Lisfranc Injury Diagnosis: What Is the Diagnostic Reliability of New Radiographic Signs Using Three-dimensional CT?

BACKGROUND: Up to one-third of Lisfranc injuries (an injury affecting the normal stability, alignment, and congruency of the tarsometatarsal joints) are misdiagnosed. Delayed diagnosis and improper treatment may lead to long-term, irreversible sequela and functional disability. Recently, the employment of three-dimensional (3D) CT demonstrated higher diagnostic reliability, but there is limited evidence on this, and radiologic features of Lisfranc injuries when using this diagnostic modality are not well described. QUESTION/PURPOSE: What is the diagnostic performance of several novel radiographic signs on 3D CT when evaluating for Lisfranc injury, namely the Mercedes sign, the peeking metatarsal sign, and the peeking cuneiform sign, and what is the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of those diagnostic signs? METHODS: In this retrospective, diagnostic study, video clips of 3D CT reconstructions of 52 feet with intraoperatively confirmed Lisfranc injuries and 50 asymptomatic feet with a normal appearance of the tarsometatarsal joints, as ascertained by a subspecialty-trained foot and ankle surgeon and a musculoskeletal radiologist, were analyzed by two foot and ankle specialists and three orthopaedic residents twice each, with a washout period of 2 weeks. Among the 52 patients with intraoperative evidence of Lisfranc injury, there were 27 male patients and 25 female patients, with a median (IQR) age of 40 years (23 to 58); among the 50 controls, there were 36 male and 14 female patients, with a median age of 38 years (IQR 33 to 49). For each video clip, the presence of all three radiographic signs was documented (each sign was rated in a binary yes/no fashion). Before the evaluations, all observers underwent a short training session by the head of the foot and ankle department. Later, these reading were used to assess for the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve in terms of Lisfranc diagnosis against the gold standard of intraoperative testing of tarsometatarsal joint stability. Intraoperatively, the congruency and stability of the second tarsometatarsal joint had been evaluated by direct visualization and by the insertion of a probe into the joint between the base of the second metatarsus and the medial cuneiform and twisting the probe to assess for stability. The individuals evaluating the video clips were unaware of the surgically obtained diagnosis at the time they performed their evaluations. RESULTS: All 3D radiographic signs that were examined had excellent diagnostic reliability in terms of sensitivity and specificity, ranging from 92% to 97% and from 92% to 93%, respectively. When assessing the association between the suggested 3D radiographic signs and Lisfranc injury diagnosis as a function of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, the Mercedes sign demonstrated a higher area under the curve than the other signs did (0.91 versus 0.87 versus 0.8; p < 0.001). The mean intraobserver and interobserver reliability (kappa) values were excellent for all 3D radiographic signs that were evaluated. CONCLUSION: The proposed radiographic findings demonstrated excellent diagnostic performance and were repeatable within and among observers. Three-dimensional CT radiographic signs could function as a valuable diagnostic tool for the evaluation and initial screening for Lisfranc injury in the acute injury phase because obtaining AP bilateral standing radiographs of the foot is often impractical in the acute setting. Further research and comparison with AP weightbearing radiographs of the bilateral feet may be warranted. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, diagnostic study.

Sacral stress fractures in athletes.

PURPOSE: Fatigue stress fractures are a common overuse injury, frequently associated with high load-bearing endurance activities such as running, military training and aerobic exercise. While these fractures can arise at any site, sacral stress fractures are poorly studied with evidence consisting mainly of case reports and limited case series. This review aims to analyze and summarize all reports published to date describing cases of sacral stress fracture in athletes. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Database were systematically searched for studies reporting on Stress Fractures of the Sacrum. Insufficiency fractures of the elderly were excluded. RESULTS: The literature review revealed 49 studies reporting on 124 cases of sacral stress fractures. Seventy-six patients (61%) were professional or collegiate level athletes, and 37 (30%) were military recruits or police officers in training. Seventeen female athletes were identified as suffering from low bone mineral density (25%), 9 of which reported menstrual irregularities. Thirteen female patients (19%) had a history of eating disorders. CONCLUSION: While most sacral stress fractures occur in normal bones exposed to abnormal repetitive loads, the high percentage of lower bone mineral density can blur the lines between fatigue fractures and insufficiency fractures. The causes of these fractures are multifactorial. High endurance sports and the features of the female athlete triad were found in high percentage of the cases. Conservative treatment is the mainstay of treatment, consisting of ceasing of training and a period of rehabilitation and gradual return to training and competition.

