Neoadjuvant Therapy and Axillary Lymph Node Status in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Based on an estimating model, the aim of our study was to evaluate the axillary lymph node involvement of patients with primary invasive early human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer before receiving neoadjuvant therapy (NAT). Patients with primary surgery (n = 63) were compared with patients who had received NAT (combined chemo/HER2-targeted antibody therapy) before surgery (n = 152). In patients receiving NAT, a positive N stage was estimated in 73.2 (49.8%) tumors resulting in a conversion (positive N stage-ypNpositive) of 35.5%. In 126 cases with ypN0 stage, a positive N stage was estimated in 41.4%.

Axillary lymph node status and invasive lobular breast cancer : Analysis of the Clinical Tumor Register of the AGO Austria.

BACKGROUND: Invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) represents the second most common type of invasive breast cancer (BC). Although ILC generally have good prognostic properties (positive estrogen receptor, ER, low tumor grade), they are generally diagnosed at a more advanced stage. The data on the axillary lymph node status in ILC compared to invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) are considered controversial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the pathological node stage (pN) between ILC and IDC in an Austria-wide register. METHODS: Data of the Clinical Tumor Register (Klinisches TumorRegister, KTR) of the Austrian Association for Gynecological Oncology (AGO) were retrospectively analyzed. Patients with primary early BC, invasive lobular or ductal, diagnosed between January 2014 and December 2018, and primary surgery were included. A total of 2127 tumors were evaluated and compared in 2 groups, ILC n = 303, IDC n = 1824. RESULTS: A total of 2095 patients were analyzed in the study. In the multivariate analysis, pN2 and pN3 were observed significantly more frequently in ILC compared with IDC (odds ratio, OR 1.93; 95% confidence interval, CI 1.19-3.14; p = 0.008 and OR 3.22; 95% CI: 1.47-7.03; p = 0.003; respectively). Other factors associated with ILC were tumor grades 2 and 3, positive ER, and pathological tumor stage (pT) 2 and pT3. In contrast, concomitant ductal carcinoma in situ, overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), and a moderate and high proliferation rate (Ki67) were found less frequently in ILC. CONCLUSION: The data show an increased risk of extensive axillary lymph node metastasis (pN2/3) in ILC.

Infraspinatus shift for massive, posterosuperior tears yields good clinical outcome.

AIM: To evaluate the functional outcome of partial reconstruction margin convergence in the treatment of massive, irreparable posterosuperior rotator cuff tear (RCT). METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study included all patients that were operated by means of a partial repair and infraspinatus shift for a massive, posterosuperior cuff tear between 2009 and 2016, either in arthroscopic or mini-open technique. Outcome measures included sex- and age-adapted Constant Score (saCS), Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) Index, Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Scores (DASH), and relative effect per patient (REPP). RESULTS: Fifty-six shoulders in 54 patients (mean age: 66 ± 7 years) were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 40 ± 9 months. The mean tear size was Bateman 3.1 ± 0.7 and Patte 2.3 ± 0.4. All clinical scores showed improvement. The saCS improved from 64.1 ± 13.4 to 90.4 ± 13.7 (p < 0.0001), the DASH score from 51.8 ± 9.4 to 10.2 ± 13.4 (p < 0.0001) and the WORC index from 47.1% ± 8.6 to 87.9% ± 13.7 (p < 0.0001). The abduction strength of the affected side (1.7 ± 1.6 kg) was not restored to the same level as the contralateral side (5.4 ± 2.7 kg, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Partial cuff repair for posterosuperior, massive cuff tears yields good clinical outcome with a low rate of complications and high proportion of good and excellent responders. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Standardized Rehabilitation or Individual Approach?-A Retrospective Analysis of Early Rehabilitation Protocols after Isolated Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

