BACKGROUND Surgical treatment of complex fractures of the distal femur in the elderly is controversial.Osteoporosis and pre-existent osteoarthritis are common comorbidities in the elderly which add to the need for ear...BACKGROUND Surgical treatment of complex fractures of the distal femur in the elderly is controversial.Osteoporosis and pre-existent osteoarthritis are common comorbidities in the elderly which add to the need for early walking and rapid restoration of function and also pose significant obstacles to achievement of satisfactory results with standard fixation techniques.Recently,several authors have suggested that primary arthroplasty could be a viable alternative option to standard fixation techniques in selected patients with complex distal femur fractures.AIM To present our experience with 11 cases of distal femur fractures treated with knee arthroplasty and large femoral resection in a population of patients over the age of 85.METHODS Data from 11 consecutive patients(10 females,1 male)presenting with acute intra-articular supracondylar or intercondylar distal femur fractures and with pre-existent primary osteoarthritis who were treated with primary knee arthroplasty were recorded.We collected standard demographic data,comorbidities and patient reported outcomes including Visual Analogical Scale(VAS),Oxford Knee Score(OKS)and Barthel’s Index.Post-operative joint range of motion(ROM)and standard radiographic data were also collected.RESULTS At a mean follow-up of 23.2 mo,all of the implants were well-positioned and osteointegrated.Furthermore,all the patients were alive and walking either independently or with walking aids.There was a marked improvement in pain(VAS 4.5 postop vs 1.9 at the last follow-up),OKS score(29.5 postop vs 36.81 at the last follow-up),ROM(96.2°postop vs 102°at the last follow-up)and restoration of pre-injury ambulatory status(average Barthel Index 77.3).The radiographic evaluations showed good restoration of the articular geometry.No deaths and no complications were recorded.CONCLUSION In conclusion,we believe that knee megaprosthesis in the case of complex fractures of the distal femur is a valid surgical choice.This is particularly true in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis and pre-existing osteoarthritis.It is important to note that this surgery should be performed by surgeons with proven experience in prosthetic hip and knee surgery and that a scrupulous selection of the cases is completed.展开更多
AIM To perform an Internet based survey on the surgical management of bone sarcomas in the lower extremity amongst sarcoma surgeons. METHODS All orthopedic surgical members of the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group were invit...AIM To perform an Internet based survey on the surgical management of bone sarcomas in the lower extremity amongst sarcoma surgeons. METHODS All orthopedic surgical members of the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group were invited to participate in an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a clinical case involving resection of a malignant bone tumor. Several questions were asked, subdivided into categories. Among these, surgical/technical considerations, e.g., choice of implant; choice of antibiotics, dosage, and duration of treatment, choice of antithrombotic drug, initial start-up, dosage, and duration were included.RESULTS In terms of choice of implant fixation, the majority of surgeons preferred an uncemented prosthesis in younger patients until the age of 50. All participants administer intravenous prophylactic antibiotics for endoprosthetic reconstructive surgery. First choice of antibiotics was cephalosporin. Less common used was glycopeptide, penicillin, or a combination. Duration of prophylactic antibiotics ranged from less than one day to more than four days. All participants used low molecular weight heparins as antithrombotic prophylaxis and 55% of the participants answered that initial treatment was started preoperatively, 3% perioperatively and 42% postoperatively. Duration of the antithrombotic treatment ranged from five days to more than twenty-eight days.CONCLUSION The use of resection prosthesis in the treatment of bone sarcomas is a well-established procedure. However, therse is a significant discrepancy in the surgical treatment algorithm between the sarcoma centers. Still the treatment is mainly based on best clinical practice,due to the lack of evidence-based medicine in the surgical management of bone sarcomas.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Surgical treatment of complex fractures of the distal femur in the elderly is controversial.Osteoporosis and pre-existent osteoarthritis are common comorbidities in the elderly which add to the need for early walking and rapid restoration of function and also pose significant obstacles to achievement of satisfactory results with standard fixation techniques.Recently,several authors have suggested that primary arthroplasty could be a viable alternative option to standard fixation techniques in selected patients with complex distal femur fractures.AIM To present our experience with 11 cases of distal femur fractures treated with knee arthroplasty and large femoral resection in a population of patients over the age of 85.METHODS Data from 11 consecutive patients(10 females,1 male)presenting with acute intra-articular supracondylar or intercondylar distal femur fractures and with pre-existent primary osteoarthritis who were treated with primary knee arthroplasty were recorded.We collected standard demographic data,comorbidities and patient reported outcomes including Visual Analogical Scale(VAS),Oxford Knee Score(OKS)and Barthel’s Index.Post-operative joint range of motion(ROM)and standard radiographic data were also collected.RESULTS At a mean follow-up of 23.2 mo,all of the implants were well-positioned and osteointegrated.Furthermore,all the patients were alive and walking either independently or with walking aids.There was a marked improvement in pain(VAS 4.5 postop vs 1.9 at the last follow-up),OKS score(29.5 postop vs 36.81 at the last follow-up),ROM(96.2°postop vs 102°at the last follow-up)and restoration of pre-injury ambulatory status(average Barthel Index 77.3).The radiographic evaluations showed good restoration of the articular geometry.No deaths and no complications were recorded.CONCLUSION In conclusion,we believe that knee megaprosthesis in the case of complex fractures of the distal femur is a valid surgical choice.This is particularly true in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis and pre-existing osteoarthritis.It is important to note that this surgery should be performed by surgeons with proven experience in prosthetic hip and knee surgery and that a scrupulous selection of the cases is completed.
文摘AIM To perform an Internet based survey on the surgical management of bone sarcomas in the lower extremity amongst sarcoma surgeons. METHODS All orthopedic surgical members of the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group were invited to participate in an online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of a clinical case involving resection of a malignant bone tumor. Several questions were asked, subdivided into categories. Among these, surgical/technical considerations, e.g., choice of implant; choice of antibiotics, dosage, and duration of treatment, choice of antithrombotic drug, initial start-up, dosage, and duration were included.RESULTS In terms of choice of implant fixation, the majority of surgeons preferred an uncemented prosthesis in younger patients until the age of 50. All participants administer intravenous prophylactic antibiotics for endoprosthetic reconstructive surgery. First choice of antibiotics was cephalosporin. Less common used was glycopeptide, penicillin, or a combination. Duration of prophylactic antibiotics ranged from less than one day to more than four days. All participants used low molecular weight heparins as antithrombotic prophylaxis and 55% of the participants answered that initial treatment was started preoperatively, 3% perioperatively and 42% postoperatively. Duration of the antithrombotic treatment ranged from five days to more than twenty-eight days.CONCLUSION The use of resection prosthesis in the treatment of bone sarcomas is a well-established procedure. However, therse is a significant discrepancy in the surgical treatment algorithm between the sarcoma centers. Still the treatment is mainly based on best clinical practice,due to the lack of evidence-based medicine in the surgical management of bone sarcomas.
