An Initial Experience of Shoulder Resections and Reconstruction for Bone Tumours from a Cancer Centre in North-East India

Advances in surgery and multidisciplinary approach have made limb salvage surgery feasible in most patients with tumours around the shoulder joint. Although resection and reconstruction options are complex, good outcomes can be achieved when performed at a specialised centre. The data of patients with bone tumours who underwent proximal humeral resection and reconstruction in a single cancer centre were prospectively analysed. Comparison between biological and non-biological reconstruction was done in seven patients of which three patients underwent biological reconstruction and four patients had non-biological reconstruction. Measurement data were presented as mean ± standard deviation. The mean values were compared using independent t test. Kaplan-Meier method was used to evaluate survival with log rank test for comparison among groups. A p value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant at 95% confidence interval. There were six males and two female patients. Mean follow-up duration was 17.3 months. The mean age of patients was 24.7 ± 16.3 years. The mean functional score for biological reconstruction was 26.3 ± 1.16 and for non-biological reconstruction was 24.5 ± 1.3 with a p value of 0.1. Overall survival of patients with biological reconstruction was 75% and non-biological reconstruction was 100% with a p value of 0.3. Recurrence-free survival for biological reconstruction and non-biological reconstruction was 75% and 100%, respectively, with p value of 0.3. Limb salvage surgery in a dedicated cancer centre is a feasible option for most tumours around the shoulder joint. Biological and non-biological reconstructions both produced acceptable functional outcomes in our patients.