A Successful Clinical Outcome 29 Months Following Improper Placement of the Compress Implant: A Case Report.

CASE: A 24-year-old woman presented with dedifferentiated parosteal osteosarcoma of the proximal femur and was treated with limb salvage surgery using the Compress implant. It was implanted with a technical error, was not revised, and has demonstrated no negative outcomes 29 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: An instance of incorrect pin placement during the implantation of a Zimmer Compress implant is presented with good survivorship. This report acts as information for other surgeons who might inadvertently obtain unicortical fixation. In this patient, revision surgery was avoided and an excellent, short-term outcome was achieved while avoiding the potentially devastating complications associated with revision implantation.

Predicting five-year mortality in soft-tissue sarcoma patients.

Aims: The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with five-year cancer-related mortality in patients with limb and trunk soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) and develop and validate machine learning algorithms in order to predict five-year cancer-related mortality in these patients. Methods: Demographic, clinicopathological, and treatment variables of limb and trunk STS patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database from 2004 to 2017 were analyzed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine factors significantly associated with five-year cancer-related mortality. Various machine learning models were developed and compared using area under the curve (AUC), calibration, and decision curve analysis. The model that performed best on the SEER testing data was further assessed to determine the variables most important in its predictive capacity. This model was externally validated using our institutional dataset. Results: A total of 13,646 patients with STS from the SEER database were included, of whom 35.9% experienced five-year cancer-related mortality. The random forest model performed the best overall and identified tumour size as the most important variable when predicting mortality in patients with STS, followed by M stage, histological subtype, age, and surgical excision. Each variable was significant in logistic regression. External validation yielded an AUC of 0.752. Conclusion: This study identified clinically important variables associated with five-year cancer-related mortality in patients with limb and trunk STS, and developed a predictive model that demonstrated good accuracy and predictability. Orthopaedic oncologists may use these findings to further risk-stratify their patients and recommend an optimal course of treatment.

Duty Hours Tracking - Is There an App for That?

BACKGROUND: To monitor duty hour compliance residency programs have used self-report methods which can be skewed by recall bias and data falsification. The purpose of this study was to compare the accuracy of and resident attitudes towards two duty hours tracking tools within our Orthopedic residency. We compared our institution's current self-report method of duty hours tracking via New Innovations (NI) with an automated method utilizing Hours Tracker (HT), a smartphone application which automatically logs work hours via GPS coordinates. The primary outcome measures were number of duty hour violations and survey results on resident perceptions. METHODS: The participants were 22 residents of our 25 resident Orthopedic program. Over four weeks, residents tracked duty hours through the standard, selfreport method (NI) and simultaneously through the automated app (HT). Residents also completed an anonymous survey at the end of the study related to perceptions of the methods. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in overall number of violations between NI and HT. HT detected more violations of the 8 hours off requirement (12 vs. 5, p = 0.03). Survey data revealed residents found HT significantly easier to use (p = .004) and less burdensome (p < .001) but in greater violation of privacy (p = .001). Residents reported they were more likely to falsify their hours when using NI (p = .002) and that the results of NI would be more likely used against them (p = .042). When analyzing by training year, junior residents indicated HT was overall easier to use than senior residents (p = .048). CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed NI and HT are at least equivalent in accuracy with the app being overall better received, particularly by junior level residents. Until we begin accurately tracking duty hours and engaging residents with an easy to use, well-received interface to which report hours, effective developmental program changes will be difficult to achieve. An app-based approach is a starting point for re-thinking duty hours tracking within this digital age.

Giant cell tumor of bone: a report of two cases with metaphyseal lesions and their progression to the articular surface.

Two patients presented to outside providers with joint pain. Both had isolated lytic metaphyseal lesions on plain radiographs that were not noted or acted upon. Subsequent radiographs showed large expansile lytic lesions involving the metaphysis and epiphysis extending to the subchondral bone. Both patients were found to have pathology-confirmed giant cell tumors requiring curettage and cementation. Although commonly involving the epiphysis and subchondral bone, giant cell tumors of long bone can present as isolated metaphyseal lesions. Careful examination of radiographs and early detection may make these lesions easier to treat, reducing the risk of recurrence and damage to the articular surface.

Unmasking BCL-2 Addiction in Synovial Sarcoma by Overcoming Low NOXA.

Synovial sarcoma (SS) is frequently diagnosed in teenagers and young adults and continues to be treated with polychemotherapy with variable success. The SS18-SSX gene fusion is pathognomonic for the disease, and high expression of the anti-apoptotic BCL-2 pathologically supports the diagnosis. As the oncogenic SS18-SSX fusion gene itself is not druggable, BCL-2 inhibitor-based therapies are an appealing therapeutic opportunity. Venetoclax, an FDA-approved BCL-2 inhibitor that is revolutionizing care in some BCL-2-expressing hematological cancers, affords an intriguing therapeutic possibility to treat SS. In addition, there are now dozens of venetoclax-based combination therapies in clinical trials in hematological cancers, attributing to the limited toxicity of venetoclax. However, preclinical studies of venetoclax in SS have demonstrated an unexpected ineffectiveness. In this study, we analyzed the response of SS to venetoclax and the underlying BCL-2 family biology in an effort to understand venetoclax treatment failure and find a therapeutic strategy to sensitize SS to venetoclax. We found remarkably depressed levels of the endogenous MCL-1 inhibitor, NOXA, in SS compared to other sarcomas. Expressing NOXA led to sensitization to venetoclax, as did the addition of the MCL-1 BH3 mimetic, S63845. Importantly, the venetoclax/S63845 combination induced tumor regressions in SS patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models. As a very close analog of S63845 (S64315) is now in clinical trials with venetoclax in AML (NCT03672695), the combination of MCL-1 BH3 mimetics and venetoclax should be considered for SS patients as a new therapy.

