Influence of surgical approach on component positioning in primary total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Minimal invasive surgery (MIS) has gained growing popularity in total hip arthroplasty (THA) but concerns exist regarding component malpositioning. The aim of the present study was to evaluate femoral and acetabular component positioning in primary cementless THA comparing a lateral to a MIS anterolateral approach. METHODS: We evaluated 6 week postoperative radiographs of 52 hips with a minimal invasive anterolateral approach compared to 54 hips with a standard lateral approach. All hips had received the same type of implant for primary cementless unilateral THA and had a healthy hip contralaterally. RESULTS: Hip offset was equally restored comparing both approaches. No influence of the approach was observed with regard to reconstruction of acetabular offset, femoral offset, vertical placement of the center of rotation, stem alignment and leg length discrepancy. However, with the MIS approach, a significantly higher percentage of cups (38.5 %) was malpositioned compared to the standard approach (16.7 %) (p = 0.022). CONCLUSIONS: The MIS anterolateral approach allows for comparable reconstruction of stem position, offset and center of rotation compared to the lateral approach. However, surgeons must be aware of a higher risk of cup malpositioning for inclination and anteversion using the MIS anterolateral approach.

Survival of the cementless Spotorno stem in the second decade.

High survival rates have been reported for the uncemented CLS Spotorno stem up to 10 years. To confirm survival at longer followup we report the minimum 15-year (mean, 17 years; range, 15-20 years) for 257 hips using this stem. We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiographic results of all 326 patients (354 THAs) operated between 1985 and 1989. The patients had a mean age of 57 years using an uncemented grit-blasted, tapered titanium femoral stem. Eighty-six patients (89 hips) died and eight patients (eight hips) were lost to followup, leaving 240 patients (257 hips) for evaluation. The femoral component was revised in 35 hips: eight for infection, nine for periprosthetic fracture, one for traumatic loosening, and 17 for aseptic loosening. Survival of the stem was 88% at 17 years (95% confidence interval, 84%-92%), and survival with femoral revision for aseptic loosening as an end point was 94% (95% confidence interval, 91%-97%). The median Harris hip score at followup was 80 points. No thigh pain was reported. Small osteolytic lesions (< 1 cm(2)) were found in the proximal Gruen zones (1 or/and 7) in 28 hips (15%). No distal femoral osteolysis was found. The long-term survival with this type of femoral component remains high in the second decade.

Open reduction and smooth Kirschner wire fixation for unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

BACKGROUND: Reduction of unstable slipped capital epiphysis has a bad reputation, especially in severe slips. Treatment frequently causes avascular necrosis (AVN). This study analyzes the role of capsulotomy with evacuation of intraarticular fluid and gentle reduction done as an emergency procedure followed by fixation with unthreaded Kirschner wires (K-wires). METHODS: We treated 64 consecutive cases of unstable slips (37 boys and 27 girls) following the same protocol. Instability was recognized in those children who had experienced a fall or a stumble, followed by acute hip pain, with radiological evidence of capital femoral separation and ultrasonographic evidence of joint effusion. The protocol consisted of capsulotomy, evacuation of intraarticular effusion or hematoma, controlled gentle reduction, and fixation of the reduced physis by smooth K-wires. Surgery was done as an emergency procedure if possible within 24 hours after the onset of acute symptoms. RESULTS: There were 20 mild slips with slip angles less than 31 degrees, 24 moderate with slip angles between 31 and 50 degrees, 20 slips were severe with slip angles between 51 and 90 degrees. In 61 cases, reduction was successful without being followed by AVN. Three patients, 2 girls and 1 boy, developed partial AVN (4.7%). Two avascular necroses occurred in moderate slips, one in a severe slip, and none in the mild slips. The outcome of 60 patients (34 boys and 26 girls) with unstable slips could be evaluated clinically and radiographically with a mean follow-up of 4.9 years (range, 18 months-104 months). The Iowa hip score in these 60 cases reached an average of 94.5 points out of 100. CONCLUSIONS: Open reduction and evacuation of intraarticular hemarthrosis or effusion detected by ultrasound and smooth K-wire fixation done as an emergency is a safe and reliable treatment option for unstable slips with a low AVN rate. The severity of the slip does not influence the rate of AVN and the outcome measured by the Iowa hip score.

