Outcomes of Expandable Prostheses for Primary Bone Malignancies in Skeletally Immature Patients: A Systematic Review and Pooled Data Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma and other primary bone malignancies are relatively common in skeletally immature patients. Current literature features case series with disparate complication rates, making it difficult for surgeons to educate patients on outcomes after limb salvage with expandable prostheses. This study aims to provide an update on complication rates, mortality, and functional outcomes in patients who undergo limb salvage with expandable prostheses for primary bone malignancies. METHODS: A systematic review was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. An exhaustive PubMed/Medline and Cochrane search of peer-reviewed published literature from 1997 to 2017 was performed, yielding a total of 1350 studies. After multiple rounds of review for inclusion and exclusion criteria, 28 retrospective studies were included. All were level IV evidence of case series and retrospective studies. Overall, this included 634 total patients and 292 patients with individual patient data. The primary outcomes studied were complication rates, mortality, and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) functional score. Secondary outcomes included complication rate subtypes, number of lengthening procedures, mean amount lengthened, and prevalence of limb length discrepancies. RESULTS: A total of 292 patients with individual patient data averaged 10.1 years at the surgery and had a mean follow-up of 67 months. Two hundred sixteen patients (74%) had tumors of the distal femur. MSTS scores averaged 80.3 and overall mortality was 22%. Patients with distal femur tumors averaged 4.4 lengthening procedures and 43 mm lengthened. Leg length discrepancy (LLD) was 36% overall, which increased with longer periods of follow-up (P<0.001). Overall complication and revision rate was 43%, increasing to 59% in patients with 5 to 10 years of follow-up, and 89% in patients with >10 years of follow-up. Minimally invasive prostheses had lower rates of complications than noninvasive prostheses (P=0.024), specifically mechanical complications (P=0.028), mostly because of increased rates of lengthening and device failure in the noninvasive models (21% vs. 4%, P=0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: Despite its limitations, which include entirely heterogenous and retrospective case series data, this systematic review provides clinicians with pooled summary data representing the largest summary of outcomes after reconstruction with expandable prostheses to date. This analysis can assist surgeons to better understand and educate their patients and their families on functional outcomes, mortality, and complication rates after limb-sparing reconstruction with expandable prostheses for primary bone malignancies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV-retrospective case series with pooled data.

Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor in the Midfoot Treated With Femoral Head Allograft Reconstruction.

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (also known as giant cell tumor of tendon sheath or pigmented villonodular synovitis) is a rare soft tissue tumor that arises from the tenosynovium of a tendon sheath or the synovium of a diarthrodial joint. This disease process occurs infrequently in the foot and ankle but can result in significant bone erosion and destructive changes of affected joints. These cases are challenging to treat, because the tumor most commonly presents in young, active patients and can be associated with extensive bone loss. We review a case of tenosynovial giant cell tumor of tendon sheath of the midfoot, which was treated with mass resection, structural femoral head allograft bone grafting, and internal fixation with dorsal plating. The patient had achieved successful bony fusion and acceptable functional outcomes at the final follow-up visit 40 months postoperatively.

Assessment of multimodality therapy use for extremity sarcoma in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Extremity sarcoma national guidelines offer several stage-specific treatment options; therefore, treatment approaches are not standardized. Our objectives were to examine multimodality treatment trends, practice patterns, and factors associated with neoadjuvant or postoperative adjuvant therapy utilization. METHODS: Using the National Cancer Data Base (2000-2009), treatment of non-metastatic extremity sarcoma was examined. Regression models were developed to identify factors associated with neoadjuvant or postoperative adjuvant therapy receipt and treatment sequence. RESULTS: Twenty-two thousand fifty-one patients underwent resection (stage I: 45.2%, stage II: 27.7%, stage III: 27.1%). Over 10 years, neoadjuvant radiation (6.4-11.6%, P < 0.001) and chemotherapy utilization (1.4-1.8%, P = 0.037) increased, while postoperative radiation (34.3-29.2%, P = 0.023) and trimodality therapy decreased (10.5-9.6%, P = 0.002). After adjusting for age, comorbidities, and histology, patients with large high-grade tumors treated at high-volume academic centers were more likely to receive neoadjuvant therapy (all P < 0.001). Postoperative chemotherapy utilization was associated with younger age, synovial histology, high grade, and surgical margins (all P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Utilization of neoadjuvant therapy for extremity sarcoma has increased over time. Practice patterns are not only related to tumor size, grade, histology, and margins but also hospital type. Opportunities remain to better define the most effective multimodality treatment for extremity sarcoma.

