A retrospective review of 27 patients (21 males and 6 females) with ch
ondrosarcoma of bone was performed to evaluate the oncologic and funct
ional results. The average age of the patients was 48 years (range: 17
-76). The tumor sites were pelvis in 10 cases, distal femur in 2, prox
imal tibia in 3, rib in 2, and other in 10. One patient with Oilier's
disease had chondrosarcoma at two different sites simultaneously. Surg
ical stages were I A in 8 cases, I B in 8, II A in 1, and II B in 10.
Two patients had no surgical treatment. Amputation was performed in 5
cases and en bloc resection in 20. An uncontaminated radical or wide s
urgical margin was achieved in 13 of 25 cases. Additional surgery was
performed in seven cases; for deep infection in one case and for local
recurrence or metastasis in six, Local recurrence developed in seven
patients (26%). At follow-up, four patients had died of disease (15%),
one patient had died of another cause, and two patients were alive wi
th disease (7%). No evidence of disease was found in 20 patients (74%)
. The oncologic results of limb salvage and amputation in chondrosarco
ma of the limbs were good, although there was one failure of limb salv
age, caused by infection. Due to surgical inaccessibility, results of
the management of chondrosarcoma of the pelvis were poor. The average
functional evaluation of 16 patients (average follow-up: 104 months) w
as 75% (range: 30-100). The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society ratings were
excellent in four cases, good in seven, fair in four, and poor in one
. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.