Ten-year survival of the cemented MS-30 femoral stem: increased revision rate in male patients.

This retrospective study evaluated the clinical and radiographic results of 337 consecutive matte surfaced, straight cemented MS-30 femoral stems implanted with first -to second-generation cementing technique. The median age of the patients at time of surgery was 72 (27-91) years. The median duration of follow-up was 10 (0.1-14) years. A Kaplan Meier survival analysis was performed. At follow-up, 113 patients (120 stems) had died and 13 (13 hips) were lost to follow-up. Twenty-one hips had undergone femoral revision, 13 for aseptic loosening, five for infection, two for dislocation and one for periprosthetic fracture. Survival analysis with revision of the femoral component for any reason as the end point was 91% (95% CI: 87-96) and for aseptic loosening 94% (95% CI: 90-97) at 12 years. Females (n = 245) with 99% (95% CI: 97-100) had significantly better survival compared to males (n = 92) showing 80% stem survival (95% CI: 67-91) at 12 years (p < 0.001). Median Harris Hip score (HHS) was 82 (25-100) points. Male patients had a higher activity score than female patients (p = 0.04). Femoral Dorr type A was associated with a higher risk of failure. THA with the MS-30 stem revealed satisfactory midterm results despite relatively crude cementing techniques. However, the higher revision rate in males and Dorr Type A is of concern.

Mechanical stability of structured bone grafts from the anterior iliac crest.

BACKGROUND: The anterior part of the iliac crest is frequently used as a donor site for autogenous bone grafts. Depending on the clinical scenario, the grafts are exposed to compression and shear stresses. Insufficient stability of a bone graft can lead to the collapse of a reconstruction. The object of this study was to quantify the influence of surgery-related parameters like the bony composition (cancellous, unicortical and bicortical), the donor site and the angle of removal on the failure load of the bone plugs (shearing and compression tests). METHODS: A total of 137 bone cylinders varying in bony composition and in their angles to the trajectories in the anterior iliac crest were taken from 48 human hemipelvises with diamond hollow cutters. The failure load was measured in a standardized manner, each bone plug being subjected to two shear tests and three compression tests. Possible differences between groups were evaluated using analysis of covariance techniques with BMI, bone density and cortical thickness as covariates. The statistical significance level was set to 5% (P<0.05), no adjustment for multiple comparisons was done due to the descriptive nature of the study. FINDINGS: Bicortical bone plugs were more resistant than unicortical plugs to both compression and shear stress, and both were more stable than cancellous bone plugs (P<0.05). On average, the compression failure load was about twice as high as the corresponding failure load with shearing tests: the factor was approximately 1.5 for cancellous, approximately 2 for unicortical and approximately 3 for bicortical bone plugs. We could not find a significant effect of the precise donor site and the angle of removal (parallel or perpendicular to the crista) on the mechanical stability of cancellous bone plugs. INTERPRETATION: Surgeons should rather focus on the cancellous or cortical composition of the graft than location of the harvesting site or drilling angle in order to obtain a useful bone plug from the iliac crest.

