Preoperative Activity Level an Indicator of Postoperative Functional Outcomes with a Contemporary Revision Total Knee System.

As the population requiring revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) grows, varying preoperative conditions may need to be considered when attempting to predict postoperative outcomes. Considering preoperative activity levels may help manage the expectations of patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the outcomes of low- and high-activity subgroups of patients receiving a contemporary rTKA. One hundred and eighty-one rTKA patients enrolled in a prospective multicenter study were evaluated over a minimum follow-up of 2 years postoperatively. Patients were divided into two groups based on the preoperative activity level using the Lower Extremity Activity Scale. Patients scoring between 1 and 7 were classified as "Low Activity" (LA; N = 105) and patients scoring 8 to 18 were classified as "High Activity" (HA; N = 76). Clinical outcomes were evaluated, with an additional quality-of-life analysis completed utilizing SF-6D (6-dimension short form) scores obtained through a method described by Brazier et al and analyzed for effect size. There were no significant differences in age or body mass index between the groups. Postoperative improvement in both groups were similar in the Knee Society score (KSS), but the LA group showed larger increases in the KSS functional assessment at 6 months (16.2) and 2 years (34.8). There was a statistically significant effect (0.96, p = 0.0006) seen in the LA group at 1 year, in conjunction with a higher SF-6D outcome. The current study population displayed significant improvement in functional patient outcomes following rTKA regardless of preoperative activity level and function. Patients with lower preoperative activity levels demonstrated greater cumulative functional and quality-of-life improvements. This suggests that a lower preoperative activity level may be related to a poorly functioning knee and that rTKA has the potential to improve overall activity levels and function. Low preoperative function should not disqualify patients for rTKA.

Reliability of Current Classification Systems for Periprosthetic Fractures of the Humerus.

OBJECTIVE: Numerous classification systems exist to evaluate periprosthetic humerus fractures, although most are based on limited patient numbers. The Wright and Cofield system is the most widely used classification system. We sought to evaluate the interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities of this system compared with the Unified Classification System (UCS) using the largest patient sample to date. METHODS: This retrospective study identified patients between December 2011 and January 2021 with a periprosthetic fracture of the humerus around the stem of a shoulder arthroplasty component. Three upper extremity fellowship-trained surgeons evaluated all radiographs for stem stability, evidence of preinjury stem loosening, Wright and Cofield classification, UCS classification, and recommended treatment for each case at 2 timepoints separated by 2 months. The kappa statistic for interobserver and intraobserver reliability was calculated. RESULTS: Seventy-six patients were included. There was moderate interobserver (kappa 0.53) and substantial intraobserver (kappa 0.69) agreement when classifying stem stability after fracture. There was moderate interobserver (kappa 0.48) and intraobserver (kappa 0.60) agreement when evaluating for stem loosening before fracture. There was fair interobserver (kappa 0.29) and moderate intraobserver (kappa 0.51) agreement regarding the UCS class. There was moderate interobserver (kappa 0.41) and intraobserver (kappa 0.57) agreement regarding the proposed treatment. There was slight interobserver (kappa 0.04) and moderate intraobserver (kappa 0.44) agreement regarding the Wright and Cofield classification. CONCLUSION: The Wright and Cofield system is less reliable than the UCS classification. A more reliable and clinically relevant classification system is needed to standardize discussion of periprosthetic proximal humerus fractures.

Exposure-Related Anxiety and Improving Patient Satisfaction with Medical Undergarments During Surgery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: The standard of care for patients undergoing a surgical procedure is to have patients remove all clothing and don a hospital-provided gown. A growing number of patients have anxiety when exposing their bodies in a medical setting, which increases stress for those patients. METHODS: This study prospectively enrolled patients at a single orthopaedic specialty hospital into 1 of 2 garment groups in a block-randomized design. Patients were asked to remove all clothing; 100 patients received the standard-of-care gown only, and 100 patients received the standard-of-care gown plus a single-use undergarment designed with retractable panels and a releasable waistband. Patients completed surveys evaluating their levels of anxiety with regard to exposing their bodies in a medical setting. RESULTS: There were 181 subjects (91%) who completed the preoperative surveys and 166 subjects (83%) who completed the post-discharge surveys. Fifty-seven subjects (31%) reported being uncomfortable exposing their private, intimate parts in a medical setting, and 39 subjects (22%) reported experiencing stress and/or anxiety related to body exposure. Ninety-seven patients (54%) agreed or strongly agreed that protecting their personal modesty is important when undergoing a medical procedure. More patients in the undergarment group agreed or strongly agreed that the garments provided by the hospital met their expectation for privacy (80 patients [87%]), compared with the standard-of-care group (65 patients [73%]) (p = 0.025). Patients in the undergarment group (36 patients [39%]) were more likely than those in the standard-of-care group (16 patients [18%]) to strongly agree that they were satisfied with the hospital-provided garments (p = 0.028). When asked if the hospital-provided garments would influence their choice of hospital, patients in the undergarment group agreed or strongly agreed 3 times as often (19%) as the standard-of-care group (6.6%) (p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Exposure-related stress and/or anxiety are experienced by a substantial percentage of surgical patients, and the majority consider protection of their personal modesty in a medical setting to be important. The use of medical undergarments to protect modesty significantly increased levels of patient satisfaction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Management of Metastatic Disease in Long Bones.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level V. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Evaluation and Management of Intra-Articular Tumors of the Knee.

