Osteotomy around the painful degenerative varus knee has broader indications than conventionally described but must follow a strict planning process: ESSKA Formal Consensus Part I.

PURPOSE: The European consensus was designed with the objective of combining science and expertise to produce recommendations that would educate and provide guidance in the treatment of the painful degenerative varus knee. Part I focused on indications and planning. METHODS: Ninety-four orthopaedic surgeons from 24 European countries were involved in the consensus, which focused on the most common indications for osteotomy around the knee. The consensus was performed according to an established ESSKA methodology. The questions and recommendations made were initially designed by the consensus steering group. And 'best possible' answers were provided based upon the scientific evidence available and the experience of the experts. The statements produced were further evaluated by ratings and peer review groups before a final consensus was reached. RESULTS: There is no reliable evidence to exclude patients based on age, gender or body weight. An individualised approach is advised; however, cessation of smoking is recommended. The same applies to lesser degrees of patellofemoral and lateral compartment arthritis, which may be accepted in certain situations. Good-quality limb alignment and knee radiographs are a mandatory requirement for planning of osteotomies, and Paley's angles and normal ranges are recommended when undertaking deformity analysis. Emphasis is placed upon the correct level at which correction of varus malalignment is performed, which may involve double-level osteotomy. This includes recognition of the importance of individual bone morphology and the maintenance of a physiologically appropriate joint line orientation. CONCLUSION: The indications of knee osteotomies for painful degenerative varus knees are broad. Part I of the consensus highlights the versatility of the procedure to address multiple scenarios with bespoke planning for each case. Deformity analysis is mandatory for defining the bone morphology, the site of the deformity and planning the correct procedure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, consensus.

Surgical strategy and complication management of osteotomy around the painful degenerative varus knee: ESSKA Formal Consensus Part II.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the European consensus was to provide recommendations for the treatment of patients with a painful degenerative varus knee using a joint preservation approach. Part II focused on surgery, rehabilitation and complications after tibial or femoral correction osteotomy. METHODS: Ninety-four orthopaedic surgeons from 24 countries across Europe were involved in the consensus, which focused on osteotomies around the knee. The consensus was performed according to the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy consensus methodology. The steering group designed the questions and prepared the statements based on the experience of the experts and the evidence of the literature. The statements were evaluated by the ratings of the peer-review groups before a final consensus was released. RESULTS: The ideal hinge position for medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOW HTO) should be at the upper level of the proximal tibiofibular joint, and for lateral closing wedge distal femoral osteotomy (LCW DFO) just above the medial femoral condyle. Hinge protection is not mandatory. Biplanar osteotomy cuts provide more stability and quicker bony union for both MOW HTO and LCW DFO and are especially recommended for the latter. Osteotomy gap filling is not mandatory, unless structural augmentation for stability is required. Patient-specific instrumentation should be reserved for complex cases by experienced hands. Early full weight-bearing can be adopted after osteotomy, regardless of the technique. However, extra caution should be exercised in DFO patients. Osteotomy patients should return to sports within 6 months. CONCLUSION: Clear recommendations for surgical strategy, rehabilitation and complications of knee osteotomies for the painful degenerative varus knee were demonstrated. In Part 2 of the consensus, high levels of agreement were reached by experts throughout Europe, under variable working conditions. Where science is limited, the collated expertise of the collaborators aimed at providing guidance for orthopaedic surgeons developing an interest in the field and highlighting areas for potential future research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, consensus.

Too young for an acquired cardiomyopathy? Cobalt metallosis as a cardiac amyloidosis mimicker.

Metallosis with subsequent cardiac involvement is a possible long-term complication of hip arthroplasty. We report the case of a young female referred to our centre for the suspicion of cardiac amyloidosis presenting with low electrocardiogram voltage, left ventricular hypertrophy, pericardial effusion, and global and longitudinal systolic impairment with apical sparing pattern. Her medical history was remarkable for arthroplasty in the context of congenital hip dysplasia. Two years prior to presentation, she underwent revision surgery for prosthesis malfunction, and tissue metallosis was initially documented. At the current presentation, cobalt metallosis was confirmed, as the circulating cobalt and chromium levels were severely elevated. The accurate diagnosis prompted the removal of the cobalt source with extensive tissue debridement and the use of chelating agents. Reversal of the cardiac abnormalities occurred as the circulating cobalt levels returned to normal.

