Exposure to hand-arm vibrations in the workplace and the occurrence of hand-arm vibration syndrome, Dupuytren's contracture, and hypothenar hammer syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study provides an overview of the relationships between exposure to work-related hand-arm vibration and the occurrence of pre-defined disorders of the hands. We searched Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, and PsycINFO for cross-sectional and longitudinal studies on the association between work-related vibration exposure and the occurrence of hand-arm vibration syndrome (including vibration-induced white finger), Dupuytren's contracture, or hypothenar hammer syndrome. We used a 16-item checklist for assessing the risk of bias. We present results narratively, and we conducted random effects meta-analyses if possible. We included 10 studies with more than 24,381 participants. Our results showed statistically significant associations between the exposure to hand-arm vibrations and the occurrence of the selected disorders, with pooled odds ratios ranging between 1.35 (95% CI: 1.28 to 2.80) and 3.43 (95% CI: 2.10 to 5.59). Considerable between-study heterogeneity was observed. Our analyses show that exposure to vibrating tools at work is associated with an increased risk for the occurrence of selected disorders of the hands. Due to the majority of studies being cross-sectional, no firm conclusion is possible regarding causal relationships between vibration exposure and disorder occurrence. Future research should specifically address whether reducing exposure to hand-held vibrating tools at work reduces the incidence of the disorders of the hands investigated in this systematic review.

Higher risk of knee arthroplasty during ten-year follow-up if baseline radiographic osteoarthritis involves the patellofemoral joint: a CHECK Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral OA is a strong risk factor for progression to generalized whole knee OA, but it is unknown whether involvement of the patellofemoral joint in early radiographic OA (ROA) is associated with risk of undergoing future knee arthroplasty. This is clinically relevant because patellofemoral OA likely requires a different treatment approach than tibiofemoral OA, and identifying prognostic factors for future arthroplasty might assist clinicians with prioritizing and guiding early interventions that could improve long-term outcomes. Therefore, we evaluated association of baseline patellofemoral or tibiofemoral ROA with undergoing knee arthroplasty over 10 years. METHODS: Using the multicenter Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) study, we acquired three views of radiographs in both knees of individuals aged 45-65 years with complaints of knee symptoms in at least one knee. From baseline radiographs, we categorized each knee as having one of four patterns of ROA: no ROA, isolated patellofemoral ROA, isolated tibiofemoral ROA, or combined ROA. We evaluated the 10-year relative hazard for undergoing going arthroplasty, based on baseline ROA pattern, using Cox proportional hazard models, adjusting for age, sex body mass index, and pain severity. RESULT: Our sample (n = 842) included 671 (80%) women and had mean (SD) age 56 (5) years, and BMI 26.3 (4.0) kg/m2. Arthroplasties were undertaken in 44/1678 knees. In comparison to having no ROA at baseline, adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) for arthroplasty were highest for combined ROA (aHR 14.2 [95% CI 5.8, 34.6]) and isolated patellofemoral ROA (aHR 12.7 [5.6, 29.0]). Isolated tibiofemoral ROA was not significantly associated with arthroplasty (aHR 2.9 [0.6, 13.6]). CONCLUSIONS: In a sample of middle-aged individuals with complaints in one or both knees, the 10-year relative hazard for undergoing arthroplasty, compared to no ROA, was increased when OA involved the patellofemoral joint, regardless of whether it was isolated to the patellofemoral joint or occurred in combination with tibiofemoral OA. Further research is needed to confirm this association and to clarify the causal mechanism of this relationship. However, our results provide preliminary evidence that identifying patellofemoral ROA may be a clinically useful prognostic indicator in early knee OA.

Meaningful thresholds for patient-reported outcomes following interventions for anterior cruciate ligament tear or traumatic meniscus injury: a systematic review for the OPTIKNEE consensus.

