Influence of sagittal plane malpositioning of the patella on anterior knee pain after tibia intramedullary nailing.

PURPOSE: Anterior knee pain (AKP) is one of the most common complications after tibia intramedullary surgery. We evaluated changes in patellar tendon length after tibia intramedullary nailing surgery using a transtendinous approach and assessed the importance of nail position in relation to the anterior tibial cortex and joint line. METHODS: Two surgeons blinded to patients' pain status measured both the knee Insall-Salvati and Caton-Deschamps indexes on 30° flexion lateral knee X-rays of 33 patients. Superior nail prominence (the distance from the proximal tip of the nail to the tibial plateau) and anterior nail prominence (the distance from the anterior tip of the nail to the anterior tibial cortex) were measured on the CT. RESULTS: Clinical assessment showed that 10 patients (30 %) had AKP at the last follow-up. HSS and Lysholm scores and the incidence of AKP were similar between patients whose IM nails were removed and those who still had them. HSS score, Insall-Salvati, and Caton-Deschamps indexes were significantly lower in the operated extremity than in the healthy limb at last follow-up. No association was demonstrated between AKP and nail position in relation to the anterior tibial cortex or tibial plateau. CONCLUSIONS: According to our study, although the patellar tendon shortened significantly on the affected side compared with the contralateral side, these measurements did not correlate with the presence or absence of pain. AKP and functional knee scores after tibia IM nailing using a transtendinous approach were not associated with nail position in relation to the anterior tibial cortex or tibial plateau. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3 (Case control study).

Comparison of intra-articular bupivacaine-morphine with bupivacaine-tenoxicam combinations on post-operative analgesia in patients with arthroscopic meniscectomy: a prospective, randomised study.

AIM: There are many alternatives for post-operative pain relief in patients who have had general anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of intra-articular bupivacaine + morphine and bupivacaine + tenoxicam applications in post-operative pain control in patients undergoing knee arthroscopy with general anaesthesia. METHOD: This was a prospective study. Standard anaesthesia procedures were applied to each patient, and the 240 patients chosen at random were then divided into two groups. Each group received a different combination of drugs for this double-blind study. The first group (group A: 120 patients) received 0.5% bupivacaine 100 mg + tenoxicam 20 mg (22 ml); the second group (group B) received 0.5% bupivacaine 100 mg + morphine 2 mg (22 ml); both groups received their drugs at the end of the intra-articular operation before tourniquet deflation. Before the operation, patients were asked about their post-operative pain at particular periods over the following 24 hours using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the numeric rating scale (NRS). An additional analgaesic requirement and possible side effects were also recorded. RESULTS: Group A patients needed analgaesics sooner after operation than patients in group B. In Group B, VAS and NRS values were statistically higher compared with group A at the 12th hour. There were also fewer side effects seen in group A versus group B. CONCLUSION: Effective and reliable results were obtained in post-operative pain control in bupivacaine added to the morphine or tenoxicam groups following arthroscopic meniscectomy. In the tenoxicam group, patients reported less pain, fewer side effects and less need for analgesics at 12 hours after the operation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: level 1, therapeutic, randomised, multicentric study.

Do PFNA devices and Intertan nails both have the same effects in the treatment of trochanteric fractures? A prospective clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: To clinically and radiologically compare third-generation intramedullary nails used in the treatment of trochanteric hip fractures and to determine their efficacy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five of 88 patients admitted to our hospital with trochanteric fractures were enrolled in the study; 43 were treated with PFNA devices and 32 with Intertan nails. The amount of compression applied during the procedure, duration of the procedure, amount of subsequent shortening in the proximal femoral area, subsequent backup of proximal screws, and changes in the tip-apex and tip-cortex distances were compared between groups. The postoperative change in the varus angle of the proximal femur and times to mobilization, full weight bearing, and fracture union were also evaluated. RESULTS: On early postoperative radiographs, the tip-apex distance was ≤25 mm in 86 % of patients in the PFNA group and 96.9 % of those in the Intertan group. Twelve months postoperatively, the tip-apex distance did not differ between groups. No cut-out of the screws into the coxofemoral joint was observed. Fracture healing was achieved in all patients. At 12 months postoperatively, the rates of proximal screw backup, proximal femoral shortening, and decrease in the varus angle of the proximal femur were significantly higher in the PFNA group than in the Intertan group. CONCLUSIONS: Trochanteric fractures may be treated effectively with PFNA devices or Intertan nails. During the healing period, the rates of reverse displacement of the proximal screw, shortening of the proximal femur, and decrease in the varus angle of the proximal femur were significantly higher in the PFNA group than in the Intertan group. Surgical technique, implant positioning, and the choice of implant play roles in the successful treatment of trochanteric fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 1, prospective, prognostic study.

