gms | German Medical Science

German Congress of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery (DKOU 2017)

24.10. - 27.10.2017, Berlin

Lower limb reconstruction in tumor patients using modular silver-coated megaprostheses with regard to perimegaprosthetic joint infection – a case series including 100 patients a review of the literature

Meeting Abstract

  • presenting/speaker Jan Schmolders - Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Orthopädie/Unfallchirurgie, Bonn, Germany
  • Sebastian Koob - Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Klinik und Poliklinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Bonn, Germany
  • Peter Pennekamp - Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Klinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Bonn, Germany
  • Dieter C. Wirtz - Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Klinik und Poliklinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Bonn, Germany
  • Richard Placzek - Klinik für Orthopädie & Unfallchirurgie, Uniklinik Bonn, Bonn, Germany
  • Andreas C. Strauß - Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Klinik und Poliklinik für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie, Bonn, Germany

Deutscher Kongress für Orthopädie und Unfallchirurgie (DKOU 2017). Berlin, 24.-27.10.2017. Düsseldorf: German Medical Science GMS Publishing House; 2017. DocIN26-16

doi: 10.3205/17dkou060, urn:nbn:de:0183-17dkou0606

Published: October 23, 2017

© 2017 Schmolders et al.
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License. See license information at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.


Outline

Text

Objectives: Bone resection regarding adequate surgical margins is the treatment of choice for malignant bone tumors. In case of metastasis related complications, so called skeletal related events (SRE), it is highly important to achieve pain relief and a stable joint situation to re-mobilise the patients immediately following surgery. To bridge the often large osseous defect zones after tumor resection, both cemented and uncemented modular endoprosthetic systems are widely used.

Patients undergoing tumor related endoprosthetic orthopedic surgery are facing high risk for developing a periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The immunocompromised condition due to anti-neoplastic treatment and long operation time with large exposure of tissue contributes to a high risk of infection.

Methods: The authors present a case series of 100 patients (31% primary bone tumor, 69 % metastasis related surgery) undergoing tumor related lower limb salvage surgery with special regard to periprosthetic joint infection and the managment of this "difficult to treat" situation. Further a review of the current literature regarding infection following bone tumor resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction is performed and discussed.

Results and Conclusion: The median follow-up was 24 months (24-108 months). Ten patients (10 %) suffered a periprosthetic joint infection. We recorded six acute infections (type I) < 4 weeks after surgery, one infection > 4 weeks after surgery (type II) and three late infections (type III). According to the definition of Laffer et al. three of our patients (30%) are probably free of infection, one patient died of PJI-associated sepsis and five patients were free of infection, but without restoration of the affected joint.

In conclusion our own results show that perimegaprosthetic joint infection following tumor resection occurs frequently, even among silver-coated implants, and is a very serious complication. Due to heterogenity of patients and potential treatment options the treatment regime should be tailored for the patients individual situation.