Developing a surgical technique that prevents cancer from affecting muscles

Surgeons in Britain have developed a technique that could reverse the debilitating muscle damage caused by an aggressive muscle cancer called sarcoma.

High-grade sarcoma is a rare type of cancer, and its incidence worldwide has risen from around 55,000 to more than 96,000 in 2021.

Cancer and Muscle Problems

According to the Daily Mail, tumours form in the upper arms, and surgery can leave patients unable to use their biceps.

But surgeons at South Mead Hospital, in Bristol, have now developed a pioneering procedure to give patients the ability to move again.

This involves taking muscle tissue from the back and transplanting it into the arm to form a new biceps.

Arm bending ability

New research, to be presented at the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons meeting in Wales from 2-6 December, reveals that three months after surgery, patients are able to bend their arm.

The technique, called functional biceps latissimus reconstruction with a pedicle, could revolutionise how aggressive cancer is treated, experts say.

High-grade sarcoma also spreads into bone and cartilage, meaning invasive surgery is often required to treat it, which involves removing large sections of muscle and tissue.

Because of its severity, surgeons prioritise saving the lives of elderly patients with high-grade sarcoma rather than ensuring they retain full muscle function.

This means that many patients treated for the condition lose the ability to bend their arm, making it difficult for them to continue living independently.

Creating a replacement muscle

During the new procedure, first performed by plastic surgeons Julia Colavite and Rachel Clancy, sections of muscle are taken from the latissimus dorsi muscle, which runs from the middle to the lower back. The muscle threads are then woven into the arm to create a replacement biceps.

The replacement muscle does not have the full strength or flexibility of the original muscle, but the new tissue creates leverage, allowing the patient to bend the elbow and perform basic tasks such as eating.

“We now have the option to restore the patient’s biceps, and therefore their independence,” said Mani Raghubir, president of the American Orthopaedic and Joint Surgery Association.