Reconstruction with non-vascularized fibular autograft after resection of clavicular benign tumor

Surgical techniques for medial clavicular tumors: A report of 3 cases

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE

Clavicular tumors are rare, consisting of <1 % of all skeletal tumors. In this series, we described our experience of treating medial clavicular tumors.

CASE PRESENTATION

We treated three patients with medial clavicle tumors at a national tertiary referral hospital in Jakarta, Indonesia. The patients were treated with wide excision following bony reconstruction from fibular bone and one patient was treated by marginal excision. Each patient was treated by surgery and one patient underwent reconstruction using non-vascularized fibular graft and composite using bone cement.

CLINICAL DISCUSSION

All patients resulted in restoration of symmetry of the lower neck and upper chest and no post-surgical complication. Based on these cases above and the extension of tumor, we recommend medial clavicle tumor resection classification divided into three type to decide which type of surgical procedure that should be performed. In our report, all patients resulted in restoration of symmetry of the lower neck and upper chest and no post-surgical complication.

CONCLUSION

Clavicle resection in management of medial third clavicle tumor is technically demanding. We proposed three types of clavicular resection based on tumor extension. The surgical technique of medial end clavicle in this patient resulted in tumor free margin of medial clavicular, medial scapula, and lateral scapular incision. Reconstruction surgery following clavicle resection can be done in order to restore symmetry of the lower neck and upper chest, protect nearby neurovascular bundle, and rarely associated with significant shoulder function loss.

Free vascularized fibular flap for clavicle reconstruction: A systematic review with a new case

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Due to the rarity of the need for claviculectomy and the subsequent clavicle reconstruction, currently there is no consensus on the reconstructive approach for the clavicle. The clavicle is an essential bony structure that is necessary for optimal upper limb anatomical and physiological functionalities.

OBJECTIVE

This study analyzes the reconstructive approach, vascular anastomosis, complications, and long-term outcome of clavicle reconstruction using a free vascularized fibular flap through a systematic review of the literature and a case report from our institution.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was executed in the Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Google Scholar databases. The search strategy was designed to capture the concept of cases that underwent clavicle reconstruction after necessary claviculectomy with sufficient clinical information for detailed analysis. Using the final included articles, we analyzed and summarized the outcomes associated with clavicle reconstruction using free fibular osteocutaneous flap.

RESULTS

A review of 179 articles yielded 11 publications with 26 cases that had detailed clinical information. We presented an additional case from our institution database. The systematic review of 27 cases revealed that clavicle nonunion due to various causes accounted for 73.08% of the cases for claviculectomy and the eventual reconstruction with a free fibular flap. The mean follow-up period in this study is 29.54 months with the range of 3 to 120 months. A total of 92.31% of the cases showed evidence of complete osseous consolidation.

CONCLUSION

When claviculectomy is necessary, a free fibular flap can be utilized for the subsequent clavicle reconstruction to provide optimal anatomical and physiological functionality of the clavicle.

Analysis of the clinical efficacy of tumor resection methods used in 20 patients with clavicular tumor

Background

To retrospectively analyze the tumor resection method used in 20 patients with clavicular tumors and evaluate its clinical efficacy.

Methods

A total of 9 patients with clavicular benign tumors underwent intracapsular resection, and 11 patients with clavicular malignant tumors underwent tumor resection from May 2012 to May 2017. Of the 11 patients, 5 underwent clavicular reconstruction using the plate-cement complex. Surgical efficacy was assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, Constant-Murley, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons shoulder outcome scores preoperatively until 12 months postoperatively.

Results

The average duration of follow-up care was 33.7 (12–71) months. Of the 20 patients, 3 patients died, 3 survived with tumor recurrence or metastasis, and 14 survived with no tumor recurrence. Among the 5 patients who underwent resection of malignant clavicular tumors and reconstruction, 2 underwent a re-operation because of a loose screw and plate displacement. In the functional assessment of the shoulder joint, patients with benign and malignant clavicular tumors showed significantly higher scores postoperatively compared with preoperative scores. For malignant clavicular tumors, no significant improvement was observed when comparing the non-reconstruction and reconstruction groups.

Conclusions

Surgery is an optimal treatment for clavicular tumors. In patients with benign clavicular tumors, simple intracapsular resection can achieve a satisfactory prognosis. Reconstruction of a clavicular defect after resection of a clavicular malignant tumor is not recommended.

A Novel Biodegradable Multilayered Bioengineered Vascular Construct with a Curved Structure and Multi-Branches

Constructing tissue engineered vascular grafts (TEVG) is of great significance for cardiovascular research. However, most of the fabrication techniques are unable to construct TEVG with a bifurcated and curved structure. This paper presents multilayered biodegradable TEVGs with a curved structure and multi-branches. The technique combined 3D printed molds and casting hydrogel and sacrificial material to create vessel-mimicking constructs with customizable structural parameters. Compared with other fabrication methods, the proposed technique can create more native-like 3D geometries. The diameter and wall thickness of the fabricated constructs can be independently controlled, providing a feasible approach for TEVG construction. Enzymatically-crosslinked gelatin was used as the material of the constructs. The mechanical properties and thermostability of the constructs were evaluated. Fluid-structure interaction simulations were conducted to examine the displacement of the construct’s wall when blood flows through it. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were seeded on the inner channel of the constructs and cultured for 72 h. The cell morphology was assessed. The results showed that the proposed technique had good application potentials, and will hopefully provide a novel technological approach for constructing integrated vasculature for tissue engineering.