Evaluation of the Reliability and Quality of Information in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Shared on YouTube.

Purpose Most of the internet users search online on YouTube for their health problems and the treatments. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality and the reliability of the videos on YouTube for Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods The search was made by typing the keywords "Carpal tunnel syndrome" and/or "CTS" into the YouTube search engine, the first 50 videos on the first three pages of YouTube were evaluated. Of these videos, title, duration, number of views, days since uploaded, view ratio (view per day), number of likes, number of dislikes, video power index (VPI), video source, and video content data were recorded. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria were used to evaluate the reliability of videos, where the Global Quality Score (GQS) and Carpal tunnel syndrome-specific score (CTS-SS) were used to evaluate the quality of the videos. Results The mean duration of the videos was 364.12 seconds (min 57, max 1,638) and the total duration of videos was 18,206 seconds. The mean number of views was 140,916.1 (min 10,543, max 1,271,040) and total number of views was 7,045,804. The mean JAMA score was 1.8 (min 1, max 4), the mean GQS was 2.72 (min 1, max 5), and the mean CTS-SS was 4.74 (min 1, max 14). There was no significant effect of video content on VPI, JAMA, GQS, or CTS-SS ( p >0.05). The JAMA, GQS, CT-SS scores of the videos from physicians and academic sources were significantly higher compared with other sources ( p <0.05). Conclusion YouTube is one of the most frequently used resource for patients to get information about their diagnosis and treatment methods and it consists of videos with low reliability and quality for CTS. We believe that the creation of an internet-based information resource, which the patients can refer to is one of the current social responsibilities of the physicians and the academicians. Level of Evidence This is a Level V study.

Malignant Tumors of the Foot and Ankle.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment is usually required for malignant foot and ankle tumors. In this study, we sought to review factors in treatment that may be associated with morbidity and mortality. METHODS: All malignant foot and ankle tumors at our institution between April 1988 and April 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The surgical modalities used and clinical outcomes of patients according to the anatomic location (Kirby zone) and clinical stage (Enneking system) of each tumor were described. Extent of surgical resection required, recurrence, and death rates were assessed. RESULTS: Between April 1988 and April 2018, 80 patients with malignant tumors of the foot and ankle were treated at out institution. Mean age of patients was 42.6 (range, 3-89) years. Mean follow-up was 30.2 months (range, 24-120). Tumors were primary in 75 patients (94%) and metastatic from another organ in 5 patients (6%). Tumors originated from bone in 18 patients (22%) and from soft tissue in 63 patients (78%). Synovial sarcoma was the most common soft tissue tumor, and osteosarcoma was the most common osseous tumor.All patients had surgery to resect their tumor. Twenty-one (26%) had unplanned surgical procedures without initial biopsy at an outside institution prior to referral. Those patients were more likely to be treated with amputation or wide excison and free flap surgery (P < .01). The recurrence rate was 50% for the unplanned surgery group and 22% for the planned surgery group. Mortality rate was 10% for the unplanned group and 6% for the planned group. The recurrence and mortality rate was higher in the unplanned group (P = .03). CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that unplanned initial surgeries are associated with higher recurrence and mortality rates and reinforces the notion that these patients should be referred for treatment at a center with specialized expertise in tumor management. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level, IV, retrospective case series.

