Whole knee joint mapping using a phase modulated UTE adiabatic T1ρ (PM-UTE-AdiabT1ρ ) sequence.

PURPOSE: To develop a 3D phase modulated UTE adiabatic T1ρ (PM-UTE-AdiabT1ρ ) sequence for whole knee joint mapping on a clinical 3 T scanner. METHODS: This new sequence includes six major features: (1) a magnetization reset module, (2) a train of adiabatic full passage pulses for spin locking, (3) a phase modulation scheme (i.e., RF cycling pair), (4) a fat saturation module, (5) a variable flip angle scheme, and (6) a 3D UTE Cones sequence for data acquisition. A simple exponential fitting was used for T1ρ quantification. Phantom studies were performed to investigate PM-UTE-AdiabT1ρ 's sensitivity to compositional changes and reproducibility as well as its correlation with continuous wave-T1ρ measurement. The PM-UTE-AdiabT1ρ technique was then applied to five ex vivo and five in vivo normal knees to measure T1ρ values of femoral cartilage, meniscus, posterior cruciate ligament, anterior cruciate ligament, patellar tendon, and muscle. RESULTS: The phantom study demonstrated PM-UTE-AdiabT1ρ 's high sensitivity to compositional changes, its high reproducibility, and its strong linear correlation with continuous wave-T1ρ measurement. The ex vivo and in vivo knee studies demonstrated average T1ρ values of 105.6 ± 8.4 and 77.9 ± 3.9 ms for the femoral cartilage, 39.2 ± 5.1 and 30.1 ± 2.2 ms for the meniscus, 51.6 ± 5.3 and 29.2 ± 2.4 ms for the posterior cruciate ligament, 79.0 ± 9.3 and 52.0 ± 3.1 ms for the anterior cruciate ligament, 19.8 ± 4.5 and 17.0 ± 1.8 ms for the patellar tendon, and 91.1 ± 8.8 and 57.6 ± 2.8 ms for the muscle, respectively. CONCLUSION: The 3D PM-UTE-AdiabT1ρ sequence allows volumetric T1ρ assessment for both short and long T2 tissues in the knee joint on a clinical 3 T scanner.

Bone Health Management in Elective Orthopaedic Surgery: A Claims-Based Observational Study.

Introduction: There are limited data on the management of bone health, including bone mineral density (BMD) evaluation and osteoporosis (OP) treatment, in patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgeries. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data from Symphony Health, PatientSource for patients aged ≥50 years with documented kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty (KP/VP), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and total hip arthroplasty (THA). Risk stratification to identify patients at very high risk for fracture (VHRFx) was based on clinical practice guideline recommendations to the extent information on variables of interest were available from the claims database. Results: A total of 251 919 patients met inclusion criteria: KP/VP (31 018), TKA (149 849), and THA (71 052). The majority were female (80.3%) with a mean (SD) age of 68.5 (7.5) years. Patients undergoing KP/VP were older and had a greater comorbidity burden associated with risk for falls, mobility issues, muscle weakness, and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. In the 6 months before surgery, 11.8% of patients were tested and/or received treatment for OP. Patients undergoing KP/VP were more likely to be tested and/or treated (17.5%) than patients undergoing TKA (11.0%) or THA (10.9%). Overall, men had a lower rate of testing and/or treatment than women (4.6% vs 13.5%). In the 12 months before surgery, patients with an OP diagnosis and at VHRFx (30.8%) had a higher rate of treatment and/or testing than those without OP (11.5%), or those without OP but with a fracture in the year preceding surgery (10.2%). Conclusions: Bone health management is suboptimal in patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgeries and is worse in men than in women. Proper management of OP before and after surgery may improve outcomes.

Proceedings of the 2022 Santa Fe Bone Symposium: Current Concepts in the Care of Patients with Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases.

