Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research - Latest Articles

Prospective analysis of human leukocyte functional tests reveals metal sensitivity in patients with hip implant

Csaba Vermes — 2013-05-16T00:00:00Z

Background: The aim of the study was to examine the reactivity of peripheral human leukocytes to various metal ions prior and following hip replacement in order to investigate implant-induced metal sensitivity. Methods: Three patient groups were set up: (1) individuals without implants and no history of metal allergy (7 cases), (2) individuals without implants and known history of metal allergy (7 cases), and (3) patients undergoing cementless hip replacement (40 cases). Blood samples were taken in groups 1 and 2 at three different occasions; in group 3, prior and 3, 6, 12, 24, and 36 months after surgery. Peripheral leukocytes were separated and left either untreated or challenged with Ti, NiCl2, CoCl2, CrCl3, and phytohemagglutinin. Cell proliferation, cytokine release, and leukocyte migration inhibition assays were performed. Metal-induced reactivity was considered when all three assays showed significant change. Skin patch tests were also carried out. Results: Both skin patch tests and leukocyte functional tests were negative in group 1, and both were positive in group 2. In group 3, after 6 months, 12% of the patients showed reactivity to the tested metals except for NiCl2. Following the 36-month period, 18% of group three became sensitive to metals (including all the earlier 12%). In contrast, patch tests were negative at each time point in group 3. Conclusions: Orthopedic implant material may induce metal reactivity after implantation in a manner where susceptibility is yet to be elucidated. Leukocyte triple assay technique might be a useful tool to test implant material-related sensitivity.

Maquet III procedure: what remains after initial complications - long-term results

Fernando Fonseca — 2013-05-01T00:00:00Z

Background: Maquet III procedure, unloved due to its complications (2% to 59%), has been progressively abandoned. At long-term follow-up, what happens to patients with complications that exceeded the initial ones (Acta Orthop Scand 60:20, 1989)? We retrospectively studied patients who were submitted to Maquet III procedure, by functional and radiologic long-term outcomes, in order to determine if this surgery has or has not fulfilled its initially proposed objectives. From 1970 to 1991, 116 patients benefit from the Maquet III procedure. From this, we were able to review in 2011, 23 patients (25 knees) who went through a single Maquet III procedure. Of these patients, 52% were males. Age at surgery was 39.7 ± 11.4, with a postoperative follow-up of 27.2 ± 3.1 years. Methods: A questionnaire has been prepared for collecting data, and it has been supplemented by clinical records. We evaluated the preoperative complaints, postoperative complications, and range of motion during the recovery time, as well as the postoperative pain-absence period. All patients underwent an objective assessment using the visual analog scale (VAS) at rest and activity, and the Kujala patellofemoral scoring system. A radiological assessment was also made in order to evaluate the arthrosis degree. The bicondylo-patellar angle described by Delgado-Martins (Arch Orthop Traumat Surg 96:303–304, 1980) was used to measure patellar tilt, and the Caton-Deschamps index to calculate the patellar height. Results: Only one knee had benefited from a total knee arthroplasty (20 years after the Maquet III procedure). Preoperative complains were mainly anterior knee pain, crepitus, and patellar instability. Nowadays, 10 patients (40%) still are pain free. Others had an average period without pain of 19.1 ± 6.1 years. VAS at rest was 1.7 ± 0.7 and in activity 4.4 ± 3.0. KPS was 61.9 ± 22.3 points. X-ray shows that 40% had a Kellgren-Lawrence grade of 1 at the patellofemoral joint. Conclusion: Maquet proposed this technique for knee-pain relief, maintenance of the knee range of motion, and for slowly progressive osteoarthritic development. Viewed in a dispassionately way, we could notice that the initial objectives of this procedure were completely achieved. A part of 80% of the initial population was lost during follow-up, which may compromise the conclusions, perhaps, it is time to reflect again on this solution, so unloved by so many.