Clear cell chondrosarcoma: a review of clinicopathologic characteristics, differential diagnoses, and patient management.

Clear cell chondrosarcoma (CCC), an extremely rare primary bone tumor, is currently classified by the World Health Organization as a low-grade malignant cartilaginous neoplasm. Clinically, CCC occurs primarily in males with a peak incidence in the third to fifth decades of life, and occasionally, it presents in skeletally immature patients. Unlike conventional chondrosarcoma, CCC has a predilection for the epiphysis of long bones and often displays radiologic features reminiscent of chondroblastoma. The recommended treatment is wide operative resection. CCC has a local recurrence rate of approximately 30%, and nearly 20% cases metastasize mainly to bone and lung often a decade after surgical intervention. Incomplete excision or curettage is associated with a high rate of recurrence. Histologically, the process is characterized by infiltrative lobules and sheets of round to oval cells with abundant cleared cytoplasm and well-defined cell borders associated with trabecula of osteoid and woven bone, scattered osteoclasts, and foci of conventional low-grade chondrosarcoma in about one-half of cases. Correlation with clinical and radiologic characteristics, such as epiphyseal location and young patient age, assists in establishing a correct diagnosis. Pathologic diagnosis of CCC is complicated by the low diagnostic accuracy of core needle biopsy, overlapping histologic features with other matrix-rich primary bone tumors, and a lack of a specific immunohistochemical and molecular profile. DNA methylation-based profiling classifier (sarcoma classifier) is one recent technologic advancement that may help to confirm the histopathological diagnosis of CCC or indicate the need for thorough reassessment in cases where results contradict previous conventional findings.

Immediate Plastic Surgery Intervention after Soft Tissue Sarcoma Resection: Examining Wound Healing, Readmission, and Reoperation.

Many orthopedic and surgical oncologists use a multidisciplinary approach to soft tissue sarcoma (STS) resection. This study assesses the role of immediate plastic surgeon involvement during index soft tissue sarcoma resection. Methods: Adult patients who underwent index STS resection between 2005 and 2018 were queried from an institutional database. Main outcomes analyzed were 90-day same-site reoperation, any-cause readmission, and wound healing complications. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify risk factors. Additional evaluation was then performed for the following two cohorts: patients with and without plastic surgeon involvement. Results: In total, 228 cases were analyzed. Multivariate regression demonstrated the following predictors for 90-day wound-healing complications: plastic surgery intervention [OR = 0.321 (0.141-0.728), P = 0.007], operative time [OR = 1.003 (1.000-1.006), P = 0.039], and hospital length of stay [OR = 1.195 (1.004-1.367), P = 0.010]. For 90-day readmission, operative time [OR = 1.004 (1.001-1.007), P = 0.023] and tumor stage [OR = 1.966 (1.140-3.389), P = 0.015] emerged as multivariate predictors. Patients whose resection included a plastic surgeon experienced similar primary outcomes despite these patients having expectedly longer operative times (220 ± 182 versus 108 ± 67 minutes, P < 0.001) and hospital length of stay (3.99 ± 3.69 versus 1.36 ± 1.97 days, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Plastic surgeon involvement emerged as a significant protector against 90-day wound healing complications. Cases that included plastic surgeons achieved similar complication rates in all categories relative to cases without plastic surgery intervention, despite greater operative time, hospital length of stay, and medical complications.

Vascularized Medial Femoral Condyle Periosteal Flaps With Allograft Bone for Distal Radius Giant Cell Tumors: A Case Report.

CASE: Distal radius reconstruction after giant cell tumor (GCT) resection is typically performed with free fibular flaps when a vascularized bone is needed. However, vascularized fibular flaps are contraindicated in patients with peroneal artery variants. We present 2 patients with GCTs of the radius and bilateral peronea arteria magna who underwent resection with wrist fusion using an allograft bone and vascularized free medial femoral condyle periosteal flaps. Both patients had excellent outcomes with minimal postoperative morbidity. CONCLUSION: Allograft bone with vascularized medial femoral condyle periosteal flaps is an effective option for reconstructing distal radius defects after GCT resection when conventional methods fail.

