Microwave ablation of malignant extremity bone tumors.
BACKGROUND
The current application of limb salvage process has some unsolved problems, such as prosthesis loosening, which severely limits the function of the preserved limbs. Innovative approaches are needed to further improve functional outcome.


METHODS
Instead of en-bloc resection of tumor-bearing bone, it is dissected from the surrounding normal tissues, followed by devitalizing the bone segment and the extra-cortical bulk by microwave induced hyperthermia in situ through the antenna array. From May 1999 to March 2012, 544 patients with malignant bone tumors of the extremities were treated by the novel method.


RESULTS
The over 3-year survival rate was 59.1 % for high-grade malignancy, 88.7 % for low-grade malignancy. In the majority of the patients, cosmetic and useful limbs were preserved. Local recurrence rate was 9.8 % for the high grade malignancy (mainly occurred at the early stage of the research). The overall fracture rate was 2.6 %. Deep infection rate was 1.8 %. The complication rate is lower than the literature reports. After heat necrosis, the dead bone maintains both the osteoconduction and osteoinduction properties.


CONCLUSIONS
The application of microwave induced hyperthermia for treatment of malignant bone tumors, except the late diagnosed cases who's tumor-bearing bone was destroyed too severe to do biological reconstruction, is an effective, simple, and inexpensive method. The oncological and functional results are encouraging.
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Qing-Yu
QY
Fan
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Yong
Y
Zhou
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Minghua
M
Zhang
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Baoan
B
Ma
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Tongtao
T
Yang
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Hua
H
Long
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Zhe
Z
Yu
Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, 569 Xinsi Road, Baqiao District, Xi'an, Shaanxi China.
Zhao
Z
Li
Ablation; Malignant bone tumor; Microwave