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Periprosthetic loosening, either aseptic or induced by periprosthetic joint infection remains a major long term complication and challenge in orthopedics and trauma surgery. Sensitivity of potential loosening of the material and other causes of a painful prosthesis is essential for choosing the respective treatment option and providing the needed resources. 18 F-Fluoride is a radiopharmaceutical which shows a high affinity to bone and a rapid blood clearance. The objective of this study was to assess 18 F-Fluoride PET/CT´s sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing periprosthetic loosening in total hip and knee arthroplasty. We included 26 patients with 24 hip and 13 knee prostheses in our retrospective study with radiological or clinical suspicion of peri-prosthetic loosening at least one year after implantation. Results of 18 F-Fluoride PET/CT imaging were compared with surgical results or clinical follow-up if surgery was not performed. On the basis of our data we found a sensitivity of 95.00 %, a specificity of 87.04 % and an accuracy of 89.19 % for 18 F-Fluoride PET/CT. The results of our study show that 18 F-Fluoride PET/CT is a useful and promising technique in diagnosing periprosthetic loosening of total hip and knee arthroplasties. Further investigation should focus on different uptake patterns of the isotope in periprosthetic joint infection and therefore distinguishing aseptic from septic loosening and enhancing the diagnostic value of this imaging method., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors state no conflicts of interest.

In Germany and other European countries, cancer is the second most common cause of death after cardiovascular disease. Although 5-year survival rates for several types of cancer have significantly improved over the last 30 years, metastasis to the bone almost always leads to incurable disease. Aside from the rare primary bone tumours, the treatment of bone metastases now accounts for a major part of tumour orthopaedic workload and requires close interdisciplinary coordination between specialists in oncology, radiology and the discipline of the primary tumour entity. Due to improvements in oncological treatment regimes, long survival times can be achieved. Therefore, the management of so-called "SRE" (skeletal-related events) has gained importance, even in palliative situations. On the basis of a selective literature review, the following article points out the underlying pathophysiological processes of bone metastases and outlines different diagnostic approaches and their relevance in the current clinical setting., Competing Interests: Interessenkonflikt: Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Background Multiple myeloma is a haematological blood cancer of the bone marrow and is classified by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a plasma cell neoplasm. In multiple myeloma, normal plasma cells transform into malignant myeloma cells and produce large quantities of an abnormal immunoglobulin called monoclonal protein or M protein. This ultimately causes multiple myeloma symptoms such as bone damage or kidney problems. The annual worldwide incidence of multiple myeloma is estimated to be 6 - 7/100,000 and accounts for 1% of all cancer. In Germany, there are about 6,000 cases of newly diagnosed multiple myeloma per annum. In the current era of new agents, such as immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors and antibodies, enormous progress has been achieved in the therapy of multiple myeloma. In orthopaedics, it is essential to be able to recognise the of alarming symptoms of multiple myeloma in clinical routine and to be aware of basic diagnostic features to confirm this disease. Surgical treatment of myeloma-related bone lesions - such as stabilisation of pathological fractures - is an important domain of tumour orthopaedic surgery. Methods A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed using the keywords "multiple myeloma" and "diagnostic" or "therapy". This served to evaluate the available primary and secondary literature on the current status of the diagnostic testing and therapy of multiple myeloma. Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and clinical studies as well as international recommendations in therapy were included until the spring of 2016. Results There are now very sensitive screening methods for the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Accurate diagnosis is generally based on several factors, including physical evaluation, patient history, symptoms, and diagnostic testing results. The standards for initial diagnostic tests are determined by blood and urine tests as well as a bone marrow biopsy and skeletal imaging, such as X-rays, CT scans and MRI scans. Major and minor criteria are required to confirm the diagnosis of multiple myeloma and help to determine the classification and staging of multiple myeloma, and whether it is smoldering myeloma (asymptomatic), symptomatic myeloma, or a monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). Multiple myeloma treatment options have increased significantly over the last 10 years. Standard of basic myeloma treatment consists of high dose chemotherapy in combination with autologous stem cell transplantation. Several factors may determine multiple myeloma treatment, such as age and general health, results of laboratory and cytogenetic (genomic) tests as well as symptoms and disease complications. After evaluation of these factors, an individual and often multimodal treatment plan is created and implemented in interdisciplinary cooperation. Conventional treatment options have to be evaluated for older patients (> 70 - 75 years), who are not eligible for high dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation due to their age and/or severe comorbidities. It is essential to include supportive therapy in the integral treatment concept, in order to control pain or retain function or mobility. Supportive drugs such as bisphosphonates but also radiation therapy and orthopaedic surgery may be required in order to manage complications of the disease as well as side effects of treatment. Conclusion Current studies show promising results in the treatment of multiple myeloma, due to new agents such as immunomodulatory drugs, proteasome inhibitors and antibodies, which may improve prognosis and survival rate among myeloma patients in the future. However treatment algorithms have become more complex and expensive., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)