Does Wound VAC Temporization Offer Patient-Reported Outcomes Similar to Single-Stage Excision Reconstruction After Myxofibrosarcoma Resection?

BACKGROUND: Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) temporization is a promising technique to achieve local control in aggressive soft tissue sarcomas. Despite its previously reported efficacy, adoption of VAC temporization remains limited, primarily due to the scarce literature on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) supporting its efficacy. This study compared the postoperative PROs after VAC temporization or single-stage (SS) excision and reconstruction for patients undergoing surgical resection for myxofibrosarcoma management. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of myxofibrosarcoma patients who underwent surgical resections at our institution from 2016 to 2022 was performed. Postoperative PROs collected prospectively for those treated with VAC temporization or SS excision/reconstruction were compared using a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and three Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires: Global Health Short-Form Mental (SF Mental), Global Health Short-Form Physical (SF Physical), and Physical Function Short-Form 10a (SF 10a). Absolute and differential (postoperative minus preoperative) scores at the 1-month, 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year time points were compared. RESULTS: The analysis included 79 patients (47 treated with VAC temporization and 32 treated with SS excision/reconstruction). All outcomes were similar between the groups except for physical function 1 year after surgery, in which the differential PROMIS SF 10a scores were higher in the SS group (p = 0.001). All the remaining absolute and differential PROMIS and VAS pain scores were similar between the groups at all time points. Postoperative complications did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: The PROs for physical and mental health, physical function, and pain were similar between the myxofibrosarcoma patients who had VAC temporization and those who had SS excision/reconstruction after surgical resection.

Area Socioeconomic Status is Associated with Refusal of Recommended Surgery in Patients with Metastatic Bone and Joint Disease.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to identify associations between the Yost Index, a geocoded area neighborhood socioeconomic status (nSES) score, and race/ethnicity with patient refusal of recommended surgery for metastatic bone disease. METHODS: Patients with metastatic bone disease were extracted from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. The Yost Index was geocoded using factor analysis and categorized into quintiles using census tract-level American Community Service (ACS) 5-year estimates and seven nSES measures. Multivariable logistic regression models calculated odds ratios (ORs) of refusal of recommended surgery and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusting for clinical covariates. RESULTS: A total of 138,257 patients were included, of which 14,943 (10.8%) were recommended for surgical resection. Patients in the lowest nSES quintile had 57% higher odds of refusing surgical treatment than those in the highest quintile (aOR = 1.57, 95% CI 1.30-1.91, p < 0.001). Patients in the lowest nSES quintile also had a 31.2% higher age-adjusted incidence rate of not being recommended for surgery compared with those in the highest quintile (186.4 vs. 142.1 per 1 million, p < 0.001). Black patients had 34% higher odds of refusing treatment compared with White patients (aOR = 1.34, 95% CI 1.14-1.58, p = 0.003). Advanced age, unmarried status, and patients with aggressive cancer subtypes were associated with higher odds of refusing surgery (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: nSES and race/ethnicity are independent predictors of a patient refusing surgery for metastatic cancer to bone, even after adjusting for various clinical covariates. Effective strategies for addressing these inequalities and improving the access and quality of care of patients with a lower nSES and minority backgrounds are needed.

Wound vacuum-assisted closure temporization after tumor resection of soft tissue sarcomas-A cost analysis in a propensity-score matched population.

BACKGROUND: Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) temporization is a technique associated with high local control rates used in myxofibrosarcoma. We sought to compare the costs and postoperative outcomes of VAC temporization and single-stage (SS) excision/reconstruction. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with myxofibrosarcoma surgically treated at our institution between 2000 and 2022. Variables of interest included total, direct, and indirect costs for initial episode of care, 90 days and 1 year after initial admission, and postoperative outcomes. Costs were compared between the VAC temporization and SS groups. RESULTS: After matching, 13 patients in the SS group and 23 in the VAC group were analyzed. We found no difference in median and mean total inpatient costs, between the VAC temporization and SS group. While total 90-day and 1-year costs were higher in the VAC group compared to the SS group, mean costs were similar. There were no differences in postoperative complications between groups. A subanalysis of the entire cohort (n = 139) revealed lower local recurrence and overall death rates in the VAC temporization group. CONCLUSION: VAC temporization had similar inpatient costs and postoperative outcomes to SS excision/reconstruction. While median 90-day and 1-year costs were higher in the VAC group, mean costs did not differ.

