Boston Children's Hospital

About: Boston Children's Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 165409 authors who have published 215589 publications receiving 6885627 citations.

A Systematic Approach to the Plain Radiographic Evaluation of the Young Adult Hip

Abstract: Orthopaedic evaluation of hip pain in the young adult population has undergone a rapid evolution over the past decade1,2. This is in large part due to enhanced awareness of structural hip disorders, including developmental dysplasia of the hip and femoroacetabular impingement1-5. Surgical treatment for these disorders continues to be refined6-9, and our ability to identify patients along the spectrum of disease continues to improve10-15. Yet, despite our advances, obtaining an accurate diagnosis can remain challenging, especially in the setting of mild structural abnormalities. Therefore, radiographic examination is a critical component of the diagnostic evaluation and treatment decision-making process. It is essential that physicians have common and reliable radiographic views as well as parameters for plain radiographic assessment that can serve as a foundation for accurate diagnosis, disease classification, and surgical decision-making. Many different radiographic measurements have been described as indicators of structural disease. In particular, measurements such as the lateral center-edge angle of Wiberg16, the anterior center-edge angle of Lequesne17, the ac-etabular index of depth to width described by Heyman and Herndon18, the femoral head extrusion index19, and the Tonnis angle20 have been used as markers for acetabular dysplasia. Similarly, measurements of acetabular version21, the head-neck offset (initially described by Eijer)3,22, and the alpha angle19 have been used in the diagnosis of femoroacetabular impingement. Nevertheless, there is limited literature that provides comprehensive information regarding the details of radiographic evaluation in the young patient with hip symptoms. This paper summarizes the recommendations of the ANCHOR (Academic Network for Conservational Hip Outcomes Research) study group regarding the most important aspects of radiographic technique and image interpretation to evaluate the symptomatic, skeletally mature hip.

Osteosarcoma: Current Treatment and a Collaborative Pathway to Success

Abstract: Osteosarcoma is the bone tumor that most commonly affects children, adolescents, and young adults. Before 1970, treatment primarily included surgical resection. However, the introduction of chemotherapy led to a dramatic improvement in prognosis for patients with localized osteosarcoma; long-term survival rates of less than 20% improved to 65% to 70% after the advent of multiagent chemotherapy regimens. Controversy concerning the ideal combination of chemotherapy agents ensued throughout the last quarter of the 20th century because of conflicting and often nonrandomized data. However, large cooperative group studies and international collaboration have demonstrated that the most effective regimens include the combination of high-dose methotrexate, doxorubicin, and cisplatin (MAP). The introduction of biologic agents such as muramyl tripeptide and the use of additional cytotoxic chemotherapy such as ifosfamide have not definitively improved the survival of patients with osteosarcoma. Collaborative efforts to increase understanding of the biology of osteosarcoma and the use of preclinical models to test novel agents will be critical to identify the path toward improving outcomes for patients. Once promising agents are identified, an international infrastructure exists for clinical trials. Herein, biologic, preclinical, and clinical trial efforts will be described along with future international collaborative strategies to improve outcomes for patients who develop this challenging tumor.