Femoral head collapse due to avascular necrosis (AVN) is a relatively rare occurrence following intertrochanteric fractures; however, with over thirty-thousand intertrochanteric fractures per year in England and Wales alone, and an incidence of up to 1.16%, it is still significant. Often patients are treated with a hip fixation device, such as a sliding hip screw or X-Bolt. This study aimed to investigate the influence of three factors on the likelihood of head collapse: (1) implant type; (2) the size of the femoral head; and (3) the size of the AVN lesion. Finite element (FE) models of an intact femur, and femurs implanted with two common hip fixation designs, the Compression Hip Screw (Smith & Nephew) and the X-Bolt (X-Bolt Orthopaedics), were developed. Experimental validation of the FE models on 4. th. generation Sawbones composite femurs (n=5) found the peak failure loads predicted by the implanted model was accurate to within 14%. Following validation on Sawbones, the material modulus (E) was updated to represent cancellous (E=500MPa) and cortical (E=1GPa) bone, and the influence of implant design, head size, and AVN was examined. Four head sizes were compared: mean male (48.4 mm) and female (42.2 mm) head sizes ± two standard deviations. A conical representation of an AVN lesion with a lower modulus (1MPa) was created, and four different radii were studied. The risk of head collapse was assessed from (1) the critical buckling pressure and (2) the peak failure stress. The likelihood of head collapse was reduced by implantation of either fixation device. Smaller head sizes and greater AVN lesion size increased the risk of femoral head collapse. These results indicate the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures with a hip fixation device does not increase the risk of head collapse; however, patient factors such as small head size and AVN severity significantly increase the risk

Purpose: We hypothesized that glenohumeral joint stability will decrease with increasingly larger humeral head defects.

Method: Humeral head defects were created in 9 cadaveric shoulders to simulate Hill Sachs defects. Defects represented 1/8, 3/8, 5/8, and 7/8 of the radius of the humeral head. Secondary factors included abduction angles of 45 degrees and 90 degrees, and rotations of 40 degrees internal, neutral, and 40 degrees external. Specimens were tested at each defect size sequentially from smallest to largest and at each of 6 conditions for all abduction and rotation combinations. Using a 6 degree-of-freedom robot, the humeral head was translated at 0.5 mm per second until dislocation in the anteroinferior direction at 45 degrees to the horizontal glenoid axis.

Results: ANOVA demonstrated significant factors of rotation (p< 0.001) and defect size (p< 0.001). In 40 degrees external rotation, there was significant reduction of distance to dislocation compared with neutral and 40 degrees internal rotation (p< 0.001). The 5/8 and 7/8 radius osteotomies demonstrated decreased distance to dislocation compared to the intact state (p< 0.05 and p< 0.001 respectively). There was no difference found between abduction angles. Post hoc analysis determined significant differences for each arm position. There was decreased distance to dislocation at the 5/8 radius osteotomy at 40 degrees external rotation with 90 degrees of abduction (p< 0.05). For the 7/8 radius osteotomy at 90 degrees abduction, there was decrease distance to dislocation for neutral and 40 degrees external rotation (p< 0.001). For the same osteotomy at 45 degrees abduction, there was decreased distance to dislocation at 40 degrees external rotation (p< 0.001). With the humerus internally rotated, there was never a significant change in the distance to dislocation.

Conclusion: Glenohumeral stability decreases at a 5/8 radius defect and was most pronounced in 40 degrees external rotation and at 90 degrees abduction. At a 7/8 radius humeral defect, there was further decrease in stability at both neutral and external rotation. Internal rotation always maintained baseline glenohumeral stability.

Introduction: There is controversy over whether the lesions of osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) will spontaneously decrease. This study reports a longitudinal study of lesion volume using high-resolution serial MRI and recently developed techniques for image registration to realign serial images.

Materials and Methods: Baseline and follow-up (minimum one year later) MRI scans were carried out on 15 patients (18 hips). Accurate subvoxel registration was performed and subtraction images were produced to reveal areas of regional necrotic lesion change. Volume-to-femoral head ratio (VFR) was calculated to normalize the measured volume to the total femoral head volume.

Results: Three of 18 hips showed spontaneous reductions in the size of the lesions. They were all related to steroid use and were within one year after initial steroid treatment The mean volume decrease of these 3 hips was 3.4 ± 2.0 cm³ (SD) and its VFR was 6.8 ± 3.1 % (SD). Mean necrotic lesion volumes at baseline of decreasing lesions and unchanged lesions were 4.6 ± 2.5 cm³ (VFR, 9.1 ± 3.9 %) and 7.5 ± 5.5 cm³ (VFR, 16.7 ± 12.4 %), respectively.

There was no statistically significant difference in baseline lesion volume between decreasing lesions and unchanged lesions.

Discussion: In conclusion, some early lesions within one year after onset can decrease in size on MRI, regardless their size at baseline.

Introduction. The ankle cartilage has an important function in walking movements, mainly in sports; for active young people, between 20 and 30 years old, the incidence of osteochondral lesions is more frequent. They are also more frequent in men, affecting around 21,000 patients per year in USA with 6.5% of ankle injuries generating osteochondral lesions. The lesion is a result of ankle sprain and is most frequently found in the medial location, in 53% of cases. The main objective of this work was to develop an experimental and finite element models to study the effect of the ankle osteochondral lesion on the cartilage behavior. Materials and Methods. The right ankle joint was reconstructed from an axial CT scan presenting an osteochondral lesion in the medial position with 8mm diameter in size. An experimental model was developed, to analyze the strains and influence of lesion size and location similar to the patient. The experimental model includes two cartilages constructed by Polyjet™ 3D printing from rubber material (young modulus similar to cartilage) and bone structures from a rigid polymer. The cartilage was instrumented with two rosettes in the medial and lateral regions, near the osteochondral region. The fluid considered was water at room temperature and the experimental test was run at 1mm/s. The Finite element model (FE) includes all the components considered in the experimental apparatus and was assigned the material properties of bone as isotropic and linear elastic materials; and the cartilage the same properties of rubber material. The fluid was simulated as hyper-elastic one with a Mooney-Rivlin behavior, with constants c1=0.07506 and c2=0.00834MPa. The load applied was 680N in three positions, 15º extension, neutral and 10º flexion. Results. The experimental strain measured in the cartilage in the rosettes presents similar behavior in all experiments and repetitions. The maximum value observed near the osteochondral lesion was 3014(±5.6)µε in comparison with the intact condition it was 468 (±1.95)µε. The osteochondral lesion increases the strains around 6.5 times and the synovial liquid reduces the intensity of strain distribution. The numerical model presents a good correlation with the experiments (R2 0.944), but the FE model underestimates the values. Discussion and conclusion. As a first conclusion, the size of the osteochondral lesion is important for the strains developed in cartilage. The size of lesion greater than 10mm is critical for the strains concentration. The synovial fluid present an important aspect in the strains measured, it reduces the strains in the external surface of cartilage and induces an increase in the lower part. This phenomenon should be addressed in more studies to evaluate this effect

