A Comparison of Vascularized Free Fibular Flaps and Nonvascularized Fibular Grafts for Reconstruction of Long Bone Defects after Tumor Resection.

Background The use of the fibula autograft has been a reliable method in the reconstruction of long bone defects after tumor resection. The objective of this study was to report the outcomes fibular grafting in terms of graft union, functional score, complications, and oncologic outcome. Methods A retrospective review of patients with fibular grafting after tumor resection was done from January 1, 1993 to December 31, 2013. The primary outcome was graft union and the revised musculoskeletal tumor society scoring system (MSTS score). The secondary outcomes were oncologic outcomes, complications, and the factors associated with graft union. Results A total of 52 patients with a mean follow-up of 42 months (SD, 33; range, 12-132 months) were included. The overall union for all fibular grafts was 37 of 52. The use of vascularized free fibula flaps had a higher union rate compared with nonvascularized fibula grafts. The use of a vascularized free fibular flap was four times likely to unite (95% CI 1.1-12.8, p = 0.039) compared with nonvascularized fibular grafts. The mean MSTS score in 36 patients was 82.5 (SD, 12.9) at 35 months from surgery (SD, 30). A total of 39 complications were present in 29 patients. On final follow-up, 45 of 52 patients were alive, six patients had died of disease and one died of other causes. Conclusion A higher union rate was achieved using vascularized free fibular flaps compared with nonvascularized fibular grafts for long bone reconstruction after tumor resection. There was no difference in terms of MSTS score between the two types of grafts.

Bioarchaeology of the middle Neolithic: evidence for archery among early European farmers.

This article focuses on Neolithic skeletons associated with the first monumental cemeteries of Western Europe and specifically those of the Cerny culture (Paris Basin, France). While this cultural context is an agrarian one, numerous arrowheads derived from complete hunting equipment are present in numerous graves. The goal of this work is to evaluate the morphological and pathological differences among the individuals according to the presence of arrowheads in their graves. It is postulated that those buried with such artifacts practiced archery, unlike their counterparts. Only adult males were selected for study to limit the effect of non-mechanical factors such as age- and sex-related modifications. The corpus consists of 36 males reliably identified among the 101 Cerny adults currently available. Thirteen men are associated with arrowheads. Variations in morphology and robusticity are evaluated on the basis of the external geometric properties of the appendicular skeleton. Entheseal changes to fibrocartilaginous attachment sites of upper and lower limbs are also examined. Both nonpathological skeletal adaptations and pathological indicators are consistent and reveal significant differences between the two groups compared. Functional adaptation is observed in the forearm bones and the clavicle in response to mechanical loads, and enthesopathies suggest repeated forceful use of upper limb muscles. These osteological changes specifically reflect the higher intensity upper limb activity of the men buried with arrowheads and correspond with the medical data on known archers, suggesting that this specific forceful task is linked to the practice of archery.

[Influence of occupational factors on the bone and joint functional state in the upper extremities and cervical spine in female workers of clothing manufacture].

The studies using multiple X-ray methods covered influence of complex containing working process and occupational environment factors on locomotory apparatus of upper limbs and cervical spine in female seamers engaged into various productions. Comparative analysis involved results of regular (standard X-ray) and special X-ray methods (stereoroentgenography, high definition roentgenography, roentgen densitometry, roentgenogrammetry) in 370 examinees with early and moderate clinical symptoms of occupationally mediated diseases of the stated areas. X-ray studies of locomotory apparatus of upper limbs and cervical spine in clothing manufacture workers, with special diagnostic methods, enabled to determine incidence and severity of functional and structural changes more reliably than via standard examination. The changes revealed were assigned mostly in "early" and "moderate" categories and matched with occupational peculiarities of the workers examined.

Upper extremity injuries in young athletes.

Injuries are becoming increasingly prevalent in pediatric athletes. Many of these injuries are diagnosed clinically and do not require imaging for diagnosis, but the sheer increase in numbers of injuries means that radiologists are evaluating more of them. Some injuries that young athletes sustain are simply due to trauma, such as falls, and may be experienced outside sports just as easily; however, others are peculiar to athletic activities. Many of the latter are chronic overuse injuries as opposed to acute injuries and have characteristic appearances. The types of injuries young athletes incur often change based on the stage of skeletal maturity of the patient, and it serves the radiologist well to keep in mind the typical appearances expected at different ages.

