Statement of purpose: We studied anterior knee function in a cohort of patients with either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid disease who had undergone knee replacement in a single unit using a standard implant. We identified a consecutive series of patients who had undergone knee replacement surgery for either osteoarthritis or rheumatoid disease between 1990 and 1995 under the care of a single surgeon using the same implant and surgical technique. There were ninety patients in each group. All were examined and underwent radiography of the anterior compartment. Data was collated for Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, a specific patellar score and a Visual Analog score (VAS). Results: There were no discernible differences between the rheumatoid and osteoarthritis groups in all the measured scores, with good anterior knee function noted in both. Conclusion: Based on our outcome studies in a matched group of patients no differences were found for anterior knee function between osteoarthritis or rheumatoid disease. We do not routinely resurface the patella and do not consider there to be any particular indication for such in the rheumatoid disease patient

The authors studied the characteristics that would be desirable for a metacarpo-phalangeal joint prosthesis to be used in patients with rheumatoid disease. In these patients the severe destruction of the capsulo-ligamentous structures of the joint often makes prosthetic substitution dissatisfactory, particularly for the index finger. Such a prosthesis should be restricted in its range of motion, actually abolishing any ulnar deviation. Axial rotaion should be coupled to flexion-extension and radial deviation to gain an adequate stress dissipation at the interface. Both distal and proximal stems should be conical, for the best possible distribution of shear stresses at the interface. A flattening surface should accommodate properly the externsor apparatus without interfering with it. The greatest possible congruence should be required for the articulated components. The rationale of such a design for a rheumatoid patient lies in the fact rheumatoid arthritis is the most important indication for a metacarpo-phalangeal joint arthroplasty, due to the highly incapacitating condition that may ensue. Then, despite limitations required by the proposed design, an improvement in the functional ability of the rheumatoid patient will be obtained

The metal backed glenoid component in total shoulder replacement (TSR) has been associated with high revision rates and some authors have suspended the use of this implant.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the medium to long-term outcome of the metal backed glenoid component in rheumatoid patients.

Thirty-nine patients (46 shoulders) with a mean age of 55 years (35–86 years) received a TSR with a screw fixed porous coated metal-back glenoid. Ten were lost or died before 8 years follow-up, of which none were revised. Twenty-nine patients (36 shoulders) were followed up for a mean of 132 months (96–168 months). A Constant score was measured preoperatively and annually from time of surgery, and independently at last follow-up. Radiographs were assessed for lucency, loosening and superior subluxation of the humeral head.

The Constant score improved by 12.9 points (p=< 0.001). Implant survivorship at 10 years was 89%. Five were revised: 3 for pain secondary to superior subluxation, one for infection and one for aseptic loosing. All patients with lucent zones around the glenoid (four) had superior subluxation of the humeral head two to four years prior to their development. Survival rate however at 10 years was reduced, if judged by the development of superior subluxation on radiographs (33%).

The uncemented glenoid performs well in the rheumatoid shoulder, giving pain relief and improved functional outcome. The survivorship is comparable to previously reported studies.

Introduction: We describe an operation, which have performed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, valgus deformities of the ankle and hind foot with overlying ulcer.

Materials and Methods: The operation has been performed in seven female patients with an average age of 69 years. All patients had severe functional problems.

Technique: The ulcer is excised through an elliptical incision and the medial malleolous is excised level with the ankle joint. Then the tibia surface is osteotomized just above the ankle joint with a planar cut perpendicular to the long axis of the tibia in both saggital and coronal planes. The talus is also transected, with the cut parallel to the sole of the foot and the arthrodesis is closed. The patient starts to mobilize weight bearing in a POP cast with an over boot with rigid sole and rocher in 2–3 days. After 8 weeks the patient is transferred to a shoe with fixed double iron attached. This is retained until radiological union occurs.

Results: Primary healing of the skin was obtained in all cases. Each patient was able to walk within the bounds of their disease early after surgery. In every case union has been delayed. No patient has had recurrent deformity or ulceration.

Conclusion: Such deformity severely impairs the functional status of the patient and may threaten the viability of the foot. Primary surgery with excision of the medial malleolous and correction of the deformity of the ankle has proved successful in treating pain, deformity and ulceration in this small series.