The 22nd Annual Santa Fe Bone Symposium (SFBS) was a hybrid meeting held August 5-6, 2022, with in-person and virtual attendees. Altogether, over 400 individuals registered, a majority of whom attended in-person, representing many states in the USA plus 7 other countries. The SFBS included 10 plenary presentations, 2 faculty panel discussions, satellite symposia, Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation Fracture Liaison Service Boot Camp, and a Project ECHO workshop, with lively interactive discussions for all events. Topics of interest included fracture prevention at different stages of life; how to treat and when to change therapy; skeletal health in cancer patients; advanced imaging to assess bone strength; the state of healthcare in the USA; osteosarcopenia; vitamin D update; perioperative bone health care; new guidelines for managing primary hyperparathyroidism; new concepts on bone modeling and remodeling; and an overview on the care of rare bone diseases, including hypophosphatasia, X-linked hypophosphatemia, tumor induced osteomalacia, osteogenesis imperfecta, fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva, and osteopetrosis. The SFBS was preceded by the Santa Fe Fellows Workshop on Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases, a collaboration of the Endocrine Fellows Foundation and the Osteoporosis Foundation of New Mexico. From the Workshop, 4 participating fellows were selected to give oral presentations at the bone symposium. These proceedings represent the clinical highlights of 2022 SFBS presentations and the discussions that followed, all with the aim of optimizing skeletal health and minimizing the consequences of fragile bones.

Gait outcomes following proximal tibial tumor resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Despite the proximal tibia being a common site of primary malignant bone tumors, there is limited information about gait function following proximal tibial tumor resection and endoprosthetic reconstruction (PTR). RESEARCH QUESTION: What is the impact of PTR on gait and quality of life? METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of patients ≥18 years old who were ≥2 years post-PTR compared to a control group of similar age and sex distribution. Eighteen participants (9 PTR, 9 Control) were recruited. Gait spatial-temporal data, joint kinematics and kinetics were collected at preferred and fast walking speeds. Community walking cadence, health-related quality of life (SF-36) and knee joint torque were assessed. Comparisons were performed using one-way ANOVAs with Bonferroni corrections for multiple comparisons. Nonparametric tests were used for data not normally distributed. RESULTS: Mean age was 31 years for each group (PTR range = 18-42 yrs, Control range = 18-44 yrs). Compared to both control and nonsurgical limbs, the surgical limb exhibited significantly decreased % single limb support time, reduced heel rise during terminal stance and an absence of normally occurring knee flexion angles, extensor moments and power generation during initial double limb support. Additionally, a reduced peak plantar flexor moment was found for the surgical as compared to the control limb. The number of gait abnormalities increased during fast walking. Significantly reduced surgical knee extensor torque on isokinetic testing and weakness of the knee and ankle on clinical examination support gait findings. During community walking, the number of low frequency strides was an average of 5.3 % greater for the PTR group (p <  0.05). Norm-based PTR group SF-36 component scores were within normal values (53.4 physical, 56.5 mental). SIGNIFICANCE: Gait abnormalities were consistent with ankle muscle resection and transposition and knee extensor mechanism disruption. Despite these deficits, walking speed and quality of life were relatively normal.

Denosumab Treatment for Giant Cell Tumor of the Spine Including the Sacrum.

STUDY DESIGN: This was a subanalysis of an international, multicenter, open-label study. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of denosumab in a subset of patients with giant cell tumors of bone (GCTB) of the spine including the sacrum from an international, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00680992). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Standard GCTB treatment is surgical removal, either by curettage or resection, combined with intraoperative adjuvant therapy; however, some sites may not be amenable to resection (e.g., skull, spine). METHODS: Adults or skeletally mature adolescents with pathologically confirmed GCTB of the spine including the sacrum, and radiologically measurable evidence of active disease, were included. Patients received denosumab (120 mg subcutaneously) once every 4 weeks during the treatment phase, with loading doses on days 8 and 15 of the first cycle. Patients had surgically unsalvageable GCTB (Cohort 1), had planned surgery expected to result in severe morbidity (Cohort 2), or were enrolled from a previous GCTB study (Cohort 3). RESULTS: Overall, 132 patients were included in the safety analysis (103 in Cohort 1, 24 in Cohort 2, and five in Cohort 3); 131 patients were included in the efficacy analysis. Kaplan-Meier estimated probabilities of disease progression or recurrence were 3% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0-6.2) at year 1 and 7.4% (95% CI, 2.1-12.7) at years 3 and 5 in Cohort 1, and not estimable in Cohorts 2 and 3. Of 23 patients (Cohort 2) with surgery planned at baseline, 10 (43%) had on-study surgery; of these, one patient had reported disease progression or recurrence after the on-study surgery. Clinical benefit was reported in 83% of patients overall (all cohorts). CONCLUSION: Results from the analysis suggest that denosumab is potentially effective treatment for patients with GCTB of the spine including the sacrum. The adverse event profile was consistent with the full study population.Level of Evidence: 2.

