Pelvic resections are complex surgeries in a which a part of the pelvic ring is surgically removed, usually to treat a malignant tumor (such as a chondrosarcoma).
Originally, these resections removed half of the pelvis and the ipsilateral limb
-
hemipelvectomy
- classic hemipelvectomy / hindquarter amputation
- modified hemipelvectomy: some iliac bone adjacent to the sacroiliac joint is spared
- extended hemipelvectomy: part of the ipsilateral sacrum is resected as well, trangressing the sacral foramina
Because of the extreme disfigurement of these surgeries, their poor recovery, and their high morbidity, modifications to preserve the ipsilateral limb were developed. Each pelvic resection is customized to the patient and the tumor, but several types were defined 1:
Some define a type 4 as an ilium resection that extends into the ipsilateral sacrum (essentially an "extended" type 1).