OBJECTIVE: We synthesised and assessed credibility (ie, trustworthiness) of thresholds that define meaningful scores for patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) following interventions for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear or traumatic meniscus injury. DESIGN: Systematic review, narrative synthesis. DATA SOURCES: We searched five databases, handsearched references of included studies and tracked citations. ELIGIBILITY: Included studies investigated: individuals with ACL tear or meniscus injury; mean age <35 years; and PROM thresholds calculated using any method to define a minimal important change (MIC) or a meaningful post-treatment score (Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS) or Treatment Failure). RESULTS: We included 18 studies (15 ACL, 3 meniscus). Three different methods were used to calculate anchor-based MICs across 9 PROMs, PASS thresholds across 4 PROMs and treatment failure for 1 PROM. Credibility was rated 'high' for only one study-an MIC of 18 for the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Quality-of-life (KOOS-QOL) subscale (using the MID Credibility Assessment Tool). Where multiple thresholds were calculated among 'low' credibility thresholds in ACL studies, MICs converged to within a 10-point range for KOOS-Symptoms (-1.2 to 5.4) and function in daily living (activities of daily living, ADL 0.5-8.1) subscales, and the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (7.1-16.2). Other PROM thresholds differed up to 30 points. PASS thresholds converged to within a 10-point range in KOOS-ADL for ACL tears (92.3-100), and KOOS-Symptoms (73-78) and KOOS-QOL (53-57) in meniscus injuries. CONCLUSION: Meaningful PROM thresholds were highly susceptible to study heterogeneity. While PROM thresholds can aid interpretability in research and clinical practice, they should be cautiously interpreted.

OPTIKNEE 2022: consensus recommendations to optimise knee health after traumatic knee injury to prevent osteoarthritis.

The goal of the OPTIKNEE consensus is to improve knee and overall health, to prevent osteoarthritis (OA) after a traumatic knee injury. The consensus followed a seven-step hybrid process. Expert groups conducted 7 systematic reviews to synthesise the current evidence and inform recommendations on the burden of knee injuries; risk factors for post-traumatic knee OA; rehabilitation to prevent post-traumatic knee OA; and patient-reported outcomes, muscle function and functional performance tests to monitor people at risk of post-traumatic knee OA. Draft consensus definitions, and clinical and research recommendations were generated, iteratively refined, and discussed at 6, tri-weekly, 2-hour videoconferencing meetings. After each meeting, items were finalised before the expert group (n=36) rated the level of appropriateness for each using a 9-point Likert scale, and recorded dissenting viewpoints through an anonymous online survey. Seven definitions, and 8 clinical recommendations (who to target, what to target and when, rehabilitation approach and interventions, what outcomes to monitor and how) and 6 research recommendations (research priorities, study design considerations, what outcomes to monitor and how) were voted on. All definitions and recommendations were rated appropriate (median appropriateness scores of 7-9) except for two subcomponents of one clinical recommendation, which were rated uncertain (median appropriateness score of 4.5-5.5). Varying levels of evidence supported each recommendation. Clinicians, patients, researchers and other stakeholders may use the definitions and recommendations to advocate for, guide, develop, test and implement person-centred evidence-based rehabilitation programmes following traumatic knee injury, and facilitate data synthesis to reduce the burden of knee post-traumatic knee OA.

REPORT-PFP: a consensus from the International Patellofemoral Research Network to improve REPORTing of quantitative PatelloFemoral Pain studies.

