Hypertrophy of the tensor fascia lata: A pseudotumor due to lumbar radiculopathy

Background: Pseudotumor of the tensor fascia lata (TFL) consists of a rare, benign soft tissue mass/hypertrophy of the TFL that appears on the anterolateral aspect of the proximal thigh. Notably, this condition often mimics a malignant tumor and may be misdiagnosed as a sarcoma. Case Description: A 45-year-old male presented with left hip/groin pain, swelling, and a painful mass on the anterolateral aspect of the left hip/thigh. The symptoms had started 3 months ago following an L1-S1 lumbar laminectomy/fusion. The initial diagnosis was hip disease, and the patient underwent a left MR arthrogram. When this study demonstrated a tear of the left anterosuperior acetabular labrum plus an increased alpha angle causing femoroacetabular impingement, the patient then underwent a left hip arthroscopy. However, as he continued to complain of the hip mass, he was referred to an orthopedic oncologist whose presumptive diagnosis favored a sarcoma. Nevertheless, the pelvic MRI scan and ultrasound (US) confirmed the diagnosis of hypertrophy of the left TFL (US left 33.4 mm vs. right 14.4 mm). The patient was first treated with 50 units of locally injected botulinum. As there was no symptomatic relief, the plan was to repeat the injection within the next few months. Conclusion: Hypertrophy of TFL may mimic a neoplasm such as a sarcoma and contributes to what appears to be a lumbar radiculopathy. However, MR and US imaging should readily identify TFL and rule out malignant lesions such as sarcomas.

Association of tensor fascia lata hypertrophy and fatty infiltration in the presence of abductor tendon tears: a radiographic study

ABSTRACT Hip abductor tendon tears of the gluteus medius and minimus are becoming a well-recognized source of pain and dysfunction, primarily in middle-age females. Like the rotator cuff, fatty infiltration (FI) can occur after tearing of these tendons. While the association of TFL hypertrophy after abductor tendon tears has been established, its association with FI has not been well studied. Our hypothesis is that hypertrophy of the TFL will be associated with FI of the abductors. All patients >18 years old undergoing primary surgical repair for a confirmed tears on MRI, without a history of prior hip surgery or osteoarthritis, were included. The following measurements were obtained from MRI: TFL cross-sectional area, TFL:sartorius volume ratio, and modified Goutallier grade of gluteus medius and minimus. Seventy patients met inclusion criteria and were divided in two groups, those with (n = 28) and those without FI (n = 42) of the abductors. The FI group was on average older (65 versus 58 years, P < 0.00016). TFL hypertrophy and TFL:sartorius volume ratio were significantly associated with FI (P= 0.00069). Following abductor tendon tear and subsequent FI, there exists significant TFL hypertrophy in patients without a prior history of hip surgery in our patient cohort.

Single Stage Reconstruction of Posterior Soft Tissue Ankle Defects with a Free Anterolateral Thigh Flap and Rolled Tensor Fascia Lata for Functional Tendo-Achilles Reconstruction - A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Soft tissue defects in the posterior ankle region with underlying Achilles tendon loss pose a reconstructive challenge to both Orthopaedic and Plastic surgeons. Such injuries can result in a severely debilitating sequelae for the patient, therefore reconstruction of the area must provide reliable function and durability with minimal complications and aesthetically pleasing results to enable normal foot wear. We describe the case of a twenty-seven year old male, who presented following a traumatic open rupture of the Achilles tendon and failed reverse sural artery flap. We performed a single stage composite soft tissue reconstruction with a free anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap and rolled vascularised Tensor Fascia Lata (TFL) for functional Achilles tendon reconstruction. The patient had no post-operative complications and was able to fully weight bear and dorsiflex his foot beyond ninety degrees at seven month follow-up. Whilst many options are available to reconstruct this area, we review the literature to illustrate the advantages of using this technique to achieve all of the above factors, and advocate for all foot and ankle surgeons to be aware of its use in their reconstructive repertoire.

Endoscopic endonasal cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair: a cohort study in Iraq

Background Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea is a condition where the protective fluid that surrounds the brain finds its way into the nose and sinuses, often appearing as a very watery runny nose. The main surgical approaches for the surgical repair of CSF leaks are intracranial and extracranial. Over the last decade, endoscopic surgery has established itself as the most widely used technique for the repair of CSF fistula. The current study aimed to describe the use of nasal endoscopic technique in the management of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea repair. Results Results of our study showed that in addition to CSF leak, 40% of the patients had headache and 17.5% had repeated meningitis. Half of the etiologies for the CSF leak were spontaneous, 35% were congenital, and 15% were traumatic. The more frequent site of leak was left cribriform plate (37.5%). In the majority of patients, 37/40 (92.5%), the type of graft was tensor fascia lata and fat, while in the remaining 3 patients, type of graft was tensor fascia lata and bone, bone and fat, and tensor fascia lata. The repair succeeded in 35 patients giving a success rate of 87.5%. Conclusion It can be concluded that wide range of age groups from 2–62 years presented as CSF rhinorrhea with female predominance, and there was high success rate of endoscopic CSF rhinorrhea repair with low morbidity.