External and internal hemipelvectomy: A retrospective analysis of 68 cases.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the factors that may be associated with surgical site infection and mortality in pelvic resection surgeries. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 68 patients (40 males, 28 females; mean age: 43±16.2 years; range, 11 to 70 years) who underwent internal or external hemipelvectomy between January 2010 and January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. We reviewed data concerning histopathological diagnosis, surgical technique, pelvic resection type, tumor size, postoperative infection, duration of follow-up, and mortality. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 45.5±42.2 months. Among 68 patients, 29 (42.6%) cases underwent external hemipelvectomy and 39 (57.4%) cases underwent internal hemipelvectomy. Reconstruction was performed in 14 (20.6%) patients who underwent internal hemipelvectomy. Of all patients, 61 had primary malignant pelvic tumors and two had metastatic pelvic tumors. Of the other five patients, two had a giant cell tumor, two had a pelvic hydatid cyst, and one had an aneurysmal bone cyst. The three most common pelvic tumors were chondrosarcoma (n=25, 36.7%), osteosarcoma (n=13, 19.1%), and Ewing sarcoma (n=8, 11.8%). Surgical site infections were observed in 34 (50.0%) patients. Of 34 patients, 15 (22.1%) had superficial infections and 19 (27.9%) had deep surgical infections. The superficial and deep infection rates were higher in the external hemipelvectomy group compared to internal hemipelvectomy (p=0.02). Patients with postoperative infection had a mean survival period of 36.0 months compared to 79.8 months in patients without infection (p=0.037). The patients treated with internal hemipelvectomy had a mean survival of 97.0 months compared to 25.7 months in patients treated with external hemipelvectomy (p<0.0001). The effect of Enneking stages of malignant pelvic tumors on survival was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier analysis. Cumulative survival decreased, as the stage progressed (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The type of surgical technique affects the possibility of postoperative infection. Postoperative infection, surgical method, and stage of the tumor are associated with survival.

Scheduling surgery after transarterial embolization: does timing make any difference to intraoperative blood loss for renal cell carcinoma bone metastases?

PURPOSE: Our purpose is to clarify the optimal timing of surgery after transarterial embolization (TAE) for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) bone metastases. METHODS: This retrospective study included 41 patients with RCC bone metastases embolized between 2013 and 2019. Different-sized particulate and/or liquid embolic agents were used for TAE. Embolizations were categorized into groups 1-3 according to the interval between TAE and surgery (group 1: <1 day, group 2: 1-3 days, group 3: >3 days). Degree of embolization after TAE was graded visually based on angiographic images (<50%, 50%-75%, 75%-90%, >90%). The relationship between the TAE-surgery interval and intraoperative blood loss (IBL) and the correlation between IBL and embolization grade were examined. Lesion sizes and the relationships among lesion localizations and contrast media usage, intervention time, and IBL were also analyzed. RESULTS: Forty-six pre-operative TAEs (single lesion at each session) were performed in this study (26 in group 1, 13 in group 2, 7 in group 3). Lesion sizes and distributions were similar between groups (p = 0.897); >75% devascularization was achieved in 40 (TAEs 86.96%), but the IBL showed no correlation with the embolization rate (r=0.032, p = 0.831). The TAE-surgery interval was 1-7 days. The median IBL in group 1 (750 mL; range, 150-3000 mL) was significantly lower than those in the other groups (p = 0.002). Contrast media usage (p = 0.482) and intervention times (p = 0.261) were similar for metastases at different localizations. IBL values after TAE were lower for extremity metastases (p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Bone metastases of RCC are well-vascularized, and to achieve lowest IBL values, surgery should preferably be performed <1 day after TAE.

The increase in paediatric orthopaedic trauma injuries following the end of the curfew during the COVID-19 period.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the injury patterns of orthopaedic trauma patients in the paediatric age group who presented to our hospital during and after lifting the curfew due to the pandemic, with the patients of the same age group who presented to our institution during the same time period last year. METHODS: Patients, aged 0 years to 18 years, who presented to our clinic between 21 March 2020 and 31 May 2020 (during curfew) (Group A1, n = 111), between 01 June 2020 and 31 August 2020 (Group A2, n = 214) and during the same periods in 2019 Group B1 (n = 220) and Group B2 (n = 211) were included. Patients with pathological fractures, traumas occurring earlier than the aforementioned date range and those consulted while being hospitalized in another department were excluded from study. Patients' demographics, the department they presented to, the anatomical region affected by trauma, trauma mechanism, the location of trauma, the treatment applied and the length of hospital stay were recorded. RESULTS: The prevalence of outdoor traumas (72.9% versus 61.1%), high-energy traumas (40.1% versus 26.5%), the rate of the patients treated with surgery (28% versus 17.1%) and the rate of admission to the emergency department (90.2% versus 58.3%) were significantly higher in Group A2 when compared with Group B2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The significant increase was observed in the number of outdoor injuries, high-energy traumas and fracture patterns that require surgical treatment during the first three months following the lift of the curfew, in comparison with the corresponding dates from last year. We think that children's lower extremity muscle strength and neuromuscular control was decreased due to staying home for a prolonged period of time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, Case-control study.