Patellofemoral pain is a common and often debilitating musculoskeletal condition. Clinical translation and evidence synthesis of patellofemoral pain research are compromised by heterogenous and often inadequately reported study details. This consensus statement and associated checklist provides standards for REPORTing of quantitative PatelloFemoral Pain (REPORT-PFP) research to enhance clinical translation and evidence synthesis, and support clinician engagement with research and data collection. A three-stage Delphi process was initiated at the 2015 International Patellofemoral Research Network (iPFRN) retreat. An initial e-Delphi activity (n=24) generated topics and items, which were refined at the 2017 iPFRN retreat, and voted on prior to and following the 2019 iPFRN retreat (n=51 current and past retreat participants). Voting criteria included 'strongly recommended' (essential), 'recommended' (encouraged) and uncertain/unsure. An item was included in the checklist if ≥70% respondents voted 'recommended'. Items receiving ≥70% votes for 'strongly recommended' were labelled as such. The final REPORT-PFP checklist includes 31 items (11 strongly recommended, 20 recommended), covering (i) demographics (n=2,4); (ii) baseline symptoms and previous treatments (n=3,7); (iii) outcome measures (2,4); (iv) outcomes measure description (n=1,2); (v) clinical trial methodology (0,3) and (vi) reporting study results (n=3,0). The REPORT-PFP checklist is ready to be used by researchers and clinicians. Strong stakeholder engagement from clinical academics during development means consistent application by the international patellofemoral pain research community is likely. Checklist adherence will improve research accessibility for clinicians and enhance future evidence synthesis.

Is patellofemoral pain preventable? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the risk of incident patellofemoral pain. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis, with strength of evidence evaluated separately for each intervention type. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Randomised controlled trials evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to reduce patellofemoral pain risk compared with a control/non-exposed group. RESULTS: Thirteen trials of mostly military recruits and young athletes analysed six different interventions. There was low certainty evidence from two trials (227 participants) that patellofemoral braces worn during physical activity (compared with no brace) effectively reduced the risk of patellofemoral pain (risk ratio (RR) 0.40, 95% CI 0.22 to 0.73; I2=24.0%). There was low certainty evidence from one trial (320 participants) that running technique retraining to (run softer) reduced patellofemoral pain risk (RR 0.21, 95% CI 0.07 to 0.60). There was low certainty evidence from four trials (3364 participants) that multicomponent (strengthening/neuromuscular) exercise programmes did not significantly reduce the risk of patellofemoral pain (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.18 to 1.36; I2=64.9%), although broad CIs may reflect exercise dose variations among studies. There was very low certainty evidence from four trials (2314 participants) that foot orthoses (compared with flat inserts/no orthosis) did not significantly reduce the risk of patellofemoral pain (RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.35 to 1.13; I2=0.0%). Static stretching and a running programme that progressed intensity (compared with volume) did not significantly influence patellofemoral pain risk (single studies). CONCLUSION: There is low-level evidence that patellofemoral braces and running technique retraining can reduce the risk of patellofemoral pain by 60%-79%.

Patellofemoral and tibiofemoral alignment in a fully weight-bearing upright MR: Implementation and repeatability.

PURPOSE: To develop methods for evaluating 3D patellofemoral and tibiofemoral alignment in vertical open-bore magnetic resonance (MR) scanners, with participants upright and fully weight-bearing; and to evaluate the repeatability of these methods in individuals with patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) and in asymptomatic knees. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our methods extend previously validated, reliable methods for evaluating alignment into an upright MR environment. In 10 participants with early patellofemoral OA and 10 with asymptomatic knees, we acquired sagittal T1 -weighted turbo spin echo images in a 3T scanner to create accurate participant-specific 3D anatomical surface models. In a vertical open-bore 0.5T MR scanner, we obtained lower-resolution sagittal gradient echo images to capture bony position and orientation data. Participants were scanned in a position of squatting with the knees flexed 30°, three separate times to evaluate repeatability. Bone segmentation was performed manually, surface models were registered to data from the 0.5T scanner, and 3D patellofemoral and tibiofemoral alignment was calculated in all six degrees of freedom (three rotations and three translations). RESULTS: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were ≥0.94, with the exception of patellar spin (0.79). Standard errors of measure (SEM) were <2° rotation and <0.9 mm translation. Repeatability remained adequate when stratified by group, with the exception of patellar spin (ICC 0.57 for asymptomatic knees vs. 0.91 for OA knees). CONCLUSION: We demonstrate methods for evaluating 3D alignment in upright fully weight-bearing participant positions in a vertical open-bore MR scanner. With the exception of patellar spin, repeatability was good to excellent. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:841-847.

The patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis subscale of the KOOS (KOOS-PF): development and validation using the COSMIN checklist.

BACKGROUND: Patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis are prevalent and associated with substantial pain and functional impairments. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are recommended for research and clinical use, but no PROMs are specific for patellofemoral osteoarthritis, and existing PROMs for patellofemoral pain have methodological limitations. This study aimed to develop a new subscale of the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis (KOOS-PF), and evaluate its measurement properties. METHODS: Items were generated using input from 50 patients with patellofemoral pain and/or osteoarthritis and 14 health and medical clinicians. Item reduction was performed using data from patellofemoral cohorts (n=138). We used the COnsesus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurements INstruments guidelines to evaluate reliability, validity, responsiveness and interpretability of the final version of KOOS-PF and other KOOS subscales. RESULTS: From an initial 80 generated items, the final subscale included 11 items. KOOS-PF items loaded predominantly on one factor, pain during activities that load the patellofemoral joint. KOOS-PF had good internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.86) and adequate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.86). Hypothesis testing supported convergent, divergent and known-groups validity. Responsiveness was confirmed, with KOOS-PF demonstrating a moderate correlation with Global Rating of Change scores (r 0.52) and large effect size (Cohen's d 0.89). Minimal detectable change was 2.3 (groups) and 16 (individuals), while minimal important change was 16.4. There were no floor or ceiling effects. CONCLUSIONS: The 11-item KOOS-PF, developed in consultation with patients and clinicians, demonstrated adequate measurement properties, and is recommended for clinical and research use in patients with patellofemoral pain and osteoarthritis.

2018 Consensus statement on exercise therapy and physical interventions (orthoses, taping and manual therapy) to treat patellofemoral pain: recommendations from the 5th International Patellofemoral Pain Research Retreat, Gold Coast, Australia, 2017.

Patellofemoral pain affects a large proportion of the population, from adolescents to older adults, and carries a substantial personal and societal burden. An international group of scientists and clinicians meets biennially at the International Patellofemoral Research Retreat to share research findings related to patellofemoral pain conditions and develop consensus statements using best practice methods. This consensus statement, from the 5th International Patellofemoral Research Retreat held in Australia in July 2017, focuses on exercise therapy and physical interventions (eg, orthoses, taping and manual therapy) for patellofemoral pain. Literature searches were conducted to identify new systematic reviews and randomised controlled trials (RCTs) published since the 2016 Consensus Statement. The methodological quality of included systematic reviews and RCTs was graded using AMSTAR and PEDro, respectively. Evidence-based statements were developed from included papers and presented to a panel of 41 patellofemoral pain experts for consensus discussion and voting. Recommendations from the expert panel support the use of exercise therapy (especially the combination of hip-focused and knee-focused exercises), combined interventions and foot orthoses to improve pain and/or function in people with patellofemoral pain. The use of patellofemoral, knee or lumbar mobilisations in isolation, or electrophysical agents, is not recommended. There is uncertainty regarding the use of patellar taping/bracing, acupuncture/dry needling, manual soft tissue techniques, blood flow restriction training and gait retraining in patients with patellofemoral pain. In 2017, we launched the International Patellofemoral Research Network (www.ipfrn.org) to consolidate and grow our patellofemoral research community, facilitate collaboration and disseminate patellofemoral pain knowledge to clinicians and the general public. The 6th International Patellofemoral Research Retreat will be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, in October 2019.

