Enchondroma in the Diaphysis of Tibia - A Case Report and Review of its Characteristics and Differentials in the Diaphysis.

INTRODUCTION: Enchondroma is a solitary, benign, intramedullary cartilaginous tumor commonly noticed in the phalanges of hands and feet with characteristic radiological features. Its occurrence in aberrant sites with atypical features lead to diagnostic dilemma. Enchondromas which are usually managed non-operatively can mimic other benign and malignant lesions, especially chondrosarcoma. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 31-year-old farmer who presented with long standing inconspicuous pain in his left leg which turned out to be a diaphyseal enchondroma even though it demonstrated aggressive radiological features mimicking a chondrosarcoma. Incisional biopsy was done from the scalloped areas to obtain the correct histological diagnosis. He underwent thorough curettage of the lesion and remains asymptomatic 2 years after the procedure. We attempt to discuss the differentials which the orthopedic surgeon should keep in mind for diaphyseal lesions mimicking enchondroma. CONCLUSION: Though classically found in metaphysis, Enchondromas are not uncommon in diaphysis of long bones. Enchondromas are generally benign, but can cause diagnostic dilemma when they present with aggressive features at rare locations and surgeons should be wary of the differentials. Despite a size of more than 6 cm and evidence of cortical erosion and intramedullary widening, the lesion could still be benign. Early biopsy will help to differentiate Enchondroma from a malignant transformation or malignant tumor.

Knee Implant Identification by Fine-Tuning Deep Learning Models.

BACKGROUND: Identification of implant model from primary knee arthroplasty in pre-op planning of revision surgery is a challenging task with added delay. The direct impact of this inability to identify the implants in time leads to the increase in complexity in surgery. Deep learning in the medical field for diagnosis has shown promising results in getting better with every iteration. This study aims to find an optimal solution for the problem of identification of make and model of knee arthroplasty prosthesis using automated deep learning models. METHODS: Deep learning algorithms were used to classify knee arthroplasty implant models. The training, validation and test comprised of 1078 radiographs with a total of 6 knee arthroplasty implant models with anterior-posterior (AP) and lateral views. The performance of the model was calculated using accuracy, sensitivity, and area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC), which were compared against multiple models trained for comparative in-depth analysis with saliency maps for visualization. RESULTS: After training for a total of 30 epochs on all 6 models, the model performing the best obtained an accuracy of 96.38%, the sensitivity of 97.2% and AUC of 0.985 on an external testing dataset consisting of 162 radiographs. The best performing model correctly and uniquely identified the implants which could be visualized using saliency maps. CONCLUSION: Deep learning models can be used to differentiate between 6 knee arthroplasty implant models. Saliency maps give us a better understanding of which regions the model is focusing on while predicting the results.

Operation theatre protocol for COVID-19 cases requiring orthopaedic surgery: A workflow without altering the existing infrastructure.

INTRODUCTION: The surge in the number of trauma cases following relaxation of lockdowns in the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, has strained the existing infrastructure to cater to these patients and also prevent the spread of infection. Moreover, with the rise of newer strains, the period ahead has to be tread carefully to prevent resurgence of infections. There have been recommendations regarding the ideal setup to operate orthopaedic cases in this pandemic scenario. However, many of the hospitals in India with financial and logistic constraints are unable to implement these structural changes into their existing setup. We propose a model which can be used in an existing operation theatre which has a single entry and exit corridor, which is the layout in many hospitals. METHODOLOGY: A protocol with the consultation of a panel of health care professionals was designed on the basis of WHO guidelines in a way so as to remain dynamic. Prior to its implementation, online classes were conducted and a dry run of the protocol was done with the whole team involved. The theatre layout is one with a single entry and exit and had predesignated rooms. The personnel were divided into 3 teams, each with a fixed set of people and preset workflow, to be followed during entry and exit. Five COVID positive cases have been operated since then using the protocol and has been used as a pilot study to further amend the protocol. CONCLUSION: This model can be used as a guideline by hospitals having a limited infrastructure, to develop their own protocol to operate on COVID positive cases, in the present situation of increasing trauma cases post the relaxation of lockdown and also in any subsequent waves of infection with newer strains. Simulation and periodic stringent audits with the entire team would prove successful in rectifying errors and avoiding any possible contamination.

Monophasic spindle cell myxoid synovial sarcoma of the hand: promising results with marginal resection.

Synovial sarcomas are deep-seated, genetically distinct, malignant neoplasms seen in young adults, with a male preponderance. They have unusual clinical and pathological presentation and mimic many other sarcomas and carcinomas, making the diagnosis quite challenging. Although four variants are identified, occurrence in the hand is extremely rare and leads to significant morbidity. There is a high incidence of local recurrence and distant metastasis within the first 2 years. We report the case of an elderly woman with monophasic spindle cell synovial sarcoma who presented with painless swelling in her palm and underwent local excision of the neoplasm. At 2-year follow-up, she remains totally asymptomatic with normal function of the hand. We also attempt to give an overview about monophasic spindle cell synovial sarcoma with the differentials, which would help surgeons in prompt diagnosis and appropriate management.

Osteoid osteoma of the calcaneus misdiagnosed as subtalar sprain.

Osteoid osteoma of foot and ankle account for ten percent of benign bone tumors and commonly involve the talus and metatarsals. Its occurrence in calcaneus is extremely rare and can mimic ankle instability, subtalar arthritis, osteochondritis or plantar fasciitis leading to delay in diagnosis. We present the case of a 17 year old boy with periarticular osteoid osteoma in the calcaneum, who presented following an ankle sprain. He was successfully treated with CT guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and we feel that it is a safe, precise and effective treatment option for even periarticular osteoid osteoma in the foot and ankle region.

