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

Aims. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to compare the influence of patellar resurfacing following cruciate-retaining (CR) and posterior-stabilized (PS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on the incidence of anterior knee pain, knee-specific patient-reported outcome measures, complication rates, and reoperation rates. Methods. A systematic review of MEDLINE, PubMed, and Google Scholar was performed to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) according to search criteria. Search terms used included: arthroplasty, replacement, knee (Mesh), TKA, prosthesis, patella, patellar resurfacing, and patellar retaining. RCTs that compared patellar resurfacing versus unresurfaced in primary TKA were included for further analysis. Studies were evaluated using the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network assessment tool for quality and minimization of bias. Data were synthesized and meta-analysis performed. Results. There were 4,135 TKAs (2,068 resurfaced and 2,027 unresurfaced) identified in 35 separate cohorts from 33 peer-reviewed studies. Anterior knee pain rates were significantly higher in unresurfaced knees overall (odds ratio (OR) 1.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20 to 2.83; p = 0.006) but more specifically associated with CR implants (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.0 to 3.52; p = 0.030). There was a significantly better Knee Society function score (mean difference (MD) -1.98; 95% CI -1.1 to -2.84; p < 0.001) and Oxford Knee Score (MD -2.24; 95% CI -0.07 to -4.41; p = 0.040) for PS implants when patellar resurfacing was performed, but these differences did not exceed the minimal clinically important difference for these scores. There were no significant differences in complication rates or infection rates according to implant design. There was an overall significantly higher reoperation rate for unresurfaced TKA (OR 1.46 (95% CI 1.04 to 2.06); p = 0.030) but there was no difference between PS or CR TKA. Conclusion. Patellar resurfacing, when performed with CR implants, resulted in lower rates of anterior knee pain and, when used with a PS implant, yielded better knee-specific functional outcomes. Patellar resurfacing was associated with a lower risk of reoperation overall, but implant type did not influence this. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(6):622–634

Aims. Distal femoral resection in conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA) utilizes an intramedullary guide to determine coronal alignment, commonly planned for 5° of valgus. However, a standard 5° resection angle may contribute to malalignment in patients with variability in the femoral anatomical and mechanical axis angle. The purpose of the study was to leverage deep learning (DL) to measure the femoral mechanical-anatomical axis angle (FMAA) in a heterogeneous cohort. Methods. Patients with full-limb radiographs from the Osteoarthritis Initiative were included. A DL workflow was created to measure the FMAA and validated against human measurements. To reflect potential intramedullary guide placement during manual TKA, two different FMAAs were calculated either using a line approximating the entire diaphyseal shaft, and a line connecting the apex of the femoral intercondylar sulcus to the centre of the diaphysis. The proportion of FMAAs outside a range of 5.0° (SD 2.0°) was calculated for both definitions, and FMAA was compared using univariate analyses across sex, BMI, knee alignment, and femur length. Results. The algorithm measured 1,078 radiographs at a rate of 12.6 s/image (2,156 unique measurements in 3.8 hours). There was no significant difference or bias between reader and algorithm measurements for the FMAA (p = 0.130 to 0.563). The FMAA was 6.3° (SD 1.0°; 25% outside range of 5.0° (SD 2.0°)) using definition one and 4.6° (SD 1.3°; 13% outside range of 5.0° (SD 2.0°)) using definition two. Differences between males and females were observed using definition two (males more valgus; p < 0.001). Conclusion. We developed a rapid and accurate DL tool to quantify the FMAA. Considerable variation with different measurement approaches for the FMAA supports that patient-specific anatomy and surgeon-dependent technique must be accounted for when correcting for the FMAA using an intramedullary guide. The angle between the mechanical and anatomical axes of the femur fell outside the range of 5.0° (SD 2.0°) for nearly a quarter of patients. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(2):101–108

