ReviewEffects of resection margins on local recurrence of osteosarcoma in extremity and pelvis: Systematic review and meta-analysis

- This study provides strong evidence (level IIa) that adequate or wide margin can reduce the risk of local recurrence.
- In the condition of same margin, pelvic osteosarcoma is more likely to develop local recurrence than that in extremity.
- The systematic review considered all related article, and the results were reliable assessed by sensitivity analysis.

PurposeThere are conflicting findings about the effect of resection margins on local recurrence in osteosarcoma after surgery. In this meta-analysis, we examined the association between local recurrence and resection margins for osteosarcoma in extremity and pelvis.MethodsEMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane CENTRAL were searched from January 1980 to July 2016. The quality of included studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. The odds ratio and 95% confidence interval of local recurrence were estimated, respectively, for inadequate vs adequate margins and marginal vs wide margins using a random-effect model. Chi-square test was performed to comparing the local recurrence rate between extremity and pelvic osteosarcomas with an identical surgical margin.ResultsThirteen articles involving 1559 patients (175 with and 1384 without local recurrence) were included in this study. The meta-analysis showed that the osteosarcoma resected with inadequate and marginal margins, whether in extremity or in pelvis, were associated with a significantly higher local recurrence rate than the osteosarcoma resected with adequate and wide margins, respectively. Chi-square test showed that, when pelvic and extremity osteosarcomas were removed with an identical resection margin, the local recurrence was significantly more frequent in pelvis osteosarcoma than in extremity osteosarcoma.ConclusionThis study provides level IIa evidence to support that the surgery with adequate or wide resection margin has positive effect on reducing the risk of local recurrence in osteosarcoma. In addition, the factors independent of resection margin are more likely to increase the risk of local recurrence in pelvic osteosarcoma.Level of evidenceLevel IIa, Therapeutic study.