Factors associated with infection after reconstructive shoulder surgery for proximal humerus tumors

Complications and functional outcomes after reconstruction of the proximal humerus with allograft-prosthetic composite: a systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Allograft prosthetic composite (APC) reconstruction is performed after resection of proximal humerus tumors or failure of arthroplasty implants. There is limited literature on the postoperative outcomes of this technique. We sought to assess implant survival, failure rates, and postoperative functional outcomes after APC reconstruction of the proximal humerus.

METHODS

A systematic review of the PubMed and Embase databases was conducted. The study was registered on PROSPERO (ID: 448,663). The Strengthening of the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist was used for quality assessment. Implant failure was determined using the Henderson classification for biological reconstruction. Functional outcome was primarily assessed using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score at last follow-up.

RESULTS

Twenty-five studies with a total of 488 patients were included. Mean follow-up in reporting studies ranged from 2.5 to 10 years. Five-year revision-free survival for implants ranged from 41% to 92%. Overall implant failure rate ranged from 9% to 54%, and reoperation rate ranged from 0% to 55%. Graft host nonunion (type 2) was the most common mode of failure, with rates ranging from 0% to 75%. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scores at last follow-up ranged from 57% to 90% across studies. A trend towards better functional outcomes was seen in patients having an APC with a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) compared with those with hemiarthroplasty.

CONCLUSIONS

APCs show promise in proximal shoulder reconstruction, with heterogeneous functional outcomes that are noninferior to other reconstruction techniques. Graft host nonunion is a common mode of failure and remains a concern in this type of prosthesis. Future studies should compare rTSA-APCs and rTSA endoprostheses while controlling for potential confounders.

Incidence and risk of surgical site infection/periprosthetic joint infection in tumor endoprosthesis-data from the nationwide bone tumor registry in Japan

BACKGROUND

Surgical site infection (SSI)/periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication in limb salvage surgery with endoprosthesis reconstruction for malignant bone tumors. The main bottleneck for data collection and analysis for the status of SSI/PJI in tumor endoprosthesis is the low absolute case numbers of this rare cancer. The accumulation of many cases is possible by administrating nationwide registry data.

METHODS

The data on malignant bone tumor resection with tumor endoprosthesis reconstruction were extracted from the Bone and Soft Tissue Tumor Registry in Japan. The primary endpoint was defined as the need for additional surgical intervention for infection control. The incidence of postoperative infection and its risk factors were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 1342 cases were included. The incidence of SSI/PJI was 8.2%. The incidence of SSI/PJI in the proximal femur, distal femur, proximal tibia, and pelvis were 4.9%, 7.4%, 12.6%, and 41.2%, respectively. Location in the pelvis or proximal tibia, tumor grade, indication of myocutaneous flaps, and delayed wound healing proved to be independent risks for SSI/PJI, whereas age, sex, previous surgery, tumor size, surgical margin, application of chemotherapy and radiotherapy were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence was equal to those in previous studies. The result reconfirmed the high incidence of SSI/PJI in pelvis and proximal tibia cases and cases with delayed wound healing. Novel risk factors such as tumor grade and application of myocutaneous flaps were marked. The administration of nationwide registry data was informative for the analysis of SSI/PJI in tumor endoprosthesis.

Evaluation of Absolute Neutrophil Count in the Perioperative Setting of Sarcoma Resection

Introduction

Limb salvage surgery (LSS) is the preferred surgical treatment for bone sarcomas. Preoperatively, many patients receive chemotherapy and may develop neutropenia. No study has evaluated the effect of a low preoperative absolute neutrophil count (ANC) on postoperative outcomes following LSS.

Methods

This was a retrospective review of 114 patients who underwent LSS for bone sarcoma from 2010 to 2020. Preoperative lab values were analyzed by logistic regression to identify the risk of developing surgical complications within 30 days, surgical site infection (SSI), and reoperation.

Results

Three (2.6%) patients experienced a surgical complication within 30 days. Twelve (10.53%) patients experienced postoperative SSI. Twenty-nine (25.4%) required reoperation. Preoperative ANC was not a significant predictor of surgical complications within 30 days, SSI, or reoperation. The only independent predictor of worse overall survival was the presence of a pathologic fracture at the time of surgery.