Aims. This work aimed at answering the following research questions: 1) What is the rate of mechanical complications, nonunion and infection for head/neck femoral fractures, intertrochanteric fractures, and subtrochanteric fractures in the elderly USA population? and 2) Which factors influence adverse outcomes?. Methods. Proximal femoral fractures occurred between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019 were identified from the Medicare Physician Service Records Data Base. The Kaplan-Meier method with Fine and Gray sub-distribution adaptation was used to determine rates for nonunion, infection, and mechanical complications. Semiparametric Cox regression model was applied incorporating 23 measures as covariates to identify risk factors. Results. Union failure occured in 0.89% (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83 to 0.95) after head/neck fracturs, in 0.92% (95% CI 0.84 to 1.01) after intertrochanteric fracture and in 1.99% (95% CI 1.69 to 2.33) after subtrochanteric fractures within 24 months. A fracture-related infection was more likely to occur after subtrochanteric fractures than after head/neck fractures (1.64% vs 1.59%, hazard ratio (HR) 1.01 (95% CI 0.87 to 1.17); p < 0.001) as well as after intertrochanteric fractures (1.64% vs 1.13%, HR 1.31 (95% CI 1.12 to 1.52); p < 0.001). Anticoagulant use, cerebrovascular disease, a concomitant fracture, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, open fracture, and rheumatoid disease was identified as risk factors. Mechanical complications after 24 months were most common after head/neck fractures with 3.52% (95% CI 3.41 to 3.64; currently at risk: 48,282). Conclusion. The determination of complication rates for each fracture type can be useful for informed patient-clinician communication. Risk factors for complications could be identified for distinct proximal femur fractures in elderly patients, which are accessible for therapeutical treatment in the management. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(10):801–807

Aim. A substantial portion of periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) literature is comprised of observational studies. The Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines emphasize the importance of clearly defining variables and providing diagnostic criteria. Well-defined variables in these studies play a crucial role in ensuring data consistency, fostering comparability among studies, and laying a robust foundation for evidence-based decision-making. We aimed to determine the definition of these variables and determine the objectivity of the definitions. Method. We reviewed observational studies on hip or knee PJI that focused on variables and their association with treatment outcomes. The inclusion criteria comprised studies from Jan 2017 to Jan 2023. We focused on 13 variables that were possibly subjective. These were smoking, alcohol use, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lung disease, rheumatoid arthritis, liver diseases, kidney diseases, cardiovascular diseases, malignancy, immunosuppression, use of antibiotics, and type of infection. The reviewers examined the text of the articles, along with any available online supplements or protocols, for definitions of the selected variables. We classified a definition as objective if there was the presence of time element, severity, staging, frequencies, laboratory cut-off, medication dependence, among others. Chart review was deemed subjective. Results. We included 75 studies in the analysis. The most common factors studied were diabetes mellitus (79%), cardiovascular disease, smoking history, and rheumatoid arthritis (47% each). The variables that were objectively defined most often were antibiotic use (100%) and type of infection (95%). Smoking history (16%) and alcohol use (20%) were the least frequently objectively defined variables. Further analysis revealed that a considerable number of studies incorporated variables into their primary analyses without clear definitions. For instance, out of the 59 studies where diabetes was considered a variable, 41 studies (70%) included diabetes in their main analyses as a factor for PJI treatment outcomes, despite only 34 studies having defined this variable. Moreover, of the 34 provided definitions of diabetes mellitus, only 12 provided objective criteria for diagnosis. The rest of the provided definitions relied on “chart review” without further specification. Table 1 outlines the proportion of studies with variables defined and included in their analysis. Conclusions. Study variables were not clearly defined in most of the observational studies raising concerns about the reproducibility and reliability of findings. Our study underscores the vital need for standardized variable definitions in PJI research. Professional societies may play a crucial role in setting standards for the definition of variables. For any tables or figures, please contact the authors directly

The purpose of this diagnostic, cross-sectional study, was to determine the predictive value of clinical examination versus ultrasonographic evaluation in rheumatoid arthritis patients, suspected of having rotator cuff disease. The left and right shoulders of fifty consecutive patients from the rheumatoid clinic were subjected to clinical examination by a senior registrar in the department. Impingement was evaluated using the Neer, Hawkins and posterior impingement tests. The supra-spinatus tendon insertion (Jobe test), infraspinatusteres minor tendon insertions (resisted external rotation) and subscapularis tendon insertion (Gerber lift-off and push-off tests) into the rotator cuff were evaluated for a possible tear. A Professional Sport Sonographer, located in a separate examination room then performed an ultrasonographic evaluation on all of the patients. The clinical results were compared to the ultrasound results, hoping to find a method that will improve our current screening of rheumatoid patients for rotator cuff disease and planning of possible surgical treatment. A significant difference was found between the clinical and sonographic evaluation of the rotator cuffs. Impingement tests showed a false positive result of 85–89%, while the tests for cuff tears had a false negative value of 87–91% compared to ultrasound evaluation. A total disagreement of 45.8–60% and total agreement of 39.5–54.1% could be explained by the fact the synovitis is the hallmark of rheumatoid disease, which could cause pain without tears or impingement. The authors conclude that clinical examination of the rotator cuff in patients with rheumatoid disease is unreliable, and that ultrasound examination should form a routine part of the evaluation of all rheumatoid shoulders

