Diagnosis and clinical management of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP): a consensus statement from the TTP Catalan group.

Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) is a low prevalence disease characterized by severe deficiency of the enzyme ADAMTS13, leading to the development of thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) and often resulting in severe organ disfunction. TTP is an extremely serious condition and, therefore, timely and appropriate treatment is critical to prevent life-threatening complications.Over the past 25 years, significant advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of immune TTP have led to the development of readily available techniques for measuring ADAMTS13 levels, as well as new drugs that are particularly effective in the acute phase and in preventing relapses. These developments have improved the course of the disease.Given the complexity of the disease and its various clinical and laboratory manifestations, early diagnosis and treatment can be challenging.To address this challenge, a group of experienced professionals from the Catalan TTP group have developed this consensus statement to standardize terminology, diagnosis, treatment and follow up for immune TTP, based on currently available scientific evidence in the field. This guidance document aims to provide healthcare professionals with a comprehensive tool to make more accurate and timely diagnosis of TTP and improve patient outcomes.

Técnica miniinvasiva de doble incisión de Arciero modificada para la reconstrucción del complejo posterolateral de la rodilla / Posterolateral knee complex reconstruction. Arciero technique with a two-incision mini-invasive approach

Las lesiones de la esquina posteroexterna de la rodilla son poco frecuentes y están habitualmente asociadas a otras lesiones ligamentarias. El tratamiento quirúrgico es de elección, busca recuperar la estabilidad y prevenir el deterioro progresivo articular, y mejorar la función. Los resultados con las técnicas de reconstrucción son superiores a los obtenidos con reparación. Numerosas técnicas han sido descriptas para la reconstrucción del ángulo posteroexterno de la rodilla. El objetivo de la siguiente publicación es presentar la técnica de Arciero para la reconstrucción del complejo posterolateral de la rodilla, con técnica mínimamente invasiva de doble incisión

Posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries of the knee are uncommon. These injuries are frequently associated with other ligamentous injuries. Surgical treatment should be addressed in order to restore joint stability, improving overall function and preventing serious joint degeneration and articular damage. Reconstruction techniques have shown better results than repair techniques, and they can be performed by using different surgical approaches. The objective is to present the posterolateral knee complex reconstruction Arciero technique with a two-incision mini-invasive approach

Multiligamentary Reconstruction in a Below-Knee Amputation Patient.

Multiligament injuries in below-knee amputation patients are a severe condition, and its treatment is controversial. Its incidence is unknown, and it is highly underdiagnosed, representing a challenge for the physician. The case presented is about a patient with a left transtibial amputation secondary to a severe crushing of the ipsilateral lower limb to which during the process of physiotherapy, a multiligament injury was diagnosed. The patient underwent a tibiofibular fixation with a multiligament reconstruction with good functional results. In this complex situation, delay in diagnosis is frequent, ligament instability should always be suspected and explored further, allowing for proper rehabilitation and early treatment.

Robotic-assisted vs conventional surgery in medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a clinical and radiological study.

BACKGROUND: The use of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) has increased and new technologies have been developed to improve patient survival and satisfaction, soft tissue balance, alignment, and component size. Robot-assisted systems offer an increase in surgical precision and accuracy. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the precision of component position using five radiological parameters in conventional and robotic-assisted medial UKA using the NAVIO system. METHODS: A cohort study was designed for patients who underwent medial UKA between April 2017 and March 2019 in a single center. Patients were allocated in the conventional (UKA-C) or robotic-assisted (UKA-R) group. The variables analyzed were age, gender, affected knee side, length of hospital stay, surgical time, and radiological measurements such as anatomical medial distal femoral angle (aMDFA), anatomical medial proximal tibial angle (aMPTA), tibial slope, the sagittal femoral angle, and the component size. A target was defined for each measurement, and a successful UKA was defined if at least four radiological measures were on target after surgery. Also, patients' reported outcomes were evaluated using the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and a numeric rating scale (NRS) for pain. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were included, 18 of them underwent UKA-R. The success rate for UKA in the UKA-R group was 87%; meanwhile, in the UKA-C group this was 28%, this difference was significant and powered (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.001; 1 - ß = 0.95). Also, a 5-point difference in favor of the UKA-R group in the median OKS (p = 0.01), and a significantly lower median NRS for pain (p < 0.000) were found after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: UKA-R achieved more precision in the radiological parameters' measure in this study. Also, UKA-R has a trend towards a better OKS and a lower NRS for pain at short-term follow-up.

