Treatment of a patient with multiple myeloma of the femur

Introduction Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant tumor that causes widespread bone damage. The bone is involved in 90 % of MM patients, and 60% of patients develop pathologic fractures. Material and methods We report a case of combined surgical treatment and chemotherapy of a multiple myeloma patient who sustained a pathological diaphyseal fracture of the left femur and later presented with a lytic myeloma lesion in the right femur. Closed reduction and interlocking intramedullary (IM) nailing of the left femur was performed for the patient who was diagnosed with bone destruction in the shaft of the right femur a few months later. The right femur was fixed with interlocking IM nail for prophylaxis. Results The left femur consolidated at 6 months. The patient had no pain in the right femur, and enlargement in the bone destruction was not seen in the femur. The patient could ambulate with a cane with signs of deforming arthritis in the adjacent joints of the lower limbs. Discussion Three common surgical approaches used for bone tumors being complicated or not complicated by a pathologic fracture include nailing/plating, bone replacement and joint arthroplasty. Bone tumor replacement with oncological endoprostheses can be produced in specialized oncological orthopaedic units and is not available with regular trauma and orthopaedic services for different reasons. The operating orthopedic surgeon is to choose the appropriate implant to address the tumor involvement. Conclusion Interlocking IM nailing can be the method of choice for a pathologic fracture or for prophylactic bone fixation with appropriate indications identified with the Mirels's scoring system. Intramedullary nailing offers the advantage of minimally invasive stability for the operated limb and early weight-bearing in contrast to plate fixation treatment for fractures and prophylactic plating.