[Pre- and postoperative anatomo-clinical correlations apropos of 30 conservative resections of osteogenic sarcomas. Surgical inferences].

The extent of osteogenic sarcoma has been measured in 30 bones obtained after local resection and compared with pre-operative evaluation. In only one case was the articular cartilage involved and the whole joint was resected. Other cases with a metaphyseal localisation were treated by disarticulation. Articular cartilage appears to provide good protection against local extension. In contrast, the growth cartilage, which was present in 11 cases, was crossed by tumour on three occasions. In only one case of diaphyseal localisation was a resection made across the tumour which had been previously rendered necrotic by chemotherapy. In most of the diaphyseal localisations, the post-operative study revealed that the resection had been over-extensive. Tomodensitometry is not very reliable in the precise evaluation of the extent of diaphyseal involvement.