Radical resection for tumors of the shoulder with preservation of a functional extremity.

A series of patients have been presented to illustrate radical methods of dealing with malignant tumors of the shoulder. Emphasis has been placed on the cosmetic and functional results which can be obtained in selected cases in which it appears feasible to avoid amputation. Certain lesions lend themselves to this type of surgery, in particular, chondrosarcoma, fibrosarcoma, and giant-cell tumor. A thorough knowledge of the specific growth characteristics of these, as well as certain other less common tumors, will in certain instances aid the surgeon in selecting radical resectional surgical procedures and thus preserve a normal elbow and hand.