[Isolated Patellofemoral Osteoarthritis]. / Isolierte Patellofemoralarthrose.

Isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis is a complex pathology. It occurs frequently in women over 40 years and leads to a high degree of suffering. The causes of femoropatellar degeneration are manifold and require stage-specific therapy. This is very challenging for the treating physician. This article is intended to provide a structured overview of the symptoms, diagnostics and stage-specific therapy of patellofemoral osteoarthritis.

Insights into the Distribution Patterns of Foot and Ankle Tumours: Update on the Perspective of a University Tumour Institute.

The rarity of foot and ankle tumours, together with the numerous histological entities, presents a challenge in accumulating sufficient patients to draw reliable conclusions. Therefore, we decided to present an update of a retrospective analysis of their distribution patterns, comprising 536 cases of foot and ankle tumours presented to our tumour board between June 1997 and June 2023. Our aim was to provide a comprehensive overview of the prevalence and distribution patterns of benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumours of the foot and ankle. A total of 277 tumours involved bone (51.7%). Of these, 242 (87.4%) were benign and 35 (12.6%) were malignant. In addition, 259 soft tissue tumours (48.3%) were found, of which 191 (73.7%) were benign and 68 (26.3%) were malignant. The most common benign bone tumours were simple bone cysts, enchondromas, osteochondromas, aneurysmal bone cysts, and lipomas of bone. Common benign soft tissue tumours included a tenosynovial giant cell tumour, haemangioma, plantar fibromatosis, schwannoma, and lipoma. The most common malignant soft tissue tumours were synovial sarcoma, malignant melanoma, and myxofibrosarcoma. In terms of anatomical location, the hindfoot was the most common site (28.7%), followed by the midfoot (25.9%), ankle (25.4%), and forefoot (20.0%). The distribution of benign entities often follows typical patterns, which may facilitate an early diagnosis even without biopsy (e.g., simple bone cyst, plantar fibromatosis). On the other hand, the distribution patterns of many rare or malignant entities are inconsistent. Individual soft tissue malignancies occur very sporadically, even over long periods of time and in specialized tumour centres. It is therefore important to recognise that any suspicious mass in the foot and ankle must be considered a possible malignancy until proven otherwise.

A New Method for Assessing Patients' Obesity-Associated Infection Risk Using X-rays in Hip Arthroplasties.

Overweight patients have higher complication rates during and after surgical procedures. In total hip arthroplasty (THA), postoperative infection is a major complication. In this study, we show that the patient's body mass index (BMI) can be approximated by a newly developed grading system using preoperative X-rays. Furthermore, we show that a higher score and BMI result in a higher risk of infection. For this retrospective study, 635 patients undergoing THA or revision surgeries in 2018 and 2019 were included. The preoperatively acquired X-rays of the pelvis were analyzed using a four-stage grading system. The infection rate was compared to our score and the patients' BMI. The mean BMI (95% confidence) of all patients graded as grade 0 was 25.16 (24.83; 25.50) kg/m2, for grade 1, it was 30.31 (29.52; 31.09) kg/m2, for grade 2, it was 35.06 (33.59; 36.54) kg/m2, and it was 45.03 (39.65; 50.41) kg/m2 for grade 3. The risk of infection was 4% in patients with normal radiographs, rising from 7% in patients graded as 1 up to 18% in each of the highest categories. This study shows that we were able to create a semi-quantitative grading tool for the abdominal contour displayed on X-rays of the pelvis in order to estimate the patients' BMI and therefore the infection rate. A higher abdominal contour grade showed higher infection rates at follow-up.

Radiographic Evaluation of First Tarsometatarsal Joint Arthrodesis for Hallux Valgus Deformity: Does the Fusion of the First to the Second Metatarsal Base Reduce the Radiological Recurrence Rate?

BACKGROUND: Modified Lapidus arthrodesis (MLA) is a well-established treatment option for symptomatic hallux valgus deformity (HVD). However, recurrence of the deformity remains a concern. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of an additional intermetatarsal fusion on the radiographic recurrence rate after first tarsometatarsal (TMT-I) arthrodesis. METHODS: This is a retrospective evaluation of 56 feet that underwent TMT-I arthrodesis for moderate to severe HVD. Twenty-three feet received an isolated arthrodesis of the TMT-I joint (TMT-I), whereas 33 feet received an additional fusion between the base of the first and the second metatarsal bone (TMT-I/II). Various radiological parameters were determined preoperatively, 6 weeks and at a mean of 2 years postoperatively. RESULTS: The intermetatarsal angle (IMA) and the hallux valgus angle (HVA) were significantly lowered at both follow-up evaluations in both groups. In the TMT-I/II group, the initial reduction of HVA was significantly higher (29.3° vs 21.1°). This difference disappeared by the second follow-up, leaving no significant differences between both techniques at final follow-up. Radiological recurrence rates of HVD were comparable in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated TMT-I arthrodesis provides reliable radiological results in the correction of HVD. Whether additional fusion of the first and second metatarsal base should be routinely performed remains unclear. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.