Editorial Commentary: Borderline Hip Dysplasia Combined With Increased Anteversion and Ligamentum Teres Disruption Is a Recipe for Hip Microinstability.

The ligamentum teres (LT) is known to play a role as a secondary stabilizer of the hip joint. LT tears can be associated with hip instability. In patients with borderline developmental dysplasia of the hip (BDDH), the correlation between LT tears and microinstability is even more pronounced because of the increased mechanical stress placed on the ligament. This relationship may lead certain surgeons to consider new indications for LT reconstructions. However, caution is warranted regarding the potential role of LT reconstruction in these patients, particularly since the primary deficiency in BDDH is bony undercoverage. Addressing this bony undercoverage should be a primary consideration that may be supplemented with other procedures, which may include addressing soft-tissue injuries around the hip such as LT tears. This is especially the case in those patients with persistent symptoms after management of labral tears or LT disruption.

Risk factors for prolonged opioid consumption following hip arthroscopy: A secondary analysis of the Femoroacetabular Impingement RandomiSed controlled Trial and embedded cohort study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to identify prognostic risk factors for prolonged opioid use at 2 and 6 weeks after hip arthroscopy using data from the Femoroacetabular Impingement RandomiSed controlled Trial and its external validation cohort study. METHODS: Opioids were prescribed for postoperative pain management at the surgeon's discretion, with a majority being prescribed a combination of oxycodone and paracetamol (5/325 mg). Prolonged opioid use was defined as the ongoing use of any dosage of opioids reported at either 2 or 6 weeks after surgery to treat femoroacetabular impingement, as recorded in the patient's study medication log. Multivariable logistic regressions were performed to evaluate patient and surgical characteristics, such as preoperative opioid use, type of surgical procedure and intraoperative cartilage state that may be associated with prolonged opioid use at either 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively. RESULTS: A total of 265 and 231 patients were included for analysis at 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively, respectively. The median age of participants was 35 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 27-42) and 33% were female. At 2 weeks postoperatively, female sex (odds ratio [OR]: 2.56; 95% confidence interval: [CI] 1.34-4.98, p = 0.005), higher body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02-1.18, p = 0.009), active tobacco use (OR: 4.06; 95% CI: 1.90-8.97, p < 0.001), preoperative opioid use (OR: 10.1; 95% CI: 3.25-39.1, p < 0.001) and an Outerbridge classification of ≥3 (OR: 2.33; 95% CI: 1.25-4.43, p = 0.009) were significantly associated with prolonged opioid use. At 6 weeks postoperatively, only preoperative opioid use was significantly associated with prolonged opioid consumption (OR: 10.6; 95% CI: 3.60-32.6, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Preoperative opioid use was significantly associated with continued opioid use at 2 and 6 weeks postoperatively. Specific patient factors including female sex, higher BMI, active tobacco use and more severe cartilage damage should be considered in developing targeted strategies to limit opioid use after surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Moderate burden amongst caregivers posthip arthroscopy linked to younger caregiver age and task load: A cross-sectional survey study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the burden experienced by primary informal caregivers of patients who have undergone hip arthroscopy and to identify factors that predict increased caregiver burden. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a single academic hospital centre, enroling caregivers of patients who underwent hip arthroscopy between November 2018 and November 2023. Caregiver burden was assessed using the Caregiver Burden Inventory (CBI) survey. Multivariable linear regression models were used to identify predictors of caregiver burden, with the global CBI score serving as the primary outcome measure. Secondarily, open-ended survey questions were analyzed qualitatively to elucidate specific challenges and facilitators of caregiving, as reported by the caregivers themselves. RESULTS: The study involved 99 eligible caregivers (mean [standard deviation] age; 47 [11] years), 58% were female, and 85% were relatives of the patient. The median global CBI score was 13.0 (interquartile range: 8.0-22.4), indicating a moderate burden. Regression analyses demonstrated that younger caregiver age and a higher number of caregiving tasks were significant predictors of increased global burden. Additionally, nonweightbearing status of patients, female gender of caregivers and working full-time statistically significantly increased specific dimensions of caregiver burden. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the meaningful burden faced by caregivers of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy, despite its minimally invasive nature and outpatient setting. Identified risk factors such as younger caregiver age, female gender of the caregiver, nonweight-bearing status and increased caregiving tasks suggest targeted areas for intervention. The qualitative analysis revealed that caregivers struggle with time management and physical and emotional strain, yet better communication and practical support from healthcare teams could help to alleviate these challenges. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, prognostic study.

Gluteal Tendinopathy Is Associated With Lower Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Total Hip Arthroplasty With a Posterior Approach: A Prospective Cohort Study of 1,538 Patients.

BACKGROUND: Gluteal tendinopathy (GT) is found in 20 to 25% of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). Despite this, there is a scarcity of literature assessing the association between GT and THA outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether intraoperative diagnosis of GT negatively affected postoperative outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive patients undergoing primary THA for osteoarthritis via a posterior approach over 5 years were recruited in a prospective study. Gluteal tendinopathy was assessed and graded at the time of surgery, but not repaired. A total of 1,538 (93%) completed the patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) at 1 year after surgery and were included in the analysis. The PROMs included the Oxford Hip Score (OHS), Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score Joint Replacement (HOOS JR), and EuroQol 5-Dimension, and were collected preoperatively and one year after THA. RESULTS: The gluteal tendons were graded as 4 distinct grades: normal (n = 1,023, 66%), tendinopathy but no tear (n = 337, 22%), partial thickness tear (n = 131, 9%), and full thickness tear (n = 47, 3%). The occurrence of GT was associated with age, body mass index, and sex. There was no significant difference in baseline OHS or HOOS JR scores according to GT grade. As GT grade increased, lower median 1-year OHS (P = .001) and HOOS JR (P = .016) were observed. This association was confirmed by linear regression analysis with 1-year OHS (B = 0.5, 95% CI = -0.9 to -0.1, P = .011) when controlled for age and sex. CONCLUSIONS: Gluteal tendinopathy was commonly observed and was associated with inferior 1-year PROMs in patients undergoing THA via posterior approach. Increasing degree of tendinopathy was a negative prognostic factor for outcomes and patient satisfaction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2 (High quality prospective cohort study).

Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty Improves Accuracy and Reproducibility of the Polyethylene Insert Thickness Compared to Manual Instrumentation or Navigation: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Increased accuracy and lower rates of component positioning outliers have been associated with better long-term survival and functional outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study investigates the accuracy of robotic-assisted TKA compared to navigation-assisted and manual instrumentation techniques, using polyethylene tibial insert thickness as a surrogate. Methods: Consecutive primary TKA by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed and divided in 3 groups: manual instrumentation, navigation-assisted, and robotic-assisted (RA-TKA). Polyethylene insert thickness, deviation from planned thickness, and rate of outliers were compared between the 3 groups using nonparametric analysis of variance, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Bonferroni corrections. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of polyethylene thickness ≥9 mm. The learning curve for RA-TKA was evaluated with a box plot graph of groups of 10 consecutive cases. Results: There were 474 patients in manual instrumentation TKA, 257 in navigation-assisted TKA and 225 in RA-TKA, with median polyethylene thicknesses of 6.0 (interquartile range 5.0-7.0), 6.0 (interquartile range 5.0-7.0), and 5.0 (interquartile range 5.0-6.0) millimeters, respectively (P˂0.001 RA-TKA compared to both other groups). Polyethylene inserts with a thickness ≥9 mm were used in 28 (5.9%) manual instrumentation TKA, 13 (5.1%) navigation-assisted TKA, and 1 (0.4%) RA-TKA (P = .004). Independent predictors for polyethylene thickness ≥9 mm included surgical technique, left side, and male sex. A learning curve of <30 cases was observed before consistent polyethylene thickness was achieved in RA-TKA. Conclusions: Tibial polyethylene insert thickness, as a surrogate of surgical accuracy, is more reproducible in robotic-assisted than in navigation-assisted or manual-instrumentation TKA. The learning curve to reach high levels of reproducibility with this technique is relatively short.

Estimated diameter increase from a 4S to a 6S hamstring graft configuration - A cadaveric study.

PURPOSE: Graft diameter in anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions has been shown to influence the risk of failure. It is therefore important to be able to adjust the graft configuration to modify the diameter. To measure the impact of a 6-strand (6S) hamstring autograft configuration on graft diameter compared to the standard 4-strand (4S) configuration. METHODS: Cadaveric study on 33 knees, using the usual hamstring graft harvesting technique. Semitendinosus and gracilis tendons were harvested and their length, width, and diameter were measured in 4S and 6S configurations separately by three evaluators. RESULTS: 6S configuration leads to a median increase of 1.5 (range: 0.0-2.0) mm in diameter compared to 4S (p < 0.001). A graft diameter of more than 8 mm is attained in less than a third of 4S grafts within this population in comparison to 84% when the 6S configuration is used. DISCUSSION: The 6S hamstring graft configuration increases the graft diameter by a median of 1.5 millimeters compared to the traditional 4S configuration. It can reliably be used to obtain an 8.5 mm graft diameter or more in cases where the semitendinosus measures at least 270.5 mm and the 4S configuration has a diameter of 7.5 mm or 8 mm. This information helps to better delineate the impact of a 6S configuration in a pre-operative or intra-operative setting to optimize the decisional process and surgical flow and to easily adapt the graft diameter. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: V (cadaveric study).

A Partial-Thickness Quadriceps Autograft Reliably Augments the Size of the Hamstring Graft During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction.

Purpose: To measure the increase in diameter resulting from the augmentation of a hamstring autograft with a partial width rectus femoris tendon band in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Methods: Thirty-three cadaveric knees were dissected to harvest semitendinosus and gracilis tendons (4S) along with a 6-mm wide tendon band from the rectus femoris. Harvesting was done according to the usual surgical techniques of both harvests. Measures of length and diameter in 4S and 4S augmented with the rectus femoris band (4S +Q) configurations were performed separately by 3 evaluators. Results: The quadriceps augmentation led to an average increase of 1.49 mm (95% confidence interval 1.03-1.95 mm) in diameter of the 4-strand hamstring grafts. The previously demonstrated threshold diameter of 8.5 mm was attained in only 30% of 4S grafts within this population in comparison with 88% when augmented with a quadriceps band. Conclusions: In conclusion, supplementing doubled hamstring graft (4S) with quadricipital tendon in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) increases the graft diameter by an average of 1.49 mm. It has the physical potential to reliably augment hamstring grafts that measure 7.5 mm in diameter or more in order to obtain an 8.5 mm when necessitated. Clinical Relevance: Increased graft diameter is associated with a decreased risk of graft failure after ACLR. Because of this, it is important to identify methods to increase the size of grafts. This study investigates the use of a partial-width rectus femoris tendon band as an option to reliably augment graft sizes during ACLR.