Matthijs P. Somford

Total shoulder arthroplasty versus hemiarthroplasty for glenohumeral arthritis: A systematic review of the literature at long-term follow-up

Introduction: The optimal surgical treatment of end-stage primary glenohumeral osteoarthritis remains controversial. The objective of this article is to systematically review the current available literature to formulate evidence-based guidelines for treatment of this pathology with an arthroplasty. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was performed to identify all articles from 1990 onward that presented data concerning treatment of glenohumeral arthritis with total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) or head arthroplasty (HA) with a minimal follow-up of 7 years. The most relevant electronic databases were searched. Results: After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we identified 18 studies (of the initial 832 hits). The search included a total of 1,958 patients (HA: 316 and TSA: 1,642) with 2,111 shoulders (HA: 328 + TSA: 1,783). The revision rate for any reason in the HA group (13%) was higher than in the TSA group (7%) (P < 0.001). There was a trend of a higher complication rate (of any kind) in the TSA group (12%) when compared with the HA group (8%) (P = 0.065). The weighted mean improvement in anteflexion, exorotation and abduction were respectively 33°, 15° and 31° in the HA group and were respectively 56°, 21° and 48° in the TSA group. Mean decrease in pain scores was 4.2 in the HA and 5.5 in the TSA group. Conclusion: Finally, we conclude that TSA results in less need for revision surgery, but has a trend to result in more complications. The conclusions of this review should be interpreted with caution as only Level IV studies could be included. Level of Evidence: IV.

The Bristow–Latarjet procedure, a historical note on a technique in comeback

AbstractThe Bristow–Latarjet procedure is a well-known surgical technique designed to treat shoulder instability. In this procedure, the coracoid process is transferred to the glenoid rim, to serve as augmentation of an associated bony defect. Because long-term results following a soft tissue procedure (Bankart repair) reveal that up to 21 and 33xa0% of the patients might experience recurrent instability and with the advent of the arthroscopic coracoid transfer, there is renewed interest in this procedure to treat shoulder instability. The aim of this study is to provide a historical overview, with emphasis on the original inventors Bristow and Latarjet, the complications and following modifications regarding the surgical approach, the coracoid transfer and the arthroscopic technique.n Level of evidence V.

Operative treatment for femoral shaft nonunions, a systematic review of the literature

The objective of this article is to systematically review the currently available literature to formulate evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of femoral shaft nonunions for clinical practice and to establish recommendations for future research. Articles from PubMed/MEDLINE, Cochrane Clinical Trial Register, and EMBASE, that presented data concerning treatment of nonunions of femoral shaft fractures in adult humans, were included for data extraction and analysis. The search was restricted to articles from January 1970 to March 2011 written in the English, German, or Dutch languages. Articles containing data that were thought to have been presented previously were used once. Reports on nonunion after periprosthetic fractures, review articles, expert opinions, abstracts from scientific meetings, and case reports on 5 or fewer patients were excluded. The data that were extracted from the relevant articles included: type of nonunion, type of initial and secondary treatments, follow-up, union rate, and general complications. Most studies had different inclusion criteria and outcome measures, thus prohibiting a proper meta-analysis. Therefore, only the union rate and number of complications were compared between the different treatments. Methodological quality was assessed by assigning levels of evidence as previously defined by the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. This systematic review provides evidence in favour of plating if a nail is the first treatment; after failed plate fixation, nailing has a 96xa0% union rate. After failed nailing, augmentative plating results in a 96xa0% union rate compared to 73xa0% in the exchange nailing group.

Osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral capitellum: Reliability of four classification systems using radiographs and computed tomography

BACKGROUNDnThe radiographic appearance of osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral capitellum varies according to the stage of the lesion. It is important to evaluate the stage of OCD lesion carefully to guide treatment. We compared the interobserver reliability of currently used classification systems for OCD of the humeral capitellum to identify the most reliable classification system.nnnMETHODSnThirty-two musculoskeletal radiologists and orthopaedic surgeons specialized in elbow surgery from several countries evaluated anteroposterior and lateral radiographs and corresponding computed tomography (CT) scans of 22 patients to classify the stage of OCD of the humeral capitellum according to the classification systems developed by (1) Minami, (2) Berndt and Harty, (3) Ferkel and Sgaglione, and (4) Anderson on a Web-based study platform including a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine viewer. Magnetic resonance imaging was not evaluated as part of this study. We measured agreement among observers using the Siegel and Castellan multirater κ.nnnRESULTSnAll OCD classification systems, except for Berndt and Harty, which had poor agreement among observers (κxa0=xa00.20), had fair interobserver agreement: κ was 0.27 for the Minami, 0.23 for Anderson, and 0.22 for Ferkel and Sgaglione classifications. The Minami Classification was significantly more reliable than the other classifications (Pxa0<xa0.001).nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe Minami Classification was the most reliable for classifying different stages of OCD of the humeral capitellum. However, it is unclear whether radiographic evidence of OCD of the humeral capitellum, as categorized by the Minami Classification, guides treatment in clinical practice as a result of this fair agreement.

Quality of research and quality of reporting in elbow surgery trials

BACKGROUNDnRandomized controlled trials (RCTs) are high in the hierarchy of scientific evidence, but possible sources of bias should be identified or even excluded. This systematic review assessed the methodologic quality and the quality of reporting of the RCTs on the treatment of elbow pathology.nnnMETHODSnA systematic review of RCTs was performed on the treatment of elbow pathology. PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant trials. Thirty-five of the initial 540 articles being an (pseudo) RCT on invasive treatment of elbow pathology in humans were included. These were scored with the use of an adapted Checklists to Evaluate A Report of a Nonpharmacologic Trial (CLEAR-NPT). To assess quality of reporting, points were administered to the articles based on the results from CLEAR-NPT list. The highest possible score for quality is 26 points.nnnRESULTSnThe average quality score was 18.1 points (range, 10-25 points). The mean scores were 19.5 for trials published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, 19.8 for those published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and 20.3 for those published in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery.nnnCONCLUSIONSnThe most important finding was that the overall quality and the quality of reporting has not improved over the years and that the overall quality of the selected studies and the quality of reporting in these trials is not related to the journal they are published in.

Ankle Fracture Eponyms

The acute ankle fracture has often been cited as one of the most commonly treated musculoskeletal injuries. As such, considerable research has been conducted, along with many clinical studies, aiming to evaluate conservative versus surgical management, as well as radiographic classifications and long-term outcomes. Several types of ankle fractures are known historically by their eponyms. Eponyms are frequently used in orthopaedic surgery to denominate fractures, fracture-dislocations, and classifications, which are most commonly named after the physicians who first described them.nnIn 2007, a debate entitled “Should Eponyms Be Abandoned?” evoked strong responses both in favor and against the use of medical eponyms, and added interesting insights into their current use1,2. The opponents of the use of eponyms in the medical literature recommend abandoning them because they “lack accuracy, lead to confusion, and hamper scientific discussion in a globalized world.”1 Some disadvantages are obvious. Some eponyms do not refer to the correct person but to a later researcher who made the same discovery. For example John Langdon Down did not discover the syndrome “mongolism,” but rather coined the term, which was later changed to Down syndrome because the former name was considered racist. Additionally, the person behind a medical eponym might have been involved in crimes against humanity, as was the case with Hans Conrad Julius Reiter in Nazi Germany. Other disadvantages are subtle. For example, pronunciation and spelling may be incorrect. Foreign eponyms that have diacritics (e.g., acute or grave accents) are often misspelled or mispronounced. Sometimes it is hard to establish the exact spelling when you hear someone using an eponym. Finally, an eponymous fracture or classification system is only clinically relevant when it has consequences for treatment or when it influences prognosis. This has resulted in abandoning the scientific use of many of …

