Increased anterior pelvic tilt in patients with acetabular retroversion compared to the general population: A radiographic and prevalence study.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of acetabular retroversion is sparsely investigated. It may be associated with increased anterior pelvic tilt. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether patients with symptomatic and radiographically verified acetabular retroversion demonstrated increased anterior pelvic tilt compared to a control group, and furthermore to evaluate the prevalence of acetabular retroversion in the general population. METHODS: Anteroposterior pelvic radiographs in standing position of 111 patients with acetabular retroversion prior to anteverting periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) and 132 matched controls from the general Danish population were assessed. Pelvic tilt was assessed by the sacrococcygeal joint-symphysis distance and pelvic-tilt-ratio. Acetabular retroversion was defined as positive cross-over sign and posterior wall sign. Prior to assessments, interrater reliability analysis was performed. Measurements were agreed by two independent assessors. A nonparametric regression model was used to test between-group differences in median pelvic tilt. The prevalence was calculated as the ratio of subjects and hips with acetabular retroversion, respectively. RESULTS: The patient group had significantly larger median anterior pelvic tilt of 14.3 mm in sacrococcygeal joint-symphysis distance and -0.08 in pelvic-tilt-ratio, compared to controls. The prevalence of subjects in the general population with either unilateral or bilateral acetabular retroversion was 24% and 18% for all hips. CONCLUSION: Our data demonstrated that patients with symptomatic acetabular retroversion have increased anterior pelvic tilt compared to the general population. Radiographic sign of acetabular retroversion was highly prevalent in the general population. IMPLICATION FOR PRACTICE: Increased anterior pelvic tilt should be considered when diagnosing and treating patients with hip pain, as symptoms may be related to the functional position of the pelvis and not necessarily solely come from the radiographic verified acetabular retroversion.

Fractures of the knee in children-what can go wrong? A case file study of closed claims in The Patient Compensation Association covering 16 years.

INTRODUCTION: Intra-articular knee fractures in children are rare. The Patient Compensation Association (PCA) receives claims for financial compensation from patients who believe they have sustained damage from their treatment in the health care system. We used relevant cases of closed claims to identify causality and co-factors contributing to these apparent malpractices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A partial root core analysis was performed on closed claims from the PCA database concerning proximal tibial fractures in children aged ≤15 years. RESULTS: We identified 13 cases. The main complaint was missed diagnosis (6 cases)-fractures of the tibial eminence were the main culprit, with damage to the popliteal artery caused by a medial condyle fracture being the most serious. All cases were missed by junior doctors. Secondary complaints were problems with casting, dissatisfaction with correct treatment, and insufficient surgery or complications relating to surgery. Eight of the complaints were acknowledged, with six receiving financial compensation ranging from EUR 9,600 to EUR 70,000. Five out of the six cases of missed diagnosis were acknowledged. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that recognizing the degree of injury to the knee in children, which should include an X-ray examination, is key to preventing missed diagnosis and delayed and potentially more difficult surgery with long-lasting sequelae for the child. The PCA database seems to be a useful way to highlight systematic problems in the Danish health care system and could potentially be an important means to improving patient safety and preventing treatment-related injuries.

The prevalence of cam-type deformity of the hip joint: a survey of 4151 subjects of the Copenhagen Osteoarthritis Study.

BACKGROUND: Cam deformity is a preosteoarthritic malformation causing premature hip-joint degeneration. While the pathogenetic pathway from deformity to osteoarthrosis (OA) has been well established, almost nothing is known of the malformation's epidemiology. PURPOSE: To determine the distribution of cam deformity in a large, unselected cohort from standardized anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiographs. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The distribution of cam deformity was assessed in 3202 (1184 male, 2018 female) standardized AP pelvic radiographs using the triangular index (TI) and the alpha angle. The relationships between cam malformation and self-reported hip pain were evaluated, and the relative importance of known risk factors for cam malformation estimated. RESULTS: We found a pronounced sex-related difference in cam-deformity distribution. The overall prevalence of cam deformity was approximately 17% in men and 4% in women. The distribution of cam deformity was unaltered in subjects with normal joint-space width or other features of hip-joint degeneration. We found no significant association with self-reported hip pain, nor did we find any relative importance of possible risk factors for hip deformity, such as body-mass index (BMI), occupational exposure to heavy workloads, or concomitant acetabular dysplasia. CONCLUSION: The results lend support to the thesis that cam deformity represents a silent slipped capital epiphysis, predominantly in men, and that it is a far from uncommon deformity in subjects with no apparent evidence of hip-joint osteoarthritis.

