SummaryBackgroundOne of the complications of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) which has not yet been directly addressed is pseudo-patella baja (PPB). True patella baja (PB) is present when the length of the patellar tendon becomes shorter. PPB is present when the patella tendon is not shortened, but the level of the joint line is elevated. This study was conducted to assess PPB in TKA.Material/MethodsSixty patients who had had a primary TKA at our center between 1995 and 2005 were included. The average follow-up was 27.5 months. The Knee Society Scoring (KSS), lateral knee x-rays and the Blackburne-Peel index were used for assessments.ResultsOut of the 60 patients, 43 (72%) demonstrated no joint line elevation or patellar tendon shortening (group A). Fifteen patients (25%) had joint line elevation (group B), and both PB and PPB were present in 2 (3%) patients (group C). KSS was lower in groups B and C compared with group A, but this difference was not statistically significant. The average range of motion (ROM) in group A was significantly higher compared with either group B or C, and patients in groups B and C showed significantly more severe pain compared with group A (P<0.001).ConclusionsPPB is not an uncommon finding after TKA and is associated with a statistically significant decrease in ROM and an increase in pain. Furthermore, KSS in the PPB group was less than in patients without PPB, although the difference was not statistically meaningful.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with high intraoperative and postoperative blood loss. Antifibrinolytic drugs have been used to minimize the potential risks of bleeding and blood transfusion. Studies on the effect of tranexamic acid on decreasing blood loss in THA have revealed interesting results, but most have focused on cemented THA. Yet its benefits in THA, especially in cementless THA, have not been proved. We conducted a prospective double-blind randomized controlled study on 64 patients who were candidates for cementless THA under epidural anesthesia between 2006 and 2008. Patients were randomly assigned into study and control groups. Patients in both groups were well matched regarding preoperative characteristics. Five minutes preoperatively 32 patients of the study and control groups received 15 mg/kg tranexamic acid or normal saline intravenously respectively. Our findings showed a significantly smaller decrease in 6- and 24-hour postoperative hemoglobin levels, less intraoperative and postoperative bleeding, and less need for allogenic blood transfusion in the tranexamic acid group. Our results also revealed a higher mean of 6- and 24-hour hematocrit level and shorter hospital stay in the tranexamic acid group compared to the control group, which were not statistically meaningful. In our study no thromboembolic event was seen; except 1 patient in the control group. Our study showed that administering tranexamic acid before the start of cementless THA under epidural anesthesia can reduce intraoperative and postoperative bleeding as well as need for blood transfusion.

Purpose This study reported the outcomes of locked bucket-handle medial meniscal tear (BHMMT) repairs using an arthroscopic posterior approach during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods Between 2011 and 2014, 48 patients with BHMMTs and ACL tears who met the eligibility criteria were enrolled in the present study. BHMMTs were assessed using a posterolateral transseptal portal and repaired using a posteromedial portal. Transportal ACL reconstruction was performed using hamstrings autograft. Patients were assessed based on their IKDC and Lysholm scores and Tegner activity level. Meniscal healing was clinically evaluated based on the absence of swelling, joint line tenderness, locking, and catching; McMurray test results; and the need for meniscectomy. Results According to follow-up assessments, the average IKDC and Lysholm scores improved signiicantly after 3-5 years (P < 0.001) Conclusion Excellent clinical outcomes were obtained when locked BHMMTs were repaired using an all-inside suture technique that employed posteromedial and posterolateral transseptal portals. Level of evidence IV.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and describe the clinical results of complete arthroscopic synovectomy through the four arthroscopic portals in the knees affected by diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis (DPVNS). Between 2009 and 2012, 21 patients (15 men and 6 women) with the diffuse form of PVNS of the knee were enrolled in the study after qualification. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and postsurgical pathologic examination. All patients underwent complete synovectomy through posteromedial, posterolateral, anteromedial, and anterolateral portals. Each patient was evaluated before treatment and followed up for a minimum of 5 years (range: 60-79 months) using the Lysholm score and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score. Both Lysholm score and IKDC scores were significantly improved in all study participants. No cases of clinical recurrence, infection, joint stiffness, or neurovascular lesions were observed. This study showed that an attentive arthroscopic synovectomy is a safer alternative with better clinical outcomes, with no clinical recurrences.