Relationship between the ABO blood group and COVID-19 susceptibility, severity and mortality in two cohorts of patients.

BACKGROUND: Several articles reported the existence of an association between ABO blood groups and COVID-19 susceptibility. Group A and group O individuals showed a higher and lower risk, respectively, of becoming infected. No association was observed between ABO groups and mortality. To verify this association, we performed a retrospective study of two cohorts of patients with different demographic and clinical characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 854 regular blood donors were recruited for convalescent plasma donation after recovering from a mild COVID-19 infection, and a group of 965 patients more severely affected who were transfused during hospitalisation were also included. We also investigated the potential role of the different risk factors on patient outcome and death. To eliminate the confounding effect of risk factors on mortality, a propensity score analysis was performed. RESULTS: Blood group A and blood group O COVID-19 blood donors showed a higher and lower risk, respectively, for acquiring COVID-19. In contrast, this association was not found in the group of patients transfused during hospitalisation, probably due to the great differences in demographic and clinical characteristics between the two groups. Regarding severity, age was one of the most significant risk factors. ABO blood groups were also seen to represent important risk factors for COVID-19 severity and mortality. Mortality risk in group A individuals was significantly higher than in group O individuals (OR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.22-2.51). DISCUSSION: The association between the ABO blood groups and the susceptibility to acquire COVID-19 infection was confirmed in the group of blood donors. ABO blood groups were also associated to COVID-19 severity and mortality in the group of patients transfused during hospitalisation. Therefore, blood groups A and O are two important factors to be considered when evaluating the prognosis of patients with COVID-19.

Robotic-assisted surgery in medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: does it improve the precision of the surgery and its clinical outcomes? Systematic review.

There is a high prevalence of knee osteoarthritis that affects only the medial tibiofemoral compartment. In this group of patients with severe disease, the medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an excellent choice. However, this technique has a great learning curve due to the lower tolerance of improper positioning and alignment. In this context, the robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) arises as an option to improve the accuracy and secondarily enhance the clinical outcomes related to the UKA. The objective in this study is to determine if there are significant advantages with the use of RAS over conventional surgery (CS). In the systematic review of the literature, classification of the results in three main subjects: (A) precision and alignment; (B) functional results and clinical parameters; (C) survivorship. We found 272 studies, of which 15 meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria. There is mostly described that RAS significantly improves the accuracy in position (80-100% of planned versus performed P < 0.05), alignment (2-3 times less error variance P < 0.05) and selection of the proper size of the implants (69.23% of correct size femoral implants versus 16.67% using CS P < 0.0154). Recently, there is mild evidence about benefits in the early rehabilitation and post-operative pain, but in all studies reviewed, there is no advantages of RAS in the long-term functional evaluation. There is no strong literature that supports a longer survival of the prothesis with RAS, being the longest mean follow-up reported of 29.6 months. RAS is a useful tool in increasing the precision of the medial UKA implant placement. However, there is still a lack of evidence that properly correlates this improvement in accuracy with better clinical, functional and survival results.

