Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent joint diseases involving progressive and degenerative changes to cartilage resulting from a variety of etiologies including post-traumatic incident or aging. OA lesions can be treated at its early stages through cell-based tissue engineering therapies using Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs). In vivo models for evaluating these strategies, have described both chondral (impaction) and osteochondral (biopsy punch) defects. The aim of the investigation was to develop a compact and reproducible defect inducing post-traumatic degenerative changes mimicking early OA. Additionally, a pilot study to evaluate the efficacy of MSC-hydrogel treatment was also assessed. Surgery was performed on New Zealand white rabbits (male, 5–8 months old) with defects created on medial femoral condyle. For developing an appropriate defect, three approaches were used for evaluation: a biopsy punch (n = three at six and twelve weeks), an impaction device1 (n = three at six and twelve weeks) and a dental drill model (n = six at six and twelve weeks). At stated time points, condyles were harvested and decalcified in 10% EDTA, then embedded in Tissue-Tek and sectioned using a cryostat. Upon identification of region of interest, sections were stained with Safranin-O/Fast green and scored using OARSI scoring system by two blinded observers2. For the pilot study, autologous bone marrow was harvested from rabbits and used to isolate and expand MSCs. The Dental drill model was applied to both knee condyles, left untreated for six weeks at which stage, PKH26 fluorescently labelled MSCs were seeded into a hyaluronic acid hydrogel (TETEC). Repair tissue was removed from both condyles and MSC-hydrogel was injected into the left knee, whilst right knee was left empty. Rabbits were sacrificed at one (n = 1), six (n = 3) and twelve (n = 3) weeks post-treatment, processed as previously described and cartilage regeneration evaluated using Sellers score3. Impacted condyles exhibited no observed changes histologically (Mean OARSI score = 1 + 1), whereas biopsy punched and dental drilled defects demonstrated equal signs of cartilage erosion (OARSI score = 3 + 1) at assessed time points. However, biopsy punched condyles formed a diffusive defect, whereas dental drilled condyles showed a more defined, compact and reproducible defect. In the pilot study, PKH-labelled MSCs were observed at one and six weeks post-implantation within the defect space where hydrogel was injected. Tissue regeneration assessment indicated no difference between empty (Mean Sellers score = 14 + 2) and MSC treated defects (Sellers score = 16 + 5) at six weeks post-injection. At twelve weeks, MSC treated defects showed improved tissue regeneration with substantial subchondral bone restoration and good integration of regenerative cartilage with surrounding intact tissue (Sellers score = 10 + 1), whereas untreated defects showed no change in regeneration compared to six weeks (Sellers score = 16 + 2). Dental drill model was found to be the appropriate strategy for investigating early OA progression and treatment. Application of MSCs in defects showed good cartilage regeneration after twelve weeks application, indicating their promise in the treatment of early OA defects

Background. It is still controversial whether “labral tear” in the pelvis or “pincer type's femoroacetabular impingement syndrome” should be considered a pathologic lesion, and whether they cause the early onset of osteoarthritis in the pelvis. Hypothesis. The disruption of chondrolabral junction causes degenerative change on hip joint, and the disruption of the vessel tissue to the labrum induces the rapidly progressive degeneration of outside in osteoarthritis changes. Methods. Femoral acetabulum has been escaped from the chondrolabral junction and expanded to the acetabulum inside or outward. Therefore we report the cases. Results. We found cases which has chondrolabral junction disruptive slippage, and disruption of the vessel tissue and inverted or everted labral pathologic lesion, which we named COLADIS, chondrolabral junction disruptive slippage. Conclusion. COLADIS (chondrolabral junction disruptive slippage) caused symptoms on patient's hip, and may be the pre-pathologic lesion of early osteoarthritis

