Theofilos Karachalios

Congenital Hip Disease in Adults. Classification of Acetabular Deficiencies and Operative Treatment with Acetabuloplasty Combined with Total Hip Arthroplasty

We describe three distinct types of congenital hip disease in adults. The first type is dysplasia, in which the femoral head is contained within the original true acetabulum. The second type is low dislocation, in which the femoral head articulates with a false acetabulum, the inferior lip of which contacts or overlaps the superior lip of the true acetabulum, giving the appearance of two overlapping acetabula. The third type is high dislocation, in which the femoral head has migrated superoposteriorly and there is no contact between the true and the false acetabulum. We describe and classify the acetabular abnormalities and deficiencies found with these three types. If the anterior, posterior, and superior aspects of the acetabular component cannot be covered during a total hip arthroplasty because of a deficient acetabulum in an adult who has congenital hip disease, we advocate an acetabuloplasty technique (which we have named a cotyloplasty) that involves medial advancement of the acetabular floor by the creation of a controlled comminuted fracture of its medial wall, autogenous bone-grafting, and the implantation of a small acetabular component with cement. This procedure was performed in sixty-six patients (eighty-six hips). Forty-nine of the hips had a high dislocation, thirty-one had a low dislocation, and six were dysplastic. Two to fifteen years (mean, seven years) after the operation, the clinical and radiographic results were satisfactory. Only two acetabular components needed to be revised for aseptic loosening, at 5.3 and 7.5 years postoperatively. Moreover, the cumulative success rate for the acetabular components was 100 per cent at five years and 93.2 per cent at ten years.

Total Hip Arthroplasty for Congenital Hip Disease

BACKGROUND It is generally agreed that the clinical and radiographic results of total hip replacement performed for degenerative arthritis secondary to congenital hip disease vary depending on the severity of the anatomical abnormality. In this study, we report the mid-term and long-term clinical and radiographic results of total hip arthroplasty performed for each of the three different types of congenital hip disease. METHODS Between 1976 and 1994, the senior author performed 229 consecutive primary total hip arthroplasties in 168 patients with osteoarthritis secondary to congenital hip disease. Seventy-six hips were dysplastic, sixty-nine had a low dislocation, and eighty-four had a high dislocation. The Charnley low-friction technique was performed in 178 hips, and the so-called hybrid technique was performed in forty-six hips. Cementless arthroplasty was used in only five hips. RESULTS After a minimum of seven years of follow-up, the rates of revision of the acetabular components were 15% in the dysplastic hips, 21% in the hips with a low dislocation, and 14% in those with a high dislocation. The rates of revision of the femoral components were 14%, 14%, and 16%, respectively. Survivorship analysis predicted an overall rate of prosthetic survival at fifteen years of 88.8% +/- 4.8% in the dysplastic hips, 73.9% +/- 7.2% in the hips with a low dislocation, and 76.4% +/- 8.1% in those with a high dislocation. CONCLUSIONS An understanding of the anatomical abnormalities and the use of appropriate techniques and implants make total hip arthroplasty feasible for treatment of the three types of congenital hip disease. In patients with a low dislocation, the major technical problem is reconstruction of the natural acetabulum. In those with a high dislocation, the challenge is to place the acetabular component inside the reconstructed true acetabulum and to use an appropriate femoral implant in the hypoplastic narrow femoral diaphysis.

Congenital hip disease in adults

This paper reviews the current knowledge relating to the management of adult patients with congenital hip disease. Orthopaedic surgeons who treat these patients with a total hip replacement should be familiar with the arguments concerning its terminology, be able to recognise the different anatomical abnormalities and to undertake thorough pre-operative planning in order to replace the hip using an appropriate surgical technique and the correct implants and be able to anticipate the clinical outcome and the complications.

Radiological evaluation of the metal-bone interface of a porous tantalum monoblock acetabular component

Between January 1998 and December 1998, 82 consecutive patients (86 hips) underwent total hip arthroplasty using a trabecular metal monoblock acetabular component. All patients had a clinical and radiological follow-up evaluation at six, 12 and 24 weeks, 12 months, and then annually thereafter. On the initial post-operative radiograph 25 hips had a gap between the outer surface of the component and the acetabular host bed which ranged from 1 to 5 mm. All patients were followed up clinically and radiologically for a mean of 7.3 years (7 to 7.5). The 25 hips with the 1 to 5 mm gaps were studied for component migration at two years using the Einzel-Bild-Roentgen-Analyse (EBRA) digital measurement method. At 24 weeks all the post-operative gaps were filled with bone and no acetabular component had migrated. The radiographic outcome of all 86 components showed no radiolucent lines and no evidence of lysis. No acetabular implant was revised. There were no dislocations or other complications. The bridging of the interface gaps (up to 5 mm) by the trabecular metal monoblock acetabular component indicates the strong osteoconductive, and possibly osteoinductive, properties of trabecular metal.

