MOC Diagnosis, treatment and innovative strategies in the surgery of tumors of the musculoskeletal system – Oncological orthopedics

The Master in Diagnosis, Treatment and Innovative Strategies in Musculoskeletal System Cancer Surgery – Oncological Orthopaedics integrates anatomy, clinical, surgical and technological knowledge, and focuses on innovations such as computer-assisted surgery and personalized prosthetics. 

It includes lectures and reports by experts in managing and treating oncological musculoskeletal diseases, concentrated in short periods agreed between professors and students. Internships and workshops will last one week and will be completed at the ward, clinics and ORs of the Orthopaedics, Oncology and Traumatology Clinic of the Padua University Hospital. The internship may be completed also at the Multidisciplinary Musculoskeletal Oncology Clinic. 

Attendance of at least 70% of the course is mandatory. The final test will consist in an oral exam and a possible dissertation.

The course will include also participation in the “Musculoskeletal Oncology Course” at the University of Padua, held every year in September, and now in its 8th edition. 

The Master in Diagnosis, Treatment and Innovative Strategies in Musculoskeletal System Cancer Surgery – Oncological Orthopaedics addresses expert and resident doctors, in the areas of orthopaedics, oncology, general surgery, physical and rehabilitation medicine, radiology and pathological anatomy. It is open also to healthcare professionals involved in the integrated management of musculoskeletal oncology patients, as physical therapists, nurses and radiology technicians. 

Competences can be used in hospitals, cancer centres, research institutes and highly-specialized orthopaedics clinics, for differential diagnosis, surgical planning, reconstruction techniques, complication management, and work in multidisciplinary teams. 

Professionals may intervene effectively in bone and soft tissue cancer treatment and diagnosis, and thus improve the clinical outcome and the patient’s life quality.

The Master in Diagnosis, Treatment and Innovative Strategies in Musculoskeletal System Cancer Surgery – Oncological Orthopaedics provides in-depth training on the following topics:

Introduction – Classification of musculoskeletal cancer
Basic semiotics, radiology and ultrasounds
Modern imaging: RMN, TC; Nuclear medicine
Staging, Enneking classification and surgical margins
Pathological anatomy of sarcomas and primary and secondary malignant musculoskeletal system diseases
Biopsy and related issues
Benign bone cancer:

• Noli me tangere: histiocytic fibroma, fibrous dysplasia, Langerhans cell histiocytosis
• Benign osteogenic lesions: osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma
• Benign cartilaginous lesions: enchondroma, exostosis, chondroblastoma
• Giant cell cancer
• Simple bone cyst, aneurysmal bone cyst
• Pseudotumoral lesions (m. Paget, misc.)

Malignant bone cancer:

• Osteosarcoma
• Chondrosarcoma
• Ewing sarcoma
• Chordoma
• Rare entities

Soft tissue cancer:

• Lipomatosis cancer (low- and high-grade)
• Myofibroblastic tumours (myositis ossificans, desmoid or aggressive fibromatosis, protuberans dermatofibrosarcoma, solitary fibroid tumour)
• Fibroitocitic cancer
• Tenosyvial giant cell cancer 
• Muscular cancer (leimyoma, leimyosarcoma, rabdomyosarcoma)
• Nervous system cancer (neurinoma and neuroma, malignant
• nerve sheet cancer);
• Vascular cancer 

Metabolic bone diseases
Metastatic disease: Epidemiology, practice and fundamentals of treatment for metastatic musculoskeletal cancer
Oncology, medical treatment of sarcomas and musculoskeletal system, clinical trials
Radiotherapy, radiotherapy of sarcomas and musculoskeletal system, clinical trials
Surgery – Surgical treatment of benign cancer
Surgery – Surgical treatment of malignant cancer
Principles of surgical resection
Reconstruction techniques:

• Prosthetic: modular prosthetics, composite prosthetics, extendable prosthetics, custom-made prosthetics
• Biological: massive bone implants, composites, vascularized autograft implants

Pelvis and tailbone cancer: resection and reconstruction techniques
Vertebral cancer: treatment techniques
Metastatic treatment: mini-invasive treatment, intramedullary stabilization (traditional and carbon intramedullary rods)
Multidisciplinary: orthoplastic approach
Multidisciplinary: ortho-vascular approach
Multidisciplinary: paediatric patient approach

Pietro Ruggieri – Full Professor of Orthopaedics – University of Padua
Andrea Angelini – Associate Professor of Orthopaedics – University of Padua
Antonio Berizzi – Associate Professor of Orthopaedics – University of Padua
Gianni Bisogno – Full Professor of Paediatric Oncology – University of Padua
Antonella Brunello – Chief Doctor of Oncology – IOV Padua
Giovanni Baldin – Chief Doctor in Orthopaedics – Padua Hospital University
Mariachiara Cerchiaro – Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics – Padua Hospital University
Marco Cianchetti – Chief Doctor at the Proton Therapy Operating Unit in Trento
Alberto Crimì – Chief Doctor in Orthopaedics – Padua Hospital University
Giorgio De Conti – Director of Radiology – Padua Hospital University
Angelo Paolo Dei Tos – Full Professor of Pathological Anatomy – University of Padua
Elisa Pagliarini- Chief Doctor in Orthopaedics – Padua Hospital University
Elisa Pala – Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics – University of Padua
Marta Sbaraglia – Full Professor of Pathological Anatomy – University of Padua
Vanna Scapin – Chief Doctor in Radiology – Padua Hospital University
Carla Stecco – Assistant Professor of Anatomy – University of Padua
Michele Piazza – Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery – University of Padua
Cesare Tiengo – Assistant Professor of Plastic Surgery – University of Padua
Giulia Trovarelli – Assistant Professor of Orthopaedics – University of Padua

The general ranking of merit for the academic year 2025/26 will be published on the Italian page of this Master according to the timing provided in the Call.