Dynamic Anterior Stabilization with Hill-Sachs Remplissage Can be Employed in Skeletally Immature Patients-Operative Technique.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies indicate that glenoid bony augmentation raises the risk of complications during and after surgery. On the other hand, repairing the labrum alone in cases with subcritical glenoid bone loss results in recurrent instability and persistent apprehension. As a result, recent advancements in shoulder instability surgery prioritize fully restoring the anterior shoulder restraint. OPERATIVE TECHNIQUE: A novel method for treating recurrent anterior shoulder instability with subcritical glenoid bone loss and off-track Hill-Sachs lesion in skeletally immature patients is suggested: the use of dynamic anterior stabilization technique incorporating the long head of the biceps tendon onto the anterior glenoid rim via trans-subscapular transfer, in conjunction with Hill-Sachs remplissage. A practical, step-by-step surgical technique for a complete reconstruction of the anterior capsule-labral-ligamentous complex is provided. This involves utilizing a soft-tissue dynamic anterior sling, achieved through the trans-subscapularis transfer of the long head of the biceps tendon at the glenoid level. The procedure concludes with a Hill-Sachs remplissage to further prevent off-track events and alleviate apprehension. CONCLUSION: Dynamic anterior stabilization is a suitable approach for addressing recurring anterior shoulder instability in skeletally immature patients who have subcritical glenoid bone loss and bipolar bone lesions.

Acetabular cup placement and offset control in robotic total hip arthroplasty performed through the modified anterolateral approach.

PURPOSE: The modified anterolateral approach (Röttinger) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) offers great advantages over conventional approaches, especially concerning early postoperative symptoms, which are mild and well tolerated by patients. Robotic-assisted implantation might facilitate rapid adoption of the modified anterolateral approach without exposing surgeons to risks encountered during the learning curve. This study posits that the use of robotic assistance in conjunction with the modified anterolateral approach for total hip arthroplasty (THA) can provide a substantial enhancement in the accuracy of cup placement in comparison to manual surgery. METHODS: Thirty-two robotic-assisted THAs met the inclusion criteria and were matched to 32 conventional cases. Acetabular cup inclination, anteversion, limb-length discrepancy, and acetabular offset were assessed using certified planning software by two independent observers using pre- and postoperative anterior-posterior radiographs. Data was analyzed for normal distribution. Chi2 test was used to determine whether implanted acetabular cups that were within Lewinnek's safe zones were influenced by type of implantation. Effect size estimates and statistical power analysis were also performed to appreciate the appropriateness of the chosen sample size. RESULTS: Robotic-assisted implantation was found to significantly improve acetabular cup placement in terms of inclination (p < 0.001) but not anteversion (p = 0.783). Although mean postoperative limb-length discrepancy and mean acetabular offset did not differ between groups, a significantly smaller variance was found in the robotic-assisted group (p < 0.001) and (p = 0.04), respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of consistently implanting the acetabular cup within the Lewinnek safe zones p = 0.641 for anteversion and p = 0.230 for inclination, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that although robotic-assisted acetabular cup implantation performed through the modified anterolateral approach did not significantly differ from conventional implantation, it did offer increased accuracy in cup positioning, acetabular bone preservation, and limb-length restoration.

At the Edge of Orthopaedics: Initial Experience with Transarterial Periarticular Embolization for Knee Osteoarthritis in a Romanian Population.

BACKGROUND: Transarterial embolization (TAE) of genicular artery branches is a relatively new technique that has emerged as a promising method for delaying invasive knee surgery in patients suffering from degenerative knee osteoarthritis (OA). In mild to moderate OA, invasive major surgery can be safely postponed, and patients with major risk factors now have an alternative. Our aim was to examine the impact of TAE on clinical outcomes in individuals with degenerative knee OA over a 12-month period. METHODS: A case series of 17 patients diagnosed with knee OA and treated with TAE was included in the study. Every patient was clinically evaluated at different timeframes according to the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities' arthritis index, knee injury, and osteoarthritis outcome scores, and the 36-item short-form survey (WOMAC, KOOS, and SF-36). RESULTS: At the first follow-up (1 month), KOOS and WOMAC improved from 46.6 ± 13.2 (range 27.3-78.2) to 56.5 ± 13.9 (range 32.3-78.4; p = 0.023) and 49.5 ± 13.2 (range 29.3-82.3) to 59.8 ± 12.6 (range 39.3-83.5, p = 0.018), respectively. Physical SF-36 improved significantly from 42.1 ± 7.75 (range 30.3-57.3) to 50.5 ± 9.9 (range 35.6-67.9; p = 0.032). No significant changes in scores were observed at three, six, or twelve months after TAE. CONCLUSIONS: TAE provided early pain reduction and considerable improvement in quality of life without complications for a consecutive sample of Romanian patients with mild to severe knee OA.