Low prevalence (0.13%) of COVID-19 infection in asymptomatic pre-operative/pre-procedure patients at a large, academic medical center informs approaches to perioperative care.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in reduced performance of elective surgeries and procedures at medical centers across the United States. Awareness of the prevalence of asymptomatic disease is critical for guiding safe approaches to operative/procedural services. As COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing has been limited largely to symptomatic patients, health care workers, or to those in communal care centers, data regarding asymptomatic viral disease carriage are limited. METHODS: In this retrospective observational case series evaluating UCLA Health patients enrolled in pre-operative/pre-procedure protocol COVID-19 reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR testing between April 7, 2020 and May 21, 2020, we determine the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in asymptomatic patients scheduled for surgeries and procedures. RESULTS: Primary outcomes include the prevalence of COVID-19 infection in this asymptomatic population. Secondary data analysis includes overall population testing results and population demographics. Eighteen of 4,751 (0.38%) patients scheduled for upcoming surgeries and high-risk procedures had abnormal (positive/inconclusive) COVID-19 RT-PCR testing results. Six of 18 patients were confirmed asymptomatic and had positive test results. Four of 18 were confirmed asymptomtic and had inconclusive results. Eight of 18 had positive results in the setting of recent symptoms or known COVID-19 infection. The prevalence of asymptomatic COVID-19 infection was 0.13%. More than 90% of patients had residential addresses within a 67-mile geographic radius of our medical center, the median age was 58, and there was equal male/female distribution. CONCLUSION: These data demonstrating low levels (0.13% prevalence) of COVID-19 infection in an asymptomatic population of patients undergoing scheduled surgeries/procedures in a large urban area have helped to inform perioperative protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic. Testing protocols like ours may prove valuable for other health systems in their approaches to safe procedural practices during COVID-19.

Treatment of an Acromial Stress Fracture After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty With Teriparatide: A Case Report.

CASE: A 78-year-old woman who underwent reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) for proximal humerus fracture developed a Type-3 acromial stress fracture, resulting in increased pain and decreased function 9 months post-op. She was managed nonoperatively with adjunctive teriparatide (FORTEO), and after a 4-month course, she had regained excellent motion and achieved union. CONCLUSION: Teriparatide is a viable adjunct in treating patients nonoperatively with acromial stress fractures after RTSA.

A Phase II Trial of 5-Day Neoadjuvant Radiotherapy for Patients with High-Risk Primary Soft Tissue Sarcoma.

PURPOSE: In a single-institution phase II study, we evaluated the safety of a 5-day dose-equivalent neoadjuvant radiotherapy (RT) regimen for high-risk primary soft tissue sarcoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients received neoadjuvant RT alone (30 Gy in five fractions) to the primary tumor with standard margins. The primary endpoint was grade ≥2 late-radiation toxicity. Major wound complications, local recurrences, and distant metastases were also examined. In exploratory analysis, we evaluated germline biomarkers for wound toxicity and the effects of the study on treatment utilization. RESULTS: Over 2 years, 52 patients were enrolled with median follow-up of 29 months. Seven of 44 evaluable patients (16%) developed grade ≥2 late toxicity. Major wound complications occurred in 16 of 50 patients (32%); a signature defined by 19 germline SNPs in miRNA-binding sites of immune and DNA damage response genes, in addition to lower extremity tumor location, demonstrated strong predictive performance for major wound complications. Compared with the preceding 2-year period, the number of patients treated with neoadjuvant RT alone at our institution increased 3-fold, with a concomitant increase in the catchment area. CONCLUSIONS: A shorter 5-day neoadjuvant RT regimen results in favorable rates of wound complications and grade ≥2 toxicity after 2-year follow-up. Five-day RT significantly increased utilization of neoadjuvant RT at our high-volume sarcoma center. With further validation, a putative germline biomarker for wound complications may guide safer RT utilization.

Standardized Hospital-Based Care Programs Improve Geriatric Hip Fracture Outcomes: An Analysis of the ACS NSQIP Targeted Hip Fracture Series.

