A Novel Ultrasound Method of Evaluating Dynamic Extrusion of Lateral Meniscus in Healthy Population: Different Patterns of Dynamic Extrusion Revealed Between Lateral and Medial Meniscus.

OBJECTIVES: To establish a reliable ultrasound (US) method of evaluating dynamic extrusion of lateral meniscus in healthy population, and to investigate the pattern of dynamic meniscus extrusion (ME) in lateral meniscus under loading conditions. METHODS: The lateral ME was examined via US method in unloaded, double-leg standing, and single-leg standing positions. Two different US measurement methods were compared to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results to determine the optimal measurement methods. The US results obtained by different researchers were tested for interobserver consistency and the results obtained by the same researcher on two separate days were tested for intraobserver consistency. The patterns of dynamic extrusion were compared between medial and lateral sides. RESULTS: A total of healthy 44 volunteers were included in the study, with 86 knees assessed by US, and 25 knees evaluated by MRI. The US evaluation of dynamic lateral ME demonstrated excellent interobserver and intraobserver reliability. The US measurements using method A were consistent with the MRI results with no significant difference (P = .861, intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.868), while method B underestimated the lateral ME compared to MRI (P = .001, ICC = 0.649). Lateral ME decreased slightly from unloaded (1.0 ± 0.8 mm) to single-leg standing position (0.8 ± 0.8 mm), whereas medial ME increased significantly in both double-leg and single-leg standing positions (2.4 ± 0.7 mm, 2.6 ± 0.7 mm). CONCLUSION: A novel US evaluation method of lateral ME was established with reliable and accurate results compared to the MRI. Lateral ME in healthy populations decreased slightly as the loadings increased, which was different from the pattern of dynamic extrusion in medial meniscus.

Outcomes in Patients with Global Pincer Versus Focal Pincer Femoroacetabular Impingement Treated with Hip Arthroscopy: A Retrospective Study with a Minimum 2-Year Follow-Up.

OBJECTIVE: Global pincer is a relatively rare form of pincer deformity and is typically associated with technical challenges during surgery. So far, controversy remains whether patients with global pincer have equivalent surgical outcomes compared to patients with focal pincer. This study compares the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic treatment between patients with global pincer femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and focal pincer FAI in the Chinese population. METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected from patients with global and focal pincer FAI who underwent hip arthroscopy with a minimum two-year follow-up between April 2016 and December 2018. Radiographic measurements, arthroscopic procedures, preoperative and postoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs) including modified Harris hip score (mHHS), hip outcome score-activities of daily living (HOS-ADL), international hip outcome tool-12 (iHOT-12), and visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, rates of revision surgery and conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) were recorded. Achievement of minimal clinically important difference (MCID) and patient acceptable symptomatic state (PASS) was compared for the VAS, mHHS, HOS-ADL, and iHOT-12 scores between groups. RESULTS: The total of 33 and 167 patients were included in the global and focal group, respectively. There were no intergroup differences in age, gender, body mass index or follow-up times. Lateral center-edge angle (LCEA) was reduced in both groups postoperatively. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in PROs compared with preoperative levels at the final follow-up. The preoperative scores showed significant differences in terms of mHHS (60.34 vs 62.90, P = 0.031) and HOS-ADL (61.45 vs 64.74, P = 0.022) scores between two groups, and the improvement of HOS-ADL score was significantly higher in global group (P = 0.027). However, the postoperative scores, including VAS, mHHS, HOS-ADL, and iHOT-12 scores, showed no significant differences between two groups. And there were no significant differences in the rate of meeting the PASS and MCID between groups. One (3.0%) in the global group and six (3.6%) patients in the focal group underwent revision arthroscopy respectively, with no significant difference (P = 0.876). There were no conversions to THA in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic management of global pincer FAI can achieve excellent functional scores at minimum 2-year follow-up. The outcomes were similar to focal pincer FAI patients with a low rate of secondary procedure.

[Application of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating the effects of manipulation on knee osteoarthritis].

