Aims. Achievement of accurate microbiological diagnosis prior to revision is key to reducing the high rates of persistent infection after revision knee surgery. The effect of change in the microorganism between the first- and second-stage revision of total knee arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) on the success of management is not clear. Methods. A two-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted to review the outcome of patients who have undergone two-stage revision for treatment of knee arthroplasty PJI, focusing specifically on isolated micro-organisms at both the first- and second-stage procedure. Patient demographics, medical, and orthopaedic history data, including postoperative outcomes and subsequent treatment, were obtained from the electronic records and medical notes. Results. The study cohort consisted of 84 patients, of whom 59.5% (n = 50) had successful eradication of their infection at a mean follow-up of 4.7 years. For the 34 patients who had recurrence of infection, 58.8% (n = 20) had a change in isolated organism, compared to 18% (n = 9) in the infection eradication group (p < 0.001). When adjusting for confound, there was no association when the growth on the second stage was the same as the first (odd ratio (OR) 2.50, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49 to 12.50; p = 0.269); however, when a different organism was identified at the second stage, this was independently associated with failure of treatment (OR 8.40, 95% CI 2.91 to 24.39; p < 0.001). There were no other significant differences between the two cohorts with regard to patient demographics or type of organisms isolated. Conclusion. Change in the identified microorganism between first- and second-stage revision for PJI was associated with failure of management. Identification of this change in the microorganism prior to commencement of the second stage may help target antibiotic management and could improve the success of surgery in these patients. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(9):720–727

Aims. With up to 40% of patients having patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis (PFJ OA), the two arthroplasty options are to replace solely the patellofemoral joint via patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA), or the entire knee via total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to assess postoperative success of second-generation PFAs compared to TKAs for patients treated for PFJ OA using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and domains deemed important by patients following a patient and public involvement meeting. Methods. MEDLINE, EMBASE via OVID, CINAHL, and EBSCO were searched from inception to January 2022. Any study addressing surgical treatment of primary patellofemoral joint OA using second generation PFA and TKA in patients aged above 18 years with follow-up data of 30 days were included. Studies relating to OA secondary to trauma were excluded. ROB-2 and ROBINS-I bias tools were used. Results. A total of nine studies were included, made up of four randomized controlled trials (domain 1) and five cohort studies (domain 2). PROMs and knee function specific scores developed for reporting TKA were unable to detect any difference between PFA and TKA. There was no significant difference in complications between PFA and TKA. PFAs were found to have a better postoperative range of motion. Conclusion. TKA and PFA are both viable options for patients with primary PFJ OA. Over time, we have seen an emphasis on patient satisfaction and better quality of life. Recommending sacrificing healthy medial and lateral compartments to treat patellofemoral joint arthritis should be given further thought. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(12):948–956

Aims. Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a bone-preserving treatment option for osteoarthritis localized to a single compartment in the knee. The success of the procedure is sensitive to patient selection and alignment errors. Robotic arm-assisted UKA provides technological assistance to intraoperative bony resection accuracy, which is thought to improve ligament balancing. This paper presents the five-year outcomes of a comparison between manual and robotically assisted UKAs. Methods. The trial design was a prospective, randomized, parallel, single-centre study comparing surgical alignment in patients undergoing UKA for the treatment of medial compartment osteoarthritis (ISRCTN77119437). Participants underwent surgery using either robotic arm-assisted surgery or conventional manual instrumentation. The primary outcome measure (surgical accuracy) has previously been reported, and, along with secondary outcomes, were collected at one-, two-, and five-year timepoints. Analysis of five-year results and longitudinal analysis for all timepoints was performed to compare the two groups. Results. Overall, 104 (80%) patients of the original 130 who received surgery were available at five years (55 robotic, 49 manual). Both procedures reported successful results over all outcomes. At five years, there were no statistical differences between the groups in any of the patient reported or clinical outcomes. There was a lower reintervention rate in the robotic arm-assisted group with 0% requiring further surgery compared with six (9%) of the manual group requiring additional surgical intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusion. This study has shown excellent clinical outcomes in both groups with no statistical or clinical differences in the patient-reported outcome measures. The notable difference was the lower reintervention rate at five years for roboticarm-assisted UKA when compared with a manual approach. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(6):1088–1095

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The aim of this study was to compare the preinjury functional scores with the postinjury preoperative score and postoperative outcome scores following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery (ACLR).

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The aim of this study was to compare patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) following isolated anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), with those following ACLR and concomitant meniscal resection or repair.

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Distal femoral osteotomies (DFOs) are commonly used for the correction of valgus deformities and lateral compartment osteoarthritis. However, the impact of a DFO on subsequent total knee arthroplasty (TKA) function remains a subject of debate. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a unilateral DFO on subsequent TKA function in patients with bilateral TKAs, using the contralateral knee as a self-matched control group.

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The metabolic equivalent of task (MET) score examines patient performance in relation to energy expenditure before and after knee arthroplasty. This study assesses its use in a knee arthroplasty population in comparison with the widely used Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and EuroQol five-dimension index (EQ-5D), which are reported to be limited by ceiling effects.

