Abstract:
Objective: To evaluate the repair method and its curative effects on defects and joint instability in elderly patients with recurrent soft tissue sarcoma around the knee after wide excision. Methods: Our study included 6 elderly patients with limb sal -vage and effective preoperative chemotherapy. These patients underwent extended resections, including internal or lateral articular cap-sule and collateral ligament excisions. Owing to polyleptic soft-tissue sarcoma around the knee, formed soft tissue defects, and joint in -stability, collateral ligament and/or partial articular capsule was reconstructed using # 5 Ethibond sutures. Simultaneously, soft-tissue de-fects around the knee were repaired by composite-wide pedicled fasciocutaneous flaps or medial head of gastrocnemius muscle flaps of the leg. The maximum flexion angles of the knee (MFKs) were observed and statistically tested before and during surgery, with a fol -low-up period of 6 months.Results: The immediate stability of the joints and complete coverage of the soft tissue defects were achieved during the surgery. The MFKs during preoperative treatment, intraoperative treatment, and six-month follow-up were115.0° ± 7.8°, 101.7° ± 9.3°, and 104.8° ± 10.2°, respectively, with significant differences between the preoperative and intraoperative MFKs ( t=2.68, P<0.05). By contrast, no difference existed between the intraoperative and six-month follow-up MFKs (t=0.55, P>0.05). Conclusion : This repair method can be applied to elderly patients with polyleptic soft tissue sarcoma around the knee by using simple, fast, and reliable surgical techniques for the reconstruction, stability, and repair of soft tissue defects in the knee joint.