Correction to: Paediatric proximal ACL tears managed with direct ACL repair is safe, effective and has excellent short-term outcomes.

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Paediatric proximal ACL tears managed with direct ACL repair is safe, effective and has excellent short-term outcomes.

PURPOSE: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) surgery in the paediatric population has long been a challenge. Non-operative treatment will result in persistent instability which can lead to chondral and meniscal injuries. The results of primary open ACL repair are poor. Concerns of growth plate disturbance with transphyseal techniques and issues with relatively small-diameter grafts in Tanner 1 and 2 patients, which are inadequate, have contributed to these challenges. With advancing instrumentation, there is renewed interest in ACL repair. The minimally invasive approach of arthroscopic primary ACL repair retains the native ligament. The objective and subjective outcomes at 2 years are presented. METHODS: Paediatric patients, less than 16 years of age, presenting acutely with complete proximal ACL ruptures underwent direct arthroscopic ACL repair, reinforced by a temporary internal brace, which was subsequently removed after 3 months. Patient-reported outcome measures including the Lysholm, Tegner and KOOS scores were collected at 6 months, 1 year and 2 years post-operatively. RESULTS: Twenty patients (age 6-16) completed data at 2 years post-operatively. There were no failures, no complications and no growth disturbance out to 2 years. The 2-year postoperative outcomes; Lysholm 95 (90-100), Tegner 7 (6-10), KOOS-Child 96.5 (88.9-100) demonstrated statistically significant improvements following surgery (p < 0.001). Objective measurements with an accelerometer did not demonstrate any significant side-to-side difference. CONCLUSION: ACL repair for proximal ACL tears in the paediatric population demonstrates the potential for excellent outcomes at short-term follow-up. This presents an attractive alternative to ACL reconstruction when an adequate ACL remnant permits direct repair. Our results demonstrate that paediatric ACL repair is safe and effective.

Clinical outcomes and dislocation rates after hip reconstruction using the Bioball system.

INTRODUCTION: Instability accounts for 1/3 of revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) performed in the UK. Removal of well-fixed femoral stems in rTHA is challenging with a risk of blood loss and iatrogenic damage to the femur. The Bioball universal adaptor (BUA), a modular head neck extension adaptor, provides a mechanism for optimisation of femoral offset, leg length and femoral anteversion. This can avoid the need for femoral stem revision in selected cases.The aim of this study is to present the clinical results and rate of instability following revision with this BUA at a minimum of 2 years follow-up. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A review of our prospectively collected database was performed. All patients treated with the Bioball device were included. Clinical and radiologic review were performed pre- and post-surgery. Specific enquiry for instability was made. The Oxford Hip Score (OHS), EuroQol (EQ-5D) score and WOMAC scores were calculated pre-and post-operatively. Complications were recorded. RESULTS: 32 rTHA procedures were performed using the Bioball device between 2013 and 2016. 4 patients did not wish to complete post-operative questionnaires. 2 patients (2/28, 7%) complained of recurrent dislocations following their rTHA procedure. 1 patient complained of instability but no dislocation. The median pre-operative EQ-5D was 0.195 (range -0.07-0.85), OHS was 20 (range 5-43) and WOMAC was 29.8 (range 15.5-52.3). The median EQ-5D was 0.85 (range 0.59-1), OHS was 39 (range 21-48) and WOMAC was 91.1 (range 44.5-99.2) at final follow-up. There were significant improvements in the EQ-5D (p = 0.0009), OHS (p = 0.0004) and WOMAC (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: The BUA is associated with significant functional improvement and relatively low dislocation rates in revision THA. It is a viable option for use in the revision setting.

Repair and Augmentation with Internal Brace in the Multiligament Injured Knee.

The internal brace is a ligament repair bridging concept using braided ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene suture tape and knotless bone anchors to reinforce ligament strength to allow early mobilization during early-phase healing. This concept can be used in the management of anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, anterolateral ligament, medial collateral ligament, posteromedial corner, and posterolateral corner injuries. Ligament reinforcement is a concept in which a graft is reinforced and can be used in all aspects of knee ligament reconstruction. There has been a recent resurgence in ligament repair and recent evidence suggests equivalent outcome results.

The influence of age and unreported symptoms on the Oxford Shoulder Score.

BACKGROUND: One potential limitation of interpreting the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) in longitudinal studies is that the observed score may be influenced by age and other variables, which may change over time. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of increasing age and unreported non-shoulder upper limb and neck symptoms on the OSS. METHODS: We collected OSS data from a sample of our ethnically diverse local population. All subjects indicated whether they suffered from any neck, shoulder, elbow or wrist symptoms for which they had not sought a medical opinion. Those reporting no symptoms formed the asymptomatic group. RESULTS: We found a significant decline in OSS with increasing age in the whole study population, as well as in both the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups with previously unreported symptoms: Spearman correlation coefficient = -0.27, -0.28 and -0.33 respectively (p < 0.001). The median OSS in the asymptomatic group was 48 [interquartile range (IQR) 48 to 48]. This was significantly higher than the symptomatic group, with a median OSS of 46 (IQR 40 to 47) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: We found the OSS to be affected by non-shoulder upper-limb and neck pathology as well as age. Within the limitations of the OSS, the differences we found do not exceed the minimal important change.

Short-term outcome of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in the octogenarian population.

