Effective Management of Sacral Stress Fractures in Gastric Cancer: Iliosacral Screw Fixation Following a Type 3 Hemipelvectomy.

Metastatic pelvic tumors pose a significant challenge in oncologic orthopedics due to their complex management and the high potential for postoperative complications. This case study discusses a 75-year-old male with a sacral stress fracture following a type 3 internal hemipelvectomy for a metastatic lesion from gastric cancer in the left pubic bone. Initial conservative treatments failed to yield satisfactory improvement, leading to surgical intervention. Open reduction and internal fixation with an iliosacral screw, despite complications, significantly alleviated pain and improved mobility. This case underscores the difficulty in diagnosing sacral stress fractures versus metastatic lesions and highlights the effectiveness of iliosacral screw fixation in managing postoperative sacral stress fractures. It emphasizes the procedure's role in providing early pain relief and enhancing daily activity levels. Additionally, it points out the importance of addressing altered bone metabolism in the postoperative care of patients with metastatic pelvic tumors. This contributes to the literature by stressing the incidence of sacral stress fractures as a critical, though often overlooked, complication and demonstrating the benefits of iliosacral screw fixation in such scenarios for better recovery and quality of life.

Sex-based differences in neck selectivity in total hip arthroplasty using a modular femoral neck system.

BACKGROUND: Dislocation is a major complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA). The modular femoral neck system provides practical advantages by allowing adjustment of neck version and length in the presence of intraoperative instability. Anatomical studies have identified morphological differences in the hip joint between men and women. Despite sex-based differences in hip morphology, it remains unclear whether such differences affect neck selectivity in THA using a modular neck system and whether this approach achieves anatomical reconstruction, thereby reducing complications such as dislocation. This study aimed to investigate gender differences in neck selectivity in THA with the modular neck system and assess the clinical impact of the modular neck system. METHODS: A total of 163 THAs using a modular neck system were included in this study. Data on the type of modular neck and intraoperative range of motion (ROM) were retrieved from patient records. Pre- and post-operative leg length differences (LLD) were examined as part of the radiographic assessment. Dislocation was investigated as a postoperative complication. RESULTS: Neck selectivity did not significantly differ between men and women. The comparison of pre- and post-operative LLD revealed a tendency for varus necks to improve LLD more than version-controlled necks. Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between intraoperative ROM and neck selectivity, or postoperative dislocation and neck selectivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study on THA with a modular neck system provided valuable insights into sex-based differences in neck selectivity and highlighted the potential benefits of the modular neck system in addressing LLD and preventing postoperative dislocation.

Closed reduction of dislocated hip prosthesis using a traction table.

This article describes three cases in which a dislocated hip prosthesis was reduced by a new reduction technique - that we previously described - using traction table. The dissociation of a prosthesis is a rare but serious complication of closed reduction manoeuvre. The new reduction manoeuvre using a traction table may be a good option to avoid dissociation of the prosthesis during closed reduction for treatment of dislocation after total hip arthroplasty.

Recurrent urethral tumor with neuroendocrine differentiation in a female patient after radical cystectomy for bladder cancer.

Introduction: Urethral recurrence after radical cystectomy in female patients with bladder cancer is relatively uncommon. Recurrent bladder tumors with neuroendocrine differentiation are extremely rare. Case presentation: A 71-year-old female patient who underwent radical cystectomy for bladder cancer presented with vaginal bleeding 19 months postoperatively. She was diagnosed with bladder cancer urethral recurrence. Urethral tumor en-bloc resection with the anterior vaginal wall was performed by combining abdominal and vaginal approaches. Pathological examination revealed a recurrent tumor of urothelial bladder cancer containing small-cell carcinoma components. Conclusion: This case is the first report of a recurrent tumor with small-cell carcinoma in the female urethra after radical cystectomy for pure urothelial carcinoma.