Purpose of the study: Opinions vary concerning results after knee arthroplasty with preservation of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in patients with rheumatoid disease. We report our findings in patients reviewed more than ten years after implantation in comparison with patients treated for osteoarthritis. Material and methods: One surgeon implanted 43 knee arthroplasites (Kali) with preservation of the PCL (9 bilateral cases) in 31 women and 3 men, mean age 53 years (range 30–70 years). Outcome was assessed with the AKS clinical and radiological scores. Passive recur-vatum and posterior drawer at 90° flexion were measured radiographicaly at last follow-up. Outcome was compared with the results observed in a control group of 29 prostheses of the same type implanted for osteoarthritis (among a total of 203 implantations). Results: There were no patients lost to follow-up: two patients were removed from the analysis due to infection on early wound necrosis and late metastatic infection. Eleven patients (16 prostheses) died before ten years follow-up; outcome was satisfactory for the prosthesis. Twenty-one patients (25 prostheses) were reviewed at more than ten years, mean follow-up 136 months. There was one case of supracondylar fracture which healed without sequela after osteosynthesis. The mean knee score was 34.3 preoperatively and 87.2 postoperatively with a mean function score improvement from 17 to 44 points. The pain score (47.3 points on average, was significantly improved while joint range of motion remained unchanged (117°). There were no worrisome lucent lines. Mean recurvatum measured radiographically was 6.9° (range 3–14°) and mean posterior drawer at 90° flexion was 4.2 mm. Outcome in the control group was the same excepting (p< 0.05) for lesser range of motion (109.7°) and better function score (62 points). Laxity (clinical and radiographic scores) were the same. Discussion: The results obtained in patients with rheumatoid disease were satisfactory and the same as those obtained in patients with osteoarthritis and were comparable to those with prostheses sacrificing and replacing the PCL. There were no cases of prosthesis loosening. Complications were very limited and less frequent than among the entire population of 203 prostheses for degenerative disease. Conclusion: Ligament alterations are not a contraindication for preservation of the PCL in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Irrespective of the etiology, the main limitation on prosthesis longevity is polyethylene wear observed beyond ten years (ten changes of the plateau because of wear among 246 prostheses)

There is great debate around how to treat patients with periprosthetic joint infections and there are different techniques utilised throughout the world with large regional differences. In the situation where implants are well fixed there is a potential advantage to retain ingrown implants in which removal would result in severe bone damage. However, there are multiple variables on both the patient side and the surgeon side which can influence the likelihood of success with this approach. In some patients, staged revision of large and well-fixed components will result in bone damage and compromised function, but the two-stage techniques may have great success at long term infection free survivorship. The literature suggests that selective implant retention and joint débridement may be an alternative for those patients who have complex well-fixed components, are not immunocompromised, have not developed sinus formation, and who have less virulent organisms on aspiration. Implant retention techniques should be approached with caution when patients have chronic illness such as diabetes or rheumatoid disease, use immunosuppressive medications, have a negative aspirate for microorganisms, or show any signs of loosening on radiographs or during intra-operative assessment. Like many aspects of patient care, proper patient selection and meticulous surgical techniques are important components to increasing success in these difficult clinical scenarios. This talk will focus on the data currently available in the literature to help participants gain a better understanding of how to individualise treatments for patients with periprosthetic infections

Introduction. Limb length discrepancy (LLD) is one of the major reasons of dissatisfaction after total hip arthroplasty(THR) and limb equalization after THR in unilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is very important. study designed to measure the difference of adult femoral length between normal and dislocated hip in unilateral DDH. Method. Sixty patients with unilateral high riding DDH (crow type 3,4) who were underwent THR included. All the cases had digital lower limb scanograms. Exclusion criteria was any previous hip or femur surgery, any rheumatoid disease, history of any disease that affect the growth. All the scanograms measured by one fellowship of adult reconstruction and one radiologist specialized in musculoskeletal imaging. Each one repeated the measurements two months later blindly and inter observer and intra observer reliability checked. Each one measured femoral length in both sides from greater trochanter(GT), to the distal surface of the femoral condyles. Results. 59 female and one males included. Average age was 27.5 years (19–50 years). Inter observer reliability index were excellent (ICC 98%). Only 6 cases (10%) had exactly equal femoral length, 31(52%) cases were longer on the dislocated side and 23 (38%) cases were shorter. Average overgrowth was 6.1 mm (Range: 1–22) and average undergrowth was 10.7 (Range 1–21). 35 cases (58.3%) cases had 5 mm or more differences and 30% had 5–10 mm .17 cases (28.3%) had at least 10 mm difference that 8 cases (13%) had shorter and 9 cases (15%) had longer femur on dislocated side. Maximum difference was 22 mm over length on dislocated side. Conclusions. More than half of patients with unilateral high riding DDH have longer femur on the dislocated side and 15% of them are longer than 10 mm. we recommend to get the scanograms in all the unilateral DDH cases to avoid post-operative limb discrepancy and detecting the amount of shortening in cases that need femoral shortening