INTRODUCTION. There is no effective therapy available today that alters the pathobiologic course of osteoarthritis. Recent advances have shown Mesenchymal stem cells to be a potential disease modifying treatment. Considering the tissue differentiation property and vast paracrine effects of MSCs we proposed the present study to find out the safety and efficacy of Mesenchymal stem cells in osteoarthritis of knee joint. METHODS. 12 patients with grade 1and2 bilateral osteoarthritis knee (Ahlbacks radiological grading) were selected. 8–10 ml of bone marrow was aspirated under strict aseptic precautions from the iliac spine. After the stem cell culture and expansion for 4–6 weeks the MSC suspension in 10xPBS was injected directly into the 24 knees by lateral approach. The outcome was evaluated by modified VAS score, WOMAC score, KOOS and MRI measurement of knee articular cartilage integrity by the modified WORMS score. RESULTS. Statistically significant improvement in VAS score, total WOMAC score and total KOOS score was observed from pre injection to 1st follow up at 6 weeks, 2nd follow up at 6 months and final follow up of mean 26.7 months. There was also a significant improvement from 1st follow up to 2nd and final follow up. The modified WORMS score showed a statistically significant decrease of 1.49 %. CONCLUSION. Intra-articular injection of autologous bone marrow derived culture-expanded MSCs can be considered a potential treatment of early osteoarthritis knee which relieves pain, stiffness, improves physical functions, and improves the articular cartilage integrity

INTRODUCTION

The major loss of articular cartilage in medial osteoarthritis occurs in a central band on the distal femur, and in the center of the tibial plateau (Figure). This is consistent with varus deformity due to cartilage loss and meniscal degeneration, together with the sliding regions in walking. Treatment at an early stage such as KL grade 2 or 3, has the advantages of little bone deformity and cruciate preservation, and could be accomplished by resurfacing only the arthritic areas with Early Intervention (EI) components. Such components would need to be geometrically compatible with the surrounding bearing surfaces, to preserve continuity and stability. However because of the relatively small surface area covered, compared with total knees and even unicompartmentals, it is hypothesized that EI components will be an accurate fit on a population of knees with only a small number of sizes, and that accuracy can be maintained without requiring right-left components. We examined this hypothesis using unique design and methodology.

Early stabilisation after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture reduces future meniscal injury. We may therefore expect protection of articular cartilage from ACL reconstruction, but this has yet to be shown. Our aim wasto determine the effect of meniscal injury on the long term risk of osteoarthritis (OA) following ACL reconstruction using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT, a 3 dimensional radionuclide scan). We studied a prospective series of 31 patients (mean age at injury of 29 years) who had bone-patellar tendon-bone ACL reconstruction for unstable, ACL deficient knees. Mean follow-up was 10 years (range 9-13). Patients were separated into two groups according to the status of their menisci at the time of ACL reconstruction, those with intact menisci in group 1 (n=15) and those who required partial meniscectomy in group 2 (n=16). The contra-lateral normal knee was used as a control. All knees were clinically stable with high clinical scores (mean Lysholm score 93 and mean Tegner activity score 6). In group 1 (intact menisci) only one patient (7%) had clinical symptoms of OA and was the only patient with increased uptake on SPECT compatible with early OA. In group 2 (partial meniscectomy), two had clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis, and five patients (32%) had increased uptake on SPECT compatible with early OA. None of the control knees had early OA on SPECT. The prevalence of OA 10 years post ACL reconstruction, using the most sensitive investigation available, is very low in patients who had intact menisci (7%), but increases 5 fold (32%) if a meniscal tear was present. We recommend early ACL reconstruction to preserve the menisci to minimise the long term risk of OA