Lateral displacement, sulcus angle and trochlear angle are associated with early patellofemoral osteoarthritis following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PURPOSE: Patellofemoral osteoarthritis (PFOA) occurs in approximately half of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-injured knees within 10-15 years of trauma. Risk factors for post-traumatic PFOA are poorly understood. Patellofemoral alignment and trochlear morphology may be associated with PFOA following ACL reconstruction (ACLR), and understanding these relationships, particularly early in the post-surgical time period, may guide effective early intervention strategies. In this study, patellofemoral alignment and trochlear morphology were investigated in relation to radiographic features of early PFOA 1-year post-ACLR. METHODS: Participants (aged 18-50 years) had undergone ACLR approximately 1 year prior to being assessed. Early PFOA was defined as presence of a definite patellofemoral osteophyte on lateral or skyline radiograph. Sagittal and axial plane alignment and trochlear morphology were estimated using MRI. Using logistic regression, the relationship between alignment or morphology and presence of osteophytes was evaluated. RESULTS: Of 111 participants [age 30 ± 8.5; 41 (37%) women], 19 (17%) had definite osteophytes, only two of whom had had patellofemoral chondral lesions noted intra-operatively. One measure of patellar alignment (bisect offset OR 1.1 [95% confidence interval 1.0, 1.2]) and two measures of trochlear morphology (sulcus angle OR 1.1 [1.0, 1.2], trochlear angle OR 1.2 [1.0, 1.5]) were associated with patellofemoral osteophytes. CONCLUSIONS: Patellofemoral malalignment and/or altered trochlear morphology were associated with PFOA 1 year following ACLR compared to individuals post-ACLR without these features. Clarifying the role of alignment and morphology in post-traumatic PFOA may contribute to improving early intervention strategies aimed at secondary prevention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

2014 consensus statement from the first Economics of Physical Inactivity Consensus (EPIC) conference (Vancouver).

This article describes major topics discussed from the 'Economics of Physical Inactivity Consensus Workshop' (EPIC), held in Vancouver, Canada, in April 2011. Specifically, we (1) detail existing evidence on effective physical inactivity prevention strategies; (2) introduce economic evaluation and its role in health policy decisions; (3) discuss key challenges in establishing and building health economic evaluation evidence (including accurate and reliable costs and clinical outcome measurement) and (4) provide insight into interpretation of economic evaluations in this critically important field. We found that most methodological challenges are related to (1) accurately and objectively valuing outcomes; (2) determining meaningful clinically important differences in objective measures of physical inactivity; (3) estimating investment and disinvestment costs and (4) addressing barriers to implementation. We propose that guidelines specific for economic evaluations of physical inactivity intervention studies are developed to ensure that related costs and effects are robustly, consistently and accurately measured. This will also facilitate comparisons among future economic evidence.

Patellofemoral joint geometry and osteoarthritis features 3-10 years after knee injury compared with uninjured knees.

In this cross-sectional study, we compared patellofemoral geometry in individuals with a youth-sport-related intra-articular knee injury to uninjured individuals, and the association between patellofemoral geometry and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-defined osteoarthritis (OA) features. In the Youth Prevention of Early OA (PrE-OA) cohort, we assessed 10 patellofemoral geometry measures in individuals 3-10 years following injury compared with uninjured individuals of similar age, sex, and sport, using mixed effects linear regression. We also dichotomized geometry to identify extreme (>1.96 standard deviations) features and assessed likelihood of having extreme values using Poisson regression. Finally, we evaluated the associations between patellofemoral geometry with MRI-defined OA features using restricted cubic spline regression. Mean patellofemoral geometry did not differ substantially between groups. However, compared with uninjured individuals, injured individuals were more likely to have extremely large sulcus angle (prevalence ratio [PR] 3.9 [95% confidence interval, CI: 2.3, 6.6]), and shallow lateral trochlear inclination (PR 4.3 (1.1, 17.9)) and trochlear depth (PR 5.3 (1.6, 17.4)). In both groups, high bisect offset (PR 1.7 [1.3, 2.1]) and sulcus angle (PR 4.0 [2.3, 7.0]) were associated with cartilage lesion, and most geometry measures were associated with at least one structural feature, especially cartilage lesions and osteophytes. We observed no interaction between geometry and injury. Certain patellofemoral geometry features are correlated with higher prevalence of structural lesions compared with injury alone, 3-10 years following knee injury. Hypotheses generated in this study, once further evaluated, could contribute to identifying higher-risk individuals who may benefit from targeted treatment aimed at preventing posttraumatic OA.

