Felasfa M. Wodajo, MD, Editor

In “The Principles and Applications of Fresh Frozen Allografts to Bone and Joint Reconstruction,” Dr Luis Aponte-Tinao shares some of the collected wisdom from the Orthopaedic Oncology team at the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires, Argentina—one of the premier international facilities for bone and joint allograft reconstruction. In the text, he reviews surgical techniques and results of the several types of allograft reconstruction: total and unicondylar osteoarticular allografts, intercalary segmental allografts, and allograft-prosthetic composites. Successful allograft reconstruction requires meticulous surgical technique. While, associated with higher initial failure rates, grafts that survive can provide some of the most gratifying results, particularly in younger patients. Be sure to also check out the detailed video techniques that accompany the article, available online.

In “Nonneoplastic Soft Tissue Masses that Mimic Sarcoma,” Dr Matthew Colman reviews the diagnostic basics of soft tissue masses and the findings in several lesions than can erroneously be considered sarcomas. His goal is “to provide additional tools to the clinician to help distinguish common non-neoplastic entities from true sarcomatous tumors.” To do this, he first discusses the appropriate use of radiographs, ultrasound, CT, and MRI in the evaluation of soft tissue masses. He then describes the diagnostic findings in a few commonly encountered musculoskeletal conditions, such as hematoma, infection, and ganglion cysts, as well as less common lesions, such as myositis ossificans and arthroplasty-related pseudotumor. Dr Colman recently completed fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology at Harvard University.