Aims

To investigate the optimal thresholds and diagnostic efficacy of commonly used serological and synovial fluid detection indexes for diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Aims

The optimal choice of management for proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) has been increasingly discussed in the literature, and this work aimed to answer the following questions: 1) what are the incidence rates of PHF in the geriatric population in the USA; 2) what is the mortality rate after PHF in the elderly population, specifically for distinct treatment procedures; and 3) what factors influence the mortality rate?

Aims

Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) following hip arthroplasty are complex injuries. This study evaluates patient demographic characteristics, management, outcomes, and risk factors associated with PPF subtypes over a decade.

We report a single surgeon series of 33 arthroscopic subtalar fusions performed through a 2-portal sinus tarsi approach on 32 patients between March 2004 and February 2009. Background pathologies included primary arthrosis, post-traumatic arthritis, planovalgus foot, rheumatoid disease, sinus tarsi syndrome and CTEV. 97% [32/33] of fusions as assessed by both clinical and radiological means were achieved within 16 weeks [76% [25/33] within 12 weeks] with only a single outlier which had fused by 22 weeks. There were no deep infections, thrombotic events or neuromas. Five patients suffered complications of which four were successfully treated with a satisfactory outcome. One patient developed persistent pain and was eventually referred to another centre for further management. In our experience arthroscopic subtalar fusion surgery has been demonstrated to give excellent outcomes with minimal complications. Furthermore, it is a technique allowing surgery even in patients with significant hindfoot deformity. It is a suitable operation even for patients with a compromised soft tissue envelope which would normally preclude an open procedure

Hind and mid foot arthritis is often noted in patients who have previously had an ankle arthrodesis. It has been suggested that this arthritis may be precipitated or exacerbated as a direct result of the ankle fusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the degree and pattern of pre-existing ipsilateral foot arthritis in patients who have subsequently undergone ankle arthrodesis. A retrospective review of the most recent pre-operative radiographs of 70 patients who underwent 71 arthrodeses between 1993-2003 was performed. Patients with rheumatoid disease were excluded. The immediate pre-operative AP and lateral ankle radiographs were assessed and the presence and severity of osteoarthritis for the sub-talar, talo-navicular, naviculo-cuneiform and calcaneo-cuboid joints was recorded using the Kellgren and Lawrence grading score. This was performed simultaneously by two reviewers and a consensus obtained. A total score out of 16 was given for each radiograph. 68 (96%) of the radiographs reviewed showed evidence of pre-existing hind or mid foot arthritis prior to ankle fusion. The sub-talar joint was the most commonly and severely affected. The median total arthritis score for each radiograph was 5. There was no association between age or causative pathology and the degree of arthritis. This study has demonstrated that hind and mid foot arthritis is very common in patients with co-existent ankle arthritis prior to ankle fusion. This has previously been assumed to have developed as a result of the surgery but is, in fact, present at the time of the operation and this needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating the results of ankle arthrodesis

This was a retrospective study of all AML uncemented femoral prostheses and Duraloc cups in a consecutive series of patients treated between 1990 and 1995. Patients were evaluated clinically using the Merle Score. Radiological parameters included osseo-integration, subsidence and wear. Failure was defined as removal of implants or revision. The 8 to 10-year results show a 99% survival rate. One patient was revised for femoral stem loosening following trauma. One patient with rheumatoid disease required revision for acetabular cup loosening after a few days. We conclude that the results of the uncemented AML femoral stem and Duraloc cup are excellent in the South African population

Aims

This study examined the relationship between obesity (OB) and osteoporosis (OP), aiming to identify shared genetic markers and molecular mechanisms to facilitate the development of therapies that target both conditions simultaneously.

