Osteochondral Autograft Transfer for Treatment of Metacarpophalangeal and Interphalangeal Cartilage Defects.

There is no general consensus regarding the optimal surgical treatment for cartilage defects of the metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints in active patients who wish to preserve motion and functionality. We describe our technique of arthroscopically harvested femoral osteochondral autograft for treatment of metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal cartilage defects.

Comparing Morbidities of Bone Graft Harvesting from the Olecranon Process and the Distal Radius.

UNLABELLED: The aim of this study is to compare donor-site morbidities between patients who underwent bone graft harvesting from either the olecranon process (OP) or the distal radius (DR). METHODS: We evaluated 44 patients who underwent bone graft harvesting from the OP (25 cases) or the DR (19 cases) for various procedures in the ipsilateral upper extremity. Follow-up averaged 14 (OP group) and 19 months (DR group). Outcome measures included visual analog scales (VAS) for graft harvest-site pain and scar appearance, joint motion, and x-rays of the graft harvest and recipient sites. The VAS scores ranged from 0 to 10 with a low score reflecting no pain and excellent satisfaction and a high score reflecting severe pain and poor satisfaction. RESULTS: The VAS scores for pain averaged 0.4 (OP) and 0.5 (DR), and the VAS scores for scar appearance averaged 0.3 (OP) and 0.7 (DR). These differences were not significant. Within each group, there were no significant differences between the operative and nonoperative limbs for elbow or wrist motion. Early graft harvest-site complications involved 1 superficial wound infection (OP) and 1 wound dehiscence (DR). A graft harvest-site defect was detected by x-ray in 84% of OP cases and in 67% of DR cases. Bone healing at the graft recipient sites was observed in more than 87% of cases in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Bone graft harvesting from either the OP or the DR led to comparable patient- and evaluator-determined outcomes with low risks of complications. Surgeons can safely use either option.

Surgical Techniques for Correction of Traumatic Hyperextension Instability of the Proximal Interphalangeal Joint: A Biomechanical Study.

PURPOSE: To compare the biomechanical strengths of 5 surgical techniques for treatment of traumatic hyperextension instability of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint. METHODS: Thirty-six cadaveric fingers were randomly assigned to 6 groups: normal control, volar plate repair, flexor digitorum superficialis tenodesis (FDST), single lateral band transfer (SLBT), double lateral band transfer, and dual split lateral band transfer. For each experimental specimen, the volar plate and accessory collateral ligaments were transected, the PIP joint was hyperextended to 90°, and a PIP joint stabilizing procedure was completed. The ultimate strength of each procedure was ascertained by loading to failure, and the fingers were dissected to determine the pathoanatomy of failure. Force-displacement curves were used to estimate the stiffness of each group, and multiple pairwise statistical comparisons were performed. RESULTS: The mean PIP joint stiffness in the control group was significantly greater than the mean PIP joint stiffness in the FDST and SLBT groups, but not significantly different from the mean PIP joint stiffness in the other 3 groups. There were no significant differences in the mean PIP joint stiffness between the 5 joint stabilizing techniques. The SLBT, double lateral band transfer, and dual split lateral band transfer repairs all failed by massive disruption of the flexor tendon sheath, whereas the volar plate repairs and FDST repairs failed by either suture anchor pullout or suture breakage. CONCLUSIONS: The stiffness of 5 surgical techniques to stabilize a traumatic hyperextensible PIP joint did not vary significantly. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The 5 described techniques to stabilize a posttraumatic PIP joint hyperextension deformity may provide for equal restraint to PIP joint hyperextension instability in the early postoperative period. The choice of procedure should take into consideration other factors not studied, including the potential for PIP joint flexion contracture and long-term durability.

Masquelet technique for treatment of segmental bone loss in the upper extremity.

A relatively simple technique to address large segmental bone defects in the upper extremity is described, along with a case example.

Performance-based outcomes after nonoperative treatment, discectomy, and/or fusion for a lumbar disc herniation in National Hockey League athletes.