Abstract. Introduction. Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) is a common procedure, primarily performed in active, young patients to treat knee pain and functional limitations resulting from cartilage injury. Nevertheless, the functional outcomes of ACI remain poorly understood. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the biomechanical outcomes of ACI. Methodology. Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched using the terms ‘Knee OR Knee joint AND Autologous chondrocyte implantation OR ACI’. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen publications by title, abstract, and full text. Study quality and bias were assessed by two reviewers. PROSPERO ID: CRD42021238768. Results. 28 articles including 35 ACI cohorts were included in this review. The average range of motion (ROM) was found to improve with clinical significance (>5˚) and statistical significance (p < 0.05) postoperatively: 133.9 ± 5.5˚ to 139.2 ± 4.9˚ (n=12). Knee strength significantly improved within the first two postoperative years, but remained poorer than control groups at final follow-up (n=17). No statistical differences were found between ACI and control groups in their ability to perform functional activities like the 6-minute walk test. However, peak external knee extension and adduction moments during gait were significantly poorer in ACI patients when compared to controls. Conclusion. Generally, functional outcomes improved with clinical and statistical significance following ACI. However, knee strengths and external knee moments during gait remain significantly poorer than healthy controls, particularly >2-years postoperatively. Thus, ACI patients likely require targeted strength training as part of their rehabilitation programme

Introduction. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is faced with a challenge of decreasing the cost of care for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but must make efforts to prevent patient selection bias in the process. Currently, no appropriate modifier codes exist for primary TKA based on case complexity. We sought to determine differences in perioperative parameters for patients with “complex” primary TKA with the hypothesis that they would require increased cost of care, prolonged care times, and have worse postoperative outcome metrics. Methods. We performed a single center retrospective review from 2015 to 2018 of all primary TKA. Patient demographics, medial proximal tibial angle (mPTA), lateral distal femoral angle (lDFA), flexion contracture, cost of care, and early postoperative outcomes were collected. ‘Complex’ patients were defined as those requiring stems or augments, and multivariable logistic regression analysis and propensity score matching were performed to evaluate perioperative outcomes. Results. 1046 primary TKA were studied and 84 patients (8.3%) were classified as “complex”. For this cohort, surgery duration was greater (117 vs 82 minutes; p<0.001), cost of care excessive (p<0.001), and patients had a greater likelihood for 90-day hospital return. Deviation of mPTA and lDFA was significantly greater preoperatively before and after propensity score matching. Cutpoint analysis demonstrated that preoperative mPTA <83o or >91o, lDFA <84o or >90o, flexion contracture >10o, and BMI > 35.7 were associated with ‘Complex’ procedures. Conclusions. Complex primary TKA may be identifiable preoperatively and are associated prolonged operative time, excess hospital cost of care and increased 90-day hospital returns. This should be considered in future reimbursement models to prevent patient selection bias, and a complexity modifier is warranted

Introduction. Bundled reimbursement models for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have resulted in an effort to decrease the cost of care. However, these models may incentivize bias in patient selection to avoid excess cost of care. We sought to determine the impact of the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model at a single center. Methods. This is a retrospective review of primary TKA patients from July 2015-December 2017. Patients were stratified by whether or not their surgery was performed before or after implementation of the CJR bundle. Patient demographic data including age, sex, and BMI were collected in addition to Elixhauser comorbidities and ASA score. In-hospital outcomes were then examined including surgery duration, length of stay, discharge disposition, and direct cost of care. Results. 1,248 TKA patients (546 Medicare and 702 Commercial Insurance) were evaluated, with 27.0% undergoing surgery prior to the start of the bundle. Compared to patients following implementation of the bundle, there was no significant difference in age, gender, or BMI. However, pre-CJR Medicare patients were more likely to have fewer Elixhauser comorbidities (p<0.001), prolonged length of stay (p<0.001), and greater discharges to inpatient facilities (p=0.019). There was no significant difference in direct hospital costs or operative service time comparing pre and post bundle patients. Conclusions. Implementation of the bundled reimbursement model did not result in biased patient selection at our institution; importantly, it also did not result in decreased hospital costs despite apparent improvement in value-based outcome metrics. This should be taken into consideration as future adaptations to reimbursement are made by CMS. For figures, tables, or references, please contact authors directly

