Abstract. Introduction. Total knee replacement (TKR) aims to reduce pain and functional limitations. Despite a good outcome for many, 15–20% patients report chronic pain three months after TKR. The STAR Care Pathway is a clinically important and cost effective treatment to improve pain outcomes over 1 year for people with chronic pain at 3 months after total knee replacement surgery. The care pathway is delivered by specially trained Extended Scope Practitioners (ESPs). There is a gap between research findings and translation into practice. This work shows how the STAR trial findings were implemented into NHS practice at a single centre and the further work required to enable national implementation. Methodology. Trial findings were presented to NHS managers with a business case for an implementation pilot. Trial
Aims. The Oswestry-Bristol Classification (OBC) is an MRI-specific assessment tool to grade trochlear dysplasia. The aim of this study is to validate clinically the OBC by demonstrating its use in selecting treatments that are safe and effective. Methods. The OBC and the patellotrochlear index were used as part of the Oswestry Patellotrochlear Algorithm (OPTA) to guide the surgical treatment of patients with patellar instability. Patients were assigned to one of four treatment groups: medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFLr); MPFLr + tibial tubercle distalization (TTD); trochleoplasty; or trochleoplasty + TTD. A prospective analysis of a longitudinal patellofemoral database was performed. Between 2012 and 2018, 202 patients (233 knees) with a mean age of 24.2 years (SD 8.1), with recurrent patellar instability were treated by two fellowship-trained consultant sports/knee surgeons at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital. Clinical efficacy of each treatment group was assessed by Kujala, International Knee
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. Methods. We reviewed 155 patients (155 knees) who underwent MOHTO from January 2008 to December 2016 followed by second-look arthroscopy with a mean 5.3-year follow-up (2.0 to 11.7). Arthroscopic findings were assessed according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) Cartilage Repair Assessment (CRA) grading system. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of normal or nearly normal quality cartilage in the medial femoral condyle: good (second-look arthroscopic) status (ICRS grade I or II; n = 70), and poor (second-look arthroscopic) status (ICRS grade III or IV; n = 85) groups at the time of second-look arthroscopy. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the International Knee
Aims. MRI has been suggested as an objective method of assessing anterior crucate ligament (ACL) graft “ligamentization” after reconstruction. It has been proposed that the MRI appearances could be used as an indicator of graft maturity and used as part of a return-to-sport assessment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between MRI graft signal and postoperative functional scores, anterior knee laxity, and patient age at operation. Methods. A consecutive cohort of 149 patients who had undergone semitendinosus autograft ACL reconstruction, using femoral and tibial adjustable loop fixations, were evaluated retrospectively postoperatively at two years. All underwent MRI analysis of the ACL graft, performed using signal-to-noise quotient (SNQ) and the Howell score. Functional outcome scores (Lysholm, Tegner, International Knee
Aims. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture commonly leads to post-traumatic osteoarthritis, regardless of surgical reconstruction. This study uses standing MRI to investigate changes in contact area, contact centroid location, and tibiofemoral alignment between ACL-injured knees and healthy controls, to examine the effect of ACL reconstruction on these parameters. Methods. An upright, open MRI was used to directly measure tibiofemoral contact area, centroid location, and alignment in 18 individuals with unilateral ACL rupture within the last five years. Eight participants had been treated nonoperatively and ten had ACL reconstruction performed within one year of injury. All participants were high-functioning and had returned to sport or recreational activities. Healthy contralateral knees served as controls. Participants were imaged in a standing posture with knees fully extended. Results. Participants’ mean age was 28.4 years (SD 7.3), the mean time since injury was 2.7 years (SD 1.6), and the mean International Knee
Aims. Although knee osteoarthritis (OA) is diagnosed and monitored radiologically, actual full-thickness cartilage loss (FTCL) has rarely been correlated with radiological classification. This study aims to analyze which classification system correlates best with FTCL and to assess their reliability. Methods. A prospective study of 300 consecutive patients undergoing unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for OA (mean age 69 years (44 to 91; standard deviation (SD) 9.5), 178 (59%) female). Two blinded examiners independently graded preoperative radiographs using five common systems: Kellgren-Lawrence (KL); International Knee
We sought to determine whether smoking affected the outcome of reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament. We analysed the results of 66 smokers (group 1 with a mean follow-up of 5.67 years (1.1 to 12.7)) and 238 non-smokers (group 2 with a mean follow-up of 6.61 years (1.2 to 11.5)), who were statistically similar in age, gender, graft type, fixation and associated meniscal and chondral pathology. The assessment was performed using the International Knee
Aims. Meniscal allograft transplantation is undertaken to improve pain
and function in patients with a symptomatic meniscal deficient knee
compartment. While case series have shown improvements in patient