Comparison of short term results of single injection of autologous blood and steroid injection in tennis elbow: a prospective study

Nipun Jindal — 2013-04-27T00:00:00Z

Background: It has been recently reported that local injection of autologous blood in tennis elbow offers a significant benefit by virtue of various growth factors contained therein. The objective of our study was assessment of efficacy of autologous blood injection versus local corticosteroid injection in the treatment of tennis elbow.Methods and trial design: A single blinded, prospective parallel group trial was undertaken. 50 consecutive patients of untreated lateral epicondylitis were enrolled. Randomisation was done on alternate basis and two groups were constituted, first one receiving steroid injection and second one injection of autologous blood. Both groups were evaluated at 2 and 6 weeks for pain relief and stage of disease. Results: Baseline evaluation showed no difference between the two groups (chi square test, P > 0.05). Between group analysis at 2 weeks showed no difference in pain relief and Nirschl stage (unpaired t test, P > 0.05). Evaluation at 6 weeks demonstrated a significant decrease in pain levels and stage of disease in blood group (unpaired t test, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Autologous blood injection was more effective than steroid injection in the short term follow up in tennis elbow.

Shoulder injuries in professional rugby: a retrospective analysis

Ian Horsley — 2013-04-26T00:00:00Z

Background: In the literature, little is known about the level and pattern of rugby injuries. Of the shoulder injuries reported, 51% of these are caused during a tackle, and 65% of all match injuries affected the shoulder.ObjectiveThe study aims to describe a sport-specific unique intra-articular shoulder pathology of professional rugby players, who presented with persistent pain and dysfunction despite physiotherapeutic treatment and rest.MethodThis study is a retrospective analysis set at a university sports medicine clinic. Eighty-seven professional rugby players, referred by their professional medical team since they could no longer play, underwent shoulder arthroscopy between June 2001 and October 2007 due to persistent shoulder pain and dysfunction. All were full-time professional male rugby union and rugby league players. They all had failed conservative treatment for their complaint, and the diagnosis was unclear. Arthroscopic findings were used as a measure of main outcome. Results: The primary mechanism of injury was reported as direct tackling (56%; n = 49) followed in succession by falling onto the arm (10%; n = 8). However, in 30% of the cases, no definite injury could be recalled. The main operative finding was that most patients exhibited multiple shoulder pathologies, with 75% of cases presenting with two or more pathologies. A superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion was evident at arthroscopy in 72 of the 87 cases (83%), while rotator cuff tears were evident in 43% of cases (n = 37). One-third of all cases had a Bankart tear (n = 29), despite none of them reporting previous dislocations, while other labral tears, excluding SLAP tears, to the inferior or posterior labrum were present in 34% (n = 30) of the cohort. Conclusions: Repeated tackling, which is clearly rugby specific, is most likely to be responsible for most of these shoulder injuries, which upon arthroscopic examination, showed signs of mixed pathology. We suggest that an early arthroscopic investigation is valuable in this population in order to confirm treatable diagnosis on the painful shoulder and expedite a safe return to play.

Assessment of cup orientation in hip resurfacing: a comparison of TraumaCad and computed tomography

Daniel Westacott — 2013-04-11T00:00:00Z

PurposeThe orientation of the acetabular component in metal-on-metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty affects wear rate and hence failure. This study aimed to establish if interpretation of pelvic radiographs with TraumaCad software can provide a reliable alternative to CT in measuring the acetabular inclination and version. Methods: TraumaCad was used to measure the acetabular orientation on AP pelvis radiographs of 14 painful hip resurfacings. Four orthopaedic surgeons performed each measurement twice. These were compared with measurements taken from CT reformats. The correlation between TraumaCad and CT was calculated, as was the intra- and inter-observer reliability of TraumaCad. Results: There is strong correlation between the two techniques for the measurement of inclination and version (p <0.001). Intra- and inter-observer reliability of TraumaCad measurements are good (p <0.001). Mean absolute error for measurement of inclination was 2.1°. TraumaCad underestimated version compared to CT in 93% of cases, by 12.6 degrees on average. Conclusions: When assessing acetabular orientation in hip resurfacing, the orthopaedic surgeon may use TraumaCad in the knowledge that it correlates well with CT and has good intra- and inter-observer reliability but underestimates version by 12° on average.