Aims. It has been hypothesized that a unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is more likely to be revised than a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) because conversion surgery to a primary TKA is a less complicated procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a lower threshold for revising a UKA compared with TKA based on Oxford Knee Scores (OKSs) and range of movement (ROM) at the time of revision. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 619 aseptic revision cases performed between December 1998 and October 2018. This included 138 UKAs that underwent conversion to TKA and 481 initial TKA revisions. Age, body mass index (BMI), time in situ, OKS, and ROM were available for all patients. Results. There were no differences between the two groups based on demographics or time to revision. The top reasons for aseptic TKA revision were loosening in 212 (44%), instability in 88 (18%), and wear in 69 (14%). UKA revision diagnoses were primarily for loosening in 50 (36%), progression of osteoarthritis (OA) in 50 (36%), and wear in 17 (12%). Out of a maximum 48 points, the mean OKS of the UKAs before revision was 23 (SD 9.3), which was significantly higher than the TKAs at 19.2 (SD 9.8; p < 0.001). UKA patients scored statistically better on nine of the 12 individual OKS questions. The UKA cases also had a larger pre-revision mean ROM (114°, SD 14.3°) than TKAs (98°, SD 25°) ; p < 0.001). Conclusion. At revision, the mean UKA OKSs and ROM were significantly better than those of TKA cases. This study suggests that at our institution there is a difference in preoperative OKS between UKA and TKA at the time of revision, demonstrating a revision bias. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(6 Supple A):91–95

Introduction. Both mobile bearing and fixed bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) have demonstrated clinical success. However, much debate persists about the superiority of a single design. Currently most clinical data is based on high volume centers data, however to reduce bias, we undertook a through review of retrospective national joint registries. In this study, we aim to investigate UKA implant utilization and survivorship between 2000 and 2018. Methods. Ten annual joint registry reports of various nations were reviewed. Due to the variable statistical methods of reporting implant use and survivorship we focused on three registries: Australia (AOANJRR), New Zealand (NZJR), United Kingdom (NJR) for uniformity. We evaluated UKA usage, survivorship, utilization and revision rates for each implant. Implant survivorship was reported in the registries and was compared within nations due to variation in statistical reporting. Results. UKAs accounted for 7.24–10.3% of all primary knee surgeries. The most popular implants were, in order of popularity, the Oxford (ZimmerBiomet, Warsaw IN), ZUK (Smith & Nephew, Memphis TN / LimaCorporate, Udine, Italy), Sigma HP (DePuy, Warsaw IN), Miller-Galante (ZimmerBiomet Warsaw IN), and Preservation (DePuy, Warsaw IN) models. UKA revision rates varied by nation and ranged from 8.22%–12.8%. The Sigma HP and ZUK designs had the lowest total percent revised in the registries-Australian (3.6% and 5.1%, respectively) and New Zealand (2.5% and 1.96%, respectively)-and demonstrated among the highest 10-year survivorship in the United Kingdom registry. The United Kingdom registry reports a greater number of mobile versus fixed bearing UKA undergoing revision for dislocation and/or subluxation and instability. Conclusion. Preference for implant design as well as survivorship rates varied significantly by nation. The fixed bearing ZUK and Sigma HP implants were among the highest performing implants across the three registries

Introduction. The proportion of arthroplasties performed in the ambulatory setting has increased substantially. However, concerns remain regarding whether same-day discharge may increase the risk of complications. The purpose of this study was to compare 90-day outcomes between inpatients and patients having surgery at an ambulatory surgery center (ASC). Methods. Among a single-surgeon cohort of 721 patients who underwent arthroplasty at a free-standing ASC, 611 (84.7%) were matched one-to-one to inpatients based on age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, and Body Mass Index (110 patients could not be adequately matched). The cohort included 208 total hip arthroplasties (34.0%), 196 total knee arthroplasties (32.1%), 178 unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (29.1%), 25 hip resurfacings (4.1%), two revision hip arthroplasties (0.3%) and two revision knee arthroplasties (0.3%). Post-operative outcomes including readmissions, reoperations, unplanned clinic visits, emergency department visits, and complications were compared. Complications were classified as either major (i.e. death, periprosthetic joint infection, pulmonary embolism) or as minor (i.e. delayed wound healing, rashes, urinary retention). Results. The inpatient and outpatient groups were similar in all demographic variables, reflecting successful matching. The rates of any complications (4.1% outpatient vs. 5.1% inpatient, p=0.41), minor complications (2.6% vs. 3.4%; p=0.40), readmissions (1.6% vs. 2.0%; p= 0.67), reoperations (0.7% vs. 1.1%; p=0.36), and unplanned clinic visits (5.4% vs 6.7%; p=0.34) were all lower amongst the outpatient group but did not reach significance with the sample size studied. The rate of major complications was the same in both groups (1.6% for both; p=1.0) while patients who underwent surgery at an ASC had significantly fewer emergency department visits (1.0% vs. 3.1%; p=0.009). Conclusions. Arthroplasty performed in the ambulatory setting appears to be safe in properly selected patients. However, this finding may be partly due to selection bias and intangible characteristics that were not adequately controlled for through matching