Surgery Resident Perceptions of the Clicker Evaluation System: A Novel Approach to Collecting and Utilizing Clinical Faculty Performance Data.

OBJECTIVE: Medical trainees often have a process in place to receive feedback from clinical faculty regarding overall performance. While there is guidance on effective methodologies for faculty to provide feedback for learners, there is a dearth of literature analyzing trainees' evaluation of faculty performance. We sought to identify an effective and anonymous method for surgery residents to evaluate clinical faculty. DESIGN: The Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health implemented a novel process to gather annual clinical faculty performance data from residents for the purpose of program improvement starting in 2012. Specifically, residents used a web-based audience response system, also known as a "clicker" system, to evaluate faculty performance over the academic year. During the June 2018 evaluation session, residents also completed an anonymous, 9 question survey to assess the residents' perceptions regarding this clicker evaluation process. SETTING: VCU Health System, a tertiary care hospital in Richmond, Virginia. PARTICIPANTS: All 24 orthopaedic surgery residents at VCU Health participated in the evaluation process and completed the perception survey in 2018. RESULTS: Ninety-six percent (n = 23) of the residents agreed that they are able to accurately rate their attendings' performance, felt confident that their responses remained anonymous, and that their departmental chair values their opinion when evaluating their attendings' performance through the clicker process. Qualitative responses identified anonymity as a strength of the clicker process, while opportunities for improvement included refinement of questions. CONCLUSIONS: The clicker evaluation system is an effective and anonymous method for resident evaluation of clinical faculty performance in academic settings. Future steps include refinement of questions based on departmental goals for education, adoption of the clicker evaluation system by other specialties, as well as research into ways to optimize the clicker evaluation process. Additional research should be done to see if and how the clicker evaluation feedback translates into change in clinical faculty behavior.

Patellar Osteonecrosis Following Knee Arthroscopy.

Patellar osteonecrosis is a rare condition, although knee osteonecrosis has been described in the arthroplasty literature. This is the first case describing knee arthroscopy as the cause of osteonecrosis. A 50-year-old woman who was experiencing knee pain during her marathon training and singles tennis underwent knee arthroscopy for a torn medial meniscus. The result of her partial medial meniscectomy led to patellar osteonecrosis 3 months following the index procedure. Osteonecrosis of the knee has been reported in the arthroplasty and sports medicine literature following surgical intervention, usually in total knee replacement or more complex surgical operations. However, patellar osteonecrosis following knee arthroscopy has not been reported previously. Taking care of the anterior fat pad is essential to avoid disruption of important blood supply to the patella. [Orthopedics. 2019; 42(6):e552-e554.].

Do Osteoblastoma and Osteoid Osteoma Represent the Same Pathologic Entity?: A Case Report and Review of the Recent Literature.

CASE: We present the case of a fourteen-year-old boy with a benign diaphyseal femoral lesion that initially fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for osteoid osteoma but rapidly progressed and was finally diagnosed as osteoblastoma. CONCLUSION: Clinical and radiographic criteria provide imperfect and somewhat arbitrary distinguishing features between osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma. Although previous work highlighted the importance of histologic interpretation in this regard, recent comparative histologic and immunohistochemical evaluations failed to differentiate the two. We conclude that consideration should be given to the classification of osteoid osteoma and osteoblastoma as the same pathologic entity, with treatment based on presentation along a continuum of aggressiveness, and that future directions for study may include identification of factors predictive of progression and/or recurrence.

Small cell osteosarcoma with Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 gene rearrangement detected by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization.

Because of its characteristic morphologic appearance, small cell osteosarcoma (SCO) can be confused with other small round cell malignancies of the bone, most importantly with Ewing sarcoma, making this distinction difficult. A specific tool used in separating SCO from Ewing sarcoma has been the detection of Ewing sarcoma breakpoint region 1 (EWSR1) gene rearrangements in Ewing sarcoma and their absence in SCO. However, there are rare case reports that have documented the existence of EWSR1 gene rearrangement in SCO. In this report, we describe another case of SCO with an EWSR1 gene rearrangement detected by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization. Our finding adds support to the existing evidence that SCO is a tumor that can be characterized by EWSR1 gene arrangements. Therefore, we caution the pathology community not to rely solely on molecular studies in distinguishing SCO from Ewing sarcoma.

Infarct-associated bone sarcomas.

UNLABELLED: Sarcoma associated with bone infarct is a rare condition sparsely reported in the literature. Sixty percent of cases arise about the knee and most are malignant fibrous histiocytomas. We report 15 patients; 12 of 15 presented with a tumor around the knee. Treatment was limb salvage in seven patients, amputation in six, and biopsy alone in two. For patients without metastatic disease at presentation, the 2-year disease-free survival rate was 63% (seven of 11). Two patients received chemotherapy and both were continuously disease-free at last followup. When we combined our 15 patients with the 52 previously reported in the literature, 38 of the 67 (57%) died of their disease at an average of 19.2 months after diagnosis; 21 patients (31%) were continuously disease-free for 24 months. Of 13 patients who received chemotherapy, eight (62%) were continuously disease-free at 24 months compared with 24% (13 of 54) of those who did not receive chemotherapy. Overall, prognosis for these patients is poor, but survival in patients without metastatic disease at diagnosis approaches that of other bone sarcomas. There is a trend suggesting adjuvant chemotherapy combined with appropriate surgery may improve patient outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study.