Background. Artificial total knee designs have revolutionized over time, yet 20% of the population still report dissatisfaction. The standard implants fail to replicate native knee kinematic functionality due to mismatch of condylar surfaces and non-anatomically placed implantation. (Daggett et al 2016; Saigo et al 2017). It is essential that the implant surface matches the native knee to prevent Instability and soft tissue impingement. Our goal is to use computational modeling to determine the ideal shapes and orientations of anatomically-shaped components and test the accuracy of fit of component surfaces. Methods. One hundred MRI scans of knees with early osteoarthritis were obtained from the NIH Osteoarthritis Initiative, converted into 3D meshes, and aligned via an anatomic coordinate system algorithm. Geomagic Design X software was used to determine the average anterior-posterior (AP) length. Each knee was then scaled in three dimensions to match the average AP length. Geomagic's least-squares algorithm was used to create an average surface model. This method was validated by generating a statistical shaped model using principal component analysis (PCA) to compare to the least square's method. The averaged knee surface was used to design component system sizing schemes of 1, 3, 5, and 7 (fig 1). A further fifty arthritic knees were modeled to test the accuracy of fit for all component sizing schemes. Standard deviation maps were created using Geomagic to analyze the error of fit of the implant surface compared to the native femur surface. Results. The average shape model derived from Principal Component Analysis had a discrepancy of 0.01mm and a standard deviation of 0.05mm when compared to Geomagic least squares. The bearing surfaces showed a very close fit within both models with minimal errors at the sides of the epicondylar line (fig 2). The surface components were lined up posteriorly and distally on the 50 femurs. Statistical Analysis of the mesh deviation maps between the femoral condylar surface and the components showed a decrease in deviation with a larger number of sizes reducing from 1.5 mm for a 1-size system to 0.88 mm for a 7-size system (table 1). The femoral components of a 5 or 7-size system showed the best fit less than 1mm. The main mismatch was on the superior patella flange, with maximum projection or undercut of 2 millimeters. Discussion and Conclusion. The study showed an approach to total knee design and technique for a more accurate reproduction of a normal knee. A 5 to 7 size system was sufficient, but with two widths for each size to avoid overhang. Components based on the average anatomic shapes were an accurate fit on the bearing surfaces, but surgery to 1-millimeter accuracy was needed. The results showed that an accurate match of the femoral bearing surfaces could be achieved to better than 1 millimeter if the component geometry was based on that of the average femur. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is a common risk factor of early osteoarthritis (OA), with insufficient coverage of the femoral head by the acetabulum which leads to excessive cartilage stresses in the hip joint. Knowledge of the molecular health of cartilage using MRI may diagnose and stage chondral disease, but more importantly allows for treatment stratification and prognostication. Delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) is a validated MRI technique for detecting early loss of proteoglycan (PG). However, it requires an injection of contrast agent and exercise prior to the scan. MRI techniques such as T1ρ and T2 mapping have also been shown to be sensitive to early biochemical changes in cartilage but can be performed without any contrast injection. In this study we evaluate three quantitative MR techniques (dGEMRIC, T1ρ and T2 mapping) in patients with DDH. Our hypothesis is that both T1ρ and T2 correlate with dGEMRIC, and thus may be effective non-contrast based techniques for biochemical cartilage mapping in DDH hips. Seven informed and consented patients (mean age: 31.1 years) with DDH were enrolled in this IRB approved MRI study before surgery. DDH was defined as a lateral center-edge angle under 25º and acetabular index >13º on the plain x-ray. All subjects underwent two successive MRI sessions at 3T: In the first cartilage T1ρ and T2 mapping were performed. After leaving the scanner the subjects were injected with 0.4ml/kg Dotarem (i.v.), walked for 15min and rested for 25min before returning into the MRI. dGEMRIC (T1post) mapping was initiated approximately 45min after the injection. Image post-processing, registration and cartilage segmentation was performed with Matlab. The joint was subdivided into anterior and posterior regions in the sagittal plane and into lateral, intermediate and medial zones in the transverse plane, resulting in six region of interest (ROIs): antero-lateral, antero-intermediate, antero-medial, postero-lateral, postero-intermediate and postero-medial. The correlation between the dGEMRIC and T1ρ and dGEMRIC and T2 were evaluated using Spearman's Rho and tested for significance. The analysis of all six cartilage ROIs for all subjects resulted in a significant (p < 0 .001) negative correlation (Rho = −0.50) between the dGEMRIC index (T1post) and the T1ρ relaxation time. The dGEMRIC index and T2 correlated positive (Rho = 0.55) and significant (p < 0 .001). Although this pilot study has a small sample size a negative correlation between dGEMRIC and T1ρ was found in patients with DDH. Both methods are known to probe the PG content of cartilage, where a decreased PG content leads to lower dGEMRIC index and an increased T1ρ value. The correlation coefficient was moderate, but significant, which shows that T1ρ mapping as an effective tool to probe the cartilage PG content similar to dGEMRIC. A comparable, but positive correlation was found between dGEMRIC and T2. T2 is sensitive to the cartilage collagen content with a decreased T2 value in degenerated cartilage. In symptomatic DDH, where an onset of OA is assumed, both PG depletion and collagen decay are in progress and can be evaluated using these mapping techniques

