What is Orthopaedic Bone Cancer Reconstruction?

Bone Cancer affects and destroys healthy bone tissue. In the past, bone cancers were treated by amputating the affected extremity entirely.

 

Bone cancers are more prevalent in children and young adults and because of this, we offer limb salvage surgery with the aim to restore or maintain usual function without amputation, or without negatively affecting the long-term survival of our patients.

 

What can I expect?
The procedure may involve taking some bone from another part of the body, such as the fibula, to replace lost bone, or an artificial bone may be inserted.

 

Dr. Conrad Pienaar is part of the Cape Orthopaedic Reconstructive Unit based at the Vincent Pallotti Hospital where they do limb salvage procedures. They operate on patients with bone cancers, other chronic bone conditions like chronic osteitis (inflammation of the bone tissue), limb-lengthening procedures in amputees and custom-made endo-prosthesis. Free flaps are most commonly used to reconstruct the normal bone anatomy; the free fibula being the most common.