Long-term outcomes and improved risk of revision following tumor endoprosthetic replacement of the distal femur: Single institutional results.

PURPOSE: This study assessed revision characteristics following distal femur tumor endoprosthetic replacement. METHODS: Fifty-seven procedures were performed between 2005 and 2019. The cumulative incidence of implant revision was calculated with death as a competing risk. RESULTS: The all-cause revision rate was 21.1% (n = 12) at a mean 65.3 ± 47.3 months. Competing risk analysis revealed a cumulative revision incidence of 12.0% (95% CI, 3.6-25.9%) at five years and 36.5% (95% CI, 12.8-61.0%) at ten years. CONCLUSIONS: We provide an accurate assessment of revision risk which is slightly lower than historical controls, with identification of failure modes to reliably inform patient expectations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III. Retrospective Study.

Survival and outcomes of modular endoprosthetic reconstruction of the proximal femur for primary and non-primary bone tumors: Single institutional results.

PURPOSE: This study assessed implant survival and dislocation following proximal femur tumor endoprosthetic replacement. METHODS: Thirty-eight procedures were performed between 2005 and 2019. The cumulative incidence of implant revision was calculated with death as a competing risk. RESULTS: The majority of endoprostheses were bipolar hemiarthroplasty (n = 33, 86.8%). The cumulative incidence of revision was 14.6% (95% CI, 3.2%-34.1%) at five years. Dislocation occurred in 7.9% (n = 3) of hips at a mean (SD) 44 ± 35.2 days. CONCLUSIONS: Proximal femur tumor endoprosthetic replacement is a durable option that tends to outlive patients. Strict postoperative bracing may lower dislocation rates. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III. Retrospective Study.

The prognostic significance of lymphovascular tumor invasion in localized high-grade osteosarcoma: Outcomes of a single institution over 10 years.

BACKGROUNDS AND OBJECTIVES: Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) has shown evidence of an association with worse survival in high-grade osteosarcoma patients. The purpose of this investigation was to prognosticate LVI as a predictor of survival. METHODS: This was a retrospective review of high-grade, localized osteosarcoma patients over a consecutive 10-year period. Proportional hazards regression was used to identify prognostic factors. Cumulative mortality incidence was estimated with recurrence as a competing risk. RESULTS: Forty-two cases with a median follow-up of 64 months (range, 6-158 months) were reviewed. LVI was present in 21.4% (n = 9) cases. The five- and ten-year survivals in LVI (+) were 40% and 20%, compared to 93% and 81% in LVI (-), respectively (p < .001). After controlling for confounders, advanced age (hazards ratio [HR], 1.134; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1-1.2; p = .01) and LVI (HR, 21.768; 95% CI, 3-135; p = .001) were negative prognosticators. The cumulative incidence of recurrence was no different between LVI (+) and LVI (-) (p = .811), though the incidence of mortality was significantly higher in LVI (+) (p = .003). CONCLUSION: The presence of LVI in the setting of high-grade, localized osteosarcoma is associated with greater rates of mortality and appears to portend a dismal prognosis.

Internal fixation versus endoprosthetic replacement of the proximal femur for metastatic bone disease: Single institutional outcomes.

PURPOSE: This study compared internal fixation (IF) to proximal femur replacement (PFR) for proximal femoral metastasis. METHODS: Between 2005 and 2019, 113 lesions underwent IF (n = 94) or PFR (n = 19). Revision risk was calculated with mortality as a competing event. RESULTS: The 5-year revision risk after IF was 17.6% (95% CI, 9.8%-27.3%) compared to 7.6% (95% CI, 0.3%-28.9%) after PFR (p = 0.59). PFR had longer operative times (p < 0.001), hospital stay (p = 0.039), and higher blood loss (p < 0.001) than IF, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: IF may be considered for patients with poor health and a limited prognosis given the less-invasive procedure and shorter hospital stay. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III. Retrospective Study.

Steroid-associated bradycardia in a newly diagnosed B precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia patient with Holt-Oram syndrome.

Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS) (OMIM#142900) is a rare condition with upper extremity malformations as well as structural and conduction cardiac anomalies. There are sparse reports in the literature documenting malignancy in association with HOS. We report a pediatric patient clinically diagnosed with HOS (missing thumbs bilaterally, atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, and first-degree heart block), who also developed B precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. During induction of chemotherapy with steroids, she developed profound bradycardia without clinical symptoms. The bradycardia resolved without intervention, but this case highlights the challenges of managing chemotherapy side effects in a patient with congenital heart disease. A literature review pertinent to the associated findings in the case is also presented.

Hemodialysis Access Maintenance in the Medicare Population: An Analysis Over a Decade of Trends by Provider Specialty and Site of Service.

PURPOSE: To evaluate annual national trends in hemodialysis access maintenance procedures in the Medicare population by specialty and setting. METHODS: Medicare Physician Supplier Procedure Summary Master Files between 2005 and 2015 were analyzed for procedure codes of hemodialysis access angiography and percutaneous thrombectomy. Using physician specialty codes, component procedure volume for endovascular services were queried for radiology, medicine, and surgery. Data entries were analyzed by provider specialty and place of service. Average submitted and allowed charges per intervention were extracted. Linear regression modeling was used to identify trends in number of and allowed charges by specialty and practice setting. RESULTS: Between 2005 and 2015, the frequency of dialysis access angiography for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries increased by a total of 74.71% (211,181 to 368,955). Specialty-specific analysis demonstrated volume increases of 220.21% (22,128 to 101,109) for surgery, 249.02% (32,690 to 114,094) for medicine, and 2.81% (135,564 to 139, 367) for radiology. By 2015, an increased trend from hospital-based to non-hospital-based procedures associated with significantly higher reimbursement rates to providers (+18,798 non-hospital-based cases/year, $46.95/year, P ≤ .001) was also observed, with medicine performing the highest volume of non-hospital-based procedures. In this period, there was also a modest total overall increase of percutaneous thrombectomy procedures by 7.75% (61,485 to 66,250). CONCLUSIONS: The frequency of endovascular hemodialysis access maintenance procedures in the Medicare fee-for-service program has increased from 2005 to 2015, with the majority market share transitioning from radiologists to non-radiologists. Similarly, most access maintenance in this time period changed from hospital-based to non-hospital-based interventions.