Todd P. Pierce

Dual mobility cups: an effective prosthesis in revision total hip arthroplasties for preventing dislocations

Purpose Postoperative dislocation is one of the most common complications following total hip arthroplasty (THA), and dual mobility articulations have been designed to provide greater hip stability. However, there are few studies that have assessed outcomes of these designs in revision THAs. Our purpose was to evaluate differences in dislocation rates, aseptic survivorship, and patient outcomes between dual mobility articulations and conventional arthroplasties in the revision setting. Methods Patients who underwent revision THA with dual mobility articulations (n = 60) were matched (1:2) to patients who had conventional single articulation prostheses (n = 120). They were matched for body mass index, age, gender, and Paprosky acetabular defect classification, and were followed up for a mean of 30 months (range, 18 to 52 months). The outcomes were evaluated preoperatively and at final follow-up using Harris Hip Scores, the University of California Los Angeles activity scale, and the Short Form-36 questionnaires. Results The dual mobility group had lower dislocation (1.7% (1 out of 60) versus 5.8% (7 out of 120)) and aseptic loosening rates (1.7% (1 out of 60) versus 4.2% (5 out of 120)) compared to the control group. There were no significant differences in functional outcomes, activity level, or overall physical and mental health status between the 2 cohorts. Conclusions When used in the revision setting, dual mobility bearings had fewer dislocations. We believe that these designs may lead to clinically significant improvements in complications while also improving patient reported and functional outcomes, but larger cohort studies are necessary for evaluation.

Osteonecrosis of the knee: review

Osteonecrosis is a devastating disease that can lead to end-stage arthritis of various joint including the knee. There are three categories of osteonecrosis that affect the knee: spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SONK), secondary, and post-arthroscopic. Regardless of osteonecrosis categories, the treatment of this disease aims to halt further progression or delay the onset of end-stage arthritis of the knee. However, once substantial joint surface collapse has occurred or there are sign of degenerative arthritis, joint arthroplasty is the most appropriate treatment option. Currently, the non-operative treatment options consist of observation, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), protected weight bearing, and analgesia as needed. Operative interventions include joint preserving surgery, unilateral knee arthroplasty (UKA), or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) depending on the extent and type of disease. Joint preserving procedures (i.e., arthroscopy, core decompression, osteochondral autograft, and bone grafting) are usually attempted in pre-collapse and some post-collapse lesions, when the articular cartilage is generally intact with only the underlying subchondral bone being affected. Conversely, after severe subchondral collapse has occurred, procedures that attempt to salvage the joint are rarely successful and joint arthroplasty are necessary to relieve pain. The purpose of this article is to highlight the recent evidence concerning the treatment options across the spectrum of management of osteonecrosis of the knee including lesion observation, medications, joint preserving techniques, and total joint arthroplasties.

Long-Term Survivorship and Clinical Outcomes Following Total Knee Arthroplasty

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most successful commonly performed orthopedic procedures; as such, the purpose was to assess the long-term outcomes and survivorship of primary TKAs with a dual-radius prosthesis. We evaluated 125-patients (145-knees), with a mean age of 63 years (37-90 years) for a mean 11-year follow-up (10-13 years). Outcomes were assessed with KSS, UCLA, SF-36, satisfaction scores, and aseptic survivorship analysis. At 10-year follow-up, the UCLA (6-points), KSS objective (84-points) and functional (73-points), SF-36 physical (41-points) and mental (51-points), and patient satisfaction (14-points) scores were reported to be good to excellent. The 10-year Kaplan-Meier survivorship rate was 99%; one TKA demonstrated radiographic loosening. At a minimum 10-year follow-up, this device demonstrated satisfactory outcomes and outstanding aseptic-survivorship rates.

New and Common Perioperative Pain Management Techniques in Total Knee Arthroplasty

Optimal pain control in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is imperative for good rehabilitation and functional outcomes. However, despite technological advancements, surgeons continue to struggle with adequate pain management in their patients. Current modalities in use, such as patient-controlled analgesia, opioids, and epidural anesthetics, provide good pain relief but can be associated with side effects and serious complications. As a result, newer pain control modalities have been used to try to reduce the use of opioids while providing adequate pain relief. Currently, there are no clear guidelines or evidence for an optimum postoperative TKA analgesic regimen. Our aim was to evaluate the recent literature and provide a summary of the newer perioperative analgesic modalities. Evidence suggests that analgesics, such as newer oral medications, peripheral nerve blocks, and periarticular injections, may improve pain management, rehabilitation, and patient satisfaction, as well as reduce opioid consumption. The literature has also highlighted that a multimodal approach to pain management may provide the best results. However, determining which modalities provide superior pain control is still being extensively studied, and further research is needed.

Predicting Blood Loss in Total Knee and Hip Arthroplasty

Marked blood loss during lower extremity total joint arthroplasties may lead to higher rates of transfusion, which may negatively affect surgical outcomes and yield greater complication rates. It is therefore ideal to identify factors that may increase the likelihood of blood loss, so they can be modified. From this review, it can be concluded that preoperative anemia, older age, multiple comorbidities, increased operative time, and use of postoperative anticoagulation may lead to higher blood loss and transfusion rates, although the influence of other factors remains controversial.

