Evaluation of patients with a soft tissue mass

The evaluation of a patient with a soft tissue mass is a very common problem that orthopedic surgeons will face. There are very features that help the clinician decide whether the mass is malignant or benign, so a very careful evaluation is necessary. The orthopedic surgeon has three choices as he or she plans treatment: (1) observation, (2) incisional or needle biopsy, and (3) excisional biopsy. Excisional biopsy is a very dangerous procedure to perform – the surgeon must be sure that the lesion is benign.