We studied the safety of external fixation during post-operative chemotherapy in 28 patients who had undergone distraction osteogenesis (17, group A) or vascularised fibular grafting (11, group B) after resection of a tumour. Four cycles of multi-agent post-operative chemotherapy were administered over a mean period of 14 weeks (6 to 27). The mean duration of external fixation for all patients was 350 days (91 to 828). In total 204 wires and 240 half pins were used. During the period of post-operative chemotherapy, 14 patients (11 in group A, 3 in group B) developed wire- and pin-track infection. A total of ten wires (4.9%) and 11 half pins (4.6%) became infected. Seven of the ten infected wires were in periarticular locations. External fixation during post-operative chemotherapy was used safely and successfully for fixation of a vascularised fibular graft and distraction osteogenesis in 27 of 28 patients. Post-operative chemotherapy for malignant bone tumours did not adversely affect the ability to achieve union or cause hypertrophy of the vascularised fibular graft and had a minimal effect on distraction osteogenesis. Only one patient developed
Local recurrence remains a challenging and common problem following curettage and joint-sparing surgery for giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB). We previously reported a 15% local recurrence rate at a median follow-up of 30 months in 20 patients with high-risk GCTB treated with neoadjuvant Denosumab. The aim of this study was to determine if this initial favourable outcome following the use of Denosumab was maintained with longer follow-up. Patients with GCTB of the limb considered high-risk for unsuccessful joint salvage, due to minimal periarticular and subchondral bone, large soft tissue mass, or pathological fracture, were treated with Denosumab followed by extended intralesional curettage with the goal of preserving the joint surface. Patients were followed for local recurrence, metastasis, and secondary sarcoma.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to analyze the complications and outcomes of treatment in a series of previously untreated patients with a primary aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) who had been treated by percutaneous sclerosant therapy using polidocanol. Between January 2010 and December 2016, 56 patients were treated primarily with serial intralesional sclerosant injections. Their mean age was 20 years (1 to 54). The sites involved were clavicle (n = 3), humeri (n = 11), radius (n = 1), ulna (n = 3), hand (n = 2), pelvis (n = 12), femur (n = 7), tibia (n = 13), fibula (n = 3), and foot (n = 1). After histopathological confirmation of the diagnosis, 3% polidocanol (hydroxypolyaethoxydodecan) was injected into the lesion under image intensifier guidance. Patients were evaluated clinically and radiologically every six to eight weeks. In the absence of clinical and/or radiological response, a repeat sclerosant injection was given after eight to 12 weeks and repeated at similar intervals if necessary.Aims
Methods
The primary aim of this study was to determine the morbidity
of a tibial strut autograft and characterize the rate of bony union
following its use. We retrospectively assessed a series of 104 patients from a single
centre who were treated with a tibial strut autograft of > 5 cm
in length. A total of 30 had a segmental reconstruction with continuity
of bone, 27 had a segmental reconstruction without continuity of
bone, 29 had an arthrodesis and 18 had a nonunion. Donor-site morbidity
was defined as any event that required a modification of the postoperative
management. Union was assessed clinically and radiologically at
a median of 36 months (IQR, 14 to 74).Aims
Patients and Methods
Free vascularised fibular grafting has been used for the treatment
of large bony defects for more than 40 years. However, there is
little information about the risk factors for failure and whether
newer locking techniques of fixation improve the rates of union.
The purpose of this study was to compare the rates of union of free
fibular grafts fixed with locking and traditional techniques, and
to quantify the risk factors for nonunion and failure. A retrospective review involved 134 consecutive procedures over
a period of 20 years. Of these, 25 were excluded leaving 109 patients
in the study. There were 66 men and 43 women, with a mean age of
33 years (5 to 78). Most (62) were performed for oncological indications,
and the most common site (52) was the lower limb. Rate of union
was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and risk factors for
nonunion were assessed using Cox regression. All patients were followed
up for at least one year.Aims
Patients and Methods
A total of 157 hindquarter amputations were carried
out in our institution during the last 30 years. We have investigated
the reasons why this procedure is still required and the outcome.
This operation was used as treatment for 13% of all pelvic bone
sarcomas. It was curative in 140 and palliative in 17, usually to
relieve pain. There were 90 primary procedures (57%) with the remaining
67 following the failure of previous operations to control the disease
locally. The indication for amputation in primary disease was for
large tumours for which limb-salvage surgery was no longer feasible.
The peri-operative mortality was 1.3% (n = 2) and major complications
of wound healing or infection arose in 71 (45%) patients. The survival
at five years after hindquarter amputation with the intent to cure
was 45%, and at ten years 38%. Local recurrence occurred in 23 patients
(15%). Phantom pain was a significant problem, and only 20% used
their prosthesis regularly. Functional scores were a mean of 57%.