Radiologic findings of adult pelvis and appendicular skeletal Langerhans cell histiocytosis in nine patients.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article was to evaluate the radiologic findings of adult pelvis and appendicular skeletal Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH), emphasizing the CT and MR findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The images of nine patients with pathologically proven LCH (five men and four women; mean age, 37.11 years) were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging analysis was confined to the long and flat bones. CT scans were performed in five patients and MR imaging was performed in eight. Images were assessed for the following features on CT and MRI: the location and number of lesions; the presence of cortical destruction, endosteal scalloping, and a periosteal reaction on CT or MRI; the margin of soft tissue masses, the presence of bone marrow edema, and a "budding" appearance on MRI; and the presence of sclerotic margins or septations on CT. RESULTS: The involved skeletal sites were the pelvis (seven), femurs (five), humeri (two), tibias (two), fibula (one), clavicle (one), scapula (one), and sternum (one). Endosteal scalloping, a periosteal reaction, and a budding appearance were common on MRI or CT images. Although cortical destruction and the soft tissue lesion formation were rare, soft tissue masses had well-defined margins. CONCLUSIONS: Endosteal scalloping and a budding appearance with a periosteal reaction on CT and MRI may be helpful signs for differentiation of LCH from malignant tumors in adults.

[Treatment outcome of patients with bone tumors after limb salvage surgery].

In 336 patients with various tumors of the limb bones underwent limb sparing surgery with different kind of reconstructions. The oncological results of the treatment of these patients have been analysed. Local relapse after limb sparing interventions because of extremities bone tumors developed in 4,17% of all cases. In most cases, local recurrences have been observed in patients with bone sarcomas high degree of malignancy (7,14%) and low degree of malignancy (2,82%). In 57,1% of cases, local recurrences developed in patients with osteogenic sarcoma IIB stage. The appearance of local recurrence was a bad prognostic factor for patients with bone sarcomas high grade, because it reduced 5-year survival rate almost 2 times. The overall 5-year survival of patients with bone sarcomas high grade of malignancy were (59,67 +/- 5,69)%, and 5-year relapse-free survival rate--(55,23 +/- 5,52)%. Local recurrences more often developed after the use of distraction method of surgery--in 16% of all reconstructive operations, including 12% of the cases with bone tumors of high degree of malignancy, which should be considered when choosing this method of reconstruction.

Pharmacological treatment of a diffuse arteriovenous malformation of the upper extremity in a child.

A young girl with an arteriovenous malformation involving the right upper extremity developed rapidly progressive bony destruction that did not respond to embolization. Treatment with marimastat, starting at 3 years of age, resulted in rapid resolution of pain and gradual healing of bony destruction, associated with regression of the intraosseous arteriovenous shunts. New arteriovenous shunts with bony destruction developed over the years and responded to an increase in the dose of marimastat. Interruption of therapy resulted in recurrence of pain and formation of new lesions. The patient has been treated in this way for 12 years with no adverse effects from the drug.

[Gender determination based on osteometric characteristics of the upper and lower extremities by discriminant analysis].

The authors studied the osteological collection of the Chair of Antropology of the Moscow State University. The results of measurement of length of long tubular bones and articular parts of scapula and pelvis were statistically treated. The complex of discriminant models calculated by the Fisher's method is recommended for the sex identification. The diagnostic accuracy is 74 - 83.5% (separated bones) and 85.7 - 95.2% (complex of bones of upper and lower extremities).

Osteoid osteoma of the upper extremity. A diagnostic challenge.

