Long-term results of primary and revision oncological endoprosthetics

BACKGROUND: Increased overall survival leads to a significant increase in the service life of implants. Currently, no joint replacement systems are failure-free, which reduces the service life. AIM: To assess and systematize the main complications of primary and revision joint replacement surgery, identify the main causes of these complications at various stages of joint replacement based on literature data and analysis of own findings in a large patient population, and develop treatment approaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 1,292 patients with primary bone and soft tissue sarcomas, as well as metastatic and benign bone tumors, with 1,671 primary and revision joint replacement surgeries of varying extent performed between January 1992 and January 2020. The proportion of males and females who underwent joint replacement surgery was approximately equal. Joint replacement surgery was performed in 886 (68.6%) patients with primary cancer, 144 (11.1%) patients with metastases to long bones, and 262 (20.3%) patients with benign tumors. RESULTS: During the study period, the overall incidence of complications was 1.4 times higher in the revision joint replacement surgery group (38.1%) compared to the primary joint replacement surgery group (26.6%). The most common type I–IV complications included unstable implants two and more years post-surgery (type IIB) and broken implants (type IIIA). As a result of innovative modifications, the overall incidence of type I–IV complications in primary and revision joint replacement surgery decreased to 16.5% and 24.3%, respectively. The most common cancer-related complication of primary joint replacement surgery was tumor recurrence (type V), accounting for 9.5% of cases. Tapered and cylindrical stems were the best shapes for primary and revision joint replacement surgery. The best stability was observed for 60–100 mm long stems in upper extremity joint replacement and 110–150 mm long stems in lower extremity joint replacement. Stems longer than 160 mm can only be used in revision joint replacement surgery. Adequate perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis reduced the risk of implant site infections. CONCLUSION: High-quality cement mantle formation, stems that match the diameter and shape of the medullary canal, and optimal stem length decrease the incidence of early aseptic instability. The study used a set of preventive measures, including strict compliance with standardized antibiotic therapy regimens during and after surgery, surgical technique modifications, perioperative patient management, and informing patients about the risks of infectious complications. These measures decreased the incidence of early implant site infections after primary and revision joint replacement surgery for a period of 28 years. The efficacy of combination treatment for these diseases has a direct impact on the incidence of local tumor recurrence. Surgical technique modifications based on tumor grade significantly increased treatment efficacy.