Background: Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma is a rare but aggressive subtype of sarcoma. The majority of involvement locates in the axial skeleton. Treatment modalities include radical surgery, local radiotherapy, and systemic chemotherapy. However, the long-term survival outcome remains poor. Case presentation: We present the case of a 33-year-old male with a palpable chest wall mass for one year, diagnosed with mesenchymal chondrosarcoma with surgical removal. Later, he had an unusual pancreatic tail tumor as the first presentation of disease metastasis which was proven by surgical resection one year later. Conclusion: Although mesenchymal chondrosarcoma locates mainly in the axial skeletal system, extra-skeletal soft tissue or organ involvement might be seen occasionally. Active surveillance with multidisciplinary team management could significantly prolong survival outcomes.

Retrospective, consecutive case series. We assessed the predictive validity of the Spinal Infection Treatment Evaluation (SITE) score to determine the likelihood of residual neurological deficits (ND) following surgical treatment of spinal epidural abscess (SEA). SEA is a severe spinal infection that can result in irreversible ND and sepsis if left untreated. Although various risk factors have been proposed to predict postoperative neurological outcomes, the optimal predictors remain unclear. A total of 45 patients diagnosed with de novo thoracic or lumbar SEA who underwent posterior-only surgical decompression between 2005 and 2014, with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 2 years, were included. Patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of postoperative residual ND, and neurological function was assessed immediately after surgery and at the final followup using the Frankel grading system. SITE scores, along with clinical and radiological data associated with residual ND, were collected. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to identify significant predictors. Patients with residual ND had significantly lower SITE scores than those without residual ND (4.3±1.3 vs. 7±1.8, p<0.0001). Multivariate analysis identified the SITE score as an independent predictor (odds ratio, 2.70; p=0.012). ROC analysis showed that a SITE score ≤6 predicted residual ND with 73.3% sensitivity and 100% specificity, with an area under the curve of 0.877 (p<0.001). Other significant predictors included cauda equina syndrome and a shorter symptom-to-surgery interval, both of which were associated with a higher risk of residual ND. The SITE score is a reliable and independent predictor of residual ND after surgery for SEA. SITE scores <6 indicate a significantly higher risk of postoperative ND.

We investigated the effects of periarticular multimodal drug injection (PMDI) on postoperative pain control, patients’ mobilization, and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We retrospectively enrolled patients who underwent unilateral TKA between 2019 and 2020. The formula for PMDI included 0.5 mL epinephrine (1 mg/mL), 1 mL ketorolac (30 mg/mL), 0.5 mL morphine (10 mg/mL), and 20 mL bupivacaine hydrochloride (5 mg/mL), mixed with 60 mL normal saline. The outcomes of interest included (1) the amount of patient-controlled anesthesia (PCA) consumption in the first 24 h after the surgery, (2) early mobilization within 24 h after the surgery, and (3) the length of hospital stay. A total of 127 patients were analyzed. Compared with patients who did not receive PMDI, those who received PMDI had lower consumption of PCA in the first 24 h (β coefficient −29.9, 95% CI −51.9 to −7.9, p = 0.008), higher odds of early mobilization within 24 h (odds ratio 8.263, 95% CI 3.041 to 22.453, p < 0.001), and shorter length of hospital stay (β coefficient −0.705, 95% CI −1.158 to −0.252, p = 0.003). We suggest that PMDI may be considered for patients undergoing TKA to improve the quality of care and shorten their length of hospital stay.