Review of Prospects of Biological Fluid Biomarkers in Osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease of the joints and is one of the leading causes of disability in adults. However, there are no key therapeutics for OA and medical treatment is based on managing the symptoms and slowing down progression of the disease. Diagnostics based on clinical examination and radiography have provided little information about metabolic changes in joint tissues, disease onset and progression. Due to lack of effective methods for early detection and evaluation of treatment outcome, the measurement of biochemical markers (biomarkers) shows promise as a prospective method aiding in disease monitoring. OA biomarkers that are present in biological fluids such as blood, urine and synovial fluid, sources that are easily isolated from body, are of particular interest. Moreover, there are increasingly more studies identifying and developing new biomarkers for OA. In this review, efforts have been made to summarize the biomarkers that have been reported in recent studies on patients. We also tried to classify biomarkers according to tissue metabolism (bone, cartilage and synovial metabolism markers), pathological pathways (inflammatory and genetic markers) and biological function (chemokines, growth factors, acute phase proteins, etc.).

Distal femoral physeal crush injury with metaphyseal comminution - A report of two cases and a new perspective to physeal injury.

The physis of a long bone may get 'sandwiched' and crushed between the metaphysis and the epiphysis if it is traumatically loaded along its long axis. Such a physeal injury may lead to complications like angular deformities and growth restrictions and hence, management of such injuries requires adequate planning and attentive execution. Two patients with distal femoral physeal crush injury were treated using a ring fixator such that one ring had the wires passing through the epiphysis and the other through the femoral shaft. On table image intensifier controlled distraction of the crushed physis was done to bring the height of the physis similar to that of the opposite limb. Patients were followed up for more than two years clinically and radiologically. There was no clinical or radiological angular deformity of the operated limbs. MRI scans showed intact physes with no physeal bar formation in either of the two patients. The distraction obtained by the ring fixator appears to have provided ample 'breathing space' to the compressed physis and that the growth potential may have been re-gained by the procedure. However, two years is a relatively short duration of follow-up and further follow-up of longer duration and in greater number of patients is needed to gauge the actual effectiveness of the technique used by us.

Update review and clinical presentation in adult inferior dislocation of hip.

Inferior dislocation of the hip is a rare clinical entity, wherein closed reduction maneuver could be challenging, especially if the attending surgeon is not familiar with the specific anatomy associated with this injury. Due to the rarity of this type of injury, large case series are lacking in the literature; hence, case reports form the major source of our knowledge regarding the clinical presentation and management. An extensive literature search revealed a change in age group presenting with this specific injury, with a male predilection. They were frequently cited in the pediatric age group of less than 16 years in the last century. Recently, the cases have been documented in adults. An up-to-date review of the current literature on the mechanism of injury, clinical presentation, management, outcomes and complications of inferior dislocation of hip has been highlighted in this article. In addition, we share our experience with three such dislocations presenting in adult males with an age range of 38-62 years.

Total hip arthroplasty for arthritis following acetabular fractures-evaluation of radiological, functional and quality of life parameters.

INTRODUCTION: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been termed as 'operation of the century' as it provides a stable and mobile hip to patients who are debilitated by pathologies affecting the hip. Acetabular fractures pose a challenge for their initial management as well for the management of secondary osteoarthritis which is often the outcome of these fractures. The study attempts to evaluate the short term radiological, functional and quality of life outcomes of THA done in patients with prior acetabular fractures and to find a correlation between various factors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 47 patients who provided consent for this retrospective study were clinically and radiologically evaluated at their latest follow up. Ratios of horizontal offset, vertical offset, body lever arm and cup inclination were calculated with respect to the opposite normal hip on a radiograph. Questionnaires were filled up for Harris Hip Score (HHS), Short form -12, Short Musculoskeletal functional assessment (SMFA) and WHO-quality of life (WHO-QoL). RESULTS: HHS and quality of life scores had a tendency to improve over time. A statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) was noted between scores of patients having less than 2 years follow up and more than 4 years follow-up. The HHS, radiological and quality of life parameters were not statistically significantly different when analysed based on acetabular fracture pattern, their primary management and aetiology necessitating the THA. CONCLUSION: The short term radiological, functional and quality of life parameters are dependent on the accuracy of the THA performed and are not significantly affected by the fracture type, initial management and outcomes of that management. However, longer follow up is necessary to evaluate these parameters even more accurately.

