Implant Removal After Medial Opening Wedge High Tibial Osteotomy Provides Implant-Related Pain Relief and Functional Improvement.

PURPOSE: To (1) investigate the incidence of implant-related pain after medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) using a locking plate, (2) determine whether implant removal provides pain relief and functional improvement, and (3) evaluate bone healing and loss of correction after implant removal. METHODS: Between March 2014 and September 2017, MOWHTO was performed without bone graft. The inclusion criteria were patients who underwent implant removal after MOWHTO and were followed up for a minimum of 2 years. Patients were evaluated for implant removal 1 and 2 years after surgery. Clinical and functional evaluations were conducted to investigate implant-related pain using the visual analog scale, Lysholm score, and Tegner score. The radiographic indices measured were the gap-filling rate, weightbearing line (WBL) ratio, hip-knee-ankle angle (HKAA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), and posterior tibial slope angle (PTSA). RESULTS: A total of 55 patients were enrolled. Fifty-one (92.7%) patients experienced implant-related pain prior to implant removal, with 43 and 8 patients reporting mild pain and moderate pain, respectively. At 1 and 2 years after implant removal, mild pain occurred in 6 (10.9%) and 5 (9.1%) patients, respectively. The remaining patients reported no implant-related pain. Prior to implant removal and 1 year after implant removal, the Lysholm score improved from 77.0 ± 5.6 to 86.8 ± 5.7 (P < .001), and the Tegner score improved from 3.3 ± 1.2 to 3.9 ± 1.3 (P < .001). The mean gap-filling rate was 84.4% ± 9.6% at implant removal, and it significantly increased to 93.7% ± 5.4% and 97.4% ± 2.6% at 1 and 2 years after implant removal, respectively (P < .001). For the WBL ratio, HKAA, MPTA, and PTSA, no statistically significant differences were found after implant removal. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of implant-related pain after MOWHTO using the medial proximal tibial locking plate was high. Implant removal provides pain relief and functional improvement (met minimal clinically important differences). Even after implant removal, bone healing progressed gradually without a loss of correction in all patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.

Onlay patch augmentation in rotator cuff repair for moderate to large tears in elderly patients: clinical and radiologic outcomes.

BACKGROUND: This study evaluated the clinical and radiologic outcomes of onlay patch augmentation in rotator cuff repair for moderate-to-large tears in elderly patients. METHODS: We reviewed 24 patients who underwent onlay augmentation with dermal allograft after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from January 2017 to March 2020. Inclusion criteria were patients aged >65 years with tears >2.5 cm, who were followed for >12 months after surgery, and patients who could raise their arms above 90° preoperatively. American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant-Murley score, pain visual analog scale (VAS), and VAS for satisfaction were used as clinical outcomes. For the evaluation of cuff integrity, magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed every 3 months after surgery. The results were compared before and after surgery in all patients and between the retear and intact groups. RESULTS: The average follow-up period was 16.38 months, and the mean age of patients was 71.05 years. All patients showed significant improvement in ASES score, Constant-Murley score, and pain VAS at the last evaluation. The average value of satisfaction VAS was 7.27/10. The retear rate was 25% (6/24) if Sugaya type 3 was categorized in the retear group, otherwise 16.7% (4/24), if Sugaya type 3 was categorized into the intact group. Irrespective of Sugaya type 3 being included in the retear group, there was no significant difference in outcome variables between the intact and retear groups during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: In moderate-to-large rotator cuff tear in elderly patients, onlay patch augmentation improved clinical outcomes. Retear did not adversely affect clinical outcomes.

Combined Open and Percutaneous Plating for the Treatment of Pilon Fracture.