(1) Background: Isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tears represent a severe type of injury. In hospitals, PCL reconstruction (PCL-R) is less frequently performed than other types of knee surgery. It is unclear whether there is consensus among surgeons on how to perform rehabilitation after PCL-R or if there are different, more individual approaches in daily routines. (2) Methods: Rehabilitation protocols and their main criteria (the progression of weight bearing and range of motion, the use of knee braces, rehabilitation training, and sports-specific training) were retrospectively analyzed after PCL-R. (3) Results: Only 33 of 120 (27.5%) analyzed institutes use rehabilitation protocols after PCL-R. The applied protocols showed vast differences between the individual rehabilitation criteria, especially with regard to the progression of weight bearing and the range of motion. The only standardized recommendations were the obligatory use of knee braces and the general restriction of weight bearing and range of motion immediately post-surgery. Therefore, because of the lack of a consensus about a standardized rehabilitation protocol after PCL-R, no recommendation can be made on one particular protocol. (4) Conclusion: There is no acknowledged standardized rehabilitation protocol after PCL-R. In clinical practice, recommendations are influenced by, i.a., surgeons' opinions and experience. The lack of scientific evidence on a particular standardized rehabilitation protocol after PCL-R suggests that rehabilitation protocols need to be tailored to the individual patient.

Epidemiological analysis of injury occurrence and current prevention strategies on international amateur football level during the UEFA Regions Cup 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Football is the most popular sport worldwide and results in a high frequency of injuries. So far, mainly injuries in professional football have been investigated, and the literature lacks data regarding detailed injury epidemiology and current prevention data in amateur football tournaments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective cohort study investigated an international amateur football tournament, the UEFA Regions' Cup, which took place in 2019 in Germany. Injury epidemiology, current prevention strategies of the teams and the implementation of the UEFA concussion protocol were investigated in detail by means of standardized injury definitions and data samples for football (Fuller et al., Scand J Med Sci Sports 16:83-92, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0838.2006.00528.x , 2006). RESULTS: 138 player of 8 teams participated in this study, while 39 players were excluded. Overall injury incidence was 12.5 per 1000 h total football exposure, 43.5 per 1000 h for match exposure. No injuries were registered during training. Injury prevalence was 14.1% per player and 1.1 injuries per match were registered. The lower extremity was predominantly affected by injuries (71.4%) and the majority of injuries (78.6%) were non-severe injury types like contusions (50%) and sprains (18.2%). Two head injuries, one contusion and one skin lesion, were handled by the guidelines of the UEFA concussion protocol. 44.4% of the players indicated at least one previous injury before tournament, 45.3% of them during the last two football seasons before start of the tournament. Injury prevention performance was included in all participating teams during the tournament by warm up or training strategies (100%). During the warm-up program just 5 exercises of the FIFA 11 + program was detected by this investigation in participating teams to be done by more half of the teams. Running exercises were the most frequently performed exercises, while trunk muscle exercises were less represented (14.3%). CONCLUSION: This study presents for the first time epidemiological injury and prevention data of the UEFA Regions Cup. Injury incidence was higher compared to injury reports of regular seasons, but lower compared to other amateur football tournaments. Currently used prevention programs revealed trunk muscle exercises as often neglected.

Higher risk of ACL rupture in amateur football compared to professional football: 5-year results of the 'Anterior cruciate ligament-registry in German football'.

PURPOSE: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are a common severe type of football injury at all levels of play. A football-specific ACL registry providing both prospective ACL injury data according to the skill level and risk factors for ACL injury is lacking in the literature. METHODS: This study is based on the prospective 'ACL registry in German Football' implemented in the 2014-15 season. Professional (1st-3rd league), semi-professional (4th-6th league) and amateur leagues (7th league) were analysed regarding the incidence and risk factors for ACL injuries. Injuries were registered according to the direct reports of the injured players to the study office and double-checked via media analysis. After injury registration, the players received a standardised questionnaire. Data were analysed from the 2014-15 to the 2018-19 football season. RESULTS: Overall, 958 ACL injuries were registered during the 5-year study period. The incidence of ACL injuries was highest in amateur football (0.074/1000 h football exposure) compared to professional (0.058/1000 h; p < 0.0001) and semi-professional football (0.043/1000 h; p < 0.0001). At all skill levels, match incidence (professional: 0.343; semi-professional: 0.249; amateur: 0.319) was significantly higher than training incidence (professional: 0.015; semi-professional: 0.004; amateur: 0.005). Major risk factors were previous ACL injury (mean: 23.3%), other knee injuries (mean: 19.3%) and move to a higher league (mean: 24.2%). CONCLUSION: This sports-specific ACL registry provides detailed information on the incidence and risk factors for ACL injuries in football over five years. Risk factors are skill level, match exposure, move to a higher league and previous knee injury. These factors offer potential starting points for screening at-risk players and applying targeted prevention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

The clinical use of bone graft substitutes in orthopedic surgery in Germany-A 10-years survey from 2008 to 2018 of 1,090,167 surgical interventions.