Pathological Vertebral Fracture Arising From Methotrexate-Associated Lymphoproliferative Disorder in a Patient With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The incidence of lymphoproliferative disorders associated with methotrexate is rising in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These disorders typically exhibit spontaneous tumor regression upon discontinuation of methotrexate therapy. Spinal lesions associated with these diseases are extremely rare. We present a case of systemic lupus erythematosus in which the patient developed lumbar spine lymphoproliferative disorders secondary to methotrexate therapy, which failed to regress despite discontinuation of the drug, ultimately leading to pathological fracture necessitating posterior spinal fixation. A 60-year-old woman had been diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus at the age of 55 years and had been taking prednisolone, hydroxychloroquine, and methotrexate. Throughout the course of her treatment, she experienced recurrent tumefaction and lymph node swelling in various locations. These masses and lymphadenopathy were believed to be potential complications of methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorders, leading to the discontinuation of methotrexate. One month prior to cessation of methotrexate therapy, the patient presented to an orthopedic clinic with lower back pain, and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed low signal intensity in the Th10 and L2 vertebrae, initially misdiagnosed as lumbar spinal stenosis. The patient was eventually referred to our department under suspicion of malignant pathology. Computed tomography identified a vertical fracture of the L2 vertebra, which, in conjunction with the imaging results, led to the diagnosis of pathological fracture secondary to methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder. Following admission to our department, bone biopsy and percutaneous pedicle screw fixation were performed one week later. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of methotrexate-associated lymphoproliferative disorder. Given the possibility of pathological fracture in patients on methotrexate therapy experiencing severe back pain, additional imaging studies should be considered.

Efficacy and safety of pararectus approach for the treatment of acetabular fractures: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The pararectus (PR) approach combines the advantages of the second window of the ilioinguinal approach and the medial view of the modified Stoppa approach. However, it is unclear whether the PR approach is more effective or safer than the other approaches, as few clinical studies have compared the PR approach with the other approaches. The aim of this study was to provide a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the PR approach with the other approaches for the treatment of acetabular fractures and to answer the following question: Are the results of the PR approach superior to those of the other approaches in terms of reduction quality, operative time, operative blood loss, complications, and clinical outcomes for treatment of acetabular fractures? PATIENTS AND METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted using relevant original studies from various databases. Pooling of data was performed using RevMan software (version 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). A p-value<0.05 was considered to be significant. We calculated the mean differences for continuous data and odds ratio for dichotomous data with 95% confidence intervals for each outcome. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed based on I2 using the standard χ2 test. RESULTS: Five studies were included in this meta-analysis. The findings demonstrated that operative blood loss was significantly lower in the PR approach than in the other approaches (p=0.04). There was no significant difference in the rate of anatomical reduction, the operative time, the rate of complications, and the rate of excellent or good clinical score between the PR approach and the other approaches. DISCUSSION: The PR approach provided lower operative blood loss, although there was no significant difference in reduction quality, operative time, complications, and excellent or good clinical score between the PR approach and the other approaches. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Mobile application for home exercise adherence in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The adherence to home exercise is generally low despite its well-known effect on knee osteoarthritis. Therefore, we developed a home exercise application, LongLifeSupport, to provide patients with daily basic exercise videos and an automatic recording calendar. We hypothesized that this application would encourage patients to exercise and help maintain their motivation; this pilot study aimed to determine their exercise adherence rates. Using outcome measures, we also aimed to determine the effect of home exercise using this application and the factors for its continuation. METHODS: Twenty patients with knee osteoarthritis were included. The participants exercised for 12 weeks. Using pre- and post-tests, we examined their satisfaction with continuation (only in the post-test), Japanese knee osteoarthritis measure score, short physical performance battery score, bilateral knee extension muscle strength, and short test battery for locomotive syndrome. Furthermore, we investigated correlations between adherence rates and pretest scores of Japanese knee osteoarthritis measure and short test battery and between pretest scores and variations in Japanese knee osteoarthritis measure and short test battery. RESULTS: The mean adherence rate was 82.4%. The participants showed ease of continuation (100%) and significant improvements in the degree of knee pain, pain, and stiffness, and daily life conditions using the Japanese knee osteoarthritis measure score, total score, walk seconds, and chair stand seconds of the short physical performance battery, as well as the extension muscle strength of the right- and pain-side knee. No significant correlations were identified between the adherence rate and the pretest or variation. CONCLUSION: The adherence rate to the application was over 80%. Participants with knee osteoarthritis showed almost full satisfaction, reduced pain, and improved physical ability. Therefore, the use of this application provided a safe exercise program and maintained the exercise motivation of participants. Thus, it may be useful for unsupervised home exercise.