Aims. Our unit was identified as a negative outlier in the national patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) programme, which has significant funding implications. As a centre that carries out a high volume of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), our objectives were: 1) to determine whether the PROMs programme included primary UKA when calculating the gain in Oxford Knee Score (OKS); and 2) to determine the impact of excluding primary UKA on calculated OKS gains for primary knee arthroplasty. Materials and Methods. National PROMs data from England (2012 to 2016) were analyzed. Inclusion of UKA cases in the national PROMs programme was determined using clinical codes. Local OKS gain was calculated for UKA and TKA and compared with the published PROMs results for 2012/13. Results. Use of the recommended codes for primary UKA excluded 99.6% of UKAs locally and 97% nationally from PROMs programme analysis. Inclusion of primary UKAs in PROMs analysis improved our OKS gain from 15.1 (below average) to 16.3 (above average) for 2012/13 for primary knee arthroplasty. Conclusion. Exclusion of UKA patients from the PROMs programme is a nationwide issue that potentially introduces bias when comparing OKS gain between centres. Where commissioning decisions are based on routinely collected data, it is imperative that the underlying methodology is appropriate to generate valid results

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

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Loosening of components after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be associated with the development of radiolucent lines (RLLs). The aim of this study was to assess the rate of formation of RLLs in the cemented original design of the ATTUNE TKA and their relationship to loosening.

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This study aims to identify the top unanswered research priorities in the field of knee surgery using consensus-based methodology.

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This study investigates whether primary knee arthroplasty (KA) restores health-related quality of life (HRQoL) to levels expected in the general population.

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The aim of this study was to establish consensus statements on the diagnosis, nonoperative management, and indications, if any, for medial patellofemoral complex (MPFC) repair in patients with patellar instability, using the modified Delphi approach.

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Revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) is a technically challenging and costly procedure. It is well-documented that primary TKA (pTKA) have better survivorship than rTKA; however, we were unable to identify any studies explicitly investigating previous rTKA as a risk factor for failure following rTKA. The purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes following rTKA between patients undergoing index rTKA and those who had been previously revised.

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To identify variables independently associated with same-day discharge (SDD) of patients following revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) and to develop machine learning algorithms to predict suitable candidates for outpatient rTKA.

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The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of revision indications for unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and any change to this pattern for UKA patients over the last 20 years, and to investigate potential associations to changes in surgical practice over time.

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This multicentre retrospective observational study’s aims were to investigate whether there are differences in the occurrence of radiolucent lines (RLLs) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) between the conventional Attune baseplate and its successor, the novel Attune S+, independent from other potentially influencing factors; and whether tibial baseplate design and presence of RLLs are associated with differing risk of revision.

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In-hospital length of stay (LOS) and discharge dispositions following arthroplasty could act as surrogate measures for improvement in patient pathways, and have major cost saving implications for healthcare providers. With the ever-growing adoption of robotic technology in arthroplasty, it is imperative to evaluate its impact on LOS. The objectives of this study were to compare LOS and discharge dispositions following robotic arm-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RO TKA) and unicompartmental arthroplasty (RO UKA) versus conventional technique (CO TKA and UKA).