Sarcoma Specialists: Felasfa Wodajo MD, Bone and Soft Tissue Surgery for Metropolitain Washington DC

h Sarcoma Specialists: Felasfa Wodajo MD, Bone and Soft Tissue Surgery for Metropolitain Washington DC

Surgical Treatment / Benign Bone Tumors

>> Overview
Musculoskeletal tumors are classified into three categories: benign, malignant and metastatic. Benign tumors do not spread from their original location and, therefore, do not pose a risk to survival of the patient. They may, however, be very painful, destructive or have a tendency to come back ("recur") even after surgical removal. Malignant tumors have the capacity to spread to other parts of the body and thus are treated with combination of surgery and chemotherapy. Metastatic tumors are tumors that have already spread from one location to another. The most common cancers to spread to the bony skeleton are breast, kidney, lung, thyroid and prostate cancers. Treatment in this case is mostly aimed at reducing pain and improving the quality of life of the patient.
>> Benign Bone Tumors
Examples of benign bone tumors include enchondroma, fibrous dysplasia and giant cell tumor of bone. Not all benign bone tumors require surgery. Some tumors are simply treated with observation. For tumors where surgery is indicated a "curettage-resection" is performed. This is were the tumor is removed from inside the bone. Metal curettes and a high-speed burr are typically employed.

	Curettage-resection is performed using both hand instruments and motorized burring

>> Bone Reconstruction
Once the tumor is removed, the bone "defect" is reconstructed using various techniques. This may include the use of metal rods, plates and bone graft or cement. Newer implant designs adapted from orthopedic trauma surgery, such as "locking" plates and "inflatable" rods allow for improved bone stability, sometimes with less morbidity to the patient.

	Use of “locking” periarticular plate to reconstruct the tibia, adjacent to the knee joint.