Steroid Injection and Biomarker Levels in the Treatment of Unicameral Bone Cysts: Can we Estimate the Result?

BACKGROUND: Steroid injection is a common method in the treatment of unicameral bone cysts (UBC). In this study, the relationship between the clinical results and inflammatory molecules' levels in the cyst fluid was evaluated after three repeated steroid injections in UBC subjects. METHODS: Twenty-one patients diagnosed with UBC were treated with methylprednisolone acetate (MPA) injections. Patients were given three injections, each containing MPA, 6-8 weeks apart. Plain radiographs were obtained and cyst healing was evaluated according to modified Neer classification. Cyst fluid samples were taken. Samples were taken at first and last operations and were studied using the ELISA method to examine IL-1ß, PGE2, MMP-1, and VEGF-A levels. RESULTS: There were 17 and 4 cases localized to the humerus and femur, respectively. The mean follow-up period was 36.9 months. Complete recovery was achieved in 13 patients (61.9%) receiving MPA. Four patients (19%) recovered with residual lesions. One patient (4.7%) did not respond to steroid injections at all. In three patients (14.2%) the cyst recurred. Results were satisfactory in 17 patients (80.9%) and totally unsuccessful in 4 patients (19%). IL-1ß, PGE2, and MMP-1 levels in cyst fluid were not affected by injection (p > 0.05), but VEGF-A levels decreased significantly with cyst healing (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Steroid injection is a good choice in the treatment of UBC because of its less aggressive and relatively good outcome. It may be considered to evaluate the response to treatment by performing biomarker monitoring especially VEGF-A in repeated injections. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II study.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic curfew on orthopedic trauma in a tertiary care hospital in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate whether various curfew practices affect trauma prevalence, epidemiological differences among the population admitted to hospital because of trauma, and treatment practices used after trauma. METHODS: Patients who suffered from fractures or soft-tissue trauma between March 21, 2020, and June 1, 2020, (group pandemic) and during the same period in 2019 (control group) were included in our single-center retrospective study. Each group was also divided into 3 subgroups according to the age of patients (≤ 20 years, 21-64 years, and ≥ 65 years). Data including anatomical region subjected to trauma, place of admission, mechanism of trauma, location of trauma, mode of treatment, type of surgery (if performed), duration of hospitalization (if hospitalized), time elapsed until surgery, and duration of postoperative hospitalization were collected and compared between groups. RESULTS: A total of 361 patients were admitted to the hospital with new trauma during the pandemic, and 708 patients had been admitted during the same period in 2019. The number of admissions decreased significantly by 50.9% (P < 0.001). The mechanism of trauma that occurred with low energy was significantly increased in the pandemic group (73.9%) compared with the control group (47.6%) (P < 0.001). Similarly, the distribution of trauma throughout the skeletal system, especially in the upper extremity, was significantly increased in the pandemic group (49.9% vs. 30.5%, P < 0.001). However, there was no significant decrease in individuals aged above 65 years (P = 0.115). Similar to the general outlook, the 3 groups differed in terms of the mechanism of trauma, location of trauma, and distribution of the anatomical region subjected to trauma (P < 0.001). Majority of the patients received inpatient treatment in all 3 groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed that the pandemic dramatically reduced the number of hospital admissions related to orthopedic trauma. The rate of low energy, upper extremity traumas that occurred indoors increased during the pandemic period compared with that of the previous year. However, the rate of hospital admissions did not differ in the ≥65-year-old subgroup during the pandemic period compared with that of the previous year.