INTRODUCTION:. One common surgical treatment of even early OA is the implantation of a Total Joint Arthroplasty. In case of younger patients this procedure is questionable. The present study investigates the behaviour of a new silk derived scaffold supplied by Orthox Ltd. (Abingdon, UK) in an in vivo sheep model. This scaffold allows replacing the damaged areas with a resurfacing technique and will avoid the implantation of a total joint in cases of early OA. METHODS:. The scaffolds where derived from silk fibres by processing into a composite of an open porous matrix in combination with a fibres mash with the same material and covered with a smooth surface. During the process the fluid silk can be casted in any shape. Eight sheep (4 ± 1 years) underwent a surgery where a large defect (2×1 cm) was created in the weight bearing zone of the medial condylus followed by implantation of a scaffold. The unoperated contra lateral stifle joint served as control. After six months the animals were sacrificed and the joints inspected for inflammation. The Young's modulus of the cartilage and scaffold was determined by indentation or confined compression tests. All tissues were fixed in formaldehyde for histology. The data were analysed by a Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney-U-test. The roughness of the smooth surface was measured. Synovial fluid was harvested by punction before opening the joint and analysed for particle wear debris and for any signs of inflammation. RESULTS:. The sheep were free of lameness between the 2. nd. and latest the 4th days p.o. The macroscopic analysis of the genual region and the synovial membrane showed no signs of inflammation. The findings were confirmed by histological sections of synovial membrane and scaffold. In histology, amorphous material fibroblast-like cell clusters and connective bone tissue formation was visible inside the pores of the scaffold. The scaffols were complety integrated into the underlying bone. Synovial fluid showed no signs of inflammation only the IL6 level was slightly increased. No wear particles were found. No defetcs or mayor damage of the oponend cartilage were present. The measured roughness was between 13–18 nm. DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS:. The presented silk scaffold withstood the loads occurring during the six months implantation period. It showed very promising properties concerning biocompatibility and cartilage protection Its mechanical properties were simmilar of those of the surrounding cartilage. Since the material can be casted into any shape it offers a wide potential use in any large joint of the human body. The production of real patient specific implants will be easy to achieve

Unicompartmental knee replacements (unis) offer an early option for the treatment of osteoarthritis. However there is no standard method for measuring the wear of unis in the laboratory. Most knee simulators are designed for TKA, for which there is an ISO standard. This study is about a wear method for unis, applied to a novel unicompartmental knee replacement (design by PSW). It has a metal-backed UHMWPE femoral component to articulate against a monoblock metallic tibial component. The advantage is reduced resection of strong bone from the proximal tibia for more durable fixation. The femoral component resurfaces the distal end of the femur to a flexion arc of only 42°, the area of cartilage loss in early OA (Fig. 1). We compared this novel bearing couple to the same design but with the usual arrangement of femoral metal and tibial plastic. Our hypothesis was that the wear of the reversed materials would be comparable to conventional and within the range of TKR bearings. The test was conducted on a 4-station Instron-Stanmore force-controlled knee simulator. Both specimen groups (n=4 each) were highly crosslinked UHWMPE stabilized with vitamin E. On each of the four stations, one uni system was mounted on the medial side and one on the lateral, as if a standard TKR was being tested. The ISO-14243-1 walking cycle force-control waveforms were applied for 5 million cycles (Mc) at 1Hz, but with the maximum flexion during the swing phase (usually 58°) curtailed to 35° to maintain the contact within the arc of the femoral component. In-vivo this implant would be inlaid into the distal medial femoral condyle and the articulating surface immediately transitions into native cartilage. In our test set-up there was no secondary surface as such. The reduced flexion occurred during the swing phase where compressive load was low and the effect on the wear would be negligible. Wear was measured gravimetrically at many intervals and corrected by the weight gain of extra two active soak controls per group. After 5 Mc, the average rates of gravimetric weight loss from the UHMWPE femoral and tibial bearings were 4.73±0.266 mg/Mc and 3.07±0.388 mg/Mc, respectively (statistically significantly different, p=0.0007) (Fig. 2). No significant difference was found in wear between medial and lateral placement for specimens of the same type, although the medial side generally wore more. Although the plastic femorals of the reverse design wore more than the plastic tibials, the wear was still low at <5 mg/Mc. The range for typical TKRs using ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, tested under the same conditions in our laboratory has been 2.85–24.1 mg/Mc. In summary, we adapted the ISO standard TKA wear test for the evaluation of unis, and in this case, a uni with reversed materials. Based on the wear results, this type of ‘early intervention’ design could therefore be a viable option, offering simplicity with less modular parts as well as load sharing with the native articular cartilage

