MASSIVE DISTAL FEMORAL OSTEOARTICULAR ALLOGRAFTS AFTER RESECTION OF BONE-TUMORS

Records were reviewed for 96 patients who received distal femoral oste oarticular allografts to reconstruct femurs after wide resections of b enign and malignant bone tumors. Thirteen of these were excluded from the study because of death or local recurrence. The mortality rate for all patients was 11%; for those with osteosarcomas it was 27%. The lo cal recurrence rate was 3%. Eighty-three patients were subjected to fu rther analysis. Their complications included fractures (14%), nonunion s (12%), arthritis (10%), instability (7%), infections (6%), and resor ption (6%). There was a significant difference in nonunion and infecti on rates between patients who received chemotherapy and those who did not. In the chemotherapy group, the infection rate was 13% versus 2% i n the non-chemotherapy group. Nonunion rates were 23% versus 6% respec tively. The differences in all other complication rates were not stati stically significant, In patients not receiving chemotherapy (n = 53), final results were good or excellent in 70%, fair in 26%, and poor in 4%. In patients receiving chemotherapy (n = 30), final results were g ood or excellent in 53%, fair in 37%, and poor in 10%.