Does "Coronal Root Angle" Serve as a Parameter in the Removal of Ventral Factors for Foraminal Stenosis at L5-S1 In Stand-alone Microendoscopic Decompression?

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective single-center cohort study. OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to investigate the causes of failure of L5/S1 foraminal stenosis, and it is hypothesized that the newly defined "L5 coronal root angle (CRA)" may be a parameter in the removal of ventral pathologies. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Lumbar foraminal stenosis is an important cause of recurrent leg pain after central spinal stenosis surgery. Although it can be seen at all levels, L5/S1 is the level at which it is most frequently seen due to its specific characteristics, with success rate is lower than other levels after foraminal decompression. METHODS: L5/S1 microendoscopic foraminal decompression was performed to 51 patients. According to Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) improvement at 12-month follow-up, those with improvement >20% were classified as Group 1 and <20% were classified as Group 2. The patients who underwent discectomy in addition to foraminotomy formed Group 3. Lumbar lordosis angle, segmental lordosis angle, anterior disc height, pelvic tilt, pelvic incidence, sacral slope, relative disc height ratio, pedicle height/vertebral body height ratio, L5 depth, L5 CRA, and anterior disc height/ posterior disc height ratio parameters were measured with lumbar radiographic views, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: Among the parameters compared between groups, L5 CRA, posterior disc height, anterior disc height/posterior disc height, relative disc height ratio, and lumbar lordosis angle during extension were seen to be statistically significantly related with low success rate. CONCLUSION: Failure to remove the ventral pathologies when the L5 CRA is <112. 1º may lead to failed results. Besides, in cases wherein the posterior disc height is <2.85 mm or the anterior/posterior disc height ratio is >3.98, approaches to restoring disc height rather than stand-alone posterior decompression may reduce the possibility of failure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2.

Comparison of Radiation Exposure Among 3 Different Endoscopic Diskectomy Techniques for Lumbar Disk Herniation.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar disk herniation can be successfully treated by lumbar endoscopic spinal procedures. However, one of the most important disadvantages of the endoscopic methods used is radiation exposure. There are multiple endoscopic spinal procedures and this study aims to compare unilateral biportal endoscopic diskectomy (UBED), percutaneous endoscopic lumbar diskectomy (PELD), and microendoscopic diskectomy (MED) methods in terms of radiation exposure. METHODS: A total of 75 people were included in this prospective and multicenter study. The demographic characteristics, operating times (minutes), levels of surgery, lumbar disk herniation types, radiation exposures (dose area product [DAP]), and fluoroscopy times (seconds) of the groups were compared. RESULTS: Mean DAP values were 1.39 Gy·cm2 in the UBED group, 2.46 Gy·cm2 in the PELD group, and 1.01 Gy·cm2 in the MED group. The UBED group had no statistically significant difference with the MED and PELD groups in terms of DAP (P = 0.281 and P = 0.058, respectively), whereas the PELD group had statistically significantly higher DAP values than the MED group (P = 0.016). The maximum mean duration of fluoroscopy usage time was 34.9 seconds in the PELD group, 19.3 seconds in the UBED group, and 4.6 seconds in the MED group. The differences between the groups were significant (P ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The more the level of invasiveness is reduced in spinal surgery, the greater the exposure to radiation. In this study, the groups are listed as PELD > UBED > MED according to the duration and level of radiation exposure.