Prophylactic placement of external iliac artery balloon catheter in a patient with intrapelvic prosthesis migration after hemiarthroplasty: A case report.

Intrapelvic prosthesis migration is a rare but serious complication of bipolar hemiarthroplasty in femoral neck fractures. The external iliac artery is one of the most frequently damaged arteries during the removal of a migrated implant from the pelvic region. This report describes a case in which prophylactic placement of an external iliac artery balloon catheter was performed to reduce blood loss in the event of vascular injury during implant removal surgery in the pelvic region.

Comparison between ilioinguinal approach and modified Stoppa approach for the treatment of acetabular fractures: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The modified Stoppa (MS) approach is an alternative to the ilioinguinal (IL) approach and three meta-analyses comparing these two approaches for the treatment of acetabular fractures were published previously. The aim of this study was to provide an updated systematic review and meta-analysis comparing the MS approach with the IL approach for the treatment of acetabular fractures and to answer the following question: are the results of the MS approach superior to those of the IL approach in terms of reduction quality, operative time, operative blood loss, complications, and clinical outcomes for treatment of acetabular fractures? PATIENTS AND METHODS: An updated systematic literature review was conducted using relevant original studies from various databases (PubMed, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library). Pooling of data was performed using RevMan software (version 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). A p-value of<0.05 was considered to be significant. We calculated the mean differences (MDs) for continuous data and odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous data with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each outcome. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed based on I2 using the standard Chi2 test. When I2>50%, significant heterogeneity was assumed and a random-effects model was applied for the meta-analysis. A fixed-effects model was applied in the absence of significant heterogeneity. RESULTS: Six studies were included in this meta-analysis. The findings demonstrated that the rate of anatomical reduction was significantly higher in the MS approach than in the IL approach (I2=0%, OR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.13-2.69, p=0.01), the operative time was significantly shorter in the MS approach than in the IL approach (I2=88%, MD=-63.60, 95% CI: -93.01 - (-34.20), p<0.0001) and operative blood loss was significantly lower in the MS approach than in the IL approach (I2=75%, MD=-350.51, 95% CI: -523.45 - (-177.58), p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in the rate of nerve injury (I2=0%, OR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.16-1.39, p=0.17), the rate of vascular injury (I2=0%, OR=0.51, 95% CI: 0.17-1.49, p=0.22), the rate of infection (I2=0%, OR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.25-1.12, p=0.10), the rate of heterotopic ossification (I2=45%, OR=0.63, 95% CI: 0.22-1.85, p=0.40), and the rate of excellent or good clinical score (I2=21%, OR=1.15, 95% CI: 0.56-2.38, p=0.70) between the two approaches. DISCUSSION: The MS approach provided better reduction quality, shorter operative time, lower operative blood loss, although there were no significant differences in the rate of complications, and excellent or good clinical score between the two approaches. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Minimally invasive anterolateral approach versus lateral transmuscular approach for total hip arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) using a minimally invasive (MI) approach is a commonly performed procedure, and several approaches are now being used clinically. The MI anterolateral (MIAL) approach is one of the MI approaches used in clinical practice. Whether the MIAL approach is superior to non-MI approaches remains controversial. To resolve this controversy, we performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis of results of THA procedures that used the MIAL approach. We assessed whether the MIAL approach was superior to the lateral transmuscular (LT) approach in terms of operative time, operative blood loss, radiological parameters, and clinical outcomes. METHODS: We performed a methodical search for all literature published on PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library, and pooled data using the RevMan software. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. We calculated the mean differences (MD) for continuous data with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each outcome. RESULTS: This meta-analysis included 6 studies. Pooled results indicated no statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of operative time (MD = 5.13, 95% CI -2.49 to 12.75, p = 0.19), cup abduction angle (MD = 1.64, 95% CI -1.32 to 4.60, p = 0.28), and cup anteversion angle (MD = 0.75, 95% CI -1.09 to 2.59, p = 0.43). Operative blood loss was significantly greater in those who underwent THA via the MIAL approach than those who underwent THA via the LT approach (MD = 68.01, 95% CI 14.69 to 121.33, p = 0.01). The postoperative Harris hip score (HHS) assessed at the time of final follow-up was significantly higher in those who underwent THA via the MIAL approach than those who underwent THA via the LT approach (MD = 1.41, 95% CI 0.50 to 2.33, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: We conclude that the MIAL approach is superior to the LT approach in terms of clinical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level Ⅱ.

