One year after treatment, characterized chondrocyte implantation was associated with a tissue regenerate that was superior to that after microfracture. Short-term clinical outcome was similar for both treatments. The superior structural outcome may result in improved long-term clinical benefit with characterized chondrocyte implantation. Long-term follow-up is needed to confirm these findings.

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One hundred forty-nine medial prostheses were implanted in 140 patients between 1988 and 1996. After a mean of 67 months 28 patients had died, without the need for revision. Seventeen prostheses were lost to follow-up. Revision surgery using a total knee prosthesis was performed in 16 cases. In four others, a lateral prosthesis was implanted subsequently to a medial one. One of these four was revised to a total knee prosthesis 6 years later. In another four cases, late complications of the meniscal bearing were treated with replacement of this bearing. The surviving prostheses were seen back after a mean of 126 months. The cumulative survival rate at 10 years was 82% for the whole population and 84% when knees with a previous high tibial osteotomy were excluded. Since these results compare poorly to the survival of total knee arthroplasty, this prosthesis is not the first-choice implant. Because it preserves a maximum of bone stock and is revised to a total prosthesis almost without difficulty, it is the first-choice implant for medial unicompartmental osteoarthritis in patients younger than 65. Further research is mandatory to confirm that this prosthesis very rarely needs revision in patients older than 75. It should not be used in osteotomized knees.

Interpretation of computed tomographic and magnetic resonance arthrograms of the shoulder is complicated by normal variants of the labrum and glenohumeral ligaments. A superior sublabral recess is located at the 12 o'clock position and represents a normal recess between the superior labrum and the cartilage of the glenoid cavity. A sublabral foramen is located at the 2 o'clock position and represents localized detachment of the labrum from the glenoid rim. Buford complex is characterized by absence of the anterosuperior labrum and cordlike thickening of the middle glenohumeral ligament. Imaging features of damage to the anterior labrum include absence or detachment of the labrum and an irregular frayed appearance. Superior labrum anterior-to-posterior (SLAP) lesions are classified as type I (tear confined to the superior labrum), type II (labrum and biceps tendon detached from the superior glenoid), type III (bucket handle tear of the superior labrum), or type IV (bucket handle tear of the superior labrum with lateral extension into the biceps tendon). Increased distance between the labrum and the glenoid, an irregular appearance of the labral margin, or lateral extension of the separation may suggest a SLAP lesion rather than a normal anatomic variant. However, differentiation between normal variants and pathologic conditions and between various types of SLAP lesions remains difficult.

During decennia the treatment of radial head fractures has been controversial. For Mason type II fractures, more recent studies agree that open reduction and internal fixation is the treatment of choice. It restores biomechanical properties, allows an early mobilisation of motion and results in better functional outcome compared with other treatments. In this study, we present the mid-to-long-term results of an arthroscopic technique for reduction and percutaneous fixation. Fourteen patients were available for follow-up with a final assessment performed at an average of 5 years 6 months (range 1 year to 11 years 3 months). Patients were evaluated for pain, motion and radiological findings. The average elbow score (Broberg and Morrey in J Bone Joint Surg Am 68:669-674, 1986) was 97.6 points (range 86-100), corresponding with 3 good and 11 excellent results. Two of the patients with only good results had associated cartilage lesions of the capitellum. Our results show that arthroscopically assisted reduction and internal fixation of type II radial head fractures is a valid technique with consistently good outcome. Although the technique is technically demanding, it allows more precise articular fracture reduction control, as well as better evaluation of associated lesions.