J. Cottalorda et al., THE SURGICAL-MANAGEMENT OF MALIGNANT BONE -TUMORS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS - THE EXPERIENCE AT THE SAINT-ETIENNE HOSPITAL, Annales de chirurgie, 52(1), 1998, pp. 45-51
From 1980 to 1997, seventeen children were treated for malignant bone
tumors in the Department of Paediatric Surgery of the Saint-Etienne Ho
spital, with an average follow-up of 6 years and 3 months (2M-17Y). Th
e histologic diagnoses were osteosarcomas (12 cases) and Ewing's sarco
mas (5 cases). All children were treated surgically. For the 12 lower
limb tumors, the techniques used were prosthetic replacement in 7 case
s (associated with bone allograft in 3 cases), amputation in 3 cases a
nd isolated bone allograft in 2 cases. The two ilium tumors were treat
ed by resection and reconstruction with autologous bone graft. A singl
e resection was performed for the shoulder-blade Ewing's tumors and a
prosthesis for the 2 proximal humerus tumors. Six children died during
follow-up. The authors stress that carcinologic resection is a priori
ty before functional results. They insist on the mechanical failures o
f implants and on the difficulties of reoperations.