Good survival of uncemented tapered stems for failed intertrochanteric osteotomy: a mean 16 year follow-up study in 45 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Inferior survival of cemented total hip arthroplasty has been reported after previous femoral osteotomy. We previously presented 5-15 years results of uncemented femoral stems for this subgroup of patients. The purpose of the present study was to re-evaluate that same patient group at 10-20 years follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight hips in 45 patients had undergone conversion THA for a failed intertrochanteric osteotomy of the hip after a mean of 12 years (2-33 years). Mean time of follow-up was 16 years (10-20 years). RESULTS: At the latest follow-up five patients had died (five hips), and one patient (one hip) remained lost to follow-up. Compared to the previous evaluation, one more patient required femoral revision for aseptic loosening giving a total of four patients (four hips) with femoral revision--one for infection and three for aseptic loosening of the stem. Survival of the stem was 91% at 15 and 20 years respectively; survival with femoral revision for aseptic loosening as an end point was 93%. The median Harris-Hip-Score at final follow-up was 76 points (previously 80 points). Radiolucent lines in Gruen zones 1 and 7 were present in 20 and 17% of hips, respectively. Radiolucencies in other zones were not detected. There was no radiographic evidence of femoral osteolysis, stress-shielding or loosening. CONCLUSION: The long-term results with this type of uncemented tapered titanium femoral component after proximal femoral osteotomy remain encouraging and compare favorably to those achieved in patients with regular femoral anatomy.

Modular fixed-bearing total knee arthroplasty with retention of the posterior cruciate ligament. A study of patients followed for a minimum of fifteen years.

BACKGROUND: There have been a limited number of studies of total knee arthroplasties with durations of follow-up of fifteen years, but we are not aware of any involving modular fixed-bearing posterior cruciate-retaining prostheses. METHODS: A consecutive series of 139 total knee arthroplasties in 109 patients (average age, sixty-seven years), performed by one surgeon using a nonconforming posterior cruciate-retaining prosthesis, was followed for fifteen years or longer. Forty-five patients (fifty-nine knees) were examined at a minimum of fifteen years postoperatively, fifty-seven patients (seventy knees) had died, five patients (eight knees) were too ill to return for assessment, and two patients (two knees) were considered lost to follow-up. The patients were assessed clinically with use of the Knee Society clinical rating system, and the knees were assessed radiographically. Survivorship analysis was performed with use of worst-case-scenario analysis and with failure defined as a reoperation for any reason. RESULTS: There were five reoperations, four of which were performed because of wear of the polyethylene insert. In addition, one loose cemented femoral component was revised at fifteen years. The survival rate without revision or a need for any reoperation was 92.6% at fifteen years. The mean Knee Society score and functional score at fifteen years were 96 and 78 points, respectively. The prevalence of radiolucent lines was 13%, with 2% around the femur, 11% around the tibia, and none around the patella. None of these lines were clinically relevant. There was no evidence of progressive radiolucent lines, and there was one case of asymptomatic femoral osteolysis. CONCLUSIONS: In this single-surgeon series, modular fixed-bearing posterior cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasties had good clinical and radiographic results with excellent survivorship for up to fifteen years. These results are comparable with those in long-term studies of posterior stabilized implants and of prostheses with mobile-bearing and nonmodular tibial inserts.

Telomere length and telomerase activity during expansion and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells and chondrocytes.

Chondrocyte ex vivo expansion currently performed to replace damaged articular surfaces is associated with a loss of telomeric repeats similar to decades of aging in vivo. This might affect the incidence or time of onset of age-related disorders within transplanted cells or tissues. This study examined whether more immature progenitor cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which can be expanded and subsequently differentiated into chondrocytes is advantageous regarding telomere-length related limitations of expansion protocols. Primary chondrocytes and bone-marrow-derived MSC were isolated from 12 donors, expanded separately to 4 x 10(6) cells, and (re-)differentiated as three-dimensional chondrogenic spheroids. Cells were collected during expansion, after three-dimensional culturing and chondrogenic differentiation, and sequential analyses of telomere length and telomerase activity were performed. Surprisingly, telomeres of expanded MSC were significantly shorter than those from expanded chondrocytes from the same donor (11.4+/-2.5 vs. 13.4+/-2.2 kb) and tended to remain shorter after differentiation in chondrogenic spheroids (11.9+/-1.8 vs. 13.0+/- kb). While telomere lengths in native chondrocytes and MSC were not related to the age of the donor, significant negative correlations with age were observed in expanded (136 bp/year), three-dimensionally reconstituted (188 bp/year), and redifferentiated (229 bp/year) chondrocytes. Low levels of telomerase activity were found in MSC and chondrocytes during expansion and after (re-)differentiation to chondrogenic spheroids. In terms of replicative potential, as determined by telomere length, ex vivo expansion followed by chondrogenic differentiation of MSC did not provide a benefit compared to the expansion of adult chondrocytes. However, accelerated telomere shortening with age during expansion and redifferentiation argues for an "age phenotype" in chondrocytes as opposed to MSC and suggests an advantage for the use of MSC especially in older individuals and protocols requiring extensive expansion