OBJECTIVE: To determine relative complication rates and outcome measures in patients treated under a standardized hip fracture program (SHFP). METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried to identify patients who underwent operative fixation of femoral neck, intertrochanteric hip, and subtrochanteric hip fractures in 2016. Cohorts of patients who were and were not treated under a documented SHFP were identified. Relevant perioperative clinical and outcomes data were collected. Multivariate regression was used to assess risk-adjusted complication rates and outcomes for patients treated in SHFPs. RESULTS: A total of 9360 hip fracture patients were identified of whom 5070 (54.2%) were treated under a documented SHFP. Median age was 84 years, and 69.9% of patients were women. Patients in an SHFP had a lower risk-adjusted incidence of postoperative deep vein thrombosis [odds ratio (OR) 0.48 (0.32-0.72), P < 0.001]. Rates of other medical and surgical complications and 30-day mortality were statistically comparable. Risk-adjusted evaluation showed that SHFP patients were less likely to be discharged to an inpatient facility versus home [OR 0.72 (0.63-0.81), P < 0.001] and had a lower 30-day readmission rate [OR 0.83 (0.71-0.97), P = 0.023]. Furthermore, the SHFP patients had higher rates of immediate postoperative weight-bearing as tolerated [OR 1.23 (1.10-1.37), P < 0.001], adherence to deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis at 28 days [OR 1.27 (1.16-1.38), P < 0.001], and initiation of bone protective medications [OR 1.79 (1.64-1.96), P < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: Care in a modern hospital-based SHFP is associated with improved short-term outcome measures. Further development and widespread implementation of organized, multidisciplinary orthogeriatric hip fracture protocols is recommended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III.

The measurement of physical functioning among patients with Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumor (TGCT) using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS).

BACKGROUND: Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT), a rare, locally aggressive neoplasm of the synovium of joints and tendon sheaths, is associated with joint destruction, pain and swelling. Impacts on physical function (PF) vary depending on tumor size and location. The aim of this study was to identify relevant items, and demonstrate the content validity of custom measures of lower extremity PF from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function Physical Function (PROMIS-PF) item bank among patients with TGCT. METHODS: Patients were recruited for qualitative research interviews to identify predominant TGCT symptoms and impacts. Patients completed a checklist to evaluate the relevance of each PROMIS-PF item. The publicly available PROMIS-PF item response theory (IRT) parameters were used to select items representing the range of the latent PF trait. RESULTS: Participants (n = 20) were 75% female, mean age 42.5 years. TGCTs were located in the knee (n = 15), hip (n = 3), and ankle (n = 2). Fifty-four PROMIS-PF items were identified as relevant by ≥20% of the participants. PF concepts discussed by participants during the qualitative interviews were also used to select relevant items. Selected items (n = 13) were used to create a physical function subscale specific to lower extremity tumors. CONCLUSIONS: We describe a novel method of combining qualitative research and IRT-based item information to select a relevant and content valid subset of PROMIS-PF items to assess heterogeneous impacts on PF in TGCT, a rare disease population.

Tenosynovial giant cell tumor: case report of a patient effectively treated with pexidartinib (PLX3397) and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Tenosynovial giant cell tumors (TGCTs) or giant cell tumors of tendon sheath are neoplasms that arise in the synovium. They can be categorized as nodular (localized) or diffuse type (D-TGCT). Historically, surgery has been the mainstay of therapy, but diffuse type disease recurs at a high rate and treatment often requires increasingly morbid procedures. Elucidation of the importance of the colony-stimulating factor (CSF1)/CSF1 receptor (CSF1R) pathway in the pathogenesis of this disease has created significant interest in targeting this pathway as a novel TGCT treatment approach. Pexidartinib, a selective tyrosine kinase inhibitor against CSF1R, showed an 83% disease control rate (52% with partial response and 31% with stable disease) in a recent phase 1 study of patients with TGCT. CASE PRESENTATION: We present an illustrative example of a TGCT patient who would have required a morbid operation who derived considerable clinical benefit from pexidartinib treatment. Her tumor volume decreased by 48% after 4 months of treatment, and 55 months after starting treatment the patient exhibits continued disease stability with minimal clinical symptoms, and significant improvement in functional status. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates the effectiveness of systemic therapy in controlling a disease associated with high surgical morbidity. This approach may be especially useful in the treatment of extra-articular disease which often invades neurovascular bundles; as the effectiveness in metastatic disease is still unknown. In the future, systemic treatment for TGCT may be appropriate for the neoadjuvant setting to decrease disease burden prior to surgery with the aim of decreasing recurrence rates. However, properly designed prospective studies will need to be carried out to answer these questions.