A new radiological index for assessing asphericity of the femoral head in cam impingement.

Femoroacetabular cam impingement is thought to be a cause of premature osteoarthritis of the hip. The presence of cam malformation was determined in 2803 standardised anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiographs from the Copenhagen Osteoarthritis Study by measuring the alpha (alpha) angle and the triangular index, a new measure of asphericity of the femoral head. In addition, the alpha-angle and the triangular index were assessed on the AP and lateral hip radiographs of 82 men and 82 women randomly selected from patients scheduled for total hip replacement (THR). The influence of varying femoral rotation on the alpha angle and the triangular index was also determined in femoral specimens under experimental conditions. From the 2803 radiographs the mean AP alpha-angle was 55 degrees (30 degrees to 100 degrees ) in men and 45 degrees (34 degrees to 108 degrees ) in women. Approximately 6% of men and 2% of women had cam malformation. The alpha-angle and triangular index were highly inter-related. Of those patients scheduled for THR, 36 men (44%) and 28 women (35%) had cam malformation identifiable on the AP radiographs. The triangular index proved to be more reliable in detecting cam malformation when the hip was held in varying degrees of rotation. The combination of the alpha-angle and the triangular index will allow examination of historical radiographs for epidemiological purposes in following the natural history of the cam deformity.

Digital x-ray radiogrammetry identifies women at risk of osteoporotic fracture: results from a prospective study.

Using digital X-ray radiogrammetry (DXR) on hand radiographs from a large population-based study, 1,370 postmenopausal women were evaluated in a prospective fashion; fracture occurrence was compared with DXR measurements of historic radiographs. Further, the aim of the study was to evaluate factors affecting DXR bone mineral density (BMD) in this cohort. The study is based on data from a subgroup of women participating in the third Copenhagen City Heart Study and additional data from a questionnaire obtained in 1999. The mean follow-up time was 6.1 years. During the observation period, 245 women suffered a fracture. Odds ratios (ORs) per 1 standard deviation decline in DXR-BMD were statistically significant for fracture in the groups of wrist fractures, proximal humerus fractures, vertebral fractures, and other fractures as well as in the total fracture group. In the hip fracture group, the P value almost reached significance (0.052). The highest ORs (2.4) were found in the group with proximal humerus fractures and in the vertebral fracture group (2.0). In the wrist fracture and hip fracture groups, ORs were 1.7 and 1.4, respectively. The group with other fractures had an OR of 1.7, and the OR in the entire fracture group was 1.6. Age, fracture, and smoking were negatively correlated with DXR-BMD, whereas BMI, age at menopause, hormone replacement therapy, and physical fitness and muscle strength were positively correlated with DXR-BMD. In conclusion, BMD estimated by DXR of the metacarpals predicts later osteoporotic fracture and seems to provide meaningful information on bone mass in epidemiological studies, where DXA measurements are not available.

Osteoarthritis of the first carpometacarpal joint: a study of radiology and clinical epidemiology. Results from the Copenhagen Osteoarthritis Study.

BACKGROUND: The radiological and epidemiological data from the Copenhagen Osteoarthritis Study (COS) were analysed in order to assess the prevalence of osteoarthritis (OA) of the first carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ). Another aim of the study was to analyse relationships between radiologic CMCJ OA and self-reported pain. The third aim was to analyse if additional information could be obtained applying a new method of correlating individual radiological features to self-reported pain, compared to Kellgren and Lawrence's (K-L's) radiologic OA classification. METHODS: Between 1992 and 1994 standardised radiographs of both hands were recorded in 3,355 participants of the COS cohort. Subjects with known rheumatoid arthritis, other inflammatory arthritis or earlier fractures of the hand were excluded. OA of the CMCJ was assessed according to K-L's radiologic classification by two senior radiologists at our institution. The radiologists further evaluated individual radiologic features of CMCJ OA as recommended by K-L according to the text attached to each picture in their radiologic atlas of OA. To estimate inter- and intraobserver reproducibility a subset of 100 radiographs was reread. RESULTS: Our analyses demonstrated that the K-L method was not able to classify all X-rays. In 608 (18.1%) cases, combinations of joint space width (JSW) measurements, the graduation of osteofytes, sclerosis and cysts fell outside the classification. The radiological evaluation of individual features of OA demonstrated an acceptable reproducibility, intrapersonal (kappa=0.79) as well as interpersonal (kappa=0.65). The prevalence of each radiological feature increased after the fifth decade, progressively more so among women (P<0.001), with the highest prevalence (36.0%) of grades 3 and 4 JSW reduction among women>80 years. A significant correlation was found between signs of radiologic degeneration and self-reported pain (P<0.001); however, different combinations of OA features had different relations to symptoms. Logistic regression analyses revealed sclerosis to have an independent influence on pain in the thumb compared with the presence of osteofytes, cysts and diminished JSW. Body mass index (BMI) was positively related to radiological changes. In logistic regression analyses BMI did not demonstrate an independent positive relation to OA. CONCLUSION: Radiological degenerative changes in the CMCJ by age especially among women are quite common. However, it is demonstrated that global radiologic classifications of OA of the CMCJ have serious limitations in epidemiological studies. Not all cases fit into classification based on the K-L-atlas. Among the radiological features, subchondral sclerosis is significantly related to self-reported pain. Specific radiologic data should be incorporated in epidemiological studies on hand OA.