reported outcome measures (PROMs), its efficacy has not been rigorously
evaluated. This study aimed to compare PROMs in patients having
meniscal transplantation with those having personalized physiotherapy
at 12 months. Patients and Methods. A single-centre assessor-blinded, comprehensive cohort study,
incorporating a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was performed
on patients with a symptomatic compartment of the knee in which
a (sub)total meniscectomy had previously been performed. They were
randomized to be treated either with a meniscal allograft transplantation
or personalized physiotherapy, and stratified for malalignment of
the limb. They entered the preference groups if they were not willing
to be randomized. The Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS),
International Knee
A total of 218 patients with unilateral anterior cruciate ligament deficiency were randomly assigned to one of four groups. In group A an anatomical double bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed; group B were treated by a single bundle using an Endobutton for femoral fixation; in group C by a single bundle using RigidFix cross pins for femoral fixation; and in group D by a single bundle using a bioabsorbable TransFix II screw for femoral fixation. For tibial fixation a bioabsorbable Intrafix interference screw was used for all the groups and the graft was fashioned from the semitendinosus and gracilis tendons in all patients. In all, 18 patients were lost to follow-up. The remaining 200 were subjected to a clinical evaluation, with assessment of the anterior drawer, Lachman’s and the pivot-shift tests, and KT-1000 arthrometer measurement. They also completed the International Knee
Aims. Our aim was to perform a meta-analysis of the outcomes of revision
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, comparing the use
of different types of graft. Materials and Methods. A search was performed of Medline and Pubmed using the terms
“Anterior Cruciate Ligament” and “ACL” combined with “revision”,
“re-operation” and “failure”. Only studies that reported the outcome
at a minimum follow-up of two years were included. Two authors reviewed
the papers, and outcomes were subdivided into autograft and allograft. Autograft
was subdivided into hamstring (HS) and bone-patellar tendon-bone
(BPTB). Subjective and objective outcome measures were analysed
and odds ratios with confidence intervals were calculated. Results. A total of 32 studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies
used HS autografts, eight reported using BPTB autografts, two used
quadriceps tendon autografts and eight used various types. Seven
studies reported using allografts, while the two remaining used
both BPTB autografts and allografts. Overall, 1192 patients with
a mean age of 28.7 years (22.5 to 39) and a mean follow-up of 5.4
years (2.0 to 9.6) were treated with autografts, while 269 patients
with a mean age of 28.4 years (25 to 34.6) and a mean follow-up
of 4.0 years (2.3 to 6.0) were treated with allografts. Regarding
allografts, irradiation with 2.5 mrad was used in two studies while
the graft was not irradiated in the seven remaining studies. Reconstructions
following the use of autografts had better outcomes than those using
allograft with respect to laxity, measured by KT-1000/2000 (MEDmetric
Corporation) and the rates of complications and re-operations. Those
following the use of allografts had better mean Lysholm and Tegner
activity scores compared with autografts. If irradiated allografts
were excluded from the analysis, outcomes no longer differed between
the use of autografts and allografts. Comparing the types of autograft,
all outcomes were similar except for HS grafts which had better
International Knee
Achievement of accurate microbiological diagnosis prior to revision is key to reducing the high rates of persistent infection after revision knee surgery. The effect of change in the microorganism between the first- and second-stage revision of total knee arthroplasty for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) on the success of management is not clear. A two-centre retrospective cohort study was conducted to review the outcome of patients who have undergone two-stage revision for treatment of knee arthroplasty PJI, focusing specifically on isolated micro-organisms at both the first- and second-stage procedure. Patient demographics, medical, and orthopaedic history data, including postoperative outcomes and subsequent treatment, were obtained from the electronic records and medical notes.Aims
Methods
Aims. Different methods of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction
have been described for skeletally immature patients before closure
of the growth plates. However, the outcome and complications following
this treatment remain unclear. The aim of this systematic review
was to analyse the outcome and complications of different techniques
which may be used for reconstruction of the ACL in these patients. Materials and Methods. We performed a systematic review of the literature according
to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
guidelines. This involved a comprehensive search of PubMed, Medline,
CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase and Google Scholar databases using the
following combinations of keywords, “knee”, “anterior cruciate ligament”,
“reconstruction”, “injury”, “children”, “adolescent”, “skeletally
immature”, “open physis” and “surgery”. Results. A total of 53 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included
for analysis. The overall rate of disturbance of growth after ACL
reconstruction was 2.6%, with no statistical difference between
transphyseal and physeal-sparing techniques. Physeal-sparing techniques
had a lower rate of post-operative complications compared with transphyseal techniques
