Research Article

Influence of Resident Education in Correctly Diagnosing Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcoma

Table 6

Bivariate analyses for selecting correct clinical decision for orthopaedic surgery residents.

VariableOR (95% CI) value

Factors raising suspicion for malignancy
 Largest size tumor that you would be comfortable with excising without a biopsy0.94 (0.89, 0.99).02*
 Depth of the mass 1.05 (0.93, 1.18).44
 Rate of growth1.14 (0.95, 1.36).15
 Imaging characteristics1.00 (0.83, 1.22).97
 Location of the mass1.02 (0.91, 1.14).72
 Mobility of the mass0.91 (0.82, 1.01).08
 Age of the patient0.86 (0.77, 0.96).006*
Factors impeding decision to perform a biopsy
 I have decreased access to persons performing needle biopsy0.98 (0.91, 1.06).69
 I do not want to inconvenience the pathologist0.84 (0.72, 0.98).03*
 I have a lack of confidence in pathology to make a diagnosis on a FNA/core biopsy1.00 (0.92, 1.08).91
 I feel that whole specimen will lead to a more accurate diagnosis0.95 (0.87, 1.03).19
 I feel that the likelihood of a soft tissue mass being malignant is low0.91 (0.83, 1.00).05
 I have concerns about the risks associated with biopsies0.91 (0.86, 1.03).18
 I am not extensively trained on the use of biopsies in residency or fellowship0.96 (0.89, 1.04).34
Resident characteristics
 Age1.00 (0.97, 1.03).94
 Gender0.98 (0.74, 1.30).90
 How many years of training have you completed?1.10 (1.02, 1.19).01*
 Dedicated STS rotation0.92 (0.67, 1.25).58
 Dedicated STS teaching component0.72 (0.37, 1.14).34

CI: confidence interval. Significance denoted by * .