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is independently associated with 90-day and 12-month mortality after metastatic spinal tumor surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Estimated postoperative survival is an important consideration during the decision-making process for patients with spinal metastases. Nutritional status has been associated with poor outcomes and limited survival in the general cancer population. The objective of this study was to evaluate the predictive utility of the prognostic nutritional index (PNI) for postoperative mortality after spinal metastasis surgery. METHODS: A total of 139 patients who underwent oncologic surgery for spinal metastases between April 2012 and August 2022 and had a minimum 90-day follow-up were included. PNI was calculated using preoperative serum albumin and total lymphocyte count, with PNI < 40 defined as low. The mean PNI of our cohort was 43 (standard deviation: 7.7). The primary endpoint was 90-day mortality, and the secondary endpoint was 12-month mortality. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed. RESULTS: The 90-day mortality was 27% (37/139), and the 12-month mortality was 56% (51/91). After controlling for age, ECOG performance status, total psoas muscle cross-sectional area (TPA), and primary cancer site, the PNI was associated with 90-day mortality [odds ratio 0.86 (95% confidence interval 0.79-0.94); p = 0.001]. After controlling for ECOG performance status and primary cancer site, the PNI was associated with 12-month mortality [OR 0.89 (95% CI 0.82-0.97); p = 0.008]. Patients with a low PNI had a 50% mortality rate at 90 days and an 84% mortality rate at 12 months. CONCLUSION: The PNI was independently associated with 90-day and 12-month mortality after metastatic spinal tumor surgery, independent of performance status, TPA, and primary cancer site.

What Are the Functional and Surgical Outcomes of Tibial Turnup-plasty for Salvage in Patients With Chronic Lower Extremity Infection?

BACKGROUND: Tibial turnup-plasty is a rarely performed surgical option for large bone defects of the distal or entire femur and can serve as an alternative to hip disarticulation or high above-knee amputation. It entails pedicled transport of the ipsilateral tibia with or without the proximal hindfoot for use as a vascularized autograft. It is rotated 180° in the coronal or sagittal plane to the remaining proximal femur or pelvis, augmenting the functional length of the thigh. Prior reports consist of small case series with heterogeneous surgical techniques. Patient-reported outcome measures after the procedure have not been reported, and ambulatory status after the procedure is also unknown. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) What proportion of patients underwent reoperation after tibial turnup-plasty? (2) What is the ambulatory status and what proportion of patients used a prosthesis after tibial turnup-plasty? (3) What are the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global-10 mental and physical function scores after tibial turnup-plasty? METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of 11 patients who underwent tibial turnup-plasty between 2003 and 2021 by a single orthopaedic oncology division in collaboration with a reconstructive plastic surgery team. Nine patients were men, with a median age of 55 years (range 34 to 75 years). All had chronic infections after arthroplasty or oncologic reconstructions, with a median number of 13 surgeries before turnup-plasty. All were considered to have no other surgical options other than hip disarticulation or high transfemoral amputation. All patients who were offered this possibility accepted it. Data of interest included patient demographics and comorbidities, surgical history that led to limb compromise, medical and surgical perioperative complications, date of prosthesis fitting, and functional capacity at the most recent follow-up interval based on ambulatory status and PROMIS Global-10 mental and physical function scores. The statistical analysis was descriptive. RESULTS: The median number of reoperations after turnup-plasty was one (range 0 to 11). Of the six patients who underwent at least one reoperation, indications for surgery included wound infection (four patients), nonunion of the osteosynthesis site (two), heterotopic ossification (one), tumor recurrence (one), and flap hypoperfusion treated with local tissue revision (one). One patient underwent conversion to external hemipelvectomy for tumor recurrence. Ten of the 11 patients were ambulatory at the final follow-up interval with standard above-knee amputation prostheses. Two ambulated unassisted, four used a single crutch or cane, and four used two crutches or a walker. Of the nine patients for whom scores were available, the median PROMIS Global-10 physical and mental health scores were 48 (range 30 to 68) and 53 (range 41 to 68), both within the standard deviation of the population mean of 50. CONCLUSION: The tibial turnup-plasty is a complex surgical option for patients with large bone defects of the femur for whom there are no alternative surgeries capable of producing residual extremities with acceptable functional length. This should be viewed as a procedure of last resort to avoid a hip disarticulation or a high transfemoral amputation in patients who have typically undergone numerous prior operations. Although ambulation with a prosthesis within 1 year can be expected, almost all patients will require an assistive device to do so, and reoperations are frequent. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.