Common peroneal nerve palsy after primary total hip arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: The study wants to evaluate the incidence, the clinical evolution, and treatment of common peroneal nerve (CPN) palsy after primary total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: Our clinical prospective study was made between January 2016 and December 2020. The study group comprised 1240 total hip replacements over a period of five years. Six cases were diagnosed with CPN palsy (0.48%). Five were women and one man, aged from 52 to 71 years old. The common peroneal nerve lesion was diagnosed clinically and by electromyography. RESULTS: The follow-up period was at least 24 months post-operatively. In all six cases, there was a complete common peroneal nerve palsy, documented by electromyography. The poorest results were obtained in the older patients and those who had the highest body mass index, which at two years post-operatively achieved only a partial sensory rehabilitation, with complete motor deficit. All patients can walk unassisted, without support, with one case having complete rehabilitation achieved 18 months postoperatively and three with partial rehabilitation. CONCLUSION: CPN palsy after primary THA is a very serious complication with poor functional outcome. There is no consensus regarding the treatment. The age and the intensity of the rehabilitation program are the only significant factors for the medical rehabilitation after this debilitating post-operative complication.

Transfemoral Approach in Revision Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Analysis of 36 Cases: Radiological and Functional Results at a Minimum 2 Years Follow-up.

Background and Objectives: One of the most difficult aspects of hip revision is to remove the stem from the femoral canal with or without cement while maintaining the maximal amount of bone stock to obtain the best possible press-fit of the revision prosthesis. The transfemoral approach ensures direct access to the medullary canal so that the content removal is completed under direct control, while protecting the bone. This type of approach is particularly efficient for special conditions, such as deformation of the proximal femoral region, broken stems, or the presence of cement over a long distance distal to the prosthesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the main advantages of transtrochanteric approach in hip revisions. Materials and Methods: Our series included 36 revisions performed using the transfemoral approach. We have analyzed the following postoperative radiological aspects: the length of the fixation zone distal to the osteotomized bone fragment (OBF), the gap between the OBF and the diaphysis, stem subsidence over time, and OBF consolidation. Results: The results were very good, both in terms of the rate of intraoperative complications and postoperative evolution. The fixation zone length was 4.2 cm on average (range: 2 to 5.8 cm). The distal gap between the OBF and the diaphysis was 1.2 cm on average (range: 0 to 2.3 cm). Stem subsidence was noted in four cases (11.1%). In all cases, stem subsidence occurred between three and six months and was 6 to 8 mm without affecting hip stability. OBF consolidation was radiologically confirmed for all cases at one year follow-up. Clinical assessment based on the Harris Hip Score showed an overall improvement from 43.2 preoperatively to 79.7 at 12 months and 83 at two years, respectively. The most important rate of progress was between 6 months and 12 months. Conclusions: The transtrochanteric approach has been shown to be very efficient for hip revisions. Understanding the hip biomechanics, applying a less aggressive surgical technique, and using efficient fixation methods such as cables significantly improved the results.

Impact of COVID-19 prevention measures on Clostridioides difficile infections in a regional acute care hospital.

Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is a common cause of nosocomial diarrhea. The multi-modal infection control strategies designed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic have had an unintended positive effect on other hospital-acquired infections. The aim of the present study was to analyze the impact of the COVID-19 prevention measures on healthcare-associated C. difficile infections in a large regional acute care center. Electronic databases were reviewed from the start of the pandemic (March) up to November 2020. Average values from the same months from 2019 and 2018 were used as controls. Using the ICD-10 discharge coding, 65 C. difficile cases per 25,124 patients were identified in 2020 compared to 151/43,126 from the 2018 and 2019 averages (P=0.0484). The C. difficile cases were found to be decreased after the implementation of COVID-19 infection control strategies compared to previous years, despite an increase in antibiotic use. Subset analysis during lockdown showed a clear decrease but the difference was not statistically significant. For the months of recovery after lockdown, the number of cases was comparable to previous years.

Early experience using patient-specific instrumentation in opening wedge high tibial osteotomy.

