Does osteosarcoma require amputation?

Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

Updated on August 31, 2024

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Do osteosarcomas require amputation? In the past, the likelihood of amputation for treating osteosarcoma was very high. However, currently, the rate of amputation is very low, and the limb-salvage rate is very high. This is due to a new chemotherapy protocol in medical practice, which involves initial chemotherapy followed by surgery, and then continued chemotherapy post-operatively. The limb-salvage rate with this treatment plan can reach about 75% to 80%. Therefore, currently, most osteosarcoma patients do not require amputation. Unlike the past, where amputation rates were very high, today's medical approach is very advanced, generally resulting in a very high rate of limb preservation for osteosarcoma patients.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

47sec

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Will osteosarcoma cause the skin to turn red?

Patients with osteosarcoma will not have red skin. The early symptoms of osteosarcoma are generally not obvious, primarily involving localized swelling, with pain around the joints leading to limited joint mobility. As the condition progresses, this pain may shift from intermittent to constant, and the severity of the pain will increase as the disease worsens. The second patient will exhibit a noticeable lump that can be felt; this lump is usually accompanied by significant tenderness. The third symptom is intermittent limping, caused by pain from the tumor during walking, which prevents the patient from bearing weight for extended periods. The fourth aspect involves systemic symptoms common to patients with tumors, such as anemia, mild fever, and even pathological fractures.

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Written by Cheng Bin

Orthopedics

40sec

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Osteosarcoma is malignant.

Regarding whether osteosarcoma is benign or malignant, it is certain that osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor with a very high degree of malignancy. Once osteosarcoma is definitively diagnosed, aggressive treatment is necessary. Surgery is the main treatment approach, aiming to perform as extensive a resection as possible, or amputation may be required when necessary. After surgery, the resected specimen must be sent for pathological examination. Based on the type of pathology, the next step in treatment, either radiotherapy or chemotherapy, will be determined to minimize the recurrence of osteosarcoma, as a recurrence can endanger the patient's life.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

55sec

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Can osteosarcoma be detected by ultrasound?

Osteosarcomas are generally difficult to diagnose through ultrasound. The diagnosis of osteosarcoma mainly relies on the following methods. The first method is X-rays. X-rays can reveal a typical Codman's triangle appearing in the bone. The second method involves using CT and MRI to detect the extent of the tumor and to see if there is extensive infiltration around it. The third method is nuclear bone scanning. The main significance of nuclear bone scanning is to detect bone tumors early and to distinguish whether there has been any metastasis in the later stages. The fourth method is the gold standard, which is to perform a biopsy. However, this test is invasive, requiring the cutting of tissue from the osteosarcoma for pathological examination. Of course, this method provides the highest accuracy and positive rate.

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Written by Wang Cheng Lin

Orthopedics

32sec

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The common sites of osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma commonly occurs in the long tubular bones of the limbs, such as the femur, tibia, and humerus, especially near the joints of these long bones where the incidence is highest. In children, the distal femur and proximal tibia account for about three-quarters of all bone tumors. Osteosarcoma can also occur in the proximal humerus, the spine, and the ribs, although it is less common in these locations. The most frequent sites remain the long tubular bones in the limbs.

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Written by Guan Yu Hua

Orthopedic Surgery

1min 18sec

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Can osteosarcoma be treated with moxibustion?

Osteosarcoma is a malignant tumor of the bone, and the treatment effect of moxibustion is not very good. This disease develops quite rapidly, mostly occurring at the proximal end of the tibia, the distal end of the femur, the proximal end of the humerus, among others, typically at the metaphyseal ends. Clinically, the main symptoms include persistent pain, which becomes more pronounced at night, along with local swelling, restricted movement, increased local surface skin temperature, some may show prominent veins, and patients often appear emaciated, severely looking cachectic as the disease progresses with noticeable symptoms. Radiographic examination can reveal Codman's triangle or sunburst patterns. Early detection necessitates early treatment, including surgery such as inactivation reimplantation or prosthesis implantation to sustain operation. Additionally, amputation followed by extensive chemotherapy can effectively improve the patient’s survival time. Osteosarcoma has a high chance of early pulmonary metastasis, requiring systematic treatment at a hospital. Solely using moxibustion is not very effective and has limited usefulness, but it could still be worth a try if there are no better options available.