Manipulation Under Anesthesia Is Associated With an Increased Rate of Early Total Knee Arthroplasty Revision.

Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) frequently has been used as a first-line treatment to restore functional range of motion after unsuccessful physical therapy. Although there are studies reporting that MUA assisted in restoring range of motion, there is a paucity of literature on the influence of MUA on the risk of revision TKA. The goal of our study was to determine whether MUA was associated with an increase in the rate of revision TKA within 2 years of MUA. A total of 49,310 patients within a single institution who underwent primary TKA were identified from 1999 to 2019. Data were matched at a 1:3 ratio (TKA with and without MUA, respectively) based on age, sex, and body mass index. A matched comparison cohort was conducted, with the MUA cohort having 575 patients and the no MUA cohort having 1725 patients. A statistically significant increase in the rate of noninfectious etiology revision TKA was found in the MUA cohort (7.3%) compared with the no MUA cohort (4.9%; P=.034). The most common reason for revision TKA after MUA was persistent stiffness, including arthrofibrosis and ankylosis; however, aseptic loosening, ligamentous instability, and periprosthetic fracture were found to be responsible for 21.4% of revision TKA procedures. Although MUA is a commonly performed procedure for treating stiffness after primary TKA, the orthopedic surgeon should counsel patients on the association of increased rate of revision TKA after MUA, most commonly, persistent stiffness. [Orthopedics. 2022;45(5):270-275.].

Nutritional Counseling Program for Morbidly Obese Patients Enables Weight Optimization for Safe Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Obesity affects one-third of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients and is the most common modifiable risk factor for increased complications in the TJA population. The authors' institution implemented a body mass index (BMI) cutoff of 40 kg/m2 to define appropriate TJA candidates. Patients above the cutoff were referred for nutritional counseling. The study objective was to evaluate the efficacy of this protocol in optimizing patient BMI for safe and successful TJA. Between 2016 and 2018, the authors examined 133 patients (mean age, 62.6 years) with a BMI greater than 40 kg/m2 seeking TJA (94 knee, 39 hip) seen by an arthroplasty surgeon and then a dietitian. Outcomes included weight loss, change in BMI, duration of counseling, and surgical status. For postoperative patients, 90-day complications were recorded. A total of 102 (92%) patients achieved weight loss during a mean 154 days (range, 8-601 days). Patients lost a mean of 17 lb, lowering their BMI by 2.7 points (range, +6.3 to -17.7 points). Twenty-two patients discontinued nutritional counseling after 1 visit, most commonly secondary to cost when not covered by insurance. Seventy-one patients successfully underwent TJA, representing 64% of those patients who participated in nutritional counseling. Complications included delayed wound healing (n=2), periprosthetic fracture (n=2), infection (n=1), cellulitis (n=1), and peroneal nerve palsy (n=1). Surgeons must actively counsel obese patients about weight optimization as part of the preoperative standard of care. Nutritional counseling with a dietitian and follow-up with the surgeon translated to safe and successful TJA in a majority of patients. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(4):e316-e322.].

Outcome of knee arthroplasty in patients with poor preoperative range of motion.

In the current study, 27 consecutive total knee arthroplasties in 21 patients were assessed. All patients had a preoperative range of motion of less than 50 degrees, severe debilitation, and a minimum clinical and radiographic followup of 2 years (mean, 6 years; range, 2.3-11.8 years). The mean preoperative arc of motion was 30 degrees (range, 0 degrees -50 degrees) and improved to a mean 74 degrees (range, 15 degrees -110 degrees) postoperatively. Preoperative flexion contracture was corrected from a mean 28 degrees (range, 0 degrees -60 degrees) to a mean postoperative flexion contracture of 4.4 degrees (range, -5 degrees -30 degrees). In this series, the overall complication rate was 41% and the revision rate was 18.5%. The clinical significance of this study is that patients with stiff knees who are debilitated severely can have an improved quality of life after total knee arthroplasty, reflected by an increased walking tolerance, increased functional abilities, and decrease in pain, but in association with a high risk of complications and subsequent revisions.