Effects of transurethral resection under general anesthesia on tumor recurrence in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: The effects of the type of anesthesia (spinal (SA) vs. general (GA)) used for transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) on non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) recurrence and progression are controversial and our aim is to investigate their associations. METHODS: We identified 300 NMIBC patients who underwent initial TURBT with SA or GA. Cox's regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of anesthesia on tumor recurrence. RESULTS: Among 300 patients, 153 (51.0%) received GA and 147 (49.0%) SA. The 5-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was 59.9% in the GA group, which was significantly lower than that in the SA group (74.4%, p = 0.029). GA (HR 1.57, p = 0.048), male sex (HR 2.72, p = 0.012), and tumor multiplicity (HR 1.96, p = 0.006) were independently associated with tumor recurrence. In a subgroup of 137 patients with high-risk NMIBC, the 5-year RFS rate was 50.3% in the GA group, which was significantly lower than that in the SA group (77.6%, p = 0.020), and GA remained an independent indicator of tumor recurrence (HR 2.35, p = 0.016). However, no significant differences were observed in the RFS rates of low- to intermediate-risk NMIBC patients between the GA and SA groups. CONCLUSIONS: The RFS rate was lower in NMIBC patients who received GA during TURBT than in those who received SA. Volatile anesthesia may increase tumor recurrence, particularly in high-risk NMIBC patients, which may be due to the inhibition of the immune response system during surgery.

Treating difficult-to-diagnose tight filum terminale: our experience with four patients.

Tight filum terminale (TFT) is a general term for pathological conditions that result in abnormal tension on the spinal cord, pulling the conus medullaris caudally. Because symptoms can vary, we aim to review the usefulness of Komagata's criteria in our experience with four patients who had TFT that was missed in prior workups. We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of four patients who underwent resection of the filum terminale for TFT. A total of four patients underwent surgery. The patients' chief complaints were lower back pain, lower limb pain and numbness. All patients met the Komagata diagnostic criteria for TFT and also had neurological abnormalities of the upper limbs, such as numbness and pathological reflexes. We resected the filum terminale in all patients, and achieved resolution of their preoperative symptoms. Komagata's diagnostic criteria are seemingly useful for the diagnosis of TFT.

Characteristics of stepladder fall injuries: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Stepladders are used to work at heights in daily life, but their structure and usage differs from that of a ladder; stepladders can fold and stand without support, whereas ladders cannot fold and, thus, require support from other objects. We hypothesised that this difference made ladder and stepladder fall injuries to differ in characteristics. To clarify this hypothesis, we performed a retrospective cohort study on the stepladder fall injuries and compared their characteristics with that of ladder fall injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of injuries sustained from either ladder or stepladder falls. In this study, data were retrieved from the computerised database of Teikyo University Chiba Medical Center. Patients admitted to the orthopaedic department because of injury from ladder or stepladder fall were included. The following data were retrieved from the patient records: sex, age, height, body weight, body mass index (BMI), injury severity score (ISS), season, number of injury sites, details of injury and treatment option. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-two patients were included in this study. 101 patients were injured from stepladder falls, and 31 patients were injured from ladder falls. The number of females sustaining injuries due to a stepladder fall was significantly higher than those due to a ladder fall. The most frequent type of injury after fall from stepladder was fracture (48.9%), whereas the most frequent type of injury after fall from ladder was contusion/sprain (56.4%). The most frequently injured body part from stepladder fall was lower extremity (32.6%). In contrast, the most frequently injured body part due to a ladder fall was spine (27.3%). CONCLUSION: The current study found that the number of females sustaining injuries due to a stepladder fall was significantly higher than those due to a ladder fall. Furthermore, the most frequent body parts that needed surgery following a ladder fall injury were spine and upper extremity, whereas the most frequent body parts that needed surgery following a stepladder fall injury was lower extremity. Our study indicated that stepladder falls cause severe injuries and physical disability and can be a huge financial burden.