Does the SORG Machine-learning Algorithm for Extremity Metastases Generalize to a Contemporary Cohort of Patients? Temporal Validation From 2016 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: The ability to predict survival accurately in patients with osseous metastatic disease of the extremities is vital for patient counseling and guiding surgical intervention. We, the Skeletal Oncology Research Group (SORG), previously developed a machine-learning algorithm (MLA) based on data from 1999 to 2016 to predict 90-day and 1-year survival of surgically treated patients with extremity bone metastasis. As treatment regimens for oncology patients continue to evolve, this SORG MLA-driven probability calculator requires temporal reassessment of its accuracy. QUESTION/PURPOSE: Does the SORG-MLA accurately predict 90-day and 1-year survival in patients who receive surgical treatment for a metastatic long-bone lesion in a more recent cohort of patients treated between 2016 and 2020? METHODS: Between 2017 and 2021, we identified 674 patients 18 years and older through the ICD codes for secondary malignant neoplasm of bone and bone marrow and CPT codes for completed pathologic fractures or prophylactic treatment of an impending fracture. We excluded 40% (268 of 674) of patients, including 18% (118) who did not receive surgery; 11% (72) who had metastases in places other than the long bones of the extremities; 3% (23) who received treatment other than intramedullary nailing, endoprosthetic reconstruction, or dynamic hip screw; 3% (23) who underwent revision surgery, 3% (17) in whom there was no tumor, and 2% (15) who were lost to follow-up within 1 year. Temporal validation was performed using data on 406 patients treated surgically for bony metastatic disease of the extremities from 2016 to 2020 at the same two institutions where the MLA was developed. Variables used to predict survival in the SORG algorithm included perioperative laboratory values, tumor characteristics, and general demographics. To assess the models' discrimination, we computed the c-statistic, commonly referred to as the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUC) curve for binary classification. This value ranged from 0.5 (representing chance-level performance) to 1.0 (indicating excellent discrimination) Generally, an AUC of 0.75 is considered high enough for use in clinical practice. To evaluate the agreement between predicted and observed outcomes, a calibration plot was used, and the calibration slope and intercept were calculated. Perfect calibration would result in a slope of 1 and intercept of 0. For overall performance, the Brier score and null-model Brier score were determined. The Brier score can range from 0 (representing perfect prediction) to 1 (indicating the poorest prediction). Proper interpretation of the Brier score necessitates a comparison with the null-model Brier score, which represents the score for an algorithm that predicts a probability equal to the population prevalence of the outcome for each patient. Finally, a decision curve analysis was conducted to compare the potential net benefit of the algorithm with other decision-support methods, such as treating all or none of the patients. Overall, 90-day and 1-year mortality were lower in the temporal validation cohort than in the development cohort (90 day: 23% versus 28%; p < 0.001, and 1 year: 51% versus 59%; p<0.001). RESULTS: Overall survival of the patients in the validation cohort improved from 28% mortality at the 90-day timepoint in the cohort on which the model was trained to 23%, and 59% mortality at the 1-year timepoint to 51%. The AUC was 0.78 (95% CI 0.72 to 0.82) for 90-day survival and 0.75 (95% CI 0.70 to 0.79) for 1-year survival, indicating the model could distinguish the two outcomes reasonably. For the 90-day model, the calibration slope was 0.71 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.89), and the intercept was -0.66 (95% CI -0.94 to -0.39), suggesting the predicted risks were overly extreme, and that in general, the risk of the observed outcome was overestimated. For the 1-year model, the calibration slope was 0.73 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.91) and the intercept was -0.67 (95% CI -0.90 to -0.43). With respect to overall performance, the model's Brier scores for the 90-day and 1-year models were 0.16 and 0.22. These scores were higher than the Brier scores of internal validation of the development study (0.13 and 0.14) models, indicating the models' performance has declined over time. CONCLUSION: The SORG MLA to predict survival after surgical treatment of extremity metastatic disease showed decreased performance on temporal validation. Moreover, in patients undergoing innovative immunotherapy, the possibility of mortality risk was overestimated in varying severity. Clinicians should be aware of this overestimation and discount the prediction of the SORG MLA according to their own experience with this patient population. Generally, these results show that temporal reassessment of these MLA-driven probability calculators is of paramount importance because the predictive performance may decline over time as treatment regimens evolve. The SORG-MLA is available as a freely accessible internet application at https://sorg-apps.shinyapps.io/extremitymetssurvival/ .Level of Evidence Level III, prognostic study.

