No abstract

The indication for dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) measurement for the specific diagnosis of osteoporosis is derived from the patient's age, sex, history of fractures in the past, and further risk factors. The therapeutic threshold for osteoporosis has been set at a 30% predicted risk of osteoporotic fractures occurring within 10 years. The treatment consists of basic measures for fracture prevention combined with specific pharmacotherapy. The recommended drugs for the treatment of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women in particular are alendronic and ibandronic acid, raloxifen, risedronic acid, and strontium ranelate; the only approved drugs for men at present are alendronic and risedronic acid and teriparatid. Intensive patient education markedly improves the otherwise poor compliance with osteoporosis treatment.

Bilateral ruptures of patellar tendon are a rare event and occur mainly in older patients suffering from systemic diseases like lupus erythematosus, chronic renal failure, rheumatoid arthritis or are taking longterm corticosteroids. Only few cases of spontaneous bilateral rupture of patellar tendon without underlying systemic disease are described in literature up to now. This report provides a patient with bilateral patellar tendon rupture, where in further check up and follow up only a mild diabetes mellitus treated by diet could be detected as systemic disease. In current opinion diabetes mellitus does not belong to the "typical" underlying systemic diseases for tendon ruptures. In literature research diabetes mellitus was only mentioned once together with a bilateral patellar tendon rupture.

Background Between 1957 and 1961 the substance Thalidomide was sold in West Germany and taken by many women as a sedative during pregnancy. This lead to miscarriages and infants been born with several severe malformations. The aim of this study was to describe the current situation of women impaired by Thalidomide induced embryopahty in North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), Germany, in comparison with the results found in a study done in 2002 by Nippert et al. Methods Questionnaires as well as examinations were performed. Data were compared using descriptive and inductive statistical methods. Results Both studies show that women impaired by Thalidomide embryopathy face a poorer health status than women their age in the general population and live in fear of further deteriorating health. The majority can only work reduced hours or are already retired due to poor health. Most of those who need assistance are being assisted by their social environment, while professional care is still utilized in only few cases. Conclusions An obvious need for a shift in the provision of assistance and/or care provided was found as the social environment supporting the impaired women is also aging and therefore in high danger of breaking apart. Trial registration The study has been registered at German Clinical Trials Register, DRKS00010593 , on 07.06.2016 retrospectively.

The update of the German S3 guideline on atraumatic femoral head necrosis in adults aims to provide an overview of diagnosis and treatment. All clinical studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses published in German or English between 01.05.2013 and 30.04.2017 were included. Of 427 studies, 28 were suitable for analysis. Risk factors are corticosteroids, chemotherapy, kidney transplants, hemoglobinopathies, and alcoholism. Differential diagnoses are for example bone marrow edema, insufficiency fracture, and destructive arthropathy. Radiography should be performed upon clinical suspicion. In patients with normal radiography findings but persistent complaints, magnetic resonance imaging (ARCO classification) is the method of choice. Computed tomography (CT) can be used to confirm/exclude articular surface collapse. A subchondral sclerosis zone >30% in CT indicates a better prognosis. Left untreated, a subchondral fracture will develop within 2 years. The risk of disease development in the opposite side is high during the first 2 years, but unlikely thereafter. In conservative therapy, iloprost and alendronate can be used in a curative approach, the latter for small, primarily medial necrosis. Conservative therapy alone as well as other drug-based and physical approaches are not suitable for treatment. No particular joint-preserving surgery can currently be recommended. Core decompression should be performed in early stages with <30% necrosis. From ARCO stage IIIc or in stage IV, the indication for total hip arthroplasty should be checked. Results after total hip arthroplasty are comparable with those after coxarthrosis, although the revision rate is higher due to the relatively young age of patients. Statements on the effectiveness of cell-based therapies such as expanded stem cells or bone marrow aspirates cannot currently be made.

Sonographic imaging after hip-replacement seems to be a sensitive and specific method which allows an early diagnosis of ossifications one week after surgery in 2/3 of patients. In this context a therapy concept which helps avoiding the development ossifications would be welcome.

Non-traumatic femoral head necrosis (FHN) is primarily a disease of the middle-aged adult. Early diagnosis, at a time with lacking or minimal clinical symptoms, is mandatory to consider conservative therapy or joint preserving operations as a therapeutic option. The new German S3 guideline about diagnosis and therapy of FHN is a cooperative effort of five professional medical societies, overall headed by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädie und Orthopädische Chirurgie (DGOOC). This review (part I/III) cites and explains the statements of the S3 guideline as agreed on the use of imaging methods for diagnosis of FHN. A diagnostic algorithm is presented. FHN clinically has to be considered in case of equivocal pain of a hip joint with a minimum of 6 weeks duration, when risk factors can be revealed, groin pain at clinical investigation, limping, pain or limitation of movement in case of load, and no obvious differential diagnoses. Is an FHN clinically suspected, primarily radiographs of the pelvis ap and a Lauenstein projection of the hip involved should be carried out. When the radiographs are normal, an MRI of the hips should follow routinely. MRI allows the diagnosis of FNH with high accuracy. Furthermore, MRI reveals the site and the size of the necrotic area involved and evaluates the integrity of the joint surface and subchondral fractures. When ARCO stage II (ARCO: Association Research Circulation Osseous) is diagnosed and MRI does not allow one to determine the joint surface with certainty, a CT of the hip joints should be performed. The S3 guideline explains and recommends the use of the ARCO classification. Although, this classification of 1993 is still largely based on radiographs, the pragmatic use of an "extended" version seems reasonable. Today, classical radiographic criteria like impression of the joint surface and subchondral fractures ("crescent sign") are better to be evaluated by MRI, in cases of subtle findings MRI is even surpassed by CT. The extent of the necrosis in the femoral head as well as the size of the surface area involved is best revealed with MRI. Additionally, in the era of cross sectional imaging a stage "0" seems obsolete. The guideline also addresses practically important considerations about the differential diagnosis of misleading MRI findings. This especially holds true for bone marrow oedema in the femoral head which may be misinterpreted. The differentiating features between FHN, transient bone marrow oedema and destructive arthropathy are discussed.

Background: As individuals with thalidomide embryopathy now reaching their 60's they undergo long-term sequelae of their prenatal damage and experience a wide range of secondary health problems, in particular chronic musculoskeletal pain, movement restrictions, and mental disorders. These health problems are having a negative impact on their life circumstances and their health-related quality of life (HRQOL).Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the HRQOL in individuals with thalidomide embryopathy in comparison to individuals of the ageadjusted general population in Germany with and without chronic disease conditions (primary outcome). And, further explore the influence of impairment patterns, pain stage, and mental disorders on physical and mental dimensions of HRQOL (secondary outcome). Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 202 individuals with thalidomide embryopathy from North Rhine-Westphalia/Germany was conducted, which gathered information about physical examinations including a standardized determination of the pain stage, a structured psychological interview, and the HRQOL. The final dataset was 186 cases for primary outcome. Results: Individuals with thalidomide embryopathy (50.6 years, 55.9% females) show a significantly reduced physical HRQOL comparison to the ageadjusted German population with chronic diseases (physical component score;