Does limb-salvage surgery offer patients better quality of life and functional capacity than amputation?

INTRODUCTION: Patients with aggressive lower extremity musculoskeletal tumors may be candidates for either above-knee amputation or limb-salvage surgery. However, the subjective and objective benefits of limb-salvage surgery compared with amputation are not fully clear. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We therefore compared functional status and quality of life for patients treated with above-knee amputation versus limb-salvage surgery. METHODS: We reviewed 20 of 51 patients aged 15 years and older treated with above-knee amputation or limb-salvage surgery for aggressive musculoskeletal tumors around the knee between 1994 and 2004 as a retrospective cohort study. At last followup we obtained the Physiological Cost Index, the Reintegration to Normal Living Index, SF-36, and the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score questionnaires. The minimum followup was 12 months (median, 56 months; range, 12-108 months). RESULTS: Compared with patients having above-knee amputation, patients undergoing limb-salvage surgery had superior Physiological Cost Index scores and Reintegration to Normal Living Index. The Toronto Extremity Salvage scores and SF-36 scores were similar in the two groups. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that limb-salvage surgery offers better gait efficiency and return to normal living compared with above-knee amputation, but does not improve the patient's perception of quality of life.

Synovial sarcoma of the foot: a case report.

We report a case of a 40-year-old woman with synovial sarcoma who presented with neural symptoms in the medial aspect of the right foot and ankle. The radiographic appearance of the foot and ankle was unremarkable, but magnetic resonance imaging showed a relatively well-defined enhancing lesion in the plantar soft tissues extending from the master knot of Henry to the posterior tibialis tendon. After orthopedic oncologic evaluation and workup, the patient was ultimately treated with a transtibial amputation, and no evidence of recurrence or metastatic disease was seen at 6-month follow-up.

A case report of malignant melanoma of the great toe.

UNLABELLED: Melanoma is reported as the most common malignant neoplasm of the foot and carries with it a very poor prognosis. This neoplasm arises from melanocytes, which are pigment-producing cells found predominantly in the skin, and the malignancy can metastasize to any organ system. Early and accurate diagnosis and treatment are paramount components of a successful course of management, and improve the rate of survival for those affected by this aggressive cutaneous neoplasm. In this report, we describe an invasive case of melanoma of the hallux that was misdiagnosed as a chronic ingrown and infected nail. LEVEL OF CLINICAL EVIDENCE: 4.

Matrix metalloproteinase expression in high grade soft tissue sarcomas.

Soft tissue sarcomas comprise a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors with varying biological behavior ranging from indolent tumors with no or minimal metastatic risk to aggressive and frequently metastasizing tumors. Among the more common aggressive adult soft tissue sarcomas are malignant fibrous histiocytoma, synovial sarcoma and liposarcoma. Matrix metalloproteinases are enzymes which perform a homeostatic role in mesenchymal tissue and function in both tumorigenesis and metastasis. The objectives of this study are to determine the presence and relative quantity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -1, -2, -8, -9, and -13; extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN); and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP)-1 and -2 in high grade soft tissue sarcoma tumor specimens using real-time PCR. The second objective is to determine if a relationship exists between quantity of EMMPRIN, MMPs, and TIMPs expressed in tumor tissue and disease-free survival. One hundred and forty patients diagnosed with high grade soft tissue sarcomas between 1995-2003 were identified. Tissue blocks and histologic slides were acquired for 41 specimens. Tumor specimens included 29 malignant fibrous histiocytomas, 3 liposarcomas and 11 synovial sarcomas. RNA was extracted and RT-PCR was performed in triplicate. No significant differences were found between the three types of high grade soft tissue sarcomas studied and the expression of MMPs. Interestingly, no relationship was found between high or low levels of MMPs when compared with disease-free survival. Our data support other research which finds variable correlation between MMP expression in soft tissue sarcomas and disease-free survival. We assert that the difference in correlation between MMP expression in carcinomas and sarcomas and disease-free survival is based on the vast phenotypic and genotypic difference between the cells of origin.

Urologic skeletal metastases: current diagnostic and treatment strategies.

Patients with skeletal metastases from all sites are increasing in number as the treatment protocols for primary tumors improve survival of patients with cancer. While diagnosis and follow-up of the patient with urologic skeletal metastasis continue to become more sophisticated with new MRI techniques and the advent of positron emission tomography, the goal of orthopedic treatment remains the same: pain relief and maintenance of mobility. This paper describes the pathogenesis of metastasis followed by strategies currently available for accurately diagnosing, treating, and following the patient with skeletal metastases secondary to urologic malignancy.

Lipoma arborescens of the hip.

Lipoma arborescens is a rare intra-articular lesion characterized by extensive villous proliferation of the synovial membrane and hyperplasia of subsynovial fat. Although it has been described as arising from traumatic, inflammatory, rheumatologic, developmental, and neoplastic causes, its etiology remains unknown. This article describes in detail--for the first time in the orthopedic literature-a case of lipoma arborescens of the hip. Clinical presentation, histologic and radiographic findings, and treatment of this rare lesion are discussed. Based on clinical, radiologic, and surgical evaluation, differential diagnosis for this lesion should include other conditions that cause synovial thickening, proliferation, and joint effusion--for example, synovial chondromatosis, pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial hemangiomatosis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Description of this case covers the full radiologic evaluation, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diagnostic pathologic description, and minimum 24-month follow-up. Although lipoma arborescens of the hip is a rare condition, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with its characteristic clinical prodrome and MRI findings confirming a periarticular fatty mass.