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery's Initiatives Toward Competency-Based Education.

The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) is the national organization charged with defining education standards for graduate medical education in orthopaedic surgery. The purpose of this article is to describe initiatives taken by the ABOS to develop assessments of competency of residents to document their progress toward the independent practice of orthopaedic surgery and provide feedback for improved performance during training. These initiatives are called the ABOS Knowledge, Skills, and Behavior Program. Web-based assessment tools have been developed and validated to measure competence. These assessments guide resident progress through residency education and better define the competency level by the end of training. The background and rationale for these initiatives and how they serve as steps toward competency-based education in orthopaedic residency education in the United States will be reviewed with a vision of a hybrid of time and competency-based orthopaedic residency education that will remain 5 years in length, with residents assessed using standardized tools.

Pregnancy-Associated Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumor of the Tarsal Navicular: A Case Report.

CASE: A 30-year-old pregnant woman with perivascular epithelioid cell tumor (PEComa) of the tarsal navicular underwent intralesional curettage with allograft at 30 weeks' gestation. She had an uncomplicated delivery at term and is ambulating without tumor recurrence at 1-year follow-up. CONCLUSION: PEComas are rare tumors most commonly found in soft tissues but have been reported in bone and are occasionally associated with pregnancy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pregnancy-associated PEComa of bone.

Multiplanar osteotomy with limited wide margins: a tissue preserving surgical technique for high-grade bone sarcomas.

BACKGROUND: Limb-salvage surgery has been used during the last several decades to treat patients with high-grade bone sarcomas. In the short- and intermediate-term these surgeries have been associated with relatively good function and low revision rates. However, long-term studies show a high rate of soft tissue, implant, and bone-related complications. Multiplanar osteotomy with limited wide margins uses angled bone cuts to resect bone tumors with the goal of complete tumor removal while sparing host tissue although its impact on local recurrence is not known. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We determined whether multiplanar osteotomy was associated with local recurrences, reconstruction failures, and allograft nonunions. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of six patients. Four patients had an osteosarcoma, one had a Ewing's sarcoma, and one had a chondrosarcoma. Patient and treatment factors such as age, diagnosis, percent of tumor necrosis (if applicable), margin status, and time to allograft union were recorded. In all patients, reconstruction was performed with an intercalary allograft cut to fit the residual defect. The minimum followup was 25 months (average, 39 months; range, 24-66 months). RESULTS: No patient experienced a local recurrence or metastasis, and all patients were alive and disease-free at the most recent followup. All allografts healed during the study period. CONCLUSION: With careful patient selection, the multiplanar osteotomy resection technique may be considered an option for treating patients with high-grade bone sarcomas, and, when compared with traditional surgical techniques, may lead to improved healing and function of the involved extremity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the guidelines online for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Integration of Patient-reported Outcomes in a Total Joint Arthroplasty Program at a High-volume Academic Medical Center.

INTRODUCTION: Despite widely appreciated barriers to successful clinical implementation, the literature regarding how to operationalize electronic health record-integrated patient-reported outcomes (PROs) remains sparse. We offer a detailed summary of the implementation of PROs into the standard of care at a major tertiary academic medical center. METHODS: Collection of four Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System computer adaptive tests was piloted in a large academic orthopaedic surgery ambulatory clinic starting in October 2016. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System computer adaptive tests (Physical Function, Pain Intensity, Pain Interference, and Ability to Return to Social Roles and Activities) were initially implemented as manual order sets to be administered before surgery through 2 years after surgery. Completion rate over time, mean time to completion for all PRO domains, and the overall distribution of symptom severity were used to evaluate the success of the pilot. A subsequent optimization and redesign of the pilot was conducted using tablets, automation of questionnaire deployment, and improved results review to address obstacles encountered during the pilot phase. RESULTS: Two thousand nine distinct joint arthroplasty patients (mean age = 65) completed at least one set of PRO assessments, with overall completion rates reaching 68% and mean completion time of 3 minutes. Focal points during the implementation process included engagement and training of staff, selection of an appropriate patient population and outcome measures, and user friendly data displays for patients and providers. CONCLUSION: Our pilot program successfully demonstrated that PROs can be administered, scored, and made immediately available within the electronic health record to patients and their providers with minimal disruption of clinical workflows. Although considerable operational and technological challenges remain, we found that the implementation of PROs in clinical care within an ambulatory practice at an academic medical center can be achieved through a constellation of several key factors.