Joint space width in dysplasia of the hip: a case-control study of 81 adults followed for ten years.

In a longitudinal case-control study, we followed 81 subjects with dysplasia of the hip and 136 control subjects without dysplasia for ten years assessing radiological evidence of degeneration of the hip at admission and follow-up. There were no cases of subluxation in the group with dysplasia. Neither subjects with dysplasia nor controls had radiological signs of ongoing degenerative disease at admission. The primary radiological discriminator of degeneration of the hip was a change in the minimum joint space width over time. There were no significant differences between these with dysplasia and controls in regard to age, body mass index or occupational exposure to daily repeated lifting at admission. We found no significant differences in the reduction of the joint space width at follow-up between subjects with dysplasia and the control subjects nor in self-reported pain in the hip. The association of subluxation and/or associated acetabular labral tears with dysplasia of the hip may be a conditional factor for the development of premature osteoarthritis in mildly to moderately dysplastic hips.

Hip dysplasia: a significant risk factor for the development of hip osteoarthritis. A cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional survey of 2232 women and 1336 men (age range 20-91 yr) was to investigate individual risk factors for hip joint osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Standardized, weight-bearing pelvic radiographs were evaluated. Radiological hip joint OA was defined as minimum joint space width (JSW) /=60 yr of age. Of factors entered into logistic regression analyses, only age (P<0.001 for right hips and P<0.001 for left hips) and hip dysplasia (P<0.001 for right hips and P = 0.004 for left hips) were significantly associated with hip OA prevalence in women. In men, only hip dysplasia was associated with hip OA prevalence, P<0.001 in right hips and P = 0.001 in left hips. CONCLUSIONS: Of the individual risk factors investigated in this study, only age and hip dysplasia were associated with the development of hip osteoarthritis.

Factors influencing hip joint space in asymptomatic subjects. A survey of 4151 subjects of the Copenhagen City Heart Study: the Osteoarthritis Substudy.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of the study were to investigate the distribution of hip joint space width (JSW) in asymptomatic subjects without radiologic evidence of degeneration, and investigate the influence of age, sex, physical parameters, occupational activity, and smoking on JSW. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The distribution of minimum JSW was determined in hip joints in standardized, weight-bearing pelvic radiographs of the Copenhagen City Heart Study: The Osteoarthritis Substudy cohort of 4151 subjects. Asymptomatic subjects without radiologic osteoarthritis were included (1018M/1554F). Occupational exposure to repeated daily lifting, smoking, and physical parameters were registered for each individual. RESULTS: Overall, female minimum JSW was significantly smaller compared with male JSW (P < 0.0001). Female minimum JSW decreased significantly with age (P < 0.0001), while male minimum JSW remained relatively unaltered throughout life (P(right) = 0319, P(left) = 0.18). Minimum JSW correlated positively with height, weight, and BMI, as did femoral head radius. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed significant influence of sex and age on minimum JSW in females only. Positive or adverse effects of cigarette smoking on hip JSW were not documented. Type and duration of occupational exposure to repeated daily lifting did not affect hip JSW significantly. CONCLUSION: Minimum JSW decreased progressively with age in women, while it was unaltered in men. A history of smoking or different occupational exposure to repeated daily lifting did not influence minimum hip JSW significantly. Differences in body mass index, height or weight did not significantly influence minimum hip joint JSW.

Studies on YKL-40 in knee joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Involvement of YKL-40 in the joint pathology.