The posteromedial corner of the knee: an international expert consensus statement on diagnosis, classification, treatment, and rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: To establish recommendations for diagnosis, classification, treatment, and rehabilitation of posteromedial corner (PMC) knee injuries using a modified Delphi technique. METHODS: A list of statements concerning the diagnosis, classification, treatment and rehabilitation of PMC injuries was created by a working group of four individuals. Using a modified Delphi technique, a group of 35 surgeons with expertise in PMC injuries was surveyed, on three occasions, to establish consensus on the inclusion or exclusion of each statement. Experts were encouraged to propose further suggestions or modifications following each round. Pre-defined criteria were used to refine item lists after each survey. The final document included statements reaching consensus in round three. RESULTS: Thirty-five experts had a 100% response rate for all three rounds. A total of 53 items achieved over 75% consensus. The overall rate of consensus was 82.8%. Statements pertaining to PMC reconstruction and those regarding the treatment of combined cruciate and PMC injuries reached 100% consensus. Consensus was reached for 85.7% of the statements on anatomy of the PMC, 90% for those relating to diagnosis, 70% relating to classification, 64.3% relating to the treatment of isolated PMC injuries, and 83.3% relating to rehabilitation after PMC reconstruction. CONCLUSION: A modified Delphi technique was applied to generate an expert consensus statement concerning the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and rehabilitation practices for PMC injuries of the knee with high levels of expert agreement. Though the majority of statements pertaining to anatomy, diagnosis, and rehabilitation reached consensus, there remains inconsistency as to the optimal approach to treating isolated PMC injuries. Additionally, there is a need for improved PMC injury classification. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V.

Twist-n-Sync: Software Clock Synchronization with Microseconds Accuracy Using MEMS-Gyroscopes.

Sensor networks require a high degree of synchronization in order to produce a stream of data useful for further purposes. Examples of time misalignment manifest as undesired artifacts when doing multi-camera bundle-adjustment or global positioning system (GPS) geo-localization for mapping. Network Time Protocol (NTP) variants of clock synchronization can provide accurate results, though present high variance conditioned by the environment and the channel load. We propose a new precise technique for software clock synchronization over a network of rigidly attached devices using gyroscope data. Gyroscope sensors, or IMU, provide a high-rate measurements that can be processed efficiently. We use optimization tools over the correlation signal of IMU data from a network of gyroscope sensors. Our method provides stable microseconds accuracy, regardless of the number of sensors and the conditions of the network. In this paper, we show the performance of the gyroscope software synchronization in a controlled environment, and we evaluate the performance in a sensor network of smartphones by our open-source Android App, Twist-n-Sync, that is publicly available.

Robotic-assisted Unicompartmental knee Arthroplasty optimizes joint line restitution better than conventional surgery.

PURPOSE: To compare joint line restoration after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) between conventional and robotic-assisted surgery. Previous studies have shown that joint line distalization can lead to higher failure rates. The hypothesis was that robotic-assisted UKA is associated with less femoral component distalization and a precise tibial cut, which allows a more anatomical restitution of the knee joint line. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing medial or lateral UKA between May 2018 and March 2020. Preoperative and postoperative radiologic assessment of the joint line was performed by two observers, using three different methods, one for tibial slope and one for tibial resection. Robotic assisted UKA and conventional UKA groups were compared. RESULTS: Sixty UKA were included, of which 48 (77.42%) were medial. Robotic-assisted UKA were 40 (64.52%) and 22(35.48%) were conventional The distalization of the femoral component was higher in the conventional group despite the method of measurement used In both Weber methods, the difference was statistically different: Conventional 2.3 (0.9 to 5.6) v/s Robotic 1.5 (- 1.1 to 4.1) (p =0.0025*). A higher proportion of patients achieved a femoral component position ≤ two millimeters from the joint line using robotic-assisted UKA compared to the conventional technique . No statistical difference between robotic-assisted and conventional UKA was found in tibial resection and slope. CONCLUSION: Robotic-assisted UKA shows a better rate of joint line restoration due to less femoral component distalization than conventional UKA. No difference was found in the amount of tibial resection between groups in this study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Cirugía robótica en artroplastia de rodilla / Robotic surgery in knee arthroplasty

