Distal ulnar implant arthroplasty as a definitive treatment of a recurrent giant-cell tumor

Abstract

Giant-cell tumors of the distal ulna are frequently recurrent and difficult to treat. A Darrach-type resection can lead to functional impairments of the wrist and hand. A case of a 42-year-old man, who underwent a distal ulna arthroplasty for recurrent giant-cell tumor of the distal ulna, is presented. The patient had two previous operations in an attempt to curette the cavity, either alone or filled with allograft bone chips. En bloc resection and distal ulnar implant arthroplasty provided a good functional outcome without any evidence of tumor recurrence at a 2-year follow-up evaluation.