Osteoid osteomas are benign tumors that may commonly mimic other entities in the upper extremity. The purpose of this study is to describe the clinical and imaging features of osteoid osteomas involving the upper extremity, highlight the difficulties in the diagnosis in the various areas and propose a diagnostic workup. Fourty-eight patients with histologically confirmed osteoid osteoma of the upper extremity treated at the authors' department from 1985 to 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Data pertinent on the patients' history, lesion location, clinical and imaging characteristics as well as any unique features of individual patients were collected. There were 29 males and 19 females with a mean age of 28 years (range 20-42). The average duration of symptoms before definite diagnosis was 18 months (range 2-62). Pain was the presenting symptom in 46 of 48 patients, whereas swelling was the main complaint in 2 of the patients. Mean pre-operative visual analogue pain scale (VAS), was 8.8 ranging from 5.1 to 9.3. Eight lesions were located in the humerus, 4 in the ulna and 7 in the radius. In the carpal bones, 4 were located in the scaphoid, 4 in the capitate and 5 in the hamate. Seven lesions were located at the metacarpals and 9 lesions at the phalanges (5 proximal, no middle and 4 distal phalangeal lesions). Radiographs alone were sufficient to establish the diagnosis of osteoid osteoma in 32 cases. Bone scans identified a "hot spot" in 16 patients without previous radiographic evidence of a lesion and furthermore, computed tomography was performed in 32 patients to assist in the intraosseous localization of the lesion, and in the pre-operative planning. All patients underwent operative excision of the lesion and the diagnosis was confirmed by histology. Mean follow-up was 28 months (range 25-42). Fourty-three patients had an uneventful recovery. Mean post-operative VAS value was 1.8 ranging from 0 to 3. Osteoid osteoma of the upper extremity often mimics other etiologies and the complex anatomy of the upper extremity, as well as the tendency of patients to relate their symptoms to trauma are factors that easily lead to misdiagnosis or delay in the diagnosis. A high index of suspicion is essential and the diagnosis is based on an accurate clinical assessment and careful selection of imaging studies.

Surgically treated patients with axial and peripheral Ewing's sarcoma family of tumours: A population based study in Finland during 1990-2009.

BACKGROUND: The surgical treatment of Ewing's sarcoma family tumours (ESFTs) is challenging especially with axial tumours. The aim of the study was to analyse surgical treatment and outcome in a nationwide, population-based material consisting of surgically treated axial and peripheral ESFTs of bone and soft tissue. METHODS: The data were collected from the Finnish National Cancer Registry and the medical records of patients diagnosed during 1990-2009. Fifty-seven patients with surgically treated ESFTs were included, 22 with an axial and 35 with a peripheral primary tumours. The surgical treatment, its complications, survival and prognostic factors were analysed. RESULTS: Fifty-four patients underwent surgery with a curative intent and three underwent de-bulking operations. Bone reconstruction was performed in six patients with an axial and 15 with a peripheral tumour. Positive resection margins were associated with a worse five-year local relapse-free survival (33% vs. 84% for those with resection margins free of tumour cells, p = 0.003). The five-year sarcoma-specific survival was affected only by an axial location of the primary (61% vs. 89% for those with a peripheral tumour, p = 0.031). The late complications were mainly associated with bone reconstruction and more frequent among patients with a peripheral compared to an axial tumour (p = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: In the treatment of ESFTs, achieving adequate resection margins is crucial to avoid local relapses. Surgical complications are common particularly with bone reconstruction.

Aneurysmal bone cyst of the extremities. Factors related to local recurrence after curettage with a high-speed burr.

BACKGROUND: Aneurysmal bone cyst is a benign, locally destructive lesion of bone. The rates of local recurrence after curettage have varied widely. Therefore, we performed a retrospective study of patients who had had an aneurysmal bone cyst in order to identify the rate of local recurrence and the prognostic factors related to local recurrence after use of contemporary methods of curettage with a high-speed burr. METHODS: We reviewed the cases of forty patients who had been managed by the same surgeon for an aneurysmal bone cyst, as diagnosed on the basis of the latest pathological review, between January 1, 1976, and December 31, 1993. The patients were evaluated with regard to age, gender, the duration and type of symptoms, the presence or absence of pathological fracture, the status of the growth plate, the bone and part of the bone that were involved, the type of operative procedure, the outcome, the radiographic stage, the findings on magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography (when it became available) and on bone scintigraphy, and histological parameters. The median duration of follow-up was eighty-seven months (range, fifteen to 267 months). According to the criteria of Enneking, no patient had a stage-1 lesion (one with a surrounding rim of cortical bone), twenty-four had a stage-2 lesion (one with a clearly defined border but no cortical bone), and sixteen had a stage-3 lesion (one with no clearly defined border). RESULTS: Of the forty patients, thirty-four had curettage with use of a high-speed burr. Of these thirty-four, twenty-two had filling of the defect with a cancellous autogenous graft; four, with a cancellous allograft; and three, with polymethylmethacrylate. In five patients, no material was put into the defect. The remaining six patients had resection through the margin of the lesion. Four (12 percent) of the thirty-four patients who had curettage had a local recurrence. No patient who had an excision through the margin of the lesion had a local recurrence. All local recurrences were in skeletally immature girls who were three, four, ten, and eleven years old. Univariate analysis with use of the chi-square, Fisher exact, and Wilcoxon log-rank tests showed that local recurrence was associated only with a young age (p = 0.0036) and open growth plates (p = 0.039). All local recurrences occurred within two years postoperatively, at two, seven, nine, and twenty-four months, and all were treated successfully with a second operation. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of local control of almost 90 percent can be achieved with thorough curettage with use of a mechanical burr and without use of liquid nitrogen, phenol, or other adjuvants in patients who have an aneurysmal bone cyst of an extremity. A young age and open growth plates are associated with an increased risk of local recurrence.