Conclusion

This is the first study to evaluate preoperative ANC on postoperative outcomes following LSS. We report no significant differences in surgical complications within 30 days, SSI, or reoperation with low preoperative ANC. Future studies with larger cohorts of neutropenic patients are needed to evaluate these outcomes, as our cohort had very few neutropenic patients due to selection bias.

Allograft-Prosthetic Composite Reconstruction for Proximal Humerus Bone Loss: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Outcomes and Complications

BACKGROUND

In smaller studies, allograft-prosthetic composite (APC) has been used for proximal humerus bone loss with some success, although with notable complication risk. This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to describe outcomes and complications after proximal humerus APC and how major APC complications are defined in the literature.

METHODS

A systematic review was performed per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane were queried for articles on APC for proximal humeral bone loss secondary to tumor, fracture, or failed arthroplasty. Primary outcomes included postoperative range of motion, outcome scores (Musculoskeletal Tumor Society [MSTS], Simple Shoulder Test [SST], American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES], Constant, visual analog scale [VAS], and subjective shoulder value [SSV]), and complication incidence. We also described individual study definitions of APC malunion/nonunion, methods of postoperative evaluation, malunion/nonunion rates, allograft fracture/fragmentation rates, and mean union time, when available. Secondarily, we compared hemiarthroplasty and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.

RESULTS

Sixteen articles including 375 shoulders were evaluated (average age: 49 years, follow-up: 54 months). Fifty-seven percent of procedures were performed for tumors, 1% for proximal humerus trauma sequelae, and 42% for revision arthroplasty. Average postoperative forward elevation was 82° (69-94°), abduction 60° (30-90°), and external rotation 23° (17-28°). Average MSTS score was 82% (77%-87%), SST score 5.3 (4.5-6.1), ASES score 64 (54-74), Constant score 44 (38-50), VAS score 2.2 (1.7-2.7), and SSV 51 (45-58). There was a 51% complication rate with an 18% nonallograft surgical complication rate, 26% APC nonunion/malunion/resorption rate, and 10% APC fracture/fragmentation rate. Fifteen percent of nonunited APCs underwent secondary bone grafting; 3% required a new allograft; and overall revision rate was 12%. APC nonunion/malunion was defined in 2 of 16, malunion/nonunion rates in 14 of 16, fracture/fragmentation rates in 6 of 16, and mean union time (7 months) in 4 of 16 studies.

CONCLUSION

APC reconstruction of the proximal humerus remains a treatment option, albeit with substantial complication rates. In addition, there is a need for APC literature to report institutional definitions of nonunion/malunion, postoperative evaluation, and time to union for a more standardized evaluation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV; systematic review. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Infections of Tumor Prostheses: An Updated Review on Risk Factors, Microbiology, Diagnosis, and Treatment Strategies

Several causes contribute to the high infection rate in tumor prostheses, including extensive tissue dissection and patients' immunosuppression due to the neoplastic disease. Most of these infections develop within the first 2 years following surgery with 70% of them occurring during the first year, while they are often associated with a low pathogen burden. The pathogenesis of infections in tumor prostheses is linked to bacteria developing in biofilms. Approximately half of them are caused by Staphylococcus spp., followed by Streptococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., and Enterobacteriaceae spp., while multiple pathogens may be isolated in up to 25% of the cases, with coagulase-negative Staphylococci (CoNS) and Enterococccus spp. being the most frequent pair. Although early detection and timely management are essential for complete resolution of these challenging infections, prompt diagnosis is problematic due to the highly varying clinical symptoms and the lack of specific preoperative and intraoperative diagnostic tests. Surgical management with one- or two-stage revision surgery is the mainstay for successful eradication of these infections. The recent advances in laboratory diagnostics and the development of biofilm-resistant prostheses over the past years have been areas of great interest, as research is now focused on prevention strategies. The aim of this study is to review and consolidate the current knowledge regarding the epidemiology, risk factors, microbiology, and diagnosis of infections of tumor prostheses, and to review the current concepts for their treatment and outcomes.