PURPOSE: Patient-specific instruments (PSI) have been designed to improve the accuracy of performing opening-wedge high-tibial osteotomies (OW-HTO). This study aims to evaluate the lower limb alignment, by comparing pre-operative desired correction to post-operative achieved correction, the difference in surgical time and number of radiological exposures in OW-HTO using patient-specific instruments (PSI) versus conventional osteotomies and the specific and non-specific complications that occurred. METHODS: We performed a single-centre, retrospective, observational study, including 25 consecutive patients undergoing OW-HTO using PSI, from January 2019 to October 2020. RESULTS: Pre-operatively, the mean hip-knee angle (HKA) was 167°, the mean tibial slope was 7.9° and the mean medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) was 82.5°. Post-operatively, the mean HKA was 182.2° (180.1-184.7°), the tibial slope was 6.5° (4.2-12.9°) and the MPTA was 92.8° (90.6-93°). In both coronal and sagittal plane, all knees were within 2° from the planned value. The mean tourniquet time, by which the surgical time was measured, was 40 minutes and the average number of intra-operative fluoroscopic images was 10 (range: 7-14), significantly less than when using conventional techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The use of PSI in OW-HTO allows accurate achievement of the desired correction, while shortening the OR time. The number of radiological exposures is also decreased, in comparison with the conventional osteotomies.

Trochanteric fracture following hip arthrodesis: case presentation.

Even if the intertrochanteric fracture under an arthrodesis hip is rare and the optimal surgical treatment is controversial, we consider that treating this kind of fracture with a locked plate was a success.

Patient specific instrumentation versus conventional knee arthroplasty: comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The key to a successful knee replacement is restoring normal kinematics with a neutral alignment, thus a hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle of 180° (within 3° limits). Conventional TKR is proven to have excellent results but relies in extensive visual referencing of bony landmarks. Customised cutting blocks provide accurate bone cuts, also lowering the risk of fat embolism, blood loss and operating time. METHOD: We share our experience comparing two different TKA techniques using patient specific instrumentation (PSI) with the Visionaire knee and conventional instrumentation (CVI) from the same system (Genesis II Smith&Nephew). A total number of 80 knees were divided into two equal groups, 40 PSI and 40 CVI respectively, operated between April 2013 and August 2014. One female patient had bilateral TKR during this period, at six months interval, both with the PSI. RESULTS: All operated knees had varus deformity, with a mean HKA of 168° (PSI) vs 163° (CVI). We used tranexamic acid (double-dose scheme) and suction drains for 48 hours, with a mean blood drainage in the PSI group of 185 ml and Hb levels of 11.2 g/dl at three days post, compared to 260 ml and 10.7 g/dl in the CVI. Mean blood loss was 3.5 g/dl in PSI, and 4.2 g/dl in the CVI. On the long leg standing radiograph at six weeks, all knees were aligned in frontal plane, with simillar HKA values (178.9° PSI vs 178.6° CVI). Bone cuts measured intraoperatively proved to be accurate within a 1 mm limit. CONCLUSIONS: We cannot recommend PSI-TKR for a better outcome. It is an alternative to conventional and computer-assisted TKR, but further studies are needed to evaluate weather surgical or economic benefits may be achieved by choosing customised instruments.

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head at 2 years after pertrochanteric fracture surgery: Case report.

INTRODUCTION: The avascular necrosis of the femoral head represents the death of bone tissue due to the lack of blood supply. The disease has a progressive evolution and left untreated leads to femoral head collapse and severe arthritis. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of a pertrochanteric fracture which has been successfully operated with a dynamic interlocking trochanteric gamma nail on the right hip. At 2 years after surgery the patient developed an incipient avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Despite the good positioning of the implant, we considered that the source of the pain was an intolerance of the implant, and thus we removed it. After implant removal, the patient was kept under observation and conservative treatment, to prevent further damage to the right hip and allow the healing to occur. At 6 months after the gamma nail was removed the X-rays revealed advanced avascular necrosis of the femoral head and secondary osteoarthritis on the right hip. The patient underwent surgery with an uncemented total hip arthroplasty. DISCUSSION: There are a few discussions regarding the avascular necrosis of the femoral head. These discussions may include the predisposing risk factors, the treatment of choice and the postoperative complications. CONCLUSION: The avascular necrosis of the femoral head is a complication of pertrochanteric fractures that can not be foreseen or avoided. The optimal treatment in these cases is uncemented total hip arthroplasty.

Pre-operative radiological measurement of femoral rotation for prosthetic positioning in total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: This study outlines the benefits of the seated view radiograph of the knee in evaluation of the pre-operative individual distal femoral torsion (DFT) and for the follow-up of the post-operative rotational positioning of the femoral component in total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Study on 20 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty and the correlation between the DFT measured before surgery with this radiology view, the intra-operative external rotation (ER) necessary for the parallel positioning of the femoral component with the transepicondylar axis (TEA) and the post-operative femoral rotational alignment of the prosthesis on the same view. RESULTS: In 90 % of cases the values of internal DFT were between -1(0) and -8(0), while the mean value of the internal rotation (IR) was -4.45(0). The mean value of the ER applied to the posterior bone resection was 4.25(0) (0(0)-7(0)), showing a statistically significant correlation between the pre-operative measurement and the intra-operative one of the posterior condylar angle (PCA) (r = 0.890, p = 0.000). Residual internal femoral malrotation has been identified in four cases, its mean value being 0.4(0). In three patients the pre-operative value of the PCA was higher than the intra-operative one and an internal malrotation of the post-operative femoral component was observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results are encouraging for the further use of this pre-operative view with the premises of increasing the accuracy of prosthetic positioning and reducing the mechanical complications.