Pan-tibial avascular necrosis in a 12-year-old boy: a case report.

We report a unique case of post-traumatic avascular necrosis of tibia in a 12-year-old boy following a Salter-Harris type II physeal injury of the proximal tibia. The diagnosis was made on the basis of classical radiological findings. The only clinical symptom was diffuse shin pain. The patient was managed conservatively. At our 2-year follow-up, there was clinical and radiological evidence of spontaneous resolution of avascular necrosis, but with sequelae. The child developed a limb-length discrepancy and genu valgum. The parents of the child refused further treatment.

Epidemiology of lower limb musculoskeletal trauma with associated vascular injuries in a tertiary care institute in India.

BACKGROUND: Vascular trauma associated with bony injuries is an orthopaedic emergency. Lack of timely intervention can lead to loss of limb or even life. Inspite of the rising incidence of high speed road traffic accidents in India, there is paucity of literature regarding the demographic pattern, clinical morbidity, management strategies and outcome of arterial injuries associated with lower limb trauma. The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology and outcome of lower extremity musculoskeletal trauma with associated vascular injuries in a tertiary care institute in India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All individuals who presented to our tertiary care trauma center from July 2013 to December 2014 with lower extremity vascular injury associated with lower limb fractures were identified from a retrospective trauma database for this descriptive study. For the 17 months, there were 82 lower extremity vascular trauma cases admitted in our trauma center, of which 50 cases were included in the study. 32 patients with crush injuries, traumatic amputations, and those with head injury and blunt trauma to chest or abdomen were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Out of the 50 cases of lower extremity vascular injury with associated lower limb fractures, 19 limbs were salvaged, 28 amputated, and three patients expired. Young males in the age group of 20-39 years were frequently injured. Motor vehicle accident (MVA) (82%) was found to be the most common cause followed by pedestrian injury. Popliteal artery (62%) was the most common vessel injured, followed by femoral artery (28%). The salvageability percentage was much higher (64%) in the femoral artery injury group when compared to popliteal artery injury group (25%). There were 32 open fractures, with amputation rates (60%) being higher and all three cases of death falling in this group. In addition, the limb salvageability percentage was 43.2% when the patient presented within 12 h of injury and this decreased to a mere 16.7% when the patient had presented more than 24 h after injury. CONCLUSION: MVAs are the leading cause of vascular injuries in India. Road safety measures and prevention programs are the need of the hour to prevent these kinds of injuries in the future.

Tubercular dactylitis in children.

Tubercular dactylitis is a rare manifestation of skeletal tuberculosis in the paediatric population. Its clinical diagnosis is often delayed as local symptoms may easily be missed in children and constitutional features such as loss of weight, loss of appetite, night sweats, evening rise of temperature and history of close contact with a patient of tuberculosis may not always be present. Parents seek treatment only when they notice significant swelling or tenderness of fingers or hand in their children. Radiology and fine-needle aspiration cytology may help in establishing an early diagnosis. Astute multidrug antitubercular therapy is curative.

Sternoclavicular joint tuberculosis: A series of 9 cases.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic disease that may affect any part of the human body. Though the osteoarticular TB is not uncommonly seen, TB of the sternoclavicular joint (SC joint) is an infrequently reported condition. The very fact that many physicians have never seen a single case of SC joint TB in their entire career makes them never think of this condition in cases of chronic swellings of the medial end of clavicle. We are reporting here our experience with nine cases of SC joint TB that were treated by us. Delay in diagnosis in each of the case was a common feature, and they had been treated in line of inflammation elsewhere. Diagnosis was arrived at by clinical, radiological, and microscopic examinations. Six of the reported cases responded well to antitubercular chemotherapy, and in one of the cases, chemotherapy was combined with debridement, which was actually done during biopsy and primarily for tissue diagnosis; in another two cases, immunomodulation therapy for HIV was given along with antitubercular therapy. Tuberculous etiology should be considered for patients presenting with atypical sites of skeletal inflammation, and a high index of suspicion by the treating physician is necessary to make early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Osteofibrous dysplasia of clavicle clinically mimicking chronic osteomyelitis.

