Osteoarticular allograft in surgery for high-grade malignant tumours of bone

We assessed the results of 17 limb-salvage procedures using osteoarticular allografts after wide resection of high-grade malignant bone tumours, All p atients received chemotherapy, At the five-year follow-up, three patients h ad died from metastases. The allografts survived for five years in only sev en patients all of whom had good function, ranging from 73% to 90% of norma l. The allografts were removed because of fracture in seven patients and in fection in one, and in all of these a second limb-salvage procedure was und ertaken. With such a low rate of survival of osteoarticular allografts, we believe t hat their use in the management of high-grade malignant bone tumours should , at best, be considered a temporary solution.