Factors predictive of relapse in adult bacterial osteomyelitis of long bones.

BACKGROUND: Osteomyelitis is a difficult-to-cure infection with a high relapse rate despite combined medical and surgical therapies. Some severity factors, duration of antimicrobial therapy and type of surgical procedure might influence osteomyelitis relapse. METHODS: 116 patients with osteomyelitis were followed for ≥1 year after hospital discharge. Demographic, microbiological and clinical data, eight severity factors and treatment (surgical and antibiotic) were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age was 53 years and 74.1% were men. Tibia (62.1%) and S. aureus (58.5%) were the most commonly involved bone and bacteria, respectively. Mean follow-up was 67.1 months. Forty-six patients underwent bone debridement, 61 debridement plus flap coverage and 9 antimicrobial therapy only. Twenty-six patients (22.4%) relapsed, at a mean of 11.2 months since hospital discharge. Duration > 3 months (p = 0.025), number of severity factors (P = 0.02) and absence of surgery (P = 0.004) were associated with osteomyelitis relapse in the univariate analysis. In the Cox regression analysis, osteomyelitis duration > 3 months (P = 0.012), bone exposure (P = 0.0003) and type of surgery (P < 0.0001) were associated with relapse. Regarding the surgical modalities, bone debridement with muscle flap was associated with better osteomyelitis outcomes, as compared with no surgery (P < 0.0001) and debridement only (P = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Osteomyelitis extending for > 3 months, bone exposure and treatment other than surgical debridement with muscular flap are risk factors for osteomyelitis relapse.

Bacterial osteomyelitis: microbiological, clinical, therapeutic, and evolutive characteristics of 344 episodes.

OBJECTIVE: Osteomyelitis is a difficult-to-cure infection, with high relapse rate despite adequate therapy. Large published osteomyelitis series in adults are rare. METHODS: A total of 344 adult osteomyelitis patients were studied and followed > 12 months after hospital discharge. Demographic, microbiological, clinical, therapeutic and outcome data were analyzed. RESULTS: Mean age was 52.5 ± 18.3 years and 233 (67.7%) were male. Main osteomyelitis types were post-surgical (31.1%), post-traumatic (26.2%) and hematogenous (23%). Tibia (24.1%) and femur (21.8%), and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (29.6%) were the most commonly involved bone and bacteria, respectively. Median follow-up was 12.0 (IQR 0-48) months. Inflammatory markers were increased in 73.6%. Overall, patients were treated by IV and oral routes with one (IV: 44.5%, oral: 26.7%), two (IV: 30.1%, oral: 21.8%) or ≥ 2 (IV: 15.2%, oral: 6.1%) antibiotics. Median duration on IV/oral antimicrobials was 28.0 (IQR 24-28) and 19.5 (IQR 4-56) days, respectively. Anti-staphylococcal ß-lactams cloxacillin/cefazolin (19.2%) and ciprofloxacin (5.5%) were the most frequently used IV and orally, respectively. Overall 234 (68.0%) underwent surgery, 113 (32.8%) debridement, 97 (27.4%) debridement + muscle flap and 24 (7%) amputation. At the end of follow-up 208 patients (60.6%) did not have relapsed. Operated patients had significantly less relapses (p<0.0001). A total of 23 (6.7%) died, 11 (3.2%) by infectious complications and 48 (14%) were lost in the follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Osteomyelitis is due to different causes complicating its therapy. Risk factors or causal microorganism could influence its treatment and outcome. Aggressive surgery along with adequate antimicrobial therapy are mandatory for cure.

Angiosarcoma radioinducido de mama. Dos casos de una patología infrecuente / Radiotherapy-induced breast agiosarcoma. Two cases of a rare disease

El angiosarcoma radioinducido de mama es una patología poco frecuente que se da en pacientes sometidas a radioterapia después de un proceso tumoral maligno tratado con cirugía, ya sea radical con mastectomía o conservadora. Presentamos 2 casos con diferentes características. El primero corresponde a una paciente joven sometida a cirugía conservadora, radioterapia y reconstrucción, y el segundo una paciente de edad avanzada con desarrollo de angiosarcoma sobre lecho de radioterapia preoperatoria y mastectomía. En ambos casos detallamos la actitud quirúrgica llevada a cabo de forma conjunta por los Servicios de Cirugía Plástica y Cirugía General y el tratamiento adyuvante por parte del Servicio de Oncología (AU)

Radiation-induced breast angiosarcoma is a rare disease which occurs in patients submitted to radiotherapy after a malignant tumour treated with conservative surgery or mastectomy. We report 2 cases with different characteristics. The first one is a young patient with conservative surgery, radiotherapy and reconstruction. The second case is an old patient who developed an angiosarcoma after preoperatory radiotherapy and mastectomy. In both cases, the surgical attitude by the Plastic Surgery and General Surgery is detailed, and the adjuvant treatment by Oncology (AU)

Principios de evaluación y resultados funcionales en los reimplantes de miembro superior / Principles of evaluation and functional results in upper extremity replantation surgery

El objetivo de este trabajo es evaluar nuestros resultados funcionales y subjetivos en pacientes sometidos a reimplante de miembro superior. Medimos rango de movilidad articular, fuerza de la prensión y otros tests en 41 pacientes con edad media 44,8 años que sufrieron amputación de miembro superior y fueron sometidos a reimplante quirúrgico en nuestro hospital entre enero del 2005 y diciembre del 2009. Los resultados funcionales se midieron con la tabla de Mayo modificada para lesiones de pulgar, dedos largos y mano, distal a muñeca. Las amputaciones proximales a muñeca se evaluaron según los criterios de Chen. Los resultados subjetivos fueron documentados aplicando a todos los casos el cuestionario de Russell. La mayoría de las lesiones fueron provocadas por mecanismos de avulsión y 30 (74 %) fueron accidentes laborales. La tasa final de supervivencia fue del 85 % (35 pacientes) incluyendo 2 pacientes en los que se realizó trasplante de pie a mano para salvar la amputación. Aplicando la tabla de Mayo modificada, los resultados fueron buenos en pulgar y discretos en mano y dedos largos. En reimplantes proximales obtuvimos 1 resultado excelente y 2 discretos. Diecinueve pacientes retornaron al mundo laboral en una media de 10 meses. Veintisiete manifiestan satisfacción alta con los resultados obtenidos. Los resultados de cualquier reimplante deben superar los del cierre simple de una amputación. Aunque los resultados objetivos de la serie son moderados, muchos pacientes retornan al trabajo y la mayoría es capaz de realizar sus actividades cotidianas (AU)

The aim of this study was to evaluate functional and subjective outcome after upper limb replantation, with assessment or range of motions, grip strength, and additional functional tests. Forty-one patients, mean age 44.8 years old, with upper limb amputations were treated in our hospital with replantation between January 2005 and December 2009. Functional results were assessed by modified Mayo scoring system for thumb, fingers and hand amputations. Proximal amputations were evaluated according to the criteria of Chen. Subjective results were documented in all patients by Russell's Questionnaire. Most of the injuries were caused by avulsion forces and 30 (74 %) were work related. The final survival rate was 85 % (35 patients); we include 2 patients who have had immediate foot transplantations. Using modified Mayo score system the outcome was good in thumb patients and fair in fingers and hand amputations. According to Chen's criteria the result was excellent in 1 forearm amputation and fair in 2 patients. Nineteen patients had returned to work, their time-off work averaged was 10 months. Patient satisfaction was rated as better than expected and satisfactory in 27 patients. Outcomes of replantation must be better than revision amputation. Although functional outcomes were moderate, most of patients were able to use their hands to perform some work and daily living activities (AU)