Multilevel tandem spondylolisthesis associated with a reduced "safe zone" for a transpsoas lateral lumbar interbody fusion at L4-5.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) on psoas anatomy and the L4-5 safe zone during lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF). METHODS: In this retrospective, single-institution analysis, patients managed for low-back pain between 2016 and 2021 were identified. Inclusion criteria were adequate lumbar MR images and radiographs. Exclusion criteria were spine trauma, infection, metastases, transitional anatomy, or prior surgery. There were three age and sex propensity-matched cohorts: 1) controls without DS; 2) patients with single-level DS (SLDS); and 3) patients with multilevel, tandem DS (TDS). Axial T2-weighted MRI was used to measure the apical (ventral) and central positions of the psoas relative to the posterior tangent line at the L4-5 disc. Lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), sacral slope (SS), and PI-LL mismatch were measured on lumbar radiographs. The primary outcomes were apical and central psoas positions at L4-5, which were calculated using stepwise multivariate linear regression including demographics, spinopelvic parameters, and degree of DS. Secondary outcomes were associations between single- and multilevel DS and spinopelvic parameters, which were calculated using one-way ANOVA with Bonferroni correction for between-group comparisons. RESULTS: A total of 230 patients (92 without DS, 92 with SLDS, and 46 with TDS) were included. The mean age was 68.0 ± 8.9 years, and 185 patients (80.4%) were female. The mean BMI was 31.0 ± 7.1, and the mean age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index (aCCI) was 4.2 ± 1.8. Age, BMI, sex, and aCCI were similar between the groups. Each increased grade of DS (no DS to SLDS to TDS) was associated with significantly increased PI (p < 0.05 for all relationships). PT, PI-LL mismatch, center psoas, and apical position were all significantly greater in the TDS group than in the no-DS and SLDS groups (p < 0.05). DS severity was independently associated with 2.4-mm (95% CI 1.1-3.8 mm) center and 2.6-mm (95% CI 1.2-3.9 mm) apical psoas anterior displacement per increased grade (increasing from no DS to SLDS to TDS). CONCLUSIONS: TDS represents more severe sagittal malalignment (PI-LL mismatch), pelvic compensation (PT), and changes in the psoas major muscle compared with no DS, and SLDS and is a risk factor for lumbar plexus injury during L4-5 LLIF due to a smaller safe zone.

Examining the safety profile of a standard dose tranexamic acid regimen in spine surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Perioperative blood loss during spinal surgery is associated with complications and in-hospital mortality. Weight-based administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) has the potential to reduce blood loss and related complications in spinal surgery; however, evidence for standardized dosing is lacking. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a standardized preoperative 2 g bolus TXA dosing regimen on perioperative transfusion, blood loss, thromboembolic events, and postoperative outcomes in spine surgery patients. METHODS: An institutional review board approved this retrospective review of prospectively enrolled adult spine patients (> 18 years of age). Patients were included who underwent elective and emergency spine surgery between September 2018 and July 2021. Patients who received a standardized 2 g dose of TXA were compared to patients who did not receive TXA. The primary outcome measure was perioperative transfusion. Secondary outcomes included estimated blood loss and thromboembolic or other perioperative complications. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and continuous variables were analyzed with the two-tailed independent t-test, while categorical variables were analyzed with the Fisher's exact test or chi-square test. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis was performed to examine independent risk factors for perioperative outcomes. RESULTS: TXA was administered to 353 of 453 (78%) patients, and there were no demographic differences between groups. Although the TXA group had more operative levels and a longer operative time, the transfusion rate was not different between the TXA and no-TXA groups (7.4% vs 8%, p = 0.83). Stepwise multivariate regression found that the number of operative levels was an independent predictor of perioperative transfusion and that both operative levels and operative time were correlated with estimated blood loss. TXA was not identified as an independent predictor of any postoperative complication. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized preoperative 2 g bolus TXA dosing regimen was associated with an excellent safety profile, and despite increased case complexity in terms of number of operative levels and operative time, patients treated with TXA did not require more blood transfusions than patients not treated with TXA.

