Amniotic Membrane Patching to Assist Closure of Recalcitrant Macular Holes.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This study reports a case series of patients with persistent macular holes (MHs) who underwent human amniotic membrane subretinal placement to achieve successful anatomic MH closure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective case series of patients with persistently open full-thickness MHs who underwent human amniotic membrane placement. Patients were observed up to 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Ten patients were included. The mean preoperative best-corrected visual acuity was 1.6 logMAR (20/800). Postoperatively, mean best-corrected visual acuity improved to 1.3 logMAR (20/400) at 1 month and 1.1 logMAR (20/250) by the 3- and 6-month visits. In all cases, the MH appeared closed at the 1-week visit and remained closed at their last follow-up. Optical coherence tomography showed closure in all cases. No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Human amniotic membrane sub-retinal placement may serve as a useful surgical technique to assist in the closure of recalcitrant macular holes. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers Imaging Retina 2023;54:218-222.].

No difference in failure rates or clinical outcomes between non-stemmed constrained condylar prostheses and posterior-stabilized prostheses for primary total knee arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: There has been an increase in the use of unlinked constrained condylar knee (CCK) prostheses in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for cases with significant deformities that cannot be adequately balanced in flexion and extension. However, the literature on its outcomes is limited. The goal of this study is to evaluate whether there are any clinic or radiographic outcome differences for a primary, non-stemmed, unlinked constrained TKA as compared to a control group of posterior-stabilized (PS) TKA using the same implant design. METHODS: Clinical and radiographic outcome measures for 404 cemented, non-stemmed, primary TKAs performed by two surgeons at the same institution were retrospectively reviewed. All patients underwent primary, non-stemmed components; 241 used CCK inserts and 163 used PS inserts. Preoperative deformity, knee society scores (KSS), range-of-motion (ROM), radiographic data and revision rates were compared between the CCK and PS groups. RESULTS: Both groups had comparable demographics and preoperative ROM and KSS. At similar mean follow-up times (6.1 ± 1.0 years for the CCK group and 6.3 ± 1.2 years for the PS group), no significant difference was found in ROM, KSS or radiographic outcomes. Revision rates were higher for the CCK group (2%) as compared to the HF-PS (0.6%) group (n.s). CONCLUSIONS: The particular design of cemented, primary, non-stemmed, unlinked CCK-TKA examined in this study provided similar clinical and radiographic outcomes to that of PS-TKA at midterm follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Staphylococcus lugdunensis Septic Arthritis of a Native Knee A Case Report.

A 67-year-old man presented to orthopaedic care with a painful knee. Workup was consistent with septic arthritis of a native knee, and the patient underwent operative treatment. Cultures from the operating room were speciated to Staphylococcus lugdunensis. To the investigators' knowledge, this is the first reported S. lugdunensis infection in a peripheral joint in the absence of an orthopaedic prosthesis. Although traditionally associated with infectious endocarditis, S. lugdunensis has been identified as a causative agent in many organ systems, including orthopaedic infections. This case report emphasizes the importance of familiarity with this emerging pathogen in the treatment of a septic joint.

Does a non-stemmed constrained condylar prosthesis predispose to early failure of primary total knee arthroplasty?

PURPOSE: The use of unlinked constrained condylar components (CCK) has been extended to primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA); however, there is limited literature on its outcomes. The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to assess clinical outcomes of one particular design of primary, non-stemmed, unlinked constrained TKA and to compare them with a control group of PS-TKA utilizing the same implant design. METHODS: The clinical and radiographic outcomes of 486-cemented, non-stemmed, primary TKA's performed by two surgeons at one institution using similar surgical algorithm, technique and prosthetic design were retrospectively reviewed. Primary TKA components were used in all knees; the only difference between groups was the type of polyethylene inserts used (CCK vs PS). Pre-operative deformity, knee society scores (KSS), range-of-motion (ROM), radiographic data and revision rates were compared. RESULTS: Both groups had comparable demographics, pre-operative coronal plane alignment, ROM and KSS. At a mean follow-up of 3.5 years, no difference was found in ROM, KSS, radiographic outcomes and revision rates. CONCLUSIONS: Cemented, primary, non-stemmed CCK-TKA offered comparable clinico-radiographic results to PS-TKA at short-term follow-up. Use of a semi-constrained insert without additional stems did not predispose to failure due to aseptic loosening with this implant design. Moreover, the rate of revision due to instability was lowered. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective cohort study, Level III.

