Return to Play After Femoroacetabular Impingement.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a pathomechanical process whereby abnormal contact between proximal femur and acetabulum at end range of hip motion induces chondrolabral lesions within the hip joint. Surgery followed by a rehabilitation program or physical therapy with possible addition of an intra-articular corticosteroid injection are the two predominant treatments. The majority of authors recognize that a well-designed rehabilitation protocol is essential to achieve good outcomes with both nonoperative and surgical treatment. However, there is little evidence about what is the best rehabilitation protocol and most of the literature available is based on expert level opinion. This current review investigates the recent literature on nonoperative and postoperative rehabilitation protocol and return to play in FAI patients and describes our approach. RECENT FINDINGS: Historically, rehabilitation protocols for treatment of FAI as well as return to play protocols were based on experts' opinion and low-level evidence studies. In order to improve standardization of protocols and to allow a better comparison in between different protocols, different authors have created standardized rehabilitation protocols with consensus building methods comparing them with other treatment options in high-level evidence trials (FASHIoN trial, etc.). Despite the excellent results reported after nonoperative and post-surgical rehabilitation, and the high RTP rate after FAI treatment, there is a significant variability in between protocols. Further high-level evidence studies are necessary in order to establish a gold standard in rehabilitation and RTP protocols.

Staged Achilles Allograft Reconstruction of Chronic Bilateral Simultaneous Tears of the Retracted Distal Biceps Tendon Using a Novel Fixation Technique.

Bilateral simultaneous rupture of distal biceps tendons is an extremely rare clinical entity that can result in significant morbidity for an active person if not addressed appropriately. Treatment becomes more complicated in a delayed presentation as the tendon retracts and scars to the adjacent tissues, thus precluding a primary tendon-to-bone repair. The present study is a case report of an active male with a two-month-old simultaneous rupture of both distal biceps tendons managed by Achilles allograft reconstruction and double cortical-button fixation technique that provided a satisfactory functional outcome.

Spontaneous rupture of the extensor pollicis longus tendon in a lacrosse player.

Spontaneous rupture of the extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon at the wrist has been reported with predisposing factors to include distal radius fractures, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic or local steroids, and repetitive abnormal motion of the wrist joint.We present a case of an 18-year-old college lacrosse player without history of known predisposing factors who presented with an acute inability to extend the interphalangeal (IP) joint of his right thumb. Preoperative musculoskeletal ultrasound demonstrated rupture of the EPL tendon proximal to the carpometacarpal (CMC) joint of the thumb. A tendon transfer was therefore performed, where the extensor indicis proprius (EIP) was surgically rerouted to reconstruct the ruptured EPL. The athlete eventually returned to competition without sequela.We suggest that the tendon rupture was secondary to repetitive stick checking during play, causing microtrauma to his exposed dorsal wrist. Lacrosse team physicians, athletic trainers, and equipment managers should be aware of this injury mechanism and ensure that their players, and attackmen in particular, are equipped with gloves which adequately pad the dorsal wrist to decrease the risk of microtrauma to the EPL tendon.

All-Inside Tibial Tunnel Drilling: How to Calculate a Safe Drilling Length to Avoid Anterior Cortex Violation.

The all-inside technique for bone tunnel drilling during ligament reconstruction procedures (ACL, PCL etc.) is gaining popularity as a bone preserving, less invasive technique with the potential for more rapid recovery. To preserve the advantages of closed-socket tunnels, it is essential not to violate the cortex during retro-drilling. The risk of cortical breach is higher with the tibial tunnel compared to the femoral one due to the obliquity of the tunnel relative to the cortex. Our purpose is to introduce a trigonometric formula, which allows the surgeon to calculate the safe tibial tunnel drilling length during all-inside ligament reconstruction and explain its proof.