Lower Extremity Amputee Outcomes with Reference to Co-morbidities.

BACKGROUND: Lower extremity amputation related to diabetes is a serious outcome, which can have devastating effects on the patient and family. The epidemiology of amputations has recently been used as a possible measure of the adequacy of medical prevention and treatment of diabetes and diabetic foot complications. OBJECTIVES: To report on patients undergoing amputations at one medical center in Israel, their co-morbidities, and the outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective chart study was conducted of amputees operated between 1 September 2017 and 30 September 2018. RESULTS: The study population comprised 72 patients who had major amputations for diabetes and/or ischemia, mean age 72 ± 10 years, 74% males, 93% with type 2 diabetes. Mean age corrected Charlson Comorbidity Index was 8.2 ± 2.1 with 90% (65 patients) presenting with a score of 6 or higher. Before the recent deterioration, fewer than 20% of the patients exited their home routinely and 24% had an official diagnosis of dementia. There were 31 below knee amputations (BKA) and 41 above knee amputations (AKA). The 30-day, 3-month, 1-year, and 2-year mortality rates were 15.3%, 27.8%, 43.1%, and 54.2% respectively. Median survival period was 20 months. Survival after AKA was 13.4 ± 20, which was significantly less than after BKA (25.4 ± 2.7, P = 0.097). CONCLUSIONS: Factors other than the quality of management of patients with diabetes and complications may contribute to amputation rates; thus, making speculations from international comparisons of raw amputation rates problematic. This population was less healthy than reported in most studies.

Gas forming infection of the spine: a systematic and narrative review.

PURPOSE: Gas forming infection (GFI) of the spine is a rapidly progressive and potentially life-threatening infection. It can be a consequence of aetiologies such as Emphysematous Osteomyelitis (EOM), Necrotizing Fasciitis (NF), and Gas-containing Spinal Epidural Abscess (Gas-containing SEA). This review aims to summarize the characteristics of these subtypes of GFI, describing their aetiology, diagnosis, management, and prognosis. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Database were systematically searched for studies reporting on gas forming infections of the spine or a known subtype. Cases of post-operative and iatrogenic spinal infection were excluded. RESULTS: The literature review revealed 35 studies reporting on 28 cases of EOM, three cases of NF involving the spine and seven cases of Gas-containing SEA. Thirty studies reporting on 32 cases of GFI were available for data analysis. The mean age of the patients was 60.9 years and a concomitant diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was reported in 57.5% of patients infected. Fever and back pain were the most common presenting symptoms. The lumbar spine was the most commonly affected spinal segment. Mortality from EOM, NF and Gas-containing SEA were 34.8, 100 and 28.5%, respectively. DISCUSSION: Gas forming infection of the spine is a rare condition with an extremely poor prognosis, requiring early and aggressive surgical treatment. A multi-disciplinary approach is necessary for management. Nonetheless, even in cases of early recognition and optimal management, multisystem failure may still occur, and mortality rates remain high due to the aggressive nature of this infection. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review of level IV studies.

