Endoprosthetic Bone Reconstruction Following Malignant Tumor Resection in Skeletally Immature Patients

　　Expandable or exchangeable modular endoprosthese provide a viable option for bone reconstruction following resection of bone tumors that include the growth plate in skeletally immature patients. These prostheses can function as temporary spacers until skeletal maturity is achieved or as definitive prostheses with exchangeable modular parts or expansion-capable components. The large number of expansion mechanism failures and complications with the LEAP endoprosthesis as well as the associated titanium debris preclude its routine use. Simpler modular endoprosthetic systems now are being used with good initial results, but long-term studies must be completed. The long-term durability of these endoprostheses, as well as the optimal design features with regard to their many component parts, await further elucidation and study. Compared with amputation and other forms of reconstruction, however, the results are quite encouraging (see Fig. 5)