Predictors of local recurrence in high-grade soft tissue sarcomas: hydrogen peroxide as a local adjuvant.

Soft tissue sarcomas have a mortality rate of 40% to 60%, with local recurrence being a poor prognostic factor for overall survival. Three-percent nondiluted hydrogen peroxide is hypothesized to be an effective local adjuvant. The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for local recurrence in high-grade soft tissue sarcomas and to determine whether using hydrogen peroxide as a local adjuvant reduced the risks of local recurrence and surgical-site infection.

Effectiveness of ultraporous β-tricalcium phosphate (vitoss) as bone graft substitute for cavitary defects in benign and low-grade malignant bone tumors.

We retrospectively evaluated healing with ultraporous β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP [Vitoss; Orthovida, Malvern, Pennsylvania]) bone graft in patients who underwent surgical excision or curettage of benign bone lesions subsequently filled with bone void filler. Twentynine patients were treated with curettage and ultraporous β-TCP morsels. Radiologic defect size at initial postoperative presentation and subsequent visits (minimum follow-up, 6 months) was evaluated.

Internal and external hemipelvectomy or flail hip in patients with sarcomas: quality-of-life and functional outcomes.

Objective: We evaluated the quality-of-life of patients who have had an internal hemipelvectomy with and without (flail hip) prosthetic reconstruction and external hemipelvectomy.

Design: We reviewed the cases of 15 patients who had undergone either internal or external hemipelvectomy for tumor. Fifteen patients who were previously treated operatively with either a type II periacetabular internal (n = 5) or external (n = 10) hemipelvectomy were evaluated using the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS), Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS), and the 36-item Short-Form Health Survey.

Fracture risk with pressurized-spray cryosurgery.

Forty-two patients treated with curettage, burring, direct pressurized cryotherapy, and bone grafting or cementation were retrospectively reviewed. There were no pathologic fractures in this study group, compared with a 17% fracture rate in recent studies using the "direct pour" technique. Direct pressurized cryotherapy was used in 3 separate freezing cycles in each case.

A retrospective statistical analysis of high-grade soft tissue sarcomas.

Soft-tissue sarcomas have a mortality rate ranging from 40-60% for high-grade lesions. Prior identified risk factors for post-surgical mortality include tumor size, lesion histology, and margin status at resection. A better understanding of prognostic factors is needed to guide patient counseling and treatment.

Aspirin and compression devices versus low-molecular-weight heparin and PCD for VTE prophylaxis in orthopedic oncology patients.

Background: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are possible sources of morbidity and mortality in patients with musculoskeletal neoplasms (MSN).

Objective: To compare the efficacy of aspirin (ASA) and pneumatic compression devices (PCD) to low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and PCD in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures for MSN of the pelvis or lower extremity.

Methods: Of 348 patients who met the study criteria, 195 were treated with ASA/PCD and 153 with LMWH/PCD.

Fine needle aspiration for clinical triage of extremity soft tissue masses.

Background: Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a rapid and low-morbid alternative to open biopsy or needle core biopsy for soft tissue masses. Numerous reports describe its use with metastatic or recurrent lesions, but FNAC is less accepted for primary lesions.

Questions/purposes: We wished (1) to estimate the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of FNAC for diagnosing malignancy; (2) to estimate the accuracy of subtyping and grading.