Is a portable accelerometer-based navigation system useful in total hip arthroplasty?: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Precise implant alignment is a crucial prognostic factor for successful outcomes following total hip arthroplasty (THA). A portable accelerometer-based navigation (PN) device may achieve the same accuracy as that achieved by the computer-assisted navigation surgery technique, with the convenience of a conventional technique. Although the usefulness of PN in THA (PN-THA) has been reported, whether it is more accurate than performing THA with a conventional technique (CON-THA) remains controversial. The difference in surgical time between PN-THA and CON-THA is also unclear. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing results of PN-THA with those of CON-THA. We focused on the following question: is PN-THA superior to CON-THA in terms of radiological parameters and surgical time? PATIENTS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, to identify studies that met the following inclusion criteria: randomised controlled trials (RCT) or non-RCT, studies involving patients who underwent PN-THA and patients who underwent CON-THA, studies including data on radiological parameters and surgical outcomes. Author names, publication year, country, study design, surgical approach, demographic characteristics of the participants (diagnosis, gender, age, and body mass index), and surgical outcomes (the radiological parameters and the surgical time) were extracted. We calculated the mean differences (MDs) for continuous data with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each outcome. p<0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Three studies were included in this meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that absolute deviation of the postoperative measured angles from the target position for the cup anteversion was significantly smaller in PN-THA than in CON-THA (MD=-1.70, 95% CI=-2.91 to -0.50, [p=0.005]). There was no significant difference in the absolute deviation of the postoperative measured angles from the target position for cup abduction between the groups (MD=-1.82, 95% CI=-4.32-0.67, [p=0.15]). The surgical time was significantly longer in PN-THA than in CON-THA (MD=8.58, 95% CI=4.05-13.10, [p=0.0002]). DISCUSSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing the results of PN-THA with those of CON-THA showed that the PN-THA is advantageous for precise cup implantation compared to CON-THA, although PN-THA has a longer surgical time compared to CON-THA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

A new closed reduction technique using a traction table to treat a traumatic posterior dislocation of the hip joint.

Traumatic hip dislocations should be reduced gently and promptly to prevent complications such as osteonecrosis of the femoral head, heterotopic ossification, incomplete recovery of sciatic nerve injury, and fractures of the femoral neck. Many closed reduction manoeuvres have been reported; however, these manoeuvres require forceful and sustained traction, which places an enormous physical burden on surgeons. The aim of the present technical note is to describe a new reduction manoeuvre that uses a traction table to decrease the physical burden experienced by surgeons.

No definite advantage of a portable accelerometer-based navigation system over conventional technique in total knee arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Precise implant alignment is a crucial prognostic factor in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Portable navigation systems (PN-TKA) were reported to be better than the conventional technique (CON-TKA). We hypothesized that PN-TKA offered greater radiologic precision than CON-TKA in mechanically aligning components. We investigated whether (1) it improved global mechanical alignment, and (2) optimized component placement with respect to the tibial and femoral mechanical axes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A systematic literature review compared PN-TKA versus CON-TKA. PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Library search retrieved ten studies. Their data were pooled using RevMan 5.3. Odds ratios (OR) for dichotomous data were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for each outcome. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed as I2 using a standard χ2 test. I2>50% denoted significant heterogeneity requiring a random effects model; otherwise, a fixed effects model was applied. RESULTS: There were significantly fewer outliers for mechanical axis (I2=24%, OR=0.62, 95% CI=0.42-0.91, p=0.02) and coronal femoral component angle (I2=58%, OR=0.31, 95% CI=0.13-0.73, p=0.007) using PN-TKA; however, no significant difference was observed for coronal tibial component angle outliers (I2=0%, OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.38-1.15, p=0.14). DISCUSSION: Although PN-TKA appeared to improve global alignment, it had no effect on coronal tibial alignment, which is a key factor in predicting the long-term success of component fixation. There thus appeared to be no definite advantage of PN-TKA over CON-TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Incidence of osteonecrosis and insufficiency fracture of the hip and knee joints based on MRI in 300 renal transplant patients.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of necrosis and insufficiency fracture of the hip and knee using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in renal transplant patients. METHODS: We examined 300 consecutive renal transplant patients using MRI of the hips and knees (T1-weighted coronal MRI) preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively. Oblique axial-plane T1-weighted MRI and short-tau inversion-recovery T2-weighted MRI were performed parallel to the femoral neck when distinguishing the osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) from subchondral insufficiency fracture (SIF) of the femoral head was difficult. RESULTS: ONFH was observed in 3 hips (3 cases, 1.0%). Osteonecrosis of the knee was observed in 2 knees (1 case, 0.3%). SIF of the femoral head was observed in 5 hips (3 cases, 1.0%). Bilateral simultaneous onset of SIF of the femoral head was observed in 2 cases (0.7%). Insufficiency fracture of the knee was observed in 2 knees (1 case, 0.3%). CONCLUSIONS: When it was difficult to distinguish ONFH from SIF of the femoral head, oblique axial-plane T1-weighted MRI and the short-tau inversion-recovery T2-weighted MRI parallel to the femoral neck were useful to establish the correct diagnosis.

