rate has declined to about 50%. The improved rate of limb salvage with improved rates of local control, compared to those of the past, has been due to the development of surgical techniques allowing often satisfactory resection with limb preservation and to the use of adjuvant radiation in the presence of inadequate surgical margins. Below, the surgical techniques of limb preservation, as well as those or the major amputations are described.