Reconstruction of the pelvic ring using an autologous free non-vascularized fibula graft in a patient with benign fibrous histiocytoma.

BACKGROUND: Benign fibrous histiocytomas (BFH) usually presents as a small benign lesion that predominantly occurs in the skin. Only few cases of BFH arising from bone have been reported, its occurrence in pelvic bones is even rarer. CASE PRESENTATION: A 34-year-old female presented with BFH at a rare anatomical location on both sides of the os ilium which was larger than earlier reported BFH of the bone. Surgical resection was performed successfully including resection of the inner pelvic ring and reconstruction of the linea terminalis using a non-vascularized fibular autograft. At 18 months after tumor resection and reconstruction of the pelvic ring, with interposition of a free vascularized fibula graft patient has an excellent clinical oncological and functional outcome. CONCLUSION: Non vascularized fibular autograft is a useful reconstructive procedure in select patients.

Influence of surgical approach on postoperative femoral bone remodelling after cementless total hip arthroplasty.

We retrospectively evaluated the femoral periprosthetic bone mineral density (BMD) in a consecutive series of patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA) with a straight, double tapered cementless stem using a muscle-sparing anterolateral (group A) and the transgluteal (group B) surgical approach. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurements were performed in the first postoperative week (t1), and after 3 (t2), 6 (t3) and 12 months (t4) using an identical protocol. Patients were clinically and radiographically evaluated at final follow-up (t4). A complete set of four consecutive DXA measurements was obtained for 16 hips in group A and 26 hips in group B. In patients in whom the transgluteal approach was used (Group B), we observed a significantly greater decline in overall periprosthetic BMD (netavg) and in BMD in the periprosthetic regions of interest (ROI) 1, 4, 5 and 6 between t1 and t4. At clinical and radiographic evaluation at t4, no differences between the groups were detected. Femoral periprosthetic BMD is affected by the selected surgical approach in the first postoperative year. This might be attributed to altered femoral loading as a result of differences in intraoperative damage to the abductor muscles.

Uncemented grit-blasted straight tapered titanium stems in patients younger than fifty-five years of age. Fifteen to twenty-year results.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty without cement is frequently performed in young active patients, but only limited outcomes data are available after durations of follow-up of more than fifteen years. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and radiographic results of a consecutive series of 154 total hip arthroplasties (in 141 patients) performed with an uncemented grit-blasted straight tapered titanium femoral stem combined with a threaded socket in patients under the age of fifty-five years. The median duration of follow-up was seventeen years. Clinical results were evaluated with use of the Harris hip score. The canal fill index was used as the criterion to determine the adequacy of stem sizing. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis was performed to predict long-term outcomes. RESULTS: The stem was undersized, with a canal fill index of < or =80%, in forty-one hips (27%). Late aseptic loosening of the stem occurred in four femora, and the femoral component was undersized in all four. These four stems were stable for ten years and then underwent progressive subsidence, which was associated with pain. Five stems were revised because of a late postoperative periprosthetic fracture following trauma. Localized proximal femoral osteolysis was seen in seven hips without signs of loosening. Survivorship of the stem with revision for any reason as the end point was estimated to be 90% (95% confidence interval, 87% to 97%) at twenty years. Survivorship with aseptic loosening as the end point was estimated to be 95% (95% confidence interval, 91% to 99%) at twenty years. Sixty-seven (44%) of the threaded uncemented acetabular components were revised during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: After a minimum duration of follow-up of fifteen years, the survival of this type of femoral component is excellent in individuals younger than fifty-five years. The main mode of stem failure was a periprosthetic fracture due to trauma, or late aseptic loosening in a small percentage of the hips in which the femoral implant was undersized. The high rate of failure of the acetabular components was attributable to a poor design that is no longer in use.

