Background: We examined the survivorship and functional outcome of the pasteurized autograft-prosthesis composite for distal femoral osteosarcoma. We also evaluated complications including nonunion, loosening, bony resorption, infection, and fracture.
Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 15 distal femoral osteosarcoma patients who underwent reconstructions using pasteurized autograft-prosthesis composite between 1993 and 2003.
Results: No patient required graft removal during a minimum follow-up of 35 months (average 56 months; range 35-78 months). The average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society System (MTSS) functional score was 86%. Nonunion developed in five patients, and three of them subsequently showed loosening of the stem. No patient experienced infection or fracture.
Conclusions: Our data suggest that the pasteurized autograft-prosthesis composite could be an easily accessible alternative for the reconstruction of large skeletal defects in the distal femur because of the satisfactory functional outcome with a low rate of ultimate failure and complications in this study.