Patellar bone defect grafting does not reduce anterior knee pain after bone-patellar tendon-bone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

PURPOSE: Donor site morbidity is the main drawback to using bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) as a graft in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The objective of the study was to determine whether refilling the patellar bone defect after BPTB harvesting with autograft bone decreased kneeling pain to a greater degree when compared with a group in which bone defect is left unaddressed. METHODS: This is a randomised single-blinded controlled study. Forty patients were randomised into two groups; group 1: Patellar bone defect filled with autologous bone; group 2: Bone defect left undressed. Pain was measured by means of pressure algometry (PA). Functional outcomes were measured with the Kujala and Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella (VISA-P) score. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was done to measure bone buildup between groups at the 1-year follow-up. RESULTS: No differences were observed in the different algometry measurements and the scores were assessed at 3, 6 and 12 months postoperatively. The ratio of void filled remained consistently higher (p = 0.003) in group 1 when compared to group 2. CONCLUSIONS: Although refilling the lower pole of the patella with autologous bone from the harvested BPTB autograft loads the bone defect, it does not reduce pain at the donor site 1 year after surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study level 1.

Beyond the patella: Treatment of cam femoroacetabular impingement syndrome improves anterior knee pain.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate if there is a relationship between cam femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (cam-FAIS) and chronic anterior knee pain (AKP). METHODS: This is a pilot retrospective review of 12 AKP patients with no structural anomalies in the patellofemoral joint and no skeletal malalignment in the lower limbs. All the patients were resistant to proper conservative treatment for AKP (AKP-R). Subsequently, these patients developed pain in the ipsilateral hip several months later, and upon evaluation, were diagnosed with cam-FAIS. Arthroscopic femoral osteoplasty and labral repair were performed and clinical follow-up of hip and knee pain and function (Kujala Score and Non-arthritic Hip Score -NAHS-) was carried out. RESULTS: All the patients showed improvement in the knee and hip pain scores with a statistically significant clinical difference in all of them at 69 months follow up (range: 18 to 115) except one patient without improvement in the groin VAS score post-operatively. Visual analogical scale (VAS) of knee pain improved from 6.3 (range: 5 to 8) to a postoperative 0.5 (range: 0 to 3.5), (p â€‹< â€‹0.001). The VAS of groin pain improved from 4.4 (range: 2 to 8) to a postoperative 0.9 (range: 0 to 3), (p â€‹< â€‹0.001). NAHS improved from a preoperative 67.9 (range: 28.7 to 100) to a postoperative 88 (range: 70 to 100), (p â€‹< â€‹0.015) and knee Kujala's score improved from a preoperative 48.7 (range: 22 to 71) to a postoperative 96 (range: 91 to 100), (p â€‹< â€‹0.001). CONCLUSION: This study's principal finding suggests an association between cam-FAIS and AKP-R in young patients who exhibit normal knee imaging and lower limbs skeletal alignment. Addressing cam-FAIS in these cases leads to resolution of both groin and knee pain, resulting in improved functional outcomes for both joints. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort series with a single contemporaneous long-term follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Patients lose weight after a total knee arthroplasty: myth or reality?

BACKGROUND: Obesity is one of most discussed factors when assessing prosthetic knee surgery outcomes. Prior to the procedure, most patients perceive that their excessive weight is secondary to the low level of activity due to limiting knee pain. OBJECTIVES: The main objective of this study was to assess whether patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) lose weight after the procedure. The secondary objective was to correlate weight loss with post-operative knee function. METHODS: A prospective observational study was designed including 247 patients who undergone TKA from January 2018 to January 2019. A significant change in weight was considered anything above or below 5% of the pre-operative weight. Three groups were established based on a change in weight: loss of more than 5%, those who did not pass above or below 5% of their initial weight and increase of more than 5%. Follow-up was carried out at 12 months after the intervention assessing patient's BMI (kg/m2), functional level (KSS), weight loss expectations, and range of motion. RESULTS: Among the total population, 17 (6.9%) lost weight, 168 (68%) did not have a change, and 62 (25.1%) increased weight at one year follow-up. The mean pre-operative BMI was 31.5 kg/m2, and mean postoperative BMI was 31.98 kg/m2. Furthermore, obese patients were more likely to present weight reduction than non-obese (p = 0.01). When comparing functional results between groups, no differences were observed in terms of KSS-K and KSS-F. CONCLUSION: Patients who undergo TKA do not lose weight one year after surgery. When correlating weight loss with post-operative outcomes, no differences were observed between groups.

Preoperative muscle thickness influences muscle activation after arthroscopic knee surgery.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the correlation between preoperative quadriceps femoris muscle thickness and postoperative neuromuscular activation and quadriceps femoris strength in patients with and without patellofemoral pain after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. METHODS: A series of 120 patients were prospectively analysed in a longitudinal cohort study of patients scheduled for arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. The patellofemoral pain group included patients who developed anterior knee pain after surgery while the control group included those who had not done so. Patients with preoperative patellofemoral pain, previous knee surgeries as well as those on whom additional surgical procedures had been performed were excluded. Of the 120 initially included in the study, 90 patients were analysed after the exclusions. RESULTS: There is a direct correlation between preoperative quadriceps femoris muscle thickness and the neuromuscular activity values and the strength of the muscle at 6 weeks after surgery. These results were seen exclusively in the group of patients who do not develop patellofemoral pain (0.543, p = 0.008). The group of patients who developed anterior knee pain in the postoperative period did not show this correlation (n.s.). CONCLUSION: In patients without patellofemoral pain after meniscectomy, the greater the preoperative thickness of the quadriceps femoris, the more postoperative neuromuscular activation and strength they had. This correlation did not occur in those patients who develop patellofemoral pain after meniscal surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Electric Scooter-Related Injuries: A New Epidemic in Orthopedics.