Treatment of High Dislocation of the Hip in Adults with Total Hip Arthroplasty. Operative Technique and Long-Term Clinical Results*

The clinical results of eighty-four total hip arthroplasties performed through a transtrochanteric approach in sixty-seven patients who had a high dislocation of the hip (the femoral head completely out of the acetabulum), from 1976 to 1994, were reviewed. The acetabular component was placed in the true acetabulum and the femur was shortened at the level of the femoral neck, along with release of the psoas tendon and the small external rotators, in order to facilitate reduction of the components and to avoid neurovascular complications. Eleven hip prostheses (13 per cent) failed at a mean of 6.4 years (range, two months to sixteen years) postoperatively; the failure was due to aseptic loosening of both components in four hips, aseptic loosening of the stem only in three, late infection in three, and malpositioning of the acetabular component that caused recurrent dislocations in one. The other seventy-three hips were functioning well at the latest follow-up examination, two to twenty years (mean, 7.1 years) postoperatively. The overall cumulative rate of success was 92.4 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 89.5 to 95.3 per cent) at five years and 88.0 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 82.2 to 93.8 per cent) at ten years. We believe that this operative technique of total hip arthroplasty is effective for the treatment of the difficult condition of high dislocation of the hip.

Diagnostic Accuracy of a New Clinical Test (the Thessaly Test) for Early Detection of Meniscal Tears

BACKGROUND Clinical tests used for the detection of meniscal tears in the knee do not present acceptable diagnostic sensitivity and specificity values. Diagnostic accuracy is improved by arthroscopic evaluation or magnetic resonance imaging studies. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a new dynamic clinical examination test for the detection of meniscal tears. METHODS Two hundred and thirteen symptomatic patients with knee injuries who were examined clinically, had magnetic resonance imaging studies performed, and underwent arthroscopic surgery and 197 asymptomatic volunteers who were examined clinically and had magnetic resonance imaging studies done of their normal knees were included in this study. For clinical examination, the medial and lateral joint-line tenderness test, the McMurray test, the Apley compression and distraction test, the Thessaly test at 5 degrees of knee flexion, and the Thessaly test at 20 degrees of knee flexion were used. For all clinical tests, the sensitivity, specificity, false-positive, false-negative, and diagnostic accuracy rates were calculated and compared with the arthroscopic and magnetic resonance imaging data for the test subjects and the magnetic resonance imaging data for the control population. RESULTS The Thessaly test at 20 degrees of knee flexion had a high diagnostic accuracy rate of 94% in the detection of tears of the medial meniscus and 96% in the detection of tears of the lateral meniscus, and it had a low rate of false-positive and false-negative recordings. Other traditional clinical examination tests, with the exception of joint-line tenderness, which presented a diagnostic accuracy rate of 89% in the detection of lateral meniscal tears, showed inferior rates. CONCLUSIONS The Thessaly test at 20 degrees of knee flexion can be used effectively as a first-line clinical screening test for meniscal tears, reducing the need for and the cost of modern magnetic resonance imaging methods.

Ten-year follow-up evaluation of a school screening program for scoliosis. Is the forward-bending test an accurate diagnostic criterion for the screening of scoliosis?

STUDY DESIGN A 10-year follow-up evaluation of the effectiveness of school screening for scoliosis performed in a closed island population. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of methods used for screening scoliosis and to re-examine the long-term effectiveness of the school scoliosis screening program. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA The diagnostic accuracy of the forward-bending test and the long-term efficacy of the screening programs have not been clearly established. METHODS In 1987, 2700 pupils aged 8 to 16 years from the island of Samos were screened for scoliosis. The Adams forward-bending test, Moire topography, the scoliometer, and the humpometer were used. Radiologic evaluation of the spine was available for each pupil and the number of false-negative and false-positive results of the screening methods was calculated. Subsequently, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were estimated for each screening technique. Pupils found positive for spinal deformity were then followed up regularly at yearly intervals. In 1997, all positive subjects attended a 10-year clinical and radiologic follow-up, and the remaining subjects were re-evaluated by a postal questionnaire and were clinically examined if necessary. RESULTS Spinal deformity was found in 153 (5.66%) pupils. Scoliosis (defined as a spinal curvature > or = 10 degrees) was found in 32 pupils, for a prevalence of 1.18%. For scoliosis, the Adams forward-bending test showed a number of false-negative results (in five cases), for a sensitivity of 84.37% and specificity of 93.44%. The sensitivities of Moire topography, the humpometer, and the scoliometer were 100%, 93.75%, and 90.62%, respectively, and specificity was 85.38%, 78.11%, and 79.76% respectively. The negative predictive value of the forward-bending test was inferior to those of the other methods. During this scoliosis screening program, if cutoff limits for referral had been used, such as the asymmetry of two Moire fringes, a humpogram deformity of (D + H) = 10 mm, and 8 degrees of scoliometer angle, it would have been possible to reduce radiologic examination by 89.4%. Three (0.11%) pupils aged between 12 and 14 years with scoliotic deformities greater than 20 degrees underwent satisfactory nonoperative treatment with Boston braces. One pupil with a 40 degrees thoracic curvature, underwent satisfactory surgical treatment because of progression 1 year later. Of the 121 spinal deformities with an initial Cobb angle less than 10 degrees, 44 (35.8%), and of the 29 scoliotic deformities with an initial Cobb angle between 10 degrees and 20 degrees, 14 (48.3%) progressed (a Cobb angle difference of at least 5 degrees in more than one examination). Observation and physiotherapy were the only treatments applied to all except one of the pupils in these groups. CONCLUSIONS The Adams forward-bending test cannot be considered a safe diagnostic criterion for the early detection of scoliosis (especially when it is used as the only screening tool) because it results in an unacceptable number of false-negative findings. For the early detection of scoliosis, a combination of back-shape analysis methods can be safely used with the introduction of cutoff limits for referral being a useful procedure. The incidence of significant scoliosis is low, and its natural history seems to be independent of early detection. The wide-spread use of school scoliosis screening with the use of the forward-bending test must be questioned.

