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Background: Prophylactic intervention for impending pathological fractures (IF) is associated with improved survival in patients with long-bone metastasis. However, information regarding whether the tumor burden and/or physical status are associated with survival benefits of intervention for IF is lacking., Methods: This multicenter retrospective study investigated 121 patients who underwent surgery for 63 impending and 58 complete metastatic fractures of the proximal femur between 2008 and 2023. After matching for age, sex, body mass index, and Katagiri-New score, 42 patients with IF were compared with 42 patients with complete pathological fractures. The 1-year mortality rate was considered the primary outcome, and was compared and stratified by risk based on the Katagiri-New score. The 1-year mortality rate was evaluated according to the surgical method in the subgroup analysis of patients with IF., Results: The 1-year mortality rate was significantly lower in patients with IF with intermediate-to-high risk(p = 0.04), whereas no difference was observed in patients with low-to-high risk. IF was associated with a significantly higher rate of home discharge (p < 0.01) and improved post-operative ambulatory function (p = 0.07). The subgroup analysis of patients with IF revealed no difference in the survival rate between nailing and hemiarthroplasty., Conclusion: Patients with intermediate-to-high risk IF based on the Katagiri-New score had a lower mortality rate than those who underwent surgery for pathological fractures. A higher rate of home discharge was observed in patients with IF. Based on the Katagiri-New score, survival benefits can be obtained from prophylactic intervention for IF of the proximal femur in patients with intermediate-to high-risk., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

A 26-year-old male was asymptomatic and active until the age of 19 years. At the age of 20 years, he underwent lithotripsy for ureteral stones. As he grew older, he experienced bone pain, recurrent bilateral shoulder dislocations, and long bone fractures following minor trauma for which he was operated. Currently, he presented with another long bone fracture following minor trauma. Investigations showed increased serum calcium (11.5 mg/dL), 24-hour urinary calcium (420 mg/24 hours; 100-300 mg/day), and intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) (1688 pg/mL; 10-55 pg/mL). Serum phosphorus was 2.0 mg/dL (2.8-4.5 mg/dL) and 25-OH vitamin D was 10 ng/mL, both of which were decreased. He had normal vitamin B12 levels, complete blood count, kidney function test, liver function test, and thyroid profile. An ultrasound of the abdomen showed multiple bilateral renal calculi and gallbladder (GB) calculus. Calcitonin and 24-hour urinary catecholamine were within the normal range. His X-rays showed multiple lytic lesions in bones, multiple renal calculi, urinary bladder calculus, and fracture shaft of left femur (Figs 1 and 2). He was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism with osteitis fibrosa cystica. He was not willing for further investigations., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2024.)

Objectives: Metastatic bone disease is estimated to develop in up to 17% of patients with melanoma, compromising skeleton integrity resulting in skeletal-related events (SREs), which impair quality of life and reduce survival. The objective of the study was to investigate (1) the proportion of melanoma patients developing SREs following diagnosis of bone metastasis and (2) the predictors for SREs in this patient cohort., Methods: Four hundred and eighty-one patients with bone metastatic melanoma from two tertiary centers in the United States from 2008 to 2018 were included. The primary outcome was 90-day and 1-year occurrence of a SRE, including pathological fractures of bones, cord compression, hypercalcemia, radiotherapy, and surgery. Fine-Gray regression analysis was performed for overall SREs and pathological fracture, with death as a competing risk., Results: By 1-year, 52% (258/481) of patients experienced SREs, and 28% (137/481) had a pathological fracture. At 90-day, lytic lesions, bone pain, elevated calcium and absolute lymphocyte, and decreased albumin and hemoglobin were associated with higher SRE risk. The same factors, except for decreased hemoglobin, were shown to predict development of SREs at 1-year., Conclusion: The high incidence of SREs and pathological fractures warrants vigilance using the identified factors in this study and preventative measures during clinical oncological care., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: The femur is a common site for Multiple Myeloma (MM) involvement. This study explores the impact of preventive surgery for anticipated femoral pathological fractures (IFF), based on Mirels classification, versus treatment of pathological femur fracture (PFF) on MM patient mortality and morbidity., Methods: Retrospective cohort of 33 patients undergoing surgery due to femoral MM involvement (2004-2015), 18 patients with PFF, 15 patients with IFF, followed up until deceased or to July 2016. Demographic data, oncological, pathological, radiation, surgical reports, outpatient clinical records, and imaging studies were studied. Exclusion criteria included patients who had surgery at other medical centers., Results: The mean age was 70.4 ± 13.6 and 62.6 ± 12.2 years (p = 0.1) in the PFF and the IFF cohorts, respectively, primarily women (55.6% and 46.7%, respectively). The average Mirels' score was 10.4 ± 1.2. Post-operative complications were observed in 25% of patients, with no difference between IFF & PFF. We did not find a difference in mortality between IFF and PFF cohorts (p = 0.59)., Conclusion: The femur is commonly involved in MM. This study found that actual fractures, compared to imminent fractures, do not affect MM morbidity or mortality. Our study shows that proximal femoral MM behaves differently from proximal femoral metastatic disease regarding the impact of surgery on life span. Due to the fracture healing potential of MM, an IFF can probably be treated initially conservatively unless it progresses to an actual fracture needing surgery. Future, more extensive studies are required before revolutionizing the proximal femoral Multiple Myeloma-related involvement treatment paradigm., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: We examined the treatment outcomes following intramedullary nailing in patients with metastatic femoral tumors, excluding those from hematological malignancies., Methods: We retrospectively evaluated treatment outcomes following intramedullary nailing between patients who underwent preventative surgery compared with those who had surgery following pathological fracture. Patients who underwent preventative surgery (Mirels' score ≥8) were allocated to the impending fracture group (n = 11) and those who underwent surgery after pathological fracture were allocated to the completed fracture group (n = 20)., Results: Duration of surgery was significantly shorter in the impending fracture group than in the completed fracture group. Median blood loss was significantly less, and the median duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the impending fracture group than in the completed fracture group. Among patients who died following surgery, the median postoperative survival duration was significantly longer in the impending fracture group than in the completed fracture group. Significantly more patients regained walking function in the impending fracture group than in the completed fracture group. Regarding complications, infection occurred in one patient in the completed fracture group. No implant damage was observed in either group., Conclusions: Patients with metastatic femoral tumors who underwent intramedullary nailing in the impending fracture group had better postoperative survival and gait function, less blood loss, and shorter durations of surgery and hospital stay than those in the completed fracture group. These findings indicate the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and value of treatment prior to fracture occurrence., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Competing Interests: Declaration of interest None.

