Historically, the outcomes of knee replacement were evaluated based on implant longevity, major complications and range of motion. Over the last recent years however, there has been an intensively growth of interest in the patient's perception of functional outcome. However, the currently used patient related outcome (PRO) scores are limited by ceiling effects which limit the possibility to distinguish between good and excellent results post knee arthroplasty. The Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) is a new PRO score which is not influenced by ceiling effects, therefore making it the ideal instrument to compare functional outcome between various types of implants. It is based on the thought that the ultimate goal in joint arthroplasty is the ability of a patient to forget their artificial joint in everyday life. The aim of this study is to compare the FJS between patients who undergo TKA and patients who undergo medial UKA at least 12 months post-operatively. We hypothesized that the UKA which is less extensive surgical procedure will present better FJS than TKA, even 12 month postoperative. All patients who underwent medial UKA or TKA were contacted 12 months post-operatively. They were asked to complete the FJS, the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) and the EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D). A priori power analysis was conducted using two-sample t-test. 64 patients in each group were needed to reach 80% power for detecting a 12 point (SD 24) significant difference on the FJS scale with a two-sided significant level of 0.05. A p-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant.Introduction
Methods
Chronic uneven distribution of forces over the articular cartilage, which are present in OA, has been shown to be a risk factor for the development of OA. Certain regions of the articular cartilage will be exposed to increased chronic peak loads, whereas other regions encounter a corresponding relative reduction of transmitted forces. This has a well known influence on cartilage viability and is a precursor of degenerative progression. Congruence of joints has an important impact on force distribution across articular surfaces. Therefore, tibiofemoral incongruence could lead to alterations of load distribution and ultimately to progressive degenerative changes. In clinical practice the routine method for evaluation of progressive OA is analysis of joint space width (JSW) using weight bearing radiographs. Recent studies have suggested that JSW has a strong positive correlation with cartilage compression, volume and meniscal extrusion Lateral unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) has gained increasing popularity over the last decade in the treatment of isolated unicompartmental osteoarthritis (OA). However, progressive degenerative alterations of the medial compartment following lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty remains a leading cause of revision surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the medial compartment congruence (MCC) and joint space width (JSW) alterations following lateral UKA. The MCC of 53 knees following lateral UKA was evaluated on pre- and postoperative radiographs and compared to 41 healthy knees, using an Interative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm. The ICP algorithm calculated the Congruence Index (CI) by performing a rigid transformation that best aligns the digitized tibial and femoral surfaces (figure 1A). Inner, middle and outer JSW was measured by subdividing the medial compartment into four quarters on weight bearing tunnel view radiographs pre- and postoperatively (figure 1B).Introduction
Methods
There are several advantages of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) in the treatment of isolated compartment osteoarthritis (OA) compared to the conventional total knee arthroplasty. Although various series report similar survivorship results, the national registries tend to show higher revision rates among the UKA. Persisting, unexplainable pain is a leading cause for UKA revision surgery. Therefore it is essential to investigate the various patient specific characteristics which might influence outcome following UKA in order to minimize revision rates and optimize clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the influence of the various individual patient factors, including pre-operative radiographic parameters, on the outcome following UKA. 168 consecutive patients who underwent robot assisted UKA (MAKO Tactile Guidance System, MAKO Surgical Corporation, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, USA) were included. The investigated pre- and/or postoperative parameters included gender, BMI, age, type of tibial implant (inlay versus onlay), laterality, state of OA (i.e. Kellgren and Lawrence grade) of the operated and non-operated compartment and mechanical axis alignment. Pre-operatively and at a minimum of 1 year (average 1.97 years, range 1 – 4.2 years) following surgery, patients were asked to complete the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) questionnaire. It is subdivided in three separate scales (i.e. pain, stiffness and function). A score of 0 represents the best possible outcome and a score of 100 the worst. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.Introduction
Methods
Between April 1999 and April 2001 we operated 233 ACL reconstructions. In 24 cases we used Bone Patellar Bone allografts for ACL reconstruction. All allografts came from the same tissue bank and prepared in the same manner. There were 10 Right knees and 14 Left knees. The average age of the patients was 46.8 years with the range between 26 and 55. There were 6 females and 18 males. The average follow up was 8.2 months with the range between 3 and 24 months. All reconstructive surgery was done in the same technique by both authors. All graft donors were younger than 35 years. The indications for using allografts were revision cases and patients over 40 years of age. The width of the graft was increased by 20% to compensate for the decreased strength due to the preparation process. The outcome was assessed by clinical evaluation form, detailed physical examination of the knee by the examiners and structured interview. 21 had excellent and good results (full return to previous activity, no pain, stable knee with good range of motion). There were 19 primary cases and 5 revision cases. There was one poor result – spontaneous tear of the allograft (a revision case). One case had a partial tear of the graft falling from stairs (a revision case, that was treated with thermal shrinkage). One case who went for Genzyme treatment, had a stable knee, the arthroscopic examination showed a partial tear of the graft. We had no cases of infection or synovitis. According to our short follow up data collected from the study, our conclusion is that using allografts for reconstruction of torn cruciate ligaments in the knee is a good method in the right indication. We find it suitable for the group of elderly patients and revision surgery. A larger study is recommended.