Factors Influencing Subspecialty Choice of Orthopedic Residents: Effect of Gender, Year in Residency, and Presumptive Subspecialty.

Background: Subspecialty training is a common part of orthopedic surgical training. The factors which influence resident subspecialty choice have important residency design and workforce implications. Our objective was to present survey data gathered from orthopedic residents regarding their fellowship plans and relative importance of factors which influence those plans. Methods: An anonymous online survey tool was developed and distributed to orthopedic residents through their program directors at academic institutions across the country with orthopedic surgery residency programs. Results: 227 residents completed the survey. 97% planned to pursue fellowship training after residency. The most common presumptive subspecialties were sports (29.7%), joints (17.3%) and shoulder/ elbow (12.8%). The majority of senior residents (57%) reported that their subspecialty choice had changed during residency. When making their choice of subspecialty, residents were most influenced by their experiences working on the subspecialty service in question, their experiences working with a mentor, and intellectual interest. The factors influencing their choice were affected by gender, residency year and presumptive subspecialty. Conclusions: The most critical factors influencing subspecialty choice of orthopedic residents included experiences in rotations as a resident, intellectual interest and mentors in certain subspecialties. Factors influencing subspecialty choice changes over the course of residency and differ between male and female residents. This information may be useful for residency design, mentorship structuring, career counseling and for addressing subspecialty surpluses or shortages which arise in the future.Level of Evidence: IV.

Outcomes of Sarcoma Resections Requiring Vascular Surgical Assistance: A Single-Center Experience.

Objective: To describe the types of intervention and determine patency and survival after arterial and venous reconstruction after surgical excision of sarcomas. Methods: Between November 2001 and July 2015, 42 patients with sarcomas and vascular involvement underwent surgical oncologic resection followed by arterial or venous reconstruction or preservation of the native vascular bundle. Univariate, multivariate, and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses were performed on abstracted data, which included demographics, risk factors, oncologic and vascular treatment modalities, postoperative complications, graft patency, and survival outcomes. Results: A total of 42 sarcomas required vascular assistance for oncologic removal. The majority of sarcomas were malignant fibrous histiocytoma (23.8%), and the most common anatomic location was the retroperitoneum (48%). A total of 12 revascularizations procedures were performed, including 5 arterial, 3 venous, and 2 concomitant arterial and venous. In 32 cases, a vascular surgeon was needed for vessel ligation, repair, or mobilization. The overall 2- and 5-year survival was 77.7% and 26.2%, respectively, with no significant survival difference between patients who underwent revascularization compared to those without revascularization. There was a 100% patency rate in all cases at last follow-up, regardless of the type of vascular reconstruction (median 18 months, range 1-29 months). On multivariate analysis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD; P = .002) and positive surgical margins (P = .003) were associated with decreased survival. Most cases were performed in the last 5 years of the study (n = 27, 64.3%). Conclusions: Vascular reconstruction is feasible after surgical oncologic resection of sarcomas with good mid-term patency and limb preservation. Factors independently associated with mortality included COPD and positive surgical margins.

Use of the Behavior Assessment Tool in 18 Pilot Residency Programs.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and evaluate the effectiveness of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Behavior Tool (ABOSBT) for measuring professionalism. METHODS: Through collaboration between the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and American Orthopaedic Association's Council of Residency Directors, 18 residency programs piloted the use of the ABOSBT. Residents requested assessments from faculty at the end of their clinical rotations, and a 360° request was performed near the end of the academic year. Program Directors (PDs) rated individual resident professionalism (based on historical observation) at the outset of the study, for comparison to the ABOSBT results. RESULTS: Nine thousand eight hundred ninety-two evaluations were completed using the ABOSBT for 449 different residents by 1,012 evaluators. 97.6% of all evaluations were scored level 4 or 5 (high levels of professional behavior) across all of the 5 domains. In total, 2.4% of all evaluations scored level 3 or below reflecting poorer performance. Of 431 residents, the ABOSBT identified 26 of 32 residents who were low performers (2 or more < level 3 scores in a domain) and who also scored "below expectations" by the PD at the start of the pilot project (81% sensitivity and 57% specificity), including 13 of these residents scoring poorly in all 5 domains. Evaluators found the ABOSBT was easy to use (96%) and that it was an effective tool to assess resident professional behavior (81%). CONCLUSIONS: The ABOSBT was able to identify 2.4% low score evaluations (

Cognitive Apprenticeship in Orthopaedic Surgery: Updating a Classic Educational Model.