Osteofibrous dysplasia or ossifying fibroma is an uncommon benign fibro-osseous lesion of childhood, commonly described in the maxilla and the mandible. Among long bones, it usually presents in the tibia as a painless swelling or anterior bowing. Ossifying fibroma of clavicle has never been reported in English literature, to the best of our knowledge. Here, we would like to present an unusual case of osteofibrous dysplasia of clavicle clinically mimicking chronic osteomyelitis.

Pathological fracture dislocation of the acetabulum in a patient with neurofibromatosis-1.

Skeletal neurofibromatosis (NF) commonly manifests as scoliosis and tibial dysplasias. NF affecting the pelvic girdle is extremely rare. Pathological fracture of the acetabulum leading to anterior hip dislocation in a patient with NF-1 has never been reported in the literature. The paper presents the clinical symptomatology, the course of management and the successful outcome of such a rare case of NF-1. Histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies showing abundant spindle cells, which are S-100 positive and of neural origin are the classical hallmarks of neurofibromatous lesions. Tumor resection and iliofemoral arthrodesis can be considered as a valid option in young patients with pathological fracture dislocation of the acetabulum.

Conjoined bicondylar coronal plane fracture of the distal femur associated with incarcerated patella.

Conjoint bicondylar coronal plane fracture is a rare orthopaedic injury, associated with high-velocity trauma. The proposed mechanism is axially directed shear forces in a flexed knee. To the best of our literature search, only 2 cases of conjoint bicondylar coronal fracture have been published in English literature-1 each in adult and paediatric age group. Conjoint bicondylar coronal plane fracture with incarcerated patella has not yet been reported and hence this is the first report of its kind. We report on the clinical presentation, management and outcome of such a complex injury, along with a comprehensive, up-to-date literature review. Prompt open reduction and internal fixation coupled with early knee mobilisation is the key to achieve good functional outcome.

Ipsilateral obturator type of hip dislocation with fracture shaft femur in a child: a case report and literature review.

The incidence of traumatic hip dislocations in children is rising in this fast developing world along with increasing numbers of high-velocity road traffic accidents. Anterior dislocation of the hip has a lower incidence compared with posterior dislocation of the hip. We encountered a rare case of the obturator type of anteriorly dislocated hip associated with ipsilateral fracture of the shaft femur in an 11-year-old child. This is a highly unusual injury combination and the mechanism of injury is obscure. Only two similar cases have been reported in the English literature to date. Closed reduction of the hip using a hitherto undescribed technique and an intramedullary interlocking nail was performed in this case. At 6 months of follow-up, the fracture shaft femur has united and the child is bearing full weight on the limb.

Pediatric Subtalar Joint Synovial Chondromatosis Report of a Case and an Up-to-date Review.

Synovial chondromatosis is a rare, usually benign disorder affecting the population predominantly in the third and fourth decades of life and mainly involving the large weightbearing joints of the lower limb-the knees and the hip. In this report, we highlight an unusual pediatric clinical presentation of synovial osteochondromatosis involving the subtalar joint and discuss its surgical management; we also provide a comprehensive up-to-date literature review of the disorder. This patient was successfully treated with en masse surgical excision. He has been doing well, with complete pain relief and improved range of motion at 1-year follow-up. An exceptional involvement of the subtalar joint and an unusual presentation in the pediatric age group makes this case unique.

Bilateral Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Rare Case of Multicentric Reticulohistiocytosis.

Multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MRH) is a rare systemic disease, which commonly manifests as muco-cutaneous papulonodules and inflammatory erosive polyarthropathy. In this research, we report the clinical manifestations and management of a rare case of MRH with destructive arthropathy of bilateral hip joints and arthritis mutilans presenting with characteristic deformities. Disabling hip arthropathy that occurs secondary to MRH can be successfully managed with bilateral total hip arthroplasty (THA). Osteopenia and acetabular bone defects must be anticipated during THA. This case is reported due to its rare occurrence and because little literature has been published regarding THA in such patients.

