Progressive degenerative changes in the medial compartment of the knee following lateral unicompartmental arthroplasty (UKA) remains a leading indication for revision surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate changes in the congruence and joint space width (JSW) of the medial compartment following lateral UKA. The congruence of the medial compartment of 53 knees (24 men, 23 women, mean age 13.1 years; sd 62.1) following lateral UKA was evaluated pre-operatively and six weeks post-operatively, and compared with 41 normal knees (26 men, 15 women, mean age 33.7 years; sd 6.4), using an Interactive closest point algorithm which calculated the congruence index (CI) by performing a rigid transformation that best aligns the digitised tibial and femoral surfaces. Inner, middle and outer JSWs were measured by sub-dividing the medial compartment into four quarters on pre- and post-operative, weight bearing tunnel view radiographs. The mean CI of knees following lateral UKA significantly improved from 0.92 (sd 0.06) pre-operatively to 0.96 (sd 0.02) (p < 0.001) six weeks post-operatively. The mean CI of the healthy control group was 0.99 sd 0.01. Post-operatively, the mean inner JSW increased (p = 0.006) and the outer decreased (p = 0.002). The JSW was restored post-operatively as no significant differences were noted in all three locations compared with the control group (inner JSW p = 0.43; middle JSW p = 0.019, outer JSW p = 0.51).

Our data suggest that a well conducted lateral UKA may improve the congruence and normalise the JSW of the medial compartment, potentially preventing progression of degenerative change.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:50–5.

In a longitudinal case-control study, we followed 81 subjects with dysplasia of the hip and 136 control subjects without dysplasia for ten years assessing radiological evidence of degeneration of the hip at admission and follow-up. There were no cases of subluxation in the group with dysplasia. Neither subjects with dysplasia nor controls had radiological signs of ongoing degenerative disease at admission. The primary radiological discriminator of degeneration of the hip was a change in the minimum joint space width over time. There were no significant differences between these with dysplasia and controls in regard to age, body mass index or occupational exposure to daily repeated lifting at admission. We found no significant differences in the reduction of the joint space width at follow-up between subjects with dysplasia and the control subjects nor in self-reported pain in the hip. The association of subluxation and/or associated acetabular labral tears with dysplasia of the hip may be a conditional factor for the development of premature osteoarthritis in mildly to moderately dysplastic hips

Aims. Rotational acetabular osteotomy (RAO) has been reported to be effective in improving symptoms and preventing osteoarthritis (OA) progression in patients with mild to severe develomental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). However, some patients develop secondary OA even when the preoperative joint space is normal; determining who will progress to OA is difficult. We evaluated whether the preoperative cartilage condition may predict OA progression following surgery using T2 mapping MRI. Methods. We reviewed 61 hips with early-stage OA in 61 patients who underwent RAO for DDH. They underwent preoperative and five-year postoperative radiological analysis of the hip. Those with a joint space narrowing of more than 1 mm were considered to have 'OA progression'. Preoperative assessment of articular cartilage was also performed using 3T MRI with the T2 mapping technique. The region of interest was defined as the weightbearing portion of the acetabulum and femoral head. Results. There were 16 patients with postoperative OA progression. The T2 values of the centre to the anterolateral region of the acetabulum and femoral head in the OA progression cases were significantly higher than those in patients without OA progression. The preoperative T2 values in those regions were positively correlated with the narrowed joint space width. The receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that the T2 value of the central portion in the acetabulum provided excellent discrimination, with OA progression patients having an area under the curve of 0.858. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis showed T2 values of the centre to the acetabulum’s anterolateral portion as independent predictors of subsequent OA progression (p < 0.001). Conclusion. This was the first study to evaluate the relationship between intra-articular degeneration using T2 mapping MRI and postoperative OA progression. Our findings suggest that preoperative T2 values of the hip can be better prognostic factors for OA progression than radiological measures following RAO. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(9):1472–1478