Epidemiology, demographics, and natural history of congenital hip disease in adults.

This study examined the epidemiology and demographics of congenital hip disease in 468 (660 hips) patients who were examined between 1970 and 1996. In 356 (54%) hips, the diagnosis was secondary osteoarthritis due to congenital hip disease, and in 272 (41%) hips, the diagnosis was idiopathic osteoarthritis. In the remaining 32 (5%) hips, the diagnosis was uncertain. Of the hips with congenital hip disease, 170 (47.7%) hips were dysplastic, 85 (23.9%) had low dislocation, and 101 (28.4%) high dislocation. The majority of patients with congenital hip disease were women (338 [95%] hips). The natural history of the three types of congenital hip disease was studied in 157 patients (202 hips: 102 dysplastic, 42 low dislocation, and 58 high dislocation) who had received no treatment before the initial examination. Average length of follow-up was 17 years. In dysplastic hips, the disease remained undiagnosed until the onset of symptoms at an average age of 34.5 years. In patients with low dislocation, pain had started at an average of 32.5 years due to progressive degenerative arthritis within the false acetabulum. In patients with high dislocation, in the presence of a false acetabulum, pain started at an average age of 31.2 years, while in its absence, pain started at an average age of 46.4 years due to muscle fatigue. These findings suggest dysplasia, low dislocation, and high dislocation in adults are the results of untreated dysplasia, subluxation, and complete dislocation in infancy, respectively.

Low-Intensity Transosseous Ultrasound Accelerates Osteotomy Healing in a Sheep Fracture Model

BACKGROUND Low-intensity transcutaneous ultrasound can accelerate and augment the fracture-healing process. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of transosseous application of low-intensity ultrasound on fracture-healing in an animal model. METHODS A midshaft osteotomy of the left tibia was performed in forty sheep. An external fixator was used to stabilize the osteotomy site. A thin stainless-steel pin was inserted into the bone, 1.0 cm proximal to the osteotomy site. Ultrasound was transmitted through the free end of this pin, with a PZT-4D transducer. In twenty animals, the treated limb received a 200-microsec burst of 1-MHz sine waves repeated at 1 kHz with an average intensity of 30 mW/cm(2) for twenty minutes daily. Twenty other animals underwent the same surgery but did not receive the ultrasound (controls). Animals were killed at seventy-five and 120 days postoperatively. Radiographic evaluation was performed every fifteen days. Mechanical testing and quantitative computed tomography were performed after death. RESULTS Fractures treated with ultrasound healed significantly more rapidly, as assessed radiographically, than did the controls (seventy-nine compared with 103 days, p = 0.027). On day 75, the mean cortical bone mineral density (and standard deviation) was 781 +/- 52 mg/mL in the treated limbs compared with 543 +/- 44 mg/mL in the control group (p = 0.014), and the average ultimate strength (as assessed with a lateral bending test) was 1928 +/- 167 N in the treated limbs compared with 1493 +/- 112 N in the control group (p = 0.012). No significant differences were noted on day 120. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that low-intensity transosseous ultrasound can significantly accelerate the fracture-healing process, increase the cortical bone mineral density, and improve lateral bending strength of the healing fracture in a sheep osteotomy model.

A 12- to 18-year radiographic follow-up study of Charnley low-friction arthroplasty : the role of the center of rotation

In a 12- to 18-year radiographic follow-up study of 95 Charnley low-friction total hip arthroplasties (THA), there was a statistically significant correlation between location of the center of rotation of the total hip prosthesis (notably the element horizontal distance cup to tear-drop) and long-term, unfavorable, radiographic signs, such as acetabular and stem demarcation, cup wear, cup migration, subsidence of the stem, and calcar resorption. Small differences, as little as 2 mm, in the placement of the cup in relation to anatomic landmarks were responsible for these findings. A logistical regression analysis showed that the horizontal distance cup to teardrop was the most significant parameter influencing long-term unfavorable radiographic signs of a THA in comparison with the parameters of age, gender, diagnosis, and body-weight.