Influence of cryosurgery on treatment outcome of low-grade chondrosarcoma

Successfully managing low-grade chondrosarcomas with margins considered less than wide would minimize the need for extensive reconstruction. We report our experience using cryotherapy as an adjuvant to treat patients with low-grade intracompartmental chondrosarcomas. Ten consecutive patients had intralesional resections including curettage, cryosurgery, and polymethylmethacrylate application. Eight of these patients required prophylactic skeletal stabilization. We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes for tumor recurrence, disease progression, and complications. The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society rating scale was used to evaluate functional outcome, and the mean score was 27 points (range, 25-30 points). The mean age of the patients was 54.4 years (range, 29-83 years), and the average followup was 38.5 months (range, 24-60 months). Patients were treated for lesions of the femur (n = 3), humerus (n = 3), scapula (n = 2), tibia (n = 1), and acetabulum (n = 1). There was no evidence of recurrence or metastases. At the latest followup, all patients were well, however, one patient had hardware loosening. In this small group of patients, intralesional resection with adjuvant cryoablation provided an alternative to more radical procedures for low-grade intracompartmental chondrosarcoma.