According to the Enneking system of surgical margins for musculoskeletal tumours, removal of the entire compartment of origin of the tumour together with its intact investing fascia defines which margin?
- A Marginal margin
- B Wide margin
- C Radical margin ✓
- D Intralesional margin
Explanation
The four Enneking margins are intralesional (through the tumour), marginal (through the reactive zone), wide (through normal tissue with a cuff beyond the reactive zone) and radical (the entire anatomical compartment containing the tumour is removed). Radical margins are rarely achieved today because they sacrifice function, and wide margins with effective chemotherapy give equivalent local control for most sarcomas.
Reference: Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics, 14th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.