Achieving a well-balanced total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a difficult task, but the use of real-time sensing technology could provide intraoperative dynamic feedback regarding stability and load. This study compared intraoperative data and clinical outcomes between two cohorts, where one cohort had a sensor-guided medial pivot TKA performed. Methods: Two cohorts of 50 patients each were preoperatively matched to receive the same TKA, having a J-curve femoral design with an adapted “medially congruent” polyethylene insert; the second cohort (group B) underwent the intraoperative sensor-check. Intraoperative sensor data were recorded as tibiofemoral load at 10°, 45°, and 90°. We considered stable knees those with a pressure <50 lbs on the medial compartment, <35 lbs on the lateral, and a mediolateral inter-compartmental difference <15 lbs. Clinical outcomes were evaluated according to the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Knee Society Score (KSS). Results: All patients (group A: no sensor; group B: sensor) were available at 2-year minimum follow-up (FU; min. 24 months, max. 34 months); no preoperative statistical differences existed between groups in the average range of motion (ROM), OKS, KSS, and body mass index. There were no statistical differences at final FU between groups in the average OKS (group A: 41.1; group B: 41.5), in the average KSS (group A: 165.7; group B: 166.3), or in final ROM (group A: 123°; group B: 124°). One patient in each group required a manipulation under anesthesia. In the sensor group, an accessory soft tissue release/bone recut was necessary after sensor testing with trial components in 24% to obtain the desired loads; in the same group, the level of constraint in the final components was increased to posterior-stabilized in 12% because of an inter-compartmental difference >40 lbs. Surgical time was 8 min longer in the sensor group. Conclusion: The use of this sensing technology did not improve the clinical outcome but supported multiple intraoperative decisions aimed to better reproduce the medial pivot kinematic of the normal knee.

Intraoperative patellar position (eversion, lateralization, or in situ) influences the ligamentous balancing in knee flexion and thereby the correct positioning of the femoral component during total knee arthroplasty. The correct ligament balancing is crucial when, as in our experience, prostheses with medial pivot design are used. It was shown that the flexion gap in the normal knee is not rectangular and that the lateral compartment is significantly slacker than the medial. Therefore, to obtain a correct kinematics of a medial pivot anatomical prosthesis, it is essential to recreate an anatomical flexion gap slacker in the lateral compartment. We conducted a prospective study on a consecutive series of 87 total knee prostheses. The objective of this study is to evaluate the femoral external rotation angle in each patient with everted patella as well as with pure subluxated patella. The purpose of this study is to offer guidance about the optimal femoral rotation angle to achieve best outcomes of a knee replacement. The evaluation was done using an instrument developed by Medacta International (Switzerland) with our direct collaboration (Tensor, Medacta, Switzerland) and standardizing the basic conditions of each patient (knee 90 degrees flexed, medial transquadricipital surgical access, lateral displacement of the patella, tourniquet inflated at 250 mm Hg, spinal anesthesia). Each group was subdivided into subgroups according to gender, preoperative varus or valgus deformity, and patellar height. Our study advises against evaluating the flexion gap with everted patella due to high risk of underestimation of the lateral compartment laxity (differences up to + 3 degrees with pure subluxated patella compared with everted patella).

Background The number of shoulder arthroscopies is steadily increasing to treat glenohumeral joint disorders, among which the rotator cuff tear is the most common. The prevalence of this condition ranges from 13% to 37% in the general population without considering the number of asymptomatic patients. The gold standard procedure for rotator cuff repair is still undefined. The purpose of this study is to evaluate a population who underwent a single row (SR) rotator cuff repair and correlate their clinical results with MRI findings. Materials and methods Sixty-seven consecutive rotator cuff procedures were retrospectively selected. All patients were diagnosed with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear and subsequently treated with an arthroscopic SR repair technique. Each patient was clinically assessed with the DASH questionnaire and the Constant–Murley Score to grade their satisfaction. Moreover, rotator cuff repair integrity was evaluated by MRI and graded using the Sugaya score. Results Mean follow-up was 19.5 ± 5.7 months. The mean Constant score was 82.8 ± 13.0 points, with 55 patients reporting excellent results. No patient scored less than 30 points, which could be deemed as unsatisfying. Meanwhile, on the DASH questionnaire, 6.1% of our patients rated their clinical outcome as unsatisfying, whereas 75.8% rated their outcome as excellent. Postoperative MRI classified 45 patients (83.3%) as either Sugaya type I, II, or III, whereas 9 patients (16.7%) presented a Sugaya type IV consistent with a full-thickness cuff retear. Of these nine patients, five (55.6%) and three (33.3%) reported excellent results for the Constant score and DASH questionnaire, respectively. The Mann–Whitney test reported that the retear group had worse scores than the intact repaired cuff group for pain (8.3 ± 5.0 versus 13.1 ± 3.4), Constant Score (68.8 ± 18.5 versus 83.1 ± 11.6), and DASH (66.2 ± 22.1 versus 44.2 ± 14.9). Still, range of motion (ROM) differences were not significant, except for better forward flexion in the intact group (p < 0.039). Conclusions Both groups with intact repaired and retorn cuffs showed improvement in their condition, but unexpectedly, there is no significant  correlation between patient satisfaction and rotator cuff integrity. Level of evidence IV