Case: An 8-year-old girl was diagnosed with osteosarcoma of the distal femur. She underwent chemotherapy and wide resection with implantation of a noninvasive electromagnetic expandable distal femur prosthesis. Ninety-three days after chemotherapy, she developed anthracycline-induced cardiomyopathy with heart failure for which a ventricular assist device was placed. Device compatibility was tested, and she was successfully lengthened.
Conclusion: Expandable prostheses allow limb length maintenance in skeletally immature patients who undergo limb salvage. Chemotherapy for osteosarcoma involves anthracyclines with a dose-dependent side effect of cardiotoxicity. Patients can be successfully and safely lengthened with expandable electromagnetic prostheses with in situ ventricular assist devices.
Copyright © 2021 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.