Background: Persistent postoperative pain (PPOP) has detracted from some otherwise successful knee arthroplasties. This study investigated medial abrasion syndrome (MAS) as a cause of PPOP after knee arthroplasty and presented the technique and outcome of arthroscopic medial release (AMR) procedure to treat such patients. Methods: In a one-year period, the author performed unicompartmental or total knee arthroplasty (the UKA or TKA group) that also eliminated MAS on 196 knees of 150 patients at advanced stages of knee osteoarthritis (OA). During the same year, 16 knees of 16 patients with unknown causes of PPOP after knee arthroplasty were referred to the author for the AMR procedure (the AMR group). Subjective satisfaction, Knee Society Score (KSS), and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) evaluations were used for outcome study.Results: All 166 patients were followed up for more than 3 years (mean: 3.7 years, 3.1-4.2) for outcome study. All knees receiving arthroplasty showed pathologic medial plicae of various severities at the time of arthroplasty. Only 2 patients suffered PPOP: one was a neglected tibial plateau fracture with residual varus deformity after UKA and the other was a late infection after TKA and received revision. The satisfactory rate was 98.8% in the UKA group, 99.1% in the TKA group, and 100% in the AMR group. The Knee Society scores and all subscales of KOOS were statistically improved in all groups.Conclusion: MAS is a cause of pain in patients who have received knee arthroplasty, and MAS should be managed before wound closure to ensure a successful knee arthroplasty. PPOP after knee arthroplasty can be caused by MAS, which can be managed by AMR.

Background With an increase in the elderly population, the occurrence of hip fractures, femoral neck fractures, and intertrochanteric fractures (ITFs) is also increasing. It is important to establish effective perioperative methods that would help reduce the morbidity and mortality rates associated with ITFs. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of ITFs according to the AO classification for perioperative hemoglobin drop. Methods Seventy-six patients with ITFs classified as AO 31-A1 or A2 and fixated with intramedullary nails participated in this retrospective cohort study. Medical records of these patients were retrospectively reviewed from September 2016 to August 2018. The perioperative hemoglobin drop was chosen as the main outcome measure and calculated as the difference between pre- and postoperative hemoglobin levels. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed and included the following variables: AO classification (A1.1-A2.1 [stable] vs. A2.2-A2.3 [unstable]), time interval between injury and surgery, age, body mass index, and use of anticoagulation medicine. Results Among the 76 patients who met the inclusion criteria, a significantly higher hemoglobin drop was observed in the AO 31 A2.2-A2.3 (unstable) group than in the AO 31 A1.1-A2.1 (stable) group (p = 0.04). The multivariate analysis also showed a greater hemoglobin drop in the unstable group (p < 0.05). Conclusions Patients with unstable ITFs showed a greater hemoglobin drop and suspected hidden blood loss around the fracture site. Therefore, aggressive presurgical blood transfusion for patients with unstable ITFs may reduce anemia and any associated postoperative complications, especially in patients with severe anemia or high mortality risk.

Introduction: Persistent postoperative pain (PPOP) has detracted from some otherwise successful knee arthroplasties. This study investigated medial abrasion syndrome (MAS) as a cause of PPOP after knee arthroplasty. The surgical techniques and outcomes of incorporating this concept into the management of both primary arthroplasty cases and patients suffering from unknown causes of PPOP after arthroplasties were presented. Materials and Methods: In a one-year period, the author performed unicompartmental or total knee arthroplasty (the UKA or TKA group) that also eliminated medial abrasion phenomenon (MAP) on 196 knees of 150 patients at advanced stages of knee osteoarthritis (OA). During the same year, 16 knees of 16 patients with unknown causes of PPOP after knee arthroplasties were referred to the author for the arthroscopic medial release procedure (the AMR group) after being diagnosed as MAS. Subjective satisfaction, Knee Society Score (KSS), and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) evaluations were used for outcome study.Results: All 166 patients were followed for more than 3 years (mean: 3.7 years, 3.1-4.2) for outcome study. All knees receiving arthroplasty showed medial plicae with MAP at the time of surgery. Only 2 of them suffered from PPOP: one was a neglected tibial plateau fracture with residual varus deformity after UKA and the other was a late infection after TKA and received revision. The satisfactory rate was 98.8% in the UKA group, 99.1% in the TKA group, and 100% in the AMR group. The Knee Society scores and all subscales of KOOS were statistically improved in all groups.Conclusions: MAS is a cause of pain in patients who have received knee arthroplasties, and MAP should be eliminated to ensure a successful knee arthroplasty. PPOP after knee arthroplasty can be caused by MAS, which can be managed by AMR.

Background With an increase in the elderly population, the occurrence of hip fractures, as well as

Background The effectiveness of arthroscopic treatment for knee osteoarthritis (OA) has been subject to debate. This study presents an innovative concept of arthroscopic management for knee OA and investigates its clinical outcome.Methods An arthroscopic cartilage regeneration facilitating procedure (ACRFP) to eliminate medial abrasion phenomenon and decompress the patello-femoral joints was performed on 693 knees of 411 patients with knee OA, mean age 60 years (34-90). The Knee Society score (KSS) and the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) were used for subjective outcome study. Roentgenographic changes for all cases and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) variations for twenty randomly selected cases were evaluated for objective outcomes. Results There were 634 knees in 369 patients (93.7%) available with more than 3 years of follow-ups (mean 40 months, SD 9). The overall subjective satisfactory rate was 91.1%. The KSS and all subscales of the KOOS improved statistically. Reversal of the degeneration process of cartilage was observed in 80.1% of the whole series (radiographic outcome) and in 72.2% of the 18 randomly selected cases (one-year MRI outcome study). Gender and OA severity were related to subjective outcomes. Age, body mass index (BMI), pre-operative hyaluronic acid injection, OA severity, and the type and severity of the medial plica are important predictors of radiographic outcomes. An analysis of failed cases reaffirmed the need for early ACRFP and skillful post-operative care. Conclusion ACRFP is an effective treatment for knee OA. If performed in time, it can satisfy most patients and might modify their degeneration process.