A new classification for spinal epidural hematoma following microendoscopic decompressive laminotomy: A prospective clinical and magnetic resonance imaging study of 245 patients.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop a new radiological classification system for postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to determine the correlation of this classification system with clinical and radiological outcomes. METHODS: This prospective study included a total of 245 consecutive patients (126 females, 119 males; mean age=72 years; age range=39-91 years) with single level spinal stenosis who were treated by microendoscopic decompressive laminotomy (MEDL). MRI was performed for all patients 24 hours postoperatively and at 12 months. SHEs were categorized into four grades using our new MRI-based classification system based on the measurement of dural sac area: Grade A, small hematoma with a round shape; grade B, small hematoma that show no round shape; grade C, moderate hematoma; grade D: severe hematoma. Patients were then divided into four groups according to their hematoma grades, Group A, 107 patients with grade A hematomas; group B, 47 with grade B; group C, 67 with grade C; group D, 24 with grade D. Also, patients who had neurological deterioration or who pain resistant to medical treatment were treated surgically, and those were assigned to group H+(14 patients). The study, therefore, contained five groups. Clinical evaluation was done using Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score preoperatively and at 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: No significant difference existed among groups in the preoperative median measurement of the dural sac area, which were 0.90 cm2 in group A, 0.80 cm2 in group B, 0.70 cm2 in group C, 1.1 cm2 in group D, and 0.80 cm2 in group H+ (p=0.076). At the postoperative 12-month measurement, no significant difference was noted among groups A (2.05 cm2), B (1.80 cm2 ), and H+ (1.90cm2) (A vs B: p=0.891, A vs H+: p=0.089, B vs H +: p=0.933). The measurements were greater in groups A and B than in groups C and D (p<0.05). Also, larger dural sac areas were determined in group H+ (1.90cm2) compared to Groups C (1.80 cm2) and D (1.60 cm2) but the difference reached no statistical significance (p=0.078). In preoperative JOA scores, there were no significant differences among groups (p>0.05). At 12-month JOA scores, no significant difference was observed between groups A and B (p=0.061) and between groups C and D (p=0.511). The scores were higher in groups A and B than in groups C and D (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: It seems that the narrower the preoperative dural sac area, the better the clinical symptoms of the patients with SEHs based on our new MRI-based classification system. This classification may be useful to predict the clinical status of these patients at one-year follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Diagnostic study.

Biomechanical effects of sequential resection of the posterior ligamentous complex on intradiscal pressure and resistance to compression forces.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this biomechanical experimental study was to evaluate the resistance of each posterior ligamentous complex structure of the thoracic and lumbar spine to compression forces and to measure the shifting load to the intervertebral disc when each PLC structure was interrupted. METHOD: The study was conducted on 4 groups for thoracic and lumbar region as intact, supraspinous ligament interrupted, interspinous ligament/ligamentum flavum combination interrupted and facet joint capsule interrupted. Pre and post anterior vertebral body height, the highest compression force and pressure changes in the intervertebral disc during 40 N loading were measured. RESULTS: A significantly different degree of resistance to compression force was determined in each posterior ligamentous complex structure in the thoracic and lumbar spine samples. The combination of interspinous ligament and ligamentum flavum was found to be the most effective structure to resist compression forces (p = 0.001 in both groups). The effect of the supraspinous ligament in thoracic and lumbar segments was found to be similar to that of the interspinous ligament and ligamentum flavum combination (p = 0.008 and p = 0.006, respectively). The least effective structure was observed to be the facet joint capsule. Compression forces were significantly increased in the intervertebral disc as a result of the disruption of supraspinous ligament (p = 0.0032 and p = 0.0029, respectively in thoracic and lumbar segments) and combination of interspinous ligament/ligamentum flavum (p = 0.0019 and p = 0.0021, respectively in thoracic and lumbar segments). CONCLUSION: The interspinous ligament/ligamentum flavum combination and supraspinous ligament are the largest contributor to resisting applied compression moments in the sheep thoracic and lumbar spine. As a result of the loss of resistance to compression forces, there will be a shift of a great proportion of this force onto the intervertebral disc. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V.

Does the drain placement technique affect the amount of postoperative spinal epidural hematoma after microendoscopic decompressive laminotomy for lumbar spinal stenosis?