PURPOSE: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) provides significant benefits to patients with anteromedial osteoarthritis, with good long-term results. Morbidity and mortality rates are lower, and recovery is quicker. These benefits would be advantageous to the octogenarian population whom carry significant comorbidities. The primary aim was to compare the short-term functional outcome at 2 years of UKA in the octogenarian population against a stratified younger cohort of patients. We hypothesised that the octogenarian population would have equally significant improved patient-reported outcome measures. METHODS: Prospective patient-reported outcome measures, including Oxford Knee Score (OKS), satisfaction rates and Euro-Quol (EQ-5D) scores at 1-year and 2-year post-operative data, were collected and analysed. Three hundred and ninety-five medial Oxford Phase 3 UKA implants were evaluated. Mean follow-up was 4.7 years (range 2.1-7.7). Secondary outcomes including revision rates, length of stay, complications and mortality were recorded. Our patient population was stratified into three cohort groups based on age: 60-69, 70-79 and 80-89 years. RESULTS: The OKS and EQ-5D score improved significantly in all three groups at all post-operative time periods and maintained at 2 years. The OKS at 2 years post-operatively by age was 39.5 (SD 18.6), 39.2 (SD 17.7) and 39.3 (SD 15.9), respectively. No significant difference of implant survival was found between the groups. The overall revision rate was 28/395 (7%). The 90-day mortality in the present series was one patient. CONCLUSION: The 2-year short-term functional outcome, revision rates and satisfaction of UKA in the octogenarian population did not differ statistically from other age groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

The history, evolution and basic science of osteotomy techniques.

Osteotomy techniques date back to Hippocrates circa 415 BC (Jones Hippocrates collected works I, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 2006; Brorson in Clin Orthop Relat Res 467(7):1907-1914, 2009). There is debate about the best way to divide the bone surgically and which technique yields the best bone regenerate in lengthening; ensuring predictable new bone formation and healing of the osteotomy are the primary goals. We review the history and techniques of the osteotomy and consider the evidence for optimum bone formation. Methods discussed include variants of the 'drill and osteotome' technique, use of the Gigli saw and use of a power saw. Differences in bone formation through the different techniques are covered.

The impact of helipad designation on meeting the best practice tariff for fractured neck of femur cases in a major trauma centre.

Hip fractures represent a significant burden to the NHS: the cost for all UK hip fractures is approximately £2 billion and in 2013, 64 838 people were admitted to hospital with a fractured neck of femur (FNOF). In April 2010 St George's NHS Hospital was designated one of four Major Trauma Centres (MTC) in London. Following MTC designation, in April 2014 St George's Hospital opened a helipad. This study aimed to assess the impact of the helipad designation on the Trust's ability to meet the Best Practice Tariff (BPT) criteria for FNOF patients. Two samples were analysed: 'pre-helipad' (from October 2013 to March 2014) during which 125 patients presented with FNOF, and 'post-helipad' (from April 2014 to September 2014) during which 122 patients presented with FNOF. The percentage of cases receiving surgery within 36 h, receiving joint care of a consultant geriatrician and a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, and receiving assessment by a geriatrician in the perioperative period were found not to have been negatively impacted by the helipad. However, completion of routine recommended assessments including admission using the agreed assessment protocol (96.6% vs. 50%, p < 0.05) and completion of two Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT) scores (74.7% vs. 58%, p = 0.007) were found to have been compromised.

Is head-shaft angle a valuable continuous risk factor for hip migration in cerebral palsy?

BACKGROUND: Reimer's migration percentage (MP) is the most established radiographic risk factor for hip migration in cerebral palsy (CP), and it assists surgical decision-making. The head-shaft angle (HSA) measures the valgus of the head and neck in relation to the shaft and may also be a useful predictor of hip migration at a young age. This study first defined normal values and investigated whether the head-shaft angle (HSA) is a continuous risk factor for hip migration in CP. METHODS: Three hundred and fifty AP pelvic radiographs of 100 consecutive children comprising the hip surveillance programme in our region were analysed for MP and HSA. Inclusion criteria were children with spastic CP and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels of III-V, along with a minimum follow-up of 5 years. The mean age was 8.8 (range 3-18) years and the mean follow-up time was 7.5 (range 5-10) years. Radiographs of 103 typically developing children (TDC) were selected for the control group. The reliability of the measurements was determined. A random effects analysis was used to assess the relationship between MP and HSA for all data and for MP > 40 %. RESULTS: The TDC cohort had a mean HSA of 157.7° whilst that for the CP cohort was 161.7°. The value declined with age in both groups but remained consistently higher in the CP group. A random effects analysis considering the longitudinal data showed that there was no significant effect of HSA on MP. Similarly, when excluding CP patients with MP < 40 %, there was no significant effect of HSA on MP. CONCLUSIONS: This study found no correlation between HSA and hip migration in children with CP in this age group. Using the HSA as a routine radiographic measure in the management pathway across childhood does not offer any added value. Early enrolment onto the hip surveillance programme could offer a better prediction of hip migration using the HSA at a very young age. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II retrospective prognostic study.

Implant failure in a proximal femoral fracture treated with dynamic hip screw fixation.

Dynamic hip screw fixation is a common orthopaedic procedure and to date, still can cause difficulties to the senior trauma surgeon. We present a case where an extra-capsular fracture of the proximal femur was managed with a dynamic hip screw (DHS) fixation. She proceeded to the operating theatre, where the fracture was stabilized with a 75-mm DHS and short-barrelled plate. The implant position was checked with intraoperative screening and the position accepted. Following attempted mobilization at 11 days post-operatively, the patient developed a recurrence of her preoperative pain. X-ray showed that the implant screw had separated from the barrel. Later scrutiny of the intraoperative screening films revealed that the barrel and screw were not engaged at the time of surgery. Intraoperative screening films should be carefully checked to ensure congruity of implant components.

We count but should we scrutinize? An unreported complication in spinal surgery.

Complications following spinal surgery can range from simple wound infection to complete paralysis. Intraoperative checks have been introduced to account for all the instruments and materials used and help minimize surgeon-related complications. We report a case of a broken osteotome tip within the spinal canal following a routine posterior decompression of the lumbar spine.