BACKGROUND: We conducted this radiographic study in the elderly population with proximal humeral fracture aiming to evaluate 1) the serial changes of neck-shaft angle after locking plate fixation and 2) find relationship between change in neck shaft angle and various factors such as age, fracture pattern, severity of osteoporosis, medial support and initial reduction angle. METHODS: Twenty-five patients who underwent surgical treatment for proximal humeral fracture with locking plate between September 2008 and August 2010 are included. True anteroposterior and axillary lateral radiographs were made postoperatively and at each follow-up visit. Measurement of neck shaft angle was done at immediate postoperative, 3 months postoperative and a final follow-up (average, 11 months; range, 8 to 17 months). Severity of osteoporosis was assessed using cortical thickness suggested by Tingart et al. RESULTS: The mean neck shaft angles were 133.6degrees (range, 100degrees to 116degrees) at immediate postoperative, 129.8degrees (range, 99degrees to 150degrees) at 3 months postoperative and 128.4degrees (range, 97degrees to 145degrees) at final follow-up. The mean loss in the neck-shaft angle in the first 3 months was 3.8degrees as compared to 1.3degrees in the period between 3 months and final follow-up. This was statistically significant (p = 0.002), indicating that most of the fall in neck shaft angle occurs in the first three months after surgery. Relationship between neck shaft angle change and age (p = 0.29), fracture pattern (p = 0.41), cortical thickness (p = 0.21), medial support (p = 0.63) and initial reduction accuracy (p = 0.65) are not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The proximal humerus locking plate maintains reliable radiographic results even in the elderly population with proximal humerus fracture.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Analysis of Variance ; *Bone Plates ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation/methods ; Humans ; Humerus/radiography/*surgery ; Male ; Shoulder Fractures/radiography/*surgery

INTRODUCTION: The cross Kirschner wire (K-wire) configuration in closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of paediatric supracondylar humeral fracture affords superior stability. However, medial pin placement presents a risk of iatrogenic ulnar nerve injury. This study describes, in step-by-step detail, another safe method of percutaneous medial pin insertion. METHODS: The technique involved placing the patient's arm in external rotation, with elbow flexed no more than 45° after closed reduction. The surgeon held the K-wire close to its sharp end to pass it percutaneously onto the medial epicondyle, then adjusted his grip toward the blunt end. After fluoroscopy check, the wire driver was engaged and an anteriorly directed force was applied to the distal humerus fragment using the thumb of the surgeon's free hand. The K-wire was inserted at a 45° angle to the longitudinal axis of the humerus shaft. Clinical notes and radiographs of patients who underwent surgery with this technique from 2006 to 2008 were reviewed. RESULTS: A total of 125 patients (84 boys, 41 girls) were included, with a mean age of 7.1 (range 2-14) years. Most injuries were left-sided (72.8%, n = 91, vs. right: 27.2%, n = 34). 72 (57.6%) patients had two-pin cross K-wire configuration, while 53 (42.4%) patients had an additional lateral pin inserted. No patient had postoperative ulnar neuropathy. There were no complications of non-union, malunion or infection. CONCLUSION This safe method of medial pin placement for surgical stabilisation of paediatric supracondylar humeral fractures is easily learnt and reproducible, and produces excellent results.
Adolescent ; Bone Nails ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Fluoroscopy ; Fracture Fixation, Intramedullary ; methods ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures ; surgery ; Humerus ; injuries ; Iatrogenic Disease ; Male ; Pediatrics ; Radiography ; Retrospective Studies ; Ulnar Nerve

Albendazole ; therapeutic use ; Anthelmintics ; therapeutic use ; Bone Diseases, Infectious ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; therapy ; Bone Plates ; Curettage ; Echinococcosis ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; Humans ; Humerus ; parasitology ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Radiography

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEAfter chemotherapy was used to treat patients with malignant bone tumors in 1970s, amputation, which was the typical intervention in the 1980s, has been substituted with limb-sparing surgery. This article reported the surgical indications, operative methods, operative effects, and complications of prosthetic replacement of the proximal humerus after the resection of bone tumors.

METHODSFrom April 2004 and December 2008, prosthetic replacement was performed in 18 patients with proximal humerus tumors, including 7 patients with osteosarcoma, 5 patients with chondrosarcoma, 3 patients with giant cell tumor (GCT) of the bone, 1 patient with GCT of the bone combined with an aneurysmal bone cyst, and 1 patient with metastatic bone tumors. Using the Enneking staging system, 7 osteosarcomas and 3 chondrosarcomas were at stage Ib, and 3 GCTs and 2 chondrosarcomas were at stage Ib. The patient with metastatic bone tumors reported severe pain.

RESULTSThe follow-up ranged 5-61 months (mean, 29 months) and showed that 1 patient with osteosarcoma died 19 months after surgery. Local recurrence presented in 1 patient with GCT, 1 patient had inner infection in the area of surgery, and 2 patients had shoulder subluxation after the operation. There was no prosthetic loosening in any patient. The abduction angle of the shoulder was 8 degrees-35 degrees, and circumgyrate angle was 18 degrees-25 degrees, with flexion 35 degrees-90 degrees and extension 25 degrees-42 degrees. According to the functional score developed by the International Society of Limb Salvage, scores ranged between 18 and 29 points, with an average of 24 points.

CONCLUSIONSThe prosthesis replacement for the patients with bone tumors in the proximal humerus is an appropriate procedure with satisfactory therapeutic outcomes; however, many complications should be noted and long-term therapeutic effect needs further investigations.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Arthroplasty, Replacement ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Chondrosarcoma ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Giant Cell Tumor of Bone ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Humerus ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm Staging ; Osteosarcoma ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; secondary ; surgery ; Prosthesis Implantation ; Radiography ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic and radiologic features of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, focusing on its diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

METHODClinical, radiological and pathologic findings of 14 cases of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma (including biopsy and surgical specimens) were analyzed by hematoxylin and eosin stained sections and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSThe mean age of patients was 52 years. The male-to-female ratio was 9:5. The most common sites of involvement were pelvis, femur and humerus, similar to the conventional chondrosarcoma. Radiologically, they were malignant tumors with dimorphic pattern. Grossly, central chondrosarcomas were more common than those of the peripheral. An essential histological feature of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma was an abrupt interface between the low-grade cartilaginous tumor and high-grade anaplastic sarcoma. The most common dedifferentiated components were osteosarcoma, malignant fibrous histocytoma and fibrosarcoma. False negative diagnosis and erroneous diagnosis were frequent when only one-time biopsy was available.

CONCLUSIONSDedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is a rare subtype of chondrosarcoma with poor prognosis, which has different features of clinical manifestation, imaging features and pathological characteristics, compared to conventional chondrosarcoma and chondroblastic osteosarcoma.

Adult ; Aged ; Bone Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Cell Differentiation ; Chondrosarcoma ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Chondrosarcoma, Mesenchymal ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Femoral Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; drug therapy ; pathology ; surgery ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Humerus ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Osteosarcoma ; pathology ; Pelvic Bones ; pathology ; Radiography ; Vimentin ; metabolism ; Young Adult