Abstract:Objective To evaluate the effect of argon-helium knife combined with tumor curettage, bone grafting and internal fixation for the treatment of proximal tibial giant cell tumor on improvement of postoperative knee joint function. Methods Twenty-three patients of proximal tibial giant cell tumor from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Among them there were 11 males and 12 females with an average age of (25.8 ± 9.1) years (ranging from 16 to 39 years). According to different treatment levels all patients were divided into two groups. The simple operation group had 11 cases (5 males and 6 females), aged 17-36 years with an average of 26.5 years, and treated with tumor curettage, bone grafting and internal fixation. The argon-helium knife combined operation group had 12 cases (6 males and 6 females), aged 16-39 years with an average of 28.1 years, and treated with tumor curettage, bone grafting and internal fixation combined with argon-helium knife. After standardized treatment, the complications of each group were recorded, knee joint HSS function score was recorded 3, 6 and 12 months after operation. Results All patients were observed for 12 months, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in gender, age, weight, tumor Enneking class or preoperative HSS score (P > 0.05), and there was comparability between the two groups. All incisions healed at first stage. In the simple operation group, 1 case had lower limb edema, injury of lateral cutaneous nerve of leg occurred in 3 cases, and 1 case had recurrence in situ 12 months after operation. In the argon-helium knife combined operation group, 1 case had lung infection, and 2 cases suffered from injury of lateral cutaneous nerve of leg. The HSS knee function score was different at different time points (F = 91.264, P = 0.000). The HSS knee function score was different between the two groups (F = 41.411, P = 0.000); the postoperative HSS knee function score was higher, the relative recovery effect was better in the argonhelium knife group. The change trends of HSS knee function score were different between the two groups (F = 4.972, P = 0.037). Conclusions Argon-helium knife combined with tumor curettage, bone grafting and internal fixation for the treatment of proximal tibial giant cell tumor can improve the knee function at the 3rd, 6th and 12th month after operation.