BACKGROUND: Ice hockey players have a high incidence of lumbar spine disorders; however, there is no evidence in the literature to guide the treatment of an ice hockey player with a herniated lumbar disc. PURPOSE: To determine the performance-based outcomes in professional National Hockey League (NHL) athletes with a lumbar disc herniation after either nonsurgical or surgical treatment. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiological study. METHODS: Athletes in the NHL with a lumbar disc herniation were identified through team injury reports and archives on public record. The return-to-play rate, games played per season, points per game, and performance score for each player were determined before and after the diagnosis of a lumbar disc herniation. Statistical analysis was used to compare preinjury and postinjury performance measures for players treated with either nonsurgical or surgical treatment. RESULTS: A total of 87 NHL players met the inclusion criteria; 31 underwent nonoperative care, 48 underwent a discectomy, and 8 underwent a single-level fusion. The return-to-play rate for all players was 85%. There was a significant decrease in performance in all players after a lumbar disc herniation in games played per season, points scored per game, and performance score. A comparison of the posttreatment results for the nonsurgical and surgical patient groups revealed no significant difference in performance measures. Notably, the lumbar fusion group did not show a decrease in games played per season or performance score after surgery, likely secondary to a small sample size. CONCLUSION: National Hockey League players with a lumbar disc herniation have a high return-to-play rate regardless of the type of treatment; however, performance-based outcomes may decrease compared with preinjury levels. The study data suggest that a lumbar fusion is compatible with a return to play in the NHL, which is in contrast to other professional sports.

The Professional Athlete Spine Initiative: outcomes after lumbar disc herniation in 342 elite professional athletes.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Although clinical outcomes after lumbar disc herniations (LDHs) in the general population have been well studied, those in elite professional athletes have not. Because these athletes have different measures of success, studies on long-term outcomes in this patient population are necessary. PURPOSE: This study seeks to define the outcomes after an LDH in a large cohort of professional athletes of American football, baseball, hockey, and basketball. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective cohort study. PATIENT SAMPLE: A total of 342 professional athletes from four major North American sports from 1972 to 2008 diagnosed with an LDH were identified via a previously published protocol. Two hundred twenty-six players underwent lumbar discectomy, and 116 athletes were treated nonoperatively. Only those players who had at least 2 years of follow-up were included. OUTCOME MEASURES: Functional outcome measures as defined by successful return-to-play (RTP), career games, and years played for each player cohort were recorded both before and after treatment. Conversion factors based on games/regular season and expected career length (based on individual sport) were used to standardize the outcomes across each sport. METHODS: Using Statistical Analysis Software v. 9.1, outcome measures were compared in each cohort both before and after treatment using linear and mixed regression analyses and Cox proportional hazards models. A Kaplan-Meier survivorship curve was calculated for career length after injury. Statistical significance was defined as p<.05. RESULTS: After the diagnosis of an LDH, professional athletes successfully returned to sport 82% of the time, with an average career length of 3.4 years. Of the 226 patients who underwent surgical treatment, 184 successfully returned to play (81%), on average, for 3.3 years after surgery. Survivorship analysis demonstrated that 62.3% of players were expected to remain active 2 years after diagnosis. There were no statistically significant differences in outcome in the surgical and nonoperative cohorts. Age at diagnosis was a negative predictor of career length after injury, whereas games played before injury had a positive effect on outcome after injury. Major League Baseball (MLB) players demonstrated a significantly higher RTP rate than those of other sports, and conversely, National Football League (NFL) athletes had a lower RTP rate than players of other sports (p<.05). However, the greatest positive treatment effect from surgery for LDH was seen in NFL players, whereas for MLB athletes, a lumbar discectomy led to a shorter career compared with the nonoperative cohort (p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Professional athletes diagnosed with an LDH successfully returned to play at a high rate with productive careers after injury. Whereas older athletes have a shorter career length after diagnosis of LDH, experienced players (high number of games played) demonstrate more games played after treatment than inexperienced athletes. Notably, surgical treatment in baseball players led to significantly shorter careers, whereas for NFL athletes, posttreatment careers were longer than those of the corresponding nonoperative cohort. The explanation for this is likely multifactorial, including the age at diagnosis, respective contractual obligations, and different physical demands imposed by each individual professional sport.