Combined Anterior and Lateral Approaches for Bone Tumors of the Femoral Neck and Head

Few reports in the literature describe the treatment experience of benign lesions of the femoral head and neck. Between July 2005 and August 2009, twenty-four patients with bone tumor of the femoral neck and head were treated at the authors' institution. Fourteen patients had pathological fractures of the femoral neck; in the other 10 patients, the bone cortex was involved. Average tumor size was 78 cc (range, 45-130 cc). The patients were treated by curettage plus bone grafting via an anterior approach (Smith-Petersen incision) and internal fixation via a lateral approach (Hardinge approach). Average follow-up was 34 months (range, 10-68 months).Average blood loss and operative time were 450 mL and 87 minutes, respectively. Six patients experienced complications: 2 superficial wound infections, 2 immunological rejections, and 2 hollow screw loosenings and slight limps at 12 and 16 months postoperatively, respectively. No recurrence or other serious complications, such as pathological fracture, ischemic necrosis of the femoral head, or joint degeneration, occurred. Average Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score for lower extremity function was 29.2 (range, 27-30) at final follow-up, and all patients resumed their normal preoperative work and were pain free postoperatively, although 1 patient had a slight limp at final follow-up.A combination of anterior and lateral approaches may produce good clinical and functional results with minimal complications in bone tumors of the femoral neck.