With careful patient selection the oncological results and functional outcomes
of hindquarter amputation justify its continued use. Cite this article:
We retrospectively studied 14 patients with proximal and diaphyseal tumours and disappearing bone (Gorham’s) disease of the humerus treated with wide resection and reconstruction using an allograft-resurfacing composite (ARC). There were ten women and four men, with a mean age of 35 years (8 to 69). At a mean follow-up of 25 months (10 to 89), two patients had a fracture of the allograft. In one of these it was revised with a similar ARC and in the other with an intercalary prosthesis. A further patient had an infection and a fracture of the allograft that was revised with a megaprosthesis. In all patients with an ARC, healing of the ARC-host bone interface was observed. One patient had failure of the locking mechanism of the total elbow replacement. The mean post-operative Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score for the upper extremity was 77% (46.7% to 86.7%), which represents good and excellent results; one patient had a poor result (46.7%). In the short term ARC effectively relieves pain and restores shoulder function in patients with wide resection of the proximal humerus. Fracture and infection remain significant complications.
We reviewed 25 patients in whom a MUTARS megaprosthesis with a conical fluted stem had been implanted. There were three types of stem: a standard stem was used in 17 cases (three in the proximal femur, nine in the distal femur and five proximal tibia), a custom-made proximal femoral stem in four cases and a custom-made distal femoral stem in four cases. The mean age of the patients was 40.1 years (17 to 70) and the mean follow-up was for 2.5 years (0.9 to 7.4). At follow-up two patients had died from their disease: one was alive with disease and 22 were disease-free. One of 23 prostheses had been removed for infection and another revised to a cemented stem. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 24.9 (12 to 30) and the mean Karnofsky index was 82% (60% to 100%). There was no radiological evidence of loosening or subsidence. Stem stress shielding was seen in 11 patients and was marked in five of these. There were five complications, rupture of the extensor mechanism of the knee after extra-articular resection in two patients, deep venous thrombosis in one, septic loosening in one, and dislocation of the hip in one. The survival rate after seven years was 87% (95% confidence interval (CI) 83 to 91) for the patients and 95% (95% CI 91 to 99) for the megaprosthesis. A longer follow-up is needed to confirm these encouraging results.
Open surgery is rarely justified for the initial treatment of a unicameral bone cyst, but there is some debate concerning the relative effectiveness of closed methods. This study compared the results of steroid injection with those of autologous bone marrow grafting for the treatment of unicameral bone cysts. Between 1990 and 2001, 30 patients were treated by steroid injection and 28 by grafting with autologous bone marrow. The overall success rates were 86.7% and 92.0%, respectively (p >
0.05). The success rate after the initial procedure was 23.3% in the steroid group and 52.0% in those receiving autologous bone marrow (p <
0.05), and the respective cumulative success rates after second injections were 63.3% and 80.0% (p >
0.05). The mean number of procedures required was 2.19 (1 to 5) and 1.57 (1 to 3) (p <
0.05), the mean interval to healing was 12.5 months (4 to 32) and 14.3 months (7 to 36) (p >
0.05), and the rate of recurrence after the initial procedure was 41.7% and 13.3% in the steroid and in the autologous bone marrow groups, respectively (p <
0.05). Although the overall rates of success of both methods were similar, the steroid group had higher recurrence after a single procedure and required more injections to achieve healing.
We present a retrospective study of patients suffering from a variety of benign tumours in whom external fixators were used to treat deformity and limb-length discrepancy, and for the reconstruction of bone defects. A total of 43 limbs in 31 patients (12 male and 19 female) with a mean age of 14 years (2 to 54) were treated. The diagnosis was Ollier’s disease in 12 limbs, fibrous dysplasia in 11, osteochondroma in eight, giant cell tumour in five, osteofibrous dysplasia in five and non-ossifying fibroma in two. The lesions were treated in the tibia in 19 limbs, in the femur in 16, and in the forearm in eight. The Ilizarov frame was used in 25 limbs, the Taylor Spatial Frame in seven, the Orthofix fixator in six, the Monotube in four and the Heidelberg fixator in one. The mean follow-up was 72 months (22 to 221). The mean external fixation period was 168 days (71 to 352). The mean external fixation index was 42 days/cm (22.2 to 102.0) in the 22 patients who required limb lengthening. The mean correction angle for those with angular deformity was 23° (7° to 45°). At final follow-up all patients had returned to normal activities. Four patients required a second operation for recurrent deformity of further limb lengthening. Local recurrence occurred in one patient, requiring further surgery.
Aneurysmal bone cyst is a rare tumour-like lesion which develops during growth. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of the administration of percutaneous intralesional 3% polidocanol (hydroxypolyaethoxydodecan) as sclerotherapy. Between July 1997 and December 2004 we treated 72 patients (46 males, 26 females) with a histologically-proven diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst, at various skeletal sites using this method. The sclerotherapy was performed under fluoroscopic guidance and general anaesthesia or sedation and local anaesthesia. The mean follow-up period was 34 months (26.5 to 80). The patients were evaluated using the Enneking system for functional assessment and all the lesions were radiologically quantified into four grades. The mean age of patients was 15.6 years (3 to 38) and the mean number of injections was three (1 to 5). Ten patients were cured by a single injection. The mean reduction in size of the lesion (radiological healing) was found to be 76.6% (61.9% to 93.2%) with a mean clinical response of 84.5% (73.4% to 100%). Recurrence was seen in two patients (2.8%) within two years of treatment and both were treated successfully by further sclerotherapy. Percutaneous sclerotherapy with polidocanol is a safe alternative to conventional surgery for the treatment of an aneurysmal bone cyst. It can be used at surgically-inaccessible sites and treatment can be performed on an out-patient basis.
