Treatment of Giant Cell Tumor of Bone in the Distal Radius and Ulna

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY The preferred treatment of giant cell tumor of bone is curettage with the use of local adjuvant. If the tumor spreads beyond the bone into soft tissues, en bloc excision should be performed. Intralesional curettage allows joint preservation, but it is associated with a high recurrence rate. The purpose of the study was to identify the risk factors for local recurrence and to compare the functional outcomes after both types of surgical procedures. MATERIAL AND METHODS The group included 16 patients (5 women, 11 men) with giant cell tumor of bone in distal forearm treated at the First Department of Orthopedic Surgery, St. Anne s University Hospital Brno in 2005-2019. The mean age of patients was 38 years (22-53). The follow-up period was 6.75 years (2-15) on average. The most common location of the tumor was distal radius (14). In 6 patients denosumab treatment was indicated. Based on the obtained data, we compared the effects of gender, Campanacci grade, type of surgery and administration of denosumab on the risk of local recurrence. The functional outcomes were evaluated retrospectively based on the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scoring system for upper limb salvage surgeries. RESULTS Resection and reconstruction using an osteocartilaginous allograft was performed in 9 patients. Seven patients were treated with tumor curettage with bone cement used to fill the cavity. The group of patients who underwent curettage showed a significantly higher mean MSTS score 89% compared to the group of patients with resection with the mean MSTS score 66% (P < 0.05). Local tumor recurrence was reported in 3 patients (18.75%). No statistically significant difference was found in gender, tumor grade, radicality of surgery or administration of targeted therapy with respect to the incidence of local recurrence. Altogether 6 complications (37.5%) were observed in the group. DISCUSSION The treatment of a giant cell tumor of bone aims to completely remove the tumor and to preserve the best possible function of the limb. The complications in distal forearm involve particularly an increase incidence of local recurrence and painful or limited range of motion of the wrist. Whereas curettage with the use of local adjuvant is burdened with a higher recurrence rate, resection with allograft reconstruction of bone defect is usually associated with poorer functional outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Tumor curettage using local adjuvant is preferred in a well-circumscribed tumor and offers an excellent functional outcome. En bloc tumor resection and reconstruction using an osteocartilaginous allograft is a suitable treatment option for a locally advanced tumor with a low risk of local recurrence. Key words: giant cell tumor of bone, distal radius, distal ulna, curettage, osteocartilaginous allograft.