Bone grafting of cryosurgically treated bone defects: experiments in goats.

It is hypothesized that cryosurgically treated bone defects are inappropriate host sites for cancellous bone grafting. The influence of autologous cancellous bone grafting on the healing of cryosurgically treated gap defects of long bones was investigated. A unilateral in vivo experiment was done to study bone strength and graft incorporation in the goat. The lining of a cylindrical defect of the femoral diaphysis was treated with a closed liquid nitrogen cryoprobe in 62 goats. Thirty-one animals received an impacted, morselized, cancellous bone graft harvested from the sternum. The other 31 animals served as controls. At 0, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 26 weeks animals were euthanized and the femurs were evaluated for torsional strength, computed tomography, and histologic assessment. Specimens with a bone graft showed no significant increase in torsional strength with time compared to the controls. In all goats euthanized at 10 weeks or later, the graft was resorbed. The amount of bone apposition at the site of the cryosurgical lesion and the time at which the defect was bridged were similar in both groups. Autologous cancellous bone grafting does not accelerate healing of cryosurgically treated, stable, diaphyseal defects in the goat.

Fibrous dysplasia of bone: management and outcome of 20 cases.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Fibrous dysplasia of bone is difficult to manage because of its variable clinical course with many different methods of treatment reported. Therefore we report on our experience. METHODS: We reviewed a series of 20 patients with 32 lesions included. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 32 years for monostotic disease, 26 years for polyostotic disease, and 3 years for McCune-Albright syndrome. The median follow-up period was 6 years. Functional and radiographic outcomes were scored. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Monostotic disease mostly presented with a circumscribed lesion and monitoring was often sufficient. Symptomatic circumscribed lesions showed satisfactory outcome when treated with curettage, cryosurgery and bone grafting. Lesions of the extended type were most of all seen in polyostotic disease and eventually needed operative treatment. In case of bony deformity, corrective osteotomies and rigid internal fixation were performed in addition to curettage, cryosurgery, and bone grafting. In polyostotic disease, expected outcomes were good, but in McCune-Albright syndrome, results were uniformly poor. J. Surg. Oncol. 2001;76:157-166.

Cryosurgery in long bones; an experimental study of necrosis and revitalization in rabbits.

Cryosurgery is an established adjuvant treatment of bone tumors which reduces the local recurrence rate. In this study, cryosurgical experiments were carried out in rabbits to study the temperature field, the extent of necrosis, and the revitalization process in order to optimize treatment. Intramedullary freezing of long bones with a closed liquid nitrogen cryoprobe and three consecutive sessions induces osteonecrosis down to the -10 degrees C isotherm without compromising the soft tissues. The application of a tourniquet does not influence the thermodynamics. The revitalization process is distinguished into an osteogenic and a remodelling phase. In rabbits, there is an obvious periosteal osteogenesis starting from 1 week after operation and overlapping the remodelling phase, which starts between 3 and 5 weeks after operation. Two out of eight rabbits sustained a pathologic fracture within 3 weeks of cryosurgery. No pathologic fractures were encountered during the remodelling phase, probably because of the profuse periosteal bone apposition that added mechanical strength. In clinical practice, no profound periosteal bone apposition and a high risk for pathologic fractures during the remodelling phase were noted. Future research should focus on bone strength during the remodelling phase of cryosurgically treated long bones, to decide on the role of preventive osteosynthesis or postoperative restrictions. This animal model is not advised for these biomechanical experiments because of its profuse periosteal bone apposition.

[Beneficial effects of cryosurgical treatment in benign and low-grade-malignant bone tumors in 120 patients]. / Gunstige effecten van cryochirurgische behandeling bij benigne en laaggradig maligne bottumoren bij 120 patiënten.

BACKGROUND: Benign and low-grade malignant bone tumours are generally treated with intralesional curettage. At microscopic level tumour cells are left behind and may be responsible for a recurrence. Therefore adjuvant local treatment is necessary. METHOD: By spraying liquid nitrogen into the remaining cavity, tumour cells are frozen very rapidly. Ice crystals formed in the (tumour) cell will mechanically damage the cell resulting in cell necrosis. This combined treatment of surgery and freezing is called cryosurgery. RESULTS: In 120 patients with a follow-up of at least 1 year the treatment results were good. The tumours were: aneurysmatic bone cyst (n = 32), simple bone cyst (n = 13), chondroid tumour (n = 43), giant-cell tumour (n = 13), eosinophilic granuloma (n = 7) and monostotic fibrous dysplasia (n = 12). There were 10 recurring tumours, some of them very small; 6 recurrences were treated successfully by cryosurgery again; in 2 recurrences marginal resection was carried out; 2 recurrences remained (as yet) untreated. CONCLUSION: Cryosurgery as a therapy of benign and low-grade malignant bone tumours yields results nearly as good as marginal resection, and has the advantage that segmental bone resections, which need extensive reconstructions are avoided.

Pseudarthrosis of the scaphoid treated by the Matti-Russe operation. A long-term review of 77 cases.

We report the long-term results of the Matti-Russe operation for pseudarthrosis of the scaphoid in 100 cases, reported previously by Mulder in 1968. Clinical results for 77 patients and radiographic data for 74 were reviewed at 22 to 34.8 years after surgery. In general, there was satisfactory relief of pain and stiffness but some patients had limitation of motion and reduced grip-strength, with usually slight osteoarthritic changes. There was poor correlation between subjective, objective, and radiographic results but 88% of the patients were satisfied with their results.