OBJECTIVE: To define cognitive apprenticeship and describe how it can be applied to orthopedic education. DESIGN: Traditional apprenticeships have been used through history as a teaching model for wide variety of skills. These apprenticeships are characterized by practical, on-the-job training in which the apprentice observes and assists a master in the completion of a task, and thereby learns the skills needed to complete that task on his or her own. RESULTS: Cognitive apprenticeship is differentiated from the traditional apprenticeship model primarily by its educational goals. Cognitive apprenticeships are used to teach skills which require internal though processes which cannot be readily observed externally by the teacher or the student. CONCLUSION: Here, we review the history of the cognitive apprenticeship concept, its basic principles, its applications to a wide variety of educational circumstances, and its potential use a framework for developing orthopedic curricula.

Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma in an immunocompromised male.

Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma (EHT) is a rare benign neoplasm classically occurring in the lower neck of adult males. Here we present a case of EHT occurring in a 43-year-old immunocompromised male and a brief review of existing literature. The patient presented with a palpable mass overlying the left clavicle which, on imaging, showed a solitary nodule possibly eroding the cortical bone. A biopsy predominantly showed spindle cells that were immunopositive for keratin AE1/AE3 as well as weakly positive for CD99, SMA, and CD34. A diagnosis of synovial sarcoma was favored; at which point surgical resection was performed. The resected mass was well-demarcated with a tan-yellow cut surface. Microscopically, the lesion was composed of a mixture of spindle cells, glands, and mature adipose tissue. The spindle cells were plump with bland nuclei, and the epithelial component showed morphology similar to glands of salivary or breast tissue with a bilayered appearance (luminal and basal). No pleomorphism, mitotic figures, or necrosis was present. Immunohistochemical stains were performed and showed the spindle cells to express a myoepithelial phenotype (cytokeratin AE1/AE3, p63, calponin positive). The glands showed SMA and p63 positivity in the basal cells (similar to salivary gland and breast). Overall, given the clinical context, histomorphologic, and immunohistochemical profile, a diagnosis of EHT was made. At 12 months of follow-up there was no evidence of recurrence.

Resident Surgical Skills Web-Based Evaluation: A Comparison of 2 Assessment Tools.

BACKGROUND: Evaluation of surgical skill competency is necessary as graduate medical education moves toward a competency-based curriculum. This study by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) and the Council of Orthopaedic Residency Directors (CORD) compares 2 web-based evaluation tools that assess the level of autonomy that is demonstrated by residents during surgical procedures in the operating room as measured by faculty. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-four residents from 16 orthopaedic surgery residency programs were evaluated by 370 faculty using 2 web-based evaluation tools in a crossover design in which residents requested faculty review of their surgical skills before starting a case. One thousand, one hundred and fifty Ottawa Surgical Competency Operating Room Evaluation (O-Score) assessments, which included a 9-question evaluation of 8 steps of the surgical procedure, were compared with 1,186 P-score evaluations, which included a single-question summative evaluation. Twenty-five different surgical procedures were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in rates of resident requests or faculty completion of the 2 scores. The most common surgical procedures that were assessed were total knee arthroplasty (n = 254, 11%), carpal tunnel release (n = 191, 8%), open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of stable hip fractures (n = 170, 7%), ORIF of simple ankle fractures (n = 169, 7%), and total hip arthroplasty (n = 166, 7%). Both instruments disclosed significant differences in competency among entry, intermediate, and advanced-level residents. The findings support the construct validity of the evaluation method. The survey results indicated that >70% of the faculty were confident that use of either the P-score or the O-score allowed them to distinguish a resident who can perform the surgery independently from one who needs additional training. CONCLUSIONS: This research has led to the modification of the O-score and the P-score into a combined OP-score instrument. The ABOS envisions that the OP-score instrument can be used with an expanded number of surgical procedures as a required element of residency training in the near future. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study allows the profession of orthopaedic surgery education to take a leadership role in the measurement of competence for surgical skills for orthopaedic surgeons in residency training, an important clinically relevant topic to the practice of orthopaedic surgery.