Physical and psychosocial work-related exposures and the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome: A systematic review of prospective studies.

This systematic review summarizes the evidence on associations between physical and psychosocial work-related exposures and the development of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Relevant databases were searched up to January 2020 for cohort studies reporting associations between work-related physical or psychosocial risk factors and the incidence of CTS. Two independent reviewers selected eligible studies, extracted relevant data, and assessed risk of bias (RoB). We identified fourteen articles for inclusion which reported data from nine cohort studies. Eight reported associations between physical exposure and the incidence of CTS and five reported associations between psychosocial exposures and the incidence of CTS. Quality items were generally rated as unclear or low RoB. Work-related physical exposure factors including high levels of repetition, velocity, and a combination of multiple physical exposures were associated with an increased risk of developing CTS. No other consistent associations were observed for physical or psychosocial exposures at work and CTS incidence.

Physical and psychosocial work-related exposures and the occurrence of disorders of the shoulder: A systematic review update.

This review is an update of a previous systematic review and assesses the evidence for the association of work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors and specific disorders of the shoulders. Medline, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Central and PsycINFO were searched and study eligibility and risk of bias assessment was performed by two independent reviewers. A total of 14 new articles were added with the majority focusing on rotator cuff syndrome (RCS) with seven studies. Nine articles reported psychosocial exposures in addition to physical exposures. The strongest evidence was found for the association between elevation, repetition, force and vibration and the occurrence of SIS and tendinosis/tendonitis. Evidence also suggests that psychosocial exposures are associated with the occurrence of RCS and tendinosis/tendonitis. Other findings were inconsistent which prevents drawing strong conclusions.

Physical and psychosocial work-related exposures and the occurrence of disorders of the elbow: A systematic review.

This systematic review updates a previous systematic review on work-related physical and psychosocial risk factors for elbow disorders. Medline, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central and PsycINFO were searched for studies on associations between work-related physical or psychosocial risk factors and the occurrence of elbow disorders. Two independent reviewers selected eligible studies and assessed risk of bias (RoB). Results of studies were synthesized narratively. We identified 17 new studies and lateral epicondylitis was the most studied disorder (13 studies). Five studies had a prospective cohort design, eight were cross-sectional and four were case-control. Only one study had no items rated as high RoB. Combined physical exposure indicators (e.g. physical exertion combined with elbow movement) were associated with the occurrence of lateral epicondylitis. No other consistent associations were observed for other physical and psychosocial exposures. These results prevent strong conclusions regarding associations between work-related exposures, and the occurrence of elbow disorders.

Kellgren/Lawrence Grading in Cohort Studies: Methodological Update and Implications Illustrated Using Data From a Dutch Hip and Knee Cohort.

OBJECTIVE: The Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) is a cohort of middle-aged individuals with hip or knee pain. Radiographs were assigned Kellgren/Lawrence (K/L) scores under different conditions at each follow-up visit for 10 years. We aimed to describe and consolidate each scoring approach, then illustrate implications of their use by comparing baseline K/L scores assigned using 2 of these approaches, and evaluating their respective associations with joint replacement and incident radiographic osteoarthritis (ROA). METHODS: We compared baseline K/L scores assigned to hips and knees using 2 scoring approaches: 1) assigned by senior researchers to baseline images alone and 2) assigned by trained readers, with images read paired and in known sequence with up to 10 years of follow-up radiographs (Poisson regression). We evaluated the associations of baseline ROA (any: K/L grade ≥1; established: K/L ≥2) with joint replacement, and of K/L 1 joints with incident established ROA (survival analysis). RESULTS: Of 1,002 participants (79% women, mean ± SD age 55.9 ± 5.2 years, body mass index 26.2 ± 4.0 kg/m2 ), the second scoring approach had 2.4 times (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.8-3.1 for knees) and 2.9 times (95% CI 2.3-3.7 for hips) higher prevalence of established ROA than the first approach. Established hip ROA had a higher risk of joint replacement using the first approach (hazard ratio [HR] 24.2 [95% CI 15.0-39.8] versus second approach HR 7.7 [95% CI 4.9-12.1]), as did knees (HR 19.3 [95% CI 10.3-36.1] versus second approach HR 4.8 [95% CI 2.4-9.6]). The risk of incident ROA did not differ by approach. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that evaluating ROA prevalence and predicting outcomes depends on the scoring approach.

