Limb-sparing techniques

[1] Limb-sparing techniques are used to preserve limbs affected by trauma, arthritis, cancers such as high-grade bone sarcomas, and vascular conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers.

[2] As the techniques for chemotherapy, radiation, and diagnostic modalities improve, there has been a trend toward limb-sparing procedures to avoid amputation,[3] which has been associated with a lower 5-year survival rate[4] and cost-effectiveness[2] compared to limb salvage in the long-run.

[12] Arthroplasty is often performed on hips, knees, shoulders, and ankles to improve range of motion and relieve pain from arthritis or trauma.

[15] Since Gluck never published any results or notes on the procedure, Jules-Emile Pean is credited with performing the first shoulder arthroplasty in 1893.

The implants can also cause stress concentrations as a result of the material difference between the bone and the plate.

[18][19] 3D-printing of medical devices was first used in the 1990s for dental implants and custom prosthetics but has since been used for various bones and organs such as urinary bladders.

[20][21][22] Rotationplasty, more commonly known as Van-Nes or Borggreve Rotation, is a limb-sparing medical procedure performed when a patient's leg is amputated at the knee.

[23] This allows patients to have two fully functional feet, as opposed to losing one leg completely to amputation.

[26] Rotationplasty is also performed on children with congenital femoral deficiencies, such as those that cause unstable hip joints or limb-length discrepancy of the femur.

[27] This procedure gives patients the ability to retain the use of both feet, allowing them to continue living an active lifestyle.

[30] As a result, children who have had rotationplasty can return to their previous activities such as playing sports and avoid undergoing additional surgeries throughout their lives.