Prosthetic Joint Infection in Mega-Arthroplasty Following Shoulder, Hip and Knee Malignancy-A Prospective Follow-Up Study

INTRODUCTION

The risk of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) in mega-prosthesis for malignancy is increased compared with non-tumor cases. While several studies describe PJI in tumor-related arthroplasty, prospective studies comparing infection characteristics among different joints are limited. The present study analyzes mega-arthroplasty for hip, knee, and shoulder malignancy and compares the epidemiology, diagnosis, microbe spectrum, treatments, and outcomes between the different entities.

METHODS

The retrospective inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) mega-arthroplasty (2) in the hip, knee, or shoulder joint and a total femur arthroplasty (3) following a malignant bone tumor or metastasis (4) between 1996 and 2019. All included patients were prospectively followed and invited for a renewed hospital examination, and their PJI characteristics (if identified) were analyzed using both retrospective as well as newly gained prospective data. A PJI was defined according to the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) and re-infection was defined according to the modified Delphi Consensus criteria.

RESULTS

In total, 83 cases of tumor mega-arthroplasty at a mean follow-up of 3.9 years could be included (32 knee, 30 hip, and 19 shoulder cases and 2 cases of total femur arthroplasty). In total, 14 PJIs were identified, with chondrosarcoma in 6 and osteosarcoma in 3 being the leading tumor entities. Knee arthroplasty demonstrated a significantly higher rate of PJI (p = 0.027) compared with hips (28.1% vs. 6.7%), while no significant difference could be found between the knee and shoulder (10.5%) (p = 0.134) or among shoulder and hip cases (p = 0.631). The average time of PJI following primary implantation was 141.4 months in knee patients, 64.6 in hip patients, and 8.2 months in shoulder patients. Age at the time of the primary PJI, as well as the time of the first PJI, did not show significant differences among the groups. Thirteen of the fourteen patients with PJI had a primary bone tumor. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in the disadvantage of primary bone tumors (p = 0.11). While the overall cancer-related mortality in the knee PJI group (10%) was low, it was 50% in the hip and 100% in the shoulder group.

CONCLUSION

The risk of PJI in knee tumor arthroplasty is significantly increased compared with hips, while cancer-related mortality is significantly higher in hip PJI cases. At the same time, mega-prostheses appear to be associated with a higher risk of infection due to a primary bone tumor compared with metastases. The study confirms existing knowledge concerning PJI in tumor arthroplasty, while, being one of the few studies to compare three different joints concerning PJI characteristics.

Complications and Survivorship of Distal Humeral Allograft Reconstruction After Tumor Resection: Literature Review and Case Series

Primary bone sarcomas of the proximal humerus represent most bone sarcomas in the upper extremity. However, limited literature exists on the survival and complications of distal humeral allograft reconstruction because of the relative rarity of disease at the distal end.

Developing a risk prediction model for multidrug-resistant bacterial infection in patients with biliary tract infection

BACKGROUND/AIMS

The aim of this study was to develop a tool to predict multidrug-resistant bacteria infections among patients with biliary tract infection for targeted therapy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We conducted a single-center retrospective descriptive study from January 2016 to December 2018. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were used to identify independent risk factors of multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. A nomogram was constructed according to multivariable regression model. Moreover, the clinical usefulness of the nomogram was estimated by decision curve analysis.

RESULTS

121 inpatients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n = 79) and validation cohort (n = 42). In multivariate analysis, 5 factors were associated with biliary tract infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacterial infections: aspartate aminotransferase (Odds ratio (OR), 13.771; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.747-64.958; P < 0.001), previous antibiotic use within 90 days (OR, 4.130; 95% CI, 1.192-16.471; P = 0.032), absolute neutrophil count (OR, 3.491; 95% CI, 1.066-12.851; P = 0.046), previous biliary surgery (OR, 3.303; 95% CI, 0.910-13.614; P = 0.079), and hemoglobin (OR, 0.146; 95% CI, 0.030-0.576; P = 0.009). The nomogram model was constructed based on these variables, and showed good calibration and discrimination in the training set [area under the curve (AUC), 0.86] and in the validation set (AUC, 0.799). The decision curve analysis demonstrated the clinical usefulness of our nomogram. Using the nomogram score, high risk and low risk patients with multidrug-resistant bacterial infection could be differentiated.

