A Short Course of Preoperative Denosumab Injection Followed by Surgery in High-Risk Giant Cell Tumors of the Extremities: A Retrospective Study

Despite early promising results with denosumab treatment in giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB), recent studies have raised concerns about a high local recurrence rate following preoperative denosumab administration and joint preservation surgery. This retrospective study evaluated data from 25 high-risk GCT patients (Campanacci grade II or III with features like soft tissue extension, pathological fracture, minimal periarticular or subarticular bone) treated with five doses of neoadjuvant denosumab injection followed by either curettage and cementing (n = 13) or joint reconstruction with fibular graft/endoprosthesis (n = 12) between 2014 and 2019. With an average follow-up of 40 months, the study found only one patient of local recurrence. All patients were independently ambulant, with a mean MSTS score of 26.32. Subgroup analysis revealed an MSTS score of 27.76 in the joint preservation group, and 24.75 in the excision with reconstruction/prosthetic replacement group (unpaired t-test, p-value < 0.001). Five patients experienced postoperative complications, including two infections, one recurrence, one mediolateral instability in the prosthetic component, and one restriction of wrist movement. A short course of neoadjuvant denosumab, followed by curettage and cementing or wide excision with joint reconstruction/prosthetic replacement, appears to be an effective strategy for high-risk GCTB patients. This approach not only minimizes surgical morbidity but also does not increase the local recurrence rate. The short course regimen may present a cost-effective and practical option in clinical practice.