Effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with customized tumor-type total knee arthroplasty on immune function and limb function in the treatment of malignant bone tumors around the knee joint

Objectives: To explore the effects of neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with customized tumor-type total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on immune function and limb function in the treatment of malignant bone tumors around the knee joint.

Methods: Sixty-one patients with malignant bone tumors around the knee joint treated in Sichuan Provincial Orthopedics Hospital from February 2018 to February 2020 were retrospectively enrolled and divided into two groups according to treatment methods. The differences in immune function indexes before and after treatment were compared between the two groups. And their postoperative complications were recorded.

Results: Before treatment, no significant difference can be observed in the comparison, values between the two groups (P>0.05); After treatment, the levels in Group-A were higher than before treatment (P<0.05), but the levels were not different from those before treatment (P>0.05). In contrast, the levels in Group-B were higher than before treatment and higher than that in Group-A, while the level of CD8+ was lower than before treatment and lower than that in Group-A (P<0.05). At six months postoperatively, no significant difference was observed in the excellent and good rate of limb function between the two groups (P>0.05). There were no differences in the incidence of postoperative prosthesis complications and the incidence of adverse chemotherapy reactions between the two groups (P>0.05)

Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with customized tumor-type TKA for knee malignant bone tumors is an excellent safety treatment for malignant bone tumors around the knee joint, boasting a variety of benefits, such as significantly ameliorating the immune function of patients and promoting the recovery of limb function, which is worthy of clinical application.