Conservative Treatment of a Nondisplaced Intertrochanteric Femur Fracture: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

A 21-year-old otherwise healthy male sustained a nondisplaced, intertrochanteric fracture of the left femur after being "rear-ended" by a motor vehicle while riding his bicycle. His fracture was managed with protected weight-bearing and progressive mobilization. No traction was utilized. The patient had an excellent clinical outcome at two-year follow-up, reporting modified Harris Hip Score 85, Hip Outcome Score-Activities of Daily Living 88, Hip Outcome Score-Sport Specific 89, and International Hip Outcome Tool-33 of 77. Conclusion: Nonsurgical treatment, consisting of restricted weight-bearing, for non-displaced intertrochanteric femur fracture in young, healthy patients can provide a successful result.Level of Evidence: V.

Fluoroscopy-Guided Suture Anchor Placement Yields Excellent Accuracy for Arthroscopic Acetabular Labral Repair: A Cadaveric Study.

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of fluoroscopy-guided suture anchor placement for arthroscopic acetabular labral repair in cadaveric hip specimens. METHODS: Two sports medicine fellowship-trained surgeons performed arthroscopic hip surgery on 6 cadaveric specimens each. Suture anchors were placed at the 11-, 12-, 1-, 2-, 3-, and 4-o'clock positions of the acetabulum in each specimen using a previously described fluoroscopically guided technique. Gross dissection and thin-cut computed tomography scans were performed to assess for accuracy. The insertion angle between the subchondral bone and the drill bit immediately prior to suture anchor insertion was measured, and fluoroscopic visualization of the subchondral bone at each clock-face position was qualitatively graded as good, fair, or poor by 2 independent reviewers. RESULTS: Overall, 90.3% of attempts (65 of 72) were entirely intraosseous, 5.5% (4 of 72) perforated the articular cartilage, and 4.2% (3 of 72) perforated the far cortex, rates that are comparable with those in previous cadaveric studies. There was no statistically significant difference in accuracy between the surgeons (P = .42) or between the various clock-face positions (P = .63). Neither the insertion angle (P = .26) nor visualization of the subchondral bone (P = .35) was significantly correlated with accuracy by gross dissection. CONCLUSIONS: In a cadaveric hip arthroscopy model, fluoroscopy-guided suture anchor placement yields excellent accuracy rates, similar to non-image-guided techniques. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Intra-articular suture anchor placement and intrapelvic suture anchor placement are known complications of arthroscopic acetabular labral repair. Fluoroscopically guided suture anchor placement can be a useful tool for hip arthroscopy surgeons performing acetabular labral repair and reconstruction, potentially reducing the risk of these complications.

Isolated Dorsal Dislocations of the Fourth and Fifth Carpometacarpal Joints: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Dislocations of the carpometacarpal (CMC) joints without fracture are rare injuries. They commonly involve the fourth and fifth metacarpals of the dominant hand. Missed and incorrect diagnoses are quite frequent due to subtle clinical and radiological findings. Untreated cases may result in chronic disability due to long term pain and weakness in grip strength. Closed reduction is possible when performed early but can be unstable. We present a rare case of unstable dislocation of fourth and fifth carpometacarpal joints treated by closed reduction and percutaneous pinning.

Fluoroscopy-Guided Suture Anchor Placement for Acetabular Labrum Repair.

A narrow safe angle exists for placing suture anchors into the acetabular rim during arthroscopic acetabular labrum repair. Intra-articular suture anchor placement has been reported, and cadaver studies have shown the highest risk of errant suture anchor placement at the anterior acetabular rim. We describe a technique using intraoperative fluoroscopy to guide suture anchor placement into the anterior and superior acetabular rim, which may reduce the risk of iatrogenic injury during arthroscopic acetabular labrum repair.

Surgical Decision Making for Acetabular Labral Tears: An International Perspective.

