Comparison of digital tomosynthesis and computed tomography for lung nodule detection in SOS screening program.

PURPOSE: To compare the lung nodules' detection of digital tomosynthesis (DTS) and computed tomography (CT) in the context of the SOS (Studio OSservazionale) prospective screening program for lung cancer detection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and thirty-two of the 1843 subjects enrolled in the SOS study underwent CT because non-calcified nodules with diameters larger than 5 mm and/or multiple nodules were present in DTS. Two expert radiologists reviewed the exams classifying the nodules based on their radiological appearance and their dimension. LUNG-RADS classification was applied to compare receiver operator characteristics curve between CT and DTS with respect to final diagnosis. CT was used as gold standard. RESULTS: DTS and CT detected 208 and 179 nodules in the 132 subjects, respectively. Of these 208 nodules, 189 (91%) were solid, partially solid, and ground glass opacity. CT confirmed 140/189 (74%) of these nodules but found 4 nodules that were not detected by DTS. DTS and CT were concordant in 62% of the cases applying the 5-point LUNG-RADS scale. The concordance rose to 86% on a suspicious/non-suspicious binary scale. The areas under the curve in receiver operator characteristics were 0.89 (95% CI 0.83-0.94) and 0.80 (95% CI 0.72-0.89) for CT and DTS, respectively. The mean effective dose was 0.09 ± 0.04 mSv for DTS and 4.90 ± 1.20 mSv for CT. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a common classification for nodule detection in DTS and CT helps in comparing the two technologies. DTS detected and correctly classified 74% of the nodules seen by CT but lost 4 nodules identified by CT. Concordance between DTS and CT rose to 86% of the nodules when considering LUNG-RADS on a binary scale.

Return to Sports After Bone Marrow-Derived Cell Transplantation for Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus.

OBJECTIVE: Arthroscopic "one-step" technique based on bone marrow-derived cell transplantation (BMDCT) have achieved good results in repairing osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT), overcoming important drawbacks of older techniques. It may be particularly adequate for the treatment of athletes in order to permit a safe and stable return to sports. The aim of this study was to report the results at 48 months of a series of athletes and the factors influencing the return to sports. DESIGN: Case series. A total of 140 athletes underwent a "one-step" BMDCT repair of OLT. All the patients had the cells harvested from the iliac crest, condensed and loaded on a scaffold, and then implanted. Patients were evaluated clinically by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores and Halasi score. RESULTS: AOFAS score improved from 58.7 ± 13.5 preoperatively to 90.6 ± 8.6 (P < 0.005) at 24 months, and to 90.9 ± 10.7 at 48 months. Halasi score was 6.88 ± 1.8 preinjury, 4.08 ± 1.7 preoperatively, and 5.56 ± 2.0 at final follow-up. At the final follow-up, all the patients (beside 1 failure and 3 lost) were able to return to activity and 72.8% were able to resume sports at preinjury level. CONCLUSIONS: "One-step" BMDCT repair of OLT had good clinical results that was durable over time in athletes, permitting a return to sports at preinjury level in the majority of patients. The preoperative presence of impingement and articular degeneration were the main negative prognostic factors.

Bone marrow-derived cells and biophysical stimulation for talar osteochondral lesions: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) frequently occur after ankle sprains in young patients participating in sports activities. These injuries may lead to chronic pain, joint swelling, and finally osteoarthritis, therefore, surgical repair is frequently needed. A collagen scaffold seeded with bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) harvested from patient's iliac crest and implanted into the OLT through a single arthroscopic procedure has been recently proposed as an effective treatment option. Nevertheless, BMDCs, embedded in an inflammatory environment, tend to differentiate toward a fibroblast phenotype with a consequential loss of mechanical characteristics. Biophysical stimulation with pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) has been shown to promote anabolic chondrocyte activity, stimulate proteoglycan synthesis, and reduce the release of the most relevant pro-inflammatory cytokines. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of PEMFs on clinical outcome in patients who underwent BMDCs transplantation for OLT. METHODS: Thirty patients affected by grade III and IV Outerbridge OLT underwent BMDCs transplantation. After surgery, patients were randomly assigned to either experimental group (PEMFs 4 hours per day for 60 days starting within 3 days after operation) or control group. Clinical outcome was evaluated with (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) AOFAS score, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Short Form-36 (SF-36). RESULTS: Significantly higher AOFAS score was recorded in the experimental group both at 6 or 12 months follow-up. At 60 days and 6 and 12 months follow-up, significant lower pain was observed in the experimental group. No significant difference was found in SF-36 between groups. CONCLUSION: A superior clinical outcome was found in the experimental group with more than 10 points higher AOFAS score at final follow-up. Biophysical stimulation started soon after surgery aided patient recovery leading to pain control and a better clinical outcome with these improvements lasting more than 1 year after surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, prospective comparative study.