Twenty-four replacements were performed in 19 patients (13 female: 6 male), with average age of 33 years (18-40). All had severe polyarticular rheumatoid arthritis. Pre-operatively 12 ankles had no angular deformity, 9 were in valgus and 3 in varus. All had associated hindfoot disease. Some of these patients are part of two larger studies of the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR) and the Buechel-Pappas (BP) replacement. In this group there were 20 STAR and 4 BP replacements. Average follow-up was 62 months (36 to 120). Twenty-one replacements had good pain relief and function. The AOFAS hindfoot score for pain improved from 0 to 36 (max 40) and for function from 25 to 35 (max 60). Three have failed. One ankle had a 25-degree valgus deformity pre-operatively and this recurred and caused failure at 11 months. The second failed at 34 months due to aseptic loosening of the talar component. Both of these were converted to tibio-talo-calcaneal fusions with an intra-medullary nail. The third failure had never provided satisfactory pain relief in spite of appearing satisfactory on clinical and radiological examination. Exploratory surgery was carried out at 36 months but failed to produce an improvement and at 61 months the decision was made to revise the replacement to a fusion. However, due to concurrent health problems, this has not yet been done. We offer replacement to patients with severe polyarticular rheumatoid disease especially if there is a stiff but well aligned hindfoot. In the light of increased experience, we now consider valgus or varus deformity of greater than 20 degrees to be a contra-indication to replacement. This is because the deformity tends to recur leading to pain, loosening and failure

Data is scant on the critical question of whether patients with endstage ankle arthritis are better served by a fusion or a replacement. The STAR trial, a prospective case control study, comparing safety and efficacy of STAR ankle replacement at 24 months for 158 replacements and 66 fusions:. This FDA trial showed the STAR ankle replacement had better function, equivalent pain relief and a higher rate of complications and secondary procedures as ankles treated with fusion. A separate prospective cohort comparison of 200 ankle replacements vs. 94 ankle fusions performed by the collaborative consortium of Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Surgeons (COFAS) suggests similar patient oriented outcomes at 24 months. Patients' self-assessment questionnaires do not show significant differences between the two groups. The main medium/long-term concerns with ankle replacement remain component subsidence (especially talar subsidence) and polyethylene wear. Forces across the ankle are considerable, and the orientation of those forces to the underlying trabecular structure are a concern. Whether 2 or 3 part ankles will provide better bearing wear results remains unknown. With older designs, at 10 years the Swedish registry found approximately 60% survivorship. This registry has also shown better survivorship in patients with rheumatoid disease and with increased surgeon experience. More recent results related to the Hintegra and AES components show better midterm (5 year) revision rates in selected surgeons hands, than seen with older designs. A large meta-analysis of ankle fusion and replacement published data by Haddad et al reported a mean nonunion rate of 10%. The main long-term concerns with ankle fusion are limitations of motion, and the development of premature arthritis in adjacent foot joints. In a study of an average of 9 year outcome of the Agility ankle replacement suggested that the incidence secondary arthritis is halved by replacement as compared to fusion

The Mathys. ¯. finger joint replacement system offers a novel fixation method into the proximal and distal medullary canals and a semi-constrained articulation. This comprises a separable, form-fit joint with a distal/proximal play of 0.7 mm, a lateral excursion of 10°, and rotation of up to 6°. This has theoretical advantages of increased radio-ulnar stability, preventing ulnar drift in patients with rheumatoid disease, and enhanced osseointegration offering implant longevity. In our unit, however, high failure rates were noted, prompting a review of cases to quantify our suspicions. Case notes of all patients who underwent finger joint replacement using the Mathys. ¯. implant between 1999 and 2005 were retrieved. Twenty-two devices were implanted by a single surgeon during this period. Four were in finger proximal interphalangeal joints, 17 in finger metacarpophalangeal joints and one in a thumb carpometacarpal joint (CMCJ). Indications for joint replacement included sixteen for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and five for post-traumatic joint problems. The only thumb CMCJ was replaced for primary osteoarthritis. Patients were reviewed regularly and implant performance assessed critically along with survival of the implant to revision, infection or death of the patient. Mean follow up was 30 months. Sixteen implants failed including the only thumb CMCJ. Modes of failure were rotation (11), poor range of motion (two), infection (two) and dislocation (the CMCJ). Similar ball and socket designs for uncemented thumb CMCJ replacement, such as the Ledoux prosthesis, have previously shown poor survival and have been withdrawn from the market. Of the finger implants in RA patients (n=16), 12 implants failed of which ten were due to rotation. Time to failure ranged from two to 48 months (mean 15 months). The authors do not recommend the use of this implant, especially in cases of rheumatoid arthritis