The relationship between intra-articular meniscal, chondral, and ACL lesions: finding from 1,774 knee arthroscopy patients and evaluation by gender.

Knowing the relationship between diagnoses is important in knee arthroscopy in terms of defining possible treatment modalities preoperatively. The purpose of our study was to define the diagnoses made intraoperatively through knee arthroscopy and the relationships between them. We evaluated the results of knee arthroscopies performed over a 10-year period. The sites and sizes of chondral lesions, the existence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, and the sites of meniscal lesions were noted for a total of 1,774 patients. The relationships between these lesions were evaluated statistically. Chondral lesions and posterior medial meniscal tears were predominant in females, whereas complete ACL tears were predominant in males. ACL tears were commonly accompanied by medial and lateral meniscal bucket-handle tears. In cases with advanced chondral lesions, medial and lateral posterior meniscal and lateral anterior meniscal tears were more common. According to our results, posterior tears of the medial menisci, medial and lateral femoral condyles, lateral tibial plateau type 3 or 4 cartilage lesions, and the rate of diagnostic arthroscopy were higher in females, while middle substance and bucket-handle tears of medial menisci and total rupture of the ACL were more common in males. ACL injuries were seen to coexist with medial or lateral menisci bucket-handle tears, with no relationship between the site or size of the chondral lesions. A relationship between medial and lateral meniscal tears and the site of femoral and tibial chondral surface lesions was detected.

Factors influencing outcome of knee bone marrow oedema: a clinical study.

Bone marrow oedema has a long recovery time. Conservative and surgical treatments have been used. This study aimed at identifying a profile of patients who may benefit from nonsurgical management. We compared the results of periodic clinical and radiological examinations of patients who visited our clinic with knee pain and were diagnosed with bone marrow oedema following magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examinations. Clinically, the patients were evaluated using the Lysholm knee score and a visual analogue scale. The study included 67 patients (31 males, 36 females) who were followed for 6-24 months. Patient age, gender, body mass index, affected area, and concomitant intra-articular pathology were analysed. Of the 67 patients, 63 were treated conservatively, and four underwent decompression. Patients with involvement of both the medial femoral condyle and tibial plateau were found to be more resistant to treatment than those in which only the tibial plateau was affected. Intra-articular pathologies were frequently noted together with bone marrow oedema, causing knee pain to persist after the bone marrow oedema had subsided.

Intramedullary nailing versus percutaneous locked plating of distal extra-articular tibial fractures: a retrospective study.

The aim of this study is to compare distal tibial fractures (4-10 cm proximal to the plafond) treated by intramedullary nailing with those treated by percutaneous locked plating and to assess the clinical and radiographic results, complication rates, and the need for secondary procedures. Thirty-six patients received percutaneous locked plate treatment and 25 patients received intramedullary nail treatment. The results obtained from these two treatment methods were assessed by comparing infection rates, starting time for wight-bearing, local implant irritation, union and malunion rates and along with secondary procedures. In the percutaneous locked plate group, two deep infections, four superficial infections, two nonunions, one malunion and 10 local implant irritations were observed. In the intramedullary nail group, one nonunion, four malunions and two local implant irritations were observed. The incidence of deep and superficial infections, local implant irritations and secondary procedures in the percutaneous locked plate group was greater than those in the intramedullary nail group. The time to full weight bearing was shorter in the intramedullary nail group. There was no significant statistical difference in malunion and nonunion rates between the two groups. The need for secondary procedures was more common in group receiving the percutaneous locked plate treatment and the time to full weight bearing was shorter in the intramedullary nail group.

