Neoadjuvant Radiation in High-Grade Soft-Tissue Sarcomas: Histopathologic Features and Response Evaluation.

In this study, we sought to determine the prognostic value of both the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer-Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Group (EORTC-STBSG) score and the histologic parameters viable tumor, coagulative necrosis, hyalinization/fibrosis, and infarction in patients (n=64) with localized, nonmetastatic high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas after preoperative radiomonotherapy. A standardized macroscopic workup for pretreated surgical specimen including evaluation of a whole section of high-grade soft tissue sarcomas in the largest diameter, was used. Association with overall survival and disease-free survival was assessed.

[Amputations around the knee].

An amputation around, through or below the knee joint constitutes a "huge" change in a patient's life. In Orthopaedics, amputations are most frequently performed in cases with musculoskeletal tumours or failed total knee arthroplasty. A multidisciplinary team approach (surgeon, anaesthetist, pain specialists, orthotist, psychologist etc.

Pathological Fracture and Prognosis of High-Grade Osteosarcoma of the Extremities: An Analysis of 2,847 Consecutive Cooperative Osteosarcoma Study Group (COSS) Patients.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate potential correlations between pathologic fractures (PFs) and prognosis of patients with primary central high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremities.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 2,847 patients registered in the Consecutive Cooperative Osteosarcoma Study Group database with primary central high-grade osteosarcoma of the extremities, treated between 1980 and 2010. Intended treatment included pre- and postoperative chemotherapy and surgery.

Periodontopathogenic bacteria in prosthetic joint infection: a retrospective analysis of 1,673 patients.

Objectives: Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a severe complication for patients and represents an increasing health problem. At present, very limited data are available on the potential role of periodontopathogenic bacteria in PJI. The aim of this analysis was to compare the presence of periodontopathogenic bacteria in surgically treated patients diagnosed with PJI (study) to that of surgically treated infected orthopedic patients without PJI (controls).

[Total endoprosthetic replacement of femur, humerus and tibia].

Improvements in diagnostics and effectiveness of chemotherapy have resulted in most patients with primary malignant bone tumours being candidates for limb salvage surgery. Herewith, the use of modern modular tumour endoprostheses allows for the replacement of all big joints and even entire long bones such as the femur, humerus and tibia. In this article, we focus on individual prerequisites for and challenges with performing a total endoprosthetic reconstruction of the above-mentioned anatomic structures.

Psychosocial Distress in Follow-up Care - Results of a Tablet-based Routine Screening in 202 Patients With Sarcoma.

Background: Patients with sarcoma are particularly vulnerable to psychosocial distress. The aim of this study was to collect preliminary data on the prevalence of psychosocial distress in such patients during follow-up care and identify risk factors associated with higher psycho-oncological stress levels.

Patients And Methods: The study retrospectively enrolled 202 patients with bone or soft-tissue sarcomas who underwent routine psychosocial distress screening during their follow-up care.

Standardized Screening and Psycho-oncological Treatment of Orthopedic Cancer Patients.

Background/aim: Psycho-oncological distress is a relevant clinical problem. The aim of this study was to administer a standardized psycho-oncological distress screening for early identification and indication-based treatment of highly distressed orthopedic cancer patients as well as the evaluation of distress patterns.

Patients And Methods: In total, 35 patients with cancer were psycho-oncologically screened using a cancer-specific expert rating scale (Basic Documentation for Psycho-Oncology Short Form) at three different time points (day of admission, day before discharge, 3 months postoperatively).

Impact of Pathological Fractures on the Prognosis of Primary Malignant Bone Sarcoma in Children and Adults: A Single-Center Retrospective Study of 205 Patients.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether pathological fractures (PF) influence the prognosis of patients with osteosarcoma (OS) or Ewing tumor (ET) regarding 5-year survival, occurrence of metastases, and local recurrence.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 205 patients with metastatic and nonmetastatic OS or ET. Survival analysis was performed for all patients and differentiated for patients with OS (n = 127) and ET (n = 78) as well as for adults (n = 101) and children (n = 104).

PD-L1 and PD-1 and characterization of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in high grade sarcomas of soft tissue - prognostic implications and rationale for immunotherapy.

Therapies targeting programmed death 1-(PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1), promoting antitumor T-cell activity have been successfully introduced into clinical practice. Clinical response correlates with PD-L1 expression by tumor cells or immune cells within the tumor microenvironment. The PD-L1/PD-1 axis and tumor microenvironment has been rarely studied in high-grade sarcomas of soft tissue (hSTS), a group of rare, genetically heterogenous and clinically aggressive tumors.

[Autologous fibula transplantation for reconstruction of bone defects].

The reconstruction of large bone defects following tumor resection, trauma or infection is difficult and subject to individual preferences of each surgeon. Free autologous fibula grafts are a reliable biological treatment method, whereas both a vascularised and a non-vascularised transplantation is possible. The use of either treatment option - vascularised or non-vascularised - is accompanied by individual advantages and/or disadvantages that should be taken into consideration during the preoperative planning process.

Prognostic factors and outcome of Liposarcoma patients: a retrospective evaluation over 15 years.

Background: Soft tissue sarcomas are rare entities with over 50 histological subtypes. Liposarcoma (LS) is the most common neoplasm in this group; it is a complex neoplasm that is divided into different histological subtypes. Different therapy options, such as surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy, are available.

[Metastatic disease in long bones : Review of surgical treatment options].

