Aggressive continuous passive motion exercise does not improve knee range of motion after total knee arthroplasty.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of continuous passive motion on the range of motion, postoperative pain and life quality of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty within six months after the operation. BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty reduces pain and improves range of motion of the osteoarthritic knee joint. Continuous passive motion increases postoperative movement, but there is some controversy regarding whether aggressive continuous passive motion can improve range of motion or life quality, and whether it induces more pain. DESIGN: A prospective controlled study was conducted in a medical centre in Taiwan from January to December 2006. METHODS: One hundred and seven patients were recruited. The patients underwent the basic rehabilitation protocols (the control group) or the basic rehabilitation protocols and additional daily use of continuous passive motion for more than six hours per day (the experimental group). The range of motion, modified Short Form-36 (SF-36) and semi-quantitative visual analogue scale were recorded. Results. Range of motion increased from 109° preoperatively to 125° at six months postoperatively in the treatment group and from 111° preoperatively to 125° at six months postoperatively in the control group. Visual analogue scale decreased from 7·78 preoperatively to 0·37 at six months postoperatively in the treatment group and from 7·92 preoperatively to 0·21 at six months postoperatively in the control group. The SF-36 improved from 3·76 preoperatively to 1·77 at six months postoperatively in the treatment group and from 3·68 preoperatively to 1·83 at six months postoperatively in the control group. There was no significant difference in range of motion, visual analogue scale and SF-36 between groups at each visit. CONCLUSION: With the advances in total knee arthroplasty surgical technique, aggressive continuous passive motion does not provide obvious benefits. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Total knee arthroplasty can alleviate pain and improve range of motion, but aggressive continuous passive motion does not provide additional benefits.

Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty using a posterolateral approach: technique and preliminary results.

Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty (THA) has become popular over the past few years. The advantages of this technique include reduced soft tissue damage. On the other hand, there are new risks related to reduced visualization. The widespread introduction of minimally invasive THA is still controversial. Here, we present our experiences and early results with a posterolateral approach to minimally invasive THA. Between August 2005 and July 2006, 85 hips from 79 consecutive patients were operated on using posterolateral minimally invasive THA. The outcomes were assessed on the basis of clinical and radiographic parameters. The mean operative time was 55 minutes. The mean length of hospital stay was 5.3 days. Average postoperative Harris hip score was 92.0 at 3 months postoperatively. Complications included only one (1.18%) intraoperative nondisplaced calcar split. There were no cases of dislocation, neurovascular injury or postoperative infection. Our study indicates an early result of low complication rate and good functional recovery following minimally invasive THA using a posterolateral approach. This minimally invasive THA technique provides short-term safety and efficacy.

Impact of a clinical pathway for total knee arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a clinical pathway for total knee arthroplasty in terms of length of stay, hospital costs, and quality of care. One hundred and twenty-two patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty for degenerative osteoarthritis in Kaohsiung Medical University hospital were included in the study. The pre-clinical pathway group included 53 patients before clinical pathway implementation (October 1996 approximately September 1997). The clinical pathway group included 69 patients after implementation of the clinical pathway (October 1997 approximately September 1998). All patients were followed up for at least 2 years after surgery. Data collection, including length of stay, hospital costs, comorbidity, and complications, was done by chart review, and Knee Society Clinical Rating System scores were used for assessment of preoperative and postoperative knee function for each group. Statistical analysis included Student's t-test to test the impact of the clinical pathway on resource consumption and medical care processes, and multiple linear regression to control for characteristics such as age and comorbidity. The implementation of the clinical pathway reduced the length of stay by 24%. Hospital costs were reduced by 16%. The implementation of the clinical pathway also reduced the number of unnecessary medical procedures. There was no statistically significant difference between the preoperative or the postoperative knee scores of the pre-clinical pathway group and clinical pathway group. The application of clinical pathway did not affect clinical outcomes and complication rates. In conclusion, the clinical pathway is an effective medical management tool to decrease the length of stay, decrease resource consumption and control medical care expenditure, and this is accomplished without a long-term adverse effect on quality of care.

