Early postoperative gain in activity levels of lower extremity sarcoma survivors positively affects long-term physical activity and performance.

PURPOSE: Little is known about the effect of sports activity levels on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in long-term survivors of lower-extremity sarcoma. METHODS: Eighty-three long-term survivors of bone and soft tissue sarcoma of the lower extremities with a median follow-up of 14 (range: 5-35) years completed the University of California and Los Angeles (UCLA) activity scores before tumor resection, 1 year after surgery and at the latest follow-up, as well as a Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey at the latest follow-up. Simple linear regression models as well as stepwise variable selection with Akaike information criterion (AIC) were undertaken. RESULTS: The preoperative UCLA activity level (median: 9, range: 2-10) dropped to a median of 4 (range: 1-10) 1 year after surgery before increasing to a score of 6 (range: 2-10) 5 years after surgery. The long-term SF-36 physical health component summary score (PCS) was 49 (SD: 9), and the mental health component summary score (MCS) was 54 (SD: 7). A linear model with stepwise variable selection identified a negative correlation of PCS with age at surgery (estimate: -0.2; p = 0.02), UCLA score at the last follow-up (estimate: 1.4; p = 0.02) and UCLA score 1 year after surgery (estimate: 1.0; p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: As not only the final activity levels but also the status immediately after surgery affect the PCS, higher early activity levels should be a goal of modern rehabilitation after sarcoma treatment. Further studies are needed to weigh the potential postoperative risks of higher sport activity levels against the benefits described in this study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 4.

Complications, mobility, and quality of life in ankle sarcoma patients.

AIMS: The aims of the study were to analyze differences in surgical and oncological outcomes, as well as quality of life (QoL) and function in patients with ankle sarcomas undergoing three forms of surgical treatment, minor or major limb salvage surgery (LSS), or amputation. METHODS: A total of 69 patients with ankle sarcomas, treated between 1981 and 2017 at two tumour centres, were retrospectively reviewed (mean age at surgery: 46.3 years (SD 22.0); 31 females (45%)). Among these 69 patients 25 were analyzed prospectively (mean age at latest follow-up: 61.2 years (SD 20.7); 11 females (44%)), and assessed for mobility using the Prosthetic Limb Users Survey of Mobility (PLUS-M; for amputees only), the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS), and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Activity Score. Individual QoL was evaluated in these 25 patients using the five-level EuroQol five-dimension (EQ-5D-5L) and Fragebogen zur Lebenszufriedenheit/Questions on Life Satisfaction (FLZ). RESULTS: Of the total number of patients in the study, 22 (32%) underwent minor LSS and 22 (32%) underwent major LSS; 25 underwent primary amputation (36%). Complications developed in 26 (38%) patients, and were more common in those with major or minor LSS in comparison to amputation (59% vs 36% vs 20%; p = 0.022). A time-dependent trend towards higher complication risk following any LSS was present (relative risk: 0.204; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.026 to 1.614; p = 0.095). In the prospective cohort, mean TESS was higher following minor LSS in comparison to amputation (91.0 vs 67.3; p = 0.006), while there was no statistically significant difference between major LSS and amputation (81.6 vs 67.3; p = 0.099). There was no difference in mean UCLA (p = 0.334) between the three groups (p = 0.334). None of the items in FLZ or EQ-5D-5L were different between the three groups (all p > 0.05), except for FLZ item "self-relation", being lower in amputees. CONCLUSION: Complications are common following LSS for ankle sarcomas. QoL is comparable between patients with LSS or amputation, despite better mobility scores for patients following minor LSS. We conclude that these results allow a decision for amputation to be made more easily in patients particularly where the principles of oncological surgery would otherwise be at risk. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(3):553-561.

Ultrasound of horizontal instability of the acromioclavicular joint : A simple and reliable test based on a cadaveric study.

BACKGROUND: Horizontal instability influences the clinical outcome after acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) injuries and in joint degeneration. A standardized, dynamic examination of the horizontal instability has not been described before. This current study presents a sonographic method to analyze the dynamics between the clavicle and acromion in the horizontal plane. METHODS: The horizontal joint play, the ACJ space and the offset between clavicle and acromion were sonographically assessed by a 45° ventrally angulated longitudinal section. A total of four investigators with different experience in the field of musculoskeletal ultrasound examining 20 ACJs in 10 human cadavers. Measurements in the absence of any pressure and under standardized anterior and posterior pressure onto the clavicle were carried out in different ligament status intact acromioclavicular (AC) and coracoclavicular (CC) ligaments as well as in a Rockwood (RW) II and III model. A two-sided t­test was used to examine the differences between joint positions and ligament status. RESULTS: The horizontal joint play was 1.3 ± 0.9 mm with intact ligaments, 1.4 ± 1.2 mm by transecting the AC ligaments and 1.9 ± 1.3 mm after additionally transecting the CC ligament. The joint space was 3.3 ± 1.1 mm with intact ligaments, 4.1 ± 1.8 mm in an iatrogenic RW 2 injury, and 5.3 ± 3.3 mm in an iatrogenic RW 3 injury. Manipulating the clavicle by applying anterior or posterior pressure did not change the difference within one injury pattern. Interobserver reliability was 83.9%. CONCLUSION: Apart from evaluating the ligaments and the joint capsule, measurement of the dynamic horizontal instability is possible in a human cadaver model. The ultrasound-based measurement of horizontal instability dynamics avoids radiation exposure, is readily available and cost-efficient.

