Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Limb-sparing surgery options for bone cancer in dogs
By Borges, Ryshely Sonaly de Moura et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2025·Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, Brazil·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Surgical approaches to canine appendicular osteosarcoma part 2 - limb-sparing techniques.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A dog with a bone tumor called osteosarcoma (OSA) may face a tough prognosis, but there are options for treatment. In some cases, instead of removing the entire limb, veterinarians can use limb-sparing techniques that involve removing just the tumor and reconstructing the bone with special materials. These methods can help maintain the dog's quality of life while effectively controlling the cancer if the dog is diagnosed early. Many dogs have shown improvement and can continue to live comfortably after these surgeries.
People also search for: dog bone tumor treatment · osteosarcoma in dogs · limb-sparing surgery for dogs
Abstract
Osteosarcoma (OSA) is one of the main malignant primary bone neoplasms affecting humans and other vertebrate animals, and it represents the most common bone tumor in dogs, mainly affecting the appendicular skeleton. Given the highly aggressive nature of this cancer and the poor prognosis, immediate surgical intervention is recommended to achieve local control. Surgical treatment options may include radical surgery of the affected limb, considered the standard procedure, or limb preservation in selected cases. The purpose of this narrative literature review is to describe the limb-sparing techniques performed in the treatment of canine appendicular OSA. Limb-preserving techniques may include partial or total scapulectomy, excision of the bone segment with the tumor, and reconstruction using cortical allografts or metal endoprosthesis. Other options may involve endoexoprosthesis, pausterized tumor autografts, roll-over transposition of the ulna, limb shortening, and distraction due to bone transport. Those techniques are satisfactory in maintaining quality of life and may offer a good local disease control if the patient is properly selected, usually at initial stage.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41479421/