OBJECTIVE: To observe and evaluate the effects of manipulation on knee osteoarthritis (KOA) using T2-mapping and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based volume measurements. METHODS: Forty-five cases of KOA were involved retrospectively in the study, and the patients were composed of 9 males and 36 females with the mean age of (57.4+/-6.1) years. The cases were treated with manipulative therapy once or twice per week for 12 months. MRI of each knee was performed separately by using 1.5-T MRI equipment before and during the treatment. Average cartilage depth, MRI grading of cartilage defects, cartilage volume, average T2 values in patella cartilage and femoral condyle, and bone marrow edema area were detected respectively. RESULTS: The knee joint cartilage thickness from MRI began to increase after 6-month treatment (P<0.05). The cartilage volume increase was obviously observed after 12-month treatment, and there was a significant difference (F=14.64, P<0.01). MRI grading of cartilage defects decreased from IIIA to IIB after 3-month treatment (Z=17.96, P<0.05). The average T2 value in patella cartilage decreased after 9-month treatment (F=3.11, P<0.05), but there were no differences in cartilage from tibial plateau and femoral condyle compartments after the treatment. The bone marrow edema area in femoral condyle began to diminish at 3-month treatment (t=-4.53, P<0.01), and the bone marrow edema area in cartilage patella was diminished after 6-month treatment (t=-5.53, P<0.01). CONCLUSION: T2-mapping and cartilage volume measurement are suitable for evaluating the manipulative therapy on KOA. Traditional Chinese manipulation therapy is an effective method for KOA in the cartilage recovery.

[Effects of manipulation therapy in repairing rabbit articular cartilage defects].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of manipulation therapy in repairing thin-layer and thick-layer articular cartilage defects in rabbits. METHODS: Twenty-four rabbits were randomly divided into manipulation group and control group. Chondral defects in the center of condyles medialis femoris (punch diameter 2.0 mm, thin-layer defect, without damaging the subchondral bone) and the center of facies patellar femoris (punch diameter 3.0 mm, thick-layer defect, without damaging the subchondral bone) were made in both side knee joints of the rabbits. Four weeks after chondral defect, the rabbits in the manipulation group were treated with manipulation therapy, while the rabbits in the control group didn't take any therapeutic measure. The rabbits were sacrificed after 4-, 8- and 12-week manipulation treatment to obtain the distal femur. The appearance of the chondral defect was first assessed, and then regenerated tissues were stained respectively with hematoxylin and eosin (HE), safranin O and immunohistochemical methods to observe the changes in pathology. The regenerated tissue O'Driscoll score system was also used to evaluate the efficacy of manipulation therapy. RESULTS: After manipulation treatment, although the thin-layer articular cartilage defects of the control group were partly repaired, a sharp gap between the regenerated tissue and the normal cartilage was visible. The range of the thick-layer articular cartilage defect in the control group became smaller, and the regenerated tissue only consisted of fiber tissue. On the contrary, both the thin-layer defects and the thick-layer defects in the manipulation group were well repaired. The appearance of the regenerated tissues was close to the normal cartilage. The gap between regenerated tissue and normal tissue was disappeared and the regenerated tissue was well integrated with around tissues. HE staining showed that the regenerated tissues in the manipulation group were similar to hyaline cartilage. Safranin O staining showed that matrix stain of the regenerated tissues in the manipulation group was similar to the normal cartilage, but no stain was observed in the control group. The type II collagen immunohistochemical staining showed that the color of the regenerated tissues was a little darker than that of the normal cartilage in the two kinds of defects in the manipulation group, and the two kinds of defects in the control group were little stained. The O'Driscoll cartilage scores of the two kinds of defects in the manipulation group were higher than those in the control group at different time points (P<0.01), but there were no differences in O'Driscoll scores in the manipulation group among the different time points. CONCLUSION: Manipulation therapy is effective in repairing the thick-layer and thin-layer articular cartilage defects. The regenerated tissue is constructed with hyaline cartilage.

