Endoprosthetic replacement of the distal femur and knee joint : a case report

A case of giant cell tumour of the distal femur in a 25 year old female is presented. Initially the patient presented with a pathological fracture and underwent currettage and bone grafting of the lesion. Recurrence of the lesion occurred 3 years after initial treatment. Endoprosthetic replacement of the distal femur and knee joint was performed with total excision of the tumour. The advantages of this form of treatment are discussed. The treatment of giant cell tumours of bone remains controversial (Parrish, 1966; Ellis, 1949; Marcoveet al, 1973). Recurrence of tumour after initial currettage and grafting carries a greater risk of malignant changes (Dahlinet al, 1970). Amputation is often then considered the treatment of choice. Recently, however, there has been a move towards more conservative ablative surgery culminating in the development of endoprosthetic replacement of the involved bone and joint (Burrowset al, 1975). We present a case of recurrent giant cell tumour of the distal femur who underwent endoprosthetic replacement of the distal femur and knee joint.