BACKGROUND: With the advent of percutaneous plating techniques and anatomical locking plates, open plating combined with percutaneous plating may be a feasible option to reduce pilon fracture soft-tissue complications. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of a combined open and percutaneous plating approach for the treatment of pilon fracture. METHODS: Forty-two consecutive patients treated with a combined open and percutaneous plating approach between March of 2010 and February of 2020 for pilon fracture were reviewed retrospectively. The study population consisted of four female patients and 38 male patients with an average age of 47.5 years (range, 15-71 years). The mean follow-up duration was 25.7 months (range, 12-48 months). The combination of a small anterolateral approach and a small anteromedial approach (or a small direct medial approach) was used in all cases. A small posterolateral approach or a small posteromedial approach was added as necessary. RESULTS: The average ranges of ankle sagittal motion and hindfoot coronal motion at 1 year postoperatively were 43.3° (range, 30°-60°) and 47.7° (range, 40°-55°), respectively. The mean 1-year postoperative visual analogue scale score and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score were 0.90 (range, 0-4.0) and 94.5 (range, 78-100), respectively. All patients except one achieved bony union. The mean time to union (except in the one case of nonunion) was 4.5 months (range, 3-8 months). Minor wound breakdown occurred in five cases using combined approaches, but these eventually healed with local wound care. There were no major soft-tissue complications and no instances of deep infection. CONCLUSIONS: A combined open and percutaneous plating approach is a feasible option for the treatment of pilon fracture. This combined plating technique involving a combination of a small anterolateral approach and a small anteromedial approach (or a small direct medial approach) yielded satisfactory outcomes without major soft-tissue complications.

Bilateral Atypical Subtrochanteric Femoral Fractures with Primary and Secondary Bone Healing in Pycnodysostosis.

Abstract: Atypical subtrochanteric femoral fractures are a common problem associated with pycnodysostosis. Pycnodysostosis is a rare sclerotic bone disease caused by a mutation in the cathepsin K gene. Fracture healing in pycnodysostosis cases is typically inferior. Here, we report a case of bilateral atypical subtrochanteric femoral fractures in one patient with pycnodysostosis. The right subtrochanteric fracture was treated with open reduction and internal fixation (open plating), and united through primary bone healing, while the left one was treated with closed reduction and internal fixation (submuscular plating), and united through secondary bone healing. Although the time to bony union was delayed, fracture union after extramedullary osteosynthesis was obtained in both atypical fractures, demonstrating that both primary and secondary bone healing is possible in patients with pycnodysostosis. Level of Clinical Evidence: 4.

Prognostic Factors of Mid- to Long-term Clinical Outcomes after Arthroscopic Partial Meniscectomy for Medial Meniscal Tears.

Backgroud: Arthroscopic partial meniscectomy (APM) continues to be the popular treatment for meniscal tears, but recent randomized controlled trials have questioned its efficacy. To provide more evidence-based criteria for patient selection, we undertook this study to identify prognostic factors associated with clinical failure after APM for medial meniscus tears. Methods: Medical records of 160 patients followed up for at least 5 years after APM for medial meniscal tears were retrospectively reviewed. Demographic data (age, sex, and body mass index), radiographic variables (Kellgren-Lawrence [K-L] grade and hip-knee-ankle [HKA] angle), and clinical scores (International Knee Documentation Committee score, Tegner activity scale score, Lysholm score, and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score) were recorded. Clinical failure was defined as the need for an additional surgical procedure (arthroscopy, osteotomy, or arthroplasty) or the presence of intolerable pain. Survivorship analysis with clinical failure as an end point was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Factors related to clinical failure were analyzed using a Cox proportional hazard model. Cutoff values were determined using areas under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Radiographic progression of osteoarthritis was analyzed using the chi-square test, and serial changes of clinical scores were analyzed using a linear mixed model. Results: Clinical success rates were 95.7% at 5 years, 75.6% at 10 years, and 46.3% at 15 years. Age, HKA angle, and K-L grade (p = 0.01, p = 0.02, and p = 0.04, respectively) were found to be significant risk factors of clinical failure. Cutoff values at 10 years postoperatively as determined by ROC analysis were 50 years for age (sensitivity = 0.778, 1-specificity = 0.589), grade 2 for K-L grade (sensitivity = 0.778, 1-specificity = 0.109), and 5.5° for HKA angle (sensitivity = 0.667, 1-specificity = 0.258). In patients who had clinical success until 10 years after APM, radiological osteoarthritis progressed gradually. However, the clinical scores of patients who achieved clinical success did not decrease significantly over the 10-year follow-up. Conclusions: The poor prognostic factors found to be related to clinical failure after APM for a medial meniscal tear were patient age (≥ 50 years), preoperative K-L grade (≥ grade 2), and preoperative HKA angle (≥ varus 5.5°).