OBJECTIVE: The presence of YKL-40 (human cartilage glycoprotein 39) in synovium, cartilage and synovial fluid (SF) from knee joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis (OA) were related to histopathological changes in synovium and cartilage and to serum YKL-40 and other biochemical markers. METHODS: The localization of YKL-40 in synovium and cartilage was determined by immunohistochemistry. Synovial inflammation was estimated histologically and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Biochemical markers of inflammation, neutrophil activation and cartilage metabolism were analysed. YKL-40 concentrations in serum and SF were determined by RIA and ELISA. RESULTS: In the synovium YKL-40 positive cells were found in lining and stromal cells (macrophages) and the number of YKL-40 positive cells was related to the degree of synovitis. In arthritic cartilage, YKL-40 was located to chondrocytes. YKL-40 levels in SF were higher in RA patients with moderate/severe or none/slight synovitis of the knee joint compared to OA patients with moderate/severe or none/slight synovitis. SF YKL-40 correlated with the synovial membrane and the joint effusion volumes determined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and with other biochemical markers of intercellular matrix metabolism. SF YKL-40 was higher than serum YKL-40, and a relationship existed between the YKL-40 levels in SF and serum. Intraarticular glucocorticoid injection was followed by clinical remission and a decrease in serum YKL-40, which increased again at clinical relapse. CONCLUSIONS: YKL-40 in SF is derived from cells in the inflamed synovium, chondrocytes and SF neutrophils. Joint derived YKL-40 influences serum YKL-40. YKL-40 may be involved in the pathophysiology of the arthritic processes and reflect local disease activity.

Patient compliance and effect of orthopaedic shoes.

Orthopaedic shoes are individually handmade after a prescription from an orthopaedic surgeon, hence relatively expensive. Bad compliance is mentioned in the literature but not investigated. In order to evaluate patient compliance and the effect of orthopaedic shoes, 85 patients who were prescribed orthopaedic shoes at the authors' department during a 3 year period received a questionnaire concerning relief of symptoms and daily use of the shoes. The answers from 74 patients were correlated to the prescription procedure and the degree of medical follow-up. Only 60 of 74 patients used their shoes. Some 51 patients had some benefit while 23 had no effect or even worse symptoms. Some patients even used their shoes despite no symptomatic relief. However, patients who felt they were well informed about the purpose and function of their shoes had more benefit than the rest. Only 12 patients of the 74 were checked by the orthopaedic surgeon after delivery of the shoes. In conclusion the authors believe there is a great need for information to be given to the patients about the functions and limitations of orthopaedic shoes and that every patient should be offered a control check-up by the surgeon. Further investigations of the effect of orthopaedic shoes should be carried out to optimise the use of these expensive devices.

[Bone lengthening. History of the development and field of applications]. / Knogleforlaengelse. Udviklingshistorien og anvendelsesmulighederne.

Leg lengthening has been performed since early in this century. The first successful lengthening was reported in 1905. Leg lengthening evolved from forced lengthening of the bone during anaesthesia, through use of cortical bone grafts, plate and screws to callus distraction (callotasis). Development of external fixators and evolution of biological concepts of bone regeneration has been important. In 1951 Ilizarov developed his apparatus. Ilizarov pioneered the biology of bone and soft-tissue regeneration. He performs a percutaneous subperiosteal corticotomy and waits five to seven days prior to distraction with a rate of 0.25 mm of length four times each day. The method has increased the opportunities in reconstructive bone surgery. The technique is difficult with many problems and obstacles which can be overcome.

Quantification of synovistis by MRI: correlation between dynamic and static gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and microscopic and macroscopic signs of synovial inflammation.