Minimally invasive reduction technique in split depression type tibial pilon fractures.

Tibial pilon fractures usually result from high energy trauma and present as a challenge to the orthopedic surgeon. Accurate reduction of the joint with meticulous care for the surrounding soft tissues is mandatory. We present a case report in which an anterior cruciate ligament targeting device is used with a minimally invasive technique under arthroscopic and fluoroscopic guidance for Orthopaedic Trauma Association 43-B2.3 type pilon fracture treatment.

Component alignment in simultaneous bilateral or unilateral total knee arthroplasty.

A bilateral total knee prosthesis procedure can be performed simultaneously in patients with bilateral gonarthrosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differences in component alignment between the simultaneous bilateral TKA and unilateral TKA. A total of 20 patients out of 40 underwent simultaneous bilateral TKA, whereas 20 patients had unilateral TKA. The component alignments were compared radiographically. There was no statistically significant difference in the component alignment between the simultaneous bilateral TKA group and the unilateral TKA group. In conclusion, component alignment of the patients with simultaneous bilateral TKA is similar to that of unilateral TKA.

Treatment of reverse oblique trochanteric femoral fractures with proximal femoral nail.

Treatment of reverse oblique trochanteric femoral fractures is still challenging. We present the results of our proximal nailing surgery performed for reverse obliquity intertrochanteric fractures using two lag screws and evaluated the quality of the reduction, operative time, complications and functional status of the patients. Fifteen patients with AO/OTA 31 A-A3 fractures were treated by proximal femoral nailing in our trauma centre. The mean Harris hip score was 74.66 (range 65-96) and the mean Barthel activity score was 15.71 (range 12-20). The mean duration of surgery was 48 minutes and the average consolidation time was 8.6 weeks. No intraoperative complications or postoperative technical failures and no stress shielding as evidenced by the lack of cortical hypertrophy at the level of the tip of the implant were detected. Intramedullary nailing with proximal femoral nails may be a good option in the treatment of reverse obliquity intertrochanteric fractures.

No evidence of infection after retrograde nailing of supracondylar femur fracture in gunshot wounds.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine whether osteomyelitis of the femur or septic arthritis of the knee develops after retrograde intramedullary nailing of the femur performed within 7 days of supracondylar femur fracture, secondary to gunshot wounds, without skin defects. METHODS: Fifteen patients with a mean age of 27.8 years (range, 18-52 years), with supracondylar fractures of the femur due to gunshot wounds and without skin defects. Retrograde intramedullary nails were inserted through the intercondylar notch of the femur. We evaluated whether osteomyelitis of the femur or ipsilateral septic arthritis of the knee joint developed postoperatively. RESULTS: None of the patients who were followed up for a mean period of 11.7 months (range, 9-16 months) showed evidence of ipsilateral septic arthritis of the knee or osteomyelitis of the femur. CONCLUSION: Retrograde intramedullary nailing of the femur can be performed in patients with supracondylar fractures of the femur due to gunshot wounds, and without skin defects, in the first 7 days after the trauma. Neither osteomyelitis of the femur nor septic arthritis of the knee develops in these patients.

Glove perforation in hip and knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The transmission of blood-borne pathogens during surgery is a major concern. Surgical gloves are the primary barrier between the surgeon and the patient. Surgical procedures that need manual handling of bony surfaces or sharp instruments have the highest risk of glove perforations. The frequencies and the sites of surgical glove perforations in arthroplasty procedures were assessed. METHODS: We assessed the surgical glove perforations in total hip and knee arthroplasty procedures. Double standard latex gloves were used. A total of 983 outer and 511 inner gloves were tested. The gloves of all the surgical team members were tested for perforations during the first and second hours of surgery. RESULTS: There were 18.4% outer and 8.4% inner glove perforations. The most frequent site of perforation was the second digit of the nondominant hand (25.5%). We found that hip and knee arthroplasty had significantly more glove perforation risk for the surgeon in the first half of the operation rather than the second half, and 57.8% of the perforations were at the index finger and the thumb. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroplasty procedures still have high glove perforation rates despite the use of double gloving with frequent changes. Extra augmentation of the gloves in selected areas of the hand, in addition to double gloving, may be safer and more cost-effective than double gloving alone.

