Elbow Reconstruction With Compression Plate Arthrodesis and Circumferential Muscle-Sparing Latissimus Dorsi Flap After Tumor Resection

Abstract

Background: The goals of limb-sparing surgery in the setting of extremity malignancies are 2-fold: oncological clearance and the rehabilitation of function and aesthetics. Treatment success should be defined by the extent of restoration of the patient’s premorbid function for reintegration into society. Methods: We would like to report an unusual case of a patient with a chronically ankylosed elbow with joint invasion by basal cell carcinoma which resulted from malignant transformation of an overlying, long-standing wound due to inadequately treated septic arthritis from his childhood years. Results: Following R0 resection, upper limb shortening and compression plate elbow arthrodesis were performed with the aim of restoring the degree of upper limb function that the patient had been accustomed to preoperatively. The resultant circumferential defect was then closed with a contralateral, free muscle-sparing latissimus dorsi flap. Conclusions: Functional preservation may therefore be more important than the mere restoration of anatomical defects in these especially challenging situations.