Abstract:

Objective To investigate the outcomes of surgical treatment of giant cell tumors on distal radius and ulna. Methods Eighteen patients with giant cell tumors on distal radius (n=15) or distal ulna (n=3) who were followed up for at least 24 months were selected. Three patients with giant cell tumors on distal radius were treated with intralesional excision, and the other 12 were managed with en bloc resection and reconstruction with autogenous fibular head graft. Two patients with giant cell tumors on distal ulna were treated with en bloc resection without reconstruction of osseous defects, and the other one was managed with en bloc resection with wrist joint fusion. Patients were followed up for recurrence and joint function. Results Patients were followed up for an average of 45 months. No patient experienced local recurrence or complications of infection and peripheral nerve injury. Bone nonunion was found in two patients after reconstruction with fibular head graft, and bone union was achieved after autogenous ilium graft. Enneking scoring of limb function after operation was 74%, and limb function scoring was not associated with gender, tumor location and Campanacci giant cell tumor staging, while was associated with surgical approaches. Conclusion En bloc resection for treatment of patients with giant cell tumors on distal radius or ulna can decrease the local recurrence rate. Autogenous fibular head graft can be used for reconstruction of wrist joint.

Key words: giant cell tumor, distal radius, en-bloc resection, fibular graft