Case: We present 2 cases of severe hemodynamic collapse during prophylactic stabilization of impending pathologic humerus fractures using a photodynamic bone stabilization device. Both events occurred when the monomer was infused under pressure into a balloon catheter., Conclusion: We suspect that an increase in intramedullary pressure during balloon expansion may cause adverse systemic effects similar to fat embolism or bone cement implantation syndrome. Appropriate communication with the anesthesia team, invasive hemodynamic monitoring, and prophylactic vent hole creation may help mitigate or manage these adverse systemic effects., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C331)., (Copyright © 2024 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Introduction: Proximal femur simple bone cysts (SBCs) are rare in children, but with a risk of pathological fractures and the associated poor outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate the functional and radiographic outcomes of children with proximal femur SBCs., Patients and Methods: 38 children with proximal femur SBCs treated surgically at our department, West China hospital, were enrolled in the study. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether pathological fractures presented before treatment. The non-fracture group received treatment of open curettage, cavity electrocauterization, bone grafting, and fixation (proximal femoral plate, intramedullary nail or Kirschner wire). The pathological fracture group received the same procedures of curettage, electrocauterization, grafting, and fixation. Autogenous iliac bone grafting was done in all cases, and the artificial bone was used as a supplementary based on the size of the cavity. Postoperatively, all patients underwent hip spica or similar orthosis immobilization for six weeks and received the same rehabilitation program after the removal of hip spica. Patients were evaluated by two independent observers, including the functional results based on the Ratliff's criteria, avascular necrosis, healing rate based on the Neer scoring system, coxa vara, and premature physeal arrest. We described the good outcome in Ratliff's criteria as "Satisfactory results", and fair and poor outcomes as "Unsatisfactory results." Grade 1 and grade 2 Neer results were termed as failures in treatment, and grades 3 and 4 were considered successes and healing., Results: 38 patients with 38 hips (18 on the left side and 20 on the right side) were evaluated, including 9 females and 29 males, with a mean age of 9.0±2.6 years old (range, 5 to 14 years). There was no significant difference between these two groups in the baseline data of gender, age, side, grafting, staging, and fixation methods. The rate of unsatisfactory functional results in the pathological fractures group was 56.3% (9/16), significantly higher than that in patients without fracture (22.7%, 5/22. p= 0.047). There was also a significant difference in avascular necrosis of the femoral head between the pathological fractures group (7/16) and the group without fracture (2/22, p=0.021). Thirty cases presented with healing, including 13 in the fractures group and 17 in the non-fracture group (p=1.000), and eight cases were graded as failures (2 cases of grade 1 and 6 cases of grade 2). There were also no significant differences between these two groups in premature physeal arrest (2 in fracture group and 1 in non-fracture group, P=0.562), and Coxa vara (3 in the fracture group and 0 in non-fracture group, P=0.066)., Conclusions: Pathological fracture significantly increases the risk of unsatisfactory functional results and avascular necrosis of the femoral head in patients with femoral neck SBCs. Prophylactic treatment and fixation of SBCs in weight bearing proximal femur region is better to manage without complications than managing with pathological fractures., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Spinal involvement in primary amyloidosis is an exceedingly rare condition, presenting with typical pathological fracture symptoms that are often indistinguishable from other pathologies such as bone metastasis, metabolic disorders and infections. Histopathological studies for tissue diagnosis are the cornerstone of a definitive diagnosis, leading to successful treatment. Early diagnosis and intervention play a pivotal role in the care of patients with amyloidosis. Here, we present a unique case of a pathological fracture in the L4 vertebra following minor trauma. This fracture manifested with pain, instability and limitations in daily activities in a patient who had already been diagnosed with systemic amyloidosis and was undergoing chemotherapy. This case represents a distinct instance of vertebral involvement in amyloidosis and was managed with both chemotherapy and surgical intervention to address the spinal pathology, resulting in favourable outcomes., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2024. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) and pathological vertebral compression fractures (pVCF) are the most serious debilitating morbidities of spine metastases (SpMs) causing devastating neurological damages. The respective impact of these two metastasis-spreading entities on survival and on neurological damage is debated., Methods: A French prospective cohort study collected 279 consecutive patients presenting with SpMs between January 2017 and 2021. We compared 174 patients with MESCC and 105 patients with pVCF., Results: The median Overall Survival (OS) for the MESCC group was 13.4 months (SD 1.5) vs 19.2 months (SD 2.3) for pVCF patients (p = 0.085). Sixty-five patients (23.3 %) were operated on: 49/65 (75.4 %) in the MESCC group and 16/65 (15.2 %) in the pVCF group, p < 0.0001. At 6 months FU, in the MESCC group, 21/44 (45.4 %) of non-ambulatory patients at onset improved to ambulatory status (Frankel D-E) vs 10/13 (76.9 %) in the pVCF group (p = 0.007). In multivariable analysis with the Cox proportional hazard model, good ECOG-PS and SINS Score 7-12 [HR: 6.755, 95 % CI 2.40-19.00; p = 0.001] were good prognostic factors for preserved ambulatory neurological status. However, SpMs diagnosed synchronously with the primary tumor [HR: 0.397, 95 % CI 0.185-0.853; p = 0.018] and MESCC [HR: 0.058, 95 % CI 0.107-0.456; p = 0.007] were independent risk factors for impaired neurological function., Conclusion: Contrary to pVCF, MESCC causes neurological damage. Nevertheless, neurological recovery remains possible. MESCC and pVCF have no impact on survival. The management of MESCC remains to be clarified and optimized to reduce neurological damage., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no personal conflicts of interest and no institutional or financial interest in any drugs, materials, or devices described in this manuscript. The authors have no financial disclosures to report. In addition, all patients gave their informed consent for any medical and scientific investigations. This paper has not been published previously, is not under consideration for publication elsewhere, and we acknowledge that, if accepted, this paper will not be published elsewhere in the same form, in English or in any other language, without the written consent of the publisher., (© 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Introduction: Most tumour-related pathological fractures occur in patients with bone metastases. However, in mostly younger patients, a pathological fracture can be due to both a benign or a malignant bone tumour. Making the correct diagnosis from among these two differential diagnoses is enormously important. If the tumour is malignant, treating the fracture inevitably leads to tumour cell contamination and can significantly worsen the oncological situation. The aim of this review article is firstly to provide the reader with diagnostic assistance in the case of suspected pathological fractures, and secondly to focus on the treatment of pathological fractures occurring with benign bone tumours., Methods: This is a non-systematic review of the diagnosis and treatment of pathological fractures in benign bone tumours or tumour-like lesions, based on an electronic PubMed database search. We also present our own procedures, in particular for ruling out a malignant bone tumour., Results and Discussion: Whenever a fracture occurs in the absence of sufficient traumatic force, the possibility of a pathological fracture should always be considered. As well as taking a general history for a possible primary tumour, it is particularly important to ask the patient whether they had any pain before the fracture occurred. If the findings from clinical examination or conventional radiological imaging give rise to suspicion of a pathological fracture, an MRI of the affected skeletal section with contrast medium should be carried out before commencing any fracture treatment. A CT scan is also helpful for accurately assessing bone destruction. If a malignant or locally aggressive benign bone tumour such as giant cell tumour (GCT) or aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) cannot be definitively ruled out through imaging, a biopsy is essential. The bone biopsy must always be carried out on the assumption that the histological work-up will reveal a malignant bone tumour; it must therefore be performed according to strict oncological criteria. If the radiological diagnosis is unambiguous, e. g., a juvenile bone cyst (JBC) or a non-ossifying fibroma (NOF), conservative treatment of the fracture can be considered, depending on the location. In the presence of a locally aggressive benign bone tumour such as a GCT or ABC, curettage of the tumour must be carried out as well as treating the fracture. With GCT in particular, neoadjuvant therapy with denosumab prior to curettage and osteosynthesis or en bloc resection of the tumour should be considered, depending on the extent of the tumour., Conclusion: Pathological fractures, especially in younger patients, should not be overlooked. Only after a malignant or benign locally aggressive bone tumour has been definitively ruled out should fracture treatment be performed. In the presence of a locally aggressive bone tumour, as well as treating the fracture, it is usually necessary to perform curettage of the tumour - also en bloc resection, where applicable, in the case of a GCT. Depending on the location, benign, non-aggressive tumours can be treated conservatively if necessary., Competing Interests: J. Hardes und A. Streitbürger weisen auf folgende Beziehung hin: Forschungsunterstützung durch die Firma Implantcast, Buxtehude. D. Spodeck, W.Guder,M.Nottrott, L.Podleska,und M.Dudda geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Background: Intramedullary nail fixation is commonly used for prophylactic stabilization of impending and fixation of complete pathological fractures of the long bones. However, metallic artifacts complicate imaging evaluation for bone healing or tumor progression and postoperative radiation planning. Carbon-fiber implants have gained popularity as an alternative, given their radiolucency and superior axial bending. This study evaluates incidences of mechanical and nonmechanical complications., Methods: Adult patients (age 18 years and older) treated with carbon-fiber nails for impending/complete pathological long bone fractures secondary to metastases from 2013 to 2020 were analyzed for incidences and risk factors of mechanical and nonmechanical complications. Mechanical complications included aseptic screw loosening and structural failures of host bone and carbon-fiber implants. Deep infection and tumor progression were considered nonmechanical. Other complications/adverse events were also reported., Results: A total of 239 patients were included; 47% were male, and 53% were female, with a median age of 68 (IQR, 59 to 75) years. Most common secondary metastases were related to breast cancer (19%), lung cancer (19%), multiple myeloma (18%), and sarcoma (13%). In total, 17 of 30 patients with metastatic sarcoma received palliative intramedullary nail fixation for impending/complete pathological fractures, and 13 of 30 received prophylactic nail stabilization of bone radiated preoperatively to manage juxta-osseous soft-tissue sarcomas, where partial resection of the periosteum or bone was necessary for negative margin resection. 33 (14%) patients had complications. Mechanical failures included 4 (1.7%) structural host bone failures, 7 (2.9%) implant structural failures, and 1 (0.4%) aseptic loosening of distal locking screws. Nonmechanical failures included 8 (3.3%) peri-implant infections and 15 (6.3%) tumor progressions with implant contamination. The 90-day and 1-year mortalities were 28% (61/239) and 53% (53/102), respectively. The literature reported comparable failure and mortality rates with conventional titanium treatment., Conclusions: Carbon-fiber implants might be an alternative for treating impending and sustained pathological fractures secondary to metastatic bone disease. The seemingly comparable complication profile warrants further cohort studies comparing carbon-fiber and titanium nail complications., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest by the authors: Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members., (Copyright © 2023 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.)

