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Advances in treatment have extended the life expectancy of patients with metastatic bone disease (MBD). Patients could experience more skeletal-related events (SREs) as a result of this progress. Those who have already experienced a SRE could encounter another local management for a subsequent SRE, which is not part of the treatment for the initial SRE. However, there is a noted gap in research on the rate and characteristics of subsequent SREs requiring further localized treatment, obligating clinicians to extrapolate from experiences with initial SREs when confronting subsequent ones. This study aimed to investigate the proportion of MBD patients developing subsequent SREs requiring local treatment, examine if there are prognostic differences at the initial treatment between those with single versus subsequent SREs, and determine if clinical, oncological, and prognostic features differ between initial and subsequent SRE treatments.

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We performed a systematic literature review to define features of patients, treatment, and biological behaviour of multicentric giant cell tumour (GCT) of bone.

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The aim of this study was to assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of an antiprotrusio acetabular cage (APC) when used in the surgical treatment of periacetabular bone metastases.

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The modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS) uses preoperative CRP and albumin to calculate a score from 0 to 2 (2 being associated with poor outcomes). mGPS is validated in multiple carcinomas. To date, its use in soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) is limited, with only small cohorts reporting that increased mGPS scores correlates with decreased survival in STS patients.

Introduction. Fibromatosis is a disorder characterised by a spectrum of biological behaviour from relative indolence to aggressive local infiltration. With aimed to describe the pre and post-operative functional status of these patients managed with surgery and analyse the effect of radiotherapy on functional outcome. Methods. 43 patients were analysed in the upper and lower limb fibromatosis database in which functional data was available pre-op and at a minimum of two years post-op. Any plantar, palmer, chest or abdominal lesion was excluded as were hormonal or chemotherapy treated patients. Results. 20 men and 23 women aged from 18 to 71 with a median age of 44 were analyzed. 36 patients had no prior resective operative intervention. 7 patients had undergone an attempted resection procedure at another unit of which 7 had locally recurred. 40 of the lesions were classified as deep and 3 superficial. 17 were located in the lower limb and 26 upper in the limb. XRT was used in 2 in the post-operative period, 35 in the pre-operative period and 6 patients did not receive XRT. 16 operations produced a margin negative resection and 27 were positive. Follow-up ranged from 24 to 168 months. In the upper limb the median MSTS score was 86.6 (range 50-100) and the TESS was 93 (range 56-100). In the lower limb the median MSTS was 90.8 (range 71-100) and the TESS 89.2 (range 58-100). There were no significant predictors for pre and post-op TESS patient reported outcomes. The MSTS post-op score was significantly associated with the pre-op score (p=0.01). Conclusions. The best predictor of the post-op MSTS value is the pre-op score in the resection of fibromatosis. Radiation does not have a significant effect on the functional outcome of patients treated surgically for fibromatosis at a minimum of two years follow-up

Fibromatosis represent a highly heterogeneous group of tumours in growth pattern, location and management. Our aim was to describe the demographics of the patient population who had undergone surgical resection and to identify predictors of local recurrence. Any lesion that was infiltrating the chest or abdominal cavity was excluded. Patients were also not included if they had a plantar or palmar lesions or had received hormonal or chemotherapy. 67 men and 88 women aged from 16 to 77 with a median age of 39 were analyzed. 121 patients had no prior resective operative intervention. 34 patients had undergone an attempted resection procedure at another unit of which 30 had locally recurred. 3 were located in the abdominal wall, 5 chest wall, 15 paraspinal, 56 lower and 76 upper limb. 40 patients did not receive XRT, 18 in the post-operative period and 97 in the pre-operative period. 67 operations produced margin negative resection, 85 were positive and 3 in which the margin status was unknown. Follow-up ranged from 1 day post op to 23.3 years. 23 patients had a local recurrence. Following subsequent re-resections, the total number of patients who were alive with evidence of disease was 16. 6 pts had deceased. 149 were alive with no evidence of disease. No factors were found to be statistically significant for predicting local recurrence, including the use of radiation (0.06) and margin status (0.81). Although radiation, given either pre or post-operatively did trend towards preventing local recurrence (HR 0.40; 95% CI 0.15 to 1.06; p = 0.06). Conclusions. The retention of critical structures whilst resecting fibromatosis continues to be an appropriate management strategy, as local recurrence rates seem to be independent of margin status. Although not statistically significant, the use of XRT did tend towards reducing local recurrence

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Surgery is often indicated in patients with metastatic bone disease (MBD) to improve pain and maximize function. Few studies are available which report on clinically meaningful outcomes such as quality of life, function, and pain relief after surgery for MBD. This is the published protocol for the Bone Metastasis Audit — Patient Reported Outcomes (BoMA-PRO) multicentre MBD study. The primary objective is to ascertain patient-reported quality of life at three to 24 months post-surgery for MBD.

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The purpose of this study was to identify prognostic indicators of outcome at presentation to the orthopaedic surgeon, in patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Our aim was to use this information in a pragmatic, clinic-based approach so that surgical decision making could be optimized to benefit the patient in their remaining lifetime.

