Background: This meta-analysis compared survival and function in patients with limb osteosarcoma treated with limb-salvage surgery (LSS) versus amputation or rotationplasty.
Methods: Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched until November 30, 2015 for studies reporting Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores and survival rates in osteosarcoma patients. Differences between patients undergoing LSS versus ablative surgery were analyzed based on MSTS scores and postoperative survival rates.
Results: Of 1330 patients in the studies analyzed, 934 underwent LSS, and 662 were treated with amputation. A random-effects model was applied due to heterogeneity among studies (Q statistic = 1.829, I (2) = 0 %, p = 0.767). No difference was found in post-operative local recurrence rate between amputees and patients receiving LSS. The 5-year survival rate was significantly lower with amputation compared with LSS (OR 0.628; 95 % CI 0.431-0.913, p = 0.015). The 2-year survival rate was not different between amputation and LSS. In addition, amputees had lower MSTS scores than those undergoing LSS (difference in means = -4.46 %, 95 % CI 6.49-2.45 %, p < 0.001).
Conclusions: LSS results in higher 5-year survival rates and better functional outcomes as indicated by MSTS scores in patients with limb osteosarcomas.