The IlluminOss® System: a solution in elderly patients with upper limbs bone metastases.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Oncology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Bone metastases and pathological fractures pose significant challenges, especially in elderly patients with limited life expectancy.
• Minimally invasive surgical options are crucial when conventional treatments are ineffective or major surgery is not feasible.
• The IlluminOss® System (IS) utilizing photodynamic bone stabilization (PBS) presents a novel approach for bone lesion management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the IlluminOss® System (IS) in treating impending fractures and bone metastases in the upper limb.
• To assess improvements in pain, quality of life, and functional recovery following IS treatment.
• To analyze the outcomes in elderly patients with pathological fractures or myeloma.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 8 patients over 65 years old with upper limb fractures or metastases were treated with IS between January 2017 and October 2019.
• Patients underwent assessment of pain (VAS score), general health (Karnofsky index), and limb function (MSTS score) pre-operatively and at 1, 3, and 6 months post-operatively.
• Outcomes included pain reduction, functional improvement, and radiological assessment of lesion stability.

Main Results:

• Significant improvement in mean VAS pain score from 8.88 to 1.00 at 6 months post-surgery.
• Enhanced Karnofsky index and MSTS score (44.6 to 74.7 at 6 months), indicating better general health and limb function.
• Successful osteolytic lesion stabilization in all patients with no reported complications.

Conclusions:

• Photodynamic bone stabilization (PBS) via the IlluminOss® System (IS) is an effective treatment for bone metastases and pathological fractures in the upper limb.
• IS offers a valuable minimally invasive option for patients with impending fractures and limited life expectancy.
• Further research is warranted to expand the understanding of IS applications in bone lesion management.