Progressive migration of broken Kirschner wire into the proximal tibia following tension-band wiring technique of a patellar fracture--case report.

Wire breakage and migration is a known complication of using a wire tension band construct to treat displaced patella fractures. We report a case of a broken K-wire that migrated from the patella completely into the proximal tibia without complication 9 years after the index surgery. This report highlights the fact that wire migration can occur long after fracture healing and be relatively asymptomatic. But because the complications of wire migration can be deadly, it requires diligence on the part of the physician to educate the patient that new knee pain after operative fixation requires formal evaluation by the treating surgeon.

Catastrophic failure of a metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty secondary to metal inlay dissociation.

Metal-on-metal bearing surfaces in total hip arthroplasty have been recently shown to have acceptable survivorship properties (J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2006;88:1183; J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2006;88:1173), and they have certain advantages and disadvantages when compared to conventional metal-on-polyethylene bearing surfaces. Like traditional metal-on-polyethylene bearings, these metal-on-metal implants may also suffer from catastrophic failure. This case report represents an unusual situation in a 57-year-old man in which dissociation of a metal inlay in a metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty resulted in articulation of the inferior aspect of the inlay with the femoral neck, leading to femoral neck notching, extensive periprosthetic soft tissue metallosis, osteolysis, and subsequent prosthetic catastrophic failure.

Choroidal neovascularization in a young, healthy eye after LASIK.

BACKGROUND: Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) is associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), degenerative myopia, angioid streaks, presumed ocular histoplasmosis syndrome, and numerous other ocular and systemic conditions. Idiopathic CNV is also a common form of the condition. However, CNV has rarely been noted after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and a cause-and-effect relationship has not been found. A case of CNV after uneventful LASIK is reported here, along with a literature review of previously reported cases and suggested pathophysiology. A link between LASIK and CNV is sought. METHODS: A case report of CNV in a young, healthy eye after uneventful LASIK is presented. Review of the pertinent literature reporting a relationship between LASIK and CNV was conducted through 2007, and few studies are reported after 2005. CONCLUSION: To date, there is anecdotal evidence of CNV after LASIK. The incidence from prior reports ranges from 0.003% to 0.33%. However, a causal link cannot be disregarded and merits further study. Each patient undergoing LASIK warrants a thorough preoperative dilated fundus examination, including a thorough examination of the macula. This occurrence, albeit rare, should be considered for inclusion in the refractive surgery consent form.

Fracture of fully coated echelon femoral stems in revision total hip arthroplasty.

Three cases of fractured uncemented, fully porous Echelon femoral stems (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, Tenn) are examined. Fracture of these components, an uncommon complication of revision hip surgery, is thought to result from cantilever bending after distal bony ingrowth. The stems in these cases fractured at 11, 22, and 28 months after revision surgery. Risk factors include increased body weight, excessive activity, an undersized stem, varus alignment, inadequate proximal femoral bone stock, and metallurgic defects. Extraction can be difficult and is often accomplished with the use of multiple trephines or via tamping through a distal cortical window.

Injection of an intraocular lens in an eye without capsular support.

We describe a technique that can be used to facilitate posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) placement with iris fixation in cases with compromised capsular support. This procedure allows injection of an IOL through an unenlarged clear corneal incision. A safety net suture is temporarily fixed in the posterior chamber to act as a surrogate capsule. This suture supports the IOL while the surgeon injects it and secures it to the iris. The addition of this single step facilitates the remainder of the procedure and potentially makes it safer.