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The Coronal Plane Alignment of the Knee (CPAK) classification has been developed to predict individual variations in inherent knee alignment. The impact of preoperative and postoperative CPAK classification phenotype on the postoperative clinical outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains elusive. This study aimed to examine the effect of postoperative CPAK classification phenotypes (I to IX), and their pre- to postoperative changes on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

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The aims were to assess whether joint-specific outcome after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was influenced by implant design over a 12-year follow-up period, and whether patient-related factors were associated with loss to follow-up and mortality risk.

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To explore the efficacy of extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) in the treatment of osteochondral defect (OCD), and its effects on the levels of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, -3, -4, -5, and -7 in terms of cartilage and bone regeneration.

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To map literature on prognostic factors related to outcomes of revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA), to identify extensively studied factors and to guide future research into what domains need further exploration.

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A functional anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) or posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) has been assumed to be required for patients undergoing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). However, this assumption has not been thoroughly tested. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the biomechanical effects exerted by cruciate ligament-deficient knees with medial UKAs regarding different posterior tibial slopes.

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Intraoperative pressure sensors allow surgeons to quantify soft-tissue balance during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to determine whether using sensors to achieve soft-tissue balance was more effective than manual balancing in improving outcomes in TKA.

Objectives. The lack of effective treatment for cartilage defects has prompted investigations using tissue engineering techniques for their regeneration and repair. The success of tissue-engineered repair of cartilage may depend on the rapid and efficient adhesion of transplanted cells to a scaffold. Our aim in this study was to repair full-thickness defects in articular cartilage in the weight-bearing area of a porcine model, and to investigate whether the CD44 monoclonal antibody biotin-avidin (CBA) binding technique could provide satisfactory tissue-engineered cartilage. Methods. Cartilage defects were created in the load-bearing region of the lateral femoral condyle of mini-type pigs. The defects were repaired with traditional tissue-engineered cartilage, tissue-engineered cartilage constructed with the biotin-avidin (BA) technique, tissue-engineered cartilage constructed with the CBA technique and with autologous cartilage. The biomechanical properties, Western blot assay, histological findings and immunohistochemical staining were explored. Results. The CBA group showed similar results to the autologous group in biomechanical properties, Moran’s criteria, histological tests and Wakitani histological scoring. Conclusions. These results suggest that tissue-engineered cartilage constructed using the CBA technique could be used effectively to repair cartilage defects in the weight-bearing area of joints. Cite this article: H. Lin, J. Zhou, L. Cao, H. R. Wang, J. Dong, Z. R. Chen. Tissue-engineered cartilage constructed by a biotin-conjugated anti-CD44 avidin binding technique for the repairing of cartilage defects in the weight-bearing area of knee joints in pigs. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:–295. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.65.BJR-2016-0277

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Outcomes of current operative treatments for arthrofibrosis after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are not consistently positive or predictable. Pharmacological in vivo studies have focused mostly on prevention of arthrofibrosis. This study used a rabbit model to evaluate intra-articular (IA) effects of celecoxib in treating contracted knees alone, or in combination with capsular release.

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Despite recent literature questioning their use, vancomycin and clindamycin often substitute cefazolin as the preoperative antibiotic prophylaxis in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA), especially in the setting of documented allergy to penicillin. Topical povidone-iodine lavage and vancomycin powder (VIP) are adjuncts that may further broaden antimicrobial coverage, and have shown some promise in recent investigations. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to compare the risk of acute periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in primary TKA patients who received cefazolin and VIP to those who received a non-cephalosporin alternative and VIP.

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Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Two-stage revision has traditionally been considered the gold standard of treatment for established infection, but increasing evidence is emerging in support of one-stage exchange for selected patients. The objective of this study was to determine the outcomes of single-stage revision TKA for PJI, with mid-term follow-up.

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There are comparatively few randomized studies evaluating knee arthroplasty prostheses, and fewer still that report longer-term functional outcomes. The aim of this study was to evaluate mid-term outcomes of an existing implant trial cohort to document changing patient function over time following total knee arthroplasty using longitudinal analytical techniques and to determine whether implant design chosen at time of surgery influenced these outcomes.

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The use of the haptically bounded saw blades in robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RTKA) can potentially help to limit surrounding soft-tissue injuries. However, there are limited data characterizing these injuries for cruciate-retaining (CR) TKA with the use of this technique. The objective of this cadaver study was to compare the extent of soft-tissue damage sustained through a robotic-assisted, haptically guided TKA (RATKA) versus a manual TKA (MTKA) approach.

Objectives

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is one surgical option for treating symptomatic medial osteoarthritis. Clinical studies have shown the functional benefits of UKA; however, the optimal alignment of the tibial component is still debated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of tibial coronal and sagittal plane alignment in UKA on knee kinematics and cruciate ligament tension, using a musculoskeletal computer simulation.