Concurrent validity and reliability of a semi-automated approach to measuring the magnetic resonance imaging morphology of the knee joint in active youth.

Post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis is attributed to alterations in joint morphology, alignment, and biomechanics triggered by injury. While magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-based measures of joint morphology and alignment are relevant to understanding osteoarthritis risk, time consuming manual data extraction and measurement limit the number of outcomes that can be considered and deter widespread use. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a semi-automated software for measuring tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joint architecture using MR images from youth with and without a previous sport-related knee injury. After prompting users to identify and select key anatomical landmarks, the software can calculate 37 (14 tibiofemoral, 23 patellofemoral) relevant geometric features (morphology and alignment) based on established methods. To assess validity and reliability, 11 common geometric features were calculated from the knee MR images (proton density and proton density fat saturation sequences; 1.5 T) of 76 individuals with a 3-10-year history of youth sport-related knee injury and 76 uninjured controls. Spearman's or Pearson's correlation coefficients (95% CI) and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the concurrent validity of the semi-automated software (novice rater) versus expert manual measurements, while intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC2,1; 95%CI), standard error of measurement (95%CI), 95% minimal detectable change, and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess the inter-rater reliability of the semi-automated software (novice vs resident radiologist rater). Correlation coefficients ranged between 0.89 (0.84, 0.92; Lateral Trochlear Inclination) and 0.97 (0.96, 0.98; Patellar Tilt Angle). ICC estimates ranged between 0.79 (0.63, 0.88; Lateral Patellar Tilt Angle) and 0.98 (0.95, 0.99; Bisect Offset). Bland-Altman plots did not reveal systematic bias. These measurement properties estimates are equal, if not better than previously reported methods suggesting that this novel semi-automated software is an accurate, reliable, and efficient alternative method for measuring large numbers of geometric features of the tibiofemoral and patellofemoral joints from MR studies.

Association between hip pain and radiographic hip osteoarthritis in primary care: the CHECK cohort.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis (OA) is often based on clinical symptoms, such as pain and stiffness, and radiographic features. However, the association between hip pain and hip radiographic OA (ROA) remains uncertain. AIM: To examine the association between hip pain and hip ROA. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional analysis of a Dutch cohort, the Cohort Hip and Cohort Knee (CHECK) study. METHOD: The participants (aged 45-65 years) had all experienced hip and/or knee pain for which they had not had a prior consultation or were within 6 months of their first consultation with a GP. Using weight-bearing anteroposterior pelvis radiographs, definite and early-stage hip ROA were defined as Kellgren and Lawrence grade ≥2 and ≥1, respectively. Presence of ROA and pain was assessed in the hips of all participants. The association between hip pain and ROA was assessed using generalised estimating equations. RESULTS: The prevalence of definite ROA was 11.0% (n = 218/1982 hips), with prevalence in painful and pain-free hips of 13.3% (n = 105/789) and 9.5% (n = 113/1193), respectively. Prevalence of early-stage hip ROA was 35.3% (n = 700/1982), with prevalence in painful and pain-free hips of 41.2% (n = 325/789) and 31.4% (n = 375/1193), respectively. Compared with pain-free hips, the odds ratio painful hips was 1.51 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.16 to 1.98) for definite ROA and 1.47 (95% CI = 1.24 to 1.75) for early-stage ROA. CONCLUSION: Hip pain was associated with definite and early-stage hip ROA, yet the overall ROA prevalence was modest and the prevalence among pain-free hips was substantial. Therefore, radiographs provided little assistance with help to identify patients with hip OA among patients who recently presented with hip or knee complaints.