Aims. Knee joint distraction (KJD) is a relatively new, knee-joint preserving procedure with the goal of delaying total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in young and middle-aged patients. We present a randomised controlled trial comparing the two. Patients and Methods. The 60 patients ≤ 65 years with end-stage knee osteoarthritis were randomised to either KJD (n = 20) or TKA (n = 40). Outcomes were assessed at baseline, three, six, nine, and 12 months. In the KJD group, the joint space width (JSW) was radiologically assessed, representing a surrogate marker of cartilage thickness. Results. In total 56 patients completed their allocated treatment (TKA = 36, KJD = 20). All patient reported outcome measures improved significantly over one year (p < 0.02) in both groups. At one year, the TKA group showed a greater improvement in only one of the 16 patient-related outcome measures assessed (p = 0.034). Outcome Measures in Rheumatology-Osteoarthritis Research Society International clinical response was 83% after TKA and 80% after KJD. A total of 12 patients (60%) in the KJD group sustained pin track infections. In the KJD group both mean minimum (0.9 mm, standard deviation (. sd. ) 1.1) and mean JSW (1.2 mm, . sd. 1.1) increased significantly (p = 0.004 and p = 0.0003). Conclusion. In relatively young patients with end-stage knee osteoarthritis, KJD did not demonstrate inferiority of outcomes at one year when compared with TKA. However, there is a high incidence of pin track infection associated with KJD. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:51–8

Aims

The primary objective of this study was to compare the five-year tibial component migration and wear between highly crosslinked polyethylene (HXLPE) inserts and conventional polyethylene (PE) inserts of the uncemented Triathlon fixed insert cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Secondary objectives included clinical outcomes and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).

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The aim of this study was to determine the clinical outcomes and factors contributing to failure of transposition osteotomy of the acetabulum (TOA), a type of spherical periacetabular osteotomy, for advanced osteoarthritis secondary to hip dysplasia.

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The aim of this study was to capture 12-month outcomes from a representative multicentre cohort of patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA), describe the pattern of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) at 12 months, and identify predictors of these outcome measures.

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This study aimed to answer two questions: what are the best diagnostic methods for diagnosing bacterial arthritis of a native joint?; and what are the most commonly used definitions for bacterial arthritis of a native joint?

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This paper aims to review the evidence for patient-related factors associated with less favourable outcomes following hip arthroscopy.

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The modified Dunn procedure has the potential to restore the anatomy in hips with severe slipped capital femoral epiphyses (SCFE). However, there is a risk of developing avascular necrosis of the femoral head (AVN). In this paper, we report on clinical outcome, radiological outcome, AVN rate and complications, and the cumulative survivorship at long-term follow-up in patients undergoing the modified Dunn procedure for severe SCFE.

Aims

The influence of identifiable pre-operative factors on the outcome of eccentric rotational acetabular osteotomy (ERAO) is unknown. We aimed to determine the factors that might influence the outcome, in order to develop a scoring system for predicting the prognosis for patients undergoing this procedure.

The reported prevalence of an asymptomatic slip of the contralateral hip in patients operated on for unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is as high as 40%. Based on a population-based cohort of 2072 healthy adolescents (58% women) we report on radiological and clinical findings suggestive of a possible previous SCFE. Common threshold values for Southwick’s lateral head–shaft angle (≥ 13°) and Murray’s tilt index (≥ 1.35) were used. New reference intervals for these measurements at skeletal maturity are also presented.

At follow-up the mean age of the patients was 18.6 years (17.2 to 20.1). All answered two questionnaires, had a clinical examination and two hip radiographs.

There was an association between a high head–shaft angle and clinical findings associated with SCFE, such as reduced internal rotation and increased external rotation. Also, 6.6% of the cohort had Southwick’s lateral head–shaft angle ≥ 13°, suggestive of a possible slip. Murray’s tilt index ≥ 1.35 was demonstrated in 13.1% of the cohort, predominantly in men, in whom this finding was associated with other radiological findings such as pistol-grip deformity or focal prominence of the femoral neck, but no clinical findings suggestive of SCFE.

This study indicates that 6.6% of young adults have radiological findings consistent with a prior SCFE, which seems to be more common than previously reported.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:452–8.

In order to clarify how intra-articular lesions influence the survival of a periacetabular osteotomy in patients with dysplasia of the hip, we performed an observational study of 121 patients (121 hips) who underwent a transposition osteotomy of the acetabulum combined with an arthroscopy. Their mean age was 40.2 years (13 to 64) and the mean follow-up was 9.9 years (2 to 18). Labral and cartilage degeneration tended to originate from the anterosuperior part of the acetabulum, followed by the femoral side. In all, eight hips (6.6%) had post-operative progression to Kellgren–Lawrence grade 4 changes, and these hips were associated with the following factors: moderate osteoarthritis, decreased width of the joint space, joint incongruity, and advanced intra-articular lesions (subchondral bone exposure in the cartilage and a full-thickness labral tear). Multivariate analysis indicated subchondral bone exposure on the femoral head as an independent risk factor for progression of osteoarthritis (p = 0.003). In hips with early stage osteoarthritis, femoral subchondral bone exposure was a risk factor for progression of the grade of osteoarthritis.

Although the outcome of transposition osteotomy of the acetabulum was satisfactory, post-operative progression of osteoarthritis occurred at a high rate in hips with advanced intra-articular lesions, particularly in those where the degenerative process had reached the point of femoral subchondral bone exposure.

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of dysplasia in the ‘normal’ contralateral hip in patients with unilateral developmental dislocation of the hip (DDH) and to evaluate the long-term prognosis of such hips. A total of 48 patients (40 girls and eight boys) were treated for late-detected unilateral DDH between 1958 and 1962. After preliminary skin traction, closed reduction was achieved at a mean age of 17.8 months (4 to 65) in all except one patient who needed open reduction. In 25 patients early derotation femoral osteotomy of the contralateral hip had been undertaken within three years of reduction, and later surgery in ten patients. Radiographs taken during childhood and adulthood were reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 50.9 years (43 to 55) at the time of the latest radiological review.

In all, eight patients (17%) developed dysplasia of the contralateral hip, defined as a centre-edge (CE) angle < 20° during childhood or at skeletal maturity. Six of these patients underwent surgery to improve cover of the femoral head; the dysplasia improved in two after varus femoral osteotomy and in two after an acetabular shelf operation. During long-term follow-up the dysplasia deteriorated to subluxation in two patients (CE angles 4° and 5°, respectively) who both developed osteoarthritis (OA), and one of these underwent total hip replacement at the age of 49 years.

In conclusion, the long-term prognosis for the contralateral hip was relatively good, as OA occurred in only two hips (4%) at a mean follow-up of 50 years. Regular review of the ‘normal’ side is indicated, and corrective surgery should be undertaken in those who develop subluxation.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014; 96-B:1161–6.

Deformity after slipped upper femoral epiphysis (SUFE) can cause cam-type femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and subsequent osteoarthritis (OA). However, there is little information regarding the radiological assessment and clinical consequences at long-term follow-up. We reviewed 36 patients (43 hips) previously treated by in situ fixation for SUFE with a mean follow-up of 37 years (21 to 50). Three observers measured the femoral head ratio (FHR), lateral femoral head ratio (LFHR), α-angle on anteroposterior (AP) and frog-leg lateral views, and anterior femoral head–neck offset ratio (OSR). A Harris hip score < 85 and/or radiologically diagnosed osteoarthritis (OA) was classified as a poor outcome. Patients with SUFE had significantly higher FHR, LFHR and α-angles and lower OSR than a control group of 22 subjects (35 hips) with radiologically normal hips. The interobserver agreement was less, with wider limits of agreement (LOA), in hips with previous SUFE than the control group. At long-term follow-up abnormal α-angles correlated with poor outcome, whereas FHR, LFHR and OSR did not.

We conclude that persistent deformity with radiological cam FAI after SUFE is associated with poorer clinical and radiological long-term outcome. Although the radiological measurements had quite wide limits of agreement, they are useful for the diagnosis of post-slip deformities in clinical practice.

Treatment strategies for osteoarthritis most commonly involve the removal or replacement of damaged joint tissue. Relatively few treatments attempt to arrest, slow down or reverse the disease process. Such options include peri-articular osteotomy around the hip or knee, and treatment of femoro-acetabular impingement, where early intervention may potentially alter the natural history of the disease. A relatively small proportion of patients with osteoarthritis have a clear predisposing factor that is both suitable for modification and who present early enough for intervention to be deemed worthwhile. This paper reviews recent advances in our understanding of the pathology, imaging and progression of early osteoarthritis.