Femoral Neck Fractures in Elderly Patients With Coxarthrosis and High Dislocation: The Application of Conservative Treatment.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, our aim was to evaluate the results obtained by conservative treatment of femoral neck fracture in patients with untreated Crowe type 4 coxarthrosis with high dislocation. METHODS: This was was a retrospective study done at the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Clinic in a secondary care public hospital between 2002 and 2022, in Türkiye. Femur neck fractures were evaluated in six patients who had untreated Crowe type 4 coxarthrosis with high dislocation. RESULTS:  In the study, we had six patients with undiagnosed developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) who suffered femoral neck fractures. The youngest among these patients was 76 years old. Conservative treatment (bed rest, analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and, if needed, opiates and low molecular weight heparin for antiembolic treatment) was found to reduce Harris Hip Score (HHS) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores significantly (p<0,05). Stage 1 sacral decubitus ulcer occurred in two (33.3%) patients. Patients acquired daily activity capacity similar to their situations before fracture within five to six months. None of the patients suffered embolisms and there was no union in the fracture line of the patients.  Conclusion: Based on our data, we think that conservative treatment is a remarkable option for these patients, as the complication risks are low and positive results can be obtained. Thus, we may conclude that conservative treatment can be considered in femoral neck fractures of elderly patients with DDH.

Metatarsal head restoration versus dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy in the treatment of advanced-stage Freiberg's disease.

PURPOSE: Freiberg's disease is mostly characterized by osteonecrosis of second metatarsal head and is widely seen in adolescent women. Metatarsal head restoration technique is a novel surgical procedure intended to protect intact articular surface and regenerate avascular bone under cartilage. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the results and clinical outcomes of metatarsal head restoration technique with those of dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy technique in patients with advanced-stage Freiberg's disease. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 60 patients who were operated for Freiberg's disease were evaluated. Patients were divided into two groups as who underwent metatarsal head restoration and dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy. Groups were compared according to "American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score" (AOFAS), "visual analog score" (VAS) and passive "range of motion" (ROM) score. RESULTS: Thirty-two feet of 29 patients underwent metatarsal head restoration, while 33 feet of 31 patients were subject to dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy. Mean AOFAS score increased from 58.72 ± 6.89 to 89.35 ± 7.43 following metatarsal head restoration, while it increased from 54.13 ± 6.12 to 78.24 ± 6.54 after dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy. Mean VAS score decreased from 6.89 ± 1.18 to 1.33 ± 0.64 after metatarsal head restoration, while it decreased from 6.64 ± 0.92 to 2.71 ± 1.91 following dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy. Mean ROM increased from 12.25° ± 1.65 to 56.28° ± 2.77 after metatarsal head restoration, and it increased from 11.18° ± 0.66 to 47.65° ± 2.05 after dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy (all p < 0.05). In addition, postoperative mean AOFAS (p = 0.044), VAS (p = 0.041) and passive ROM (p = 0.034) scores improvement were found to be statistically significantly better in the metatarsal head restoration group. CONCLUSION: This study revealed that metatarsal head restoration is a safe and successful surgical technique. It leads to better results than dorsal closing-wedge osteotomy in patients with stages 3-4 Freiberg's disease. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

A strong and reliable indicator for early postoperative major cardiac events after elective orthopedic surgery: Aortic arch calcification.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular events after orthopedic surgery may result in mortality. Therefore, predictors of early cardiovascular events after elective orthopedic surgery are required. AIM: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between aortic arch calcification and 30-day major adverse cardiac events following elective orthopedic surgery. METHODS: Patients who had undergone orthopedic surgery were screened. Preoperative detailed anamnesis was taken. Echocardiography and standard chest x-ray were performed.Patients were followed in terms of perioperative 30-days major cardiac events and were classified into two groups according to development of perioperative major adverse cardiac events.Aortic arch calcification was evaluated by two cardiologists, blinded to study findings and was graded as 0 to 3 on chest x-ray. RESULTS: A total of 1060 patients were approached for the study participation. Of these 714 were included in the study (mean age: 70.43, 65% female). Cardiovascular events occurred in 33 patients. As compared to the patients without cardiac events, the prevalence of aortic arch calcification, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and smoking were higher in patients with cardiac events. In addition, Lee index, left ventricular end-systolic, end-diastolic and left atrial diameter were significantly higher, GFR values were significantly lower in the group with cardiac events.Multivariate regression analysis showed that smoking (OR 5.031, 95% CI 1.602 to 15.794), presence of hypertension (OR 5.133, 95% CI 1.297 to 20.308) and aortic arch calcification (OR 6.920, 95% CI 3.890 to 12.310) are independent predictors of major cardiac events within 30-day of elective orthopedic surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Presence of aortic arch calcification is associated with development of major cardiac events within 30-days after elective orthopedic surgery.

Does THA Improve Social Status Among Turkish Women With Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip?

