What is limb salvage surgery?
When a person has cancer of the bone, surgery forms a part of the treatment. Formerly, if the malignant tumour was in the limbs, surgery meant amputation of the limb. The entire arm or leg would be removed. This led to marked disability and disfigurement. The person also had to suffer social stigma. In order to overcome the functional, psychological and social problems associated with amputation, the concept of limb salvage was evolved. Here, despite the surgery and removal of the tumour, the limb is spared. The aim of limb salvage surgery in bone tumour management is to eradicate the disease, retain the integrity of the skeletal system and preserve a limb with useful function.