Purpose: To evaluate of the rate of and risks for progression toward collapse in vertebral metastases (VMs) treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV)., Materials and Methods: A total of 151 PVs were performed in 81 patients with vertebral metastases and were retrospectively analyzed. Follow-up imaging was performed at 12 months to measure vertebral body height and to report vertebral collapse at the level of the treated vertebrae. Vertebral characteristics (spine instability neoplastic score [SINS], number of lysed cortices, and prior radiotherapy) and procedural parameters (Saliou score, cortical contact with cement, and intradiscal cement leakage) were compared between the group of patients with and without collapse of the treated vertebrae., Results: Of the vertebrae treated with PV, 41 of 151 (27%) progressed toward collapse. Vertebral collapse was influenced by a high SINS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, P = .004), SINS value > 9 (OR = 2.96, P = .004), intradiscal cement leakage (OR = 2.18, P = .048), pre-existing spinal deformity (OR = 2.65, P = .020), and pre-existing vertebral fracture (OR = 3.93, P = .045). A high Saliou score (OR = 0.82, P = .011), more than 3 cortices in contact with the cement (OR = 0.38, P = .014), and preserved spinal alignment (OR = 0.38, P = .020) were associated with a lower incidence of collapse., Conclusions: Rate of vertebral collapse despite PV was influenced by vertebra-specific characteristics and by cement injection quality. Vertebrae with a SINS of ≤9 and with homogeneous cement filling had a lower incidence of collapse., (Copyright © 2023 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND Unicameral bone cysts (UBCs) are benign tumor-like lesions that are the most common cause of pathological proximal femur fracture in children. This study aimed to present the outcomes of acute, unstable, pathological proximal femur fractures secondary to UBCs in children. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed data on 12 patients with a mean age of 9.3 years (7-12 years) who were initially treated with decompression and grafting, followed by stabilization using a 120° fixed-angle low-contact locking pediatric plate (LCLPP). The Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) scores, Capanna classification of cyst repair, time to union, collodiaphyseal angle (CDA), and limb length discrepancy (LLD) were evaluated. RESULTS The mean follow-up was 33.1 months (range, 13-96 months). The mean union time was 9.5 weeks (8-14 weeks). The mean time for reparation of the cyst was 6.9 months (range 3-9 months). Four patients had Dormans type IB, while the remaining had type IIB fractures. According to the Capanna classification, repairs in 10 cases were grade I and in 2 cases grade II. At the last follow-up, the mean 120.8° of preoperative CDA was corrected to 140.9° (P<0.001) and there was no difference compared to the healthy side (P=0.214). The mean postoperative MSTS score was 97.1% (29.1 points). Two patients experienced LLD at the affected extremities, while the other 10 patients healed without any complications. CONCLUSIONS Fixation of acute unstable fractures secondary to UBCs with a 120° fixed-angle LCLPP is a reliable and successful option after decompression and grafting of the lesion.