Aim of the study was to evaluate (1) the overall use of bone graft substitutes, autografts and allografts, (2) of different types of bone graft substitutes (calcium sulfate, calcium phosphate, calcium phosphate ceramics or polymethyl methacrylate) and of different bone grafts (cancellous vs. cortical), and (3) the use of antibiotic-loading of bone graft substitutes in orthopedic surgery in Germany. Gross data were provided from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany and revealed an overall increase in bone defect reconstruction procedures using bone graft substitutes, autografts and allografts from 86,294 in 2008 to 99,863 cases in 2018 (+15.7%). The relative use of bone graft substitutes for these interventions strongly increased from 11.8% in 2008 (10,163 cases) to 23.9% in 2018 (23,838 cases) with an increase of +134.4%. Furthermore, antibiotic-loaded bone graft substitutes were implanted more frequently with an overall increase of +194% (2008: n = 2,657; 2018: n = 7,811). The work shows an increasing use of bone graft substitutes and antibiotic-loaded bone graft substitutes over the last 10 years in Germany.

Tenomodulin knockout mice exhibit worse late healing outcomes with augmented trauma-induced heterotopic ossification of Achilles tendon.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) represents a common problem after tendon injury with no effective treatment yet being developed. Tenomodulin (Tnmd), the best-known mature marker for tendon lineage cells, has important effects in tendon tissue aging and function. We have reported that loss of Tnmd leads to inferior early tendon repair characterized by fibrovascular scaring and therefore hypothesized that its lack will persistently cause deficient repair during later stages. Tnmd knockout (Tnmd-/-) and wild-type (WT) animals were subjected to complete Achilles tendon surgical transection followed by end-to-end suture. Lineage tracing revealed a reduction in tendon-lineage cells marked by ScleraxisGFP, but an increase in alpha smooth muscle actin myofibroblasts in Tnmd-/- tendon scars. At the proliferative stage, more pro-inflammatory M1 macrophages and larger collagen II cartilaginous template were detected in this group. At the remodeling stage, histological scoring revealed lower repair quality in the injured Tnmd-/- tendons, which was coupled with higher HO quantified by micro-CT. Tendon biomechanical properties were compromised in both groups upon injury, however we identified an abnormal stiffening of non-injured Tnmd-/- tendons, which possessed higher static and dynamic E-moduli. Pathologically thicker and abnormally shaped collagen fibrils were observed by TEM in Tnmd-/- tendons and this, together with augmented HO, resulted in diminished running capacity of Tnmd-/- mice. These novel findings demonstrate that Tnmd plays a protecting role against trauma-induced endochondral HO and can inspire the generation of novel therapeutics to accelerate repair.

Surgical Drill Guide for Insertion of an Infra-Acetabular Screw Based on an Anatomically Precontoured Plate System: A Cadaveric Study.

PURPOSE: Due to the anatomic structure of the pelvis, free-hand placement of screws in the acetabular fracture management can be difficult. Infra-acetabular screw fixation increases acetabular stability by distal fixation of the cup. Aim of this cadaveric study is to investigate if a plate-referenced drill guide can provide save placement of an infra-acetabular screw over a precontoured suprapectineal quadrilateral buttress plate (SQBP). METHODS: We constructed a drill guide for an infra-acetabular screw based on the surface of an anatomically precontoured SQBP. A total of 12 adult cadaveric acetabular specimens were used for drill guide-assisted placement of the infra-acetabular screw. The drill guide contains a radiopaque spiral to allow longitudinal fine adjustment of the SQBP along the pelvic brim to assure correct position of the plate-drill-guide construct in relation to the Koehler's teardrop. After screw placement, we conducted a computed tomography (CT) scan of all specimens to assess the actual position of the screw in relation of the infra-acetabular corridor and the acetabular joint surface. RESULTS: The position of the screw was within the infra-acetabular corridor in all cases. We did not see any intra-articular or intrapelvic screw penetration. The mean distance of the centerline of the screw to the medial border of the infra-acetabular corridor was 3.35 mm. The secure distance to the virtual surface of the femoral head to was 7.3 mm. CONCLUSIONS: A plate-referenced drill guide can provide safe placement of an infra-acetabular screw for treatment of acetabular fractures. Radiographic fine adjustment is necessary to access the optimal entry point.