BACKGROUND: The use of electric scooters has increased considerably as they are an accessible means of transportation. The number of injuries from falls and collisions has risen significantly. Therefore, the aim of the study was to describe demographics injury patterns of electric scooter accidents produced over one year. METHODS: A prospective observational study of electric scooter- related injuries presented in the emergency room from May 2019 until May 2020. The inclusion criteria was based on the direct cause of injury produced while an electric scooter was in use. Demographic data, the use of a helmet or the lack thereof, accident mechanism, injury time, type of injury produced, and the treatment applied were collected. RESULTS: Over the study period, 397 patients were identified with a total of 422 injuries. The mean age was 30.8 years, with 12.6% of patients being minors. The patients mainly presented in evening hours and in summertime at the emergency department. Of the total injuries seen, 46.9% were fractures. Some 25% of the total cases required surgery. Only 19% of the riders wore a helmet at the time of the accident. Most of the fractures were to the upper limbs (62.6%). There was a greater incidence of radius fractures. CONCLUSION: Injuries incurred while using electric scooters are an emerging phenomenon, despite existing regulations. In this study, most injuries occurred in young men and were due to falls from the vehicle. Nearly half of those injuries were fractures to the upper limbs. Surprisingly, 50% of the fractures required surgery.

Patellofemoral Pain After Arthroscopy: Muscle Atrophy Is Not Everything.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear as to why patellofemoral pain (PFP) appears in some patients after knee arthroscopy and what influence the quadriceps muscle has on its onset. PURPOSE: To compare muscle thickness, neuromuscular contractility, and quadriceps femoris muscle strength between patients who develop PFP after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and a control group and to compare functional outcomes between these entities. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A prospective longitudinal cohort study was carried out on patients scheduled for arthroscopic partial meniscectomy. Patients were excluded if they had preoperative PFP, previous knee surgery, or additional surgical procedures (eg, meniscal repair or microfracture). The following were performed preoperatively: magnetic resonance imaging to quantify muscle thickness, surface electromyography to analyze electrical contractility, and an isokinetic study to assess the strength of the quadriceps femoris muscle. Patients also completed a Lysholm functional questionnaire. Six weeks after the index procedure, patients were questioned about the presence of PFP, and the same tests were repeated. The PFP group included patients who developed anterior knee pain postoperatively, while the control group included those who did not develop pain. RESULTS: Of 90 initial study patients, 20 were included in the PFP group (23.8%) and 64 in the control group (76.2%); 6 patients were lost to follow-up. Both study groups were comparable on all of the analyzed preoperative variables. Patients in the PFP group had worse results in terms of muscle thickness (9.67 vs 16.55 cm2), electrical contractility (1226.30 vs 1946.11 µV), and quadriceps strength (12.27 vs 20.02 kg; all P < .001). They also presented worse functional results on the Lysholm score (63.05 vs 74.45; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients who developed PFP after arthroscopic partial meniscectomy had more quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy as well as a greater decrease in electrical contractility and muscle strength at 6 weeks postsurgically as compared with a control group. The PFP group also had worse postoperative functional results.

Poor outcomes and satisfaction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis surgery: the relevance of the body mass index and self-image.

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) to determine whether a low body mass index (BMI) influences surgery outcomes and satisfaction. METHODS: There were 39 patients in this prospective 3-year cohort study. The BMI, Cobb angle, the Body Shape Questionnaire 14 (BSQ-14), the Scoliosis Research Society Questionnaire 22 (SRS-22) and eight satisfaction questions results were obtained. Having a BMI greater than or less than 18 kg/m(2) was used as a determiner to allocate patients to groups. As a low BMI is related to the presence of a disturbance in body perception, patients were also dichotomized by using the BSQ-14. RESULTS: All scales were worse in both slimmer patients and the group with a body perception disorder. The group with a BMI <18 kg/m(2) obtained a total of 82.31 points in the SRS-22, and it was 93.45 points for the group with a BMI >18 kg/m(2) (p = 0.001). In terms of satisfaction, the percentage of patients that would undergo surgery again was 30.8 vs 69.2 % (p = 0.054). Patients with an alteration of physical perception obtained a total SRS-22 of 82.90 points versus 96.10 points in the control group (p < 0.001). No differences in terms of the Cobb correction (p = 0.29) or the percentage of correction (p = 0.841) were found in any case. CONCLUSION: The alteration of physical perception and a low BMI negatively affect the outcomes in AIS surgery, regardless of the curve magnitude and the percentage of correction. Considerable care should be taken in recommending surgical correction to these patients.