Controversies in orthopaedic oncology.

Chondrosarcoma is the second most common surgically treated primary bone sarcoma. Despite a large number of scientific papers in the literature, there is still significant controversy about diagnostics, treatment of the primary tumour, subtypes, and complications. Therefore, consensus on its day-to-day treatment decisions is needed. In January 2024, the Birmingham Orthopaedic Oncology Meeting (BOOM) attempted to gain global consensus from 300 delegates from over 50 countries. The meeting focused on these critical areas and aimed to generate consensus statements based on evidence amalgamation and expert opinion from diverse geographical regions. In parallel, periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in oncological reconstructions poses unique challenges due to factors such as adjuvant treatments, large exposures, and the complexity of surgery. The meeting debated two-stage revisions, antibiotic prophylaxis, managing acute PJI in patients undergoing chemotherapy, and defining the best strategies for wound management and allograft reconstruction. The objectives of the meeting extended beyond resolving immediate controversies. It sought to foster global collaboration among specialists attending the meeting, and to encourage future research projects to address unsolved dilemmas. By highlighting areas of disagreement and promoting collaborative research endeavours, this initiative aims to enhance treatment standards and potentially improve outcomes for patients globally. This paper sets out some of the controversies and questions that were debated in the meeting.

Management of Ipsilateral Fractures After Rotationplasty: A Report of 2 Cases and Review of the Literature.

CASE: Rotationplasty is a surgical procedure used for restoring functionality after skeletal tumor resection. Multiple complications have been described, including the potential occurrence of fractures. Literature on fracture management after rotationplasty is limited. In this article, we present 2 cases of late ipsilateral fractures in rotated limbs successfully treated with intramedullary nailing. CONCLUSION: Effective management of fractures after rotationplasty requires thorough understanding of the rotated limb anatomy and careful planning. The clinical considerations presented in this article aim to provide guidance for surgeons to achieve successful outcomes in the management of fractures after rotationplasty.

Clinical outcomes of total femoral replacement. First Latin American experience.

INTRODUCTION: The femur is frequently affected by primary and metastatic bone tumors. In cases with substantial bone loss, Total Femur Replacement (TFR) remains the only viable limb preservation option. This study investigates the clinical outcomes of TFR patients in a Latin American setting, with a minimum 3-year follow-up. METHODS: Retrospective review identifying cases of TFR at a single center from 2009 to 2020. Patients who had TFR either due to oncological indications or complications arising from oncology-related surgeries were included. Data on the indications for surgery and post-operative complications were recorded. To assess functional status, the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score and the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) were used. RESULTS: Fourteen patients met the inclusion criteria. Diagnoses included eight osteosarcomas, four chondrosarcomas, one Ewing sarcoma, and one giant cell tumor. Ten patients had undergone prior surgeries. Indication for TFR was a complication of a previous surgery in 78.6 % of cases. Post-TFR complications were experienced by 35.7 % of patients, requiring further surgeries. At the 3-year mark, average MSTS and TESS scores were 67.4 % and 70.8 %, respectively. CONCLUSION: Total femur replacement serves as a valuable limb salvage solution for patients with significant femoral defects in oncological scenarios, however, there is a significant risk of complications. Given its potential benefits, it is essential for developing countries to consider incorporating TFR into their healthcare systems.

Participación en investigación durante la formación en traumatología y ortopedia en Chile ¿Con qué frecuencia publican los residentes? / Research involvement during orthopedic surgery training in Chile: how frequently do residents publish?