Robotic-assisted knee arthroplasty.

Robotics in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has undergone vast improvements. Although some of the systems have fallen out of favor due to safety concerns, there has been recent increased interest for semi-active haptic robotic systems that provide intraoperative tactile feedback to the surgeon. The potential advantages include improvements in radiographic outcomes, reducing the incidence of mechanical axis malalignment of the lower extremity and better tissue balance. Proponents of robotic technology believe that these improvements may lead to superior functional outcomes and implant survivorship. We aim to discuss robotic technology development, outcomes of unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty and the future outlook. Short-term follow-up studies on robotic-assisted knee arthroplasty suggest that, although some alignment objectives may have been achieved, more studies regarding functional outcomes are needed. Furthermore, studies evaluating the projected cost–benefit analyses of this new technology are needed before widespread adoption. Nevertheless, the short-term results warrant further evaluation.

Genetically modified chondrocytes expressing TGF-β1: a revolutionary treatment for articular cartilage damage?

Introduction: Currently, joint arthroplasty remains the only definitive management of osteoarthritis, while other treatment modalities only provide temporary and symptomatic relief. The use of genetically engineered chondrocytes is currently undergoing clinical trials. Specifically, it has been designed to induce cartilage growth and differentiation in patients with degenerative arthritis, with the aim to play a curative role in the disease process. Areas covered: This treatment involves the incorporation of TGF-β1, which has been determined to play an influential role in chondrogenesis and extracellular matrix synthesis. Using genetic manipulation and viral transduction, TGF-β1 is incorporated into human chondrocytes and administered in a minimally invasive fashion directly to the affected joint. Following a database literature search, we evaluated the current evidence on this product and its outcomes. Furthermore, we also briefly reviewed other treatments developed for chondrogenesis and cartilage regeneration for comparison. Expert opinion: This treatment method has sustained positive effects on functional outcomes and cartilage growth in initial trials. It allows administration in a minimally invasive manner that does not require extended recovery time. Although several treatment modalities are currently under investigation and appear promising, we hope that these effects can be sustained in further studies. Ultimately, we anticipate that the results may be reproducible in many clinical settings and allow us to effectively treat cartilage damage in patients with degenerative arthritis.

Pediatric Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction A Systematic Review of Transphyseal Versus Physeal-Sparing Techniques

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is becoming more common in skeletally immature individuals, and it may be performed with transphyseal or physeal-sparing techniques. A number of studies have assessed the outcomes of these techniques, but there is a need to systematically evaluate the pooled data from these studies. Purpose: To compare the differences in demographics and outcomes of transphyseal and physeal-sparing techniques by assessing (1) demographics, (2) incidence of growth disturbances, and (3) graft survivorship in the pediatric population. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: A thorough review of 3 databases was performed to identify all studies that evaluated outcomes after pediatric reconstruction based on transphyseal or physeal-sparing techniques. After completing our search and cross-referencing for additional sources, 43 reports were identified for this review. Reports were analyzed for differences in demographics as well as incidence of leg-length discrepancies, angular deformities, and graft survivorship. After review of manuscripts, 27 studies were included for review (21 transphyseal and 6 physeal-sparing studies). Results: Those who had transphyseal reconstruction were more likely to be female (39% vs 20%; P = .0001), while those with the physeal-sparing surgery were younger (12 vs 13.5 years of age; P = .0001). The transphyseal and physeal-sparing cohorts demonstrated similar incidence rates of leg-length discrepancies (0.81% vs 1.2%, respectively; P = .64) and angular deformities (0.61% vs 0%, respectively; P = .36). The transphyseal and physeal-sparing cohorts also showed similar rates of rerupture (6.2% vs 3.1%, respectively; P = .11). Conclusion: Although the study groups were not well matched with regard to age and sex, our results show that these surgical techniques have no differences in incidence of growth disturbances or graft survivorship. Younger males tend to undergo physeal-sparing reconstruction. Future research should focus on long-term outcome metrics with the physeal-sparing techniques, as there remains a paucity of studies regarding them.

A current review of core decompression in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

The review describes the following: (1) how traditional core decompression is performed, (2) adjunctive treatments, (3) multiple percutaneous drilling technique, and (4) the overall outcomes of these procedures. Core decompression has optimal outcomes when used in the earliest, precollapse disease stages. More recent studies have reported excellent outcomes with percutaneous drilling. Furthermore, adjunct treatment methods combining core decompression with growth factors, bone morphogenic proteins, stem cells, and bone grafting have demonstrated positive results; however, larger randomized trial is needed to evaluate their overall efficacy.

A Current Review of Mechanical Compression and Its Role in Venous Thromboembolic Prophylaxis in Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty

Interest in mechanical compression for venous thromboembolic disease prophylaxis has increased over the last several years because of concerns related to bleeding complications associated with chemoprophylaxis. However, the research evaluating compression is clearly not definitive. Therefore, this review aims to: (1) summarize methods of compression; (2) compare AAOS, ACCP, and SCIP guidelines; and (3) make recommendations regarding usage. Below-the-knee devices have demonstrated the most efficacy with multiple guidelines recommending usage. Efficacy and compliance may be improved with the use of mobile devices.