Total hip arthroplasty after failed transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have reported regarding total hip arthroplasty (THA) for osteonecrosis of the femoral head after failed transtrochanteric rotational osteotomy (TRO). However, to our knowledge, no formal systematic review and meta-analysis have been published yet summarizing the clinical results of a THA after failed TRO. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the THA outcomes after failed TRO. We focussed on the issue whether a previous TRO affects the results of subsequent THA, including operative time, operative blood loss, radiological parameters, postoperative complications, and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Literatures published up to January 2018 were searched in the PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library, and the pooling of data was performed using a RevMan software (version 5.3, Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK). A p-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant. We calculated the mean differences (MD) for continuous data and the odds ratio (OR) for dichotomous data with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for each outcome. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed based on I2 using the standard Chi2. When I2>50%, significant heterogeneity was assumed, and a random-effects model was applied for the meta-analysis. A fixed-effects model was applied in the absence of significant heterogeneity. RESULTS: Five studies were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed that operative time was significantly longer in the THA after the TRO than that for the THA without previous osteotomy (I2=92%; MD=31.62; 95% CI: 5.95 to 57.28; p=0.02). Operative blood loss was significantly greater in the THA after the TRO than that in the THA without previous osteotomy (I2=71%; MD=123.30; 95% CI: 22.21 to 224.39; p=0.02). The rate of stem malalignment was significantly higher in the THA after the TRO than that in the THA without previous osteotomy (I2=0%; OR=5.23, 95% CI: 1.95 to 14.06; p=0.001). There was no significant difference in the dislocation rate (I2=0%; OR=2.12; 95% CI: 0.64 to 6.99; p=0.22), and the postoperative Harris hip score at the final follow-up (I2=75%, MD=-0.46, 95% CI: -3.92 to 3.01, p=0.80) between the groups. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that, performing the THA after the TRO is technically more demanding than the THA without previous osteotomy. TRO does not affect the clinical results of future THA, and is a sufficient therapeutic alternative in younger patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, systematic and meta-analysis of case control studies.

Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis with Spinal Stenosis: A Comparative Study of 5-Year Outcomes Following Decompression with Fusion and Microendoscopic Decompression.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospectively collected outcome data. PURPOSE: To compare 5-year outcomes following decompression with fusion (FU) and microendoscopic decompression (MED) in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) and to define surgical indication limitations regarding the use of MED for this condition. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: There have been no comparative studies on mid- or long-term outcomes following FU and MED for patients with DLS. METHODS: Forty-one consecutive patients with DLS were surgically treated. Sixteen patients first underwent FU (FU group), and 25 then underwent MED (MED group). The 5-year clinical outcomes following the two surgical methods were compared using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire. RESULTS: The degree of improvement (DOI) for social life function was significantly greater in the MED group than in the FU group. Although not statistically significant, DOIs for the other four functional scores were also greater in the MED group than in the FU group. However, patients with a large percentage of slippage in the neutral position might experience limited improvement in low back pain, those with a large percentage of slippage at maximal extension might experience limited improvement in three functional scores, and those with a small intervertebral angle at maximal flexion might have limited improvement in three functional scores after MED for DLS. Therefore, we statistically compared the DOIs between the FU and MED groups regarding the preoperative percentage of slippage in the neutral position among patients with greater than 20% slippage, the preoperative percentage of slippage at maximal extension among patients with greater than 15% slippage, and the intervertebral angle at flexion among patients with angles lesser than -5°; however, there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: MED is a useful minimally invasive surgical procedure that possibly offers better clinical outcomes than FU for DLS.