A novel thoracic weight-bearing long-leg orthosis that permits ambulation after massive pelvic tumor resection.

Abstract

Osteosarcomas require aggressive medical and surgical treatments that frequently result in impaired musculoskeletal function. Amputation was formerly a treatment of choice for patients with sarcomas in an extremity. Although there has been controversy over the relative benefits of amputation and limb sparing, it is undeniable that limb sparing is becoming more common and that it frequently leaves a person with a limb whose function is limited. This is particularly true in the lower extremities, where pelvic and proximal femoral resections may lead to severe weight-bearing and mobility limitations. We report a novel thoracic weight-bearing long-leg orthosis that permitted a person who otherwise would not have been able to bear weight on a lower extremity after resection of a large iliac osteosarcoma to walk with a 4-point gait and forearm crutches.