Functional Outcomes of Limb Salvage Surgery in Patients with Giant Cell Tumor of Bone of the Lower Extremities: A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Giant cell tumor of the bone (GCTB) is a benign, locally aggressive neoplasm that is relatively rare, with a propensity to result in progressive bone destruction, and is associated with a high risk of recurrence. There is no widely held consensus regarding its ideal treatment. Worldwide, there are varying techniques ranging from intralesional curettage to resection of the lesion, supplemented with combinations of numerous adjuncts and fillers, depending on the resected amount and integrity of bone, as well as the preference of the surgeon. This was a cross-sectional study that included 20 patients who underwent limb salvage surgery for giant cell tumor of the bone of the lower extremities from January 2009 to February 2020 at two tertiary hospitals. The mean follow-up period was 37.3 months (SD=2.84). The extended curettage (EC) group had a mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Rating Scale (MSTS) score of 28.18 (SD=7.51) which is considered as an excellent outcome, while the resection (RS) group had an mean MSTS score of 19.67 (SD=11.02), which is considered as a good outcome. EC resulted to a total of eight complications (47%), while RS had one complication (33%). Prevalence of recurrence was noted to be 11.75% among those who underwent EC, while no recurrence was noted among those in the RS group. Use of bone cement as a filler was noted to have less recurrence as compared with the use of bone grafts, however were both were noted to result in excellent functional outcomes. Despite the prevalence of complications and recurrence of GCTB of the salvaged extremity in those who underwent EC, there is still report of excellent functionality. It is hence important to disclose all these possible outcomes and to stress the importance of compliance to follow-up for monitoring of these events.