Safety and accuracy of core biopsy in retroperitoneal sarcomas.

AIM: Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPSs) are large, rare tumors. The role of core biopsy for retroperitoneal masses identified by preoperative imaging is unclear and we report the safety and accuracy of core biopsies at a specialized sarcoma unit in Sydney, Australia. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database was performed to identify the safety and accuracy of core biopsies in patients who were confirmed to have RPS. RESULTS: Twenty-two patients underwent biopsies with no recorded morbidity or tumor seeding. RPS was correctly identified in 82%. Median follow-up was 19 months. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate that core biopsy is safe and can identify RPSs.

Radiofrequency coblation of congenital nasopharyngeal teratoma: a novel technique.

Introduction. Congenital nasopharyngeal teratomas are rare tumours that pose difficulties in diagnosis and surgical management. We report the first use of radiofrequency coblation in the management of such tumours. Case Report. A premature baby with a perinatal diagnosis of a large, obstructing nasooropharyngeal mass was referred to the ENT service for further investigations and management. The initial biopsy was suggestive of a neuroblastoma, but the tumour demonstrated rapid growth despite appropriate chemotherapy. In a novel use of radiofrequency coblation, the nasooropharyngeal mass was completely excised, with the final histopathology revealing a congenital nasopharyngeal teratoma. Conclusion. We report the first use of radiofrequency coblation to excise a congenital nasopharyngeal teratoma and discuss its advantages.

Microbiological culture findings of the femoral heads as a prognostic factor in the total hip replacement surgery.

BACKGROUND: In primary total hip replacements (THRs), the dissected femoral heads (FHs) are commonly used to make the bone-chips for the reconstruction in the orthopaedic surgery. The donated FHs are routinely microbiologically cultured to identify and contaminated FHs are discarded. This study examines whether a positive FH culture predicts an infection and prosthetic failure after primary THR. METHODS: The study sampled 274 donated FHs from patients with osteonecrosis (ON), hip joint osteoarthritis (OA), and femoral neck fracture (FNF) in THR to culture the microbes. The FH contamination rates were analyzed for ON, OA, and FNF groups. Proportion of the postoperative infection or prosthetic failure in the group of donors with a positive FH culture were compared to the proportion in the group of donors with a negative FH culture. RESULTS: The rates of the positive culture in the ON, OA, and FNF groups were 7.1%, 3.8%, and 4.0%, respectively. The infection rate was found to be non-significantly greater in the ON group than in the OA and FNF groups. In the negative culture group, one patient (0.63%) had a postoperative superficial infection, and five patients (3.2%) experienced additional surgeries including a fixation for a periprosthetic fracture, within a minimum follow-up of two years. However, no postoperative infection was encountered, and no revision surgery was required in the positive culture group. CONCLUSIONS: A positive FH culture is not always associated with elevated risks of infection or prosthetic failure after THR. Therefore, such finding cannot be used as a prognostic factor of THR. The FHs that return a positive culture may not lead to the orthopaedic assessment of an infection or other postoperative complication risks in primary THR.

Modified minimally invasive two-incision total hip arthroplasty using large diameter femoral head.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive (MI) total hip arthroplasty (THA) is an alternative to standard THA, but has created much controversy among orthopedic surgeons. The authors modified the original minimally invasive two-incision THA technique and used large-diameter (32 mm, 36 mm) ceramic-on-ceramic articulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seventy patients that underwent unilateral MI two-incision THA were retrospectively reviewed, and surgical morbidity, functional recovery, radiological properties, and complications were assessed. RESULTS: Mean Harris hip score (HHS) improved from 41.8 to 96.1 at last followup, and mean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score from 66.2 to 26.9. The mean lateral opening angle of the acetabular component was 38.2° and the mean stem position was valgus 1.9°. There was an intraoperative femur fracture and one revision surgery due to stem subsidence. No patient had dislocation. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that this modified technique combined with large ceramic femoral head is safe and reproducible in terms of achieving proper implant positioning and early functional recovery.