Introduction: The skeleton is a common site for metastases. Prostate, breast, lung, renal and thyroid carcinomas account for 80 % of the original cancers, with the femur being the most affected long bone. With improved oncological treatments, prolonged patient survival leads to an increased prevalence of osseous metastases. This study examines the impact of preventive surgery for impending femoral pathological fracture (IFF), versus treatment of pathological femur fracture (PFF) on patient mortality and morbidity., Methods: Retrospective cohort of 174 patients undergoing surgery due to femoral metastases (2004-2015). Eighty-two patients were with PFF, and 92 were with IFF based on the Mirels' score. The followed-up period was until 2016. Demographic data, oncological, pathological, radiation, surgical reports, outpatient clinical records, and imaging studies were examined. Exclusion criteria included primary tumours and Multiple Myeloma., Results: The mean age was 64.8 ± 13.3 and 60.2 ± 11.9 years (p = 0.02) in the PFF and the IFF cohorts, with 62.1 % women and 57 % men. The breast was the most common source of femoral metastases. The average Mirels' score was 10 ± 1.2. There was an association between tumour origin and survival. Carcinoma of the lung had the worst survival, while the prostate had the most prolonged survival. Survival rates differed between IFF and PFF (p = 0.03). Postoperative complications occurred in 26 % of the patient, with no difference between IFF & PFF., Conclusion: Breast and lung are the most common tumours to metastasize the femur. Our study revalidates that pathological femoral fractures impede patient survival compared to impending fractures and should undergo preventive surgery. Postoperative complications do not differ between IFF and PFF but remain relatively high. Overall, patients with proximal femoral metastatic disease survive longer than previously published, probably due to improved treatment modalities., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Myeloid sarcoma is a rare clinical entity that presents as an isolated proliferation of leukemic cells, concurrently with or at relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes/neoplasms (MDS), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), and myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN). Myeloid sarcoma disrupts the normal architecture of its surrounding tissues. When it forms in long bones, it can cause their pathological fracture. We recently experienced a rare case of MDS presenting with myeloid sarcoma in the femur that eventually resulted in its pathological fracture. Detailed chromosomal analysis of the bone marrow cells suggested emergence of myeloid sarcoma during the fast-paced progression of MDS just after acquiring trisomy 22. A comprehensive review of previous cases of myeloid sarcoma-associated pathological fracture indicated possible involvement of structural rearrangements of chromosomes 9 and 22. Management of myeloid sarcoma should continue to improve, and clinicians should note that myeloid sarcoma with specific chromosomal alterations needs extra medical attention to prevent pathological fracture., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Pathologic fractures of the extremities due to carcinoma metastases require individual and patient prognosis-related stabilization procedures. Quick remobilization of the patient to restore the quality of life is of high importance, especially in the case of subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femoral fractures. In our retrospective cohort study, we evaluated intraoperative blood loss, length of operation, complication rate, and regain of lower extremity function in plate compound osteosynthesis (PCO) versus intramedullary nailing (IM) for subtrochanteric and diaphyseal pathologic fractures of the femur., Methods: Between January 2010 and July 2021, we retrospectively reviewed 49 patients who were treated at our institution for pathologic fractures of the subtrochanteric and diaphyseal femurs for group differences in terms of blood loss, length of operation, implant survival, and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score., Results: We included 49 stabilization procedures of the lower extremity due to pathologic fractures of the proximal or diaphyseal femur, with a mean follow-up of 17.7 months. IM (n = 29) had a significantly shorter operation time than PCO (n = 20) (112.4 ± 9.4 and 163.3 ± 15.96 min, respectively). We did not detect any significant differences in terms of blood loss, complication rate, implant survival, or MSTS score., Conclusion: Based on our data, pathologic subtrochanteric and diaphyseal fractures of the femur can be stabilized with IM, which has a shorter operation time than PCO, but the complication rate, implant survival, and blood loss remain unaffected., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: The author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request.

Background: Pathologic fractures occur in 5% to 10% of patients with osteosarcoma, and prior studies have suggested they are prognostically important. However, because they represent an uncommon event in the setting of an already rare disease, most studies fail to reach conclusive findings, and there is no agreement about how best to treat pathologic fractures., Questions/purposes: (1) Is the occurrence of a pathologic fracture in patients with osteosarcoma associated with poorer overall survivorship? (2) Is the occurrence of a pathologic fracture in patients with osteosarcoma associated with poorer local recurrence-free survival or metastasis-free survival? (3) Is the surgical approach (amputation or limb salvage) associated with differences in local recurrence rates in patients with osteosarcoma with pathologic fractures?, Methods: This systematic review was performed following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Our study was registered in PROSPERO (ID: 380459). A search of the PubMed and Embase databases resulted in 625 and 747 titles, respectively. After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 21 articles were finally included. Quality assessment of all studies was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. The Risk of Bias In Non-Randomized Studies of Interventions tool was used in the 11 articles that evaluated the effect of an intervention (amputation or limb salvage) on local recurrence rates. The relative risk (RR) was calculated to compare outcomes in patients with osteosarcoma with pathologic fractures and those without. Heterogeneity among studies was calculated using the I 2 statistic. The pooled RR was calculated using the fixed-effects or random-effects model depending on study heterogeneity. The fragility index and the ratio between the fragility index and the total number of participants for each outcome was additionally calculated to assess the robustness of our results. A total of 7604 patients with osteosarcoma, 12% of whom (885) had pathologic fractures, were included in our analysis., Results: Pathologic fractures in patients with osteosarcoma were associated with lower 3-year (RR 1.53 [95% CI 1.29 to 1.82]; p < 0.001) and 5-year overall survival (RR 1.27 [95% CI 1.16 to 1.40]; p < 0.001). No difference in recurrence rates was found between patients with osteosarcoma with pathologic fractures and those without (RR 1.22 [95% CI 0.91 to 1.64]; p = 0.18). However, having a pathologic fracture was associated with an increased risk of developing metastasis (RR 1.33 [95% CI 1.08 to 1.63]; p = 0.01). Treatment with limb salvage surgery was not associated with a higher rate of local recurrence (RR 1.58 [95% CI 0.88 to 2.85]; p = 0.13)., Conclusion: In light of these findings, surgeons should be aware that after appropriate case selection, patients with osteosarcoma and pathologic fractures undergoing limb salvage surgery may have similar rates of local recurrence to those undergoing amputation. Therefore, a pathologic fracture may no longer be an absolute contraindication for limb salvage surgery. Future studies adjusting for potential confounders such as tumor size, tumor location, and response to neoadjuvant therapy would provide further insight into the effect of pathologic fractures on our assessed outcomes., Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic study., Competing Interests: Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request., (Copyright © 2023 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.)

Background: The proximal femur is the most common location of metastases in the appendicular skeleton. Data on pathologic hip fractures, however, are sparse despite it is the most frequently operated pathologic fracture. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of orthopaedic surgeons to identify pathologic hip fractures in an acute setting and secondly to validate the underlying cause of the pathologic fractures reported to Norwegian Hip Fracture Register (NHFR)., Methods: In the NHFR dataset between 2005 and 2019, we identified 1484 fractures reported to be pathologic possibly secondary to a malignancy. These fractures were thoroughly validated by reviewing X-rays, the patient journal, the operation description for date, side, why there had been suspicion of pathologic fracture, and implant choice. Pathology reports were reviewed once a biopsy had been performed. Based on this validation, information in the NHFR was corrected, whenever necessary., Results: Of the 1484 fractures possible secondary to malignancy, 485 (32.7%) were not a pathologic fracture. When reviewing the 999 validated pathologic fractures, 15 patients had a pathologic fracture secondary to a benign lesion. The remaining 984 patients had a pathologic fracture secondary to malignancy. The underlying diagnosis reported was corrected in 442 of the 999 patients. The true rate of pathologic hip fractures secondary to malignancy in our material was 0.8%, and most patients had underlying prostate (30%), breast (20%), or lung (17%) cancer., Conclusion: Orthopaedic surgeons in Norway failed to report correct data on pathologic fractures and the corresponding cancer diagnosis in an acute setting in many patients. The corrected data on pathologic fractures in the NHFR from 2005 to 2019 can now be a valid resource for further studies on the subject., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

How to cite this article : Agarwal A, Agarwal M. Spontaneous Asymptomatic Chemoport Fracture with Cardiac Migration. J Assoc Physicians India 2023;71(11):87-88., (© Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 2023.)