CONCLUSIONS

This simple bedside prediction tool to predict multidrug-resistant bacterial infection can help clinicians identify low versus high risk patients as well as choose appropriate, timely initial empirical antibiotics therapy. This model should be validated before it is widely applied in clinical settings.

One- or two-stage exchange for periprosthetic shoulder infection: Systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

One-stage exchange is the gold-standard for management of periprosthetic shoulder infection. The present review compares efficacy between 1- and 2-stage exchange in this indication.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis following the "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" (PRISMA) criteria. The literature search used the Medline, Embase and Central data-bases. The studies included assessed 1- and 2-stage exchange in periprosthetic shoulder infection. The main outcome was reinfection rate, and the secondary outcome postoperative complications rate.

RESULTS

Twenty-one studies, for 501 patients, were included: 5 assessing 1-stage exchange, 11 2-stage, and 5 both. Mean follow-up was 4.3 years (range, 2-6.1 years). Mean reinfection rates ranged between 0 and 50% in 1-stage exchange and between 0 and 36.8% in 2-stage exchange. The combined rate was 7% (95% CI, 3.8-12.5%) in 1-stage and 21.3% (95% CI, 16-27.9%) in 2-stage exchange. Mean complications rates ranged between 0 and 50% in 1-stage exchange and between 5.7% and 73%% in 2-stage exchange. The combined rate was 17% (95% CI, 11.9-23.9%) in 1-stage and 32.8% (95% CI, 25.8-40.6%) in 2-stage exchange.

DISCUSSION

To our knowledge, the present meta-analysis is the first to assess results in 1- and 2-stage exchange for chronic periprosthetic shoulder infection.

CONCLUSION

One-stage exchange seemed to provide better results, with less reinfection and fewer complications than 2-stage exchange.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

I, meta-analysis.

What Is the Survival and Function of Modular Reverse Total Shoulder Prostheses in Patients Undergoing Tumor Resections in Whom an Innervated Deltoid Muscle Can Be Preserved?

BACKGROUND

After proximal humerus resection for bone tumors, restoring anatomy and shoulder function remains demanding because muscles and bone are removed to obtain tumor-free surgical margins. Current modes of reconstruction such as anatomic modular prostheses, osteoarticular allografts, or allograft-prosthetic composites and arthrodeses are associated with relatively poor shoulder function related to loss of the deltoid and rotator cuff muscles. Newer prosthetic designs like the reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) are felt to be useful in other reconstructions where rotator cuff function is compromised, so it seemed logical that it might help in tumor reconstructions as well in patients where the deltoid muscle and its innervation can be preserved.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

In patients with a tumor of the proximal humerus that can be resected with preservation of the deltoid muscle, (1) What complications are associated with tumor resection and reconstruction with a modular RTSA? (2) What are the functional results of modular RTSA in these patients?

METHODS

From January 2011 to January 2018, we treated 52 patients for bone tumors of the proximal humerus. Of these, three patients were treated with forequarter amputation, 14 were treated with standard modular proximal humerus implants, seven were treated with allograft-prosthetic composites (RTSA-APC), and 28 were treated with a modular RTSA. Generally, we used anatomic modular prosthetic reconstruction if during the tumor resection none of the abductor mechanism could be spared. Conversely, we preferred reconstruction with RTSA if an innervated deltoid muscle could be spared, but the rotator cuff and capsule could not, using RTSA-APC or modular RTSA if humeral osteotomy was distal or proximal to deltoid insertion, respectively. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed only patients treated with modular RTSA after proximal humerus resection. We excluded three patients treated with modular RTSA as revision procedures after mechanical failure of previous biological reconstructions and three patients treated after December 2016 to obtain an expected minimum follow-up of 2 years. There were nine men and 13 women, with a mean (range) age of 55 years (18 to 71). Reconstruction was performed in all patients using silver-coated modular RTSA protheses. Patients were clinically checked according to oncologic protocol. Complications and function were evaluated at final follow-up by the treating surgeon (PR) and shoulder surgeon (AC). Complications were evaluated according to Henderson classification. Functional results were assessed with the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score (range 0 points to 30 points), Constant-Murley score (range 0 to 100), and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (range 0 to 100). The statistical analysis was performed using Kaplan-Meier curves.

