How To Treat Osteosarcoma

Rotationplasty

Rotationplasty is a type of surgical procedure used to treat malignancies that occur in the bones of or around the knee joint. Without this type of specialized surgery, the patient with osteosarcoma in this region would need a full leg amputation to eradicate the tumor entirely. With a rotationplasty, the patient ends up with a knee joint and is only missing the lower leg and ankle. This mechanism allows the patient to use a partial prosthetic leg rather than a full prosthetic leg. This mechanism is accomplished by removing the end of the femur closest to the knee joint, the knee joint itself, and the top part of the tibia. The remaining long portion of the tibia, the attached ankle joint, and foot are then use to make a knee joint. The tibia is attached to the femur bone facing in the opposite direction, so the foot is pointed backward instead of forward. The patient is then able to undergo physical therapy with specialized equipment to learn how to use the rotated ankle and foot as a knee joint. The patient essentially ends up with a below-the-knee amputation allowing for more mobility and control than a full leg amputation.

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