The use of an expandable and adjustable prosthesis in the treatment of childhood malignant bone tumors of the extremity.

Limb-sparing surgery for malignant bone tumors in the growing child usually has been avoided because of anticipated limb-length discrepancy, especially in the lower extremity. Therefore, amputation or modified amputation was often the treatment of choice. The purpose of this article is to introduce a new concept: an expandable and adjustable internal prosthesis that can be used in the growing child in the properly selected patient after removal of the malignant neoplasm. This procedure is an alternative to amputation.