Background. Constitutional knee varus increases the risk of medial OA disease due to increase in the knee adduction moment and shifting of the mechanical axis medially. Hueter-Volkmann's law states that the amount of load experienced by the growth plate during development influences the bone morphology. For this reason, heightened sports activity during growth is associated with constitutional varus due to added knee adduction moment. In early OA, X-rays often show a flattened medial femoral condyle extension facet (EF). However, it is unknown whether this is a result of osteoarthritic wear, creep deformation over decades of use, or an outcome of Hueter-Volkmann's law during development. A larger and flattened medial EF can bear more weight, due to increased load distribution. However, a flattened EF may also extrude the meniscus, leading meniscus degeneration and joint failure. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate whether varus knees have flattened medial EFs of both femur and tibia in a cohort of patients with no signs yet of bony attrition. Methods. Segmentation and morphology analysis was conducted using Materialise software (version 8.0, Materialise Inc., Belgium). This study excluded knees with bony attrition of the EFs based on Ahlbäck criteria, intraoperative findings, and operation notes history. Standard reference frames were used for both the femur and tibia to ensure reliable and repeatable measurements. The hip-knee-angle (HKA) angle defined varus or valgus knee alignment. Femur: The femoral EFs and flexion facets (FFs) had best-fit spheres fitted with 6 repetitions. (Fig1). Tibia: The slopes of the antero-medial medial tibial plateau were approximated using lines. (fig2). Results. 72 knees met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The average age was 59 ± 11 years. The youngest was 31 and the oldest 84 years. Thirty-three were male and 39 were female. There was good intra- and inter-observer reliability for EF sphere fitting. Femur: The results demonstrated that the medial femoral condyle EF is flattened in knees with constitutional varus, as measured by the Sphere Ratios between the medial and lateral EF (varus versus straight: p = 0.006), and in the scaled values for the medial EF sphere radius (varus versus straight: p = 0.005). There was a statistically significant, moderate and positive correlation between the medial femoral EF radius, and the medial femoral EF-FF AP offset. (fig3). Tibia: There was a statistically significant difference between the steepness of the slopes of the medial tibial plateau EF in varus and valgus knees, suggesting varus knees have a less concave (flatter) medial EF. (fig3). Conclusions. In comparison to straight knees, varus knees have flattened medial EFs in both femur and tibia. As this was the case in knees with no evidence of bony attrition, this could mean flattened medial EFs may be a result of medial physis inhibition during development, due to Hueter-Volkmann's law. Flattened medial EFs may increase load distribution in the medial compartment, but could also be a potential aetiology in primary knee OA due to over extrusion of the medial meniscus and edge loading

