PetCaseFinder

Peer-reviewed veterinary case report

Dog with femur bone cancer treated by limb-sparing surgery

By Liptak, Julius M et al.·Published in Veterinary surgery : VS·2005·Animal Cancer Center and Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed

PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →

Original publication title: Limb-sparing surgery in a dog with osteosarcoma of the proximal femur.

Species:
dog
OsteosarcomaMovement & jointsDogs

Plain-English summary

A 10-year-old mixed-breed dog was diagnosed with osteosarcoma (a type of bone cancer) in the upper part of the thigh bone and underwent a special surgery to save the leg instead of amputating it. The surgery involved removing the tumor and reconstructing the leg using a combination of a bone graft and a prosthetic implant. Initially, the dog had good leg function, but complications arose over time, including issues with the implant and local tumor recurrence. Unfortunately, after nearly two years, the dog was euthanized due to the progression of the disease.

People also search for: dog osteosarcoma treatment · limb-sparing surgery for dogs · dog leg cancer symptoms

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To report successful limb-sparing surgery in a dog with a proximal femoral osteosarcoma (OSA) using a composite allograft-prosthetic technique. STUDY DESIGN: Case report. ANIMAL: Client-owned dog. METHODS: A stage IIB OSA of the proximal aspect of the femur was resected in accordance with oncologic and limb-sparing principles. The osseous defect was reconstructed with a proximal femoral allograft and cemented, long-stemmed femoral prosthesis. Soft tissue reconstruction was achieved by suturing host tendons to their respective allogeneic tendons on the allograft. Coxofemoral joint function was preserved using standard total hip arthroplasty techniques. RESULTS: Limb-sparing surgery of the proximal aspect of the femur using a composite allograft-prosthetic technique resulted in excellent limb function. Postoperative complications included aseptic loosening of the femoral composite graft and allograft nonunion, which required revision, traumatic implant luxation, and local tumor recurrence. Limb function was excellent after surgical stabilization of the allograft nonunion but deteriorated after implant luxation 270 days postlimb-sparing surgery. Pulmonary and skeletal metastases were diagnosed and local tumor recurrence suspected 596 and 650 days postoperatively, respectively. The dog was euthanatized 688 days after limb-sparing surgery as a result of progressive local and metastatic disease. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Limb-sparing surgery for dogs with primary bone tumors of the proximal aspect of the femur is feasible with good functional results.

Find similar cases for your pet

PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.

Search related cases →

Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15720600/