Ingenious method of external fixator use to maintain alignment for nailing a proximal tibial shaft fracture.

Fractures of the tibia are one of the most commonly seen orthopedic injuries. Most of them result from a high velocity trauma. While intramedullary nailing of tibial diaphyseal fractures is considered as the golden standard form of treatment for such cases, many metaphyseal and metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction fractures can also be managed by nailing. Maintenance of alignment of such fractures during surgical procedure is often challenging as the pull of patellar tendon tends to extend the proximal fragment as soon as one flexes the knee for the surgical procedure. Numerous technical modifications have been described in the literature for successfully nailing such fractures including semi extended nailing, use of medial plates and external fixators among others. In this study, it was aimed to report two cases in which we used our ingenious method of applying external fixator for maintaining alignment of the fracture and aiding in the entire process of closed intramedullary nailing of metaphyseal tibial fractures by the conventional method. We were able to get good alignment during and after the closed surgery as observed on post-operative radiographs and believe that further evaluation of this technique may be of help to surgeons who want to avoid other techniques.

Myxoma of the femur: an unusual site of origin.

Skeletal myxomas are rare benign tumours. Their occurrence in long bones of the extremities is rarely reported. A 45-year-old man presented with pain in his left proximal thigh for a duration of 4 months. Movements of the hip were painful. Radiography revealed an expansile osteolytic lesion in the left proximal femur near the lesser trochanteric region. On MRI, the lesion showed a homogenous signal enhancement with no cortical disruption. Extended curettage and bone grafting was performed. On gross examination, the curetted specimen was a yellowish-white mucoid material. Histopathology showed a tumour consisting of spindle-shaped and stellate-shaped cells with widely separated myxoid mucoidy stroma, suggestive of intraosseous myxoma. At 2 years follow-up, there were no signs of recurrence and the patient was doing well with excellent hip and knee function.

Significant Incidence of Extra-Articular Tibia Vara Affects Radiological Outcome of Total Knee Arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: To identify and quantify the presence of extra-articular tibia vara that might influence the mechanical axis alignment after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 48 TKAs in 30 osteoarthritic Indian patients were prospectively evaluated. The hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), joint line convergence angle, and varus angulation at the femur and tibia were measured from the preoperative and postoperative standing hip-to-ankle radiographs. Four different methods were used to measure the varus angulation at the tibia: metaphyseo-diaphyseal angle (MDA), the angle between the anatomical axis and mechanical axis of the tibia, the angle between the proximal third and distal third of tibia and the angle between the proximal half and distal half of tibia. RESULTS: Extra-articular tibia vara quantified using MDA had the most positive correlation with HKA. Receiver operating characteristic plotting showed that MDA of >4° predicts abnormal postoperative HKA. Twenty-eight out of 48 knees had MDA of >4°, and 78.6% of these had postoperative HKA under-correction and 21.4% had less than ideal tibial component position. CONCLUSIONS: A significant inherent extra-articular varus angulation best measured using MDA exists in the proximal tibia in osteoarthritic Indian patients undergoing TKA. MDA of >4° is associated with abnormal postoperative HKA. Computer navigation may be useful for achieving ideal correction in such cases.

Multicentric spinal tuberculosis with sternoclavicular joint involvement: a rare presentation.

Background. Tuberculosis is a chronic disease which may have varied presentations. Though pulmonary tuberculosis is the commonest, extrapulmonary tuberculosis involving skeletal system is often seen. Individuals with poor nourishment and immunological status are especially susceptible for disseminated and multicentric tuberculosis. Case Report. We here present a case of tuberculosis involving multiple anatomical locations in an immune-competent patient which was diagnosed with radiological studies and confirmed with histological examination. Patient was put on multidrug antitubercular therapy and responded well to the treatment with improvement in clinical and radiological picture. Clinical Relevance. This report of a rare case makes us aware of the varied presentations which tuberculosis can present with. It should be kept as a differential diagnosis in patients with cough and fever but not responding to conventional treatment. This is even more important in countries with poor socioeconomic conditions.