Radiation-Induced Sarcoma After Heterotopic Ossification Prophylaxis

Abstract

CASE: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a pathological formation of bone in nonosseous tissue and is a common complication of orthopaedic procedures. Radiotherapy is often used to prevent HO despite the small risk of secondary malignancy. Here, we report a case of a patient who developed a periprosthetic, radiation-induced sarcoma after delivery of a single fraction of 7 Gy for HO prophylaxis. This sarcoma was found to lie entirely within the treatment field and occurred within 5 years of radiation. CONCLUSION: Appropriate counseling regarding radiation-induced sarcoma formation should be provided to patients considering radiotherapy for this HO prophylaxis.