OBJETIVO: Determinar el promedio de artículos indexados publicados por residentes de traumatología en Chile y, en segundo lugar, establecer si el tiempo protegido para investigación se asociaba con un mayor número de publicaciones. MÉTODOS: Se desarrolló un estudio descriptivo transversal. Se realizó una búsqueda en la base de datos de PubMed para identificar publicaciones escritas por residentes egresados de programas chilenos entre 2012 y 2016. Se incluyeron artículos con fecha de publicación entre 6 meses después del inicio de su residencia y 12 meses después de la graduación. Se excluyeron las cartas al editor, los artículos no relacionados con la cirugía ortopédica, y los proyectos de investigación con una afiliación institucional distinta a sus programas de formación. Cada currículo de los programas de residencia fue revisado para que se identificara la mención de tiempo protegido para investigación. RESULTADOS: Se incluyó a un total de 272 residentes de 10 programas, y 72 artículos cumplieron los criterios de selección. La tasa de publicación promedio fue de 0,26 1,13 artículos (rango: 0 a 13 artículos) por residente durante su formación. En total, 2 programas tuvieron una tasa de publicación promedio superior a 1, y un 89,4% de los residentes chilenos no publicó ningún artículo durante su formación. Ninguno de los programas especificó tiempo protegido para la investigación. CONCLUSIONES: A nuestro entender, este es el primer estudio que describe el estado actual de la participación en la investigación entre los residentes de traumatología chilenos. El número promedio de publicaciones indexadas en PubMed por residente durante la formación en Chile fue de 0.26 1.13 artículos. Sólo el 10% de los residentes publica un artículo durante su residencia. No se pudo establecer una correlación entre el tiempo protegido para la investigación y el número de publicaciones.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the average number of indexed articles published per orthopedic resident in Chile, and, secondarily, to establish if protected research time for residents was associated with a higher number of publications. METHODS: A transverse descriptive study was developed. A search for publications authored by orthopedic residents who graduated from Chilean programs between 2012 and 2016 was performed on the PubMed database. Articles with a publication date between 6 months after the beginning of the residency and 12 months postgraduation were included. Letters to the editor, articles not related to orthopedic surgery, and research projects with an institutional affiliation other than their training programs were excluded. Each residency curriculum was reviewed for protected time for research. RESULTS: A total of 272 residents from 10 programs were included, and 72 articles fulfilled the selection criteria. The average rate of publication was of 0.26 1.13 articles (range: 0 to 13 articles) per resident during training. In total, 2 programs had an average publication rate higher than 1, and 89.4% of the Chilean residents did not publish an article during their training. None of the programs specified protected time for research. CONCLUSIONS: To our understanding, the present is the first study to describe the current state of research involvement among Chilean orthopedic residents. The average number of publications indexed on PubMed per orthopedic resident during training was of 0.26 1.13 articles. Only 10% of the residents publish an article during their residency. No correlation between protected time for research and the number of publications could be established.

Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the VISA-A questionnaire for Chilean Spanish-speaking patients.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the VISA-A questionnaire for Chilean Spanish speakers with Achilles tendinopathy (AT), which has been originally developed for English-speaking population. METHODS: According to the guidelines published by Beaton et al., the questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted to Chilean patients in six steps: initial translation, synthesis of the translation, back translation, expert committee review, test of the pre-final version (cohort n = 35), and development of VISA-A-CH. The resulting Chilean version was tested for validity on 60 patients: 20 healthy individuals (group 1), 20 patients with a recently diagnosed AT (group 2), and 20 with a severe AT that already initiated conservative treatment with no clinical improvement (group 3). The questionnaire was completed three times by each participant: at the time of study enrollment, after an hour, and after a week of the initial test. RESULTS: All six steps were successfully completed for the translation and cultural adaptation of the VISA-A-CH. VISA-A-CH final mean scores in the healthy group was significantly higher than those in the other groups. Group 3 had the lowest scores. Validity showed excellent test-retest reliability (rho c = 0.999; Pearson's r = 1.000) within an hour and within a week (rho c = 0.837; Pearson's r = 0.840). CONCLUSIONS: VISA-A was translated and validated to Chilean Spanish speakers successfully, being comparable to the original version. We believe that VISA-A-CH can be recommended as an important tool for clinical and research settings in Chilean and probably Latin-American Spanish speakers.

[Is instillation of bone marrow stem cells at the time of core decompression useful for osteonecrosis of the femoral head?]. / ¿Es útil la instilación de células madre de médula ósea al momento de la descompresión ósea en la osteonecrosis de cabeza femoral?

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head leads to degeneration of the head and finally to osteoarthritis of the hip. Decompression is the most widely used treatment, but its effectiveness is limited. It has been proposed instillation of stem cells in addition to decompression, would lead to better results. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified two systematic reviews including two randomized trials. We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded instillation of bone marrow stem cells at the time of core decompression probably slows progression to osteoarthritis of the hip in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head and might reduce the need of subsequent surgeries. It is unclear whether it has any effect on the functionality because the certainty of the evidence is very low.

La osteonecrosis de cabeza femoral lleva a degeneración de la cabeza y finalmente al desarrollo de artrosis de cadera. La descompresión constituye el tratamiento más utilizado, sin embargo su eficacia es limitada. Se ha planteado que la instilación de células madre en conjunto con la descompresión tendría mejores resultados. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 30 bases de datos, identificamos dos revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen dos estudios controlados aleatorizados. Realizamos un metanálisis y tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que instilar células madre de médula ósea al momento de la descompresión ósea en la osteonecrosis de cabeza femoral probablemente disminuye la progresión a artrosis de cadera y podría disminuir la necesidad de cirugías posteriores. No está claro si tiene algún efecto sobre la funcionalidad porque la certeza de la evidencia es muy baja.