Intraoperative assessment of femoral component rotational alignment in total knee arthroplasty.

Poor clinical results following total knee arthroplasty like flexion gap instability or anterior knee pain may be related to femoral component rotational malalignment. The transepicondylar axis has been recommended as a landmark to consistently recreate a balanced flexion gap. However, the reproducibility to identify the transepicondylar axis intraoperatively is low. In this feasibility study we wanted to find out whether fluoroscopy-based CT scans obtained by a motorized mobile C-arm (Iso C 3D) may be useful to asses the transepicondylar axis intraoperatively. Following the femoral resections the Iso C 3D was used intraoperatively in ten knees with mild to severe deformities. On multiplanar reconstructions of the distal femur the clinical epicondylar axis as well as the angle to the posterior cut (condylar twist angle) could be easily measured. The scanning time was 40 s and the extra time needed for the whole setup about five to ten minutes. The Iso C 3D was helpful to intraoperatively identify the transepicondylar axis and the condylar twist angle, especially in cases with severe deformity or dysplasia when standard landmarks are difficult to determine.

Shoulder arthroplasty in nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the humeral head.

Twelve patients (thirteen shoulders) treated with arthroplasty for nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the humeral head were prospectively evaluated. At a mean follow-up of 30.2 months (range, 14-49 months), shoulder function assessed by the Constant score improved from 18 (adjusted score, 24%) to 51 (adjusted score, 69%; P <.001). Patients older than 65 years obtained lower adjusted scores than patients younger than 65 years (P =.02). The radiographs at follow-up showed radiolucent lines in 2 patients with no evidence of implant migration. Progressive glenoid erosion was identified in 2 patients treated with hemiarthroplasty. The subjective assessment revealed good and excellent results in 4 of 13 patients (numeric rating scale [NRS] 1 and 2). Three patients were unsatisfied with the final outcome (NRS 5). All three patients had abnormal findings with regard to the glenoid, either preoperatively with subtotal destruction of the glenoid or postoperatively with glenoid erosion after hemiarthroplasty or radiolucency around the glenoid component after total joint replacement. Contrary to previously published retrospective studies, we recommend a more cautious prediction of midterm results, especially in patients older than 65 years.

Replicative aging of human articular chondrocytes during ex vivo expansion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the contribution of clinical ex vivo expansion protocols to replicative aging of human chondrocytes. METHODS: Primary human chondrocytes were cultured as monolayers after isolation from 7 articular cartilage specimens. Cells were passaged corresponding to 12-19 cell population doublings (cpd). Aliquots of the cells were collected from each passage and analyzed for telomere length and telomerase activity. RESULTS: The rate of telomere shortening was heterogeneous, ranging from 147 to 431 bp/cpd (mean +/- SD 305 +/- 122). Telomerase activity was detected at various time points during passaging in 5 of 7 primary chondrocytes analyzed, but not in native human articular cartilage specimens. According to our data, an 8-10-fold ( approximately 3 cpd) ex vivo expansion of articular chondrocytes, as typically performed for transplantation procedures, leads to telomere erosion in the range of 900 bp. This is comparable with 30 years of aging based on the in vivo rate of telomere shortening of 30 bp/year recently found in chondrocytes. CONCLUSION: If telomere shortening is an important determinant of aging in human articular cartilage, an additional telomere loss due to ex vivo expansion might affect the incidence or time of onset of age-related cartilage disorders. However, given the limited extent of expansion performed in the clinical setting to date, a significant telomere-mediated increase in the risk of malignant transformation or replicative exhaustion of the transplanted cells seems unlikely.

