Complications of resection and reconstruction in giant cell tumour of distal end of radius - An analysis

Background: The bulk of literature on the subject focuses on the resection of the tumor followed by reconstruction using autologous fibula, however, papers analyzing the failures of this procedure are scanty. The aim is to analyze the various factors responsible for the failures. Methods: Study included 42 patients of aggressive GCT of distal radius, resected and reconstructed using nonvascularised autologous fibula. Host graft junction was fixed using screws (6), intramedullary nail (21) and plate (15). The minimum follow-up was 2 years or till a complication occurred requiring second surgery. Result: The major complications were recurrence in 6 cases (spillage of tumor tissue in 3, poor biopsy site 2, recurrence along the nail tract one case); failure of host graft union in 8 cases due to inadequate contact at host graft junction, poor implant selection, inadequate immobilization and infection; significant instability at wrist in 6 cases due to poor stabilization at carpo fibular junction in addition to inherent instability due to poor congruity between fibulocarpal articulations. Conclusion: Reconstruction of distal end of radius using auto fibula has much higher complication rates than usually believed. A meticulous planning and its execution is must to minimize the problems. Use of dynamic plate for host graft junction and fixation of fibular head to adjacent ulna/carpal bones improves the results.