Custom Implants in TKA Provide No Substantial Benefit in Terms of Outcome Scores, Reoperation Risk, or Mean Alignment: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Failure to accurately replicate the native anatomy and biomechanics of the knee has been suggested to contribute to dissatisfaction after TKA. Custom implants promise a personalized surgical approach, with the aim of improving patient satisfaction and pain as well as lowering revision rates. However, some published research on custom TKA implants has found no clinically important improvements in postoperative validated outcomes scores, risks of revision or reoperation, and implant alignment. In the interest of helping to settle this controversy, a systematic review seems warranted. QUESTION/PURPOSE: In this systematic review, we asked whether custom implants result in clinically important improvements over conventional off-the-shelf implants for anatomically uncomplicated primary TKA in terms of (1) validated outcomes scores, (2) the risk of revision or reoperation, and (3) implant alignment. METHODS: The US National Library of Medicine (PubMed/Medline), Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were systematically searched to identify publications from the past 10 years relevant to this review. Publications that compared the clinical outcome measures, number of revisions and reoperations, and radiological assessment of implant alignment of custom and standard implants with validated endpoints were eligible for inclusion. In the interest of capturing as much potentially relevant information as possible, we applied no requirement for minimum follow-up duration. Clinical outcomes were assessed using patient-reported outcome (PROM) scores including the Knee Society Score (KSS), Forgotten Joint Score, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score. The risk for revision or reoperation were evaluated by the number of early and late manipulations, debridement procedures, and replacement of one or more components. Implant alignment was compared using postoperative deviation from the neutral (0°) mechanical axis of the limb and each component and the posterior tibial slope. All qualified studies were retrospective, and all compared custom implants with standard implants. Data on 1510 patients were reviewed (749 with custom implants and 761 with off-the-shelf implants). The mean follow-up time ranged from 12 to 33 months. RESULTS: There was no apparent advantage to custom implants in terms of PROM scores. Of the five studies evaluating clinical outcomes, only one reported better KSS-Function scores at 3 months; two reported no difference, and two found inferior KSS scores. In several studies, custom implants were associated with more frequent reoperations than standard implants. Although in general there were no differences between custom and standard implants in terms of mean coronal plane limb alignment, one of seven studies found that the proportion of patients whose alignment was outside ± 3° from the neutral axis in the coronal plane was lower in the custom group than in the standard group. CONCLUSION: With generally poorer outcomes scores for pain and function, generally higher risks of reoperation and reintervention, and no overall benefit to alignment, custom implants for primary TKA for the general population currently appear to be inferior to standard implants. Whether the slight reduction in the proportion of patients with alignment outliers observed in a minority of studies will result in a substantial reduction in revision risk over time must be addressed by future studies. However, until or unless such a reduction is proven, we recommend against the routine use of custom implants in practice because of increased costs and the risks associated with their novelty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

Traumatic Posterior Atlantoaxial Dislocation With an Associated Fracture: A Systematic Review.

STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical presentation, mechanism of injury, patients' characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of traumatic posterior atlantoaxial dislocation with fracture (TPAD). BACKGROUND: TPAD is an extremely rare entity, with a limited number of cases reported in the literature. Although rare, a thorough understanding of the pathogenesis and management of such cases is required due to the high risk of spinal cord compression and the severity of neurological deficits. We conducted a systematic review of all cases of TPAD with fractures reported in the literature. METHODS: This systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. Relevant literature was retrieved from the Pubmed database. All published English-written studies involving human subjects with relevant data regarding TPAD were included. RESULTS: Two case series and 20 case reports published between 1924 and 2021 describing 28 patients with TPAD were included. The median age at presentation was 51.5 years, with male predominance (83%). The most common fracture pattern was Anderson and D'alonzo type II odontoid fracture (78%). Neurological exam at presentation was intact in 52% of patients. The primary diagnostic imaging was computed tomography employed in 96% of cases. The management consisted of 2 stages protocol, initially, a temporary axial traction was employed (54%), and later definitive surgical treatment was employed (93%). The posterior surgical approach was favored in 82% of cases. CONCLUSION: TPAD with fracture occurred in the majority of cases with Anderson and D'alonzo type II odontoid fracture, predominantly in males. Diagnosis is usually established based on computed tomography imaging; further imaging may not be indicated as it does not seem to alternate the patient's management course. Surgical intervention was employed in almost all cases, with favored results through posterior C1-C2 fusion. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level-IV.