Invasive lobular carcinoma: clinicopathological features and subtypes.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the characteristics of invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) compared with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and to investigate the impact of histology on axillary lymph node (ALN) involvement in luminal A subtype tumors. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed patients diagnosed with ILC or IDC from 2012 to 2016 who underwent surgery. Patients constituted 493 primary early breast cancer cases (82 ILC; 411 IDC). RESULTS: Compared with IDC, ILC tumors were significantly more likely to be grade 2, estrogen receptor- (ER) positive (+), have a lower proliferation rate (Ki67 <14%), and a higher pathological T stage (pT2-4). The luminal A subtype was significantly more common in ILC compared with IDC. In a multivariate regression model, grade 2, ER+, progesterone receptor-positive, pT2, and pT3 were significantly associated with ILC. Additionally, with the luminal A subtype, ALN involvement (pathological node stage (pN)1-3) was significantly more frequent with ILC versus IDC. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that grade 2, positive hormone receptor status, and higher pathological T stage are associated with ILC. With the luminal A subtype, ALN involvement was more frequent with ILC versus IDC.

Long-term patient-related quality of life after fracture-related infections of the long bones.

AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of fracture-related infection (FRI) on patients' physical health and psychological wellbeing. For this purpose, quality of life after successful surgical treatment of FRIs of long bones was assessed. METHODS: A total of 37 patients treated between November 2009 and March 2019, with achieved eradication of infection and stable bone consolidation after long bone FRI, were included. Quality of life was evaluated with the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D) and German Short-Form 36 (SF-36) outcome instruments as well as with an International Classification of Diseases of the World Health Organization (ICD)-10 based symptom rating (ISR) and compared to normative data. RESULTS: With a mean follow-up of 4.19 years (SD 2.7) after the last surgery, the mean SF-36 score was 40.1 (SD 14.6) regarding the physical health component and 48.7 (SD 5.1) regarding the mental health component, compared to German normative values of 48.4 (SD 9.2) (p < 0.001) and 50.9 (SD 8.8) (p = 0.143). The mean EQ-5D index reached 0.76 (SD 0.27) with a mean EQ-5D visual analogue scale (VAS) rating of 65.7 (SD 22.7) compared to reference scores of 0.88 (p < 0.001) and 72.9 (p < 0.001). Mean scores of the ISR did not reveal significant psychological symptom burden, while an individual analysis showed moderate to severe impairments in 21.6% (n = 8) of the patients. CONCLUSION: Even a mean 4.2 years (SD 2.7) after surgically successful treatment of FRI of long bones, patients report significantly lower quality of life in comparison to normative data. Future clinical studies on FRIs should focus on patient-related outcome measures enabling best possible shared treatment decision-making. Prevention methods and interdisciplinary approaches should be implemented to improve the overall quality of life of FRI patients. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(5):321-327.

"Anemia and Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients".

We analyzed the effect of anemia on tumor response of patients with primary invasive breast cancer (BC) receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The patient collective was very homogenous; finally, 74 BC patients with identical medication and duration of NACT were enrolled. After completion of NACT, 49 patients (66.2%) had a post-NACT Hb level <12 g/dl. In the anemic group, we found a tendency of lower median tumor response compared to nonanemic patients at this time (15 versus 17 mm, retrospectively, p = 0.18). Age at diagnosis significantly correlated with the difference of Hb [before initiation - after completion of NACT] (correlation coefficient = 0.40, p < 0.001).

Long-term patient-related quality of life after successfully treated aseptic non-unions of the long bones.

