Metastatic lesions of the humerus treated with the isoelastic diaphysis prosthesis.

Between January 1, 1987, and December 31, 1997, an isoelastic polyacetal resin prosthesis was used in 50 patients with metastatic bone disease to reconstruct pathologic or impending fractures of the humeral diaphysis. Fifty-seven operations were performed, including seven revision surgeries. The patients were assessed before and after surgery for limb function and quality of life using a modified Karnofsky scale. The mean survival time was 440 days. Ninety-one percent of the operations resulted in restoration or improvement of quality of life. Limb function was good or excellent in more than 80% of the patients after surgery. Breaking of the implant (n = 3), loosening of the implant (n = 2), periprosthetic fracture (n = 1), hematoma (n = 2), infection (n = 1), and one radial nerve paralysis were the main complications. In the cases of implant failure, the prosthesis broke at the site of a locking screw that was inserted across the prosthetic shaft in the cementless implantation technique. This kind of complication could be avoided by using bone cement for implantation or additional plate osteosynthesis between the prosthesis and humeral shaft. The isoelastic diaphyseal prosthesis offers a promising method of treating patients with metastatic lesions of the humeral shaft.

[Surgical treatment of Thibièrge-Weissenbach syndrome and other calcinoses of the hand. Case report and review of the literature]. / Operative Behandlung des Thibièrge-Weissenbach-Syndroms sowie anderer Kalzinosen an der Hand. Fallbericht und Literaturübersicht.

Soft-tissue calcifications in the hands may often be a sign of a systemical disease. The calcification then appears as a secondary manifestation of this disease. In that case, operative treatment ought to be a part of the overall treatment of the primary disease. When operating on fingers, the surgeon must pay attention not to compromise blood supply.

[Kapandji corrective operation of post-traumatic disorder of the distal radio-ulnar joint]. / Korrekturoperation nach Kapandji bei posttraumatischer Störung im distalen Radioulnargelenk.

The Sauvé-Kapandji procedure comprises distal radioulnar arthrodesis with screwing of the caput ulnae at the basis of the radius after the correction of the radioulnar length discrepancy. Therefore the best indications are posttraumatic changes of the distal radioulnar joint. At the same time a distal ulnar segment resection about 12 mm in length is necessary to restore forearm rotation, producing an iatrogenic pseudarthrosis. The proximal ulnar segment functionally assimilates to a rotating joint, as could be shown by X-rays. Between 1988 and 1993 this procedure was performed in 12 patients. Follow-up after an average of 38.2 months showed improvements in forearm rotation of 84% for pronation and 60% for supination. All patients had significant pain relief. Grip strength also improved, by 55%. No patient got worse postoperatively as measured by the score of Gartland and Werley. Neither non-union of the distal radioulnar joint fusion nor bony regeneration across the resected ulnar segment was seen. The good results are the consequence of adherence to a rigorous indication: no preexisting arthrosis at the radiocarpal joint.

[An unusual early complication in cementless replacement of the hip joint. Case report]. / Ungewöhnliche Frühkomplikation bei zementlosem Hüftgelenkersatz. Eine Fallbeschreibung.

This is the first description of a dislocation of the polyethyleninlay from the cup of a cementless hip prosthesis. Due to a fall of the patient 8 months after the implantation an unspecific complaint arised. In spite of detailed diagnostic no reason could have been found. During the renewed operation we saw the dislocated inlay by mechanical anchorage of the cup and the shaft. Retrospective there were made suggestions how the described complication could be recognized earlier.

[Surgical treatment strategies in femoral metastases]. / Operative Behandlungsstrategien bei Femurmetastasen.

Because of the increasing survival-time of tumor-patients bone metastasis is becoming an important subject in surgery. In the case of osteolysis of the femur a concept of treatment in consideration of various localisations is presented. In 81 patients with pathological fractures of the femur or osteolysis in this region from January 1987 to June 1992 96 stabilizing operations were performed. Almost one half of the patients suffered from breast carcinoma followed by hypernephroma, Plasmocytoma, bronchial-carcinoma and prostate-carcinoma. The average survival time after stabilization of the femur was 8.3 months. After the operation the condition of the patients improved on an average by 0.64 units of the modificated Karnowsky-Index. Surgical treatment of osteolysis in the femur is indicated either in pathological fractures or if instability is imminent. Moreover patients who suffer from severe pain should also receive palliative surgery. With regard to the site of the lesion various types of endoprostheses and osteosynthesic devices can be used. If the femoral neck or the intertrochanteric region is affected arthroplasty with cemented endoprosthesis may be performed. In subtrochanteric osteolysis long and thin endoprosthesis can be used as well as Gamma-nails. Pathological fractures in the shaft of the femur should be treated with intramedullary static locked nails, which can be strengthened by supplementary lateral plates. If the distal metaphysis of the femur is involved compound osteosynthesis with methylmethacrylate and dynamic condylar screws or angle plates can be used.

Spinal stabilization for patients with metastatic lesions of the spine using a titanium spacer.

Anterior decompression in spinal metastases of the corporal type with impending (n = 5) or present (n = 36) neurological complications was performed in 41 patients. For reconstruction, a titanium cylinder was inserted after spondylectomy and augmented with an anterior plate. The titanium implant can easily be adjusted to the length needed without necessitating expensive additional equipment. Outside the patient the implant is filled with polymethylmetacrylate, facilitating plate transfixation for rotational locking. There was a 30-day mortality of 9.7%. Pain relief was apparent in 38 of 41 patients (92.7%), and motor improvement was manifest in 31 of 35 cases (88.6%). Six patients did not present with any neurological symptoms pre- or postoperatively. Neurological deterioration was registered in only 1 case (2.4%). Surgical efficacy was maintained until the death of the patients. Though tumor recurrence at a different spinal level led to consecutive surgery in 5 patients, no implant dislocation occurred during the observation period (maximum 44 months), characterizing the procedure as a mechanically reliable and safe technique.