La cirugía protésica de rodilla es un procedimiento ampliamente aceptado como etapa final del tratamiento de la artrosis de rodilla, con sobrevida que supera el 90% a 10­15 años. Dentro de las principales causas de fallo, se encuentran la infección (20,4%) y el aflojamiento mecánico (20,3%). El uso de ayudas tecnológicas en cirugía está en constante desarrollo, con el objetivo de mejorar la precisión del acto quirúrgico. En ese escenario, la Cirugía Asistida por Computador (CAS) en artroplastia de rodilla, crece de forma exponencial, y apunta a mejorar el posicionamiento y selección del tamaño de los componentes protésicos, aumentar la precisión de las resecciones óseas y mejorar el balance de los tejidos blandos, logrando así una mayor sobrevida del implante. En comparación a las técnicas convencionales, la cirugía robótica ha mostrado mejores resultados funcionales, al primer año de seguimiento, en términos de rango articular, menor dolor post-operatorio y menor tiempo de estadía hospitalaria. Pero todavía es necesario establecer si, a largo plazo, esas diferencias funcionales se traducirán en mejores resultados clínicos que permitan, de forma consistente, inclinar la balanza en favor de la técnica asistida por robot por sobre las técnicas tradicionales.

Prosthetic knee surgery is a widely accepted procedure as the final stage in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis, with survival rate over 90% at 10 - 15 years. Among the main causes of failure are infection (20.4%) and mechanical loosening (20.3%). The use of technological aids in surgery is in constant development, with the aim of improving the accuracy of the surgical act. In this scenario, Computer-Aided Surgery (CAS) in knee arthroplasty grows exponentially, and aims to improve the positioning and selection of the size of the prosthetic components, increase the accuracy of bone resections and improve the balance of soft tissues, thus achieving a greater survival of the implant. Compared to conventional techniques, robotic surgery has shown better functional results at the first year of follow-up, in terms of joint range, less post-operative pain and shorter hospital stay. It is still necessary to establish whether, in the long term, these functional differences will result in better clinical results that will allow - in a consistent manner - to tip the balance in favor of robot-assisted technique over traditional techniques.

Posterolateral corner of the knee: an expert consensus statement on diagnosis, classification, treatment, and rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: To develop a statement on the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and rehabilitation concepts of posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries of the knee using a modified Delphi technique. METHODS: A working group of three individuals generated a list of statements relating to the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and rehabilitation of PLC injuries to form the basis of an initial survey for rating by an international group of experts. The PLC expert group (composed of 27 experts throughout the world) was surveyed on three occasions to establish consensus on the inclusion/exclusion of each item. In addition to rating agreement, experts were invited to propose further items for inclusion or to suggest modifications of existing items at each round. Pre-defined criteria were used to refine item lists after each survey. Statements reaching consensus in round three were included within the final consensus document. RESULTS: Twenty-seven experts (100% response rate) completed three rounds of surveys. After three rounds, 29 items achieved consensus with over 75% agreement and less than 5% disagreement. Consensus was reached in 92% of the statements relating to diagnosis of PLC injuries, 100% relating to classification, 70% relating to treatment and in 88% of items relating to rehabilitation statements, with an overall consensus of 81%. CONCLUSIONS: This study has established a consensus statement relating to the diagnosis, classification, treatment, and rehabilitation of PLC injuries. Further research is needed to develop updated classification systems, and better understand the role of non-invasive and minimally invasive approaches along with standardized rehabilitation protocols. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Consensus of expert opinion, Level V.

No association between positive intraoperative allograft cultures and infection rates after reconstructive knee ligament surgery.