Surgery in metastatic bone disease is currently the most frequent type of surgery in orthopedic oncology. Improved survival rates and an increasing incidence of bone metastasis have led to an increase in complications caused by metastatic disease, such as pathological fractures or hardware failure after operative treatment. Although surgery of metastatic lesions remains a palliative therapy concept, because of sufficient therapy for the primary carcinomas, tumor-specific-oriented follow-up protocols and a variation in the prognosis for the individual entities, an individually adapted treatment strategy is necessary.

Exome sequencing of osteosarcoma reveals mutation signatures reminiscent of BRCA deficiency.

Osteosarcomas are aggressive bone tumours with a high degree of genetic heterogeneity, which has historically complicated driver gene discovery. Here we sequence exomes of 31 tumours and decipher their evolutionary landscape by inferring clonality of the individual mutation events. Exome findings are interpreted in the context of mutation and SNP array data from a replication set of 92 tumours.

Study of Preoperative Radiotherapy for Sarcomas of the Extremities with Intensity-Modulation, Image-Guidance and Small Safety-margins (PREMISS).

Background: The aim of the trial is to demonstrate that with the use of modern IMRT/IGRT and reduction of safety margins postoperative wound complications can be reduced.

Methods/ Design: The trial is designed as a prospective, monocentric clinical phase II trial. The treatment is performed with helical IMRT on the Tomotherapy HiArt System© or with RapidArc© IMRT as available.

Long-term functional outcome and quality of life following rotationplasty for treatment of malignant tumors.

Background: Malignant bone tumors of the lower extremity are more frequently found in children and adolescents than in adults. Modern treatment regimens led to high limb salvage rates and offer the choice between endoprosthetic replacement and rotationplasty in many cases. Rotationplasty has proven to be an effective, highly functional option in short- and mid-term studies.

Function of the extensor mechanism of the knee after using the 'patellar-loop technique' to reconstruct the patellar tendon when replacing the proximal tibia for tumour.

The aim of this study was to analyse the gait pattern, muscle force and functional outcome of patients who had undergone replacement of the proximal tibia for tumour and alloplastic reconstruction of the extensor mechanism using the patellar-loop technique. Between February 1998 and December 2009, we carried out wide local excision of a primary sarcoma of the proximal tibia, proximal tibial replacement and reconstruction of the extensor mechanism using the patellar-loop technique in 18 patients. Of these, nine were available for evaluation after a mean of 11.

[Insufficiency fractures after irradiation therapy - case series].

Background: Radiation therapy plays an essential part in modern treatment regimes of musculoskeletal tumors. Nevertheless damage to the surrounding tissue does occur inevitably. Postradiogenic changes of bone are associated with decreased stability and an increased fracture rate.

Management of musculoskeletal tumors during pregnancy: a retrospective study.

Background: In recent years, scientific research has increasingly focused on malignancies during pregnancy. However, the development of musculoskeletal tumors during pregnancy has only been the subject of a few studies so far. The primary aim of this study was to identify the incidence of sarcomas during pregnancy at our musculoskeletal tumor center (MSTC).

Do human tumor-associated viruses play a role in the development of synovial sarcoma?

Background: To date, the pathomechanism of soft tissue sarcomas such as synovial sarcoma remains unclear whereas even a viral etiology was suspected. Aim of this study was to analyze whether EBV, HHV-8 or HPV play a role in the development of synovial sarcomas.

Findings: In total 41 synovial sarcomas were included in this retrospective study.

View-Angle Tilting and Slice-Encoding Metal Artifact Correction for Artifact Reduction in MRI: Experimental Sequence Optimization for Orthopaedic Tumor Endoprostheses and Clinical Application.

Background: MRI plays a major role in follow-up of patients with malignant bone tumors. However, after limb salvage surgery, orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses might cause significant metal-induced susceptibility artifacts.

Purposes: To evaluate the benefit of view-angle tilting (VAT) and slice-encoding metal artifact correction (SEMAC) for MRI of large-sized orthopaedic tumor endoprostheses in an experimental model and to demonstrate clinical benefits for assessment of periprosthetic soft tissue abnormalities.

Inter- and intra-observer variability in biopsy of bone and soft tissue sarcomas.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to analyze the inter- and intra-observer variability regarding biopsy technique in bone and soft tissue sarcoma based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Patients And Methods: Thirty-seven MRI scans of bone and soft tissue sarcomas treated in our clinic were randomly selected. Six observers with three different expertise levels were assigned to analyze the scans for suspected entity and preferred biopsy technique at 2 time points with a delay of 8 weeks.

Local Staging of Soft-Tissue Sarcoma: Emphasis on Assessment of Neurovascular Encasement-Value of MR Imaging in 174 Confirmed Cases.

Purpose: To evaluate utility of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in local staging of soft-tissue sarcoma, with an emphasis on assessment of neurovascular encasement.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained; informed consent requirement was waived. Preoperative MR images in 174 patients with soft-tissue sarcoma were analyzed by two readers.

Unicameral Bone Cyst in the Calcaneus of Mirror Image Twins.

Unicameral bone cysts (UBCs) are benign tumor-like lesions that commonly occur in the diaphyseal or metaphyseal region of the long bones within the first 2 decades of life. Until today, the pathogenesis of UBC has been unclear, but mechanisms such as vascular occlusion or a response to trauma have been supposed. During the past decade, in particular, the genetic aspects of the development of this rare lesion have been discussed.

Delayed diagnosis of clear cell chondrosarcoma after total hip replacement. A case report of a rare entity encountered in common surgery.

We report the case of a young female patient who received a total hip replacement due to pain in her left hip joint, misdiagnosed as degenerative arthritis. A clear cell chondrosarcoma (CCCS) in the femoral head had initially not been detected. Seven years later, a periprosthetic recurrence of CCCS close to the former femoral osteotomy occurred.