title: Large volume osteosarcomas of the femur treated with total femoral replacement.
abstract: Patients with extensive malignancies involving the femur often require total femoral replacement when their limbs can be salvaged. Reported series are small and involve heterogeneity of tumours. We present nine patients with osteosarcomas of the femur treated at our institution between 2003 and 2010 with a mean follow-up of 27 (6 to 56) months. Their ages ranged from 9 to 17 (mean 14 years). They had large volume tumours (mean 911 cm3) and presented late with a mean of 5.5 months from the onset of symptoms to definitive treatment. All patients underwent resection and total femur replacement. Six patients have died and two are alive with good function at the time of this report. One was lost to follow-up. These patients require a high level of treatment care and have a guarded prognosis.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Large osteosarcomas, femur, total femoral replacement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Kl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Wh
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kuching, Malaysia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Shanmugam
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Oncology, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Malaysia.
authors.forename: Gb
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Malaysia.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kamaruddin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching, Malaysia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tan