Histologic response of dose-intense chemotherapy with preoperative hypofractionated radiotherapy for patients with high-risk soft tissue sarcomas.

BACKGROUND: The authors studied a dose-intense regimen of epirubicin and ifosfamide with hypofractionated preoperative radiotherapy for high-risk soft tissue sarcomas. The primary objective was estimation of the rate of >or=95% pathologic necrosis. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with intermediate-grade or high-grade, localized soft tissue sarcomas of the extremity or body wall measuring >5 cm were treated with epirubicin at a dose of 30 mg/m(2)/day on Days 1 to 4 and ifosfamide at a dose of 2.5 g/m(2)/day on Days 1 to 4 every 21 days for 3 preoperative and 3 postoperative cycles. A total of 28 grays of radiation was administered over 8 fractions during Cycle 2 of preoperative therapy (epirubicin was omitted). RESULTS: Sixteen patients (64%) completed all chemotherapy cycles and the average delivered dose intensity relative to intended therapy was 69%. Twenty-one patients (84%) experienced grade 4 toxicity (using the National Cancer Institute Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events [version 2.0]), which was predominantly hematologic. Notable toxicities included neutropenic fever (40%), ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy (24%), and grade 3/4 anemia (64%). Postoperative wound complications requiring a surgical procedure occurred in 20% of patients. The rate of >or=95% pathologic necrosis was 40% (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 21-59%). Estimates of 2-year overall and disease-free survival were 84% (95% CI, 66-100%) and 62% (95% CI, 37-86%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A high rate of >or=95% pathologic necrosis was noted with this aggressive chemoradiotherapy regimen. The occurrence of significant acute toxicities limited the delivery of the intended dose intensity.

Radiofrequency ablation of solitary eosinophilic granuloma of bone.

OBJECTIVE: This article about our initial clinical experience describes the novel application of radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of two cases of solitary eosinophilic granuloma of the bone. CONCLUSION: Technical success was achieved in both cases with a prompt clinical response and no treatment-related complications. To our knowledge, this is the first description of the application of radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of solitary eosinophilic granuloma of the bone.

Valgus Osteotomy with Plate-and-Nail Fixation for the Treatment of Proximal Femoral Deformities Due to Fibrous Dysplasia: A Report of Two Cases.

CASE: We describe 2 cases of proximal femoral deformity due to fibrous dysplasia that were corrected with osteotomies and a novel combined construct with a blade plate and a retrograde intramedullary nail. CONCLUSION: A single-stage procedure using a combined construct with a blade plate and a retrograde intramedullary nail is a viable option for correcting and subsequently preventing proximal femoral deformities due to fibrous dysplasia.

Novel intramedullary device for lengthening transfemoral residual limbs.

BACKGROUND: Lower limb loss is a highly disabling medical condition that can severely impact a person's quality of life. Recovery becomes especially challenging if an amputee has a short residual limb, which can complicate proper prosthetic fitting, causing discomfort, difficulties in suspension, and reduced mobility. Current limb lengthening techniques such as the Ilizarov apparatus and external fixators are cumbersome, uncomfortable, and have high complication rates. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a novel limb-lengthening device that uses intramedullary bone lengthening and requires only one percutaneous rod at the end of the limb during the distraction phase. Only the intramedullary nail remains after the distraction phase, and no external components are required during the consolidation phase. We hypothesize that this system would create a much easier experience for the patient. METHODS: The system was first tested in a mock surgical implantation using plastic femur bones. The device was then tested in a series of cadaveric experiments using pelvis-to-knee specimens by a group of surgeons. Surgeons evaluated the surgical insertion technique, soft tissue considerations, hardware fixation strategies, and the effectiveness of the distraction mechanism. Revisions and improvements to the device and surgical procedure were made based on the results from the cadaveric experiments. RESULTS: A questionnaire was given to two visiting surgeons following the final iteration of the device. The surgeons reported that the system effectively lengthened the limb, was sturdy, and could be installed efficiently. However, there remains a risk of infection and soft tissue imbalances, similar to that introduced by an external fixator device. Suggestions on how to improve the design of the device and mitigate infection through postoperative management and surgical standard of care will be considered for future clinical trials. CONCLUSIONS: The described intramedullary residual limb-lengthening device has evolved from a prototype to a mature model tested in six cadaveric experiments to date. Further mechanical and functional testing is needed to finalize the device before testing in patients.