Current Treatment Options and Emerging Technologies for Pelvic Bone Tumors: From Limb Salvage to Precision Oncology.
Authors
Affiliations (3)
Affiliations (3)
- Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China.
- Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. [email protected].
- Department of Orthopaedics, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China. [email protected].
Abstract
In our practice, the treatment of pelvic bone tumors should begin with a multidisciplinary sarcoma-board evaluation that integrates biopsy-proven histology, high-resolution CT/MRI/PET imaging, neurovascular and visceral involvement, Enneking zone, expected survival, and patient-specific functional goals. For potentially curable primary pelvic sarcomas, we consider negative-margin resection the non-negotiable oncologic priority. Limb-salvage internal hemipelvectomy is preferred when an R0 resection can be achieved while preserving limb viability and a meaningful postoperative function; external hemipelvectomy should be reserved for tumors with unreconstructable femoral or iliac vessel involvement, extensive sciatic or lumbosacral plexus invasion, uncontrolled infection, or recurrent disease in which safe margins cannot otherwise be obtained. Histology should drive sequencing: osteosarcoma and Ewing sarcoma generally require effective neoadjuvant systemic therapy before definitive local treatment, whereas conventional chondrosarcoma requires meticulous wide en bloc surgery because chemotherapy and conventional radiotherapy have limited curative value. Reconstruction should not be selected by technology alone. For non-weight-bearing or palliative defects, no reconstruction, flail hip, hip transposition, or standard metastatic acetabular procedures may offer the best time-adjusted quality of life. For long-term survivors with periacetabular, sacroiliac, or spinopelvic instability, we favor anatomy-restoring reconstruction using navigation-assisted resection and carefully planned biological, modular, or patient-specific 3D-printed implants, provided soft-tissue coverage and infection risk are acceptable. Emerging tools such as computer-assisted navigation, robotics, artificial intelligence-based segmentation, liquid biopsy, digital twins, and smart biomaterials should be used to reinforce classic oncologic principles rather than replace them. Their adoption should depend on validated margin benefit, durable functional gain, complication reduction, cost-effectiveness, and equitable access.