Long-term Outcomes With Ifosfamide-based Hypofractionated Preoperative Chemoradiotherapy for Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to analyze outcomes for patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities using neoadjuvant ifosfamide-based chemotherapy and hypofractionated reduced dose radiotherapy, followed by limb-sparing surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved retrospective review of patients treated at a single institution between 1990 and 2013 was performed. In total, 116 patients were identified who received neoadjuvant ifosfamide-based chemotherapy and 28 Gy in 8 fractions of preoperative radiation (equivalent dose in 2 Gray fractions, 31.5 Gy [α/ß 10] 36.4 Gy [α/ß 3]) followed by limb-sparing surgery. Local recurrence (LR), distant failure (DF), and overall survival (OS) were calculated. Univariate and multivariate analysis for LR, DF, and OS were performed using Cox analysis. Statistical significance was set at a P<0.05. RESULTS: Median follow-up was 5.9 years (range, 0.3 to 24 y). Actuarial LR at 3/6 years was 11%/17%, DF at 3/6 years was 25%/35%, and OS at 3/6 years was 82%/67%. On multivariate analysis, only a positive surgical margin was significantly correlated with worse local control (P=0.005; hazard ratio [HR], 18.33; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.41-139.34). Age over 60 years (P=0.03; HR, 2.34; 95% CI, 1.10-4.98) and tumor size over 10 cm compared with tumor size ≤5 cm (P=0.03; HR, 3.32; 95% CI, 1.15-9.61) were associated with worse OS. CONCLUSIONS: Soft tissue extremity sarcoma patients treated using reduced dose hypofractionated preoperative radiotherapy in combination with ifosfamide-based chemotherapy shows acceptable local control and warrants further investigation.

Predictors and Sequelae of Postoperative Delirium in Geriatric Hip Fracture Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Perioperative delirium in elderly hip fracture patients has been correlated with significant morbidity. The purpose of this study was to determine the preoperative risk factors for and short-term sequelae of postoperative delirium in geriatric hip fracture patients. METHODS: We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to identify geriatric (≥65 years) patients who sustained operative hip fractures in 2016. Cohorts of patients with and without documented postoperative delirium were identified. Primary data on patient demographics and comorbidities were collected and correlated with postoperative complications and hip fracture outcome measures. Multivariate regression was used to compute risk-adjusted odds ratios (OR) of risk factors and sequelae of delirium. RESULTS: In total, 8,439 geriatric hip fracture patients were identified of whom 2,569 patients (30.4%) had postoperative delirium. Age (OR 1.03 [1.02-1.04, p < 0.001), white race (OR 1.54 [1.19-2.00], p = 0.001), American Society of Anesthesiologists classification (OR 1.20 [1.07-1.36], p = 0.003), baseline dementia (OR 2.46 [2.11-2.86], p < 0.001), and preoperative delirium (OR 10.06 [8.12-12.45], p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for postoperative delirium in multivariate analysis. Patients with postoperative delirium had a significantly higher risk-adjusted 30-day mortality (12.0% vs. 4.8%, OR 2.22 [1.74-2.84], p < 0.001) and morbidity profile. Postoperative delirium was also independently associated with higher rates of discharge to (OR 1.65 [1.32-2.06], p < 0.001) and prolonged stay in (OR 1.79 [1.53-2.09], p < 0.001) an inpatient facility, hospital readmission (OR 1.94 [1.58-2.38], p < 0.001) and hospital length of stay (7.6 ± 5.0 vs. 6.1 ± 4.1 days, p < 0.001), as well as lower rates of immediate postoperative weight bearing (OR 0.73 [0.63-0.86], p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Postoperative delirium is a common occurrence in geriatric hip fractures with multiple risk factors. Delirium portends higher mortality and worse perioperative hospital-based outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Multidisciplinary foreknowledge and management efforts are warranted to mitigate the risk of developing delirium, which strongly predicts perioperative morbidity, mortality, and hip fracture outcomes.