Assessing the Safety and Utility of Wound VAC Temporization of the Sarcoma or Benign Aggressive Tumor Bed Until Final Margins Are Achieved.

BACKGROUND: Local recurrence of microinvasive sarcoma or benign aggressive pathologies can be limb- and life-threatening. Although frozen pathology is reliable, tumor microinvasion can be subtle or missed, having an impact on surgical margins and postoperative radiation planning. The authors' service has begun to temporize the tumor bed after primary tumor excision with a wound vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) pending formal margin analysis, with coverage performed in the setting of final negative margins. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included all patients managed at a tertiary referral cancer center with VAC temporization after soft tissue sarcoma or benign aggressive tumor excision from 1 January 2000 to 1 January 2019 and at least 2 years of oncologic follow-up evaluation. The primary outcome was local recurrence. The secondary outcomes were distant recurrence, unplanned return to the operating room for wound/infectious indications, thromboembolic events, and tumor-related deaths. RESULTS: For 62 patients, VAC temporization was performed. The mean age of the patients was 62.2 ± 22.3 years (median 66.5 years; 95% confidence interval [CI] 61.7-72.5 years), and the mean age-adjusted Charlson Comorbidity Index was 5.3 ± 1.9. The most common tumor histology was myxofibrosarcoma (51.6%, 32/62). The mean volume was 124.8 ± 324.1 cm3, and 35.5% (22/62) of the cases were subfascial. Local recurrences occurred for 8.1% (5/62) of the patients. Three of these five patients had planned positive margins, and 17.7% (11/62) of the patients had an unplanned return to the operating room. No demographic or tumor factors were associated with unplanned surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed that VAC-temporized management of microinvasive sarcoma and benign aggressive pathologies yields favorable local recurrence and unplanned operating room rates suggestive of oncologic and technical safety. These findings will need validation in a future randomized controlled trial.

Temporizing Wound VAC Dressing Until Final Negative Margins are Achieved Reduces Myxofibrosarcoma Local Recurrence.

BACKGROUND: The microinvasive nature of suprafascial myxofibrosarcoma reduces the accuracy of intraoperative margin assessment, and tumor bed resections after soft-tissue reconstruction are unreliable. In 2017, we began temporizing the excised tumor bed with a wound VAC, delaying soft-tissue coverage until final negative margins were achieved. We compare the oncologic/surgical outcomes of suprafascial myxofibrosarcomas managed with VAC temporization (VT) with single-stage excision/reconstruction (SS). METHODS: We retrospectively studied suprafascial myxofibrosarcomas managed from January 1, 2000 to January 1, 2019 for patients who received neoadjuvant or adjuvant radiation and had at least 2 years of oncologic follow-up at a tertiary referral cancer center. Our primary outcome was local recurrence. Comparisons were performed by using Fisher's exact test or Student's t test. A p value < 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Fifty-three patients (18 VAC temporized, 35 single stage) were included. While VT patients were older (74.9 ± 10.2 vs. 63.9 ± 13.6, p = 0.003), treatment groups did not significantly differ with respect to comorbidity, tumor volume, stage and grade. VT patients had significantly fewer local recurrences (5.6% vs. 28.6% after SS, p = 0.048) and R1 resections that required an unplanned readmission for tumor bed reexcision (0% vs. 37.1% after SS, p = 0.002). VT required more total surgeries (2.8 ± 0.9 vs. 1.8 ± 0.9 for SS, p = 0.0002). Postoperative infectious and wound complications were equivalent. CONCLUSIONS: Our VAC temporization strategy had a significantly lower LR than SS treatment. While high quality multi-institutional validation is required, VT may represent a paradigm shift in the management of myxofibrosarcoma.