BACKGROUND: Non-union after fracture depicts a devastating complication in trauma surgery and studies assessing patient-reported outcome measures after stable bone consolidation are rare. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the long-term impact of aseptic long bone non-union on the patients' physical health state and psychological wellbeing. For this purpose, quality of life after successful surgical treatment of long bone non-union was assessed. METHODS: Sixty-one patients with aseptic long bone non-union surgically treated in our department between November 2009 and March 2019 with achieved bone consolidation were included. Quality of life was evaluated with the EQ-5D and SF-36 outcome instruments as well as with an ICD-10 based symptom rating (ISR) and compared to normative data. RESULTS: With a minimum follow-up time of one year after the last surgery (mean 4.7 ± 2.7 years) the mean physical health component score of the SF-36 was 38.9 ± 13.7 and the mean mental health component score of the SF-36 was 49.0 ± 5.9, indicating lower quality of life compared to German normative values of 48.4 ± 9.4 (p < .001) and 50.9 ± 8.8 (p = 1.61), respectively. The mean EQ-5D index value reached 0.827 ± 0.18 with an EQ-5D VAS rating of 64.4 ± 21.5 compared to scores of 0.922 (p < .001) and 72.9 ± 1.1 (p < .001) obtained from an age-matched reference population. Mean scores of the ISR did not reveal significant psychological symptom burden in any scale, while an individual analysis showed moderate to severe impairments in 11.5% of the patients in total. CONCLUSION: Even 4.7 years on average after surgically successful treatment of aseptic long bone non-union, patients still report significant lower quality of life in comparison to normative data. Future clinical studies on non-unions should focus on patient-related outcome measures. Newly emerging treatment strategies and interdisciplinary approaches should be implemented to improve the overall quality of life of non-union patients.

[Comparison of DRG revenues between fast and slow-track procedures for a two-stage replacement of prostheses for periprosthetic hip infections in the aG-DRG system 2020]. / Vergleich der DRG-Erlöse zwischen Fast- und Slow-Track-Verfahren beim zweizeitigen Prothesenwechsel bei periprothetischen Hüftinfektionen im aG-DRG-System 2020.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of periprosthetic hip infections is usually cost intensive, so it is generally not cost effective for hospitals. In chronic infections, a two-stage procedure is often indicated, which can be done as a fast-track procedure with a short prosthetic-free interim interval (2-4 weeks) or as a slow-track procedure with a long prosthetic-free interim interval (over 4 weeks). AIM: The aim of this study was to elucidate the revenue situation of both forms of treatment in the aG-DRG-System 2020, taking into account revenue-relevant influencing factors. METHODS: For fast-track and slow-track procedures with two-stage revision and detection of a staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), treatment cases were simulated using a grouper software (3M KODIP Suite) based on the diagnoses (ICD-10-GM) and procedures (OPS) and then grouped into DRGs. Revenue-relevant parameters, such as length of stay and secondary diagnoses (SD), were taken into account. In addition, two real treatment cases with fast-track and slow-track procedures were compared to each other. RESULTS: The total revenues for the slow-track procedure with a length of stay of 25 days (without SD) were 27,551 € and for a length of stay of 42 days (with SD) even 40,699 €, compared to 23,965 € with the fast-track procedure with a length of stay of 25 days (without SD) and 27,283 € for a length of stay of 42 days (with SD). The real treatment cases also showed a big difference in the total revenues of 12,244 € in favor of the slow-track procedure. DISCUSSION: Even in the aG-DRG-System 2020, the two-stage revision procedure with a long interim interval seems to be more interesting from a financial point of view and the hospital perspective compared to the fast-track procedure, especially with multimorbid patients. This creates a financial barrier to the treatment of such patients with a short interim interval.

Post-operative septic arthritis after arthroscopy: modern diagnostic and therapeutic concepts.

PURPOSE: Septic arthritis is a significant complication following arthroscopic surgery, with an estimated overall incidence of less than 1%. Despite the low incidence, an appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic pathway is required to avoid serious long-term consequences, eradicate the infection, and ensure good treatment outcomes. The aim of this current review article is to summarize evidence-based literature regarding diagnostic and therapeutic options of post-operative septic arthritis after arthroscopy. METHODS: Through a literature review, up-to-date treatment algorithms and therapies have been identified. Additionally, a supportive new algorithm is proposed for diagnosis and treatment of suspected septic arthritis following arthroscopic intervention. RESULTS: A major challenge in diagnostics is the differentiation of the post-operative status between a non-infected hyperinflammatory joint versus septic arthritis, due to clinical symptoms, (e.g., rubor, calor, or tumor) can appear identical. Therefore, joint puncture for microbiological evaluation, especially for fast leukocyte cell-count diagnostics, is advocated. A cell count of more than 20.000 leukocyte/µl with more than 70% of polymorphonuclear cells is the generally accepted threshold for septic arthritis. CONCLUSION: The therapy is based on arthroscopic or open surgical debridement for synovectomy and irrigation of the joint, in combination with an adequate antibiotic therapy for 6-12 weeks. Removal of indwelling hardware, such as interference screws for ACL repair or anchors for rotator cuff repair, is recommended in chronic cases. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

[Analysis of injury incidences in a trauma surgery university hospital during the SARS-CoV­2 pandemic]. / Analyse des Trauma-Aufkommens in einer unfallchirurgischen Universitätsklinik während der SARS-CoV­2-Pandemie.

