The patellofemoral joint after total knee arthroplasty without patellar resurfacing.

One hundred total knee replacements with a total condylar prosthesis and without patellar resurfacing were followed for a minimum of two years. Eighty-four per cent of the knees were affected by osteoarthrosis. Graded according to the knee-rating system of the Hospital for Special Surgery, there were eighteen excellent, fifty-three good, eighteen fair, and eleven poor results. At the most recent follow-up, twenty-nine knees (29 per cent), nine of which were affected by rheumatoid arthritis, were still painful in the patellofemoral area. The height and weight of the patient definitely influenced the amount of patellofemoral pain postoperatively. Small patients who had osteoarthrosis were exceptionally free of pain, regardless of sex, age, or level of activity. It seems that the best approach to patellofemoral replacement includes resurfacing of the patella in all patients who have rheumatoid arthritis and in patients who have osteoarthrosis if they have preoperative patellofemoral pain, are more than 160 centimeters tall, weigh more than sixty kilograms, and have advanced changes in the patella at the time of the operation.

A technical report on video-assisted thoracoscopy in thoracic spinal surgery. Preliminary description.

STUDY DESIGN: This report is a preliminary description of the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal procedures that otherwise require open thoracotomy. OBJECTIVE: This report sought to describe the efficacy of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal procedures that otherwise require open thoracotomy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: In a landmark study that compared video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery for peripheral lung lesions with thoracotomy, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery reduced postoperative pain, improved early shoulder girdle function, and shortened hospital stay. METHODS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was performed in 12 thoracic spinal patients (herniated nucleus pulposus, infection, tumor, or spinal deformity) and is described in detail in this report. RESULTS: Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery in thoracic spinal surgery resulted in little postoperative pain, short intensive care unit and hospital stays, and little or no morbidity. In the short follow-up period, there was no post-thoracotomy pain syndrome nor neurologic sequelae in these patients. Operative time decreased dramatically as experience was gained with the procedure. CONCLUSION: Given consistently improving surgical skills, a number of thoracic spinal procedures using video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, including thoracic discectomy, internal rib thoracoplasty, anterior osteotomy, corpectomy, and fusion, can be performed safely with no additional surgical time or risk to the patient.

The incidence of complications in endoscopic anterior thoracolumbar spinal reconstructive surgery. A prospective multicenter study comprising the first 100 consecutive cases.

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective multicenter study on 100 consecutive surgical procedures. OBJECTIVES: A prospective multicenter study was performed to evaluate the early perioperative complications in 100 endoscopic spinal procedures--78 video-assisted thoracic surgical procedures and 22 laparoscopic lumbar instrumentation and fusion procedures. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Endoscopic procedures have been widely applied in general surgery for appendectomy, cholecystectomy, liver resection, Nissen fundoplication, colon resection, and hernia repairs. Video-assisted thoracic surgery is widely used for pleural biopsy, lung resection, and sympathectomy. This is the first large series to date investigating the safety and potential complications using endoscopic surgery for anterior decompression or fusion of the thoracolumbar spine. METHODS: Video-assisted thoracic surgical procedures included multilevel anterior thoracic releases for deformity, 27 patients; anterior thoracic discectomies with spinal canal decompression, 41 patients; pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis decompression, 2 patients; and vertebral corpectomy for neurologic decompression, 8 patients. Mean operative time was 2 hours, 34 minutes (range, 45 minutes to 6 hours), and mean length of stay was 4.97 days (range, 2-21 days). Anterior laparoscopic interbody stabilization and fusion at L4-5 or L5-S1 was performed in 22 patients. The mean operative time was 4 hours, 17 minutes (range, 2 hours, 40 minutes to 9 hours), and the mean length of stay was 5.6 days (range, 1-23 days). RESULTS: The most common video-assisted thoracic surgical complications were transient intercostal neuralgia (six patients) and atelectasis (five patients). The most common laparoscopic complication was bone graft donor site infection (two patients). There were two endoscopic cases that were converted to open procedures, one for extensive pleural adhesions and one for a common iliac vein laceration. CONCLUSIONS: The endoscopic spinal approaches proved to be safe operative procedures in 100 consecutive cases. There were no permanent iatrogenic neurologic injuries and no deep spinal infections.

Endoscopic instrumentation, correction, and fusion of idiopathic scoliosis.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Endoscopic techniques have been used since 1993 to treat thoracic disk disease. Thorascopic techniques evolved into means of treating not only disk disease but also correcting thoracic spinal deformity with instrumentation and fusion. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic instrumentation, correction, and fusion of thoracic idiopathic scoliosis. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of 50 patients who have undergone endoscopic instrumentation, correction, and fusion for scoliosis. PATIENT SAMPLE: Fifty consecutive patients undergoing treatment for primary thoracic idiopathic scoliosis. OUTCOME MEASURES: Evaluation of operative time, curve correction, and fusion rates were evaluated. METHODS: Fifty patients with the diagnosis of primary thoracic scoliosis underwent thoracoscopic techniques of instrumentation, correction, and fusion. On follow-up, the patients were evaluated for spinal alignment restoration, axial derotation, postoperative pain, rehabilitative time, and complications. RESULTS: The initial curve correction averaged 50%, improving to over 68% in the last 10 cases. Hypokyphosis correction averaged 21 degrees. Additionally, there has been a decrease in rehabilitation time, less time off work or school, and decreased blood loss and postoperative pain. There were 14 complications and no deaths recorded. The factors involved in a successful fusion include total diskectomy, complete cartilaginous end plate removal, and autogenous bone graft. CONCLUSIONS: The initial results of the thoracoscopic-assisted techniques for primary thoracic scoliosis are promising. As with most evolving techniques, surgical times are decreasing and rates of correction are improving.

Charnley low-friction arthroplasty. A fifteen- to seventeen-year follow-up study.

One hundred Charnley low-friction arthroplasties have been reviewed at 15 to 17 years. Thirty-five of the patients have died. A revision rate of 16 per cent has been recorded. Only two cases demonstrated cavitation and cortical destruction of the femur, and these cases were revised successfully. One of the major causes for revision was fracture of the femoral component. With modern alloys, this should not be a long-term problem. Our data would suggest that the cemented arthroplasty can be used with confidence in patients 65 and older. It is our hope that modern cement technology and component design will increase the longevity of the cemented arthroplasty.

Tibial Tubercle Avulsion.

In brief: Tibial tubercle avulsion is an uncommon injury that has a peak incidence in early adolescence near the time of physeal closure. Because growth arrest and deformation can follow this injury, immediate diagnosis and treatment are essential. In this case a 14-year-old boy sustained a type 2 tibial tubercle avulsion while playing basketball and could not walk without assistance. Closed reduction was not possible because of soft-tissue interposition.

Acetabular preparation in cementless revision total hip arthroplasty.

The rationale for and experience with the use of a hemispherical, cementless, microporous socket (Harris-Galante prosthesis) are presented as an approach to acetabular revision arthroplasty. Advantages are noted in preservation of existing bone, ease of rigid fixation, and bone grafting with either lyophylized particle allograft or autograft. The early results of a series of 75 sockets show no loss of fixation, mild to major resorption of non-contained bone graft, and favorable roentgenographic appearance of contained bone graft. In bone-grafted regions, a high percentage of lucencies at the graft-porous interface implies a lack of bone ingrowth. The authors were unable to characterize any roentgenographic behavioral differences between allograft or autograft. The approach is successful in severely deficient acetabulae, especially of the Type III combined cavitary and segmental medial wall deficiency.