Aims. This study, using a surgeon-maintained database, aimed to explore the risk factors for surgery-related complications in patients undergoing primary cervical spine surgery for
There has been debate about the role of unicompartmental knee replacement in the presence of radiologically identifiable
We reviewed 87 patients who underwent revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The incidence of meniscal tears and
Aims. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee commonly have degenerative
meniscal tears. Arthroscopic meniscectomy is frequently performed,
although the benefits are debatable. Recent studies have concluded
that there is no role for arthroscopic washout in osteoarthritis
of the knee. Our aim was to perform a systematic review to assess
the evidence for the efficacy of arthroscopic meniscectomy in patients
with meniscal tears and
Aims. Degenerative cervical spondylosis (DCS) is a common musculoskeletal disease that encompasses a wide range of progressive
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a
A distinctive and consistent pattern of
Examination was made of 486 skeletons of subjects over the age of 60 years to study patterns of
Over 5 years we gave 84 patients epidural cortisone (80 mg depomedrol and local anaesthesia) for back and/or leg pain due to
Purpose of the study: Glenohumeral dysplasia is an uncommon cause of
Late
To assess adverse events related to XLIF approach in lumbar
The escalating demand for medical resources to address spinal diseases as society ages is an issue that requires careful evaluation. However, few studies have examined trends in spinal surgery, especially unscheduled hospitalizations or surgeries performed after hours, through large databases. Our study aimed to determine national trends in the number of spine surgeries in Japan. We also aimed to identify trends in after-hours surgeries and unscheduled hospitalizations and their impact on complications and costs. We retrospectively investigated data extracted from the Diagnosis Procedure Combination database, a representative inpatient database in Japan. The data from April 2010 to March 2020 were used for this study. We included all patients who had undergone any combination of laminectomy, laminoplasty, discectomy, and/or spinal arthrodesis.Aims
Methods
Introduction: Energy storing tendons, such as the human Achilles tendon, suffer a much higher incidence of rupture than non- energy storing positional tendons, such as the anterior tibialis tendon. Similarly, in the horse partial rupture of the energy storing superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) and suspensory ligament (SL) occurs much more frequently than to the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) and common digital extensor tendon (CDET) which are not involved in energy storage. In order to function effectively, energy storing tendons experience strains during high speed locomotion which are much closer to failure strain than non-energy storing tendons. Therefore, these tendons are likely to sustain high levels of microdamage, hence cell metabolism may also be higher in order to repair damage and maintain matrix integrity. Maintenance of the matrix requires not only synthesis of new matrix components but also degradation of matrix macromolecules which is achieved, in part, by a family of matrix metalloproteinase enzymes (MMPs). In this study we test the hypothesis that the energy storing equine SDFT and SL which are prone to
Degeneration of the cervical spine can lead to neurological symptoms that require surgical intervention. Often, an anterior cervical discectomy (ACD) with fusion is performed with interposition of a cage. However, a cage substantially increases health care costs. The polymer polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is an alternative to cages, associated with lower costs. The reported high-occurrence of non-fusion with PMMA is often seen as a drawback, but evidence for a correlation between radiological fusion and clinical outcome is absent. To investigate if the lower rate of fusion with PMMA has negative effects on long-term clinical outcome, we assessed the clinical results of ACD with PMMA as a intervertebral spacer with a 5–10 year follow-up. A retrospective cohort study among all patients who underwent a mono-level ACD with PMMA for degenerative cervical disease, between 2007–2012, was performed. Patients filled out an online questionnaire, developed to assess clinical long-term outcome, complications and re-operation rates. The primary outcome measure was the Neck Disability Index (NDI), secondary outcome measures were re-operation and complication rates.Introduction
Methods
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of four major knee ligaments is most crucial ligament to maintain normal knee kinematics. It is well know that ACL dysfunction causes secondary osteoarthritis of the knee. The influence of age on the biomechanical properties of the ACL was examined. The structural properties of 27 pairs of human cadaver knees without OA were evaluated. Specimens were equally divided into three groups of nine pairs each based on age: younger (22 to 35 years), middle (40 to 50 years), and older (60 to 97 years). Tensile tests of the femur-ACL-tibia complex were performed at 30 degrees of knee flexion with the ACL aligned vertically along the direction of applied tensile load. Structural properties of the femur-ACL-tibia complex, as represented by the linear stiffness, ultimate load, and energy absorbed, were found to decrease significantly with specimen age. On the other hand, little has been written about the arthritic ACL. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship among ROM, cross sections of the intercondylar notch and the macroscopic condition of ACL degeneration. Fifty osteoarthritic patients who underwent TKA as a result of severe osteoarthritis were randomly selected. Occupation rate of the osteophytes to the notch width were measured at the anterior 1/3, middle 1/3, and posterior 1/3 notche images obtained from preoperative tunnel view. ROM was measured preoperatively and under anesthesia. Macroscopic conditions of the ACL and PCL were classified into four types of Normal, Frayed, Partial rupture, and Absent. The macroscopic ACL conditions were Normal: 12 cases, Frayed: 15 cases, Partial rupture: 14 cases, and Absent: 9 cases. The macroscopic PCL conditions were Normal: 34 cases, Frayed: 9 cases, Partial rupture: 7 cases, and Absent: 0 case. Occupation rate of the osteophytes to the notch correlated to the preoperative varus deformity (p < 0.05). In terms of ACL, the occupation rate of the osteophytes to the notch were 22.9%, 28.8%, 46.0%, and 81.8% in Normal, Frayed, partial ruptured, and Absent, respectively. The patients with more than 40% occupation rate and less than 110 degree of knee flexion angle showed either partial rupture or absent of the ACL during the surgery. Those results correlated with the degree of OA deterioration. We conclude that occupation rate of the osteophytes to the notch poor preoperative ROM is a good predictor of evaluating the ACL degeneration in osteoarthritic knee. We also conclude that ACL dysfunction due to joint space narrowing accelerates the advancement of the knee OA.