Background: Improvement in survival in patients with advanced cancer is accompanied by an increased probability of bone metastasis and related pathologic fractures (especially in the proximal femur). The few systems proposed and used to diagnose impending fractures owing to metastasis and to ultimately prevent future fractures have practical limitations; thus, novel screening tools are essential. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is a standard modality for staging and follow-up in patients with cancer, and radiologic assessments of the proximal femur are possible with CT-based digitally reconstructed radiographs. Deep-learning models, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), may be able to predict pathologic fractures from digitally reconstructed radiographs, but to our knowledge, they have not been tested for this application., Questions/purposes: (1) How accurate is a CNN model for predicting a pathologic fracture in a proximal femur with metastasis using digitally reconstructed radiographs of the abdomen and pelvis CT images in patients with advanced cancer? (2) Do CNN models perform better than clinicians with varying backgrounds and experience levels in predicting a pathologic fracture on abdomen and pelvis CT images without any knowledge of the patients' histories, except for metastasis in the proximal femur?, Methods: A total of 392 patients received radiation treatment of the proximal femur at three hospitals from January 2011 to December 2021. The patients had 2945 CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis for systemic evaluation and follow-up in relation to their primary cancer. In 33% of the CT scans (974), it was impossible to identify whether a pathologic fracture developed within 3 months after each CT image was acquired, and these were excluded. Finally, 1971 cases with a mean age of 59 ± 12 years were included in this study. Pathologic fractures developed within 3 months after CT in 3% (60 of 1971) of cases. A total of 47% (936 of 1971) were women. Sixty cases had an established pathologic fracture within 3 months after each CT scan, and another group of 1911 cases had no established pathologic fracture within 3 months after CT scan. The mean age of the cases in the former and latter groups was 64 ± 11 years and 59 ± 12 years, respectively, and 32% (19 of 60) and 53% (1016 of 1911) of cases, respectively, were female. Digitally reconstructed radiographs were generated with perspective projections of three-dimensional CT volumes onto two-dimensional planes. Then, 1557 images from one hospital were used for a training set. To verify that the deep-learning models could consistently operate even in hospitals with a different medical environment, 414 images from other hospitals were used for external validation. The number of images in the groups with and without a pathologic fracture within 3 months after each CT scan increased from 1911 to 22,932 and from 60 to 720, respectively, using data augmentation methods that are known to be an effective way to boost the performance of deep-learning models. Three CNNs (VGG16, ResNet50, and DenseNet121) were fine-tuned using digitally reconstructed radiographs. For performance measures, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, precision, and F1 score were determined. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate three CNN models mainly, and the optimal accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity were calculated using the Youden J statistic. Accuracy refers to the proportion of fractures in the groups with and without a pathologic fracture within 3 months after each CT scan that were accurately predicted by the CNN model. Sensitivity and specificity represent the proportion of accurately predicted fractures among those with and without a pathologic fracture within 3 months after each CT scan, respectively. Precision is a measure of how few false-positives the model produces. The F1 score is a harmonic mean of sensitivity and precision, which have a tradeoff relationship. Gradient-weighted class activation mapping images were created to check whether the CNN model correctly focused on potential pathologic fracture regions. The CNN model with the best performance was compared with the performance of clinicians., Results: DenseNet121 showed the best performance in identifying pathologic fractures; the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for DenseNet121 was larger than those for VGG16 (0.77 ± 0.07 [95% CI 0.75 to 0.79] versus 0.71 ± 0.08 [95% CI 0.69 to 0.73]; p = 0.001) and ResNet50 (0.77 ± 0.07 [95% CI 0.75 to 0.79] versus 0.72 ± 0.09 [95% CI 0.69 to 0.74]; p = 0.001). Specifically, DenseNet121 scored the highest in sensitivity (0.22 ± 0.07 [95% CI 0.20 to 0.24]), precision (0.72 ± 0.19 [95% CI 0.67 to 0.77]), and F1 score (0.34 ± 0.10 [95% CI 0.31 to 0.37]), and it focused accurately on the region with the expected pathologic fracture. Further, DenseNet121 was less likely than clinicians to mispredict cases in which there was no pathologic fracture than cases in which there was a fracture; the performance of DenseNet121 was better than clinician performance in terms of specificity (0.98 ± 0.01 [95% CI 0.98 to 0.99] versus 0.86 ± 0.09 [95% CI 0.81 to 0.91]; p = 0.01), precision (0.72 ± 0.19 [95% CI 0.67 to 0.77] versus 0.11 ± 0.10 [95% CI 0.05 to 0.17]; p = 0.0001), and F1 score (0.34 ± 0.10 [95% CI 0.31 to 0.37] versus 0.17 ± 0.15 [95% CI 0.08 to 0.26]; p = 0.0001)., Conclusion: CNN models may be able to accurately predict impending pathologic fractures from digitally reconstructed radiographs of the abdomen and pelvis CT images that clinicians may not anticipate; this can assist medical, radiation, and orthopaedic oncologists clinically. To achieve better performance, ensemble-learning models using knowledge of the patients' histories should be developed and validated. The code for our model is publicly available online at https://github.com/taehoonko/CNN&#95;path&#95;fx&#95;prediction ., Level of Evidence: Level III, diagnostic study., Competing Interests: The institution of one or more of the authors (MWJ) has received, during the study period, funding from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant funded by the Korea government (MSIT) (2021R1F1A1047841). Each author certifies that there are no funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article related to the author or any immediate family members. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research ® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request., (Copyright © 2023 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.)