Heterotopic ossification after arthroscopy for hip impingement syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a known complication of hip arthroscopy. We investigated incidence of HO after hip arthroscopy and determined whether revision for HO improved outcome. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 242 patients (140 men and 102 women, mean age: 36.2 ±â€Š9.5 years) who underwent hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) between January 2016 and January 2018. The average follow-up period was 22.88 ±â€Š11.74 months (range: 11-34 months). Thirteen (5.37%) cases of HO (six men and seven women, five left hips and eight right hips; mean age: 37.5 ±â€Š4.7 years) were observed. Among them, four cases with HO with obvious pain symptoms and persistent non-remission underwent revision surgery to remove HO. Monthly follow-up was conducted. Visual analog scale (VAS), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), and non-Arthritis Hip Score (NAHS) were evaluated and compared between HO and non-HO patients. Independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test and the Chi-square test were used for inter-group comparisons. HO degree was evaluated using Brooker classification. Symptoms and function were evaluated before and after revision. RESULTS: A total of 242 patients were involved in this study. Thirteen cases (5.4%) had imaging evidence of HO. Nine (9/13) were classified as Brooker stage I, three (3/13) Brooker stage II, and one (1/13) Brooker stage III. HO was detected by ultrasonography as early as 3 weeks after operation. After primary surgery, the mHHS of the HO group and non-HO group increased by 13.00 (8.50, 25.50) and 24.00 (14.00, 34.50) points (Z = -1.80, P = 0.08), NAHS increased by 18.00 (9.50, 31.50) and 26.00 (13.50, 36.00) points (Z = -1.34, P = 0.18), and VAS decreased by 3.00 (2.00, 4.00) and 4.00 (3.00, 4.50) points (Z = -1.55, P = 0.12). Average follow-up time after revision was 9.00 ±â€Š2.94 months; mHHS increased by 34.75 points (t = -55.23, P < 0.01) and NAHS by 28.75 points (t = -6.03, P < 0.01), and VAS decreased by 4 points (t = 9.80, P < 0.01). HO and non-HO patients were similar for demographic and surgical data, and clinical and functional scores. CONCLUSION: HO incidence after arthroscopic treatment of FAI is similar to that found in previous studies. Most HO have no effect on clinical symptoms. Patients who undergo revision HO resection show improvement in pain and joint function.

Failed anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: analysis of factors leading to instability after primary surgery.

BACKGROUND: Revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery can be expected to become more common as the number of primary reconstruction keeps increasing. This study aims to investigate the factors causing instability after primary ACL reconstruction, which may provide an essential scientific base to prevent surgical failure. METHODS: One hundred and ten revision ACL surgeries were performed at our institute between November 2001 and July 2012. There were 74 men and 36 women, and the mean age at the time of revision was 27.6 years (range 16 - 56 years). The factors leading to instability after primary ACL reconstruction were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Fifty-one knees failed because of bone tunnel malposition, with too anterior femoral tunnels (20 knees), posterior wall blowout (1 knee), vertical femoral tunnels (7 knees), too posterior tibial tunnels (12 knees), and too anterior tibial tunnels (10 knees). There was another knee performed with open surgery, where the femoral tunnel was drilled through the medial condyle and the tibial tunnel was too anterior. Five knees were found with malposition of the fixation. One knee with allograft was suspected of rejection and a second surgery had been made to take out the graft. Three knees met recurrent instability after postoperative infection. The other factors included traumatic (48 knees) and unidentified (12 knees). CONCLUSION: Technical errors were the main factors leading to instability after primary ACL reconstructions, while attention should also be paid to the risk factors of re-injury and failure of graft incorporation.

[Progress of research for the biological cicatrisation and regeneration of the articular cartilage defects].

Along with society of modernization and the ageing of population, the amount of the sufferer of articular cartilage defects caused by trauma or degeneration show a clearly increase, how to solve the problem of repair of articular cartilage defects seems to be important. This review will focus on the progress of research for the biological cicatrisation and regeneration of the articular cartilage defects.