Resection and reconstruction with and without neoadjuvant denosumab in campanacci grade III giant cell tumors of proximal humerus: a retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Giant cell tumors (GCT) of the proximal humerus are rarely reported case that requires complex surgeries due to involvement of the shoulder joint. Therefore, we report the first retrospective comparative study where the postoperative functional outcomes, recurrence rate and complications in patients who underwent arthrodesis of shoulder after resection of grade III GCT with and without neoadjuvant denosumab are compared. METHODS: A retrospective review of eight cases of grade III GCT of proximal humerus receiving resection and fibular strut graft and arthrodesis between January 2014 and December 2019 is performed. They were stratified into two groups: one group of four patients received once-weekly denosumab 120 mg for 4-weeks before resection and reconstruction, while the other group of four patients did not receive denosumab before surgery. Primary outcomes included the functional outcomes assessed by revised Musculoskeletal tumor society (MSTS) score and shoulder pain and disability index (SPDI) at 6-weeks and 12-months postoperatively while secondary outcomes included complications and recurrences. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in terms of SPDI at 6 weeks and 12 months, MSTS at 12 months, complications, recurrence among denosumab and non-denosumab groups. At 6-weeks follow-up, a significantly better pain score in SPDI and MSTS was acquired in the denosumab group. CONCLUSIONS: Resection and reconstruction with or without neoadjuvant denosumab for Grade III GCT of proximal humerus had similar functional outcomes and with no major differences in recurrence and complications. Hence, postoperative pain relief while long-term benefits were not discovered with the use of neoadjuvant denosumab.

Clinical Outcomes Of Intra-Articular High Molecular Weight Hyaluronic Acid Injection For Hip Osteoarthritis- A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis is the most common degenerative disease of the synovial joints in the elderly population with hip osteoarthritis as the second most commonly affected joint. A multitude of conservative treatments is used for pain relief and functional improvement including acetaminophen, NSAID, intra-articular corticosteroid, and viscosupplementation (VS). Different preparations of VS based on different molecular weights are commercially available. No systematic review or meta-analysis regarding the use of intra-articular high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMWHA) injection for the hip joint was published before. This review analyzes the efficacy of intra-articular HMWHA for hip osteoarthritis. METHODS: PubMed, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library for randomized trials describing the efficacy of HMWHA for hip osteoarthritis was searched. The search terms were osteoarthritis, hip joint, outcomes, viscosupplementation, and high molecular weight hyaluronic acid in different combinations. Standardized mean difference (SMD) in VAS for pain relief and Lequesne index for functional outcomes while risk ratio (RR) for complications was used for data pooling. RESULTS: Four studies comprising 185 and 189 patients in HMWHA and control groups were included, respectively. SMD for VAS and Lequesne index was -0.056 and -0.114, respectively while RR for complication was 0.879. CONCLUSIONS: Intra-articular HMWHA injection provided pain relief, functional improvement, and no severe complications on immediate short term basis. However, the results do not favor treatment with HMWHA over other treatment methods. Randomized trials are further necessary to provide data regarding comparisons between HMWHA for hip osteoarthritis concerning clinicians' convenience, compliance, duration of relief, and cost-effectiveness.

Congenitally Corrected Transposition of Great Arteries with Dextrocardia, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Atrial Septal Defects and Ventricular Septal Defects in a 15-Year-Old Marfanoid Habitus Patient: A Case Study.

Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly defined by atrio-ventricular and ventriculo-arterial discordance. This malformation makes up less than 1% of congenital heart defects. We report here a case of a 15-year-old female who presented to our hospital with dyspnea as seen in the New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification class III and hemoptysis. She was clinically found to have marfanoid habitus, and subsequent echocardiographic study disclosed CCTGA-associated with Ebstein's anomaly, ventricular septal defect, left ventricular outflow obstruction, right ventricular outflow obstruction, co-existing dextrocardia, atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, non-confluent pulmonary arteries, and pulmonary atresia. This case highlights the association between such rare cardiac conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of CCTGA at a young age, with the aforementioned abnormalities documented in the literature reported from Pakistan.