Introduction. Opening wedge high tibial osteotomy is an attractive surgical option for physically active patients with early osteoarthritis and varus malalignment. Unfortunately use of this surgical technique is frequently accompanied by an unintended increase in the posterior tibial slope, resulting in anterior tibial translation, and consequent altered knee kinematics and cartilage loading(1). To address this unintended consequence, it has been recommended that the relative opening of the anteromedial and posterolateral corners of the osteotomy are calculated pre-operatively using trigonometry (1). This calculation assumes that the saw-cut is made parallel to the native posterior slope; yet given the current reliance on 2D images and the ‘surgeon's eye’ to guide the saw-cut, this assumption is questionable. The aim of this study was to explore how accurately the native posterior tibial slope is reproduced with a traditional freehand osteotomy saw-cut, and whether novel 3D printed patient-specific guides improve this accuracy. Methods. 26 fourth year medical students with no prior experience of performing an osteotomy were asked to perform two osteotomy saw-cuts in foam cortical shell tibiae; one freehand, and one with a 3D printed surgical guide (Embody, London) that was designed using a CT scan of the bone model. The students were instructed to aim for parallelity with a hinge pin which had been inserted (with the use of a highly conforming 3D printed guide) parallel to the posterior slope of the native joint. For the purpose of analysis, the sawbones were consistently orientated along their mechanical and anatomical tibial axes using custom moulded supports. Digital photographs taken in the plane of the osteotomy were analysed with ImageJ software to calculate the angular difference in the sagittal plane between the hinge-pin and saw-cut. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS v21 (Chicago, Illinois); a paired t-test was used to compare the freehand and patient-specific guide techniques. Statistical significance was set at a p-value <0.05. Results. Using the traditional freehand technique, the mean difference in angle between the hinge pin and osteotomy saw-cut was 5.40 (SD 4.6), which contrasted with 1.40(SD 1) when the osteotomy was performed using a 3D printed guide [See Figure 1]. This difference was significant (p<0.001). Discussion. This study highlights the large degree of error in the posterior slope of an osteotomy saw-cut when performed using a freehand technique, and which is likely to be a factor in the unintended change in tibial slope commonly observed in post-operative patients. We found that a 3D printed patient-specific osteotomy guide significantly improved the accuracy and reduced the variability of this procedure. A follow-up multi-centre clinical trial is currently underway to ascertain whether these results are replicated in-vivo

Chondral injuries of the knee are extremely common and present a unique therapeutic challenge due to the poor intrinsic healing of articular cartilage. These injuries can lead to significant functional impairment. There are several treatment modalities for articular osteochondral defects, one of which is autologous chondrocyte implantation. Our study evaluates the mid to long term functional outcomes in a cohort of 828 patients who have undergone an autologous chondrocyte implantation procedure (either ACI or MACI), identifying retrospectively factors that may influence their outcome. The influence of factors including age, sex, presence of osteoarthritis and size and site of lesion have been assessed individually and with multivariate analysis. All patients were assessed using the Bentley Functional Score, Visual Analogue Score and the Cincinnati Functional Score. Assessment were performed pre-operatively and of their status in 2010. The longest follow-up was 12 years (range 24 to 153 months) with a mean age of 34 years at time of procedure. The mean defect size was 409 mm. 2. (range 64 to 2075 mm. 2. ). The distribution of lesions was 51% Medial Femoral Condyle, 12.5% Lateral Femoral Condyle, 18% Patella (single facet), 5% Patella (Multifacet) and 6% Trochlea. 4% had cartilage transplant to multiple sites. High failure rates were noted in those with previous cartilage regenerative procedures or evidence of early osteoarthritis and those with transplantation to multiple sites. Autologous chondrocyte implantation is an effective method of decreasing pain and increasing function, however patient selection plays clear role in the success of such procedure