Acceptance rate of clinical pharmacists' recommendations-an ongoing journey for integration.

Introduction: Multidisciplinary expert team collaboration in the clinical setting, which includes clinical pharmacist involvement can facilitate significant improvements in outcomes and optimize patient management by preventing drug-related problems (DRP). This type of collaboration is particularly valuable in patients with multi-morbidity and polypharmacy such as diabetic foot patients. Evidence regarding the successful integration of a new clinical pharmacist, without previous experience into a unit is still scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to describe and evaluate the actual successful integration process of the clinical pharmacist into a diabetic foot unit by measuring the change in recommendation acceptance rate over time. Methods: A prospective, exploratory treatment effectiveness study based on the recommendation acceptance rate of a new clinical pharmacist introduced into the diabetic foot unit was conducted over a 9- month period. The clinical pharmacist identified medical and drug-related problems (DRP) or any discrepancies in the prescribing and administration of medications. Each identified DRP was documented and formulated as a recommendation by the clinical pharmacist. The main outcome measure was the acceptance rate of recommendations over time. Results: A total of 86 patients, of which 67% were men, averagely aged 66.5 (SD 11.8) years were evaluated. Calculated BMI was 30.2 (SD 6.2). The average number of medical diagnoses was 8.9 (SD3.2), and 11.1 (SD 3.7) prescribed drugs for each patient. Cardiovascular disease was presented by 95% (n = 82) of the patients and 33% of them (n = 28) had uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Averagely, 3.3 (SD 1.9) DRPs were identified pre patient. The efficacy-related DRP recommendation acceptance rate increased over the study period from 37.8% in the first 4 months to 79.4% after a period of 4.75 months. Safety-related DRP recommendation acceptance rate increased from 56% to 67.6%. Conclusion: Improved clinical outcomes and optimized pharmacologic patient management may be achieved by the successful integration of a clinical pharmacist into the team. This study provides evidence of the increasing recommendation acceptance rate of integrated, pharmacist-driven comprehensive medication management in an unexperienced unit. To overcome challenges, team members should collaborate to fully integrate the clinical pharmacist into the team-based structure and utilize proper strategies to minimize and transcend barriers.

Knee registries: state of the art.

Sports injuries, trauma and the globally ageing and obese population require increasing levels of knee surgery. Shared decision making has replaced the paternalistic approach to patient management. Evidence-based medicine underpins surgical treatment strategies, from consenting an individual patient to national healthcare system design. The evolution of successful knee-related registries starting from specific arthroplasty registries has given rise to ligament reconstruction, osteotomy and cartilage surgery registries developing as platforms for surgical outcome data collection. Stakeholders include surgeons and their patients, researchers, healthcare systems, as well as the funding insurers and governments. Lately, implant manufacturers have also been mandated to perform postmarket surveillance with some hoping to base that on registry data. Aiming to assess the current status of knee-related registries, we performed a comprehensive literature and web search, which yielded 23 arthroplasty, 8 ligament, 4 osteotomy and 3 articular cartilage registries. Registries were evaluated for their scope, measured variables, impact and limitations. Registries have many advantages as they aim to increase awareness of outcomes; identify trends in practice over time, early failing implants, outlier surgeon or institution performance; and assist postmarketing surveillance. International collaborations have highlighted variations in practice. The limitations of registries are discussed in detail. Inconsistencies are found in collected data and measured variables. Potential measurement and selection biases are outlined. Without mandated data collection and with apparent issues such as unverified patient reporting of complications, registries are not designed to replace adverse event recording in place of a proper safety and efficacy study, as demanded by regulators. Registry 'big data' can provide evidence of associations of problems. However, registries cannot provide evidence of causation. Hence, without careful consideration of the data and its limitations, registry data are at risk of incorrectly drawn conclusions and the potential of misuse of the results. That must be guarded against. Looking at the future, registry operators benefit from a collective experience of running registries as they mature, allowing for improvements across specialties. Large-scale registries are not only of merit, improving with stakeholder acceptance, but also are critical in furthering our understanding of our patients' outcomes. In doing so, they are a critical element for our future scientific discourse.

