Giant cell tumour of bone around the knee: a systematic review of the functional and oncological outcomes

Giant cell tumour of bone (GCT) is a relatively rare, locally aggressive benign neoplasm observed in the long bone epiphyseal-metaphyseal regions of young adults. The optimal treatment strategy for these tumours remains controversial, and a huge amount of contradictory data regarding the functional and oncological outcomes can be found. Therefore, we performed a systematic review intended to investigate the functional and oncological outcomes after surgical treatment of GCTs arising around the knee, namely in the distal femur and proximal tibia. A trend towards better oncological control was found using wide resections, nonetheless, curettage-based techniques achieve a highly acceptable recurrence rate with overall better knee function. A slight advantage favouring proximal tibia GCTs regarding the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score was also observed. Prospective studies comparing groups of more homogeneous patients, tumours, and treatment options should be developed to obtain more conclusive and definitive results regarding the optimal strategy for treating GCTs. Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:641-650. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200154