Update on Osteosarcoma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common primary tumor of bone, mainly affecting children and adolescents. Here we discuss recent advances in surgical and systemic therapies, and highlight potentially new modalities in preclinical evaluation and prognostication. RECENT FINDINGS: The advent of neoadjuvant and adjuvant chemotherapy has markedly improved the disease-free recurrence and overall survival of OSA. However, treatment efficacy has been stagnant since the 1980s. This plateau has prompted preclinical and clinical research into in precision surgery, inhaled chemotherapy to increase pulmonary drug concentration without systemic side effects, and novel immunomodulators intended to block molecular pathways associated with OSA proliferation and metastasis. With the advent of novel surgical techniques and new forms and vectors for chemotherapy, it is hoped that OSA treatment outcomes will exceed their currently sustained plateau in the near future.

Performance assessment of the metastatic spinal tumor frailty index using machine learning algorithms: limitations and future directions.

OBJECTIVE: Frailty is recognized as an important consideration in patients with cancer who are undergoing therapies, including spine surgery. The definition of frailty in the context of spinal metastases is unclear, and few have studied such markers and their association with postoperative outcomes and survival. Using national databases, the metastatic spinal tumor frailty index (MSTFI) was developed as a tool to predict outcomes in this specific patient population and has not been tested with external data. The purpose of this study was to test the performance of the MSTFI with institutional data and determine whether machine learning methods could better identify measures of frailty as predictors of outcomes. METHODS: Electronic health record data from 479 adult patients admitted to the Massachusetts General Hospital for metastatic spinal tumor surgery from 2010 to 2019 formed a validation cohort for the MSTFI to predict major complications, in-hospital mortality, and length of stay (LOS). The 9 parameters of the MSTFI were modeled in 3 machine learning algorithms (lasso regularization logistic regression, random forest, and gradient-boosted decision tree) to assess clinical outcome prediction and determine variable importance. Prediction performance of the models was measured by computing areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCs), calibration, and confusion matrix metrics (positive predictive value, sensitivity, and specificity) and was subjected to internal bootstrap validation. RESULTS: Of 479 patients (median age 64 years [IQR 55-71 years]; 58.7% male), 28.4% had complications after spine surgery. The in-hospital mortality rate was 1.9%, and the mean LOS was 7.8 days. The MSTFI demonstrated poor discrimination for predicting complications (AUROC 0.56, 95% CI 0.50-0.62) and in-hospital mortality (AUROC 0.69, 95% CI 0.54-0.85) in the validation cohort. For postoperative complications, machine learning approaches showed a greater advantage over the logistic regression model used to develop the MSTFI (AUROC 0.62, 95% CI 0.56-0.68 for random forest vs AUROC 0.56, 95% CI 0.50-0.62 for logistic regression). The random forest model had the highest positive predictive value (0.53, 95% CI 0.43-0.64) and the highest negative predictive value (0.77, 95% CI 0.72-0.81), with chronic lung disease, coagulopathy, anemia, and malnutrition identified as the most important predictors of postoperative complications. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the challenges of defining and quantifying frailty in the metastatic spine tumor population. Further study is required to improve the determination of surgical frailty in this specific cohort.

Anatomic all-epiphyseal ACL reconstruction with "inside-out" femoral tunnel placement in immature patients yields high return to sport rates and functional outcome scores a minimum of 24 months after reconstruction.

