[Christmas article: A quantitative analysis of the correlation between the size of the femoral head and shoe size – a help for the busy orthopedic surgeon].

Introduction: Preoperative templating in hip arthroplasty surgery is crucial for accurate implant selection and reducing postoperative complications. This study examines whether there is a correlation between femoral head size and shoe size, with the aim of simplifying the preoperative planning process.

Methods: A total of 14 patients had their shoe size and femoral head size measured.

Does the use of polymethyl-methacrylate cement after intralesional curettage of giant cell tumors of appendicular bone guarantee reduced local recurrence rates? A retrospective analysis.

Purpose: Polymethyl-methacrylate cement (PMMA) is often used as bone defect reconstruction material after surgical removal of giant cell tumors. The purpose of this study was to investigate if the application of PMMA improves the local recurrence rates for giant cell tumors (GCT) of appendicular bone treated with intralesional curettage.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of all appendicular GTCs treated at two major Danish sarcoma centres between the 1 of January 1998 and December 31 2013; minimum follow-up of 3.

Solitary enchondromas-diagnosis and surveillance : Danish guidelines.

Enchondromas (EC) are frequent incidental findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed for the diagnosis of joint pathology, especially observed on MRI examinations of the knee and shoulder. Enchondroma has potential for malignant transformation to chondrosarcoma (CS), and it may be difficult to distinguish EC from low-malignant CS on the basis of imaging or histopathology studies. Therefore, EC is mostly followed up to monitor any growth and/or changes indicating aggressive tumor.

Chondrosarcoma: the impact of comorbidity - 30 years of experience from a population-based database including 199 consecutive chondrosarcoma patients.

Background: Adjustment for comorbidity when investigating potential prognostic factors, especially in elderly cancer patients, is imperative. Patients diagnosed with chondrosarcoma are elderly and more comorbidity is expected for these patients. Demographic changes are awaited in the future resulting in more and more elderly patients with comorbidity.

Surgery of non-spinal skeletal metastases in renal cell carcinoma: No effect of preoperative embolization?

Background And Purpose: Surgery for metastases of renal cell carcinoma has increased in the last decade. It carries a risk of massive blood loss, as tumors are hypervascular and the surgery is often extensive. Preoperative embolization is believed to facilitate surgery.

Characteristics of 64 sarcoma patients referred to a sarcoma center after unplanned excision.

Background And Methods: Unplanned excision of sarcoma before referral to specialist centers can affect prognosis and surgical outcome. The diagnostic pathway of these patients is uncertain and needs to be reviewed. We aimed to describe patient and tumor characteristics, initial symptoms, initial and final diagnosis, and explore reasons for unplanned excision in this patient group.

Alarm symptoms of soft-tissue and bone sarcoma in patients referred to a specialist center.

Background And Purpose: The Danish Cancer Patient Pathway for sarcoma defines a set of alarm symptoms as criteria for referral to a sarcoma center. This may exclude cancer patients without alarm symptoms, so we investigated the presence of alarm symptoms (defined as being indicative of a sarcoma) in patients who had been referred to the Aarhus Sarcoma Center.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed the medical records of all 1,126 patients who had been referred, with suspected sarcoma, from other hospitals in the period 2007-2010 for information on symptoms, clinical findings, and diagnosis.

The importance of standardized treatment in high-grade osteosarcoma: 30 years of experience from a hospital-based database.

Background: Treatment of high-grade osteosarcoma remains a major challenge in orthopedic oncology as no major breakthrough in overall survival has occurred in the past 20 years. Due to the rarity of the disease, comparing the results of a single institution to best standard practice needs the establishment of clinical databases. The aim of this study was to report the cumulative 30-years' experience of a single institution and to assess the incidence, survival and prognostic factors of high-grade osteosarcoma using a recently validated, hospital-based database, representing all citizens living in western Denmark, the Aarhus Sarcoma Registry.

Prognostic role of en-bloc resection and late onset of bone metastasis in patients with bone-seeking carcinomas of the kidney, breast, lung, and prostate: SSG study on 672 operated skeletal metastases.

Background And Objectives: In metastatic disease, decisions regarding potential surgery require reliable data about the patient's survival. In this study, we evaluated different prognostic factors and their impact in four common primary tumors causing bone metastases.

Methods: Data were acquired from the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group (SSG) metastasis registry.

Prognostic factors for local recurrence and mortality in adult soft tissue sarcoma of the extremities and trunk wall: a cohort study of 922 consecutive patients.

Background And Purpose: Previous studies of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) have identified a number of possible prognostic factors; however, the majority of these include highly selected populations, with unclear validation of data and insufficient statistical methods. We identified prognostic factors in a validated, population-based 30-year series of STS treated at a single institution, using an advanced statistical approach.

Patients And Methods: Between 1979 and 2008, 922 adult patients from western Denmark were treated at the Aarhus Sarcoma Center for non-metastatic STS in the extremities or trunk.

Cancer Patient Pathways shortens waiting times and accelerates the diagnostic process of suspected sarcoma patients in Denmark.

Cancer Patient Pathways (CPPs) for suspected cancer were implemented in Denmark to reduce waiting times for cancer diagnosis and treatment. Our study describes developments in time intervals and tumour size in a natural experiment before and after implementation of the CPP for sarcomas (January 1st, 2009). Medical files for patients referred with suspected sarcoma from other hospitals to Aarhus Sarcoma Centre during 2007-2010 (n=1126) were reviewed for data on milestones, time intervals, performed diagnostics, and tumour size.

External validation of the Bayesian Estimated Tools for Survival (BETS) models in patients with surgically treated skeletal metastases.

Background: We recently developed two Bayesian networks, referred to as the Bayesian-Estimated Tools for Survival (BETS) models, capable of estimating the likelihood of survival at 3 and 12 months following surgery for patients with operable skeletal metastases (BETS-3 and BETS-12, respectively). In this study, we attempted to externally validate the BETS-3 and BETS-12 models using an independent, international dataset.

Methods: Data were collected from the Scandinavian Skeletal Metastasis Registry for patients with extremity skeletal metastases surgically treated at eight major Scandinavian referral centers between 1999 and 2009.

Pathological subtrochanteric fractures in 194 patients: a comparison of outcome after surgical treatment of pathological and non-pathological fractures.

Background: The surgical treatment of pathological subtrochanteric fractures has been associated with technical difficulties and frequent failures. We analyzed survival, risk factors for death, and outcome after surgical treatment.

Methods: The study group consisted of 194 patients with pathological subtrochanteric femur fractures operated during 1999-2009.

Complications and survival after surgical treatment of 214 metastatic lesions of the humerus.

Background: The humerus is the second most common long-bone site of metastatic bone disease. We report complications, risk factors for failure, and survival of a large series of patients operated on for skeletal metastases of the humerus.

Materials And Methods: This study was based on 208 patients treated surgically for 214 metastatic lesions of the humerus.

[Surgical treatment of skeletal metastases in the pelvis and extremities].

Introduction: In choosing a surgical treatment for skeletal metastases, an assessment of the individual patient's prognosis fis essential. The aim of surgical treatment is to alleviate pain and maintain function, thus improving the patient's quality of life. We analysed the survival of patients with skeletal metastases who had been surgically treated at the University Hospital in Aarhus from September 1999 to March 2003.