Mirels’ score predicts the likelihood of sustaining pathological fractures using pain, lesion site, size and morphology. The aim is to investigate its reproducibility, reliability and accuracy in upper limb bony metastases and validate its use in pathological fracture prediction. A retrospective cohort study of patients with upper limb metastases, referred to an Orthopaedic Trauma Centre (2013–18). Mirels’ was calculated in 32 patients; plain radiographs at presentation scored by 6 raters. Radiological aspects were scored twice by each rater, 2-weeks apart. Inter- and intra-observer reliability were calculated (Fleiss’ kappa test). Bland-Altman plots compared variances of individual score components &total Mirels’ score. Mirels’ score of ≥9 did not accurately predict lesions that would fracture (11% 5/46 vs 65.2% Mirels’ score ≤8, p<0.0001). Sensitivity was 14.3% &specificity was 72.7%. When Mirels’ cut-off was lowered to ≥7, patients were more likely to fracture (48% 22/46 versus 28% 13/46, p=0.045). Sensitivity rose to 62.9%, specificity fell to 54.6%. Kappa values for interobserver variability were 0.358 (fair, 0.288–0.429) for lesion size, 0.107 (poor, 0.02–0.193) for radiological appearance and 0.274 (fair, 0.229–0.318) for total Mirels’ score. Values for intraobserver variability were 0.716 (good, 95% CI 0.432–0.999) for lesion size, 0.427 (moderate, 95% CI 0.195–0.768) for radiological appearance and 0.580 (moderate, 0.395–0.765) for total Mirels’ score. We showed moderate to substantial agreement between &within raters using Mirels’ score on upper limb radiographs. Mirels’ has poor sensitivity &specificity predicting upper limb fractures - we recommend the cut-off score for prophylactic surgery should be lower than for lower limb lesions

Aims. Successful cell therapy in hip osteonecrosis (ON) may help to avoid ON progression or total hip arthroplasty (THA), but the achieved bone regeneration is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate amount and location of bone regeneration obtained after surgical injection of expanded autologous mesenchymal stromal cells from the bone marrow (BM-hMSCs). Methods. A total of 20 patients with small and medium-size symptomatic stage II femoral head ON treated with 140 million BM-hMSCs through percutaneous forage in the EudraCT 2012-002010-39 clinical trial were retrospectively evaluated through preoperative and postoperative (three and 12 months) MRI. Then, 3D reconstruction of the original lesion and the observed postoperative residual damage after bone regeneration were analyzed and compared per group based on treatment efficacy. Results. The mean preoperative lesion volume was 18.7% (SD 10.2%) of the femoral head. This reduced to 11.6% (SD 7.5%) after three months (p = 0.015) and 3.7% (SD 3%) after one year (p < 0.001). Bone regeneration in healed cases represented a mean 81.2% (SD 13.8%) of the initial lesion volume at one year. Non-healed cases (n = 1 stage progression; n = 3 THAs) still showed bone regeneration but this did not effectively decrease the ON volume. A lesion size under mean 10% (SD 6%) of the femoral head at three months predicted no ON stage progression at one year. Regeneration in the lateral femoral head (C2 under Japanese Investigation Committee (JCI) classification) and in the central and posterior regions of the head was predominant in cases without ON progression. Conclusion. Bone regeneration was observed in osteonecrotic femoral heads three months after expanded autologous BM-hMSC injection, and the volume and location of regeneration indicated the success of the therapy. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(12):881–889

Background. Masses are not uncommon in the foot and ankle. Most of these masses are benign, often leading clinicians to underestimate their potential for malignancy. Methods. We conducted a retrospective review of our clinical records, on patients with histologically confirmed musculoskeletal tumours of the foot and ankle, treated in a single nstitution between 2010 and 2019. The maximum diameter of each lesion was determined through MRI or Ultrasound analysis in centimeters. To develop a scoring system we compared the risk of malignancy with five criteria: site (proximal or distal to the first TMTJ), gender, age, composition and the diameter as observed. Results. Our study included 496 patients, of whom 39 (7.9%) were identified as having malignancies. The incidence of malignancy demonstrated an increased propensity among male patients, patients over 50 years of age and lesions located proximal to the TMTJ. A ROC Analysis determined that lesions measuring over 2.85 cm had an increased risk of malignancy, with a PPV of 31.1%, a NPV of 94.2%, a Sensitivity of 0.82, and a Specificity of 0.62. These identified patterns of risk were employed to formulate a scoring system, aimed at facilitating informed clinical judgment in the referral of patients to regional tumor services. Conclusion. The new OxFAT scoring system highlights the importance of lesion size, site, age and gender of the patient in determining the risk of malignancy in lump in the foot and ankle. We propose this new scoring system to aid health care professionals in managing these patients. Based on our results any patient with a foot or ankle mass of less than 2.85cm, an OxFAT score < 4/7 and no malignant or sinister features on MRI or USS can be managed locally with excision biopsy. All other patients should be referred urgently to a Regional Tumour Service

Autologous osteochondral transplantation (AOT) is an effective treatment for large Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus (OLT), however little is reported on an athletic population, who are likely to place higher demands on the reconstruction. The aim is to report the outcomes of large OLT (>150mm. 2. ) within an athletic population. The study population was limited to professional or amateur athletes (Tegner score >6) with an OLT of size 150mm. 2. or greater. The surgical intervention was AOT with a donor site from the lateral femoral condyle. Clinical outcomes at a minimum of 24 months included Return to Sport, VAS and FAOS Scores. In addition, graft incorporation was evaluated by MRI using MOCART scores at 12 months post-surgery. 38 athletes including 11 professional athletes were assessed. Mean follow-up was 46 months. Mean lesion size was 249mm. 2. 33 patients returned to sport at their previous level and one did not return to sport (mean return to play 8.2 months). Visual analogue scores improved from 4.53 pre-operatively to 0.63 post-operatively (p=0.002). FAOS Scores improved significantly in all domains (p< 0.001). Two patients developed knee donor site pain, and both had three osteochondral plugs harvested. Univariant analysis demonstrated no association between pre-operative patient or lesion characteristics and ability to return to sport. However, there was a strong correlation between MOCART scores and ability to return to sport (AUC=0.89). Our study suggests that AOT is a viable option in the management of large osteochondral talar defects in an athletic population, with favourable return to sport levels, patient satisfaction, and FAOS/VAS scores. The ability to return to sport is predicated upon good graft incorporation and further research is required to optimise this technique. Our data also suggests that patients should be aware of the increased risk of developing knee donor site pain when three osteochondral plugs are harvested

Abstract. Introduction. The incidence of significant acute chondral injuries with patella dislocation is around 10–15%. It is accepted that chondral procedures should only be performed in the presence of joint stability. Methodology. Patients were identified from surgeon/hospital logs. Patient demographics, lesion size and location, surgical procedure, patient reported outcome measures, post-operative MR imaging and complications were recorded. PROMs and patient satisfaction was obtained. Results. 20 knees (18 patients) were included. Mean age was 18.6 years (range; 11–39) and the mean follow-up was 16.6 months (range; 2–70). The defect locations were the lateral femoral condyle (9/20; 45%), patella (9/20; 45%), medial femoral condyle (1/20; 5%) and the trochlea (1/20; 5%). The mean defect size was 2.6cm2. Twelve knees were treated with cartilage fixation, 5 with microfracture and 3 with OATS. At follow up, the overall mean Lysholm score was 77.4 (± 17.1) with no chondral regenerative procedure being statistically superior. There was no difference in Lysholm scores between those patients having acute medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction versus medial soft tissue plication (p=0.59). Five (25%) knees required re-operation (one arthroscopic arthrolysis; one patella chondroplasty; two removal of loose bodies; one implant adjustment). Overall 90% responded as being satisfied with surgery. Conclusion. Our aggressive pathway to identify and treat acute cartilage defects with early operative intervention and patella stabilisation has shown high rates of satisfaction and Lysholm scores with no major revisions. The full range of chondral restoration options should be considered by surgeons managing these patients