Minimum 2-Year Radiographic and Clinical Outcomes of Kinematic Alignment Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Valgus Knee.

Kinematic alignment (KA) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has gained popularity in the past decade, but outcomes of KA-TKA in the valgus knee have never been specifically evaluated. In this retrospective single institution study, we analyzed patient reported outcomes and radiographic measurements at minimum 2 years following KA-TKA for valgus knees (n = 51) and compared the results to KA-TKA performed for non-valgus knees (n = 275). The same approach, technique, and implants were used in both groups without the need to release soft tissues or use constrained implants. Surgery duration was similar between groups (p = 0.353). Lateral distal femoral angle was lower in the valgus group postoperatively (p = 0.036). In both groups significant improvement was seen in relieving pain and improving function, while average scores were superior in the non-valgus group for visual analog score (p = 0.005), oxford knee score (p = 0.013), and knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (p = 0.009). However, these differences did not translate to statistically significant differences in minimal clinical important difference achievement rates. In conclusion, KA-TKA is efficient in relieving pain and improving function, as reported in subjective questionnaires, and holds advantage in patients with valgus alignment by avoiding soft tissue releases and use of constrained implants. Future studies should examine whether bone loss occurs in the lateral distal femur.

Epithelioid sarcoma of the hand: a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Epithelioid sarcoma (ES) of the hand is a rare, aggressive cutaneous malignancy with high rates of recurrence, metastases and mortality. With an incidence rate of 0.4 cases/y per one million population, which compromise for approximately 1-1.4% of all soft tissue sarcoma, ES accounts for 10% of soft tissues sarcomas of the hand and foot. Its aggressiveness and propensity to spread and metastases without being noticed, makes it unique and potentially lethal. Missed or delayed diagnosis are often encountered as this tumor can mimic variety of different entities and due to the infrequent nature of this lesion, treatment options are still controversial. The authors provide systemic review of the current literature on epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, management and outcomes of this disease as well as a case presentation and a proposed treatment algorithm. The choice of treatment option depends on disease characteristics, staging at presentation, regional lymph node involvement, comorbidities and performance status of the patient. Emphasis on a multidisciplinary coordinated care is crucial as early diagnosis and treatment can decrease morbidity and mortality rates.

High Success Rate of Prehospital and En Route Cricothyroidotomy Performed in the Israel Defense Forces: 20 Years of Experience.

INTRODUCTION: Securing the airway is a crucial stage of trauma care. Cricothyroidotomy (CRIC) is often addressed as a salvage procedure in complicated cases or following a failed endotracheal intubation (ETI). Nevertheless, it is a very important skill in prehospital settings, such as on the battlefield. HYPOTHESIS/PROBLEM: This study aimed to review the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) experience with CRIC over the past two decades. METHODS: The IDF Trauma Registry (IDF-TR) holds data on all trauma casualties (civilian and military) cared for by military medical teams since 1997. Data of all casualties treated by IDF from 1998 through 2018 were extracted and analyzed to identify all patients who underwent CRIC procedures.Variables describing the incident scenario, patient's characteristics, injury pattern, treatment, and outcome were extracted. The success rate of the procedure was described, and selected variables were further analyzed and compared using the Fisher's-exact test to identify their effect on the success and failure rates. Odds Ratio (OR) was further calculated for the effect of different body part involvement on success and for the mortality after failed ETI. RESULTS: One hundred fifty-three casualties on which a CRIC attempt was made were identified from the IDF-TR records. The overall success rate of CRIC was reported at 88%. In patients who underwent one or two attempts, the success rate was 86%. No difference was found across providers (physician versus paramedic). The CRIC success rates for casualties with and without head trauma were 80% and 92%, respectively (P = .06). Overall mortality was 33%. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that CRIC is of merit in airway management as it has shown to have consistently high success rates throughout different levels of training, injuries, and previous attempts with ETI. Care providers should be encouraged to retain and develop this skill as part of their tool box.