PURPOSE: To understand if anatomic physeal-sparing ACL reconstruction in the immature host preserves range of motion, permits a return to sports, and avoids limb length discrepancy and accelerated intra-articular degeneration with a cross-sectional radiographic, physical examination and patient-reported outcomes analysis. METHODS: A cross-sectional recall study included 38 patients aged 7-15 who underwent all-epiphyseal ACL reconstruction with hamstring allograft performed by a single surgeon at a large academic medical center. All-epiphyseal reconstructions were performed using a modified Anderson physeal-sparing technique, with the femoral tunnel placed using an "inside-out" technique. Assessments consisted of a physical exam, long leg cassette radiographs, KT-1000 measurements, subjective patient metrics, and magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: Thirty-eight (56.7%) of 66 eligible patients returned for in-person clinical and radiographic exams. Patients were 11.4 ± 1.8 years at the time of surgery. Five patients were females (13.2%). Mean follow-up was 5.5 ± 2.4 years. ACL re-injuries occurred in four patients (10.5%), all of whom underwent revision reconstructions. Thirty-three of the remaining 34 (97.1%) patients returned to sports following their reconstruction, and 24 (70.6%) returned to their baseline level of competition. Mean limb length discrepancy (LLD) was 0.2 ± 1.4 cm. Nine patients had an LLD of > 1 cm (26.5%), which occurred at an equivalent age as those with < 1 cm LLD (10.8 ± 2.0 vs. 11.7 ± 1.7, n.s.). Pre-operative Marx scores (13.1 ± 3.5) were not significantly different from post-operative values (12.3 ± 5.1, n.s.). Patients who required ACL revisions had significantly lower Marx scores than those with intact primary grafts (8.3 ± 7.1 vs. 13.4 ± 4.5, p = 0.047). Cohort mean International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score was 89.7 ± 12.7. CONCLUSION: Anatomic all-epiphyseal anatomic ACL reconstruction appears to be useful in patients with significant projected remaining growth, with good return-to-sport outcomes and minimal risk of clinically significant physeal complications. However, given the limited patient recall possible in the present study, further large sample size, high-quality works are necessary to validate our findings. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Labral Morphology and Number of Preoperative Dislocations Are Associated With Recurrent Instability After Arthroscopic Bankart Repair.

PURPOSE: To develop a method to measure capsule and labral volume on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging to predict surgical failure after primary Bankart repair. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted on patients undergoing primary anterior arthroscopic shoulder stabilization. Surgical failure was defined as a recurrent dislocation event. Cases were matched to controls based on age and sex in a 1:2 ratio. Preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) arthrograms were analyzed by 2 trained reviewers using Vitrea software to measure labral and capsular volume with a 3-dimensional model. Labral size was also qualitatively measured on axial images. A "diffusely small" labrum was defined as labral height less than the width of the glenoid tidemark cartilage. RESULTS: Of the 289 patients who had an arthroscopic Bankart repair from 2006 to 2015, 33 who had a postoperative dislocation met the inclusion criteria and were matched to 62 control patients who did not. There was no difference between groups with regard to age (P = .88), sex (P = .82), contact sport participation (P = .79), proportion of overhead athletes (P = .33), proportion of throwers (P = 1), surgical positioning in lateral decubitus (P = .18), or number of repair anchors used (P = .91). The average number of preoperative dislocations was significantly higher in the failure group (3.2 vs. 2.0, P < .0001). In patients with normal labrum morphology, the odds of having surgical failure increased by 26% for a 1-unit increase in the number of prior dislocations (odds ratio [OR] 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.02 to 1.55). The case and control groups had similar labral and capsular volume as measured in Vitrea. The failure group had a significantly higher proportion of patients with a diffusely small labral morphology (47% vs. 17%, P = .03). Controlling for number of preoperative dislocations, the odds of having a diffusely small labral morphology was 3.2 times more likely in the case group than the control group (95% CI 1.259 to 8.188). Interrater reliability between 2 independent reviewers was excellent for measurement of capsule volume (r = 0.91) and good for measurement of labral volume (r = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a novel method of measuring labral and capsule volume with high interrater reliability. An increased number of recurrent dislocations prior to primary Bankart repair was associated with increased odds of recurrent instability after surgery. The OR for failure also increased with increasing number of preoperative dislocations. Diffusely small labral morphology was associated with having a postoperative redislocation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III (case-control study).

Tumor Resection Guided by Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Dye Fluorescence Angiography Results in Negative Surgical Margins and Decreased Local Recurrence in an Orthotopic Mouse Model of Osteosarcoma.