Proceedings of the 2016 Santa Fe Bone Symposium: New Concepts in the Management of Osteoporosis and Metabolic Bone Diseases.

The Santa Fe Bone Symposium is an annual meeting of healthcare professionals and clinical researchers that details the clinical relevance of advances in knowledge of skeletal diseases. The 17th Santa Fe Bone Symposium was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, on August 5-6, 2016. The program included plenary lectures, oral presentations by endocrinology fellows, meet-the-professor sessions, and panel discussions, all aimed to provide ample opportunity for interactive discussions among all participants. Symposium topics included recent developments in the translation of basic bone science to patient care, new clinical practice guidelines for postmenopausal osteoporosis, management of patients with disorders of phosphate metabolism, new and emerging treatments for rare bone diseases, strategies to enhance fracture healing, and an update on Bone Health Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes, using a teleconferencing platform to elevate the level of knowledge of healthcare professionals in underserved communities to deliver best practice care for skeletal diseases. The highlights and important clinical messages of the 2016 Santa Fe Bone Symposium are provided herein by each of the faculty presenters.

Patients Receiving Parenteral Bisphosphonates for Malignant Disease and Having Developed an Atypical Femoral Fracture Are at Risk of Concomitant Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: An Evidence-Based Review.

PURPOSE: The risk of developing concomitant medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in patients who have sustained an atypical femoral fracture (AFF) in association with parental administration of a bisphosphonate osteoclastic inhibitor medication for malignant disease is unclear. Published data were searched to determine the prevalence of these concomitant adverse medication events, if any. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of published case series in the PubMed database was undertaken to ascertain the prevalence of patients having a concomitant history of AFF and MRONJ. The data were analyzed to provide prevalence rates of these events from the literature. RESULTS: Two case series were identified that delineated the risk (25 and 33%, respectively) of concomitant development of MRONJ and AFF in recipients of parenteral bisphosphonate medication administered for malignant disease. CONCLUSION: The published data suggest that approximately 30% of patients receiving parenteral bisphosphonates and having sustained an AFF could develop comorbid MRONJ.

Percutaneous Image-Guided Musculoskeletal Tumor Treatments.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review the current guidelines and recommendations for percutaneous image-guided treatment of musculoskeletal tumors. CONCLUSION: With the ongoing technologic advances, it is essential that the musculoskeletal interventionalist is familiar with the current tools and techniques available for the treatment of soft-tissue and bone tumors. Fortunately, many of these tools are readily available in a standard interventional radiology department and can be easily applied to the musculoskeletal system.

Patient-reported Symptoms of Tenosynovial Giant Cell Tumors.

PURPOSE: Tenosynovial giant cell tumor (TGCT), a rare locally aggressive neoplasm of the synovium of joints and tendon sheaths, is associated with joint destruction, inflammation, pain, and swelling, in part due to colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor-bearing macrophages recruited to the tumor by genetic elevation of colony-stimulating factor 1 activity. The most common treatment is surgery, although promising pharmacologic treatments are in development. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments are critical end points in demonstrating the clinical relevance of standard oncologic outcome measures and the overall impact of novel pharmacologic therapies in nonmalignant neoplastic conditions such as TGCT. The content validity of PROs relevant to patients with TGCT has not been formally investigated, and instruments to evaluate such outcomes do not exist for this condition. METHODS: PRO instruments of potential relevance were evaluated by using a literature review and by clinical and PRO experts. Patients with TGCT were recruited through clinical sites and the Internet for participation in qualitative research interviews to identify predominant symptoms and to test the relevance and content validity of several PRO measures. Select PRO measures were included in a Phase I clinical trial, and preliminary results of the PRO end points are reported descriptively. FINDINGS: Of the 22 subjects who participated in qualitative interviews, 73% were female, and their mean age was 42.5 years (range, 27-56 years). The TGCTs (19 diffuse and 3 localized) were located in the knee (n = 15), hip (n = 3), ankle (n = 2), elbow (n = 1), and forearm (n = 1). The most common symptoms cited were pain (82%), swelling (86%), stiffness (73%), reduced range of motion (64%), and joint instability (64%), which were consistent with clinical expert input and with the content of instruments chosen by PRO experts. The worst pain numeric rating scale, Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System physical functioning items, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, as well as a worst stiffness numeric rating scale developed for TGCT, were confirmed as meaningful measures of TGCT patient symptoms and were well understood in qualitative interviews. Results from the Phase I trial showed trends of improvement in both pain and stiffness over time. IMPLICATIONS: This study is the first to gather information directly from patients with TGCT regarding their symptom experiences. Pain, stiffness, and physical functioning are important treatment outcomes in patients with TGCT. We have identified content-valid PRO measures of these concepts, which are included in an ongoing Phase III TGCT clinical trial with pexidartinib (PLX3397) (NCT02371369).