Degenerative changes in the ankle in former elite high jumpers.

OBJECTIVE: The object of this study was to find what degenerative changes are present in the ankle (talotibiofibular) joints in former elite high jumpers at least 10 years after their retirement from competition, whether there are differences between takeoff and swinging leg, and whether correlations between any particular training history parameters, former injuries, and the degenerative changes can be recognized. DESIGN: A cross-sectional case control study with matched controls for radiological outcomes SETTING: The Orthopedic Department at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were 40 male high jumpers (required personal best at least 2.18m), featured in the lists of top athletes kept by the German Athletics Association (DLV) from 1972 to 1986. All radiological findings were compared with X-rays of male age, and BMI-matched controls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: All underwent clinical and radiological examinations. In addition to eliciting data on the training history with the aid of a questionnaire, we assessed symptoms affecting the ankle by means of the Freiburg Ankle Score and the Kitaoka Score and scored the radiological findings according to Bargon and Scranton and MacDermott. RESULTS: Differences between takeoff and swinging leg were small (Freiburg takeoff leg 93/swinging leg 95, Kitaoka takeoff 89/swinging leg 93 points on a 100 points scale) in both clinical scores, but statistically significant (p < 0.005). The more jumps were performed during the active phase, the worse the radiological scores (r(s) = 0.4, p = 0.01). Radiological differences between takeoff and swinging leg were not found. Comparison with controls revealed no radiological differences between athletes and age- and BMI-matched men (all p-values >0.40). It was found that one takeoff and one swinging leg ankle was affected by grade 2 arthritis (Bargon). Scranton grade 3 was found in four takeoff and in three swinging legs. No further correlations with training history data were found. Athletes who reported injuries in the past tended to have poorer radiological scores, although statistically not significant. None of the athletes had an instable ankle. CONCLUSIONS: The talotibiofibular joints in former high jumpers showed only slight signs of wear and tear with no clinically relevant side-related differences; severe arthrosis with narrowing of the joint space was rare. The risk of arthrosis connected with high-jumping seems not to be elevated.

A new bleeding model of the human acetabulum and a pilot comparison of 2 different cement pressurizers.

In this cadaver study, we compared 2 different acetabular cement pressurizers (Exeter and Bernoski type) in paired human acetabula with simulated intraosseous bleeding. Pressure transducers were used to record intra-acetabular pressures during pressurization. Anteroposterior radiographs of the entire specimens were taken. Subsequently, standardized 3-mm-thick sections were cut through the acetabula, which were then microradiographed to evaluate cement penetration. Adequate pressurization was obtained with either pressurizer. The peak and sustained pressures obtained with the Exeter pressurizer (peak, 80 kPa; sustained, 38 kPa) tended to be higher than the pressures obtained with the Bernoski pressurizer (73 kPa; 24 kPa; P > 0.05). Accordingly, a tendency toward improved cement penetration into cancellous bone was found using the Exeter pressurizer (P >.05).

The correction of severe varus deformity in total knee arthroplasty by tibial component downsizing and resection of uncapped proximal medial bone.

The clinical and radiologic outcome of 10 patients (12 knees) with a mean varus deformity of 24 degrees (range, 20 degrees to 40 degrees ) treated with total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is presented. We describe a technique of downsizing and lateralizing the tibial component with subsequent removal of the proximal medial tibia flush with the downsized component. At a mean follow-up of 42 months (range, 12 to 64 months), the mean preoperative Knee Society and function scores had improved from 24 and 34 to 94 and 85, respectively, at follow-up. No implant has been revised. At follow-up evaluation, no evidence of osteolysis or radiographic loosening was seen and the mean tibiofemoral angle was 4 degrees of valgus. This technique provides mid-term stable correction and excellent clinical and radiographic results in patients with severe varus deformity.

Acetabular cementing technique in THA--flanged versus unflanged cups, cadaver experiments.

