Efficacy of frozen autograft treated with liquid nitrogen in limb-sparing surgery in feline scapular osteosarcoma: A case report

Abstract

In recent years, a novel technique of limb preservation has been used in human medicine that involves frozen autograft treated with liquid nitrogen. In this case, frozen autograft treatment along with shoulder joint reconstruction was performed in an 11-year-old cat with osteosarcoma of the distal scapula. Surgical site infection, shoulder dislocation, local recurrence, and pulmonary metastases were not reported for 24 months after surgery. Moreover, the patient was able to bear weight on the operated limb after 2 months of surgery, and excellent limb function without lameness was demonstrated after 15 months. The frozen autograft technique is advantageous because it is inexpensive, simple, and retains its initial strength after treatment, and could be a novel treatment in feline osteosarcoma.

Three cases of dogs with osteosarcoma of the forelimb treated with liquid nitrogen for limb-sparing surgery using autologous bone

“…The long-term prognosis is also good, with reported postoperative complications such as fractures (19.4%), deep infection (11.1%), and local soft tissue recurrence (11.1%), with no recurrence detected within the liquid nitrogen-treated autogenous bone [ 4 ]. Limited reports in the veterinary field also indicated good postoperative mandibular and gait function improvements in cases where reconstruction methods utilizing liquid nitrogen-treated autologous bone were applied [ 1 , 3 , 12 , 16 ]. Although none of the aforementioned complications were observed, exudate was observed postoperatively in Case 1 and screw breakage in Case 2.…”

“…However, as Case 1 was an obese animal, it was considered that scapulectomy could affect gait function. In addition, good postoperative gait function has been reported in a cat with osteosarcoma in the scapula receiving liquid nitrogen-treated autologous bone for limb-sparing therapy [ 1 ]. Therefore, Case 1 was also treated with limb-sparing therapy using liquid nitrogen-treated autogenous bone, which anatomically preserves the scapula and maintains gait function postoperatively.…”

“…In Tsuchiya et al .’s protocol, the extracted affected bone is treated with liquid nitrogen at −196°C for 20 min, left at a room temperature of 20°C for 15 min, and incubated in a saline solution at 30°C for 10 min, for a total duration of 45 min [ 21 ]. In veterinary medicine, tumor bone has been reconstructed using liquid nitrogen cryoprocessed bone tissue in the scapula in cats [ 1 ] and the mandible [ 12 ], femur [ 3 ], and tibia [ 16 ] in dogs. However, there are few reports of reconstructive surgery using liquid nitrogen-treated autologous bone in the veterinary field.…”

Case report: Limb-sparing surgery of tibial chondrosarcoma with frozen autologous bone graft using liquid nitrogen in a dog

“…This surgery is expected to have good osteoconductive and osteoinductive capabilities with less adverse immune responses because autologous bone can be used. However, reports on the use of liquid nitrogen for freezing bone tumors in animals are rare but have been reported for the scapula in a cat and the mandible in a dog ( 12 , 13 ). However, there have been no long-term postoperative observations of CSA reported to date.…”