A new radiographic measurement method for evaluation of tibial torsion: a pilot study in adults.

UNLABELLED: Computed tomography (CT) frequently is used to determine torsional abnormalities. However, its use in clinical practice may be limited. We present a new method for measuring tibial torsion using conventional radiographs. We compared the method with several clinical methods and with CT measurement in 44 lower extremities of 25 subjects. The radiographic method agreed well with all of the clinical methods, and this agreement was better than agreement between CT and clinical examination. The best agreement was between thigh-foot angle and the radiographic method. The proposed radiographic measurement is a practical method for evaluation of tibial torsion in outpatient clinics without the need for specialized equipment. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, diagnostic study.

The relationship between bone marrow edema size and knee pain.

The purpose of our study was to determine the changes in the size of the edema observed on MRI scans and its relation to the activity pain of the patient and the rest pain in bone marrow edema (BME). A total of 51 patients were followed up at 3-month intervals for a period of 1 year. During the follow-ups, MRI scans of the patients' knees were obtained; the scores obtained on the Stanmore functional rating scale and visual analog scale were determined. The changes in these parameters and the correlation between them were examined. The following are the observations recorded during the bone marrow edema follow-ups: the size of the edema as observed on MRI scans decreased, and the activity pain and the rest pain decreased. While there is a correlation between the decrease in the edema size observed on MRI scans and decrease in the activity pain, there is no correlation between the decrease in the edema size observed on MRI scans and the decrease in rest pain. No changes were observed after a particular period of time with regard to decrease in the edema size observed on MRI scans, decrease in activity pain, and decrease in rest pain in follow-ups of BME patients.

Distal unlocked proximal femoral intramedullary nailing for intertrochanteric femur fractures.

We investigated whether a proximal femoral nail (PFN) having two lag screws can be implanted without distal locking screws in AO/OTA 31-A1 and 31-A2 intertrochanteric femur fractures. Twenty-four patients with AO/OTA 31-A1 and 31-A2 fractures were treated with a PFN without distal interlocking by a single surgeon. The mean follow-up was 12 months (range: 7-23). Clinical and functional outcome was assessed according to the Harris hip score and Barthel's activity score. The fractures healed in all patients; the average consolidation time was 14 weeks (range: 9-28). Fourteen patients had excellent and good results, nine patients had fair results, and one patient had a poor result according to the Harris hip score; 17 patients had a high range of mobility according to the Barthel activity score. Our results suggested that the PFN can be successfully implanted without distal interlocking in 31-A1 and 31-A2 fractures.

Cementless bilateral total hip arthroplasty in a patient with a history of pelvic irradiation for sarcoma botryoides.

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of bilateral secondary coxarthrosis in a patient with a history of pelvic irradiation for sarcoma botryoides. CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND INTERVENTION: The patient had surgery and radiation therapy for sarcoma botryoides when she was 18 months old. Left and right cementless total hip arthroplasties were performed at the age of 36 and 40 years, respectively. Harris hip scores improved from 28.4 to 93 on the left hip after 84 months of follow-up and from 29.5 to 91.3 on the right hip after 38 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: Cementless total hip arthroplasty may be considered for irradiated hips, if radiation damage in bone has been stable for a long period of time.

Fracture of an expandable intramedullary nail. Surgical technique for nail removal.

Intramedullary nailing with expandable nails is one of the techniques available for the treatment of fractures of long bones. Concerns regarding bony union have been reported in medical literature, but no case of femoral nail breakage secondary to delayed union has been reported to date. We present a case of a broken expandable femoral nail secondary to delayed union, and we describe the technique used for its extraction.