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively evaluate with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the relationship between the distance from the incision of the drain output location and postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) in patients performed with microendoscopic decompressive laminotomy (MEDL) for lumbar spinal stenosis. METHODS: Between January 2016 and June 2018, three different kinds of drain placement techniques, according to the drain output location, were performed to a total of 184 patients after MEDL for single-level spinal stenosis. The location of the drain output was within the incision in group 1, 1 cm lateral of the incision in group 2, and 5 cm lateral of the incision in group 3. At 24 h postoperatively, before removal of the drain, MRI examination was carried out in patients. A specific classification was developed by the authors to measure SEH, and the groups were evaluated by comparison. RESULTS: The mean postoperative dural sac cross-sectional area was 1.73 cm2 (standard deviation (SD): 0.711) in group 1, 1.66 cm2 (SD: 0.732) in group 2, and 1.52 cm2 in group 3 (SD: 0.841).The mean cross-sectional area of the postoperative hematoma was 1.45 cm2 (SD: 1.007) in group 1, 1.57 cm2 (SD: 1.053) in group 2, and 2.11 cm2 (SD: 1.024) in group 3. Four grades were defined according to the specific classification. According to this classification, grades C and D postoperative hematomas were determined at a statistically significantly higher rate in group 3 patients (drain output 5 cm lateral from the incision) compared to the other groups (p = 0.000). No significant difference was determined between groups 1 and 2 in respect of hematoma classification. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, it was determined that better drainage was provided in groups 1 and 2, where the drain output location was in the incision or close to it.

Malignant triton tumor of the gluteal region in a patient unaffected by neurofibromatosis: A case report.

Malignant triton tumor (MTT) is a rare variant of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) made up of both malignant schwannoma cells and malignant rhabdomyoblasts. A 26-years-old male patient was admitted with an asymptomatic gluteal mass. Magnetic resonance imaging showed heterogeneous soft tissue mass and he underwent open biopsy. Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor was diagnosed. He was given adjuvant chemotherapy following the removal of the tumor with hip disarticulation. The tumor was diagnosed as "malignant triton tumor" based on pathological examination including immunohistochemical studies. There were no signs of metastasis but recurrence was observed at 9 months follow up. MTT is usually associated with Neurofibromatosis 1 and located in head, neck region. In this case sporadic involvement of gluteal region and aggressive behavior of the lesion despite radical surgery was demonstrated.

Immediate emergency free anterolateral thigh flap after car-tyre friction injury: A case report with eight years follow-up.

The car-tyre friction injury has differences from other injuries. The components of injury which are burn, crushing, shearing, and degloving occur. Many treatment options can be performed for coverage of wound which are Vacuum Assisted Closure system (V.A.C), skin grafting, free flaps, local flaps and cross leg flap.

Chemotherapy in primary osteogenic sarcoma in patients over the age of forty.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to review the clinical and histopathological features and the chemotherapy regimens in osteogenic sarcoma in patients over 40 years of age, and we aimed at identifying the possible prognostic factors in this particular group of patients. METHODS: We reviewed 287 patients with osteosarcoma treated between the year 1986 and 2010. Patients from this group who met the following criteria were considered eligible for our study; presence of primary OS, had typical histological and radiographic features of OS, no prior history of cancer or any treatment elsewhere and no prior history of preexisting bone abnormalities. RESULTS: The Kaplan-Meier survival curve for the entire group, with a 95% confidence interval, at two and five years showed the survival rates as 76.2% and 72.8% respectively. The surgical margin was a significant factor affecting the survival. Presence of a pathological fracture also had a significant effect on the survival rate. CONCLUSION: Osteogenic sarcoma remains a challenging disease to treat. Despite the expectation that elderly patients may not tolerate aggressive modern chemotherapy as the younger patients, we believe that patients with primary OS over the age of 40 should be treated aggressively with effective chemotherapy and complete surgical excision whenever possible. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.