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Surgical intervention in patients with bone metastases from breast cancer is dependent on the estimated survival of the patient. The purpose of this paper was to identify factors that would predict survival so that specific decisions could be made in terms of surgical (or non-surgical) management.

There are eight reported cases in the literature of osteosarcomas secreting β-hCG. Our primary aim was to investigate the rate of β-hCG expression in osteosarcoma and attempt to understand the characteristics of osteosarcomas that secrete β-hCG. We reviewed 37 histopathology slides (14 biopsies and 23 surgical specimens) from 32 patients with osteosarcoma. The slides were retrospectively stained for β-hCG expression. Patient and tumour characteristics, including age, gender, tumour location, subtype, proportion of necrosis, presence of metastases and recurrence were recorded. A total of five of the 32 tumours were found to be positive for β-hCG expression (one strongly and four weakly). This incidence of this expression was found in tumours with poor histological response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

The use of β-hCG expression as a diagnostic, prognostic or follow-up marker is questionable and needs further investigation with a larger sample size.

We reviewed the outcome of patients who had been treated operatively for symptomatic peri-acetabular metastases and present an algorithm to guide treatment.

The records of 81 patients who had been treated operatively for symptomatic peri-acetabular metastases between 1987 and 2010 were identified. There were 27 men and 54 women with a mean age of 61 years (15 to 87). The diagnosis, size of lesion, degree of pelvic continuity, type of reconstruction, World Health Organization performance status, survival time, pain, mobility and complications including implant failure were recorded in each case.

The overall patient survivorship at five years was 5%. The longest lived patient survived 16 years from the date of diagnosis. The mean survival was 23 months (< 1 to 16 years) and the median was 15 months. At follow-up 14 patients remained alive. Two cementoplasties failed because of local disease progression. Three Harrington rods broke: one patient needed a subsequent Girdlestone procedure. One ‘ice-cream cone’ prosthesis dislocated and was subsequently revised without further problems. We recommend the ‘ice-cream cone’ for pelvic discontinuity and Harrington rod reconstruction for severe bone loss. Smaller defects can be safely managed using standard revision hip techniques.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:132–6.

Between 1992 and 1999, we treated 350 patients with skeletal metastases. A multivariable analysis of the patients was conducted using the Cox proportional hazards model. We identified five significant prognostic factors for survival, namely, the site of the primary lesion, the performance status (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group status 3 or 4), the presence of visceral or cerebral metastases, any previous chemotherapy, and multiple skeletal metastases. The score for each significant factor was derived from the corresponding estimated regression coefficients (natural logarithm of the hazard ratio). The prognostic score was calculated by adding all the scores for individual factors.

The rate of survival was 31% at six months and 11% at one year for the patients with a prognostic score of 6 or more. By contrast, patients with a prognostic score of 2 or less had a rate of survival of 98% at six months and 89% at one year. This scoring system can be used to determine the optimal treatment for patients with pathological fractures or epidural compression.

Pathological fractures of the humerus are associated with pain, morbidity, loss of function and a diminished quality of life. We report our experience of stabilising these fractures using polymethylmethacrylate and non-locking plates. We undertook a retrospective review over 20 years of patients treated at a tertiary musculoskeletal oncology centre. Those who had undergone surgery for an impending or completed pathological humeral fracture with a diagnosis of metastatic disease or myeloma were identified from our database. There were 63 patients (43 men, 20 women) in the series with a mean age of 63 years (39 to 87).

All had undergone intralesional curettage of the tumour followed by fixation with intramedullary polymethylmethacrylate and plating. Complications occurred in 14 patients (22.2%) and seven (11.1%) required re-operation. At the latest follow-up, 47 patients (74.6%) were deceased and 16 (25.4%) were living with a mean follow-up of 75 months (1 to 184). A total of 54 (86%) patients had no or mild pain and 50 (80%) required no or minimal assistance with activities of daily living. Of the 16 living patients none had pain and all could perform activities of daily living without assistance.

Intralesional resection of the tumour, filling of the cavity with cement, and plate stabilisation of the pathological fracture gives immediate rigidity and allows an early return of function without the need for bony union. The patient’s local disease burden is reduced, which may alleviate tumour-related pain and slow the progression of the disease. The cemented-plate technique provides a reliable option for the treatment of pathological fractures of the humerus.

Dedifferentiated chordoma is a rare and aggressive variant of the conventional tumour in which an area undergoes transformation to a high-grade lesion, typically fibrous histiocytoma, fibrosarcoma, and rarely, osteosarcoma or rhabdomyosarcoma. The dedifferentiated component dictates overall survival, with smaller areas of dedifferentiation carrying a more favourable prognosis. Although it is more commonly diagnosed in recurrences and following radiotherapy, there have been a few reports of spontaneous development. We describe four such cases, which were diagnosed de novo following primary excision, and discuss the associated clinical and radiological features.