title: Technique and results of operative treatment of bone metastases to the knee.
abstract: Background. Bone metastases in the knee are rare. The most difficult challenge in this area is to achieve a stabile fixation. The aim of the study was to evaluate results of various techniques of operative treatment of bone metastases to the knee in relation to its localisation and lesion patomorphology.<br /> Material and methods. We assed 13 patients (5,9%) out of 220 treated operatively. The destruction area was located in femur in 12 patients and in 1 in tibia. Bone metastases were found in physis of femur in 5 patients and cross the line drawn through epicondyles. In 8, metastases were located in the epicondylar area. Pathological fractures were noted in 7 patients.<br /> Results. Successful stabilisation was achieved in 4 patients without pathological fracture and in one patient where we resected distal part of femur and stabilised it with tibia using Küntscher nail, plate and bone cement. <br /> In 8 patients complications were observed. One died due to pulmonary embolism on the fifth day after operation. In 3 patients we observed local recurence of tumor if the curetage alone was performed. In 2 cases where we used 2 rods introduced from the epicondylar area the stabilisation become loose. It was due to short distal femoral part. In one patient we noticed stress fracture of plate and in one the stabilisation of tibia and femur become unstabile because of local progression of metastases.
authors.affiliation: Katedra i Klinika Ortopedii, Traumatologii i Rehabilitacji, Akademia Medyczna, Lublin.
authors.forename: Tomasz
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mazurkiewicz
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Warda
authors.forename: Jacek
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopacz