Post-radiation sarcoma: A study by the Eastern Asian Musculoskeletal Oncology Group.

The oncologic risk of ionizing radiation is widely known. Sarcomas developing after radiotherapy have been reported, and they are a growing problem because rapid advancements in cancer management and screening have increased the number of long-term survivors. Although many patients have undergone radiation treatment in Asian countries, scarce reports on post-radiation sarcomas (PRSs) have been published. We investigated the feature and prognostic factors of PRSs in an Asian population. The Eastern Asian Musculoskeletal Oncology Group participated in this project. Cases obtained from 10 centers were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with genetic malignancy predisposition syndrome, or who had more than one type of malignancy before the development of secondary sarcoma were excluded. Forty-two high-grade sarcomas among a total of 43 PRSs were analyzed. There were 29 females and 13 males, with a median age of 58.5 years; 23 patients had bone tumors and 19 had soft tissue tumors. The most common primary lesion was breast cancer. The median latency period was 192 months. There were no differences in radiation dose, latency time, and survival rates between bone and soft tissue PRSs. The most common site and diagnosis were the pelvic area and osteosarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma for bone and soft tissue PRSs. The median follow-up period was 25.5 months. Five-year metastasis-free and overall survival rates were 14.5% and 16.6%, and 39.1% and 49.6% for bone and soft tissue PRSs. Survival differences depending on initial metastasis and surgery were significant in soft tissue sarcomas. Although this study failed to find ethnic differences, it is the largest review on PRS in an Asian population. As early recognition through long-term surveillance is a key to optimal management, clinicians should take efforts to understand the real status of PRS.

Correlations of magnetic resonance imaging findings with clinical symptom severity and prognosis of frozen shoulder.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the correlation between indirect magnetic resonance (MR) arthrographic imaging findings and the clinical symptoms and prognosis of patients with frozen shoulder. METHODS: Indirect MR arthrography was performed for 52 patients with primary frozen shoulder (mean age 55.1 ± 9.0 years) and 52 individuals without frozen shoulder (mean age 53.1 ± 10.7 years); capsular thickening and enhancement of the axillary recess as well as soft tissue thickening of the rotator interval were evaluated. Clinical symptom severity was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale for Pain (VAS Pain), simple shoulder test (SST), Constant score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and range of motion (ROM). At 6-month follow-up, we evaluated whether MR arthrography findings correlated with the clinical symptoms and prognosis. RESULTS: Capsular thickening and enhancement of the axillary recess as well as soft tissue thickening of the rotator interval were significantly greater in the patient group than in the controls (p < 0.001). Capsular thickening of the axillary recess did not correlate with clinical symptoms or ROM (n.s.); however, capsular enhancement correlated with clinical symptom severity according to VAS Pain (p = 0.005), SST (p = 0.046), and ASES scores (p = 0.009). Soft tissue thickening of the rotator interval did not correlate with clinical symptom severity, but was associated with external rotation limitation (p = 0.002). However, none of the parameters correlated with clinical symptoms at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Indirect MR arthrography provided ancillary findings, especially with capsular enhancement, for evaluating clinical symptom severity of frozen shoulder, but did not reflect the prognosis. MR findings in frozen shoulder should not replace clinical judgments regarding further prognosis and treatment decisions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Cystic Disease of the Groin Presenting as Compression of a Femoral Vessel.

In this study, we describe our diagnosis and treatment of two patients who presented with femoral vessel compression caused by a cystic lesion in the groin. One case was diagnosed as adventitial cystic disease (ACD) of the common femoral artery resulting in leg claudication and the other was diagnosed as a ganglion cyst (GC) causing femoral vein compression and unilateral leg swelling. The operative findings differed between these two cases with respect to the dissection of the cyst and femoral vessel, but the postoperative histological examination results were similar. The pathogenesis of ACD and GC is not fully understood, and further investigation is needed to delineate the exact pathology of these uncommon conditions.

Rotator cuff tear and sarcopenia: are these related?

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass and consequent loss of muscle function with aging. Its prevalence among the general population is 12% to 30% in those aged >60 years. We evaluated (1) the difference in the prevalence of sarcopenia between patients with rotator cuff tear and controls and (2) the sarcopenia severity according to the size of the rotator cuff tear. METHODS: Group 1 included 48 consecutive patients with chronic symptomatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears (mean age, 60.1 ± 6.5 years; range, 46-76 years), and group 2 included 48 age- and sex-matched patients. The sarcopenic index was evaluated by using the grip strength of the asymptomatic contralateral side and the skeletal muscle mass. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in the baseline data and demographic factors between the groups. The sarcopenic index was significantly inferior in the rotator cuff tear group than in the age- and sex-matched control groups (P = .041, .007, and .05, respectively). Patients with large to massive tears had a significantly inferior sarcopenic index than those with small and medium tears. CONCLUSION: The results showed that sarcopenia was more severe in patients with a chronic symptomatic full-thickness rotator cuff tear than in the age- and sex-matched control population and was correlated with the size of the tear, with the numbers available. Despite the individual variance in the underlying medical condition and physical activities, this study suggests that clinicians should consider the sarcopenic condition of patients with a rotator cuff tear, especially in elderly patients with large to massive tears.

Intra-articular injection, subacromial injection, and hydrodilatation for primary frozen shoulder: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this prospective randomized study was to compare the efficacy of 3 injection methods, intra-articular injection, subacromial injection, and hydrodilatation (HD), in the treatment of primary frozen shoulder. METHODS: Patients with primary frozen shoulder were randomized to undergo intra-articular injection (n = 29), subacromial injection (n = 29), or HD (n = 28). Evaluations using a visual analog scale for pain, Simple Shoulder Test, Constant score, and passive range of shoulder motion were completed before treatment and 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after treatment. RESULTS: Among the 3 injection methods for primary frozen shoulder, HD resulted in a greater range of motion in forward flexion and external rotation, a lower visual analog scale score for pain after 1 month, and better outcomes for all functional scores after 1 month and 3 months of follow-up. However, there were no significant differences in any clinical outcomes among the 3 groups in the final follow-up at 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although HD yielded more rapid improvement, the 3 injection methods for primary frozen shoulder resulted in similar clinical improvement in the final follow-up at 6 months.

Prognostic Factors of Arthroscopic Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis Release for Lateral Epicondylitis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze factors affecting the treatment outcomes and prognoses of arthroscopic debridement for refractory lateral epicondylitis. METHODS: We included 45 patients who had undergone arthroscopic extensor carpi radialis brevis release for chronic refractory lateral epicondylitis between October 2008 and December 2012. Demographic data, magnetic resonance imaging studies, and arthroscopic findings were examined and analyzed. RESULTS: The mean age of the enrolled patients (23 men and 22 women) was 45.9 ± 7.8 years, and the mean follow-up duration was 26.9 ± 9.0 months. All the patients showed significant clinical improvement on all parameters assessed using the visual analog scale (6.9 preoperatively to 0.9 postoperatively), the Upper Extremity Functional Scale (34.8 to 66.7), and the Mayo Elbow Score (63.5 to 92.3) (P < .05). There were no reports of serious surgical complications. At final follow-up, 37 patients (82.2%) were satisfied with their outcomes whereas 8 patients (17.8%) were dissatisfied. In terms of demographic factors, female sex was significantly different between the 2 groups. On preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, 7 patients in the satisfied group (18.9%) had a definite tendon lesion (grade III defect, ≥6 mm) whereas 6 patients in the dissatisfied group (75%) had a grade III defect (P = .016). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, clinical outcome scores showed improvement after arthroscopic extensor carpi radialis brevis release for refractory lateral epicondylitis. However, preoperative tendon status and sex were associated with dissatisfaction and poor postoperative outcomes after the arthroscopic release procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Comparison of results between hook plate fixation and ligament reconstruction for acute unstable acromioclavicular joint dislocation.

BACKGROUND: In the present study, we aimed to compare clinical and radiographic outcomes between hook plate fixation and coracoclavicular (CC) ligament reconstruction for the treatment of acute unstable acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocation. METHODS: Forty-two patients who underwent surgery for an unstable acute dislocation of the AC joint were included. We divided them into two groups according to the treatment modality: internal fixation with a hook plate (group I, 24 cases) or CC ligament reconstruction (group II, 18 cases). We evaluated the clinical outcomes using a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and Constant-Murley score, and assessed the radiographic outcomes based on the reduction and loss of CC distance on preoperative, postoperative, and final follow-up plain radiographs. RESULTS: The mean VAS scores at the final follow-up were 1.6 ± 1.5 and 1.3 ± 1.3 in groups I and II, respectively, which were not significantly different. The mean Constant-Murley scores were 90.2 ± 9.9 and 89.2 ± 3.5 in groups I and II, respectively, which were also not significantly different. The AC joints were well reduced in both groups, whereas CC distance improved from a mean of 215.7% ± 50.9% preoperatively to 106.1% ± 10.2% at the final follow-up in group I, and from 239.9% ± 59.2% preoperatively to 133.6% ± 36.7% at the final follow-up in group II. The improvement in group I was significantly superior to that in group II (p < 0.001). Furthermore, subluxation was not observed in any case in group I, but was noted in six cases (33%) in group II. Erosions of the acromion undersurface were observed in 9 cases in group I. CONCLUSIONS: In cases of acute unstable AC joint dislocation, hook plate fixation and CC ligament reconstruction yield comparable satisfactory clinical outcomes. However, radiographic outcomes based on the maintenance of reduction indicate that hook plate fixation is a better treatment option.

Efficiency of ligamentotaxis using PLL for thoracic and lumbar burst fractures in the load-sharing classification.

The use of pedicle screws for short-segment implants has been known to be dangerous in patients who score a 7 or higher on McCormack's classification. The efficiency of ligamentotaxis of the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) and short-segment implants and fusion in relation to McCormack's classification has not been proven. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiological results of indirect decompression using PLL ligamentotaxis between patients with a high- (score of 7 or higher) or low-grade (score of 6 or less) fracture. Eighteen patients (19 levels) in the low-grade fracture group were compared with 23 patients (27 levels) in the high-grade fracture group. Clinical outcomes were measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) scores; radiologic measures were determined using the spinal canal area and mean sagittal diameter; and the complications were evaluated and compared. A significant improvement in each groups was found in the mean pre- and postoperative spinal canal area, mean sagittal diameter, Cobb's angle, and anterior vertebral height compression rate. A significant difference was found between the 2 groups in the mean pre- and postoperative spinal canal area, mean sagittal diameter, and anterior vertebral height compression rate. Moreover, the VAS and ODI scores continued to significantly improve at the last follow-up in each group. No difference was found in the prevalence of complications. Despite a high score, no significant difference was found in the clinical and radiological results and the complications. Therefore, indirect decompression using PLL ligamentotaxis was found to be a useful technique for patients who recieve a high McCormack's classification score.

What do the patients want and worry in Korean patients who undergo arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery?

BACKGROUND: To specify what patients want and worry preoperatively is important in orthopedic practice. The aim of the current study was to analyze the patient characteristics of rotator cuff disease in Korean population who were willing to undergo arthroscopic surgery, and to evaluate the differences in expectations and concerns by age and gender. METHODS: We prospectively enrolled 303 patients who underwent rotator cuff surgery between April 2004 and August 2008. Three questionnaires were completed before surgery: the first one addressing preoperative patient's expectation, the second one focusing on concerns by covering 64 items using a visual analogue scale, and the third one evaluating patient's demographic characteristics. The characteristics of preoperative expectation, concern, and demographic data were evaluated according to gender and age group. RESULTS: Female patients had lower level of sports activity (p = 0.007) and lower levels of information (p = 0.028). Gender specific worries are about a caregiver during hospital stay, operating on the working side, fear about ugly scars, postoperative pain, applying makeup or combing hair. The older group responded that they can't be willing to change activities of daily living (p = 0.001), are not living with a spouse (p = 0.002), had previous shoulder operation history (p = 0.008), and had a lower level of information (p = 0.007). They especially worried about medical bills, worried about the physician being too young and inexperienced, postoperative pain, loss of arm function, and hospital food. CONCLUSIONS: Our data showed what Korean patients wanted and were concerned about prior to rotator cuff surgery. This can empower patients to formulate realistic expectations and make informed decisions. We feel that we can achieve higher levels of postoperative satisfaction by analyzing expectations and concerns in depth and addressing these proactively.

The effect of ketamine on the separation anxiety and emergence agitation in children undergoing brief ophthalmic surgery under desflurane general anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: Emergence agitation (EA) frequently occurs after desflurane anesthesia in children. Ketamine, because of its sedative and analgesic properties, might be useful for the management of separation anxiety and EA. We investigated the preventive effect of ketamine on separation anxiety and EA after desflurane anesthesia in children for brief ophthalmic surgery. METHODS: Sixty children, ranging in age from 2-8 years old, undergoing brief ophthalmic surgery were randomly allocated to one of the 3 groups: group C received normal saline, group K1.0 received ketamine 1.0 mg/kg intravenously before entering the operating room, or group K0.5 received ketamine 0.5 mg/kg 10 min before the end of the surgery. Before induction, the separation anxiety score was evaluated. Extubation time, post-anesthesia care unit stay time, postoperative nausea and vomiting, emergence agitation, and pain were assessed. RESULTS: The group K1.0 had a lower separation anxiety score compared with groups K0.5 and C. Extubation time in group K0.5 was significantly prolonged compared with groups K1.0 and C. The incidence of EA and the modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale were significantly lower in group K1.0 and group K0.5 compared to group C, but there was no significant difference between groups K1.0 and K0.5. CONCLUSIONS: In children undergoing brief ophthalmic surgery with desflurane anesthesia, ketamine 1.0 mg/kg administered before entering the operating room reduced separation anxiety, postoperative pain, and incidence of EA without delay in recovery.

Effect of ketamine on intravenous patient-controlled analgesia using hydromorphone and ketorolac after the Nuss surgery in pediatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Nuss surgery is preferred in pectus excavatum repair because this procedure produces excellent cosmetic results and prevents postoperative distressed pulmonary function. However, the procedure causes severe pain due to thoracic expansion. This study was designed to investigate the analgesic effect of small doses of ketamine on an intravenous patient-controlled analgesia (IV-PCA) using hydromorphone and ketorolac for pain control after Nuss surgery. METHODS: Forty-four patients undergoing elective Nuss surgery were randomly assigned to receive hydromorphone 3 µg/kg/hr, ketorolac 0.05 mg/kg/hr and ondansetron 0.1 mg/kg/day (Group HO, n = 22) or hydromorphone 3 µg/kg/hr, ketorolac 0.05 mg/kg/hr, ondansetron 0.1 mg/kg/day and ketamine 0.15 mg/kg/hr (Group HK, n = 22) via an IV-PCA pump after surgery. A blind observer evaluated each patient using the Modified Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (CHEOPS) for the assessment of pain control. The total administered PCA volume, side effects and parents satisfaction with pain control were assessed at postoperative 1, 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in Modified CHEOPS between the groups during postoperative 48 hours. The total PCA volume in group HK was significantly lower than that in group HO (P < 0.05). The side effects in both groups did not significantly differ except for pruritus. The levels of satisfaction from the parents were not significantly different between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: A small dose of ketamine on IV-PCA reduced the total administered dose of IV-PCA with hydromorphone and ketorolac and reduced the incidence of pruritus after the Nuss procedure in pediatric patients.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at the medial clavicular head mimicking Tietze Syndrome.

We present a case of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma involving medial clavicular head, which was initially diagnosed as Tietze syndrome. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma arising from medial clavicular head is extremely rare, and CT, MRI findings have not been reported.

Prognostic value of computed tomography for monitoring pulmonary metastases in soft tissue sarcoma patients after surgical management: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The lung is the most common site of metastases in patients with a soft tissue sarcoma. However, surveillance protocol for pulmonary metastasis after surgical management has not been proved. The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prognostic value of computed tomography of the chest in soft tissue sarcoma patients after surgery. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 176 patients who were followed up with chest computed tomographic (CT) scan or plain chest radiographs for pulmonary metastasis monitoring after surgery. Ninety-six patients were followed up with plain chest radiographs and 80 patients with chest CT scan. Mean duration of follow-up was 55.8 months. The Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test were used to calculate overall survival rates and survival rate difference between chest CT and plain radiograph cohorts. RESULTS: The overall 5- and 10-year survival rates of 176 patients were 75.6% and 70.3%, respectively. The 5-year survival estimates of 96 patients who were included in the plain radiograph cohort and 80 patients in the chest CT cohort were 74.2% and 76.6%, respectively (P=0.70). Fifty-four patients (30.7%) had pulmonary metastasis. Of the 54 patients, 26 belonged to the plain radiograph cohort and 28 patients belonged to the chest CT cohort. Pulmonary metastasis of chest CT cohort had the tendencies of unilaterality, a smaller number of patients, and management with metastasectomy other than palliative management. The 2- and 4-year survival ratess after detection of pulmonary metastasis were 20.1% and 0% in the plain radiograph cohort and 47.4% and 31.6% in the chest CT cohort (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Serial monitoring with chest CT could give rise to early detection of pulmonary metastases, chance for metastasectomy, and eventually survival advantage.

Reliability of Triggered EMG for Prediction of Safety during Pedicle Screw Placement in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Surgery.

STUDY DESIGN: We performed a prospective study to evaluate the reliability of using triggered electromyography (EMG) for predicting pedicle wall breakthrough during the placement of pedicle screw in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery. PURPOSE: We wanted to correlate pedicle wall breakthrough with the triggered EMG threshold of stimulation and the postoperative computed tomography (CT) findings. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Pedicle wall breakthrough has been reported to be difficult to evaluate by radiographs. Triggered EMG had been found to be a more sensitive test to detect this breakthrough. METHODS: Seven patients who underwent the insertion of 103 pedicle screws were evaluated. The triggered EMG activity was recorded from several muscles depending on the level of screw placement. The postoperative CT scans were read by a spine surgeon who was a senior fellow in orthopedics, and a musculoskeletal radiologist. RESULTS: The mean age at surgery was 12.6 years (range, 11 to 17 years). The preoperative mean Cobb angle was 54.7° (range, 45 to 65°). There were 80 thoracic screws and 23 lumbar screws. All the screws had stimulation thresholds of ≥ 6 mA, except 3 screws with the stimulation threshold of < 6 mA. Ten screws (9.7%) showed violation of the pedicle wall on the postoperative CT scans. Five screws penetrated medially and another five penetrated laterally. No postoperative neurologic complications were noted in any of the seven patients. CONCLUSIONS: Measuring the stimulation threshold of triggered EMG helps to assess the pedicle screw placement. Pedicle screws that had stimulation threshold of ≥ 6 mA were safe, with 90.3% reliability, as was assessed on the postoperative CT scans.

Management of complex regional pain syndrome type 1 with total spinal block.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a painful and disabling disorder that can affect one or more extremities. Unfortunately, the knowledge concerning its natural history and mechanism is very limited and many current rationales in treatment of CRPS are mainly dependent on efficacy originated in other common conditions of neuropathic pain. Therefore, in this study, we present a case using a total spinal block (TSB) for the refractory pain management of a 16-year-old male CRPS patient, who suffered from constant stabbing and squeezing pain, with severe touch allodynia in the left upper extremity following an operation of chondroblastoma. After the TSB, the patient's continuous and spontaneous pain became mild and the allodynia disappeared and maintained decreased for 1 month.

Anaphylaxis with angioedema by rocuronium during induction of general anesthesia -A case report-.

Perioperative anaphylaxis is characterized by severe respiratory and cardiovascular manifestations. Correct management of anaphylaxis during anaesthesia requires a multidisciplinary approach with prompt recognition and treatment of the acute event by the attending anesthesiologist. A 34-year-old woman was scheduled to undergo endo venous laser therapy of varicose veins. She had no history of allergies and had never undergone general anesthesia. General anesthesia was induced with propofol and rocuronium bromide. Approximately three minutes after rocuronium administration, hypotension and tachycardia developed and angioedema around the eyelids and skin rashes and urticaria appeared. The patient received ephedrine and hydrocortisone with hydration. After achieving stable vital signs and symptom relief, surgery was performed without complications. A postoperative skin dermal test performed to identify the agent responsible revealed a positive skin test for rocuronium.