RESULTS

Complications occurred in five of 22 patients; there was a shoulder dislocation (Type I) in four patients and aseptic loosening (Type II) in one. Function in these patients on the outcomes scales we used was generally satisfactory; the mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 29, the mean Constant score was 61, and the mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 81.

CONCLUSIONS

Although this was a small series of patients with heterogeneous diagnoses and resection types, and we were not able to directly compare the results of this procedure with those of other available reconstructions, we found patients treated with RTSA achieved reasonable shoulder function after resection and reconstruction of a proximal humerus tumor. It may not be valuable in all tumor resections, but in patients in whom the deltoid can be partly spared, this procedure appears to reasonably restore short-term shoulder function. However, future larger studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, therapeutic study.

Advances in tumour endoprostheses: a systematic review

Tumour endoprostheses have facilitated limb-salvage procedures in primary bone and soft tissue sarcomas, and are increasingly being used in symptomatic metastases of the long bones.

The objective of the present review was to analyse articles published over the last three years on tumour endoprostheses and to summarize current knowledge on this topic. The NCBI PubMed webpage was used to identify original articles published between January 2015 and April 2018 in journals with an impact factor in the top 25.9% of the respective category (orthopaedics, multidisciplinary sciences).

The following search-terms were used: tumour endoprosthesis, advances tumour endoprosthesis, tumour megaprosthesis, prosthetic reconstruction AND tumour. We identified 347 original articles, of which 53 complied with the abovementioned criteria.

Articles were categorized into (1) tumour endoprostheses in the shoulder girdle, (2) tumour endoprostheses in the proximal femur, (3) tumour endoprostheses of the knee region, (4) tumour endoprostheses in the pelvis, (5) (expandable) prostheses in children and (6) long-term results of tumour endoprostheses.

The topics of interest covered by the selected studies largely matched with the main research questions stated at a consensus meeting, with survival outcome of orthopaedic implants being the most commonly raised research question.

As many studies reported on the risk of deep infections, research in the future should also focus on potential preventive methods in endoprosthetic tumour reconstruction.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2019;4:445-459. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.4.180081

Large diaphyseal-incorporating allograft prosthetic composites: when, how, and why : Treatment of advanced proximal humeral bone loss

BACKGROUND

Proximal humeral bone loss in shoulder arthroplasty is a complex problem with a heterogeneous presentation. Different etiologies may contribute to varying degrees of severity in bone loss that dictate different treatment approaches.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this is article is to describe our technique for treatment of proximal humeral bone loss with proximal humeral allograft prosthetic composites (APC) and identify factors that may predict when larger allografts may be necessary.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety-nine patients were identified that had undergone reverse total shoulder arthroplasty with use of a proximal humeral allograft. Thirty-nine of these had large allografts that involved a significant portion of the diaphysis. Preoperative characteristics were examined to identify factors that may be associated with use of a larger diaphyseal-incorporating allograft.

RESULTS

Well-fixed humeral stems could be treated with short metaphyseal allografts in 55 of 65 (85%) cases. Loose stems required longer diaphyseal-incorporating allografts in 28 of 31 (90%) cases, and these were commonly associated with periprosthetic fractures (n = 10), failed prior APC (n = 6), and infection (n = 5). Noncemented stems required diaphyseal grafts in 75% of cases, compared to cemented stems which required larger grafts in 34% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Proximal humeral bone loss in the setting of revision shoulder arthroplasty can be successfully managed with a reverse total shoulder and proximal humeral allograft. Larger allografts are frequently required for loose humeral stems, and noncemented stems appear more likely to require larger allografts than cemented stems.