La osteonecrosis de cabeza femoral lleva a degeneración de la cabeza y finalmente al desarrollo de artrosis de cadera. La descompresión constituye el tratamiento más utilizado, sin embargo su eficacia es limitada. Se ha planteado que la instilación de células madre en conjunto con la descompresión tendría mejores resultados. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 30 bases de datos, identificamos dos revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen dos estudios controlados aleatorizados. Realizamos un metanálisis y tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que instilar células madre de médula ósea al momento de la descompresión ósea en la osteonecrosis de cabeza femoral probablemente disminuye la progresión a artrosis de cadera y podría disminuir la necesidad de cirugías posteriores. No está claro si tiene algún efecto sobre la funcionalidad porque la certeza de la evidencia es muy baja.

Are biologics useful for nail psoriasis?

Apart from involving skin, psoriasis can compromise the nails and adjacent structures. Even though there are multiple therapeutic alternatives, there is great interest in biological therapy, but no consensus on its role exists. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified two systematic reviews including three randomized trials. We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded it is not clear whether biological therapy is superior to placebo in the treatment of nail psoriasis because the certainty of the evidence is very low.

Además de comprometer la piel, la psoriasis puede comprometer las uñas y las estructuras adyacentes. Si bien se dispone de diversas alternativas de terapia existe gran interés por la terapia biológica, aunque no existe consenso sobre su rol. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 30 bases de datos, identificamos dos revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen tres estudios aleatorizados. Extrajimos los datos relevantes y realizamos tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que no está claro si la terapia biológica es superior al placebo en el tratamiento de psoriasis ungueal porque la certeza de la evidencia existente es muy baja.

Is intramedullary nailing superior to plating in patients with extraarticular fracture of the distal tibia?

Distal tibial metaphyseal fractures are generally produced by high-energy trauma such as car accidents and can cause severe disability due to pain and deformity. In the management of these fractures, there are multiple surgical alternatives, but it is uncertain which the best option is. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified six systematic reviews including three randomized trials. We combined the evidence using meta-analysis and generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded it is not clear whether one surgical option is better than the other, because the certainty of the evidence is very low. Two ongoing randomized trials might help solving this uncertainty.

Las fracturas metafisarias de tibia distal se producen generalmente por traumatismos de alta energía, como accidentes automovilísticos, y pueden causar discapacidad severa por dolor y deformidad. En el manejo de estas fracturas existen múltiples alternativas quirúrgicas, sin embargo es incierto cuál es la mejor opción. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 30 bases de datos, identificamos seis revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen tres estudios aleatorizados. Realizamos un metanálisis y tablas de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que no está claro si existe superioridad de una intervención quirúrgica sobre la otra porque la certeza de la evidencia disponible es muy baja. Existen dos estudios clínicos aleatorizados en curso que podrían resolver esta interrogante.

Does vitamin C prevent the occurrence of complex regional pain syndrome in patients with extremity trauma requiring surgery?

The complex regional pain syndrome is a neuroinflammatory pathology that affects the central and peripheral nervous system, characterized by disproportional pain in relation to the trauma experimented by the patient. It has been proposed that vitamin C could prevent the development of this syndrome in patients with limb trauma and surgery. Searching in Epistemonikos database, which is maintained by screening 30 databases, we identified two systematic reviews that indentified four primary studies, including one randomized controlled trial. We generated a summary of findings table following the GRADE approach. We concluded it is uncertain whether vitamin C prevents complex regional pain syndrome because the certainty of the evidence is very low.

El síndrome de dolor regional complejo es una patología neuroinflamatoria que afecta tanto al sistema nervioso central como al periférico, y se caracteriza por dolor desproporcionado en relación al trauma experimentado por el paciente. Se ha planteado que el uso de vitamina C podría prevenir la aparición de este síndrome en pacientes con trauma y cirugía de extremidades. Utilizando la base de datos Epistemonikos, la cual es mantenida mediante búsquedas en 30 bases de datos, identificamos dos revisiones sistemáticas que en conjunto incluyen sólo un estudio controlado aleatorizado. Realizamos una tabla de resumen de los resultados utilizando el método GRADE. Concluimos que existe incertidumbre sobre si la vitamina C podría ser útil en la prevención del síndrome de dolor regional complejo en estos pacientes porque la certeza de la evidencia es muy baja.