C-reactive protein: An independent predictor for dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma.

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is a rare primary bone malignancy with a very poor prognosis. The aim of the study was to identify pretreatment serum markers as prognostic factors for the overall survival (OS) of patients with dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. We retrospectively reviewed 33 patients with histologically confirmed dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma treated at our department from 1977 to 2015. Kaplan-Meier estimation, uni- and multivariable Cox proportional hazard model were performed to evaluate the association between serum markers such as the C-reactive protein and OS. In univariable analysis, CRP was strongly associated with OS (HR 1.35; 95%CI 1.13-1.61; p = 0.001). This association prevailed after adjustment for AJCC tumor stage (HR 1.31; 95%CI 1.02-1.57; p = 0.031) in multivariable analysis. In conclusion, our data gave evidence that baseline CRP is an independent predictor for OS in patients with dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma. CRP could be exploited for the clinical prediction of this disease in the future. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of Orthopaedic Research® Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society. J Orthop Res 36:2797-2801, 2018.

C-reactive protein as a prognostic factor in patients with chordoma of lumbar spine and sacrum--a single center pilot study.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective, diagnostic study, level IV. BACKGROUND: It appears to be necessary to identify prognostic markers for individual risk estimation for progression and survival in patients with chordoma, a rare disease. Are pre-operative serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) associated with disease progression and survival? METHODS: Survival rates of 24 patients (18 males, 6 females) (mean age 67 years (SD ± 16; range 20-85 years); minimum follow-up 2 years, mean follow-up 5 years (SD ± 5; range 2-19 years)) with chordoma of the lower spine and sacrum were assessed with a focus on pre-operative CRP levels. RESULTS: The survival rate of patients with pre-operative CRP level of >1.0 mg/dl was lower than that of patients with a CRP level <1.0 mg/dl (p = 0.01). The estimated 10-year survival of patients with pre-operative CRP values <1.0 and >1.0 mg/dl was 76 and 25%, respectively. CRP remained as an independent survival factor (p = 0.025; CI 95% 1.0-2.6) in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-operative CRP levels appear to be a biomarker for disease-specific survival in patients with chordoma of the lumbar spine and sacrum. A validation of our finding with larger cohorts and integration of putative risk factor would further elucidate CRP a surrogate for tumor progression.

Do patients with ewing's sarcoma continue with sports activities after limb salvage surgery of the lower extremity?

BACKGROUND: Limb salvage surgery has evolved to become the standard method of treating sarcomas of the extremities with acceptable oncologic results. However, little information exists relative to the activity level or ability to participate in sports after tumor reconstructions. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The aims of the study were to answer the following questions: (1) Which sports activity levels and what types of sports can be expected in the long term after tumor reconstruction? (2) Which frequency durations are patients with Ewing's sarcoma able to perform in long-term followup after local control? (3) Do surgical complications affect sports activity level? METHODS: Thirty patients (13 females, 17 males; mean age, 18 ± 8 years; range, 2-36 years at diagnosis; mean followup 16 ± 6 years [minimum, 5 years]) were included. Tumors were located in the pelvis, femur, tibia, and fibula. Surgical procedures included surgical resections alone (n = 8), surgical resection with biological reconstruction (n = 9), or endoprosthetic reconstruction (n = 13). We assessed UCLA sports activity levels, kinds of sports as well as the frequency per week and the duration of each training unit at long term (minimum followup, 5 years). RESULTS: In long-term followup 83% patients (25 of 30) were performing athletic activity regularly. The hours/week of sports depended on type of surgery and were highest after resections in the pelvis and femur (5.8) and were lowest after megaprosthetic reconstruction of the pelvis (1.0). Patients undergoing biologic reconstructions were able to perform high-impact sports. UCLA sports activity levels were high after joint-preserving vascularized fibula for tibia reconstruction (7.4) and after megaprosthetic reconstruction of the lower extremity (6.3-6.4) and were low after tumors located in the fibula (4.2). Complications during followup did not significantly influence sports activity in long-term survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term survivors can achieve high levels of sports activity in many instances. Tumor sites are associated with the postoperative sports activity levels. This information can help surgeons counsel patients in terms of athletic expectations after limb salvage reconstruction for patients with Ewing's sarcoma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.