Modified basket plate for inferior patellar pole avulsion fractures: a report of three cases.

In patients who have sustained an avulsion fracture of the inferior patellar pole, the extensor mechanism is disrupted and should be repaired. The normal height of the patella can be maintained by preserving the patellar pole, but fractures of the inferior pole of the patella are not easy to reduce and fix firmly. In contrast with partial patellectomy, which requires postoperative immobilization, internal fixation with a basket plate allows for immediate mobilization and early weight-bearing. Owing to the unavailability of the basket plate in Taiwan, we have modified the plate with the titanium mesh as a possible alternative. We present three cases of this modified basket plate, which took place between 2008 and 2010. This technique avoided long-term immobilization of the knee with good clinical results.

The early clinical outcome of minimally invasive quadriceps-sparing total knee arthroplasty: report of a 2-year follow-up.

The results of 32 minimally invasive quadriceps-sparing (Q-S) total knee arthroplasties were compared with those of a matched group of 35 standard total knee arthroplasties. The patients were prospectively followed for a mean of 24 months (range, 18-28 months). The Q-S group was significantly quicker in regaining quadriceps strength and knee flexion and had less pain during the first 2 postoperative weeks. The Knee Society scores showed no significant difference at 6 weeks, 1 year, and last visit. There were 9 outliers in the Q-S group, none in the standard group. The tourniquet time was significantly longer in the Q-S group. Patients in the Q-S group were 100% satisfied about the incision. The Q-S technique showed better and faster recovery, but there were more outliers and bone injuries during surgery, and this coupled with length of tourniquet time were the major disadvantages in our early experience.

The results of articulating spacer technique for infected total knee arthroplasty.

In 19 patients with infected total knee arthroplasties, 21 knees were treated with debridement, component removal, and insertion of articulating spacer followed by second-stage total knee arthroplasty revision. A modified V-Y quadricepsplasty was to obtain adequate exposure in 6 cases. Average length of follow-up was 52.2 months. The mean knee score with the articulating spacer was 60.5 points. The mean knee score after revision was 80.6, with good--to--excellent results achieved for 80.9% of the knees. The average range of motion was 85 degrees for the knees with articulating spacer and 97.6 degrees after reimplantation. There was one recurrence of infection at the final follow-up. We conclude that the articulating spacer can improve knee mobility and function during the interval between stages without incurring additional risk of infection.

The early results of high-flex total knee arthroplasty: a minimum of 2 years of follow-up.

We retrospectively reviewed our first 25 cases of high-flex total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with an average follow-up of 28 months. The results were compared to a matched group of posterior stabilized (PS) TKA. There was no significant difference in Knee Society Scores between the 2 groups. The high-flex group had an averaged 138 degrees of knee flexion, which was significantly higher than the PS group (average, 126 degrees). Eighty percent of patients in high-flex group were able to squat, which was significantly higher than in PS group (32%). In patients with a small bone frame, occasionally, their bone stock of the posterior femoral condyle is inadequate for high-flex TKA. For the patients without special demands, the additional knee flexion from high-flex design made no significant difference on the results.

Indirect reduction and bridge plating of supracondylar fractures of the femur.

Between October 1995 and December 1998, 16 patients with A-O type A3, C2 or C3 supracondylar femoral fractures were treated by open reduction and internal fixation using indirect reduction and bridge plating. Seven (44%) patients had open fractures. The patients were followed for a mean of 46 months (range 24-71). All fractures healed. The average time for fracture healing was 18.5 weeks (range 12-28). Four primary bone grafts and three secondary bone grafts were performed. By using the modified Schatzker rating scale, the result of 13 patients (81%) were rated as excellent or good. Complications included two implant failures that were due to full weight bearing before bone healing, and one superficial delayed wound healing. No deep infections were found in this series. The open fracture group needed longer time to heal and had a higher rate of receiving bone grafts. We conclude that indirect reduction and bridge plating with a 95 degrees dynamic condylar screw (DCS) or condylar blade plate can produce favourable results for complex distal femoral fractures. We suggest primary bone grafts or early secondary bone grafts for comminuted open fractures using an indirect reduction technique.