Longitudinal Midline Sacral Split Fracture - A Rare Entity.

Fractures involving the central canal of the sacrum are rare injuries and can be transverse or longitudinal. Transverse fractures are by far common and associated with high incidence of neurological injuries. On the contrary, longitudinal midline split fracture is an extremely rare injury with minimal or no neurological injury. They are always associated with anterior pelvic ring fracture and are vertically stable needing only fixation of the anterior pelvic injury. Plating of the anterior pelvic ring in two planes would be beneficial than single plate to prevent gradual loss of reduction.

A rare tumour of hand: angioleiomyoma.

Angioleiomyoma is a benign tumour composed of smooth muscle and vascular tissue. Because of the paucity of smooth muscles in the hand other than tunica media of the blood vessels, its occurrence is quite rare in the hand and only few cases are reported in the English literature. We present the case of a 49-year-old man with benign painless swelling on the dorsum of hand. Differential diagnosis of ganglion cyst and tendon sheath tumour were considered. However, excision biopsy revealed angioleiomyoma. At 2-year follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic with no evidence of recurrence.

Extensive subcutaneous emphysema complicating a percutaneous Mumford procedure.

Subcutaneous emphysema may be a part of a life-threatening pneumomediastinum or pneumothorax and usually does not occur alone. A case of a 75-year-old lady who underwent a percutaneous Mumford procedure for acromioclavicular osteoarthrosis has been reported. She developed extensive subcutaneous emphysema of the neck, chest, bilateral shoulders, and upper arms, in the absence of pneumomediastinum or pneumothorax, during the procedure. Isolated subcutaneous emphysema as a complication of a percutaneous Mumford procedure has not been reported so far in the English literature. The possible mechanism of this complication is discussed. Understanding the mechanism is essential in avoiding this preventable complication.

An isolated case of first metatarsal tuberculosis.

An apparently healthy adolescent presented to us with multiple discharging sinuses from his right foot for the past 1 year. All serological parameters were within normal limits. X-ray picture revealed an expansile osteolytic lesion of first metatarsal. Tissue biopsy and PCR confirmed it be of tubercular etiology. The incidence of isolated occurrence of metatarsal tuberculosis is very rare and the diagnostic dilemma it brings about is briefly discussed in the following report.

Chondroblastoma of the scaphoid: A case report.

Benign Chondroblastoma generally occur in the epiphysis of long bones and rarely arise in carpal bones. We report a young male with chondroblastoma of scaphoid treated with curettage, bone grafting and K-wire fixation. At the last follow-up, 4 years after surgery, the patient was asymptomatic without recurrence.

Giant cell rich osteosarcoma of the cuneiforms.

Osteosarcoma is the commonest primary malignant bone tumor in children and adolescents. Giant cell rich osteosarcoma is a rare subtype of conventional osteosarcoma. Osteosarcomas commonly involve the metaphysis and meta-diaphysis of long bones. We report a 19-year-old girl with giant cell rich osteosarcoma of the medial and intermediate cuneiform bones. Even though, giant cell rich osteosarcoma is frequently mistaken for osteoclastoma of the bone; age of onset, location of lesion, radiological features, and histological characteristics on a high power field helps to differentiate the two conditions. Appropriate and early diagnosis of this variant possibly averts severe morbidity and mortality to the patient. Nonmetastatic osteosarcomas in the foot have better prognosis and are amenable to limb salvage surgeries.

Multicentric osteosarcoma.

Multicentric osteosarcoma is a rare type of osteosarcoma with a poor prognosis. It is usually described as the occurrence of tumorous lesions in more than one bone, but without pulmonary metastasis. It may be of a synchronous or metachronous variety. We report the case of a 12-year-old boy with a synchronous variety of multicentric osteosarcoma, although he did not have any risk factors for the disease. We also discuss the current debate on whether multicentric osteosarcoma represents multiple primary tumours or metastatic disease.

Analysis of the WISP3 gene in Indian families with progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia.

Progressive pseudorheumatoid dysplasia (PPD) is a progressive skeletal syndrome characterized by stiffness, swelling and pain in multiple joints with associated osteoporosis in affected patients. Radiographically, the predominant features resemble a spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. Mutations in the WISP3 gene are known to cause this autosomal recessive condition. To date, only a limited number of studies have looked into the spectrum of mutations causing PPD. We report on clinical features and WISP3 mutations in a large series of Indian patients with this rare skeletal dysplasia. Families with at least one member showing clinical and radiologic features of PPD were recruited for the study. Symptoms, signs and radiographic findings were documented in 35 patients from 25 unrelated families. Swelling of small joints of hands and contractures are the most common presenting features. Mutation analysis was carried out by bidirectional sequencing of the WISP3 gene in all 35 patients. We summarize the clinical features of 35 patients with PPD and report on 11 different homozygous mutations and one instance of compound heterozygosity. Eight (c.233G>A, c.340T>C, c.348C>A, c.433T>C, c.682T>C, c.802T>G, c.947_951delAATTT, and c.1010G>A) are novel mutations and three (c.156C>A, c.248G>A, and c.739_740delTG) have been reported previously. One missense mutation (c.1010G>A; p.Cys337Tyr) appears to be the most common in our population being seen in 10 unrelated families. This is the largest cohort of patients with PPD in the literature and the first report from India on mutation analysis of WISP3. We also review all the mutations reported in WISP3 till date.