(p = 0.0045). Outcomes assessed were Lysholm score, International
Knee
Aims. The purpose of this study was to report the experience of dynamic
intraligamentary stabilisation (DIS) using the Ligamys device for
the treatment of acute ruptures of the anterior cruciate ligament
(ACL). Patients and Methods. Between March 2011 and April 2012, 50 patients (34 men and 16
women) with an acute rupture of the ACL underwent primary repair
using this device. The mean age of the patients was 30 years (18
to 50). Patients were evaluated for laxity, stability, range of
movement (ROM), Tegner, Lysholm, International Knee
Implantation of ultra-purified alginate (UPAL) gel is safe and effective in animal osteochondral defect models. This study aimed to examine the applicability of UPAL gel implantation to acellular therapy in humans with cartilage injury. A total of 12 patients (12 knees) with symptomatic, post-traumatic, full-thickness cartilage lesions (1.0 to 4.0 cm2) were included in this study. UPAL gel was implanted into chondral defects after performing bone marrow stimulation technique, and assessed for up to three years postoperatively. The primary outcomes were the feasibility and safety of the procedure. The secondary outcomes were self-assessed clinical scores, arthroscopic scores, tissue biopsies, and MRI-based estimations.Aims
Methods
We have investigated whether shape of the knee
can predict the clinical outcome of patients after an anterior cruciate
ligament rupture. We used statistical shape modelling to measure
the shape of the knee joint of 182 prospectively followed patients
on lateral and Rosenberg view radiographs of the knee after a rupture
of the anterior cruciate ligament. Subsequently, we associated knee
shape with the International Knee
The aim of this study was to assess the effect
of injecting genetically engineered chondrocytes expressing transforming
growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) into the knees of patients with osteoarthritis.
We assessed the resultant function, pain and quality of life. . A total of 54 patients (20 men, 34 women) who had a mean age
of 58 years (50 to 66) were blinded and randomised (1:1) to receive
a single injection of the active treatment or a placebo. We assessed
post-treatment function, pain severity, physical function, quality
of life and the incidence of treatment-associated adverse events. Patients
were followed at four, 12 and 24 weeks after injection. At final follow-up the treatment group had a significantly greater
improvement in the mean International Knee
Introduction. In November 2017, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized the 2018 Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System rule that removed total knee arthroplasty (TKA) procedures from the Medicare inpatient-only (IPO) list of procedures. This action had significant and unexpected consequences. For several years, CMS has utilized a rule called the “Two-Midnight Rule” to define outpatient status for all procedures not on the IPO list. CMS made TKA subject to the “Two-Midnight Rule” in conjunction with the decision to move TKA off the IPO list. According to the “Two-Midnight Rule,” a hospital admission should be expected to span at least two midnights in order to be covered as an inpatient procedure. If it can be reliably expected that the patient will not require at least two midnights in the hospital, the “Two-Midnight Rule” suggests that the patient is considered an outpatient and is therefore subject to outpatient payment policies. Under prior guidance related to the “Two-Midnight Rule;” however, CMS also states that Medicare may treat some admissions spanning less than two midnights as inpatient procedures if the patient record contains
The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus physical therapy plus optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in young patients aged under 45 years with traumatic meniscal tears. We conducted a multicentre, open-labelled, randomized controlled trial in patients aged 18 to 45 years, with a recent onset, traumatic, MRI-verified, isolated meniscal tear without knee osteoarthritis. Patients were randomized to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or standardized physical therapy with an optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy after three months of follow-up. We performed a cost-utility analysis on the randomization groups to compare both treatments over a 24-month follow-up period. Cost utility was calculated as incremental costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy compared to physical therapy. Calculations were performed from a healthcare system perspective and a societal perspective.Aims
Methods
Between 1993 and 1994, 891 patients underwent
primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. A total
of 48 patients had undergone bilateral ACL reconstruction and
42 were available for review. These patients were matched to a unilateral
ACL reconstruction control group for gender, age, sport of primary
injury, meniscal status and graft type. At 15-year follow-up a telephone
interview with patients in both groups was performed. The incidence
of further ACL injury was identified through structured questions
and the two groups were compared for the variables of graft rupture
or further ACL injury, family history of ACL injury, International
Knee
Summary. Despite adoption of robust clinical pathways, narcotic administration within the inpatient setting is highly variable and may benefit from the implementation of standardized multi-modal pain management protocols. Introduction. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) candidates have historically received high doses of opioids within the perioperative period for the management of surgical pain. Healthcare systems have responded by improving opioid prescribing