Intra-articular tumors of the knee are most commonly benign. Overall, this is a relatively rare clinical presentation. The differential diagnosis includes pigmented villonodular synovitis, synovial chondromatosis, lipoma arborescens, synovial hemangioma, and very rarely primary sarcoma (synovial sarcoma being the most common). The clinical presentation for these conditions is usually non-specific, but radiographic and advanced imaging findings are able to differentiate some of these tumors. It is essential to obtain and send tissue specimens to pathology for histologic analysis to rule out a primary malignancy as a missed diagnosis can have grave implications on patient outcomes. This review summarized key aspects of diagnosis and treatment for these conditions.

Management of Primary Aggressive Tumors of the Knee.

Primary bone sarcomas and aggressive benign bone tumors are relatively rare. It is essential to recognize features that are concerning for these aggressive tumors based on a patient's history, physical exam, and radiographs. Physicians and other health care providers should have a high suspicion for these tumors and promptly refer these patients to orthopaedic oncologists. A multidisciplinary, team-based approach is required to obtain an accurate diagnosis and provide comprehensive care. This review discussed the appropriate work-up, biopsy principles, relevant peri-operative medical management, and surgical treatment options for patients with aggressive primary bone tumors around the knee. Primary bone sarcomas (osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma) and aggressive benign bone tumors (giant cell tumor, chondroblastoma, and chondromyxoid fibroma) that have a predilection to the distal femur and proximal tibia are the focus of this review.

Management of Pathologic Fractures around the Knee: Part 2-Proximal Tibia.

Metastatic disease affecting the proximal tibia is rarer than disease affecting the femur; however, it presents unique challenges that the orthopaedic surgeon must address to ensure successful outcomes and return the patient to an ambulatory status. The essential workup for evaluating and treating these patients is addressed briefly in this review as a summary of the information is provided in part 1 of this series. Part 2 of this series will focus on the surgical treatment of these lesions, which can be complex and is not as well described in the literature. Procedures ranging from open reduction internal fixation with cement augmentation to complex endoprosthetic reconstruction can be employed to address proximal tibia metastatic disease. An awareness of these various treatment modalities allows the orthopaedic surgeon to plan the most effective operation for the patients under their care.

Management of Pathologic Fractures around the Knee: Part 1-Distal Femur.

Pathologic fractures secondary to metastatic disease are an increasingly prevalent problem. Such patients require multidisciplinary collaboration to optimize clinical outcomes. An established algorithm for clinical, laboratory, and radiographic work-up will ensure that each patient achieves the best outcome while avoiding catastrophic complications. Metastatic disease to the region of the knee is less commonly encountered than in other regions of the body, but it presents unique difficulties that merit discussion. Part one of this two-part article series will discuss the appropriate work-up of patients with suspected or impending pathologic fracture of the distal femur, highlight biopsy principles, address perioperative nonsurgical treatments that will optimize patient outcomes, and discuss available surgical treatment modalities.

Proximal Femur Peri-Implant Fracture After Lateral Femur Locking Plate: A Report of 2 Cases.

CASE: This case report discusses 2 cases of proximal femur peri-implant fractures after the use of lateral locking plates for distal femur periprosthetic fractures. CONCLUSION: The use of locking plate technology for fixation of distal femur periprosthetic fractures is a common treatment modality. Although much has been reported regarding healing and complication rates of distal femoral periprosthetic fractures, little has been reported about peri-implant fractures subsequent to treatment using locking plates. We propose the importance of developing a method of fixation to protect the entire femur in osteoporotic patients sustaining distal femur periprosthetic fractures at the index surgery to avoid this complication.

Is Contralateral Templating Reliable for Establishing Rotational Alignment During Intramedullary Stabilization of Femoral Shaft Fractures? A Study of Individual Bilateral Differences in Femoral Version.

OBJECTIVES: To determine native individual bilateral differences (IBDs) in femoral version in a diverse population. METHODS: Computed tomography scans with complete imaging of uninjured bilateral femora were used to determine femoral version and IBDs in version. Age, sex, and ethnicity of each subject were also collected. Femoral version and IBDs in version were correlated with demographic variables using univariate and multivariate regression models. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-four subjects were included in the study. The average femoral version was 9.4 degrees (±9.4 degrees). The mean IBD in femoral version was 5.4 degrees (±4.4 degrees, P < 0.001). A total of 17.7% of subjects had a difference in version ≥10 degrees, and 4.3% had a difference in version ≥15 degrees. A femur with anteversion ≥20 degrees or retroversion was associated with a greater mean difference in version from the contralateral side compared with those with midrange anteversion. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral differences in femoral version are common and can result in a difference from native anatomy that may be clinically significant if only the contralateral limb is used to establish rotational alignment during intramedullary stabilization of diaphyseal femur fractures. This is also an important consideration when considering malrotation of femur fractures because most studies define malrotation as a greater than 10-15-degree difference compared with the contralateral side. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.