Dynamic and static gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid(Gd-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were evaluated as measures of joint inflammation in arthritis, by a comparison with macroscopic and microscopic signs of synovitis. Furthermore, the importance of the size of the evaluated synovial areas was investigated, as was the optimal time for enhancement measurements. Seventeen rheumatoid arthritis knees and 25 osteoarthritis knees, scheduled for arthroscopy or arthrotomy, were included. Macroscopic and microscopic synovial inflammation as well as nine histologic tissue characteristics were graded at four preselected biopsy sites. Preoperative T1-weighted dynamic fast low angle shot and static spin-echo Gd-enhanced MRI were performed. The dynamic enhancement rate and the static enhancement were measured in the entire synovial membrane of a preselected slice as well as at the four biopsy sites, and compared to synovial pathology. The rate of early enhancement of the total synovial membrane of the preselected slice, determined by dynamic MRI, was highly correlated with microscopic evidence of active inflammation (Spearman p = 0.73; p < 10(-7). Dynamic MRI could distinguish knees with and without synovial inflammation with a high predictive value (0.81-0.90). Moderate and severe inflammation could not be differentiated. The early enhancement rate was correlated with histologic features of active inflammation, particularly vessel proliferation and mononuclear leucocyte infiltration. Dynamic evaluation of small synovial sections at the biopsy sites and static spin-echo MRI resulted in considerably weaker correlations to histologic inflammation than dynamic evaluation of the total synovium. The optimal time for enhancement measurements was one-half to one minute after Gd injection, as the highest correlation coefficients to histologic inflammation were observed in this interval. Dynamic MRI can be used to determine synovial inflammation. Evaluation of large synovial areas one-half to one minute after Gd injection best reflects joint inflammation.

Effect of intraarticular osmic acid on synovial membrane volume and inflammation, determined by magnetic resonance imaging.

The changes in MR-determined synovial membrane volume, early synovial enhancement, and cartilage and bone erosions after osmic acid knee synovectomy were studied. Gadolinium-DTPA enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 18 knees with persistent arthritis was performed before and 1 month after treatment. The synovial membrane volume was significantly reduced (median -52%) in all 9 patients brought into clinical remission (p < 0.01), while no significant change was found in patients with clinical relapse. The early synovial enhancement was not significantly changed. MRI revealed progressive erosive changes in 2 patients. The time of relapse was correlated to a MR-erosion score, but not to early synovial enhancement or volumes of synovium or effusion (Spearman tests). MRI-determined synovial membrane volumes and early synovial enhancement may be objective quantitative markers of inflammation. MR-scores of cartilage and bone erosions are sensitive to progressive changes occurring within a month.

Silastic arthroplasty in rheumatoid MCP-joints. 60 joints followed for 7 years.

16 patients with rheumatoid arthritis underwent Swanson silastic arthroplasty in 60 MCP-joints. After 7 (5-10) years only 8 patients had pain relief, 7 were satisfied, and 13 implants had fractured. We conclude that the effects of Swanson silastic arthroplasty deteriorate with time.

Compromise of the spinal canal in Proteus syndrome.

We report on 2 children with spinal stenosis and neurologic sequelae. They illustrate the 2 ways in which spinal compromise may develop in Proteus syndrome--vertebral anomalies or tumor infiltration. In one patient, spinal stenosis resulted from an angular kyphoscoliosis. In the other, cord compression resulted from infiltration of a paraspinal, intrathoracic angiolipoma.

[Purulent coxitis with hip luxation and acute peritonitis]. / Purulent coksit med hofteluksation og akut peritonit.

A boy aged five months was admitted to a hospital elsewhere on account of failure to thrive for three weeks and intermittent pyrexia. X-ray revealed dislocation of the right hip. After attempted reduction, the infant developed peritonitis. Laparotomy revealed pus which originated from purulent coxitis draining through a defect at the base of the acetabulum. Arthrocentesis should be performed in children with acute coxitis and high fever. If pus or cloudy joint fluid is obtained, the hip joint should be opened and drained at the same session. Neglected purulent coxitis results in destruction of the joint and prolonged incapacity which was the result in the case reported here.

Talectomy for equinovarus deformity in arthrogryposis. A 13 (2-20) year review of 17 feet.

Ten children (17 feet) with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and severe, rigid equinovarus deformity underwent talectomy to bring the foot plantigrade. One child had a bilateral talectomy after only one manipulation, whereas the others were operated on an average of three times before talectomy. After a mean follow-up of 13 years, 14 out of 17 feet were satisfactory. We recommend that children with arthrogryposis and severe rigid equinovarus deformity be treated with talectomy before the expected age of walking.

[The Swanson silicone implant for wrists in rheumatoid arthritis]. / Swanson's silikoneimplantat til håndled ved reumatoid arthritis.

The Swanson silastic implant was employed in 16 wrists in 13 patients who were followed up for a median of 59 months. At follow up examination, pain had decreased in ten wrists while three remained unchanged. Ten patients were satisfied with the total result. Only few complications occurred. Prosthetic fracture occurred in two wrists (14%). The authors consider that the Swanson silastic wrists implant can produce favourable results in patients with rheumatoid arthritis with moderate to severe radiological destruction.