BACKGROUND: Studies comparing acetabular labral repair with debridement have generally demonstrated better clinical outcomes with repair. However, it is not clear whether hip arthroscopic surgeons agree on the indications for labral repair and debridement, bringing the generalizability of these (and future) studies into question. PURPOSE: To investigate surgical decision making for acetabular labral tears, with a specific focus on indications for repair or debridement, by performing an international survey of hip arthroscopic surgeons. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: A total of 35 hip arthroscopic surgeons from around the world were invited to participate in this survey study. Surgeons selected the factors that they consider when deciding to repair or debride acetabular labral tears. For each variable selected, computerized adaptive logic prompted additional questions to better define how that variable affects decision making. Six deidentified intraoperative videos of a variety of labral tears were included to determine the level of agreement between the experts on which labral tears are repairable. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 86%. A majority (77%) of hip arthroscopic surgeons selected the intraoperative appearance of the labrum as the most important factor affecting their decision making. Specific factors affecting surgical decision making included pattern of the labral tear (73% of surgeons), ossification of the labrum (70%), magnetic resonance imaging findings (70%), patient age (63%), activity level (57%), radiographic findings (53%), calcification of the labrum (50%), and thickness of the labrum (47%). Three intraoperative videos had ≥90% agreement for labral repair, while the other 3 had ≤76% agreement. CONCLUSION: The intraoperative appearance of the labrum is the most important factor affecting surgical decision making. However, different surgeons viewing the same tear arthroscopically may select different treatments. The indications to repair a torn acetabular labrum are highly variable among hip arthroscopic surgeons.

The gothic arch: a reliable measurement for developmental dysplasia of the hip.

BACKGROUND: The "Gothic Arch" is a radio-graphic finding on AP pelvis x-rays postulated to be predictive of hip osteoarthritis. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability of measurement of the Gothic Arch in patients with no known hip pathology and patients with unilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). PATIENTS AND METHODS: After obtaining IRB approval, nine skeletally mature patients (18 hips) with no known hip pathology were selected to serve as the control group. The AP pelvis x-rays at skeletal maturity of eight patients (16 hips) with unilateral DDH treated with closed reduction and casting comprised the comparison group. A digitizing program was designed to measure the Gothic Arch based on landmarks identified by the user. Two pediatric orthopaedic surgeons and two orthopaedic residents completed the program on two separate occasions. Intra-and interobserver reliability were determined using intraclass cor-relation coefficients (ICC) for continuous variables. RESULTS: Both the unilateral DDH group and the control group demonstrated excellent inter- and intraobserver reliability (ICC >0.70) for base, height, area, and orientation of the Gothic Arch, but poor reliability (ICC <0.40) for medial and lateral sharpness. CONCLUSION: The Gothic Arch can be reliably measured on AP pelvis x-rays of patients with normal and dysplastic hips. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, Diagnostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Primary hip and knee replacement: "are we all operating on the same patients, even at the same institution?".

BACKGROUND: Survey studies have concluded that a lack of consensus exists between orthopaedic surgeons on indications for total hip and knee arthroplasty. Geographic variation in the rates of these operations has raised concerns that some surgeons inappropriately indicate healthier patients for surgery than others. The objective of this study was to compare primary hip and knee arthroplasty patients'pre-operative validated outcome scores between four orthopaedic surgeons operating at a single academic institution from 2003 to 2007. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed using CPT-4 codes to identify patients who underwent primary total hip or knee arthroplasty at our institution between June 2003 and June 2007. Pre-operative SF-36 and WOMAC scores were recorded for each patient Patient demographics including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), number of co-morbidities, life orientation score (a measure of patient optimism), smoking and alcohol use, education level, and occupation were also recorded. Statistical analysis using unbalanced analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Chi-Square test were used to compare data between the surgeons, with statistical significance set at P < 0.05. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in SF-36 or WOMAC stiffness and function scores between the surgeons. There was a small difference in WOMAC pain scores between the surgeons'total knee patients, but not total hip patients. The number of primary hip and total knee replacements performed by each surgeon ranged from 151 to 955, with a total of 1896 primary joint replacements by the four surgeons during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing primary total joint arthroplasty at our institution were equally disabled between four surgeons, despite the surgeons performing variable numbers of the procedures. Further comparative effectiveness research using validated outcome measures is warranted.