Introduction: Pathological fractures of the femoral neck caused by necrosis of the femoral head are extremely rare. Here, we report a rare case of bilateral femoral head osteonecrosis extending to the femoral neck, with bilateral pathological fractures of the femoral neck occurring within a short period of time., Case Report: A 65-year-old male with a 25-year history of daily consumption of 750 ml of liquor, presented with right hip pain after labor for 1 month. He subsequently sustained a right femoral neck fracture without trauma and underwent a right total hip arthroplasty. Two months later, he suffered a non-traumatic left femoral neck fracture and underwent a left total hip arthroplasty. Histopathological examination revealed osteonecrosis of the femoral head and neck, along with the presence of osteoclasts and granulomatous inflammation. Bone mineral density testing also showed osteoporosis. The bilateral femoral neck fractures were ruled out to be caused by any other pathological factors., Discussion: This is the first report of pathological fractures of the bilateral femoral neck caused by femoral head necrosis. During the literature review process, we found that this case conforms to the histological characteristics of rapidly destructive hip disease and analyzed the etiology of femoral head necrosis and the pathogenesis of femoral neck fractures., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: Spine metastases are commonly treated with radiotherapy for local tumor control; pathologic fracture is a potential complication of spinal radiotherapy. Both Hounsfield units (HUs) on CT and vertebral bone quality (VBQ) on MRI have been argued to predict stability as measured by odds of pathologic fracture, although it is unclear if there is a difference in the predictive power between the two methodologies. The objective of the present study was to examine whether one methodology is a better predictor of pathologic fracture following radiotherapy for mobile spine metastases., Methods: Patients who underwent radiotherapy (conventional external-beam radiation therapy, stereotactic body radiation therapy, or intensity-modulated radiation therapy) for mobile spine (C1-L5) metastases at a tertiary care center were retrospectively identified. Details regarding underlying pathology, patient demographics, and tumor morphology were collected. Vertebral involvement was assessed using the Weinstein-Boriani-Biagini (WBB) system. Bone quality of the non-tumor-involved bone was assessed on both pretreatment CT and MRI. Univariable analyses were conducted to identify independent predictors of fracture, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to identify significant predictors of time to pathologic fracture. Stepwise Cox regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of time to fracture., Results: One hundred patients were included (mean age 62.7 ± 11.9 years; 61% male), of whom 35 experienced postradiotherapy pathologic fractures. The most common histologies were lung (22%), prostate (21%), breast (14%), and renal cell (13%). On univariable analysis, the mean HUs of the vertebrae adjacent to the fractured vertebra were significantly lower among those experiencing fracture; VBQ was not significantly associated with fracture odds. Survival analysis showed that average HUs ≤ 132, nonprostate pathology, involvement of ≥ 3 vertebral body segments on the WBB system, Spine Instability Neoplastic Score (SINS) ≥ 7, and the presence of axial pain all predicted increased odds of fracture (all p < 0.001). Cox regression found that HUs ≤ 132 (OR 2.533, 95% CI 1.257-5.103; p = 0.009), ≥ 3 WBB vertebral body segments involved (OR 2.376, 95% CI 1.132-4.987; p = 0.022), and axial pain (OR 2.036, 95% CI 0.916-4.526; p = 0.081) predicted increased fracture odds, while prostate pathology predicted decreased odds (OR 0.076, 95% CI 0.009-0.613; p = 0.016). Sensitivity analysis suggested that an HU threshold of ≤ 132 and a SINS of ≥ 7 identified patients at increased risk of fracture., Conclusions: The present results suggest that bone density surrogates as measured on CT, but not MRI, can be used to predict the risk of pathologic fracture following radiotherapy for mobile spine metastases. More extensive vertebral body involvement and the presence of mechanical axial pain additionally predict increased fracture odds.

Background: Bone metastases can cause severe pain, pathological fractures, and spinal cord paralysis, which interrupt treatment for tumors and cause patients to be bedridden. In this study, we aimed to clarify therapists' problems in the rehabilitation of patients with bone metastases and their countermeasures using the results of questionnaires to therapists and recommend safer and more rational rehabilitation., Methods: Questionnaire forms were sent to 21 therapists in our department. The questionnaire was conducted anonymously about problems during the rehabilitation procedure such as the risk of pathological fractures and paralysis., Results: All of the therapists had strong anxiety (43%) or some anxiety (57%) about the risk of pathological fractures or paralysis during a procedure. However, no therapist responded that this had ever occurred. Many of the respondents had changed a procedure to a milder one (81%) or interrupted a procedure (48%) due to the patient's condition on the day. Therapists chose many options to reduce the risk of pathological fractures and paralysis during the procedure. Among them, "pre-rehabilitation referral to orthopedic surgeon" (86%), "consultation with a doctor about changes in patient's symptoms and findings" (86%), and "regular cooperation between multiple occupations" (67%) were frequently selected., Conclusions: Our questionnaire survey of therapists regarding the treatment of patients with bone metastases found that there was considerable anxiety about the risk of pathological fractures and paralysis during treatment. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to strengthen cooperation with multiple occupations, especially those in the orthopedic field.

Purpose: Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy (SBRT) is increasingly applied to treat non-spine bone metastases (NSBM) though data remains limited on this approach. In this retrospective study, we report outcomes and predictors of local failure (LF) and pathological fracture (PF) post-SBRT for NSBM using a mature single-institution database., Methods: Patients with NSBM treated with SBRT between 2011 and 2021 were identified. The primary objective was to assess the rates of radiographic LF. Secondary objectives were to assess the rates of in-field PF, overall survival (OS), and late grade ≥ 3 toxicity. Competing risks analysis was used to assess rates of LF and PF. Univariable regression and multivariable regression (MVR) were performed to investigate predictors of LF and PF., Results: A total of 373 patients with 505 NSBM were included in this study. Median follow-up was 26.5 months. The cumulative incidence of LF at 6, 12, and 24 months were 5.7%, 7.9%, and 12.6%, respectively. The cumulative incidence of PF at 6, 12, and 24 months were 3.8%, 6.1%, and 10.9%, respectively. Lytic NSBM (HR = 2.18; p < 0.01), a lower biologically effective dose (HR = 1.11 per 5 Gy 10 decrease; p = 0.04), and a PTV ≥ 54 cc (HR = 4.32; p < 0.01) predicted for a higher risk of LF on MVR. Lytic NSBM (HR = 3.43; p < 0.01), mixed (lytic/sclerotic) lesions (HR = 2.70; p = 0.04), and rib metastases (HR = 2.68; p < 0.01) predicted for a higher risk of PF on MVR., Conclusion: SBRT is an effective modality to treat NSBM with high rates of radiographic local control with an acceptable rate of PF. We identify predictors of both LF and PF that can serve to inform practice and trial design., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pathological fracture of the humerus causes severe pain, limited use of the hand, and decreased quality of life. This study aimed to compare the outcomes of intramedullary nailing and locking plate in treating metastatic pathological fractures of the proximal humerus., Methods: This retrospective comparison study included 45 patients (22 male, 23 female) with proximal humerus metastatic pathological fractures who underwent surgical treatment between 2011 and 2022. All data were collected from medical records and were analyzed retrospectively. Seventeen cases underwent intramedullary nailing plus cement augmentation, and 28 cases underwent locking plate plus cement augmentation. The main outcomes were pain relief, function scores, and complications., Results: Among 45 patients with mean age 61.7 ± 9.7 years, 23 (51.1%) had multiple bone metastases, and 28 (62.2%) were diagnosed with impending fractures. The nailing group had significantly lower blood loss [100 (60-200) versus 500 (350-600) ml, p < 0.001] and shorter hospital stay (8.4 ± 2.6 versus 12.3 ± 4.3 days, p < 0.001) than the plating group. Average follow-up time of the nailing group was 12 months and 16.5 months for the plating group. The nailing group had higher visual analog scale (VAS) scores than the plating group, indicating greater pain relief with nailing [7 (6-8) versus 6 (5-7), p = 0.01]. Musculoskeletal Tumor Society functional scores [28 (27-29) versus 27 (26.5-28.5), p = 0.23] were comparable between groups. No complications, local recurrence, or revision surgery were reported until the last follow-up in either group. However, one case in the plating group had a humeral head collapse and fragmentation without needing revision surgery., Conclusions: Intramedullary nailing with cement augmentation is a viable option for treating proximal humerus metastatic pathological fracture, providing rigid fixation and better pain relief resulting in earlier mobility to optimize functional outcomes. Less invasive procedure with less blood loss and shorter hospital stay also benefits patients. Level of evidence Level II. Trial registration statement Not applicable., (© 2023. Societa Italiana di Ortopedia e Traumatologia (Italian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology SIOT).)