BACKGROUND: Surgical resection with negative margins is the foundation of extremity sarcoma management. Failure to achieve negative surgical margins can result in local recurrence (LR), a potentially devastating complication. Indocyanine green (ICG) is a US FDA-approved fluorophore previously used to guide carcinoma resections. We investigated the potential of ICG as an intraoperative guide during experimental sarcoma resection. METHODS: Fifty 6-week-old immunocompetent Balb/c female mice received left proximal tibia paraphyseal injections of 5 × 105 K7M2 murine osteosarcoma cells. Animals were separated into two groups (n = 25 each): (1) ICG-assisted surgical resection; and (2) no ICG-assisted resection. Resections were performed 4 weeks after primary tumor engraftment. All animals received 7.5 ug ICG via retro-orbital injection 12 h prior to surgery. ICG fluorescence measurements and clinical evaluations were performed 4 weeks after resection to detect LR. RESULTS: Eleven of 25 animals from each group developed gross tumors. Four weeks after resection, group 1 had 0/11 tumor recurrences, while group 2 had recurrences in 9/11 (81.8%) experimental mice (p < 0.0002) (Fig. 2). There was a 100% NPV in group 1, and no tumor recurrence with fluorescence-free margins after the primary surgery. Group 2 had a 100% positive predictive value for the development of an LR if any fluorescent signal was present at the surgical margin after resection. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative ICG guidance led to reliably negative surgical margins and a diminished LR rate. Given the benign safety profile of ICG and its prior clinical success, these results could be immediately translatable to the clinical realm.

Humeral head resurfacing is associated with less pain and clinically equivalent functional outcomes compared with stemmed hemiarthroplasty at mid-term follow-up.

PURPOSE: Humeral head resurfacing (HHR) is a less invasive, anatomic alternative to the conventional stemmed hemiarthroplasty in patients in whom isolated humeral head replacement is preferred. It was hypothesized that, in a mid-term cross-sectional subjective outcome analysis, HHR would have equivalent patient-reported and functional outcomes to stemmed hemiarthroplasty (HA). METHODS: A total of 213 HHR and 153 HA procedures were performed at a single academic institution from 2000 to 2014. Of these, 106 HHR and 47 HA patients corresponding with 120 HHR and 55 HA shoulders responded to a survey that collected patient demographics, surgical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and self-reported range of motion scores using both bespoke and validated metrics. RESULTS: Follow-up was longer in the HA group (9.4 ± 3.4 vs. 5.2 ± 1.8 years, p < 0.0001). Self-reported range of motion was equivalent between groups. Surgery was perceived as helpful following 76.7% of HHRs and 78.2% of HAs (p > 0.99). The ASES pain subscore was significantly worse in the HA group (25.2 ± 29.5 vs. 38.5 ± 12.7 after HHR, p < 0.0001), which translated into worse ASES total scores (45.1 ± 14.8 HA vs. 52.2 ± 23.7 HHR, p < 0.05). These findings were equivocal in responses received 2-8 years vs. ≥ 8 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Indications should be equivocal; humeral head resurfacing is a viable alternative to hemiarthroplasty, with equivalent patient satisfaction and reduced pain in the mid-term post-operative period. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Medical comorbidities increase the rate of surgical site infection in primary Achilles tendon repair.

PURPOSE: To assess the effects of medical comorbidities on the incidence of surgical site infection following primary Achilles tendon repair. A secondary aim was to assess the effects of specific medical comorbidities on the cost and extent of healthcare utilization related to surgical site infection following primary Achilles tendon repair. METHODS: 24,269 patients undergoing primary Achilles tendon repair between 2005 and 2012 were examined. Current Procedural Terminology codes for primary Achilles tendon repair, and incision and drainage were used to search for and compile patient data from the United Healthcare Orthopedic and Medicare databases. Primary outcome measures regarding surgical site infection following primary Achilles tendon repair included the rate of occurrence, cost, and duration of treatment. RESULTS: Patients with one or more preexisting medical comorbidities at the time of surgery had an increased rate of surgical site infection compared to those without. Diabetes and vascular complications were associated with the highest surgical site infection rates. The rate of surgical incision and drainage was higher in patients with cardiac arrhythmias and uncomplicated hypertension. The presence of a medical comorbidity significantly increased the cost and duration of surgical site infection treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Medical comorbidities can complicate the postoperative course for patients undergoing Achilles tendon repair, which increases the cost of care and duration of treatment. A better understanding of the relationship between each medical comorbidity and surgical site infections following Achilles tendon repair may be ascertained with additional prospective studies, thus, allowing for a more accurate evaluation and stratification of surgical candidates to improve patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective cohort study, Level III.