Introduction. In osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), reduction in the size, or complete resolution of the necrotic lesion has been reported to occur spontaneously without any specific treatment. Recently, there was a report that the reduction was time-dependent. We evaluated the change in the size of necrotic lesions of ONFH using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) more than 10 years after the initial diagnosis. Methods. Fifteen hips in 13 patients with atraumatic ONFH who had been followed-up for more than 10 years were enrolled in this study. They were categorized into two groups; A Simple Observation Group and a Multiple Drilling Group. The Simple Observation Group included 6 hips in 5 patients treated non-operatively. There were 3 men and 2 women who had an average age of 42 years at the time of their initial diagnosis. Initial Ficat and Arlet stages were I in 2 cases, IIA in 3 cases, and IIB in 1 case. The Multiple Drilling Group included 9 hips in 9 patients treated surgically with multiple drilling. They were all men who had an average age of 38 years at the time of operation. There were 2 cases of stage I and 7 cases of stage IIA. The necrotic lesion size change was evaluated by comparing the last follow-up MRI images with the initial images. All of the coronal, sagittal, and axial plane images were reviewed by 2 orthopaedic surgeons and a radiologist. The lesion size change was determined by means of consensus of the reviewers. The lesion size change was defined when it was detected in more than 2 planes. Results. The average time interval between the initial and last MRI imaging was 11.5 years (range, 10 to 16 years). Two cases, 1 case from each group, were excluded from the final evaluation because demarcation of the outer margin of lesion was impossible on MRI images due to severe secondary arthritic changes in the femoral head. Among the 5 cases of the Simple Observation Group, 2 cases showed a decrease in lesion size. In the Multiple Drilling Group, 5 out of 8 cases showed a decrease in lesion size and the lesion disappeared almost completely in 2 of these cases. There was no case of an increase in lesion size in both groups. Conclusion. Reduction in the lesion size of ONFH was found in some cases of long-term follow-up on MRI images. A larger portion of the cases demonstrated lesion size decrease in the Multiple Drilling Group than in the Simple Observation Group

Introduction. Osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talus are a challenging and increasingly recognized problem in chronic ankle pain. Many novel techniques exist to attempt to treat this challenging entity. Difficulties associated with treating OCLs include lesion location, size, chronicity, and problems associated with potential graft harvest sites. Matrix associated stem cell transplantation (MAST) is one such treatment described for larger lesions >15mm2 or failed alternative therapies. This cohort study describes a medium-term review of the outcomes of talar lesions treated with MAST. Methods. A review of all patients treated with MAST by a single surgeon was conducted. Preoperative radiographs, MRIs and FAOS outcome questionnaire scores were conducted. Intraoperative classification was undertaken to correlate with imaging. Postoperative outcomes included FAOS scores, return to sport, revision surgery/failure of treatment and progression to arthritis/fusion surgery. Results. 58 MAST procedures in 57 patients were identified in this cohort. The mean follow up was 5 years. There were 20 females and37males, with a mean age of 37 years (SD 9.1). 22 patients had lateral OCLS were and 35 patients had medial OCLs. Of this cohort 32patients had previous surgery and 25 had this procedure as a primary event. 15 patients had one failed previous surgery, 9 patients had two, four patients had three previous surgeries and three patients had four previous surgeries. 12 patients had corrective or realignment procedures at the time of surgery. In terms of complications 3 patients of this cohort went on to have an ankle fusion and two of these had medial malleolar metal work taken out prior to this, 5 patients had additional procedures for arthrofibrotic debridements, 1 patient had a repeat MAST procedure, 1 additional patients had removal of medial malleolar osteotomy screws for pain at the osteotomy site, there were 2 wound complications one related to the ankle and one related to pain at the iliac crest donor site. Conclusion. MAST has demonstrated positive results in lesions which prove challenging to treat, even in a “ failed microfracture” cohort. RCT still lacking in field of orthobiologics for MAST. Longer term follow up required to evaluate durability

Aims. The hypothesis of this study was that bone peg fixation in the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus would show satisfactory clinical and radiological results, without complications. Methods. Between September 2014 and July 2017, 25 patients with symptomatic osteochondritis of the talus and an osteochondral fragment, who were treated using bone peg fixation, were analyzed retrospectively. All were available for complete follow-up at a mean 22 of months (12 to 35). There were 15 males and ten females with a mean age of 19.6 years (11 to 34). The clinical results were evaluated using a visual analogue scale (VAS) and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score preoperatively and at the final follow-up. The radiological results were evaluated using classification described by Hepple et al based on the MRI findings, the location of the lesion, the size of the osteochondral fragment, and the postoperative healing of the lesion. Results. The mean VAS and AOFAS score improved significantly from 6.3 (4 to 8) and 70.6 (44 to 78) preoperatively to 1.6 (0 to 5) and 91.1 (77 to 100) at the final follow-up, respectively (p < 0.001). The classification on MRI was stage 2a in nine patients, stage 3 in 14, and stage 4 in two. The lesion was located on the posteromedial aspect of the dome of the talus in 19 patients, the anterolateral aspect in five, and the centrolateral aspect in one. The mean size of the fragment was 11.2 mm (5 to 20) horizontally, 10.4 mm (7 to 18) vertically, and 5.2 mm (3 to 10) deep, respectively. The postoperative healing state was good in 19 patients and fair in six. Conclusion. Bone peg fixation for osteochondral lesions of the talus showed satisfactory clinical and radiographic results, without complications. This technique could be a good form of treatment for patients with this condition who have an osteochondral fragment. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(10):1349–1353

Aims

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.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(1):5–8.

Introduction: Acute neurological damage from spinal cord injuries is believed to be localised, however it initiates a cascade of secondary events which usually leads to extensive and permanent neurological deficit. The secondary damage begins with the disruption of the blood-spinal cord barrier which unleashes a protracted inflammatory response. This prolonged inflammatory response is the catalyst for the secondary neurodegeneration and limited repair response that occurs in the chronic phase of a spinal cord injury. In this study it was proposed that the acute delivery of the angiogenic growth factors vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) would mediate inflammation and restore the blood spinal cord barrier. This would minimise the formation of glial scar and reduce the extent of secondary degeneration caudal and cranial to the lesion site. Methods: Adult male Wistar rats (400g) were anesthetised. Complete laminectomies were performed at T10 and the animals were subjected to T10 hemisection. Animals were randomised to a treatment group (Lesion Control (LC), Gel Control (GC) and Angiogenic Gel (AG)) after the spinal cord was cut. Each treatment group had 6 animals sacrificed 3 months post injury. Sections were stained with antibodies to neurofilament 200, glial fibrillary acidic protein, smooth muscle actin (SMA), and fluorescent secondary antibodies and mounted with DAPI. The lesion size was measured from horizontal histological sections of the midline from 5 animals in each group using Axiovision version 4.6.1.0 (Carl Zeiss Imaging Solutions, Germany). Results: The mean lesion size for the lesion control group was 2.09mm2, 1.97mm2 for the gel control group and 0.45mm2 for the active gel group. A t-test was used to confirm that the differences between the active gel and the two control groups were statistically significant (AG vs LC p= 0.021 AG vs GC p= 0.026). Histology showed a marked improvement of the morphology of the astrocytes in the treatment group over the control groups indicating that the treatment affected the population of reactive astrocytes. SMA staining showed an increased level of revascularisation in the treated lesions. Discussion: Spinal cords do not heal because of prolonged inflammation which leads to secondary necrotic events, scar formation and the inhibition of regeneration. In this study we present a method for regulating the post lesion inflammatory signals, significantly reducing post-lesion scar formation. We propose the delivery of VEGF/PDGF significantly increases the permeability of the blood spinal cord barrier to neutrophils and macrophages and promotes angiogenesis observed in the lesion site. This may have two major effects on the progression of the spinal cord injury. Firstly, by increasing the initial influx of inflammatory cells it enables the faster removal of damaged tissue and phagocytosis of apoptotic cells thereby restoring the balance in favour of regulated inflammation and results in a finite and reduced inflammation time. Secondly, combination of VEGF and PDGF provides a robust angiogenic response and reduces ischemia, the population of reactive astrocytes and the capacity to form glial scars. These growth factors appear to moderate the secondary degenerative changes that result from the prolonged inflammation and thus promote the inherent capacity for regeneration