An in-vitro biomechanical study of different fixation techniques for the extended trochanteric osteotomy in revision THA

Zhonglin Zhu — 2013-04-09T00:00:00Z

Background: The wire fixation and the cable grip fixation have been developed for the extended trochanteric osteotomy (ETO) in the revision of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Many studies reported the postoperative performance of the patients, but with little quantitative biomechanical comparison of the two fixation systems. Methods: An in-vitro testing approach was designed to record the loosening between the femoral bed and the greater trochanter after fixations. Ten cadaveric femurs were chosen in this study. Each femur underwent the THA, revision by ETO and fixations. The tension to the greater trochanter was from 0 to 500N in vertical and lateral direction, respectively. The translation and rotation of the greater trochanter with respect to the bony bed were captured by an optical tracking system. Results: In the vertical tension tests, the overall translation of the greater trochanter was observed 0.4 mm in the cable fixations and 7.0 mm in the wire fixations. In the lateral tension tests, the overall motion of the greater trochanter was 2.0 mm and 1.2° in the cable fixations, while it was 6.2 mm and 5.3° in the wire fixations. The result was significantly different between the two fixation systems. Conclusions: The stability of the proximal femur after ETO using different fixations in the revision THA was investigated. The cable grip fixation was significantly more stable than the wire fixation.

Changes in leg pain after bilateral fasciotomy to treat chronic compartment syndrome: a case series study

Jan Orlin — 2013-04-05T00:00:00Z

Background: Intracompartmental pressure (ICP) as the diagnostic gold standard in the management of chronic compartment syndrome (CCS) is debated. We present a diagnostic protocol in which the decision to operate can be based upon clinical findings alone. The aim of this study was to examine whether patients who underwent surgery for CCS based on clinical findings experienced significant long-term pain relief. Methods: A standardized clinical examination, including skin sensitivity, was performed in patients with bilateral leg pain and/or cramps. Before and after a symptom-provoking step test, ICPs were measured. The primary outcome was self-reported leg pain measured on a visual analogue scale. Secondary outcomes were satisfaction with the treatment result and health-related quality of life (HRQL) measured with the SF-8 questionnaire. Postoperative data were collected after 2 years. Results: Follow-up was completed for 37 of 40 patients. ICP was increased in 80.5% of the compartments examined before surgery, but did not correlate with the degree of leg pain. The remaining compartments were diagnosed as CCS based on clinical findings, despite ICPs below the threshold. Leg cramps occurred in 32 of 37 (86.5%) patients during physical activity and at night. Leg pain improved from a score of 8.0 ± 1.5 to 2.3 ± 2.1, P < 0.001. Satisfaction with the treatment result was reported by 81.1% of the patients, accompanied by normalized HRQL. Conclusions: The diagnostic protocol led to a fasciotomy in all compartments of both legs, which was associated with substantial and sustained relief of leg pain, improved HRQL, and patient satisfaction.

Effect of haemarthrosis on the rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction- single bundle versus double bundle