Long-term results of shoulder hemiarthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis affecting the shoulder is typically associated with destruction of the glenohumeral joint and rotator cuff impairment, which can result in severe glenoid erosion. Following hemiarthroplasty, severe glenoid erosion has also frequently been observed. The authors aim was to retrospectively evaluate the outcome of cemented shoulder hemiarthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The authors performed 45 cemented hemiarthroplasties in 36 patients with rheumatoid arthritis involving the shoulder as well as associated rotator cuff compromise between 1995 and 2008. All patients were analyzed radiologically and clinically using patient-reported outcome measures. Mean±SD visual analog pain scale score was 3±2. Mean±SD Constant score was 55±16. Mean±SD validated Dutch version of the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score was 42±19. No radiograph showed loosening of the implant at follow-up. One patient needed an arthrotomy and capsulotomy because of persistent pain and limited range of motion. Tissue cultures taken during this second operation were negative for infection. No major revision surgery was necessary within the follow-up period. Cemented hemiarthroplasty is a viable treatment option for glenohumeral arthritis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Long-term results show acceptable results and low complication rates in this case series for this specific group. A randomized, controlled trial comparing hemiarthroplasty, total shoulder arthroplasty, and reverse shoulder arthroplasty is necessary to draw definite conclusions in this specific patient population.

Proximal tibiofibular dislocation: a case report and review of literature.

An isolated dislocation of the proximal tibiofibular joint is uncommon. The mechanism of this injury is usually sports related. We present a case where initial X-rays did not show the tibiofibular joint dislocation conclusively. It was diagnosed after comparative bilateral AP X-rays of the knees were obtained. A closed reduction was performed and followed by unrestricted mobilization after 1xa0week of rest. A review of the literature was conducted on PubMed MEDLINE. Thirty cases of isolated acute proximal tibiofibular joint dislocations were identified in a search from 1974. The most common direction of the dislocation was anterolateral, and common causes were sports injury or high velocity accident related. More than 75xa0% of the cases were successfully treated by closed reduction. Complaints, if any, at the last follow-up (averaging 10xa0months, range 0–108) were, in the worst cases, pain during sporting activities. We advise comparative knee X-rays if there is a presentation of lateral knee pain after injury and diagnosis is uncertain. Closed reduction is usually successful if a dislocation of the proximal tibiofibular joint is diagnosed. There is no standard for after-care, but early mobilization appears safe if there are no other knee injuries.

Reconstruction of isolated scaphoid dislocation with carpal dissociation, associated with a carpal anomaly

A case is presented of isolated scaphoid dislocation with carpal dissociation in the presence of a lunato-triquetral coalition. We present the treatment and follow-up of this case. In addition, the literature on scaphoid dislocation and its treatment is reviewed. We emphasize the need to reconstruct the carpal alignment and scapho-lunate linkage.

Eponymous terms in anterior shoulder stabilization surgery

Shoulder dislocation and its treatment are probably as old as time. Surgical treatment has gained acceptance recently, especially in recurrent cases. Within roughly the last 100years, numerous treatment strategies have been developed and questions elucidated regarding the entity of shoulder instability. Shoulder instability holds many eponymous terms. By means of literature and historical research, we present the biographical background of some common eponymous terms and the original publication on which those terms are based. We describe the Perthes lesion, Bankart lesion and repair, Hill-Sachs lesion, Bristow-Latarjet procedure and Eden-Hybbinette procedure. Shoulder instability has been recognized and treated for many centuries. Before the invention of X-rays and the ability to intervene surgically, empirical reduction and time were the only feasible treatment options. Understanding of the pathophysiology of this problem and its corresponding treatment has kept increasing since the 19th century. The originators involved still have their name attached to the different signs and procedures.nnnLEVEL OF EVIDENCEnIV.