BACKGROUND: Several reports of severe infections associated with allograft tissue in knee reconstructive surgery have led many surgeons to consider routine intraoperative culture of allograft tissue before implantation. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of positive soft tissue allograft cultures in reconstructive knee surgery, and evaluate its association with surgical site infection. METHODS: Retrospective study of 202 patients who underwent knee reconstructive ligament surgeries, including revisions, between January 2013 and July 2017. Intraoperative culture results were obtained and the report of a surgical site infection during follow-up was recorded. Patients without cultures were excluded. A priori power analysis was performed. The association between positive culture results and development of surgical site infection was evaluated using Fisher's Exact test (P < 0.05). RESULTS: A total of 300 allografts were implanted in 202 patients. Mean average follow-up was 32.9 ±â€¯12.5 (range 13 to 57.9) months. Sixteen patients had positive intraoperative allograft cultures (7.9%). The most frequently isolated organism was Bacillus species (six cultures); none of these patients presented with clinical signs of infection. Nine patients developed surgical site infections and were treated with oral antibiotics, and one patient developed septic arthritis that required surgical debridement of the implanted graft; all of these patients had a negative soft tissue allograft culture. No significant association was found between a positive culture and surgical site infection (P = 0.43). CONCLUSION: There was no apparent association between positive intraoperative irradiated soft tissue allograft cultures and surgical site infection in reconstructive knee surgery.

Reconstrucción de esquina posteromedial: reporte de 30 casos / Posteromedial corner reconstruction: a report of 30 cases

OJETIVO: Reportar la experiencia, después de 1 año de seguimiento, de una serie de 30 pacientes sometidos a reconstrucción de la esquina posteromedial (EPM) con la técnica descrita por La Prade. MÉTODO: Cohorte retrospectiva de 30 pacientes con lesión de EPM operados por el mismo equipo quirúrgico. Criterios de inclusión: diagnóstico clínico, radiografía con estrés y resonancia magnética compatibles con lesión de EPM, inestabilidad grado III luego de 3 meses de tratamiento ortopédico, técnica de reconstrucción de La Prade, al menos 12 meses de seguimiento. Criterios de exclusión: discordancia entre clínica e imagenología, inestabilidad grado I o II, y otra técnica quirúrgica. Evaluación con IKDC y Lysholm antes de la cirugía, a los 6 y 12 meses de seguimiento postcirugía. RESULTADOS: 30 pacientes cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Promedio de edad 43 años (24­69). Veintiocho pacientes presentaron lesiones de alta energía, 20 pacientes fueron diagnosticados en agudo, mientras que 10 fueron diagnosticados luego de malos resultados en reconstrucción de otros ligamentos. Veintiocho presentaron lesiones asociadas: 11 casos asociados a lesión de ligamento cruzado anterior, 3 casos asociados a lesión de ligamento cruzado posterior, 3 casos en asociación con lesiones meniscales, 9 casos con lesión asociada de ligamento cruzado anterior y posterior, y 2 casos en asociación con ligamento cruzado anterior, posterior y ligamento colateral lateral. Promedio de tiempo hasta la reconstrucción de EPM fue de 5 meses (rango 2­32). Puntuación en Lysholm e IKDC (preoperatorio 18,2 y 24,3 respectivamente), mejoraron a 76,7 y 70,7 después de 1 año de seguimiento. Al fin del seguimiento, el rango articular promedio era 113° (90­140), la mayoría de los pacientes (24) tuvieron estabilidad tipo A según IKDC. CONCLUSIÓN: La reconstrucción de lesiones de EPM mejora los resultados clínicos en pacientes con inestabilidad crónica posteromedial de rodilla. Se observó mejoría en la estabilidad y scores funcionales de todos los pacientes.

OBJETIVE: Report the experience, after 1-year follow-up, of 30 patients with La Prade's anatomical reconstruction of posteromedial corner (PMC) injuries. METHODS: Retrospective cohort study. 30 patients with PMC injuries operated by the same surgical team. Inclusion criteria: clinical presentation, stress radiographs and MRI compatible with PMC injury, grade III chronic instability in spite of at least 3 months of orthopedic treatment, La Prade's anatomical technique reconstruction, 12 months follow-up at least. Exclusion criteria: discordance between clinical and image studies, grade I or II medial instability, any other surgical technique. IKDC and Lysholm at the preoperative evaluation, 6 and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: Thirty patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean age 43 years (24­69). 28 patients presented high-energy mechanism of injury. Twenty patients were diagnosed in the acute setting, while 10 had a delayed diagnosis after poor results of other ligament reconstruction. Majority (28) had associated injuries: 11 cases PMC + anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, 3 PMC + posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury, 3 PMC + meniscal tears, 9 PMC + ACL + PCL injuries, and 2 PMC + ACL + PCL + lateral collateral ligament injuries. Mean time for PMC reconstruction was 5 months (range 2­32). Preoperative Lysholm and IKDC scores (18,2 and 24,3 respectively) improved to 76,7 and 70,7 after 1-year follow-up. At the end of follow-up, average ROM was 113° (90­140), most patients (24) had type A IKDC stability. CONCLUSION: Acceptable results were achieved following reconstruction of PMC injuries in patients with chronic posteromedial knee instability. We observed instability and functional scores improvement in all patients.