Diagnosis of osteoporosis by planar bone densitometry: can body size be disregarded?

Bone densitometry using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is frequently used to diagnose osteoporosis and to identify patients at risk of later fractures. The parameters of interest are bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral areal density (BMD). Bone densitometry results have a large overlap between normals and patient with fractures. This would suggest that other factors are important for the development of fractures or that bone densitometry is not used optimally. It is generally believed that the conversion of BMC to BMD by division of the former by the projected bone area is a good normalization procedure. Other normalization procedures have been attempted in the past with little success. We hypothesized that this might be due to a blurring effect of time since menopause, and that body size could be demonstrated to have an effect on measured BMC and BMD, if this time effect could be eliminated. The results of this study, comprising 1625 early post-menopausal women studied at virtually the same time since menopause, confirm that this is the case. Body surface area was the parameter among conventional body size variables showing the highest correlation with BMC and BMD. It was clearly shown that low values of BMD were seen more often in the lowest than in the highest body surface area quartile. The difference between quartiles was statistically significant. Simple division of BMC by actual body surface area or division of BMD by the square root of body surface removed the uneven distribution between the body surface area quartiles for lumbar spine and femoral neck measurements, and reduced it at peripheral measuring sites. It is suggested that BMC and BMD of the lumbar spine and the femoral neck should be normalized as described to avoid overdiagnosis of osteoporosis in persons of petite body stature and underdiagnosis in tall ones.

Disorders of the upper extremity in children.

This article presents a brief overview of the indications of MR imaging in a variety of disorders of the upper extremity of the pediatric patient. This covers congenital anomalies: Sprengel shoulder, Poland sequence, arthrogryposis; posttraumatic lesions of cartilage, bone, tendon, muscle and nerve including the brachial plexus injury; inflammatory arthritis and synovitis; bone and joint infection; osteochondritis dissecans, bone necrosis and infarcts in sickle cell anemia and juvenile Gaucher disease, as well as tumors. In this last category, the authors briefly describe the appearances of cysts and tumors of bones and soft tissues of the upper extremity. Indications for the intravenous administration of Gadolinium are given throughout the article with emphasis on the synovial enhancement seen in active arthritis and synovitis.

Endoscopic access to the extremities: the principle of fascial clefts.

Technology for endoscopic surgery has developed rapidly during the last decade. Applications of endoscopic techniques to orthopaedic surgery have been made possible by the use of balloon dissectors. Balloon dissectors create an optical cavity by separating fascial layers of a constant anatomic plane called the fascial cleft. The optical cavity can be maintained with either carbon dioxide (CO2) insufflation or manual retractors. The authors of the present study have developed a safe, reliable technique using a balloon dissector to create such optical cavities in the extremities, pelvis, and acetabulum to facilitate minimally invasive surgery in these areas. The authors' clinical work and fresh cadaver dissection confirms that the fascial cleft is a universal anatomic constant. It can be accessed quickly to facilitate endoscopic procedures, such as bone grafting for delayed unions, tissue expansion for reconstructive surgery, sural nerve harvesting for nerve cable grafting, and microvascular tissue transfer harvesting and flap prefabrication for extremity reconstruction. Twenty-five cases, each with an average follow-up of 34 months, are presented. Indications, results, and complications of balloon-assisted endoscopic surgery are described.

Hypochondroplastic dwarfism in the Irish setter.

Two test matings in the irish setter were performed, and genetic, clinical, morphometric, radiographic, bone histological and plasma and urine biochemical features of dwarfism were studied. All offspring were phenotypically normal at birth and weaning, but at the age of 2.5 to 4 months the longitudinal growth of the spine and leg bones was retarded in the dwarfs compared with the normal littermates. Most dwarfs performed well, even in the field. Radiographic and histological evaluations revealed a hypochondroplasia. A morphometric diagnostic method for Irish setter dwarfism was developed. A single autosomal recessive mode of inheritance was verified.

