title: Rotationplasty in the elderly.
abstract: Purpose. Rotationplasty has proven its efficacy in the treatment of malignant bone tumors of the lower extremity in predominantly young patients. To our knowledge this procedure has not been reported in patients over 60 years before. Materials and Methods. 3 patients over 60 years with an A1-rotationplasty because of a sarcoma were included in this study. Complications and functional results were recorded. In one patient an electromyography was done. Results. Despite electromyography showing good adaptation of the muscles to the altered function, the functional results of these three patients were limited. two out of three patients needed a cane for walking distances over 200 meters. No secondary amputation was necessary. Discussion. Our study demonstrates that rotationplasty is an alternative to an above-knee amputation in older patients but with poorer functional results in comparison to younger patients. However, limb-salvage surgery should be preferred whenever possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Westfälische Wilhelms University Münster, Albert Schweitzer strasse 33, 48149 Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Jendrik
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hardes
authors.forename: Gerhard Ulrich
authors.initials: GU
authors.lastname: Exner
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rosenbaum
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Streitbuerger
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gebert
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gosheger
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ahrens