Optimising post-operative joint function is challenging when treating periarticular soft tissue sarcoma (STS). Radiotherapy reduces local recurrence rates but periarticular fibrosis may adversely affect joint function. Neo-adjuvant radiotherapy requires lower doses and smaller treatment volumes and therefore has potential benefits for the management of periarticular STS, but may lead to an increased risk of post-operative wound complications. This study assesses initial outcome and complications after treatment with neo-adjuvant radiotherapy and surgery for patients with periarticular STS.

17 patients treated with neo-adjuvant radiotherapy and surgery were identified. 3D conformal radiotherapy was delivered at a single centre with a dose of 50Gy in 25 fractions over 5 weeks. Patients were assessed weekly for adverse effects. Resection was planned 4–6 weeks after radiotherapy.

Median follow-up was 13 months (range 5–44 months). No patients had significant adverse effects during radiotherapy. One patient had surgery delayed due to local skin reaction. Minor complications in five patients (three superficial infections, one seroma, one neuropraxia). One patient required further surgery due to incomplete margins. TESS scores for upper and lower limb patients were 86.1 and 78.1 respectively. No cases of local recurrence have occurred to date. Two patients have developed distant metastatic disease.

The early results for periarticular STS managed with neo-adjuvant radiotherapy and surgery are excellent. There does not appear to be a significant increase in post-operative complication rates. With neo-adjuvant radiotherapy. Long term follow-up is required to demonstrate final functional outcome and local control rates.

Over the last two decades, design modifications in cementless total hip arthoplasty have led to longer lasting implants and an increased success rate. However, there remains limitations to the cementless femoral stem implant. Traditional cementless femoral components require large amounts of bone to be broached prior to stem insertion (1). This leads to a decrease in host bone stock, which can become problematic in a young patient who may eventually require a revision operation during his or her lifetime. Osteopenia, only second to distal stress shielding can lead to aseptic loosening of the implant and stem subsidence, which also accelerates the need for a revision operation (2–4). Recent literature suggests that thigh pain due to distal canal fixation, micro-motion, uneven stress patterns or cortex impingement by the femoral stem is directly correlated to increased stem sizes and often very disabling to a patient (5–8). In this study, we sought to determine whether reducing stem length in the femoral implant would produce more physiologic loading characteristics in the proximal femur and thus eliminate any remaining stress shielding that is present in the current design. We analyzed the surface strains in 13 femurs implanted with

no implants,

Analysis of the resulting surface strains was performed using the photoelastic method. For each femur, intact and with the different stem length components in place, the fringe patterns were compared at the same applied loads. The highest fringe orders observed for all tests were located on the lateral proximal femur and medial proximal femur. The fringes decreased as they approached the neutral axis of bending (posterior and anterior). Distal fringe patterns were more prominent as the stem length increased. The results demonstrate that the stemless design most closely replicated normal strain patterns seen in a native femur during simulated gait. The presence of a stemless, ultra short and short stem reduced proximal strain and increased distal strain linearly, thereby increasing the potential for stress shielding. The stemless design most closely replicated normal strain patterns observed in a native femur and for this reason has the potential to address the shortcomings of the traditional cementless femoral implant.