Subtotal Scapulectomy With Scapulothoracic Fusion and Local Tendon Transfer for Management of Chondrosarcoma.

Abstract

Scapulectomy can dramatically alter glenohumeral function and the ability of patients to conduct activities of daily living. In oncologic cases, treatment of the tumor can compromise local musculature, making successful reconstruction difficult to achieve. Depending on the resection level, local musculature may be inadequate to restore shoulder range of motion and/or glenohumeral stability. Surgeons have attempted to address these issues via soft-tissue repairs, allograft replacement, and prosthetic replacement, with variable success. Outcomes are better when a greater portion of the scapula is preserved, thus saving functional rotator cuff muscle bellies. However, preservation of significant rotator cuff musculature is not routinely possible. To our knowledge, no authors in the English-language orthopaedic literature have reported on local tendon transfers as a technique to augment and reconstruct the rotator cuff in a patient with previous scapulectomy.