Stump Lengthening Procedure with Modular Endoprostheses — the Better Alternative to Disarticulations of the Hip Joint?

We report outcomes of 28 patients after stump-lengthening procedures (SLPs) with modular tumor endoprostheses following high-thigh amputation and hip disarticulation over 11 years. Mean follow up was 41.3 months (range 7.4 to 133.6 months). Mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Score was 56% (n = 11); ten out of eleven patients alive used an exoprosthesis regularly. Complications occurred in 15 patients with infection being most common. In 2 cases, the prostheses had to be explanted. Our data suggest that SLP facilitates post-operative rehabilitation and prosthesis usage. Modular endoprostheses for stump-lengthening allow optimization of remnant soft-tissue envelope, reducing the risk of stump perforation.