Background: Pathologic fractures of the pelvis/sacrum due to metastatic bone disease (MBD) cause pain and dysfunction due to mechanical instability of the pelvic ring. This study presents our multi-institutional experience with percutaneous stabilization of pathologic fractures and osteolytic lesions from MBD throughout the pelvic ring., Methods: The records of patients undergoing this procedure from 2018 to 2022 were reviewed retrospectively from two institutions. Surgical data and functional outcomes were recorded., Results: Fifty-six patients underwent percutaneous stabilization, with a median operative duration of 119 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 92.8, 167) and median estimated blood loss of 50 mL (IQR: 20, 100). The median length of stay was 3 days (IQR: 1, 6), and 69.6% (n = 39) of patients were discharged home. Early complications included one partial lumbosacral plexus injury, three acute kidney injuries, and one case of intra-articular cement extravasation. Late complications included two infections and one revision stabilization procedure for hardware failure. Mean Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) scores improved from 3.02 (SD 0.8) preoperatively to 1.86 (SD 1.1) postoperatively (p < 0.001). Ambulatory status also improved (p < 0.001)., Conclusions: Percutaneous stabilization of pathologic fractures and osteolytic defects of the pelvis and sacrum is a procedure that improves patient function, ambulatory status and is associated with a limited complication profile., (© 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Intraosseous myofibroma is a rare tumor of benign nature, slow growth, and low morbidity. The aim of this article is to report a case of pathologic fracture associated with the incidental diagnosis of myofibroma in the mandible of an adolescent. A 15-year-old girl reported that she experienced a physical assault resulting in facial injuries 1 month previously and had since experienced severe pain, malocclusion, and chewing difficulty. The cone beam computed tomographic examination revealed multiple features suggestive of pathologic fracture associated with a hypodense lesion with lobulated limits, as well as expansion and thinning of the cortical bone in the left mandible. The histopathologic diagnosis of the lesion indicated myofibroma. Treatment consisted of enucleation and curettage of the lesion with reduction and internal fixation of the fracture. After 18 months, the osteosynthesis plates and an impacted mandibular third molar were removed. Curettage of the lesion in association with treatment of the mandibular fracture proved to be effective for both bone consolidation and absence of recurrence while restoring mandibular functionality., Competing Interests: No conflicts of interest reported.

Background: Bone metastases are frequent in patients with cancer. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a minimally invasive treatment based on a high-voltage electric pulse combined with an anticancer drug. Preclinical and clinical studies supported the use of ECT in patients with metastatic bone disease, demonstrating that it does not damage the mineral structure of the bone and its regenerative capacity, and that is feasible and efficient for the treatment of bone metastases. Year 2014 saw the start of a registry of patients with bone metastases treated with ECT, whose data are recorded in a shared database., Questions/purposes: (1) Among patients who underwent ECT and internal fixation for bone metastasis, how many experienced a reduction of pain? (2) How many cases showed a radiological response? (3) How many patients presented local or systemic complication after ECT and fixation?, Patients and Methods: Patients were treated in Bologna at Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute between March 2014 and February 2022 and recorded in the REINBONE registry (a shared database protected by security passwords): clinical and radiological information, ECT session, adverse events, response, quality of life indicators, and duration of follow-up were registered. We consider only cases treated with ECT and intramedullary nail during the same surgical session. Patients included in the analysis were 32: 15 males and 17 females, mean age 65 ± 13 years (median 66, range 38-88 years), mean time since diagnosis of primary tumor 6.2 ± 7.0 years (median 2.9, range 0-22 years). Nail was indicated in 13 cases for a pathological fracture in, 19 for an impending fracture. Follow-up was available for 29 patients, as 2 patients were lost to follow-up and 1 was unable to return to controls. Mean follow-up time was 7.7 ± 6.5 months (median 5, range 1-24), and 16 patients (50%) had a follow-up longer than 6 months., Results: A significant decrease in pain intensity was observed at the mean Visual Numeric Scale after treatment. Bone recovery was observed in 13 patients. The other 16 patients remained without changes, and one presented disease progression. One patient presented a fracture occurrence during the ECT procedure. Among all patients, bone recovery was observed in 13 patients: complete recovery in 1 patient (3%) and partial recovery in 12 patients (41%). The other 16 patients remained without changes, and one presented disease progression. One patient presented a fracture occurrence during the ECT procedure. However, healing was possible with normal fracture callus quality and healing time. No other local or systemic complications were observed., Conclusion: We found that pain levels decreased after treatment in 23 of the 29 cases for a pain relief rate of 79% at final follow-up. Pain is one of the most important indicators of quality of life in patients that undergo palliative treatments. Even if conventional external body radiotherapy is considered a noninvasive treatment, it presents a dose-dependent toxicity. ECT provides a chemical necrosis preserving osteogenic activity and structural integrity of bone trabeculae; this is a crucial difference with other local treatments and allows bone healing in case of pathological fracture. The risk of local progression in our patient population was small, and 44% experienced bone recovery while 53% of the cases remained unchanged. We observe intraoperative fracture in one case. This technique, in selected patients, improves outcome in bone metastatic patients combing both the efficacy of the ECT in the local control of the disease and the mechanical stability with the bone fixation to synergize their benefits. Moreover, the risk of complication is very low. Although encouraging data, comparative studies are required to quantify the real efficacy of the technique. Level of Evidence Level I, therapeutic study., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Surgical Oncology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Osteoporosis and fractures increase morbidity and mortality rates after solid organ transplantation (SOT), but few studies have analyzed the risk of osteoporosis and related fractures after SOT. In this retrospective cohort study, we investigated the risk of osteoporosis and fractures in different SOT recipients., Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study using a nationally representative database in Taiwan. We collected the data of SOT recipients and used the propensity score matching method to obtain a comparison cohort. To reduce bias, we excluded patients who had been diagnosed with osteoporosis or fracture before inclusion. All participants were followed up until the date of diagnosis as having a pathological fracture, death, or the end of 2018, whichever occurred first. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to investigate the risk of osteoporosis and pathological fracture in SOT recipients., Results: After adjustment for the aforementioned variables, SOT recipients were observed to have a higher risk of osteoporosis (hazard ratio (HR) = 1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29-1.65) and fracture (HR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.01-1.39) than the general individuals. Among the different SOT recipients, the highest risk of fractures was noted in heart or lung transplant recipients, with a HR of 4.62 (95% CI: 2.05-10.44). Among the age groups, patients aged >61 years had the highest HRs for osteoporosis (HR: 11.51; 95% CI, 9.10-14.56) and fracture (HR: 11.75, 95% CI: 8.97-15.40)., Conclusion: SOT recipients had a higher risk of osteoporosis and related fractures than the general population, with the highest risks observed in patients receiving heart or lung transplants, older patients, and patients with CCI scores of >3., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Chen, Lai, Yang, Gau, Huang, Tsai, Huang and Lee.)