Vibhu Bahl — 2013-03-19T00:00:00Z

Background: Haemarthrosis and pain adversely affects the functional outcome of ACL reconstruction, especially in case of DB ACL reconstruction due to more extensive procedure. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of haemarthrosis on the rehabilitation of DB ACL reconstruction versus SB ACL reconstruction. Methods: 100 patients were divided into two groups, of SB ACL and DB ACL reconstruction consisting of 50 patients each. An intra-articular drain was put in every patient. The pain was evaluated till week 8 using VAS (Visual Analog Scale). The Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Isokinetic Dynamometer at 3 and 6 months in both the groups. Muscle bulk and Range of motion were also noted in each group. Results: The results showed that there was statistically significant difference between the drain amount (n = 60.3 ml in SB ACL group vs. n = 94.2 ml in the DB ACL group) and haemarthrosis (n = 0.7 in SB ACL vs n = 1.5 in DB ACL) at week 1 post-operatively. Also the pain outcome improved on SB ACL after day 3 (VAS, n = 1.8) as compared to the DB ACL group (VAS, n = 3.7). The isokinetic muscle strength was found to be statistically significantly (p value < 0.05) better in the SB ACL group in the quadriceps muscle (both concentric and eccentric) at the end of the 3rd month. In the SB ACL group the Quadriceps Concentric strength deficit was 22.32% as compared to 34.12% in the DB ACL group. Both the groups had comparable flexor muscle strength at end of 3rd month. Both the groups had comparable muscle strength after 6 months of post-operative rehabilitation in both quadriceps and Hamstring muscle group. Conclusion: We noted that rehabilitation of DB ACL reconstruction group lags behind that of SB ACL reconstruction during the first 3 months due to post-operative haemarthrosis & its effects, but show comparable results after 6 months. The muscle strength measured isokinetically and the muscle bulk were found to be greater in the SB ACL group initially after 3 months but was found to be similar after 6 months.

Valgus sliding subtrochanteric osteotomy for neglected fractures of the proximal femur; surgical technique and a retrospective case series

Ashok Gavaskar — 2013-03-15T00:00:00Z

Background: Conventional technique of valgus osteotomy of the proximal femur involves removal of a partial or full thickness lateral based wedge from the peritrochanteric region. The purpose of this article is to describe a novel technique of valgus subtrochanteric osteotomy for proximal femur nonunion. Methods: 11 patients with proximal femur nonunions {intracapsular fractures – 7, extracapsular fractures – 4} were treated using a new technique of sliding subtrochanteric osteotomy and DHS fixation. Outcomes analysed include radiological outcome in terms of improvement in Pauwel’s angle, neck-shaft angle and evidence of radiological union at the nonunion site and osteotomy site. Other outcomes analysed include, measurement of limb length discrepancy and functional outcome assessment with Oxford hip score. Results: Union at the nonunion site and the osteotomy site was achieved in all patients. There were significant improvements in the postoperative Pauwel’s angle, neck shaft angle and Oxford hip score. Limb length discrepancy improved to less than 1 cm in all patients. There was no x ray evidence of avascular necrosis of the femoral head at one year follow-up. Conclusions: The sliding osteotomy technique is simple, does not need extensive pre operative planning or removal of bone from the proximal femur.

Haemodynamic performance of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) during recovery from total hip arthroplasty

Barry Broderick — 2013-03-05T00:00:00Z

Background: Patients post total hip arthroplasty (THA) remain at high risk of developing Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) during the recovery period following surgery despite the availability of effective pharmacological and mechanical prophylactic methods. The use of calf muscle neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) during the hospitalised recovery period on this patient group may be effective at preventing DVT. However, the haemodynamic effectiveness and comfort characteristics of NMES in post-THA patients immediately following surgery have yet to be established. Methods: The popliteal veins of 11 patients, who had undergone unilateral total hip replacement surgery on the day previous to the study, were measured using Doppler ultrasound during a 4 hour neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) session of the calf muscles. The effect of calf muscle NMES on peak venous velocity, mean venous velocity and volume flow were compared to resting values. Comfort was assessed using a 100mm non-hatched visual analogue scale taken before application of NMES, once NMES was initiated and before NMES was withdrawn. Results: In the operated limb NMES produced increases in peak venous velocity of 99% compared to resting. Mean velocity increased by 178% compared to resting and volume flow increased by 159% compared to resting. In the un-operated limb, peak venous velocity increased by 288%, mean velocity increased by 354% and volume flow increased by 614% compared to basal flow (p<0.05 in all cases). There were no significant differences observed between the VAS scores taken before the application of NMES, once NMES was initiated and before NMES was withdrawn (p=.211). Conclusions: NMES produces a beneficial hemodynamic response in patients in the early post-operative period following orthopaedic surgery. This patient group found extended periods of calf-muscle NMES tolerable.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT01785251