Tumours and tumour-like lesions of bone. The UHWI experience. University Hospital of the West Indies.

A review of all primary tumours and tumour-like lesions of bone diagnosed in patients who attended the University Hospital of the West Indies over a 10-year period revealed 136 cases comprising 69 benign and 54 malignant tumours, and 13 cases of tumour-like lesions. The prevalence and clinical characteristics of the various lesions are discussed and compared with the findings in other series. The results of this analysis provide demographic data useful in the differential diagnosis of bone lesions locally.

[A new method of age determination by age-related changes in the hand bone]. / Novaia metodika opredelenia vozrasta na osnovanii vozrastnykh izmenenii kostei kisti.

An anthropological method designed for determining the age is under discussion; it is based on the point-evaluation of age-related changes observed in the hand bones by X-Ray, i.e. osteophytes, osteoporosis, osteosclerosis and joint deformations. The method was made use of to elaborate a new modified point-based assessment of the above changes in the hand bones with respect to their severity.

Secuelas morfo-funcionales en mujeres operadas de cáncer de mama en las regiones de la Araucanía y del Bío-Bío, Chile / Morphofunctional consequences in women operated for breast cancer of the region of Araucanía and Bío-Bío, Chile

El tratamiento quirúrgico del cáncer de mama puede dejar secuelas tardías tales como escápula alada, pérdida de movilidad articular del hombro, sobrepeso, etc. Basado en lo anterior, el objetivo del presente estudio fue describir las secuelas morfofuncionales en mujeres operadas de cáncer de mama de las regiones de la Araucanía y del Bío-Bío, Chile, explorando también si el procedimiento quirúrgico conllevaría a la presencia de escápula alada. Para ello, se realizó un estudio cuantitativo, observacional y de corte transversal en treinta mujeres operadas de cáncer de mama, de edades comprendidas entre 28 y 76 años (55,67±11,60). Un profesional entrenado evaluó peso, estatura, índice de masa corporal (IMC), índice de cintura cadera (ICC), rangos articulares de hombro (ROM, Range of Movement) y fuerza prensil, aplicándose además la prueba de Hoppenfeld para identificar escápula alada. Los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas en el ROM a la abducción de hombro (p<0,05), correlación significativa positiva de leve (r=0,370) a moderada (r=0,514) entre el ROM del lado afectado tanto para la flexión como la abducción con la fuerza prensil. Destacan, un IMC de 28,91±5,31 kg/m2, un ICC de 0,86±0,06 cm y la presencia de escápula alada en el 36,7 % de las participantes. No se encontró asociación entre el abordaje quirúrgico y la presencia de escápula alada. Hubo secuelas morfo-funcionales en las mujeres en estudio, destacándose las alteraciones en el rango de movimiento del miembro superior, sobrepeso, riesgo cardiovascular y la presencia de escápula alada, sin asociarse al tipo de abordaje quirúrgico.

Surgical treatment of breast cancer can leave late sequelae such as winged scapula, loss of joint mobility of the shoulder, overweight, etc. Based on the above, the objective of the present study was to describe the morpho-functional sequelae in women operated on for breast cancer from the regions of Araucanía and Del BíoBío, Chile, also exploring whether the surgical procedure would lead to the presence of scapula winged. For this, a quantitative, observational and cross-sectional study was conducted in thirty women operated on for breast cancer, aged between 28 and 76 years (55.67 ± 11.60). A trained professional evaluated weight, height, body mass index (BMI), hip waist index (ICC), shoulder joint ranges(ROM, Range of Movement) and prehensile strength, and applied the Hoppenfeld test to identify the winged scapula. The results showed significant differences in the ROM to shoulder abduction (p <0.05), positive significant correlation of mild (r = 0.370) to moderate (r = 0.514) between the ROM of the affected side for both flexion and abduction with prehensile force. Highlights, a BMI of 28.91 ± 5.31 kg / m2, an ICC of 0.86 ± 0.06 cm and the presence of winged scapula in 36.7 % of the participants. No association was found between the surgical approach and the presence of the winged scapula. There were morphofunctional sequelae in the women under study, highlighting the alterations in the range of movement of the upper limb, overweight, cardiovascular risk and the presence of the winged scapula, without being associated with the type of surgical approach.