The use of methylmethacrylate as a temporary spacer following en bloc resection of the distal femur.

The current state of the art of prosthetic joint replacement permits sizeable segments of the appendicular skeleton to be resected and replaced with prosthetic components which are secured with methylmethacrylate cement. Occasionally it is necessary to resect a rather sizeable area of pathologic bone and to provide for some type of temporary fixation until a specially fabricated prosthetic component can be made available. Under such circumstances it is necessary to maintain length of the involved extremity, and provide for skeletal stability to the area of resection. Although external fixation offers a reasonable option, the employment of an internal type of fixation in the form of titanium mesh reinforced with methylmethacrylate cement seems more desirable. With this technique, the potential problem of pin track infection is avoided while space suitable to the dimensions of the prosthetic implant can be preserved.