Occult fractures of the proximal femur: imaging diagnosis and management of 82 cases in a regional trauma center.

BACKGROUND: Occult hip fractures are often difficult to identify in busy trauma units. We aimed to present our institutions experience in the diagnosis and treatment of occult fractures around the hip and to help define a clinical and radiological management algorithm. METHOD: We conducted a seven-year retrospective hospital medical record analysis. The electronic database was searched for ICD-10 CM codes S72.0 and S72.1 used for proximal femoral fractures upon patient discharge. We identified 34 (4.83 %) femoral neck fractures and 48 (4.42 %) trochanteric fractures labeled as occult. RESULTS: The majority of the cases were diagnosed by primary MRI scan (57.4 %) and 12 were diagnosed by emergency CT scan (14.6 %). For the remaining cases the final diagnosis was confirmed by 72 h CT scan in 9 patients (representing 39 % of the false negative cases) or by MRI in the rest of 14 patients. MRI was best at detecting incomplete pertrochanteric fracture patterns (13.45 % of total) and incomplete fractures of the greater trochanter (3.65 % of total) respectively. It also detected the majority of Garden I femoral neck fractures (20.7 % of total). CT scanning accurately detected 100 % of Garden 2 fractures (2.44 %) and 25 % (3.65 %) of the complete pertrochanteric fractures (false negative 25 %). CONCLUSION: Occult fractures should be suspected in all patients with traumatic onset of hip pain that is inconsistent with normal radiographic findings. MRI is the golden standard but not as readily available not as cheap and not quite as quick to perform as as a CT scan. The latter which in turn can provide falsely negative results in the first 24 h. Improved imaging protocols could expedite management and improve treatment.

Gait characteristics before hardware removal in patients operated upon for tibial plateau fractures.

PURPOSE: The reporting of gait analysis data on operated fractures of the tibial plateau, while extensive for studies of knee osteoarthritis of mostly undisclosed aetiology and ACL deficient knees, is rather limited in literature. METHODS: In the present study we investigated 25 tibial plateau fractures classified as Schatzker II, IV, V and VI that underwent operative reduction and lateral plate osteosynthesis. Apart from routine radiographic exploration and patient completed (KOOS) scores at three (mean of 3.2 months), six (mean of 5.6 months) and 12 months (mean of 11.3 months) postoperatively, gait analysis was performed at these intervals as well. Cadence, step time and knee flexion were the gait parameters that were selected for the comparison at six and 12 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The analysed gait parameters were significantly improved between the six and the 12-month session and statistically significant differences were found between the two groups of values. Cadence had a mean value of 41 steps/minute at six months and 45 steps/minute at 12 months (p = 0.99). Step time was a mean of 0.74 seconds at six months while at 12 months the median value was 0.66 seconds (p = 0.94). Knee flexion angles evolved in a similar manner with mean values of 58° at six months and 69° at 12 months (p = 0.95). The mean KOOS scores were 42.4, 56.3 and 67.99 at three, six and 12 months postoperatively, respectively. CONCLUSION: Complex intra-articular fractures, classified as Schatzker IV, V and VI, had a higher impact on joint function than Schatzker II fractures treated with similar techniques and implants. There were statistically significant improvements in the recovery status at 12 months postoperatively compared to six months with extended chances for improvement.

Combined bilateral femoral head necrosis and pertrochanteric fracture: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Modular femoral implants have become a regular feature of revision hip surgery. However, for a primary hip arthroplasty, such as a femoral neck fracture case, the implant of choice is a standard femoral component, while compelling literature evidence have made osteosynthesis the standard procedure for the vast majority of trochanteric fractures. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 66-year-old Caucasian woman presenting with two trochanteric fractures associated with primary and secondary hip osteoarthritis that were treated with an uncemented total hip replacement with a modular femoral component. CONCLUSIONS: We found that a modular femoral component can address the issues of stability and, in our case, proved to be a viable solution for treating cases that are complicated by concomitant acetabular or femoral head and neck pathology.