BACKGROUND: In traditional societies, patients who reach adulthood with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) may be labeled "disabled" and may be considered "defective," causing them psychologic pain and problems with social interactions. In some patriarchal societies, women disproportionately experience these problems, because they may be seen as insufficient in terms of marriage and sexual intercourse owing to hip-related limitations, and they may be married through arranged marriages to people who also have disabilities. This patriarchal structure limits the ways women can engage in society and may lower their quality of life (QOL). The degree to which THA can improve the lives of women in these specific ways in a patriarchal culture has not, to our knowledge, been studied. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) Does THA improve the social standing of young women with DDH in Turkey? (2) Does THA improve QOL of young women with DDH in Turkey? (3) Does THA improve pain and physical function in these patients? METHODS: This study was a retrospective, comparative study performed at Karabük University Research and Training Hospital in Karabük, Turkey, from 2012 to 2017. A total of 217 women with DDH were followed at our center between the study dates. All of these patients were evaluated for inclusion into the study. Among these, 175 women with DDH (aged 20-45 years) were included in the study according to inclusion/exclusion criteria. We offered THA to all patients in whom surgery was technically feasible; 84 chose to undergo THA, whereas 91 declined the procedure. Whether THA had any effects on the study questions was determined by comparison of the following findings at baseline and after intervention. The social standing of patients was assessed through their marital status and proportions of employment and depression; the patients' QOL was assessed with the SF-36 at baseline for all patients and at 1 year postoperatively for those who underwent THA; and pain and dysfunction were evaluated by determination of the proportion of patients who had scoliosis, knee valgus, and knee and lumbar pain. At baseline, patients were not different in regard to all parameters except knee and lumbar pain, which were greater in those who had decided to undergo THA. The SF-36 scores of patients who underwent THA were compared with their postoperative scores as well as with the baseline scores of patients who did not undergo THA. RESULTS: In terms of measures of social standing, women who underwent THA appeared better at followup than did the patients who did not undergo THA. Those who underwent THA had higher percentages of marriage and employment and less depression. Regarding QOL, postintervention comparisons revealed that women who underwent THA had higher SF-36 scores compared with the initial results of women who did not have surgery. Compared with preoperative scores, the highest improvements were found in social role function (mean difference ± standard error [SE] = 58.64 ± 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI], 56.91-60.37; p < 0.001) and mental health (mean difference ± SE = 53.00 ± 0.86; 95% CI, 51.31-54.69; p < 0.001) subdimensions of the SF-36. Finally, patients who underwent THA had improvements in pain and function as measured by Harris hip score than did patients who did not undergo THA. At initial evaluation, two groups were found to be similar in terms of Harris hip scores (THA: 61.6 ± 7.4 versus non-THA: 63.7 ± 7.6, p = 0.066), whereas the THA group was found to be superior at followup evaluation (THA: 83.5 ± 6.2 versus non-THA: 62.1 ± 7.8, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Young women with DDH are severely affected by social and cultural norms in Turkey, which is an example of a patriarchal culture. We believe that in this setting, some patients who improve their appearance, gait, and physical function through THA may benefit from a better social perception and higher self-esteem, which may, in turn, increase their QOL and provide more freedom in terms of life choices. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

How do different designs of femoral stem affect total hip arthroplasty applied to Crowe type III and type IV dysplastic hips.

PURPOSE: A comparison was made of the clinical and radiological results of cylindrical fully porous-coated femoral stems (Group A) and Zweymüller-type femoral stems (Group B) used for the treatment of hip osteoathrosis, secondary to Crowe III and IV dysplasia, with total hip arthroplasty combined with femoral transverse shortening osteotomy. METHOD: This study is a retrospective evaluation of 86 hips in 50 patients. Group A comprised of 43 hips and Group B comprised of 43 hips. During final follow-up evaluation, patients were clinically assessed with Harris Hip Score (HHS), Merle d'Aubigne-Postel scale (MAP), and SF-36 scale. For radiological examination the Gulman THA score was used. Femoral osteotomy union, osteolysis around the components and component migration were also recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: In Group B, nonunion of the osteotomy site was found in 18.6% and delayed union in 20.9% of the hips. In Group A, delayed union was found in 7% of the hips. Patients' mean daily walking distance was found to be lower in Group A when compared to Group B. When the postoperative clinical HSS, and MAP and the radiological Gulman scores were compared, no statistically significant differences (p = 0.275) were found. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with hip osteoarthritis secondary to Crowe III and IV dysplasia, who were treated with THA and transverse osteotomy showed a higher incidence of osteotomy complications when the Zweymüller femoral stem was used. However, these complications did not affect clinical outcomes.

Cementless total hip arthroplasty with subtrochanteric transverse shortening osteotomy for severely dysplastic or dislocated hips.

Total hip arthroplasty in dislocated developmental hip dysplasia is a complex, technically demanding procedure with high complication rates. Anatomic abnormalities and the young age of the patients influence the results. Restoration of the anatomic hip center often requires shortening of the femur in order to avoid over-stretching of neurovascular structures. We performed cementless total hip arthroplasty with subtrochanteric transverse osteotomy on 44 hips in 31 patients. There were 29 female and 2 male patients. The average age at the time of the operation was 43.2 (range, 22-63 years) and the mean follow up period was 62 months (range, 24-96 months). Harris hip scores improved from 36.2 to 81.2 with good and excellent results in 79.5% of the patients. We stabilized the osteotomy line with low contact plates and screws primarily on 10 hips when rotational stability was in doubt. In the other hips, good initial rotational stability was obtained by the femoral component. However, we observed 5 nonunions in patients whose osteotomies were not stabilized with plates. These patients were later treated successfully with internal fixation and autogenous bone grafting. The osteotomies healed at a mean time of 4 months (range, 2.5-14 months). Postoperatively two dislocations, one acetabular component displacement under the structural bone autograft and two superficial infections were seen. There were no cases of symptomatic loosening, deep infection, or neurovascular injury. Subtrochanteric transverse osteotomy is a versatile, relatively easy and reliable method for shortening the femur when performing cementless total hip arthroplasty in hip dysplasia cases. This technique makes it possible to implant standard sized cementless femoral stems. When necessary, tortional stability may further be augmented with a plate and screws.