title: Technique and complications of callus distraction in the treatment of bone tumors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study investigated the effects of chemotherapy, defect length, and patient age on the outcome and complications of callus distraction as a limb salvage technique in 17 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mean patient age was 18.4 years (range 7-47). Of 17 patients, 8 received chemotherapy and the remaining 9 patients did not. The mean defect length after excision of the lesion was 13 cm (range 8-20). The mean follow-up period for the patients whose treatments were completed was 55 months (range 20-90), the mean distraction index was 12.55 days/cm (range 11-15.7), and the mean external fixation index was 34.73 days/cm (range 30-41).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In two patients, local recurrence occurred before distraction was completed. Two patients died, and one of them was a patient in whom local recurrence had occurred. Complications included non-union in one patient, osteomyelitis in one patient, and premature callus, osseous bridge, and varus of the femur in one patient. The extremity functional score was 80% (range 26-100). Chemotherapy and defect length had no significant effect on the distraction or external fixation indices. In contrast, the increase in the external fixation index in those over 20 years old was significant (P=0.043).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that chemotherapy and defect length have no significant effect on the outcome and complications with this technique, which was more successful in patients younger than 20 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Dicle, Diyarbakir, Turkey. kapukaya@dicle.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ahmet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kapukaya
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Subasi
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Tolga
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tuzuner
authors.forename: Suat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Selek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D019857:Osteogenesis, Distraction / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D016879:Salvage Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome