Modified Borggreve–Van Nes-Winkelmann rotationplasty for surgery in developing countries

Background Amputation is still the most common therapy for patients suffering from osteosarcoma in Myanmar, despite the fact that limb salvage surgery e.g. Borggreve–Van Nes-Winkelmann rotationplasty for malignant tumors located within the distal femur or proximal tibia is the current state-of-the-art reconstructive procedure. A safe and reliable operation technique is crucial in order to perform a complex surgical procedure like the rotationplasty in lower-middle income economies with limited infrastructure and resources. The authors present seven cases of patients with osteosarcomas that received a Borggreve–Van Nes-Winkelmann rotationplasty with an evaluation of the procedures focusing on safety and sustainability. Methods From 2019 until 2020, seven young patients with osteosarcomas of the distal femur or proximal tibia were treated with Borggreve–Van Nes-Winkelmann rotationplasties in the Orthopaedic Hospital in Mandalay, Myanmar. As modification of the standard procedure the dissection and subsequent clamping of the femoral artery in order to minimize blood loss as well as the formation of an adipocutaneous flap that minimizes swelling and decreases the pressure on the vessels were successfully performed. This modified procedure resembles a safe and simplified surgical technique that is feasible under the circumstances of lower-middle income economies with good outcomes. Results All patients showed good functional and aesthetic results. One of the seven patients needed secondary wound closure due to wound dehiscence. Conclusions A simplified and safe operation technique for the performance of the Van Nes-Borggreve rotationplasty was adapted to the given constraints in lower-middle income economies and proved to be successful. Trial registration All patients approved to participate in the study and have given consent to publication.