Musculoskeletal tumors and sports injuries

Although musculoskeletal tumors are less common, they frequently occur in the same age group and also around the joints– -most commonly knee joint –, and patients often recall some traumatic event with pain and swelling about the knee. The overlapping clinical appearance of some sports-related injuries and orthopedic oncologic conditions continues to lead to delayed diagnosis or an incorrect arthroscopic diagnosis. Physicians performing arthroscopy must be familiar with common orthopedic oncologic conditions similar to those of a sports-related injury. To avoid the misdiagnosis, appropriate, good quality radiographs or MRI studies should be obtained before any invasive procedure like arthroscopy. Imaging studies should be obtained at least 3 weeks before the planned procedure, and they should be carefully reviewed by the surgeon and radiologist. If any lesion is discovered, it should be evaluated carefully for special diagnosis before any arthroscopic procedure. A thorough history and physical examination with attention to possibility of referred pain is essential. Arthroscopic biopsy is only advisable if the diagnosis of pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovitis, or synovial chondromatosis is radiologically evitable. In case of possibility of a tumor the patient must consult an orthopedic oncologist.