Multi-Functional Sensing for Swarm Robots Using Time Sequence Classification: HoverBot, an Example.

Scaling up robot swarms to collectives of hundreds or even thousands without sacrificing sensing, processing, and locomotion capabilities is a challenging problem. Low-cost robots are potentially scalable, but the majority of existing systems have limited capabilities, and these limitations substantially constrain the type of experiments that could be performed by robotics researchers. Instead of adding functionality by adding more components and therefore increasing the cost, we demonstrate how low-cost hardware can be used beyond its standard functionality. We systematically review 15 swarm robotic systems and analyse their sensing capabilities by applying a general sensor model from the sensing and measurement community. This work is based on the HoverBot system. A HoverBot is a levitating circuit board that manoeuvres by pulling itself towards magnetic anchors that are embedded into the robot arena. We show that HoverBot's magnetic field readouts from its Hall-effect sensor can be associated to successful movement, robot rotation and collision measurands. We build a time series classifier based on these magnetic field readouts. We modify and apply signal processing techniques to enable the online classification of the time-variant magnetic field measurements on HoverBot's low-cost microcontroller. We enabled HoverBot with successful movement, rotation, and collision sensing capabilities by utilising its single Hall-effect sensor. We discuss how our classification method could be applied to other sensors to increase a robot's functionality while retaining its cost.

Femoral tunnel drilling angles for the posterolateral corner in multiligamentary knee reconstructions: computed tomography evaluation in a cadaveric model.

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to determine the best angle at which to drill the femoral tunnels of the popliteus tendon (PT) and fibular collateral ligament (FCL) in combined reconstructive procedures so as to avoid either short tunnels or tunnel collisions with the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) femoral tunnels. METHODS: Eight cadaveric knees were studied. ACL/PCL femoral tunnels were arthroscopically drilled. PT and FCL tunnels were drilled at 0° and 30° axial and coronal angulations. They were scanned by computed tomography to document relations of the PT and FCL tunnels to the intercondylar notch and ACL/PCL tunnels. A minimum tunnel length of 25 mm was required. RESULTS: Drilling the PT tunnel at 0° axial angulation was associated with an increased risk of tunnel collision with the ACL (P < .001). Interference with the PCL tunnel can be avoided only if the K-wire guiding the PT tunnel is drilled with 30° coronal angulations (P < .001). The minimum tunnel length of the PT could be obtained only with both axial and coronal angulations of 30° (P = .003). Sufficient tunnel lengths of the FCL were obtained at all angulations evaluated (P = .036). However, only the tunnels drilled at 30° axial and 0° coronal angulations did not collapse with the ACL tunnels (P < .001). No intersections between FCL and PT tunnels were observed. CONCLUSIONS: When posterolateral reconstructions are performed in combination with concomitant anterior and posterior cruciate procedures, PT tunnels should be drilled at 30° axial and 30° coronal angulations. FCL tunnels should be drilled at 30° axial and 0° coronal angulations. These angulations should minimize such potential complications as short tunnels or collisions with the ACL/PCL tunnels. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Specific drilling angles are necessary to avoid short tunnels or collisions between the drilled tunnels when FCL and PT femoral tunnels are performed in multiligament knee reconstructions.