BACKGROUND: There are few studies on the effect of acetabular cup design on cement penetration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated the effects of an acetabular flange on cement pressurization and cement penetration in 12 cadavers. Flanged or unflanged cups were implanted in paired human acetabula with simulated intraosseous bleeding pressure but without cement pressurization before insertion of the cup. Three pressure transducers were used to record intra-acetabular peak and average pressures during cup insertion. Following implantation, the whole specimens were AP-radiographed and standardized sections through the acetabula were microradiographed to evaluate cement penetration. RESULTS: Flanged cups produced greater intra-acetabular peak pressures than unflanged cups, but did not increase the average intra-acetabular pressure. Cement penetration did not differ significantly between the two groups. INTERPRETATION: Our findings do not support the use of flanged cups as the sole means of cement pressurization in the acetabulum.

Evaluation of the predictive value of Her-2/neu gene expression on osteosarcoma therapy in laser-microdissected paraffin-embedded tissue.

Histologic response to chemotherapy is currently the strongest prognostic factor in high-grade osteosarcoma, but it can only be assessed after several weeks of therapy. Thus, detection of chemosensitivity at the time of diagnosis would be of great clinical importance. The expression of the proto-oncogene Her-2/neu has been shown to be of predictive value in breast cancer and has also been considered as prognostic marker for osteosarcomas, but reports of mainly immunohistochemical studies are controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate Her-2/neu gene expression in laser-microdissected osteosarcoma cells. Laser microdissection enables the precise isolation of morphological defined cells from archival tissue specimens and is in combination with the highly sensitive real-time RT-PCR technique a valuable tool for cell-specific analysis of gene expression. Through optimization of current protocols, we could show that this technique can be successfully applied on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and decalcified osteosarcoma tissue with high sensitivity and reproducibility. In all 17 osteosarcoma biopsies analyzed, we could detect Her-2/neu gene expression. Expression correlated significantly with the response to preoperative chemotherapy, which was assessed histologically according to the six-grade scale of Salzer-Kuntschik. Risk assessment on the basis of increased Her-2/neu gene expression matched the histologic findings in 16 out of 17 cases (94%). These data demonstrate the reliability of laser microdissection in the analysis of gene expression and suggest a possible role of Her-2/neu as prognostic marker for therapy outcome in osteosarcomas.

Sports activity of patients with idiopathic scoliosis at long-term follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to assess long-term the sports activities of operatively and nonoperatively treated patients with idiopathic scoliosis and compare these activities with those of controls. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional case-control study, performed at The Orthopaedic University Hospital Heidelberg. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study enrolled 59 patients (53 female, 6 male; mean age 43 years) with idiopathic scoliosis and a minimum follow-up of 5 years (mean 22 years) since treatment (28 nonoperative, 31 operative). Mean Cobb angle at the time of the study was 54 degrees. An age-adjusted control group (n = 33) with no history of spinal disorder was evaluated at the same time. All participants in the study (n = 92) completed a questionnaire assessing spinal function (Spine Score) and sporting activity (Sport Score). In addition, the scoliosis patients underwent radiographic evaluation of their spine. The groups were compared by analysis of variance. In order to assess the relationship between two variables, Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated. RESULTS: Both groups of scoliosis patients attained a lower Sport Score than the controls (p < 0.015 and p < 0.006, respectively). There was no difference between the two scoliosis groups. Reduced spinal function correlated with reduced sports activity (p < 0.001). In both scoliosis groups, the subscales "back pain" and "physical activity" correlated with sporting activity (p < 0.03 and p < 0.02, respectively). In the surgically treated patients, Cobb angle correlated with reduced sports activity (p < 0.03). The extent of the spinal arthrodesis (number of segments) in surgically treated patients had no effect on their sports activity. CONCLUSIONS: Over the long term, patients with idiopathic scoliosis suffer impairment of their sports activities compared with age-matched controls. The main reasons for this are functional impairment and the frequency of back pain. Sports activity is not more restricted after extended spinal fusion than it is after nonoperative treatment.