Mean functional scores of more than 70% seen with fixed-fulcrum endoprosthesis for patients with tumors

Griffiths D. J Bone Joint Surg (Br). 2011. doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.93B3.24421.

Using a fixed-fulcrum endoprosthesis in patients undergoing proximal humeral replacement for a tumor leads to good outcomes, according to results of this study.

Investigators at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Middlesex, United Kingdom, studied an original cohort of 68 patients with a mean age of 46 years who had proximal humeral replacement for a tumor using a fixed-fulcrum endoprosthesis during a 10-year period.

A mean follow-up of almost 6 years for 42 surviving patients showed mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) and Toronto Extremity Salvage Scores (TESS) of 72.3% and 77.2%, respectively. A subgroup of four patients who had a new constrained liner had a mean MSTS score of 77.7%. The subgroup also had a mean TESS score of 80%, according to the study abstract.

The study revealed that 14 patients with the original prosthesis had a dislocation. The investigators found a dislocation rate of 0% at a mean follow-up of 14.5 months in the subgroup of patients who received new liners.

“The performance of this prosthesis is expected to improve further with a new constrained humeral liner, which reduces the risk of dislocation,” the investigators wrote.