A Single Injection of Amniotic Suspension Allograft Is Safe and Effective for Treatment of Mild to Moderate Hip Osteoarthritis: A Prospective Study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of our study was to examine the effects of a commercially available amniotic suspension allograft (ASA) (ReNu, Organogenesis, Canton, MA) in a patient population with moderate osteoarthritis of the hip. METHODS: Ten patients with symptomatic hip osteoarthritis, defined as Tonnis grade 1 or 2 on radiographic examination, were prospectively enrolled. Each patient received a single image-guided injection of ASA into the hip joint. Patient-reported outcomes measures, including the 12-item International Hip Outcome Tool, Modified Harris Hip Score, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation scores were recorded at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months postinjection. A linear regression model was performed to detect differences in outcome scores from baseline. RESULTS: Nine patients had complete 12-month data available for analysis. One patient failed treatment and underwent arthroplasty at 2 months postinjection. The cohort includes 5 males and 4 females, aged 47-67. International Hip Outcome Tool scores demonstrated a significant improvement between baseline and 12 months (P = .02). Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation scores demonstrated a significant difference between baseline and 6 months (P < .01), as well as between baseline and 12 months (P < .01). Modified Harris Hip Scores demonstrated a significant difference between baseline and 6 months (P = .02) and between baseline and 12 months (P = .01). There were no major adverse events in the course of the study period. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates promising results for relief of pain and improvement in patient-reported outcomes with intra-articular ASA in patients with moderate osteoarthritis of the hip for up to one year, although the exact mechanism of action remains unknown. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV, case series.

What's New in Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Knee, Elbow, and Ankle.

Osteochondritis dissecans is a condition of the subchondral bone, with secondary effects on the articular cartilage. It most commonly affects the knee, elbow, and ankle and is typically seen in young, active populations. Many osteochondritis dissecans lesions are asymptomatic, but more advanced lesions can cause pain, swelling, and mechanical symptoms. Multiple treatment options have been proposed, including nonsurgical and surgical approaches. It is important to be aware of the epidemiology, presenting symptoms, and indications for nonsurgical and surgical treatment options for osteochondritis dissecans of the knee, elbow, and ankle.

The use of biologics for the elbow: a critical analysis review.

There is significant interest in biologic treatment options to improve the healing environment and more rapidly decrease symptoms in many conditions around the elbow. Despite fairly widespread use of biologic agents such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the elbow, there is a lack of clear evidence in the literature to support its use. The potential impact of these biologic agents must be evaluated with evidence from high-quality studies, particularly considering the high financial burden these treatments often impose on patients. The aim of this review is to provide an evidence-based summary of the biologic augmentation options available for use by the physician treating painful conditions of the elbow and to identify areas where further research is warranted.

A Novel Traction Frame for Femur Fracture Management in Developing Countries: Technique and Outcomes.

Fractures of the femur have long been a major cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries and are most frequently caused by road traffic accidents. Intramedullary nail fixation has become the gold standard of care for diaphyseal fractures of the femur. However, modern techniques require proper implants, access to imaging, and accessible operating room facilities, all of which have limited availability in the developing world. We describe a new technique for assembly of a polyvinyl chloride traction frame for treatment of femur fractures in resource-poor settings. Our report includes a retrospective review of patients treated with polyvinyl chloride traction frames in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Pediatric obesity is associated with short-term risks after pelvic osteotomy.

The risk factors for increased perioperative morbidity following pediatric pelvic osteotomies are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize differences in adverse events, operative time, length of stay, and readmission following pelvic osteotomy for obese and nonobese patients. A retrospective cohort study was carried out using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Pediatric database to identify patients that underwent pelvic osteotomy with or without femoral osteotomy. Obesity was found to be an independent risk factor for blood transfusion (relative risk: 1.4, P=0.007) and readmission (relative risk: 2.3, P=0.032) within 30 days. These data can facilitate patient counseling and informed decision-making when planning for surgical correction of hip dysplasia.

High Degree of Variability in Reporting of Clinical and Patient-Reported Outcomes After Hip Arthroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Hip arthroscopy for the treatment of intra-articular pathology is a rapidly expanding field. Outcome measures should be reported to document the efficacy of arthroscopic procedures; however, the most effective outcome measures are not established. PURPOSE: To evaluate the variability in outcomes reported after hip arthroscopy and to compare the responsiveness of patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review. METHODS: We reviewed primary hip arthroscopy literature between January 2011 and September 2016 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. Patient and study characteristics were recorded. Pre- and postoperative means and SDs of PROs were recorded from articles that used 2 or more PROs with a 1-year minimum follow-up. From this subset of articles, we compared the responsiveness between PRO instruments using the effect size, standard response mean, and relative efficiency. RESULTS: We identified 130 studies that met our inclusion/exclusion criteria, which totaled 16,970 patients (17,511 hips, mean age = 37.0 years, mean body mass index = 25.9 kg/m2). Radiographic measures were reported in 100 studies. The alpha angle and center-edge angle were the most common measures. Range of motion was reported in 81 of 130 articles. PROs were reported in 129 of 130 articles, and 21 different PRO instruments were identified. The mean number of PROs per article was 3.2, and 78% used 2 or more PROs. The most commonly used PRO was the modified Harris Hip Score, followed by the Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Activities of Daily Living, HOS-Sport, visual analog scale, and Nonarthritic Hip Score (NAHS). The 2 most responsive PRO tools were the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT)-12 and the NAHS. CONCLUSION: Outcomes reporting is highly variable in the hip arthroscopy literature. More than 20 different PRO instruments have been used, which makes comparison across studies difficult. A uniform set of outcome measures would allow for clearer interpretation of the hip arthroscopy literature and offer potential conclusions from pooled data. On the basis of our comparative responsiveness results and previously reported psychometric properties of the different PRO instruments, we recommend more widespread adoption of the iHOT PROs instruments to assess hip arthroscopy outcomes.