Purpose: The approach to the treatment of enchondromas of the hand is varied, and there is no clear consensus on graft source, fixation, or need for intraoperative adjuvant therapy. We reviewed a cohort of patients who underwent curettage and bone grafting with cancellous allograft chips without internal fixation or adjuvant therapy and reported on postoperative range of motion (ROM) and recurrence rates., Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent surgical treatment for hand enchondroma over a 23-year period. We collected information on demographics and presenting enchondroma characteristics, including Takigawa classification and presence of pathologic fracture or associated syndromes. Patients were treated with open biopsy with curettage and grafting with cancellous allograft chips. Postoperative ROM, complications, and recurrences were recorded., Results: Our series included 111 enchondromas in 104 patients. Seventeen of 104 patients (16%) had a diagnosis of Ollier disease. Average length of follow-up was 3.1 years. Eighty-one percent of patients achieved full ROM. Treatment of patients who presented with preoperative pathologic fracture resulted in a greater frequency of reduced postoperative ROM at 28% (9/32) compared to 15% (11/72) of those patients who did not present with preoperative pathologic fracture. Local recurrence developed in 5 of 50 (10%) patients with a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. Local recurrence occurred at higher-than-average rates in patients with giant form Takigawa classification (43%, 3/7) and Ollier disease (23%, 3/13)., Conclusions: Treatment of enchondromas with biopsy, curettage, and allograft results in full ROM in 81% of patients. Patients with preoperative pathologic fracture should be advised of a greater risk of postoperative extension deficit. Recurrence remains rare and is associated with syndromic presentation and giant form lesions., Type of Study/level of Evidence: Therapeutic IV., (Copyright © 2023 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB) is a locally aggressive lesion that is difficult to treat as salvaging the joint can be associated with a high rate of local recurrence (LR). We evaluated the risk factors for tumour relapse after treatment of a GCTB of the limbs. A total of 354 consecutive patients with a GCTB underwent joint salvage by curettage and reconstruction with bone graft and/or cement or en bloc resection. Patient, tumour, and treatment factors were analyzed for their impact on LR. Patients treated with denosumab were excluded. There were 53 LRs (15%) at a mean 30.5 months (5 to 116). LR was higher after curettage (18.4%) than after resection (4.6%; p = 0.008). Neither pathological fracture (p = 0.240), Campanacci grade (p = 0.734), soft-tissue extension (p = 0.297), or tumour size (p = 0.872) affected the risk of recurrence. Joint salvage was possible in 74% of patients overall (262/354), and 98% after curettage alone (262/267). Of 49 patients with LR after curettage, 44 (90%) underwent repeated curettage and joint salvage. For patients treated by curettage, only age less than 30 years (p = 0.042) and location in the distal radius (p = 0.043) predicted higher LR. The rate of LR did not differ whether cement or bone graft was used (p = 0.753), but may have been reduced by the use of hydrogen peroxide (p = 0.069). Complications occurred in 15.3% of cases (54/354) and did not differ by treatment. Most patients with a GCTB can undergo successful joint salvage by aggressive curettage, even in the presence of a soft-tissue mass, pathological fracture, or a large lesion, with an 18.4% risk of local recurrence. However, 90% of local relapses after curettage can be treated by repeat joint salvage. Maximizing joint salvage is important to optimize long-term function since most patients with a GCTB are young adults. Younger patients and those with distal radius tumours treated with joint-sparing procedures have a higher rate of local relapse and may require more aggressive treatment and closer follow-up., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2023 The British Editorial Society of Bone & Joint Surgery.)

Background: In recent years, researchers have proposed a number of adjuvant methods for extended curettage of giant cell tumors of the bone. However, various schemes have significant differences in efficacy and safety. Therefore, this article will describe an empirical expanded curettage protocol, 'triple clear', in detail to show the effect of the efficient surgical protocol., Method: Patients with Campanacci grades II and III primary GCTB who were treated with either SR (n = 39) or TC (n = 41) were included. Various perioperative clinical indicators, including the therapy modality, operation time, Campanacci grade, and filling material were recorded and compared. The pain level was determined by the visual analog scale. Limb function was determined by the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) score. Follow-up time, recurrence rates, reoperation rates, and complication rates were also recorded and compared., Result: The operation time was 135.7 ± 38.4 min in the TC group and 174.2 ± 43.0 min in the SR group (P < 0.05). The recurrence rates were 7.3% in the TC group and 8.3% in the SR group (P = 0.37). The MSTS scores at three months after surgery were 19.8 ± 1.5 in the TC group and 18.8 ± 1.3 in the SR group. The MSTS scores at two years were 26.2 ± 1.2 in the TC group and 24.3 ± 1.4 in the SR group (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: TC is recommended for patients with Campanacci grade II-III GCTB and for those with a pathological fracture or slight joint invasion. Bone grafts may be more suitable than bone cement in the long term., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Introduction: Solitary bone cysts in the calcaneus (calcaneal bone cysts) are often asymptomatic. Pathological fractures are rare, and few reports are available concerning its risk assessment. Therefore, the indication for operative interventions remains debatable, and further discussion on the treatment of symptomatic cysts and pathological fractures in calcaneal bone cysts is necessary., Materials and Methods: Clinical data of 21 patients with calcaneal bone cysts (16 men and five women) was retrospectively reviewed. The average age was 13.3 (range, 7-23) years. Clinical data, such as concerning symptoms, radiological findings, pathological findings and outcomes, were investigated, and the pathogenesis of symptomatic cysts was studied., Results: Thirteen cysts were symptomatic, and eight were incidentally discovered. Computed tomography revealed no fracture in 12 cases, microfracture in eight and complete fracture in one. The areas under the curves of the receiver operating characteristic curves calculated to establish an association between cyst size and symptoms and cyst size and pathological fractures (microfracture and complete fracture) were 0.78 and 0.71, respectively. Symptomatic cysts and pathological fractures were associated with the cyst ratio (cyst size/calcaneus ≥ 0.20). On magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluid levels were observed in 11 of 21 (52%) patients. At the time of surgery, blood from the haemorrhage was aspirated from 15 of 21 (71%) cysts., Conclusions: Orthopaedic surgeons should be aware that the cyst ratio is associated with clinical symptoms and pathological fractures. MRI and gross findings revealed haemorrhage in the cystic fluid. In calcaneal bone cysts, repeated microfractures and spontaneous healing might occur., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Pathological fractures of the proximal radius are exceedingly rare. Here, a case of an 81-year-old female diagnosed with multiple myeloma 15 years ago who suffered a pathological fracture of her left proximal radius is presented. Due to the fracture's proximity to the elbow joint and the lack of adjacent healthy bone tissue, a resourceful surgical intervention was implemented using a pediatric flexible nail supplemented by polymethacrylate cement injection. Six weeks post-operatively, the patient had alleviation of the pain with fully functional forearm. This novel approach could possibly aid in the treatment of other long bone pathological fractures due to neoplastic metastases.

The management of pathologic fractures differs from nonpathologic fractures with respect to preoperative evaluation, surgical strategies, adjuvant therapies, and complication rates. These issues must be understood to provide appropriate musculoskeletal care for patients with metastatic disease., Competing Interests: Disclosure K.M. Masada: None. S.R. Blumenthal: None. C.A. Cipriano: American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons: Board or committee member. DePuy, A Johnson & Johnson Company: Paid consultant. Musculoskeletal Tumor Society: Board or committee member. Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society: Board or committee member., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)