Aims

The localization of necrotic areas has been reported to impact the prognosis and treatment strategy for osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH). Anteroposterior localization of the necrotic area after a femoral neck fracture (FNF) has not been properly investigated. We hypothesize that the change of the weight loading direction on the femoral head due to residual posterior tilt caused by malunited FNF may affect the location of ONFH. We investigate the relationship between the posterior tilt angle (PTA) and anteroposterior localization of osteonecrosis using lateral hip radiographs.

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Due to its indolent clinical behaviour, the treatment paradigm of atypical cartilaginous tumours (ACTs) in the long bones is slowly shifting from intralesional resection (curettage) and local adjuvants, towards active surveillance through wait-and-scan follow-up. In this retrospective cohort study performed in a tertiary referral centre, we studied the natural behaviour of ACT lesions by active surveillance with MRI. Clinical symptoms were not considered in the surveillance programme.

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Osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) are a common cause of disability and chronic ankle pain. Many operative treatment strategies have been introduced; however, they have their own disadvantages. Recently lesion repair using autologous cartilage chip has emerged therefore we investigated the efficacy of particulated autologous cartilage transplantation (PACT) in OLT.

INTRODUCTION. Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head (FH) initiates from biological disruptions in the bone and may progress to mechanical failure of the hip. Mechanical and structural properties of AVN bone have not been widely reported, however such understanding is important when designing therapies for AVN. Brown et al.[1] assessed mechanical properties of different regions of AVN FH bone and reported 52% reduction in yield strength and 72% reduction in elastic modulus of necrotic regions when compared to non-necrotic bone. This study aimed to characterise structural and mechanical properties of FH bone with AVN and understand the relationship between lesion volume and associated mechanical properties. METHODS. Twenty FH specimens from patients undergoing hip arthroplasty for AVN and six non-pathological cadaveric FH controls were collected. Samples were computed tomography scanned and images analysed for percentage lesion volume with respect to FH volume. Samples were further divided for structural and mechanical testing. The mechanical property group were further processed to remove 9mm cylindrical bone plugs from the load bearing and non-load-bearing regions of the FHs. FH and bone plug samples were tested in compression (1mm/min); elastic modulus and yield stress were calculated. RESULTS. Imaging. Individual lesion size within AVN FHs varied: multiple small lesions or small numbers of large lesions were present in all FHs. Mean lesion volume percentage for AVN FHs was significantly greater than control FHs (p30% total FH volume. Structural Properties: The mean elastic modulus for AVN FHs was 15% lower than that of control FHs and mean yield stress was 4% lower than that of control FHs, however this difference was not significant. Mechanical Properties. The mean elastic modulus and yield stress of bone plugs from the load-bearing regions of AVN FHs were significantly lower than those of control samples (79% and 77% respectively; p<0.05, Kruskal-Wallis), however, for non-load-bearing samples, mean elastic modulus and yield stress of AVN FHs were significantly higher than control samples (by 153% and 123% respectively; p<0.05, Kruskal-Wallis). DISCUSSION. Although mechanical properties of bone in load-bearing regions of AVN FHs were significantly less than those of control FHs, replicating previous findings by Brown et al. (1981, CORR. 156, 240-7), mechanical properties in the non-load bearing regions were increased. This may be due to adaptation of the non-load bearing region to support loads following AVN in normally load bearing regions, or due to the presence of denser sclerotic tissue. In this study, necrotic bone samples demonstrated smaller changes in mechanical properties in the load-bearing region with respect to those regions in the control samples than previously reported by Brown et al.. This may be due to differences in experimental methods (e.g. patient demographics, quality of control bone samples, loading rate, and location of samples) or due to the disease stage of the AVN FHs from which tissues were taken. In addition, this study has demonstrated that necrotic lesions are not consistent in quantity, size and location

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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mid-term outcomes of autologous matrix-induced chondrogenesis (AMIC) for the treatment of larger cartilage lesions and deformity correction in hips suffering from symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI).

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We performed a systematic literature review to define features of patients, treatment, and biological behaviour of multicentric giant cell tumour (GCT) of bone.

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In this study, we aimed to visualize the spatial distribution characteristics of femoral head necrosis using a novel measurement method.

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Osteofibrous dysplasia (OFD) is a rare benign lesion predominantly affecting the tibia in children. Its potential link to adamantinoma has influenced management. This international case series reviews the presentation of OFD and management approaches to improve our understanding of OFD.

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Patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs) have a favourable long-term survival. Spinal metastases (SMs) cause a decline in performance status (PS), directly affecting mortality and indirectly preventing the use of systemic therapies. Metastasectomy is indicated, if feasible, as it yields the best local tumour control. Our study aimed to examine the long-term clinical outcomes of metastasectomy for SMs of thyroid carcinomas.

Osteochondral lesions (OCLs) of the talus are a challenging and increasingly recognized problem in chronic ankle pain. Many novel techniques exist to attempt to treat this challenging entity. Difficulties associated with treating OCLs include lesion location, size, chronicity and problems associated with potential graft harvest sites. Matrix associated stem cell transplantation (MAST) is one such treatment described for larger lesions >15mm. 2. or failed alternative therapies. This cohort study describes a 5 year review of the outcomes of talar lesions treated with MAST. A review of all patients treated with MAST by a single surgeon was conducted. Pre-operative radiographs, MRIs and FAOS outcome questionnaire scores were conducted. Intraoperative classification was conducted to correlate with imaging. Post-operative outcomes included FAOS scores, return to sport, revision surgery/failure of treatment and progression to arthritis/fusion surgery. 32 patients were identified in this cohort. There were 10 females, 22 males, with an average age of 35. 01. 73% had returned and continued playing active sport. 23 patients underwent MAST in the setting of a failed previous operative attempt, with just 9 having MAST as a first option. 9 patients out of 32 had a further procedure. Two patients had a further treatment directed at their OCL. Two patients had a fusion, 2 had a cheilectomy at > 4 years for impingement, one had a debridement of their anterolateral gutter, one had debridement for arthrofibrosis, one patient had a re alignment calcaneal osteotomy with debridement of their posterior tibial tendon. MAST has demonstrated positive results in lesions which prove challenging to treat, even in a “failed microfracture” cohort

Aims

To determine the relationship between articular cartilage status and clinical outcomes after medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOHTO) for medial compartmental knee osteoarthritis at intermediate follow-up.

There is no optimal treatment for osteochondral defects of the talus after failed primary surgical treatment. To treat these patients, a 15-mm diameter metal implant was developed for the medial talar dome. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the metal implantation technique for osteochondral lesions of the medial talar dome. This is a prospective case series. The inclusion criteria were the combination of a large OCD (ϕ >12 mm) of the medial talar dome, persistent complaints >1 year after treatment, and clinically relevant pain levels. The exclusion criteria were: age <18 years, OCD size >20 mm, ankle osteoarthritis grade 2 or 3, concomitant ankle pathology, and diabetes. The primary outcome measure was the Numeric Rating Scale pain (NRS) rest, walking, running, and stair climbing. Secondary outcome measures were: Foot Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot score, and clinical and radiographic complications. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to calculate p-values. Between October 2007 and March 2009 10 patients were included. The median follow-up was 2 years (range, 2–3 years). On preoperative CT scanning, the median lesion size was 15 (range, 12–20) × 11 (range, 8–14) mm. The NRS rest improved from a median of 3 (0–7) preoperatively to 0.5 (0–2) at final follow-up (p = 0.017), NRS walking from 6.5 (4–8) to 1 (0–4) (p = 0.005), NRS running from 9 (6–10) to 3 (0–10) (p = 0.024), and NRS stair climbing from 6 (4–8) to 1 (0–7) (p = 0.012). The FAOS improved significantly on four of five subscales. The AOFAS improved from a median of 70 (47–75) before surgery to 89 (69–100) at final follow-up (p = 0.008). There were three temporary complications: hyposensibility about the scar in two and a superficial wound infection in one. There were no radiographic complications

Sensitive and accurate measures of osteolysis around TKR are needed to enhance clinical management and assist in planning revision surgery. Therefore, our aim was to examine, in a cadaver model of osteolysis around TKR, the sensitivity of detection and the accuracy of measuring osteolysis using Xray, CT and MRI. Fifty-four simulated osteolytic lesions were created around six cadaver knees implanted with either a cemented or cementless TKR. Twenty-four lesions were created in the femur and thirty in the tibia ranging in size from 0.7 cm3 to 14 cm3. Standard anteroposterior and lateral fluoroscopically guided radiographs, CT and MRI scans with metal reduction protocols were taken of the knees prior to the creation of lesions and at every stage as the lesion sizes were enlarged. The location, number and size of the lesions from images obtained by each method were recorded. The sensitivity of osteolytic lesion detection was 44% for plain radiographs, 92% for CT and 94% for MRI. On plain radiographs, 54% of lesions in the femur and 37% of lesions in the tibia were detected. None of the six posterior lesions created in the tibia were detected on the AP radiographs; however, three of these six lesions were detected on the lateral radiographs. CT was able to detect lesions of all sizes, except for four lesions in the posterior tibia (mean volume of 1.2 cm3, range 1.06–1.47 cm3). Likewise, MRI was very sensitive in detecting lesions of all sizes, with the exception of three lesions, two of which were in the femur and one was in the medial condyle of the tibia (mean volume of 1.9 cm3, range 1.09–3.14 cm3). Notably, all six posterior tibial lesions, which could not be detected using AP radiographs, were detected by MRI. This study demonstrates the high sensitivity of both CT and MRI (which uses no ionising radiation) to detect simulated knee osteolysis and can therefore be used to detect and monitor progression of osteolysis around TKR. The study also shows the limitations of plain radiographs to assess osteolysis

Introduction. Autologous chondrocyte implantation presents a viable alternative to microfracture in the repair of damaged articular cartilage of the knee; however, outcomes for patellar lesions have been less encouraging. ChondroCelect (CC) is an innovative, advanced cell therapy product consisting of autologous cartilage cells expanded ex vivo through a highly controlled and consistent manufacturing process. Purpose. To assess the effect of CC in the treatment of patellofemoral lesions, for which standard treatment options had failed and/or no other treatment options were considered feasible. Methods. CC was administered to 61 patients with patellar lesions (predominantly secured with a biological membrane; mean lesion size: 3.6 cm. 2. ; aged 32.4 years). Efficacy was assessed with validated scales of Clinical Global Impression for Improvement (CGI-I) and Therapeutic Effect (CGI-E) and stratified by the postoperative follow-up period (<18 months vs >18 months). Results. CC resulted in therapeutic and clinical improvement in 87% of patients. Long-term follow-up showed a modest shift towards worse CGI-I and CGI-E scores, with the ‘very much improved’ subgroup (CGI-I) during the first 18 months (38.5%) moderately reduced after 18 months (25.0%); however, the proportion of improved patients remained consistent. The most commonly reported adverse events (knee pain [23%], joint crepitation [13.1%], joint range of motion decreased [13.1%], arthrofibrosis [8.2%] and tendon disorder [8.2%]) were reported at incidences higher than those associated with femoral condyle and trochlea lesions. There were no reports of cartilage hypertrophy. Conclusion. CC was effective in the treatment of patellofemoral lesions, with results comparable to outcomes for femoral condyle and trochlear lesions. The higher incidence of some adverse events suggests that the risk-benefit balance of CC varies with lesion location. However, there were no major safety concerns and the safety profile of CC was greatly enhanced by absence of cartilage hypertrophy, demonstrating that collagen membranes can eliminate periosteum-associated events

Purpose. The presence of a Hill-Sachs lesion is a major contributor to failure of surgical intervention following anterior shoulder dislocation. The relationship between lesion size, measured on pre-operative MRI, and risk of recurrent instability after surgery has not previously been defined. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the size of Hill-Sachs lesions on pre-op MRI would be greater among patients who failed soft tissue stabilization when compared to patients who did not fail. We also hypothesized that the existence of a glenoid lesion would lead to failure with smaller Hill-Sachs lesions. Method. Nested case-control analysis of 114 patients was performed to evaluate incidence of failure after soft tissue stabilization. Successful follow-up of at least 24 months was made with 91 patients (80%). Patients with recurrent instability after surgery were compared to randomly selected age and sex matched controls in a 1:1 ratio. Pre-operative sagittal and axial MRI series were analyzed for presence of Hill-Sachs lesions, and maximum edge-to-edge length and depth as well as location of the lesion related to the bicipital groove (axial) and humeral shaft (sagittal) were measured. Results. Of 91 patients included in analysis, 77 (84.6%) had identifiable Hill-Sachs lesions. 32 patients (35.2%) suffered from failure of soft tissue stabilization (redislocation 22.0%; subjective instability 13.2%). Ten of these patients (11.0%) underwent further surgery. When comparing the age and sex matched failure and control groups, statistically significant differences in unadjusted data were found for axial edge-to-edge length (p = 0.01), axial depth (p = 0.01), and sagittal edge-to-edge length (p = 0.04), with larger sized lesions found in the failure group (Figure 1). Differences trended towards significant for sagittal depth and angle from the bicipital groove. Conclusion. In this retrospective case-control study, humeral head defect size was positively correlated with recurrent instability after soft-tissue stabilization. Larger Hill-Sachs lesions, as measured on pre-op MRI, were found in patients who failure surgical intervention when compared to patients who did not fail. These data and future studies may help determine pre-operative clinical guidelines for the treatment of anterior shoulder dislocation

Introduction: Alveolar soft part sarcoma (ASPS) is a soft tissue tumour found primarily in adolescents and young adults. It has an incidence of 0.5 – 1.0 % of all soft tissue sarcomas and a predilection for females. The lesion is inherently malignant and may occur throughout the body however, reports suggest they are predominantly detected in the anterior thigh. Symptoms include a painless slow-growing mass but ASPS can commonly present with brain or lung metastases due to the high vascularity of the lesion. Microscopically, cellular groups exist with centralised areas of necrosis, thus resulting in a pseudoalveolar appearance. Methods: We identified six cases of histologically proven ASPS. The mean age was 28.5 years (21–36). Four patients were male. All patients had a primary presentation of a mass, two of which were painful. All patients, except one, presented within 8 months of the onset of symptoms (mean 3.8 months) with the other seeking medical advice only after 72 months. The location of the mass included the thigh in three patients and the triceps, soleus and retroperitoneal space in the others. Four patients underwent pre-operative diagnostic biopsies. Surgical excision was performed in all patients. Results: The mean size of tumour was 9.4 x 9.4 x 6.3cm but there was no correlation between lesion size and duration of symptoms. The patient who presented late was found to have multiple lung metastases prior to surgery. Despite appropriate adjuvant therapy, three patients developed post-operative metastases at a mean of 5.2 months (1–24), two of which died along with the patient who presented with metastases at a mean of 2.6 years. Discussion: This series demonstrates that this tumour may present as a painful mass. Despite early detection and appropriate treatment, ASPS remains a highly malignant neoplasm with a high associated mortality rate

Introduction: In the evaluation of various treatments that may have an effect on bone, there are certain inherent difficulties in selecting an appropriate outcome measure to determine whether a specific treatment is efficacious. This is particularly true for clinical studies. Methods: Using Pubmed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine that searches MEDLINE and other life science journals for citations of biomedical articles, a review of the current instruments used for outcome measures relating to osteonecrosis and bone blood flow was conducted. Abstracts from previous ARCO meetings were also reviewed. Results: For the treatment of osteonecrosis, most outcome measures have focused on pain relief, surgery or need for surgery, disease progression (advancing stage), and change in lesion size. The first three options may be influenced by investigator bias and knowledge/experience. The last option may also be influenced by the technique used. Imaging techniques continue to gain in sophistication. Gd-enhanced MRI can be used to assess perfusion of the diseased tissue. Doppler ultrasonography has also been used to estimate blood flow noninvasively. Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) can be used to measure tissue oxygenation. While there has been recent interest in using biomarkers or genetic markers in the diagnosis and analysis of disease progression, more research is needed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of these techniques with respect to osteonecrosis. Conclusion: Although there are a number of tests that can be used to evaluate the effect of a specific treatment on osteonecrosis, the definitive assessment will likely remain whether the disease progresses to the point that major surgery (resurfacing, vascularized fibular grafting, total joint replacement, e.g.) is required to relieve pain and restore function

Background:. Full thickness cartilage defect of the knee frequently resulted in fibrous tissue formation, and larger lesions often lead to degenerative arthritis of the knee. Many techniques are designed to repair the cartilage defect including chondrocyte transplantation, microfracture and osteochondral graft. Each method has achieved some success but no universal results. Autologus osteochondral graft has gained in clinical popularity because of its technical feasibility and cost effectiveness. Purpose:. The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the medium-term results of autologous osteochondral graft for focal contained articular cartilage defects of the knee in 25 patients with 26 knees with 2- to 7-year follow-up. Patients and Methods:. The cohort consisted of 17 men and 8 women with an average age of 31.3 ± 11.8 (range 20 to 65) years. One patient had bilateral knees. The diagnosis included 9 osteonecrosis, 10 osteochondritis dessicans, and 7 traumatic defects. A 1.0 mm oversized 10 mm long ossteochondral plug was harvested from either from the sulcus terminalis or the intercondylar notch, and implanted into the recipient site The numbers of osteochondral plug ranged from 1 to 3. In larger lesions, osteochondral grafts were implanted in the weight bearing area, and microfracture in non-weight bearing area. Postoperative management included crutch walking with non-weight bearing for 6 weeks, then partial weight bearing for another 6 weeks before full weight bearing. Range of knee motion, quadriceps and hamstring strengthening exercises were encouraged. The evaluations included functional assessment, radiograph of the knee and second look arthroscopy. Results:. At follow-up of 52.9 ± 20.3 (range 25 to 84) months, the results were 50% excellent, 35% good, 11% fair and 4% poor. Overall satisfactory results were noted in 85%. The improvements in pain and function of the knee ranged from 8 to 16 weeks after surgery. There was no correlation of the clinical results with the diagnosis of the lesion. However, the lesion size greater than 500 mm. 2. is associated with failure. Radiographic degenerative changes were noticed in 6 (23%) and 7 (27%) in medial compartment, 5 (19%) and 5 (19%) in lateral compartment, and 1 (4%) and 2 (8%) in the patellofemoral compartment pre- and postoperatively (P > 0.05). Twelve knees underwent a second look arthroscopy. Of the 11 asymptomatic knees, 8 knees with the defect smaller than 500 mm. 2. showed complete bonding of the graft to the adjacent host cartilage, and 3 cases showed minimal fissuring and fibrous tissue formation between graft and host tissue. One symptomatic knee with greater than 500 mm. 2. lesion showed extensive fibrous tissue between the graft and host cartilage. Conclusion:. Autologous osteochondral graft provides good or excellent results in 85% of patients with focal contained chondral and osteochondral defects of the knee. There was no correlation of the clinical results with the nature of the disease and the size of the lesion smaller than 500 mm. 2. Any lesion larger than 500 mm. 2. is prone to poor clinical outcome

Objective. To provide a best estimate of the average treatment effect when microfracture was chosen as the intervention of choice in patients with full-thickness cartilage defects of the knee. Design. We focussed on controlled studies which either referred to microfracture alone or in comparison with any other surgical treatment of articular cartilage of the knee. Papers including patients who had been treated by microfracture and concomitant adjuvant procedures like ACL reconstruction or meniscus repair were accepted too, whereas papers reporting on the microfracture technique combined with the implantation of a scaffold were excluded. To achieve a best estimate of the average, to be expected treatment effect we pooled pooled before–after data of study arms using microfracture. Because cartilage studies employ various scales to measure functional improvements, we standardized treatment effects using Hedges' g. To provide clinically meaningful estimates we converted the pooled summary effect back into the respective scales by multiplying the pooled effect with pooled standard deviations of each included clinical scale. Results. A systematic review of the literature revealed six papers including 200 patients with a mean age of 32 years, a mean defect size of 3 cm. 2. and a follow up period from 2 to 5 years. Four of the studies compared microfracture to autologous chondrocyte implantation and two of them to osteochondral autologous transplantation. All patients were treated by the microfracture technique as described by Steadman and by a similar rehabilitation protocol which only allowed crutch-assisted touchdown weight bearing initially. Referring to the individual studies, a comparison of the pooled estimates of Hedges' g revealed that the two papers which evaluated the youngest patients provided the highest treatment effect. On the contrary, those two papers which focussed on the largest lesions, reported the worst improvement. Finally, the remaining two papers whose patients were characterized by similar age and defect size presented comparable results. The individual standardized effect sizes were combined into an overall best estimate. Its value was 1.678, measured in units of standard deviation, with the 95% confidence interval of [1.016; 2.340] resulting in different values of the average, to be expected treatment effect when it is measured in Lysholm Score (22.1), IKDC Score (26.5) and KOOS (15.2) points. Conclusions. Our results offer a clinically intuitive estimation of the average treatment effects on common clinical scales. Compared to the preoperative situation, a significant clinical improvement can be expected for each patient. Nevertheless, the magnitudes of these treatment effects are an approximation and must be interpreted cautiously. Furthermore, we did not succeed to confirm that young age and small lesion size have a beneficial effect on the clinical outcome

Objectives. Osteochondral ankle defects (OCDs) mainly occur in a young, active population. In 63% of cases the defect is located on the medial talar dome. Arthroscopic debridement and microfracture is considered the primary treatment for defects up to 15 mm. To treat patients with a secondary OCD of the medial talar dome, a 15-mm diameter metal implant (HemiCAP ®) was developed. The set of 15 offset sizes was designed to correspond with the anatomy of various talar dome curvatures. Recently, two independent biomechanical cadaver studies were published, providing rationale for clinical use. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical effectiveness and safety of the metal implantation technique for osteochondral lesions of the medial talar dome in a prospective study. Material and methods. Since October 2007, twenty patients have been treated with the implant. Four patients who did not meet the inclusion criteria and four patients who had less than one-year follow-up at the time of writing were left out of this analysis. Twelve patients are reported with one year (n=8) or two years (n=4) follow-up. All patients had had one or two earlier operations without success. On preoperative CT-scanning, the mean lesion size was 16 × 11 (range, 9–26 × 8–14) mm. Outcome measures were: Numeric Rating Scale pain (NRS) at rest and when walking, Foot Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot score, and clinical and radiographic complications. Data are presented as median and range. The Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to calculate p-values. Results. All patients recovered well from surgery. The NRS at rest improved from 3 (0–7) preoperatively, to 0.5 (0–4) after 1 year and 1 (0–1) after 2 years follow-up (p < 0.05). The NRS when walking was 6.5 (4–8) preoperatively, improving to 1.5 (0–5) at 1 year and 1 (0–2) at 2 years follow-up (p < 0.05). The five subscales of the FAOS improved from 14–64 preoperatively, to 53–91 after 1 year and 63–100 after 2 years (p < 0.05). The AOFAS improved from 70 (42–75) before surgery to 86 (58–100) at 1 year, and 89 (82–90) at 2 years follow-up (p < 0.05). There were no clinical or radiographic complications. Conclusion. The metallic implantation technique appears to be a promising treatment for secondary OCDs of the talus, but more patients and longer follow-up are necessary to draw firm conclusions

Methods: The implantation procedure was performed on two male patients affected by traumatic chondral lesions, sized respectly 2.5 and 2 cm. 2. The operations were performed through traditional artrhoscopic portals and the seeded membrane was þxed with þbrin glue. Clinical-functional evaluation was performed acc. Aims: Matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACÏ) is a tissue engineering technique which requires the use of a collagen membrane on which the cultured chondrocytes are seeded. We report the arthroscopic MACÏ technique for the treatment of chondral defects interesting the lateral tibial ording to ICRS score, modiþed Cincinnati knee score, IKDC, Lysholm II and Tegner scales. MRIs were taken 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Results: After one year all the clinical scores were improved in both patients. MRI showed þlling of the defects with hyaline-like tissue with reduction of subchondral bone edema. Conclusions: Even though the MACÏ technique is mostly performed with an open procedure, the site of these lesions could not be reached without sacrifying tendinous and ligamentous structures of the knee. The arthroscopic approach allowed to achieve an optimal view of the lesion and appeared the best solution for these patients. The size of these defects was too large for bone marrow stimulation techniques and/or osteochondral grafts to be successful. The development of dedicated instruments for arthroscopic MACÏ will allow to improve and simplify the surgical procedure

Purpose: Osteochondral allograft reconstruction of articular cartilage defects is increasing popular. Currently, freshly harvested osteochondral tissue is screened and refrigerated pending final cultures, with a shelf life of approximately six weeks. Deep frozen allografts have been used less frequently due to diminished cell viability associated with freezing. The purpose of this study was to prospectively analyze the clinical outcome and radiographic findings of patients who underwent refrigerated or frozen allograft transplantation within the knee. Histological and electron microscopic grading of the allograft at the time of implantation was analyzed. Method: Between 1998 and 2002, twenty-five patients with symptomatic osteochondral lesions of the knee who were treated with a refrigerated or frozen allograft were evaluated. The mean age at the time of surgery was forty-eight years. The mean lesion size was 4.5 cm2. Validated outcome instruments (Knee Society Score (KSS), Western Ontario and McMaster University Score (WOMAC) were used. Clinical and. radiographic evaluation were evaluated pre-operatively and at the most recent follow-up. Results: The mean duration of clinical follow-up was forty-six months (range twenty-four to sixty months). The mean WOMAC score improved from a baseline of 46 to 66 at the time of final follow-up (p = 0.003). The mean KSS score improved from a baseline of 104 to 132 at the time of final follow-up (p = 0.01). No significant correlation was noted between graft type and histological or electron microscopy scoring. Post-operative mechanical alignment was noted to be statistically correlated with an improvement in WOMAC score (p= 0.004). Six patients (24%), all refrigerated allografts, were failures and underwent knee arthroplasty. Conclusion: Seventy-six percent of implanted frozen and refrigerated osteochondral allografts are still in place approximately four years after surgery. Currently, frozen allografts appear to be surviving as well as refrigerated grafts. Further follow-up is needed, while the use of magnetic resonance imaging may be beneficial to evaluate graft incorporation and articular cartilage integrity

Aims

The aim of this retrospective study was to determine if there are differences in short-term clinical outcomes among four different types of matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT).

Introduction: Autologous chondrocyte implantation was introduced in 1994 by Brittberg and Peterson for the treatment of large full-thickness focal chondral defects. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the mid-term results of this technique in a group of patients with post-traumatic chondral defects of the knee. Materials and Methods: Fifteen patients underwent autologous chondrocyte implantation between 2001 and 2006 and were prospectively assessed preoperatively, at 3, 6, 9, 12 months, 3.5 years and last follow-up with use of standard rating scales (IKDC subjective score, pain Visual Analogic Scale (VAS), Brittberg and Peterson’s score). The inclusion’s criteria were: pain VAS more than 40/100, age between 18 and 50 years, focal chondral defect in weight bearing area grade 3 or 4 and informed and signed consent. Patients with varus or valgus deformities with malalignement more than 5 degrees, knee instabilities and signs of arthritis on radiographs were excluded. The same experienced surgeon performed all the procedures. Results: Fourteen patients were reviewed at the latest follow-up. The mean age of the patients at the time of autologous chondrocyte transplantation was 37.7 years (range, 30 to 45). The mean duration of symptoms was 2.9 years (0.5 to 7). Nine patients (83%) had previous operations on the index knee. The defect was located on the medial femoral condyle in 11 patients and on the lateral femoral condyle in 3. The mean lesion size was 1.80 cm. 2. (range, 1.5 to 3.5 cm. 2. ) after débridement. After a mean duration of follow-up of 6 years (3.3–7.8), 84% of the patients had improvement on a patient self-assessment questionnaire. The IKDC subjective score and Brittberg-Peterson’s score were all improved. The mean IKDC subjective score increased from 40 (27.6–65.5) preoperatively to 60.2 (35.6–89.6) at the latest evaluation. The mean pain VAS decreased from 66.3 (44–89) to 23.2 (0–77). The Brittberg and Peterson’s score decreased from 54.4 (11.8–98.2) to 32.9 (0–83.9). Two patients (16.7%) felt no improvement by the chondrocyte transplantation at the last follow-up. Two complications occurred: graft periosteum hypertrophy treated by débridement and a pulmonary embolus. Discussion: Our results are similar than those reported in the literature. These outcomes are encouraging and need further follow-up to confirm the long-term efficacy of autologous chondrocyte implantation

Introduction: Osteochondral lesions of the talus may cause persistent joint pain requiring surgical treatment, which today can be performed arthroscopically. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of arthroscopic treatment of these lesions. Material and Method: Seventeen patients (7 males and 10 females) underwent ankle arthroscopy from 1998 through June 2002 for treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus. Their age ranged from 11 – 68 years. The right talus was affected in 12 and the left in 5 patients. All but one had a history of previous trauma, for which they had been treated conservatively for at least 6 months. Bone scanning, CT and MRI were performed for lesion staging according to Brent and Harty. One patient was stage I, 2 were stage II, 7 were stage III, and 7 were stage IV. The patients underwent ankle arthroscopy without use of a distractor. Inspection of the joint was followed by shaving and debridement of the lesion with or without drilling. Results: Follow-up had a mean duration of 15 months (range 8 – 24 months). Outcome was evaluated with the Ogilvie-Harris score for pain, swelling, stiffness, limp and patient activity level. All patients had excellent or good results. In all cases there was a reduction in lesion size. Conclusions: Arthroscopy is effective for treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus. It causes less morbidity than open surgery and patients are able to follow an early mobilization and rehabilitation protocol. However, specialized surgical tools, as well as an in-depth knowledge of joint anatomy are required to avoid iatrogenic damage

Degenerate chondral surfaces can be assessed in many ways, but arthroscopy is often performed without proper categorisation, mapping, zoning or sizing of lesions. Progression of disease in un-resurfaced compartments is well-recognised to occur, but is only one of several failure mechanism in partial knee replacement. A validated ‘Functional Zone’ mapping method was used to document articular surface damage in 250 sequential cases of knee arthroscopy in patients over the age of 40. Size, shape, location and severity of each chondral lesion were noted using the Outerbridge classification. Analysis determined rates of involvement of particular compartments and assessed potential for partial replacement or local treatment and also to consider the risk of future progression. Radiographs including antero-posterior standing, postero-anterior flexion views (Rosenberg), lateral and skyline views were graded (Kellgren and Lawrence) and compared with the arthroscopic findings. Our results showed that out of the 210 knees with Grade 3 or greater damage 13.3% of knees showed ‘isolated’ medial disease of Outerbridge Grade 3 or worse. Isolated lateral disease was noted in 1.4%, patello-femoral disease in 24.3%, bi-compartmental (Medial/PFJ) disease in 30.9% with tibio-femoral and tri-compartmental disease seen in 15.2%. The combination of lateral and patello-femoral disease was seen in 14.8%. Provided that Grade 1 and 2 changes (which were found in other compartments in high percentages) were ignored and ACL status considered, this information seemed to indicate that at the time these procedures were performed, 13.3% of cases were suitable for a medial uni-compartmental device, with sub-analysis of lesion sizes indicating that 17 out of 28 cases (60.7%) were suitable for a localised resurfacing. Lateral uni-compartmental replacement seemed suitable for only 1.4%, patello-femoral replacement in 24.3%, bi-compartmental in 30.9% and total knee replacement in 30%. The mean age for partial resurfacing was 53years and 59 years for total joint replacements. Radiological analysis found that the antero-posterior standing views had only 66% sensitivity and 73% specificity for the presence of Grade 3 changes or worse in the medial compartment in comparison with Rosenberg views having a sensitivity of 73% and a specificity of 83%. Skyline views had a sensitivity of 56% and 100% specificity. This study indicates that a large proportion of cases may be suited to local and limited resurfacing. Cases suitable for Patello-femoral and Bi-compartmental replacements were very common, but with the patella-femoral joint's tendency to be more forgiving in terms of symptoms, meaning that indications for uni-compartmental replacement might well be much higher than the arthroscopic findings suggested. On the other hand, the presence of high levels of Grade 1 and 2 changes in other compartments seems to indicate a need for caution particularly in younger patients. This study also indicates a need for better methods of assessing local cartilage health such as enhanced MRI scanning or spectroscopy

Introduction: Whether or not to surgically treat osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH) when patients are asymptomatic is controversial. The goal of this study was to determine: 1) if spontaneous resolution of ONFH does occur, 2) how long does it take for resolution to occur, and 3) if there are predictors of spontaneous resolution. Materials and Methods: For this prospective study, patients with asymptomatic ONFH were identified from two National Institute of Health funded, Institutional Review Board approved screening studies. A prospective screening study for ONFH after organ transplantation was begun in 1997 by performing routine MRI examinations after transplantation. In a second prospective study on surgical treatment for symptomatic ONFH, the contralateral hip was screened for asymptomatic disease. A cohort of patients having hips with asymptomatic ONFH was then analyzed. Results: As of December 2000, 13 asymptomatic hips in 10 patients were identified from the prospective screening study after organ transplantation and 17 hips in 17 patients were identified from the contralateral hip screening study. There were 3 hips with ARCO stage I disease showing evidence of spontaneous resolution. The modified index of necrotic extent measured 11.10, 12.72, and 20.83, with the estimated femoral head involvement being 15–30% in 2 of the hips and less than 15% in the third. Resolution on MRI was complete in 2 of the 3 hips, and nearly complete in the third. Discussion: Spontaneous resolution of ONFH does occur. Factors associated with resolution are early, asymptomatic disease (ARCO stage I), small lesion size (modified index of necrotic extent < 25), and the absence of symptomatic disease in the contralateral hip. Initial signs of resolution may take up to one year to occur. For patients fitting these criteria, we recommend withholding surgery and monitoring hips with serial MRI observation to monitor the course of their disease

Aims

Surgery is often indicated in patients with metastatic bone disease (MBD) to improve pain and maximize function. Few studies are available which report on clinically meaningful outcomes such as quality of life, function, and pain relief after surgery for MBD. This is the published protocol for the Bone Metastasis Audit — Patient Reported Outcomes (BoMA-PRO) multicentre MBD study. The primary objective is to ascertain patient-reported quality of life at three to 24 months post-surgery for MBD.

Objectives

Using a simple classification method, we aimed to estimate the collapse rate due to osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) in order to develop treatment guidelines for joint-preserving surgeries.

Introduction. Primary soft tissue sarcomas of the extremities are uncommon. Many such lesions will present to specialists in other clinics such as specialist Hand or Foot and Ankle clinics. Many are of a small size at presentation and may appear to be alternate, more common pathology. Methods. We collected data from all those patients with acral soft tissues sarcomas and referred to the Oxford Sarcoma Service, Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre, Oxford over a thirteen year period from 1997 – 2010. Data were collected regarding the primary suspected diagnosis, the final diagnosis, the referral route and whether patients had undergone previous inadvertent excision. Results. 38 patients were treated (24 foot, 14 hand tumours). The commonest histological subtype was synovial sarcoma in the foot group, and leiomyosarcoma in the hand group. 25 of the 38 patients had a lesion of less than 5cm at presentation. For those patients in whom a wide excision was performed 50% underwent complex plastic surgical reconstruction. Discussion. This study shows that 30% of patients with acral tumours required further surgery due to previous inadequate/inadvertent excision. 5cm as a benchmark for specialist referral should not be applied to lesions in the hand or feet and we recommend the use of the “marble rule” i.e. any lesion the size of a marble should be referred urgently and no patient should undergo surgery without imaging

Aims

Accurate estimations of the risk of fracture due to metastatic bone disease in the femur is essential in order to avoid both under-treatment and over-treatment of patients with an impending pathological fracture. The purpose of the current retrospective in vivo study was to use CT-based finite element analyses (CTFEA) to identify a clear quantitative differentiating factor between patients who are at imminent risk of fracturing their femur and those who are not, and to identify the exact location of maximal weakness where the fracture is most likely to occur.