Two case reports of fair lower limb function after sciatic nerve sacrifice for the treatment of a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor

Wide resection for malignant soft tissue tumors may require resection of a major nerve. When a limb salvage procedure is selected in these cases, the anticipated functional outcome of the procedure must be clearly discussed with the patient, as recovery of normal function cannot be expected. In this report, we describe our surgical management of two cases of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, a 58-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl, requiring a limb salvage procedure with sacrifice of the sciatic nerve. Although both patients required a short-leg brace for walking, because of a drop foot, both patients reported satisfactory functional results and were able to perform their activities of daily living with only slight difficulties. Based on our experience, limb salvage surgery can be considered for the treatment of malignancies involving the sciatic nerve, with fair functional outcomes expected.