Post-Run T2 Mapping Changes in Knees of Adolescent Basketball Players.

OBJECTIVE: While articular cartilage defects are common incidental findings among adult athletes, the effect of running on the cartilage of adolescent athletes have rarely been assessed. This study aims to assess the variations in the articular cartilage of the knees in healthy adolescent basketball players using quantitative T2 MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). DESIGN: Fifteen adolescent basketball players were recruited (13.8 ± 0.5 years old). Girls were excluded to avoid potential gender-related confounding effects. Players underwent a pre-run MRI scan of both knees. All participants performed a 30-minute run on a treadmill. Within 15 minutes after completion of their run, players underwent a second, post-run MRI scan. Quantitative T2 maps were generated using the echo modulation curve (EMC) algorithm. Pre-run scans and post-run scans were compared using paired t test. RESULTS: Participants finished their 30-minute run with a mean running distance of 5.77 ± 0.42 km. Pre-run scans analysis found statistically significant (P < 0.05) changes in 3 regions of the knee lateral compartment representing the cartilaginous tissue. No differences were found in the knee medial compartment. Post-run analysis showed lower T2 values in the medial compartment compared to the pre-run scans in several weight-bearing regions: femoral condyle central (pre/post mean values of 33.9/32.2 ms, P = 0.020); femoral condyle posterior (38.1/36.8 ms, P = 0.038); and tibial plateau posterior (34.1/31.0 ms, P < 0.001). The lateral regions did not show any significant changes. CONCLUSIONS: Running leads to microstructural changes in the articular cartilage in several weight-bearing areas of the medial compartment, both in the femoral and the tibial cartilage.

Bacterial contamination of protective lead garments in an operating room setting.

BACKGROUND: Protective lead garments (PLG) worn in the operating room are a potential source for bacterial colonisation and thus may increase the risk of intraoperative infection. The clinical significance of such bacterial contamination has yet been established. Although disinfection protocols have been employed, their effectiveness is also unknown. OBJECTIVE: We sought to describe and compare the bacterial profile of PLGs with a focus on common pathogens involved in surgical site infections (SSI) and prosthetic joint infections (PJI). METHODS: We studied body aprons and neck-thyroid protective shields. We sampled 20 body aprons and 21 neck PLGs, swabbing the inside and outside of the PLGs. Swabs were cultured on different media and the results were assessed and compared. RESULTS: Of PLGs, 87.8% were contaminated. The neck-thyroid shield PLGs was generally more contaminated than body apron PLGs and exhibited significantly higher loads of Staphylococcus epidermidis (P = 0.048). Other pathogen cultured were Micrococcus spp., Acinetobacter lwoffii (A. lwoffii), Bacillus species (Bacillus spp.), Moraxella osloensis (M. osloensis) and Pseudomonas stutzeri (P. stutzeri). No other common pathogens associated with SSI or PJI were detected. CONCLUSIONS: PLGs are heavily contaminated despite regular cleaning protocols. Neck PLGs are highly contaminated with potentially infectious agents. As neck PLGs are often directly exposed above the surgical sterile gown and the surgical field, measures should be undertaken to reduce their exposure and bacterial load, perhaps by suggesting users consider avoiding the use of intraoperative fluoroscopy when possible or alternatively supporting the use of body exhaust suits when PLGs are needed.