Risk factors and outcomes for failure of biological reconstruction after resection of primary malignant bone tumors in the extremities

Biological reconstruction is widely used to reconstruct bone defects after resection of bone tumors in the extremities. This study aimed to identify risk factors for failure and to compare outcomes of the allograft, nonvascularized autograft, and recycled frozen autograft reconstruction after resection of primary malignant bone tumors in the extremities. A retrospective study was performed at a single center between January 1994 and December 2017. Ninety patients with primary malignant bone tumors of the extremities were treated with tumor resection and reconstruction using one of three bone graft methods: nonvascularized autograft (n = 27), allograft (n = 34), and recycled frozen autograft (n = 29). The median time for follow-up was 59.2 months (range 24–240.6 months). Overall failure of biological reconstruction occurred in 53 of 90 patients (58.9%). The allograft group had the highest complication rates (n = 21, 61.8%), followed by the recycled frozen autograft (n = 17, 58.6%) and nonvascularized autograft (n = 15, 55. 6%) groups. There was no statistically significant difference among these three groups (p = 0.89). The mean MSTS score was 22.6 ± 3.4 in the nonvascularized autograft group, 23.4 ± 2.6 in the allograft group, and 24.1 ± 3.3 in the recycled frozen autograft group. There was no significant difference among the groups (p = 0.24). After bivariate and multivariable analyses, patient age, sex, tumor location, graft length, methods, and type of reconstruction had no effects on the failure of biological reconstruction. Biological reconstruction using allograft, nonvascularized autograft, and recycled frozen autograft provide favorable functional outcomes despite high complication rates. This comparative study found no significant difference in functional outcomes or complication rates among the different types of reconstruction.