Effects of Platelet-Rich Plasma and Indomethacin on Biomechanics of Rotator Cuff Repair.

We conducted a study to determine if platelet-rich plasma (PRP) enhances the strength of rotator cuff repair (RCR) and if concomitant use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) affects PRP efficacy. We also wanted to determine the optimal centrifugation protocol for making PRP from rats. This study used 48 rats, 14 in a centrifugation protocol and 34 in an operative protocol. Six syngeneic rats from the operative group were used as PRP blood donors; the other 28 operative rats underwent bilateral RCRs. The Autologous Conditioned Plasma system (Arthrex) was used to prepare leukocyte-poor PRP. One shoulder was randomized to an intratendinous PRP injection, and the other received normal saline. Each rat was also randomly placed on a postoperative diet, either a regular diet or an indomethacin-enhanced diet. After rats were euthanized at 3 weeks, specimens were dissected to isolate the supraspinatus tendon at its humeral attachment, which was subjected to biomechanical testing. PRP prepared with a protocol of 5 minutes × 1300 revolutions per minute had the highest platelet index. Mean (SD) energy to failure was significantly higher (P = .03) in tendons treated with PRP, 11.7 (7.3) N-mm, than in tendons treated with saline, 8.7 (4.6) N-mm. Both groups (PRP, saline) showed no significant differences between tendons treated with NSAIDs and those not treated with NSAIDs. Intraoperative application of PRP enhances energy to failure after RCR in rats. There were no differences in biomechanical strength with NSAID use and no interactions between PRP and NSAID use.

Sports activity after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty with minimum 2-year follow-up.

There is limited information on activity levels of patients with reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). We conducted a study of the types of sporting activities in which 78 patients with RTSA could participate. Mean follow-up was 4.8 years. Mean (SD) age at surgery was 75.3 (7.5) years. Seventy-five percent of the patients were women. Sixty-one percent underwent surgery for cuff tear arthropathy, 31% for revision of previous arthroplasty or internal fixation, 7% for complex fractures, and 1% for tumor. Mean (SD) postoperative ASES (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons) Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form score was 77.5 (23.4). After surgery, mean active forward elevation was 140°, mean external rotation was 48°, and mean internal rotation was to S1. Four patients played golf; none were able to play tennis. Eighteen patients (23.1%) engaged in 24 high-intensity activities, such as hunting, golf, and skiing; 48.7% engaged in moderate-intensity activities, such as swimming, bowling, and raking leaves; and 28.2% engaged only in low-intensity activities. Regarding reasons for their limited activity, 59% of the patients cited medical problems, 19.2% cited shoulder limitations, 2.5% cited fear of injury, and 19.2% reported not being limited. RTSA results in good pain relief and motion, with a variety of postoperative overhead activities enjoyed by some patients who are not limited by comorbidities.

The Impact of Fatigue on the Kinematics of Collegiate Baseball Pitchers.

BACKGROUND: Many factors are believed to contribute to throwing injuries in baseball pitchers, in particular overuse and poor throwing mechanics. The impact of fatigue on pitching biomechanics in live-game situations is not well understood. HYPOTHESIS: Pitchers will demonstrate significant deviation in their pitching motions with increasing levels of fatigue. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. METHODS: Eleven National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate baseball pitchers were filmed in multiple live-game situations throughout a single season using 2 orthogonal high-speed cameras at 120 Hz. The first fastball of each inning and, when available, the fastball subsequent to the 15th and 30th pitch of each inning were recorded and analyzed for 26 kinematic parameters. Pitch count and velocity were recorded. Kinematic differences were assessed for association with pitch count and subjective fatigue measures over the course of each inning and game through the season. RESULTS: Twenty-six games were recorded. Pitchers had a mean of 97.2 ± 16.1 pitches per start and 1079 ± 251 pitches per collegiate season. Increased hip lean at hand separation, elbow height at foot contact, and hip flexion and shoulder tilt at maximum external rotation were seen in innings lasting longer than 15 pitches. Maximum external rotation of the shoulder and elbow height at foot contact decreased over the course of a game. Hip lean at hand separation and elbow height at foot contact increased over the course of the season. Season pitch count was weakly correlated with increased shoulder external rotation and shoulder alignment at maximum external rotation and with shoulder abduction at ball release. Elbow flexion decreased with greater season pitch counts. CONCLUSION: Hip lean, elbow height, and shoulder external rotation were the most sensitive kinematic parameters to inning, game, and season fatigue. Pitch count and fatigue have a significant impact on live-game pitching kinematics. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Fatigue likely alters pitching mechanics. Recognition of kinematic alterations may better demonstrate fatigue-related injury risk and may assist injury prevention in addition to standardized limitations of innings and pitches thrown.