Patellofemoral joint degeneration is often considered a contraindication to medial unicompartmental knee replacement. We examined the validity of this preconception using information gathered prospectively on the intra-operative status of the patellofemoral joint in 824 knees in 793 consecutive patients who underwent Oxford unicondylar knee replacement for anteromedial osteoarthritis. All operations were performed between January 1998 and September 2005. A five-point grading system classified degeneration of the patellofemoral joint from none to full-thickness cartilage loss. A subclassification of the presence or absence of any full-thickness cartilage loss was subsequently performed to test selected hypotheses. Outcome was evaluated independently by physiotherapists using the Oxford and the American Knee Society Scores with a minimum follow-up of one year. Full-thickness cartilage loss on the trochlear surface was observed in 100 of 785 knees (13%), on the medial facet of the patella in 69 of 782 knees (9%) and on the lateral facet in 29 of 784 knees (4%). Full-thickness cartilage loss at any location was seen in 128 knees (16%) and did not produce a significantly worse outcome than those with a normal or near-normal joint surface. The severity of the degeneration at any of the intra-articular locations also had no influence on outcome. We concluded that, provided there is not bone loss and grooving of the lateral facet, damage to the articular cartilage of the patellofemoral joint to the extent of full-thickness cartilage loss is not a contraindication to the Oxford mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee replacement.
Posterior lumbar fusion using minimally invasive surgical (MIS) techniques are reported to minimise postoperative pain, soft tissue damage and length of hospital stay when compared to the traditional open procedure. This is a review of patients who underwent MIS for posterolateral lumbar fusion in a single practice over a 2-year period.Purpose
Methods
The value of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in the severely arthritic knee has been questioned. Some authors suggest that it may result in progression of osteoarthritis precipitating the need for joint replacement and that symptomatic improvement may occur from lavage alone. 126 patients with a torn meniscus and Outerbridge grade IV changes in the same compartment underwent arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and limited debridement of unstable articular cartilage. The indication for surgery was a symptomatic meniscal tear not osteoarthritis. A control group consisted of 13 patients with grade IV changes and intact but frayed menisci who underwent washout alone. Mean age and follow up were similar in the two groups. Initially meniscectomy improved symptoms in 82 cases (65%). Symptoms were unchanged in 26 cases (21%) and were made worse in 18 cases (14%). At a mean follow up of 55 months, 50 patients (40%) felt their knees were better than they were preoperatively. Their mean Lysholm score was 75. 5. 35 knees (28%) were not improved (mean Lysholm socre 59). 41 patients (32%) had undergone further surgery: 39 total knee replacements, 1 unicompartmental knee replacement and 1 tibial osteotomy. Older patients, those with varus/ valgus malalignment, and those with exposed bone on both articular surfaces fared worse. Outcome following meniscectomy was better than outcome following washout alone: more patients reported an improvement after meniscectomy and fewer had undergone further surgery on their knees (p=0. 04). The median time between arthroscopy and the decisions for joint replacement was the same in both groups (8 months in the meniscectomy group and 7. 5 months in the washout group) indicating meniscectomy did not precipitate joint replacement. These results suggest that arthroscopic partial men-iscectomy in the presence of Outerbridge grade IV changes can result in satisfactory long term outcomes for many patients, is more effective than washout alone and does not precipitate the need for joint replacement.