Kanniraj Marimuthu

Outcome of short proximal femoral nail antirotation and dynamic hip screw for fixation of unstable trochanteric fractures. A randomised prospective comparative trial

A prospective, randomised, controlled trial was performed to compare the outcome of treatment of unstable trochanteric fractures with either a short proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) or dynamic hip screw (DHS). Eighty one patients with unstable fracture of the proximal part of the femur were randomised, at the time of admission, for fixation with either a short PFNA (n=42) or DHS (n= 39). The primary outcome measure was reoperation within the first postoperative year and mortality at the end of one year. Operative time, fluoroscopy time, blood loss, and any intra-operative complication were recorded for each patient. Clinical and radiological follow-up was undertaken for a minimum of 36 months. Any changes in the position of the implant or fixation failure were recorded. Hip range of motion, pain in the hip or thigh and return to work were used to compare the outcomes. There was no significant difference between 1 year mortality rates for the two groups. The mean operative time was significantly less in PFNA group (25 min) than in the DHS group (38 min). Patients treated with a PFNA experienced a shorter fluoroscopy time and less blood loss. Six patients in DHS group had implant failure while none experienced this in PFNA group. The PFNA group had a better functional outcome than the DHS group.

Prospective randomized trial comparing open reduction and internal fixation with minimally invasive reduction and percutaneous fixation in managing displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures

PurposeManaging displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures remains controversial. A prospective randomised trial was undertaken to compare open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with minimally invasive reduction and percutaneous fixation (MIRPF).MethodsForty-five displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures were randomised to undergo either ORIF (n = 23) or MIRPF (n = 22). Patients were followed up clinically and radiologically for a minimum of one year postoperatively. The primary outcome measure was wound-healing complication. Functional outcome was assessed using Creighton Nebraska Health Foundation (CNF) scale, and radiological outcome was assessed using plain radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans.ResultsOf the 23 heels in the ORIF group, seven (30%) had wound-healing problems, compared with none in the MIRPF group (p = 0.005). There was no statistically significant difference in radiological outcomes between groups, as measured by Böhler’s angle, Gissane’s angle and Score Analysis of Verona (SAVE). Median time to return to work was two weeks earlier (p = 0.004), and the functional outcome score (CNF scale) at one year of follow-up was better (p = 0.013) following MIRPF compared with ORIF.ConclusionMIRPF is associated with fewer wound-healing problems, better functional outcome and earlier return to work compared with ORIF.

Role of vascular endothelial growth factor as a tumour marker in osteosarcoma: a prospective study

PurposeA prospective study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic significance of serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in patients with primary localised osteosarcoma.MethodsSerum VEGF levels were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in blood samples collected prechemotherapy, postchemotherapy, and postsurgery in 40 patients with histologically proven primary osteosarcoma. Comparison was made between serum VEGF level of healthy controls (n = 10) and prechemotherapy patient sera to evaluate its diagnostic potential. Serum VEGF levels of patients with and without metastasis were compared. Immunohistochemical staining was done to establish the correlation between serum and tissue VEGF expression. The Kaplan–Meier curve was used for survival analysisResultsNo significant relationship was observed between serum VEGF levels and age, gender, tumour size, local recurrence or histopathological subtypes of osteosarcoma. We observed significantly raised mean serum VEGF in patient sera compared with healthy controls (p = 0.001). Significant fall in mean serum VEGF level was observed following chemotherapy (p = 0.001). Patients who developed metastases had significantly higher serum VEGF levels compared with the nonmetastatic group (P = 0.001). Serum VEGF levels correlated well with VEGF expression in tissues.ConclusionSerum VEGF levels might prove to be of diagnostic, predictive and prognostic value in patients with primary osteosarcoma, although further studies with larger sample size and longer follow-up is needed to support the hypothesis.

Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty in Inflammatory Arthritis: A 3- to 5-Year Follow-up Study

The success of hip resurfacing in younger patients with primary osteoarthritis has paved the way for the trial of the procedure in patients with secondary osteoarthritis of the hip. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiologic results in a cohort of 23 patients (32 hips) with inflammatory arthritis who were chosen for hip resurfacing after normalizing vitamin D levels and ruling out proximal femoral osteopenia using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. At a minimum follow-up of 3 years, there was failure in only 1 hip due to fracture of the femoral neck attributable to osteonecrosis of the remnant head. The clinical outcome was evaluated using Harris hip score and was found to be good to excellent in 30 of 31 hips. Hip resurfacing is a promising alternative in carefully chosen patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Radiographic outcome of limb-based versus knee-based patient specific guides in total knee arthroplasty

BACKGROUND Patient specific guides (PSGs) were developed to improve overall component alignment in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to undertake a comparative radiographic study of two commonly used PSG and determine whether the radiographic technique used to construct the PSG had a significant effect on overall alignment. METHODS This prospective cohort study examined the accuracy of limb-based (n=112) versus knee-based (n=105) MR PSG in restoring the mechanical axis in three planes according to post-operative Perth CT scan protocol. RESULTS Limb-based MR and knee-based MR PSG systems both restored overall hip-knee-ankle angle (HKAA), femoral coronal alignment, tibial coronal alignment, femoral sagittal alignment, tibial sagittal alignment and femoral rotation alignment to within 3° of a neutral mechanical axis with similar precision (91.1% vs. 86.7% p=0.30, 97.3% vs. 96.2% p=0.63, 97.3% vs. 97.1% p=0.94, 94.6% vs. 89.4% p=0.16, 90.2% vs. 81.0% p=0.05, 91.1% vs. 86.7% p=0.30, respectively). However, when the secondary outcome measure of alignment within 2° was assessed, limb-based MR PSG restored HKAA, femoral coronal and tibial sagittal alignment with greater precision than knee-based MR PSG (73.2% vs. 64.8% p=0.016, 93.8% vs. 80.8% p=0.004 and 82.1% vs. 62.9% p=0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study recommend the use of limb-based MR PSG for improved precision in the restoration of neutral mechanical alignment over knee-based MR PSG in TKA. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic level III.