Case discussion: hip fracture in a patient on hospice with dementia and anemia.

This case presents a discussion of a frail 98-year-old woman in hospice care, with a history of dementia, previous hip fracture, and anemia, who is admitted with a left intertrochanteric fracture. Care is coordinated and expedited by an interdisciplinary team to optimize her outcome, in the context of her goals of care.

Influence of upper extremity assistance on lower extremity force application symmetry in individuals post-hip fracture during the sit-to-stand task.

STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study using a cross-sectional design. OBJECTIVES: To compare lower extremity force applications during a sit-to-stand (STS) task with and without upper extremity assistance in older individuals post-hip fracture to those of age-matched controls. BACKGROUND: A recent study documented the dependence on upper extremity assistance and the uninvolved lower limb during an STS task in individuals post-hip fracture. This study extends this work by examining the effect of upper extremity assistance on symmetry of lower extremity force applications. METHODS: Twenty-eight community-dwelling elderly subjects, 14 who had recovered from a hip fracture and 14 controls, participated in the study. All participants were independent ambulators. Four force plates were used to determine lower extremity force applications during an STS task with and without upper extremity assistance. The summed vertical ground reaction forces (vGRFs) of both limbs were used to determine STS phases (preparation/rising). The lower extremity force applications were assessed statistically using analysis of variance models. RESULTS: During the preparation phase, side-to-side symmetry of the rate of force development was significantly lower for the hip fracture group for both STS tasks (P<.001). During the rising phase, the vGRF impulse of the involved limb was significantly lower for the hip fracture group for both STS tasks (P = .045). The vGRF impulse for the uninvolved limb was significantly increased when participants with hip fracture did not use upper extremity assistance compared to elderly controls (P = .002). This resulted in a significantly lower vGRF symmetry for the hip fracture group during both STS tasks (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Participants with hip fracture who were discharged from rehabilitative care demonstrated decreased side-to-side symmetry of lower extremity loading during an STS task, irrespective of whether upper extremity assistance was provided. These findings suggest that learned motor control strategies may influence movement patterns post-hip fracture.

Endogenous tissue engineering: PTH therapy for skeletal repair.

Based on its proven anabolic effects on bone in osteoporosis patients, recombinant parathyroid hormone (PTH(1-34)) has been evaluated as a potential therapy for skeletal repair. In animals, the effect of PTH(1-34) has been investigated in various skeletal repair models such as fractures, allografting, spinal arthrodesis and distraction osteogenesis. These studies have demonstrated that intermittent PTH(1-34) treatment enhances and accelerates the skeletal repair process via a number of mechanisms, which include effects on mesenchymal stem cells, angiogenesis, chondrogenesis, bone formation and resorption. Furthermore, PTH(1-34) has been shown to enhance bone repair in challenged animal models of aging, inflammatory arthritis and glucocorticoid-induced bone loss. This pre-clinical success has led to off-label clinical use and a number of case reports documenting PTH(1-34) treatment of delayed-unions and non-unions have been published. Although a recently completed phase 2 clinical trial of PTH(1-34) treatment of patients with radius fracture has failed to achieve its primary outcome, largely because of effective healing in the placebo group, several secondary outcomes are statistically significant, highlighting important issues concerning the appropriate patient population for PTH(1-34) therapy in skeletal repair. Here, we review our current knowledge of the effects of PTH(1-34) therapy for bone healing, enumerate several critical unresolved issues (e.g., appropriate dosing regimen and indications) and discuss the long-term potential of this drug as an adjuvant for endogenous tissue engineering.