Development of an alarm symptom-based risk prediction score for localized oesophagogastric adenocarcinoma (VIOLA score).

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma is a major contributor to global disease burden with poor prognosis even in resectable, regionally limited stages. Feasible prognostic tools are crucial to improve patient management, yet scarce. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Disease-related symptoms, patient, tumour, treatment as well as laboratory parameters at initial diagnosis and overall survival (OS) of patients with stage II and III gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma, who were treated between 1990 and 2020 at the Medical University of Vienna, were evaluated in a cross-validation model to develop a feasible risk prediction score. RESULTS: In total, 628 patients were included in this single-centre analysis. The final score ranked from 0 to 10 and included the factors sex (female +1), age, years (30-59 +1, >60 +2), underweight classified by body mass index (+2), location of the tumour (stomach +1), stage (III +2), stenosis in endoscopy (+1) and weight loss (+1). The score was grouped into low- (0-3), medium- (4-6) and high-risk (7+) subgroups. The median OS were 70.3 [95% confidence interval (CI) 51.2-111.8], 23.4 (95% CI 21.2-26.7) and 12.6 (7.0-16.1) months, respectively. The 1-year survival probabilities were 0.88 (95% CI 0.83-0.93), 0.75 (95% CI 0.70-0.79) and 0.54 (95% CI 0.39-0.74), whereas the 5-year survival probabilities were 0.57 (95% CI 0.49-0.66), 0.24 (95% CI 0.20-0.28) and 0.09 (95% CI 0.03-0.28), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The VIennese risk prediction score for Oesophagogastric Localized Adenocarcinoma (VIOLA) risk prediction score poses a feasible tool for the estimation of OS in patients with regionally limited gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma and, thus, may improve patient management in clinical routine. Prospective analyses should be carried out to confirm our findings.

2D-finite element analyses and histomorphology of lag screws with and without a biconcave washer.

For osteosynthesis and for bone transplant fixation in particular, a lag screw with a biconcave washer, the so called "Anchor Screw" (AS) has been introduced in maxillo-facial surgery. Using 2D-finite element analysis (FEA), the v. Mises and the circumferential stresses induced in underlying bone by this AS are analysed and compared to those under a conventional lag screw. The stress distributions below the biconcave washer of the AS were correlated with histomorphological bone reactions after AS osteosynthesis in two tumor patients, retrieved 12 weeks and 19 months after tumor surgery, respectively. Depending on the thickness of cortical bone, the v. Mises stress concentrations below the biconcave washer were lower than under the head of the conventional lag screw (CLS), but with a higher stress maximum concentrated around the rim of the washer. The circumferential stresses were only half as high around the AS, and thus the deformation of bone was reduced. As predicted by FEA, histology showed microcrack formation, but then after minimal resorption, remodelling of bone below the biconcave washer. Stable osteosynthesis could be demonstrated by bony union already after 12 weeks, and, while bone remodelling continued in the healed osteotomy, it had decreased around the screws after 19 months. It can be concluded from the biomechanical principles and the histomorphological findings that the AS appears superior to the CLS.

Finite element analysis of the stress distributions in the proximal end of the femur after stabilization of a pertrochanteric model fracture: a comparison of two implants.

The study investigated the influence of two different implants--the dynamic hip screw (AOR) 135 degrees with 2-hole-plate and the 135 degrees gamma-nail (HowmedicaR)--on the resulting stress and strain distributions in the proximal femur after stabilization of an idealized trochanteric fracture under typical physiological loading conditions. Data recorded for the uninjured femur were used for comparison. Two-dimensional plane stress finite element models of the femur and the implants were used for the calculations. The three-dimensional nature of this problem was approximated by an appropriate distribution of element thickness according to the real geometry in combination with an overlay technique, superimposing special finite element layers for each constituent of the bone-implant system (i.e. steel, cortical and cancellous bone). Three variations of the idealized fracture were introduced, i.e. free, with callous and bony bridging, the screw being modelled in a movable ('dynamic') as well as in a locked state. As far as the resulting stress distributions are concerned, neither of the two implants proved to be significantly superior to the other for stabilization of the idealized fracture selected.