14 Scapulectomy for the Treatment of Primary Malignant Tumors of the Scapula

The functional and oncological results after scapulectomy for scapular tumours: 2–16-year results

“…Papaioannou and Francis [14] classified scapulectomies as partial, subtotal, near total, total and radical. They reported on 26 scapulectomies and opined that subtotal scapulectomy with retention of the glenohumeral joint resulted in better function.…”

Scapulectomy for malignant tumor: Function and shoulder strength in five patients

“…Unlike the patients with total scapulectomy, they were also able to exert strength with the arm flexed 90 degrees, making it possible for them to work and handle objects above the horizontal plane. De Palma (1954) and Papaioannou & Francis (1965) recommend the creation of a fulcrum to the humeral head by suturing remnants of the rotator cuff to the lateral end of the clavicle. By doing this, the range of motion can possibly be increased, and the "dragging and pulling" sensation in the neck that some patients complain of may be eliminated (De Palma 1954).…”

“…The sutures were unloaded until sound healing had taken place, so that the patient would keep good muscle strength for upward pull. The musculo-tendinous cuff was not sutured to the clavicle as some authors have proposed (De Palma 1954, Papaioannou & Francis 1965; two patients had lost the clavicle except for a small medial part.…”

“…Since then the surgical technique has been described in detail (De Palma 1954, Das Gupta 19701, as well as the rationale of the soft tissue reconstruction (Papaioannou & Francis 1965). The salvage or cure for patients with soft tissue sarcomas in the scapular region has been reported by Ramirez et al (1971) and Turnbull et al (1981), but the functional postoperative results are usually only briefly mentioned in the literature; most authors report satisfactory function with a good possibility of returning to normal work.…”

Glenothoracic fusion

“…3 However, Linberg 4 highlighted the mutilation caused by Berger's operation and developed a limb-sparing procedure. This represented a move towards considering the functional outcome as well as excision of the tumour.…”