Patients with isolated musculoskeletal trauma have lower mental status scores.

UNLABELLED: The subjective concerns and needs of patients who have experienced trauma are important to recovery. However, the mental status of patients with isolated musculoskeletal trauma is not known. Is the mental status of such patients different and does the severity, site, and type of trauma affect this difference? We evaluated the mental status of 195 patients hospitalized for isolated musculoskeletal trauma and determined the characteristics of the factors that affect mental status; 197 patients hospitalized for elective surgery and not exposed to acute trauma constituted the control group. We administered the Mini-Mental State Examination to study and control groups within the first 24 hours of hospitalization. Age, gender, and educational status in the study and control groups were recorded. In addition, the severity, site, and type of trauma in the study group were recorded. Mini-Mental State Examination scores of the trauma group were lower than those of the control group. Mini-Mental State Examination scores decreased with increasing trauma severity. The mental status of the patients sustaining isolated musculoskeletal trauma was affected by the severity, site, and type of trauma. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, prognostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

CT-guided percutaneous transpedicular biopsy for the diagnosis of vertebral lesions.

The authors report the results of a prospective study about CT-guided percutaneous transpedicular vertebral biopsy in 23 patients, 11 male and 12 female, with a mean age of 45 years (range, 17-90 years). Eleven biopsies were performed at a thoracic level, 12 at a lumbar or sacral (one) level. A diagnosis was obtained in 21 out of 23 patients (91.3%); in the remaining two cases an open biopsy was necessary, which led to the diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cyst. CT-guided percutaneous transpedicular biopsy is an effective and safe method. The transpedicular approach is especially useful for thoracic lesions, because it avoids pulmonary complications such as pneumothorax, without increasing the rate of neurologic problems. This method is not suitable for the diagnosis of aneurysmal bone cysts.

A new screw fixation technique for minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis.

Minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) has well-documented biological advantages and appears to be a reasonable treatment option for complex femoral and tibial fractures. However additional radiation exposure during reduction of the fracture, application of the plate to the bone and screw fixation is one of the disadvantages of this technique. We describe a technical trick for screw fixation in MIPPO with locking compression plates which decreases the duration of fluoroscopy use during the operation.

[The results of the Grice subtalar extra-articular arthrodesis for pes planovalgus deformity in patients with cerebral palsy]. / Pes planovalguslu serebral felçli olgularda Grice subtalar eklem disi artrodezinin sonuçlari.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the results of the Grice subtalar extra-articular arthrodesis for pes planovalgus deformity in patients with cerebral palsy and its effectiveness in providing hindfoot alignment. METHODS: Grice subtalar extra-articular arthrodesis was performed for pes planovalgus deformity in 14 feet of nine patients (5 males, 4 females; mean age 10.3 years; range 6 to 12 years) with cerebral palsy. Six patients were diplegic, two patients were paraplegic, and one patient was hemiplegic. Four patients had unilateral, five patients had bilateral involvement. A fibular graft taken from the distal third of the fibula above the syndesmosis was used in all the patients without any fixation material. The patients were assessed with the AOFAS (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society) hindfoot scoring system pre- and postoperatively. The mean follow-up was 30 months (range 6 to 81 months). RESULTS: Compared with the preoperative values, the mean AOFAS hindfoot score increased from 53 (range 41 to 81) to 68.4 (range 51 to 96), the mean talocalcaneal angle decreased from 52.6 degrees to 30.4 degrees , and from 55.8 degrees to 35.9 degrees in frontal and sagittal planes, respectively (p<0.05). The mean ankle valgus angle measured on anteroposterior radiographs remained unchanged (mean 5 degrees ). Of five patients who underwent bilateral surgery, three (21.4%) developed donor-site fibular nonunion on one side. One (7.1%) of these patients also had graft nonunion and displacement. Treatment was rated as satisfactory by the parents of seven patients (77.8%; p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Despite donor-site morbidity, the Grice subtalar extra-articular arthrodesis is an effective procedure for the correction of hindfoot alignment in patients with pes planovalgus deformity secondary to cerebral palsy.