title: Allograft arthrodesis of the knee in high-grade osteosarcoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A retrospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate the outcomes of massive allograft arthrodesis in the management of high-grade osteosarcoma around the knee.
  
  
  METHODS
  The results of 19 patients with high-grade osteosarcoma around the knee, which was treated by wide resection and reconstruction using allograft arthrodesis, were evaluated for a mean length of 7.3 years (range, 3-13 years). The mean age at the time of surgery was 13.3 years (range, 6-27 years). According to the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society staging system, 17 patients were stage IIB and 2 were stage IIIB at presentation. Evaluations were based on the oncologic results, non-oncologic results and complications. Functional evaluation was performed with the Enneking functional evaluation form.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients (21.1%) died of their disease; 3 (15.8%) are alive with disease; and 12 (63.2%) are free of disease. Four patients (21.1%) had local recurrence of their tumor at a mean of 23 months postoperatively (range, 9-44 months). The mean time to union of the metaphyseal junction was 24.7 weeks (range, 16-30 weeks) and the diaphyseal junction was 47 weeks (range, 24-78 weeks). The overall complication rate was 31.6%, including 2 (10.5%) infections, 3 (15.8%) allograft fractures, and 1 (5.3%) nonunion. Our mean final functional result was 65%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Due to the high rate of complications in this study, we conclude that allograft arthrodesis should be left as a salvage or "back-up" reconstructive procedure after resection of osteosarcoma around the knee, unless there are special indications for this procedure. We found allograft fracture to be the most common complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, China Medical University and University Hospital, Taiwan. tenglehuang@yahoo.com.tw
authors.forename: Teng-Le
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Tain-Hsiung
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Winby York-Kwan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wei-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chien-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wai-Hee
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Lo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001174:Arthrodesis / Q000379:methods*; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016025:Bone Transplantation; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous