Osteochondral lesions (OCL) of the talus occur in 38% of the patients with supination external rotation type IV ankle fractures and 6 % of ankle sprains. Osteoarthritis is reported subsequently in 8–48% of the ankles. Several marrow stimulation methods have been used to treat the symptomatic lesion, including arthroscopic debridement and micro fracture. Encouraging midterm results have been reported, but longterm outcome is unknown in relation to more invasive treatments such as transfer of autologous osteoarticular tissue from the knee or talus (OATS), autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), frozen and fresh allograft transplantation. Aim. The aim of our study was to review our long term results of arthroscopic treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus. Materials and methods. 65 patients underwent arthroscopic treatment of the OCL between 1993 and 2000. There were 46(71%) men and 19(29%) women. The mean age at surgery was 34.2 years. The right side was affected in 43 patients and the left side in 22 patients. Results. 40/65(61.5%) patients who underwent arthroscopic treatment of the OCL were followed up. The mean follow-up was 13.1 years (9 to 18 years). The average age at final follow was 49.6 years (25–80 years). 15 (39.5%) patients reported poor, 14 (36.8%) fair, 9 (23.6%) good outcomes based on the Berndt and Harty criteria. 20/40 patients (50 %) needed further surgery. This appears a significant deterioration since this cohort were studied at 3.5 years, when the clinical results were 21.3% poor, 26.2% fair and 52.3% good, although losses to followup make exact comparison impossible. Conclusion. Arthroscopic treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus gives medium term improvement in the majority of patients, but it appears that results deteriorate with time. Recurrence of symptoms sufficient to require further surgical intervention occurred in half the patients studied

Infection is a potentially disastrous complication of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Although advances in surgical technique and antibiotic prophylaxis have reduced the incidence of infection to approximately 1% in primary TKA, there is still a substantial number of patients. Treatment options include antibiotic suppression, irrigation and debridement with component retention (with or without polyethylene exchange), one-stage or two-stage revision, resection arthroplasty and rarely arthrodesis or amputation. Salvage of prostheses has always been associated with low rates of success. It was reported a success rate of 27% for open debridement. It is suitable for selective cases where infection occurs within the first 4–6 weeks of primary TKA or in the setting of acute hematogenous gram positive infection with stable implants. With the advances in arthroscopic technique, arthroscopy after TKA has become an accepted method to assess and manage the complications of TKA. Arthroscopic treatment for infected TKA was reported and the successful rate was similar or better than open debridement in selected situations. We used arthroscopic debridement combined with continuous antibiotic irrigation and suction to treat acute presentation of infected TKA with acceptable result. From 2010∼2013, we has performed arthroscopic debridement and continuous antibiotic irrigation system for seven patients with infected TKA. All of the seven patients had no open wounds nor sinuses and no radiological evidence of prosthetic instability or evidence of osteomyelitis. Most of the surgical intervention was performed within two weeks from the onset of symptoms. Arthroscopic debridement was performed with a shaver using a multiportal technique (anterolateral, anteromedial, superolateral, superomedial, posterolateral, posteromedial) and a continuous antibiotic irrigation system was used to dilutes concentration of the causative microorganism and keep high local bactericidal concentration of antibiotics. We evaluated the efficacy by using follow up of the C-reactve protein (CRP) test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test and physical examination. Successful treatment was defined as prosthesis retention without recurrent infection by the final follow-up. Six of seven infected TKA were cured without recurrence at a mean follow-up of 23 months (range, 6–41 months). One case with rheumatoid arthritis under long-term steroid therapy had recurred after episode of upper respiratory tract infection for 3 times. However, the infection was controlled by arthroscopic debridement and retention of the prosthesis was achieved. We emphasize the importance of posterior portal to ensure adequate arthroscopic debridement. It is imperative to make early diagnosis and treatment for infected TKA. We should make more effort to preserve the prosthesis in acute infection(within 2 weeks). With the advantage of minimal morbidity, arthroscopic treatement shoulder be an alternative to open debridement

The outcomes of hip arthroscopy in the treatment of dysplasia are variable. Historically, arthroscopic treatment of severe dysplasia (lateral center-edge angle [LCEA] < 18°) resulted in poor outcomes and iatrogenic instability. However, in milder forms of dysplasia, favorable outcomes have been reported. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes following hip arthroscopy for femorocetabular impingement (FAI) in borderline dysplastic (BD) patients compared with a control group of non-dysplastic patients. Between March 2009 and July 2012, a BD group (LCEA 18°–25°) of 46 patients (55 hips) was identified. An age and sex-matched control group of 131 patients (152 hips) was also identified (LCEA 25°–40°). Patient-reported outcome scores, including the Modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), the Hip Outcome Score-Activity of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), the Sport-specific Subscale (HOS-SSS), and the International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-33), were collected pre-operatively, at 1, and 2 years. The mean LCEA was 22.4 ± 2.0° (range, 18.4°–24.9°) in the BD group and 31.0 ± 3.1° (range, 25.4°–38.7°) in the control group (p<0.001). The mean preoperative alpha angle was 66.3 ± 9.9° in the BD group and 61.7 ± 13.0° in the control group (p=0.151). Cam decompression was performed in 98.2% and 99.3% of cases in the BD and control groups. Labral repair was performed in 69.1% and 75.3% of the BD and control groups respectively, with 100% of patients having a complete capsular closure performed in both groups. At a mean follow-up of 31.3 ± 7.6 months (range, 23.1–67.3) in unrevised patients and 21.6 ± 13.3 months (range 4.7–40.6) in revised patients, there was significant improvement (p<0.001) in all patient reported outcome scores in both groups. Multiple regression analysis did not identify any significant differences between groups. Importantly, female sex did not appear to be a predictor for inferior outcomes. Two patients (4.3%) in the BD group and six patients (4.6%) in the control group required revision arthroscopy during the study period. Favorable outcomes can be expected following the treatment of impingement in borderline dysplastics when labral refixation and capsular closure are performed, with comparable outcomes to non-dysplastic patients. Further follow-up in larger cohorts is necessary to prove the durability and safety of hip arthroscopy in this challenging group and to further explore potential gender-related differences in outcome

Background: The results of arthroscopic anterior labral (Bankart) repair have been shown to have high failure rate in patients with significant glenoid bone loss. Several reconstruction procedures using bone graft have been described to overcome the bone loss, including autogenous coracoid transfer to the anterior glenoid (Latarjet procedure) as well as iliac crest autograft and tibial allografts. In recent years, trends toward minimally invasive shoulder surgery along with improvements in technology and technique have led surgeons to expand the application of arthroscopic treatment. Purpose: This study aims to perform a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data to evaluate the clinical and radiological follow up of patient who underwent anatomic glenoid reconstruction using distal tibia allograft for the treatment of shoulder instability with glenoid bone loss at 1-year post operation time point. Between December 2011 and January 2015, 55 patients underwent arthroscopic stabilisation of the shoulder by means of capsule-labral reattachment to glenoid ream and bony augmentation of glenoid bone loss with distal tibial allograft for recurrent instability of the shoulder. Preoperative and postoperative evaluation included general assessment by the western Ontario shoulder instability index (WOSI) questionnaire, preoperative and postoperative radiographs and CT scans. Fifty-five patients have been evaluated with mean age of 29.73 years at time of the index operation. There were 40 males (mean age of 29.66) and 15 female (mean age of 29.93). Minimum follow up time was 12 months. The following adverse effects were recorded: none suffered from recurrent dislocation, 2 patients suffered from bone resorption but without overt instability, 1 patient had malunion due to screw fracture, None of the patients had nonunion. The mean pre-operative WOSI score was 36.54 and the mean postoperative WOSI score was 61.0. Arthroscopic stabilisation of the shoulder with distal tibia allograft augmentation demonstrates promising result at 1year follow up

Post-traumatic avascular necrosis of the femoral head usually occurs after hip dislocation and femoral neck fracture. Recently along the development of hip arthroscopy, early stage of avascular necrosis of the femoral head can be treated rthroscopically. We hereby present two cases of post-traumatic avascular necrosis patients treated with hip arthroscopy.

Case 1

Twenty one year old female patient came to the hospital because of fall from height of 3 floors. Left acetabular fracture, both superior pubic rami fractures and severely displaced left femoral neck fracture were identified at the emergency department (Fig. 1-A). She underwent surgery at the injury day. After the repair of ruptured urinary bladder, internal fixation of the femoral neck was done. Four cannulated screws with washers were inserted for displaced femoral neck fracture, consistent with garden stage IV (Fig. 1-B). Skeletal traction of ipsilateral lower extremity was applied four weeks after the surgery for acetabular fracture. She visited us for painful limitation of motion on left hip at eight months postoperatively. Plain radiograph showed collapse of femoral head and osteophyte formation which were caused by post-traumatic avascular necrosis (Fig. 1-C,D). Femoral head was perforated by a screw. She was planned to remove the screw and resect the osteophyte arthroscopically. On arthroscopic examination, severe synovitis and folded, collapsed femoral cartilage were identified (Fig. 1-E). Screws were removed and osteophyte were also resected (Fig. 1-F). We filled the cavity caused by the screws with allogenic strut graft for structural support. After the surgery, pain was relieved and she came back to her active daily living and for six months, no other complication nor further collapse were identified postoperatively.

Case 2

Fourty year old male patient was admitted to the hospital for fall from height about fifteen feet from the ground. Left femoral neck fracture was identified on the emergency department. Previously he had underwent intramedullary nailing for the femoral shaft fracture about five years ago. Urgent internal fixation with four cannulated screws was done on the day of injury. The fixation was unsatisfactory because previously inserted intramedullary nail hindered the proper trajectory of screws. Furthermore, direction of cephalad interlocking holes of the nail were not consistent with the anteversion of femoral neck, we could not place the screws through the nail. Four months after the index surgery, collapse of femoral head and loosening of screws have occurred. MRI showed the collapse of femoral head and posttraumatic avascular necrosis. Prominent bony beak of femoral neck were identified and he complained difficulty and pain on his hip during abduction. We left two screws for secure fixation and resected the bony beak using arthroscopic burr. After the surgery, he felt free from the pain on abduction of hip.

This text has been removed at the authors' request.

Introduction

We describe five results of a novel single stage arthroscopic technique for the treatment of articular cartilage defects of the knee. This involves micro drilling and application of Atelo-collagen (Coltrix) and fibrin gel scaffold.

Chondral defects of the knee are common and often seen in young and active individuals. A novel single stage arthroscopic technique for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in the knee is described. This involves microfracture and application of concentrated bone marrow aspirate cells (BMAC) with fibrin and Hyaluronic Acid as a gel. After a representative preclinical study, the 5 year results of a prospective clinical study are presented.

The pre-clinical study involved two groups of rabbits with standardised lesions treated with microfracture alone and microfracture combined with fibrin/HA/BMAC application. New cartilage from both groups was subjected to staining with H&E for tissue morphology, toluidine blue (collagen) and safranin O (GAG), immunohistochemistry with antibodies for collagen type I and II, and scanning and transmission electron microscopy to analyse the microstructural morphologies. The fibrin/HA/BMAC group scored better than the microfracture group on all tests.

A subsequent prospective clinical study patients (n=60) with symptomatic ICRS grade III/IV chondral defects (lesion size 2–8cm2). The surgical procedure involved debridement of the lesion, micro-fracture and application of fibrin/HA/BMAC gel under CO2 insufflation. Patients underwent morphological evaluation with MRI (T2*-mapping and d-GEMRIC scans). Clinical assessment employed the Lysholm, IKDC and KOOS scores while radiological assessment was performed with MOCART score.

At 5 years, Lysholm score was 78, compared to 51 pre-operatively (p<0.05). KOOS (symptomatic) improved to 90 from 66 (p<0.05). IKDC (subjective) went to 80 from 39 (p<0.05). The mean T2* relaxation-times for the repair tissue and native cartilage were 26 and 29.9 respectively. Average MOCART score for all lesions was 70.

This technique shows encouraging clinical results at 5 year follow-up. The morphological MRI shows good cartilage defect filling and the biochemical MRI suggests hyaline like repair tissue.

Introduction

We describe a single stage arthroscopic procedure for the treatment of articular cartilage defects in the knee. The novel procedure involves microdrilling and application of atellocollagen and fibrin gel. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes at 4 years.

We describe a novel single stage arthroscopic repair procedure for articular cartilage defect in the knee. The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes at two years.

The pre-clinical study involved two groups of New Zealand rabbits, treated with microfracture alone and microfracture combined with fibrin gel and concentrated bone marrow aspirate cells (BMAC) application. New cartilage from both groups was studied with histological staining, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy. The fibrin gel-BMAC group scored better than the microfracture group on all counts.

This is a prospective study of 30 patients with symptomatic ICRS grade III/IV chondral defects, ranging from 2–8 cm², which were assessed clinically and radiologically. The surgical procedure involved debridement of the lesion, microfracture and arthroscopic application of concentrated BMAC with fibrin gel under CO₂ insufflation. Patients underwent morphological MRI, quantitative T2*-mapping and d-GEMRIC scan. Clinical assessment was carried out using the Lysholm, IKDC and KOOS scores while radiological assessment used the MOCART score.

At 2 year follow-up, Lysholm score was 80.1, as compared to 50.8 pre-operatively (p < 0.05). KOOS (symptomatic) was 92.1, as compared to 65.7 pre-operatively. IKDC (subjective) was 83, up from 39 preoperatively. The mean T2* relaxation-times for the repair tissue and native cartilage were 29.1 and 29.9 respectively. Average MOCART score for all lesions was 72.

Our technique shows encouraging clinical and radiological results. The morphological MRI shows good cartilage defect filling and the biochemical MRI (T2*-mapping) suggests hyaline like repair tissue.

Knee joint infection after an ACL reconstruction procedure is infrequently but might be a devastating clinical problem, if not diagnosed promptly and treated wisely.

The results of functional outcomes in these patients are not well known because there aren't large patient series in the literature.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and determine the adequate management of septic arthritis following ACL reconstruction and to assess the patient functional outcomes.

The authors conducted a retrospective multicentric analysis of septic arthritis cases occurring after arthroscopically assisted ACL reconstructions (hamstrings and BTB), in patients submitted to surgery between 2010 to 2014. The study reviewed patients submitted do ACL reconstruction, that presented objective clinical suspicion of joint infection, in post-operative acute and sub-acute phases, associated with high inflammatory seric parameters (CRP >=10,0, ESR>=30,0) and synovial effusion laboratory parameters highly suggestive (PMN >=80, leucocytes >=3000).

All this patients were treated with antibiotic empiric suppressive therapy and then directed antibiotherapy according to antibiotic sensitivity profile, then the patients were submitted to arthroscopic lavage procedure, without arthropump, but with debris and fibrotic tissue removal preserving always the ACL plasty. The functional outcomes analyzed were the Lysholm and the IKDC score.

Eleven (2.2 %) out of 490 patients analyzed in the sudy were diagnosed with a post-operative septic arthritis. The microbiologic exams showed coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was present in 5 patients (S. lugdunensis in 4 cases and S. capitis in 1 case), Staphylococcus Aureus in 2 patients (1 MSSA and 1 MRSA). In four patients, the micro-organism was not identified.

The studied patients had a mean follow-up of 28 ± 16 months, the Lysholm score was 74.8 ± 12.2, the IKDC score was 66.4 ± 20.5.

Functional outcomes in the control group were better than those obtained in the infected group.

(Lysholm score 88.2 ± 9.4 (NS); IKDC score 86.6 ± 6.8 (NS). All patients retained their reconstructed ACL. None of the patients relapsed or need other intervention because of ACL failure and chronic instability.

The prevalence of septic arthritis after an ACL reconstruction in this series was 2.2 %, slightly higher than other international series (0.14 to 1.7 %). Arthroscopic lavages along with antibiotic treatment showed to be a secure procedure and allowed the preservation of the ACL plasties, without infection relapse. But the functional outcomes after active intra-articular infection were largely inferior to those obtained in patients without infection, probably to uncontrolled and intense inflammatory local response.

Since its creation, labral repair has become the preferred method among surgeons for the arthroscopic treatment of acetabular labral tears resulting in pain and dysfunction for patients. Labral reconstruction is performed mainly in revision hip arthroscopy but can be used in the primary setting when the labrum cannot be repaired or is calcified. The purpose of this study was to compare the survival between primary labral repair and labral reconstruction with survival defined as no further surgery (revision or total hip replacement). Patients who underwent labral repair or reconstruction between January 2005 and December 2018 in the primary setting were included in the study. Patients were included if they had primary hip arthroscopy with the senior author for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), involving either labral reconstruction or labral repair, and were within the ages of 18 and 65 at the time of surgery. Exclusion criteria included confounding injuries (Leggs Calves Perthes, avascular necrosis, femoral head fracture, etc.), history of unilateral or bilateral hip surgeries, or Tönnis grades of 2 or 3 at the time of surgery. Labral repairs were performed when adequate tissue was available for repair and labral reconstruction was performed when tissue was absent, ossified or torn beyond repair. A total of 501 labral repairs and 114 labral reconstructions performed in the primary setting were included in the study. Labral reconstruction patients were older (37±10) compared to labral repair (34±11).(p=0.021). Second surgeries were required in 19/114 (17%) of labral reconstruction and 40/501(8%) [odds ratio: 2.3; 95% CI 1.3 to 4.2] (p=0.008). Revision hip arthroscopy were required in 6/114(5%) labral reconstructions and 33/501(6.5%) labral repair (p=0.496). Total hip replacement was required in 13/114 labral reconstructions and 7/501 labral repairs [odds ratio:9.1 95%CI 3.5 to 23] (p=< 0.01). The mean survival for the labral repair group was 10.2 years (95%CI:10 to 10.5) and 11.9 years (98%CI:10.9 to 12.8) in the labral reconstruction group. Conversion to total hip was required more often following primary labral reconstruction. Revision hip arthroscopy rates were similar between groups as was the mean survival, with both over 10 years. Similar survival was seen in labral repair and reconstruction when strict patient selection criteria are followed

To evaluate the short-term clinical outcomes of patients treated arthroscopically with chitin-based scaffolding for acetabular chondral defects in conjunction with microfracture compared to microfracture alone. This study is a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. A review of charts was performed (2014–2016) on all patients who underwent hip arthroscopy and had microfracture +/− scaffolding for acetabular chondral defects, intraoperative details (lesion size, grade, labral repair/reconstruction) and postoperative complications were recorded with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Clinical outcomes were assessed by analysing iHOT and HOS scores which were obtained pre-operatively, at six months, one year and two years post-surgery. Plain radiographs were assessed for hip osteoarthritis by Kellgren & Lawrence grading. A total of 60 patients (microfracture=25, scaffolding=35) were included. Patients had a mean age of 36.2 years at the time of the index operation. There were no major adverse events of deep vein 36.2 years at the time of the index operation. There were no major adverse events of deep vein thrombosis, blood vessel or nerve damage, hemarthrosis or device related adverse events in both groups. Two patients were readmitted due to pain as a result of an inflammatory reaction in the scaffolding group. Both treatments of microfracture and scaffolding showed significant improvement in outcome score (iHOT) (p < 0 .001) when compared postoperative to preoperative. Both the arthroscopic treatment of chondral acetabular defects with chitin based scaffolding and microfracture demonstrated significant improvement from their pre-operative outcomes

The primary objective of this study was to establish a safety profile for an all-arthroscopic anatomic glenoid reconstruction via iliac crest autograft augmentation for the treatment of shoulder instability with glenoid bone loss. Short-term clinical and radiological outcomes were also evaluated. This study involved a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data for 14 patients (male 8, female 6) who were treated for shoulder instability with bone loss using autologous iliac crest bone graft between 2014 and 2018. Of 14 patients, 11 were available for follow-up. The safety profile was established by examining intra-operative and post-operative complications such as neurovascular injuries, infections, major bleeding, and subluxations. Assessment of pre-operative and post-operative Western Ontario Shoulder Instability (WOSI) index, radiographs, and CT scans comprised the evaluation of clinical and radiological outcomes. A good safety profile was observed. There was no occurrence of intraoperative complications, neurovascular injuries, adverse events, or major bleeding. One patient did develop an infection in the neurovascular injuries, adverse events, or major bleeding. One patient did develop an infection in the treated shoulder post-surgery. There were no subluxations or positive apprehension tests on clinical examination post-operatively. Short-term clinical outcomes were seen to be favorable WOSI scores at the most recent follow-up were significantly higher than pre-operative scores, with a mean increase of 39.6 ± 10.60 (p = 0.00055). The average follow-up for CT scan was 4.66 (SD± 2.33) months, where all patients showed bone graft union. Arthroscopic treatment of shoulder instability with bone loss via autologous iliac crest bone graft is shown to be a safe operative procedure that results in favorable short-term clinical and radiological outcomes. Further investigations must be done to evaluate the longevity of these positive health outcomes

Abstract. Aim. The aim of this study was to present the results of treatment of displaced lateral clavicle fractures by an arthroscopically inserted tightrope device (‘Dogbone’, Arthrex). Methods. We performed a retrospective series of our patients treated with this technique between 2015 and 2019. Patients were identified using the ‘CRS Millennium’ software package and operation notes/clinic letters were analysed. We performed an Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) on all the patients at final follow-up. Our electronic ‘PACS’ system was used to evaluate union in the post-operative radiographs. Results. We treated 26 patients with displaced lateral clavicle fractures between 2015 and 2019. There were 4 patients who were treated with a ‘dogbone’ and supplementary plate fixation and the remaining 22 were treated with a ‘dogbone’ alone. Radiological union was seen in 22 (84%) patients. The mean Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) was 46. Apart from one patient who required removal of the superior endobutton and knot under local anaesthetic there was no other secondary surgery. There were no cases of infection, nerve injury or frozen shoulder. Conclusions. Arthroscopic ‘dogbone’ treatment of lateral clavicle fractures is a safe, cosmetically friendly technique with promising high rates of fracture union and return to normal function. We recommend its use over the more conventional treatment of a hook plate

Introduction. Snapping scapula symptoms occur due to disruption of the smooth gliding motion between scapula and thoracic cage. Patients present with pain in the scapulothoracic area aggravated by overhead and repetitive shoulder movements. It is often associated with audible and palpable crepitus, clicking, crunching, grating or snapping sensation. Open or arthroscopic scapulothoracic surgical treatment is an option when non-operative treatment modalities fail. The aim of our study was to assess the outcome of scapulothoracic arthroscopic treatment in patients with painful snapping scapula. Methods. Eight patients underwent scapulothoracic arthroscopic treatment for painful snapping scapula. Pre-operatively, all these patients had a trial of conservative treatment modalities for at least 6 months, consisting of activity modification, analgesia and physiotherapy for restoration of normal scapulothoracic kinematics. All patients had a temporary pain relief following a local anaesthetic and steroid injection. We graded the crepitus from 0 to 3 - 0 being no crepitus, 1 being palpable but not audible crepitus, 2 being soft audible crepitus and 3 being loud crepitus. Operations were performed with the patients in either prone or semi-prone position. The arm was placed in the “chicken wing” position (arm in full internal rotation with the hand placed on the back), so that the scapula lifted up from the chest wall. Two portals along the medial border of scapula were used for arthroscopy and instrumentation. In two cases a superior portal was also used. Outcome was assessed by pre and postoperative visual analogue score (VAS) and Oxford Shoulder Score. Pre and postoperative scores were compared using paired t-test. The significance level was set at P <. 05. Results. Of the eight patients included in our study, two were male and six were female patients. Mean age at the time of surgery was 26 years (range 16–34 years). Based on the preoperative clinical and MRI/CT findings and intra-operative arthroscopic findings, five had scapulothoracic bursectomy and 3 had bursectomy and shaving of superomedial border of scapula. Mean follow up was 5 months (Range 2 to 7 months). VAS score improved significantly from a mean of 9.4 preoperatively to 2.4 (P value .0002). There was also a significant improvement in Oxford Shoulder Score from a mean of 8.7 pre-operatively to 34.7 post operatively (P= .0001). Mean crepitus score significantly decreased from 2.6 to 0.3 (p <.0001). In six patients crepitus completely resolved. In two there was residual palpable crepitus but they had good pain relief. All eight patients were happy with the outcome of their surgery and will recommend this procedure to patients with similar symptoms. Conclusion. Arthroscopic scapulothoracic treatment provides significant pain relief and functional improvement for painful snapping scapula symptoms not responding to non surgical treatment modalities

Objectives. Delayed gadolinium enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) is a novel MRI-based technique with intravenous contrast agent that allows an objective quantification of biochemical cartilage properties. It enables a ‘monitoring' of the loss of cartilage glycosaminoglycan content which ultimately leads to osteoarthritis. Data regarding the longitudinal change of cartilage property after joint preserving hip surgery is sparse. We asked (1) if and how the dGEMRIC-index changes in patients undergoing open/arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) one year postoperatively compared to a control group of patients with non-operative treatment; (2) and if a change correlates with the clinical short term outcome. Methods. IRB-approved prospective comparative longitudinal study of two groups involving a total of 61 hips in 55 symptomatic patients with FAI. The ‘operative' group consisted of patients that underwent open/arthroscopic treatment of their pathomorphology. The ‘non-operative' group consisted of conservatively treated patients. Groups were comparable for preoperative radiographic arthritis (Tönnis score), preoperative HOOS- and WOMAC-scores and baseline dGEMRIC indices. All patients eligible for evaluation had preoperative radiographs and dGEMRIC scans at baseline and repeated dGEMRIC scans using the same scanner and protocol. (1) dGEMRIC indices of femoral and acetabular cartilage were assessed separately on the initial and follow-up dGEMRIC scans. Radial images were reformatted from a 3D T1 map for measurements. Regions of interest were placed manually peripherally and centrally within the cartilage based on anatomical landmarks at the 12 ‘hour' position of the clcok-face with the help of radial high-resolution PD-weighted MR images. (2) Patient-reported outcome was evaluated at baseline and at 1 year follow-up: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS). Statistical analysis included Student's t-Tests, Mann-Whitney U-tests and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests (p<0.05). Results. On the acetabular side, the dGEMRIC index decreased significantly (p<0.05) in 17/20 (85%) zones respectively in 21/24 (88%) of femoral zones in the operated group [Fig. 1]. In the non-operative group, no acetabular zone and 2/24 (8%) femoral zones presented with a significant drop [Fig. 2]. After one year the WOMAC and the HOOS scores significantly improved (58±42 to 33±42; p= 0.007 respectively 63±16 to 74±18; p= 0.028) for the operative group, while there was no change (55±45 to 48±50; p= 0.825 respectively 63±14 to 66±19; p= 0.816) for the non-operative group. Discussion. Interestingly joint-preserving surgery for FAI led to a decline in biochemical cartilage properties on MRI at a one year follow-up despite the significant improvement of patient outcome. This short-term phenomenon was described after periacetabular osteotomy for correction of hip dysplasia in literature with a normalization of the dGEMRIC values at 2 years

Arthroscopy of ankle is becoming a common procedure for the diagnosis and treatment of ankle pain. Little information exists regarding the long term prognosis following ankle arthroscopy, particularly in avoiding further major surgery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the prognosis of arthroscopic ankle treatment, based on survival analysis. Also we will formalise the relationship between the arthroscopic treatment and time for a further major ankle surgery. Type of study. Consecutive Case Series study using prospectively gathered data. Methods. Eighty consecutive patients (80 ankles) having ankle arthroscopy (between 1998 and 2000) with the finding of OA or impingement were identified and their outcome at five years ascertained. Results. Fifty-five (69%) patients had soft tissue impingement, and 25 (31%) patients had osteoarthritic degenerative changes. Seven (9%) patients had further major surgery (arthrodesis or arthroplasty) and 6 (8%) had repeat arthroscopy. The surgery was required for 7 arthritic ankles within five years of arthroscopic procedure. Survival analysis showed no statistical significance between those under 50 and those over 50 years in the OA group. Seven (28%) of osteoarthritic patients progress to major ankle surgery, within 5 years of arthroscopic treatment. None of the patients with impingement symptoms required further major surgery. Conclusion. Arthroscopically treated impingement ankles have an excellent prognosis, while osteoarthritic ankles have a less favoured prognosis, with a high proportion requiring further major surgery. Age does not affect prognosis in the OA group

Introduction & Objective. Labral refixation has established as a standard in open or arthroscopic treatment for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). The rationale for this refixation is to maintain the important suction seal in the hip. To date, only few short-term results are available which indicate a superior result in FAI hips with labral refixation compared to labral resection. Scientific evidence of a beneficial effect of labral refixation in the long-term follow-up is lacking. Aim of this study was to evaluate if labral refixation can improve the cumulative 10-year survivorship in hips undergoing surgical hip dislocation for FAI compared to labral resection. Methods. We performed a retrospective comparative study of 59 patients treated with surgical hip dislocation for symptomatic FAI between December 1998 and January 2003. We analyzed two matched groups: The ‘resection’ group consisted of 25 hips that were treated consistently by excision of the damaged labrum. The ‘refixation’ group consisted of 34 hips that were treated with labral reattachment. Correction of the osseous deformity (rim trimming/femoral osteochondroplasty) did not differ between the two groups. We then evaluated the clinical (Merle d'Aubigné score) and radiographical results (according to Tönnis) at a follow-up of ten years. We calculated a cumulative Kaplan-Meier survivorship curve with the following factors as endpoints: conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA), radiographic evidence of osteoarthritis progression, or a poor clinical result (defined as Merle d'Aubigné score of less than 15). The two curves were compared using the Log-rank test. Results. Hips with labral refixation had a significantly higher survivorship (78%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 64–92%) at ten years compared to labral resection (46%, 95% CI 26–66, p=0.008). 7 (20.6%) patients in the refixation group reached an endpoint: 2 with THA; 5 with a poor clinical result, and 5 with progression of OA. 15 (60.0%) patients in the resection group reached an endpoint: 3 with THA; 12 with a poor clinical result, and 4 with progression of OA. Conclusion. This is the first study proving that labral refixation leads to significantly better results in patients 10 years after open surgical hip dislocation for FAI. It seems advisable to preserve the labrum in this patient population whenever possible

There are three major diagnoses that have been associated with early hip degeneration and subsequent hip replacement in young patients: FAI, hip dysplasia and hip osteonecrosis. I will focus mainly on the first two. Both conditions, if diagnosed early in the symptomatic patient, can be surgically treated in order to try to prevent further hip degeneration. But, what is the natural history of these disorders?. Our recent paper published this year described the natural history of hip dysplasia in a group of patients with a contralateral THA. At an average of 20 years, 70% of hips that were diagnosed at Tönnis Grade 0, had progression in degenerative changes with 23% requiring a THA at 20 years. Once the hip degeneration progressed to Tönnis 1, then 60% of hips progressed and required a THA. This natural history study demonstrates that degeneration of a dysplastic hip will occur in over 2/3 of the hips despite the limitations of activity imposed by a contralateral THA. In this same study, we were unable to detect a significant difference in progression between FAI hips and those categorised as normal. FAI damage has been commonly considered to be “motion-induced” and as such, the limitations imposed by the THA, might have limited the progression in hip damage. Needless to say, progression was seen in about half of the hips at 10 years, but very few required a THA at final follow-up. We have recently presented data on a group of young asymptomatic teenagers with FAI. At 5 years of follow-up, the group of patients with limited ROM in flexion and internal rotation, cam deformity and increased alpha angles, depicting a more severe form of disease, showed MRI evidence of progression in hip damage and worst clinical scores than a control group. This data supports our initial impressions that FAI may truly lead to irreversible hip damage. Is surgery always the option? I indicate surgery when the patient is symptomatic and has a correctable structural problem that has failed non-operative management. The data suggests that few patients improve with physical therapy, but activity modification may be an option in patients with FAI as the hip damage is mainly activity related. This may not be the case with hip dysplasia. For hip dysplasia, my current recommendations are in the form of a periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) to correct the structural problem. The procedure leads to improvement in pain as it takes care of the 4 pain generators in the dysplastic hip: the labrum, cartilage, abductors, and resultant instability. The labrum and cartilage are off-loaded with the PAO, the instability is improved by providing containment and the abductor pain is improved by improving the hip mechanics by medializing the acetabulum. I perform a hip arthroscopy prior to the PAO in the majority to treat the labrum and to perform a head neck junction osteochondroplasty, if needed. Correction of the dysplasia to a more normal hip, will improve the outcome of these hips in the long-term. For FAI, arthroscopy has become the best option for management and today is considered the gold standard. A careful review of the imaging is important prior to surgical decision making as patient selection and surgical correction is key. Poor outcomes have been seen in patients with advanced degenerative changes (joint space narrowing, femoral head damage) or in patients with incomplete correction of the deformity. Open surgical correction is an option in cases where deformity precludes an arthroscopic treatment alone