INTRODUCTION: The corona crisis of 2020 posed previously unknown challenges to hospitals providing acute care. In addition to the treatment of COVID-19 patients, universities and other acute care hospitals had to provide emergency medical care, including for patients undergoing trauma surgery. The challenge was that no reliable planning figures were available regarding the expected volume for such a crisis situation and therefore no reliable resource planning was possible in this respect. Therefore, the aim of this work was to record the incidence of polytrauma and other injuries during the pandemic crisis in a university trauma surgery clinic and to compare it with the years 2017-2019. METHODS: In this single-center study, a retrospective analysis of the injury incidence during calendar weeks with existing exit restrictions (12th-19th week) for the year 2020 for trauma surgery patients of a university hospital was performed. At first, the treatment of COVID-19 patients was recorded daily in order to objectify the burden and expenditure of inpatient treatment for these patients. Then, for the evaluation period from 20.03.2020 to 06.05.2020, the numbers of 1. polytrauma, 2. work-related accidents and 3. leisure-related trauma patients were recorded and compared with the numbers from 2017-2019 during the same period. RESULTS: In total, 118 patients were treated with COVID-19 as inpatients during the period under study, of which up to 43 patients had to be treated simultaneously in intensive care on 1 day. Overall, the number of polytrauma, work-related accidents and leisure-time accident patients was lower in 2020 than in the previous years. Nevertheless, with a decline of only -28% (22 ± 4.9 vs. 16), a considerable number of polytrauma patients were recorded, while all work-related accidents (44%, 304 ± 31.3 vs. 170) and also leisure-time accidents (39%, 173 ± 22.7 vs. 106) considerably decreased. In the group of leisure-time accidents, there was initially a remarkable decline in the number of cases per week after the initial restrictions began, but as the duration of the restrictions increased, the number per week has risen to the level of previous years. DISCUSSION: Even in exceptional situations such as the corona pandemic, there were a significant number of patients in need of acute treatment, especially polytrauma patients. This should be considered in the future in the event of similar exceptional situations in the inpatient care framework when providing trauma surgery care capacities.

The Loop Tenodesis Procedure-From Biomechanics to First Clinical Results.

(1) Introduction: Several surgical therapy options for the treatment of pathologies of the long biceps tendon (LHB) have been established. However, tenotomy, as well as established tenodesis techniques, has disadvantages, such as cosmetic deformities, functional impairments and residual shoulder pain. This study presents the first clinical and structural results of the recently introduced loop tenodesis procedure for the LHB, developed to overcome these issues. (2) Methods: 37 patients (11 women, 26 men, mean age 52 years), who underwent loop tenodesis of the LHB were examined six months after surgery. For the clinical evaluation the Constant score, as well as the LHB score, were used, complemented by elbow flexion and supination strength measurements. The integrity of the tenodesis construct was evaluated indirectly by sonographic detection of the LHB in the bicipital groove. (3) Results: Both, the overall Constant score as well as the LHB score showed significant improvements six months postoperatively, as compared to the preoperative value. Fourteen patients (38%) presented an examiner-dependent upper arm deformity, although only five patients (13%) reported subjective cosmetic deformities. Both, flexion and supination strength were preserved compared to the preoperative level. In 35 patients (95%), the tenodesis in the bicipital groove was proofed sonographically. (4) Conclusion: The loop tenodesis of the LHB provides good-to-excellent overall clinical results after a short-term follow-up of six month. The incidence of cosmetic deformities was inferior compared to conventional therapy options (tenotomy and anchor tenodesis).

Reversed shoulder arthroplasty leads to significant histological changes of the deltoid muscle: a prospective intervention trial.