Resumo Objetivo O presente estudo teve como objetivo comparar as incisões oblíquas e verticais na coleta dos tendões dos isquiotibiais na reconstrução do ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) e na lesão do ramo infrapatelar do nervo safeno. Métodos O presente estudo foi realizado em um centro de referência terciário por 12 meses. Pacientes com indicação de reconstrução de uma ruptura do LCA foram incluídos no estudo, os quais foram randomizados em dois grupos (vertical [GV] e oblíquo [GO]). Após a exclusão de alguns casos, 92 pacientes foram elegíveis para análise posterior (GV: n= 44; GO: n = 48). Eles foram acompanhados por 9 meses após a cirurgia, e a perda de sensibilidade sobre o joelho e sobre o aspecto proximal da perna operada foi registrado. Resultados Os comprimentos médios da incisão foram de 27 mm e 38 mm para os grupos GO e GV, respectivamente. A taxa total de hipoestesia foi de 40% (27 pacientes). Um total de 12 (25%) e de 25 pacientes (56,8%) dos grupos GO e GV, respectivamente, relataram sintomas de hipoestesia. A presença de hipoestesia em pacientes no grupo GV foi duas vezes maior do que no grupo GO. Não foi observada correlação estatística entre a lesão do nervo e idade, gênero, escolaridade e demora entre a lesão e a reconstrução. Conclusão A incisão oblíqua, que apresentou menor risco de lesão nervosa, pode ser mais recomendada para a coleta do enxerto. Pacientes submetidos à reconstrução do LCA no grupo GO tiveram menor incidência de hipoestesia peri-incisional quando comparados aos pacientes do grupo GV.

Congenital dislocation of the knee ranges from hyperextension of the knee to translation of the femur on the tibia. Treatment options include bracing, splinting, manipulation and casting, and surgery. A 16-year-old girl presented with an inability to walk, stand upright, or bend her knees. She exhibited deformity of both lower extremities. She had deformed knees from birth, and they had been put in a cast for 2 months. No other therapeutic measures were taken. The patient walked on her abnormally hyperextended knees and could hyperextend the knees to 150 degrees recurvatum. She was diagnosed with a grade III congenital dislocation of the knee, and a flexion-shortening osteotomy at the distal femur above the trochlear level was performed on her knees in 2 sessions. Postoperatively, range of motion changed from hyperextention to 80 degrees flexion. A femoral supracondylar osteotomy was also performed 2 years later, and as a result, a 15 degrees flexion and 15 degrees valgus were added to the limb. The patient is now able to stand and walk without a knee brace and has 90 degrees passive and 80 degrees active knee flexion on both sides. Congenital dislocation of the knee is a rare congenital disorder. The results of treatment are favorable if started before age 3 months, or sometimes before age 2 years, but there is no effective treatment for older, neglected cases; therefore, we believe this case report demonstrates a novel surgical approach.

This paper is focusing on the measurement methods of the femoral head at the hip hemiarthroplasty surgery. The measurement result of 10 femoral head specimens using four different methods of Vernier calliper, ring gauge, CT scan and X-ray were compared. It is generally believed that under sizing of the implant may cover the errors of the measurement methods, but the result of this study shows that the callipers and ring gauge measurements are more reliable than the CT and X-ray methods. Conclusively, the full-circle ring gauge or femoral head template is the recommendation for measurement of the femoral head diameter in the hip hemiarthroplasty surgery.

SummaryBackgroundCharacteristically, osteonecrosis affects younger patients who typically refer to the orthopedic surgeon for the first time in the third to fifth decades of life, in the late stages of the disease. Femoral metal-on-metal hip resurfacing is as an alternative to conventional total hip arthroplasty in treating osteoarthritis of the hip. Since there are already many reports regarding the successful outcome of resurfacing in advanced osteoarthritis, the purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical outcomes of this procedure in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head and to compare them with a matched group of patients with osteoarthritis.Material/MethodsThis retrospective cohort study evaluated a consecutive series of 52 patients with end-stage osteonecrosis (28 patients) and osteoarthritis (24 patients) of the femoral head, managed by metal-on-metal hip resurfacing in a referral orthopedic center from Feb 2002 to May 2007. Pain, function and deformity were evaluated with the use of the Harris hip score after the operation. Patients were clinically followed for a mean of 41 months.ResultsThe patients in the osteoarthritis group had a significantly higher mean age than those in the osteonecrosis group (47.88±12.6 vs 30.86±7.5, p=0.003).The clinical outcomes were similar for both groups. There was no significant difference in mean Harris hip score (p=0.347) and hip joint range of motion (p=0.346) between osteonecrosis and osteoarthritis groups after surgery.ConclusionsOn the basis of these initial findings, we recommend MOM resurfacing as a viable treatment option for patients with advanced stages of osteonecrosis.