Massive allograft implantation following radical resection of high-grade tumors requiring adjuvant chemotherapy treatment.

Since 1976, the authors have performed a total of 36 resections of malignant tumors of the limbs with reconstruction of these by implantation of allografts. All allografts have been supplied by the University of Miami Tissue Bank. Following resection of the long-bone tumor and obtaining acceptable margins, the allograft was inserted to the limb defect with three different techniques: (1) in addition to a custom prosthesis as a hemi-joint reconstruction, i.e., a custom Neer prosthesis and proximal humerus allograft; (2) an osteoarticular graft to replace an articular surface resected with the metaphyseal-diaphyseal portion of the tumor; and (3) an intercalary diaphyseal-metaphyseal graft replacing the resected tumor but preserving the recipient articular surface. Of the 36 tumors, one was in Stage III disease. The remainder were Stage II A or B by the System of Enneking. All of these patients had adjuvant chemotherapy. The follow-up time was 24 months to 96 months. The resection of tumors in 36 patients and treatment with postoperative chemotherapy resulted in a mortality of eight out of 36 and one amputation due to recurrence. Satisfactory results were obtained in 19 of 36 patients. If the tumor failures (eight deaths) and the amputation are subtracted from this number, the success rate is 70% (19/27). Intercalary grafts were more successful than osteoarticular grafts. Chemotherapy was started one to two weeks postoperation for all but four patients to whom it was also given preoperation. These patients were in a Children's Cancer Study Group (CCSG) protocol for prospective study of the effects of preoperative chemotherapy. There was no apparent difference in the allograft success in these patients as compared to patients receiving only postoperative chemotherapy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)