INTRODUCTION: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) shows promising short- and mid-term results in cuff tear arthropathy. However, functional impairments are described in long-term findings. Micromorphological changes in the periarticular musculature could be in part responsible for this, but have not yet been analysed. Thus, histological changes of the deltoid muscle and their association to the functional outcome were evaluated in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 15 patients treated with RSA were included in this prospective study. Functional outcome was assessed using the Constant Score (CS) and the DASH (disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand) Score before RSA and after a mean follow-up of 12 months. Deltoid muscle biopsies were harvested intraoperatively and 12 months postoperatively. Mean deltoid muscle fibre area (MMFA) was calculated histologically after haematoxylin-eosin staining. RESULTS: Postoperative shoulder function significantly improved within 12 months (CS: Δ 37.4 ± 22.6, p = 0.001; DASH: Δ 27.1 ± 29.1, p = 0.006). The MMFA significantly decreased (p = 0.02), comparing the results from the intraoperative biopsy (MMFA: 8435.8 µm2, SD ± 5995.9 µm2) to the 12 months biopsy (MMFA: 5792. µm2, SD ± 3223.6 µm2). No correlation could be found between the functional score results and MMFA. CONCLUSION: Signs of deltoid muscle changes in terms of a reduced MMFA can be detected 1 year after RSA and thus already a long time before long-term functional impairments become apparent. Further studies with larger patient series and longer follow-up periods as well as extended histological assessments and simultaneous radiological examinations are required.

Galleria mellonella as an alternative in vivo model to study bacterial biofilms on stainless steel and titanium implants

The purpose of this study was to establish an infection model of Galleria mellonella larvae as an alternative in vivo model for biofilm-associated infections on stainless steel and titanium implants. First, the model was established with sterile implants to evaluate biocompatibility. Titanium or stainless steel implants were implanted without adverse effects over the entire observation period of 5 days compared to controls and even up to the pupae and moth stage. Then, stainless steel and titanium implants contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus were implanted into larvae to mimic biofilm-associated infection. For both materials, pre-incubation of the implant with S. aureus led to significantly reduced survival of the larvae compared to sterile implants. Larvae could not be rescued by gentamicin, whereas gentamicin significantly improved the survival of the larvae in case of planktonic infection with S. aureus without an implant, confirming the typical character­istics of reduced antibiotic susceptibility of biofilm infections. Biofilm formation and various stages of biofilm maturation were confirmed by surface electron microscopy and by measuring bacterial gene expression of biofilm-related genes on contaminated implants, which confirmed biofilm formation and upregulation of autolysin (atl ) and sarA genes. In con­clusion, G. mellonella can be used as an alternative in vivo model to study biofilm-associated infections on stainless steel and titanium implants, which may help to reduce animal infection experiments with vertebrates in the future.

Early functional treatment or trivialization? - current treatment strategies in lateral ligament injuries of the ankle.

Introduction: Ankle injuries are common in daily orthopaedic trauma practice, with a high incidence of lateral ligament complex (lat-lig-com) injuries of the ankle joint (AJ). Primarily, these lat-lig-com injuries heal sufficiently, although there is a risk of developing chronic ankle instability. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the clinical application and routine for rehabilitation strategies so as to prevent chronic instability. This study investigates the current rehabilitation concepts in clinical routine after ligament injuries of the AJ. Methods: Rehabilitation protocols, provided by orthopaedic and trauma surgery institutions in German speaking countries, were analysed in terms of weight-bearing, range of motion (ROM), physiotherapy and choice of orthosis. All protocols for operatively and non-operatively (nop) treated ligament ruptures of the AJ were included. Results: 120 of 213 institutions provided protocols of lat-lig-com injuries of the AJ. Regarding the orthosis, the nop-treatment group mainly used ankle braces; in contrast, the operative group preferred the use of an ankle boot. The operative group recommends 6-12 weeks for duration of orthosis in contrast to only 6 weeks in the nop group. Significant differences prevail in ROM, with free ROM in non-operative treatment from the first day after trauma (p<0.001) in contrast to a careful increase in ROM in the first 6 weeks post-operatively. Conclusion: Early functional treatment is clinical standard in rehabilitation after lat-lig-com injuries of the ankle. Regarding current literature the differences of restrictions in ROM and orthosis treatment after lat-lig-com injuries suggest a trivialization of conservative treatment in the first period after trauma compared to post-operative aftercare.