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome is one of the significant reasons for hip pain, loss of ROM at hip joint and developing early osteoarthritis at young active adults. FAI is not a new term and it is treated successfully with open surgical techniques. Some disadvantages of open surgical tecniques has lead orthopedists to develop arthroscopic tecniques. At this study, we aimed to assess the effectiveness of arthroscopy at the treatment of FAI. We included 25 patients (19 male, 6 female) and evaluated retrospectively which has gone under arthroscopic surgery for the treatment of FAÄ° at Gulhane Military Medicine Academy, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology and Ankara Koru Hospital, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology between January 2009 and May 2012. We have evaluated modified Harris Hip Score and Visual Analogue Score (VAS) preoperatively and postoperatively at all of our patients. Also we have evaluated, hip internal rotation and flexion range of motions clinically. Mean preoperative Harris Hip Score was 68,52 (range 55–76), mean postoperative score was 88,84 (range 72–98). Mean preoperative flexion ROM was 87, 6 (range 80–95) and 108,2 (range 90–120) postoperatively. Also 4,4 (range 0–5) degrees of mean preoperative internal rotation ROM increased to 19,80 range (10–30) degrees postoperatively. Mean preoperative alpha angle was 76,76 (range 60–90) and it was decreased to 41,76 (range 34–48) postoperatively. Mean preoperative visual analog score were decreased from 8, 63 to 2,8 postoperatively. We had to perform o second look arthroscopy to a patient because of inadequate resection. Also femoral neck stres fracture occured at a patient probably due to early weight bearing. Transient sciatic nevre neuropraxy occured at a 3 patients and, transient ankle pain (approximately 6 weeks) had occured at 2 patients due to traction. Loss of sensation has occured at a patient due to lateral femoral cutaneus nevre injury during portal placement. With these results, we assessed that arthroscopic treatment of the FAI syndrome is succesfull with minor complications comperable to open procedures

An ACL reconstruction is designed to restore the normal knee function and prevent the onset and progression of degenerative changes such as osteoarthritis. However, contemporary literature provides limited consensus on whether knee degeneration can be attenuated by the reconstruction procedure. The aim of this pilot study was to identify the presence of early osteoarthritis after ACL reconstruction using MRI analysis. 19 patients who had undergone an ACL reconstruction (9 isolated ACL rupture, 8 ACL rupture and meniscectomy, 2 ACL rupture and meniscal repair) volunteered for this study. MRI's were collected preoperatively and postoperatively for analysis with a mean follow up of 23 months. The Boston-Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score (BLOKS) was used for the analysis of the articular cartilage by a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. Scores ranged from 0–3, with 0 being total coverage and thickness of the cartilage and 3 being no coverage. Qualitative analysis was then conducted on each patient to determine if the articular cartilage improved, degenerated, or did not change between preoperative and follow-up scans. All patients with isolated ACL rupture were found to either have no change or improved articular cartilage scores in their follow up scans compared preoperatively. In contrast, patients with a meniscal repair displayed worse cartilage scores postoperatively. Lastly, of the patients who had an associated meniscectomy, 6 had worse follow-up results, with the remaining patients showing no change or improved cartilage scores. The present results indicate that patients with an isolated ACL rupture have a reduced risk of developing OA compared to those with associated meniscal injuries. This has implications for analysing the outcome of current ACL reconstruction techniques and in predicting the likelihood of patients developing OA after ACL reconstruction. Future work will involve confirming this pattern in a larger patient sample, as well as exploring additional factors such as time to surgery delay and rehabilitation strategy

Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the role of hip arthroscopy in the management of hip pain in elite athletes. Patients and methods. It is a retrospective study of prospectively collected data. 31 hip arthroscopies were performed on 27 elite athletes. All the patients were assessed pre-operatively with a thorough clinical examination, radiographs and MRI scans. The modified HHS was also recorded for all the patients' pre and post-operatively. All operations were performed by the senior author, and the patients were assessed at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and a year following the operation. Results. The M:F ratio was 25:2 with an average age of 38 years (Range: 18-58) in the study group. 65% of the patients were professional football players followed by cricket and tennis. The patients were referred at an average of 506 days. Two of the 27 patients demonstrated minimal acetabular dysplasia on their pre-operative radiographs. Of the 31 arthroscopies, a primary diagnosis of a labral tear was made in 20, a chondral flap and delamination in 5, early osteoarthritis in 4 and a ligamentum teres tear in 2. Along with the primary diagnosis of a labral tear, twelve of the 20 patients had a secondary diagnosis of chondral injury and or Femeroacetabular Impingement as well. There were no complications reported. Conclusions. Hip Injuries in athletes are reported late and Chondral Flaps and Ligamentum teres tears are under-diagnosed. Most athletes have a good chance to return back to the original level of sport within 4 months following hip arthroscopy. However, about 40% do continue to have some form of pain. Hip arthroscopy is a safe and effective method for diagnosis and treatment of intra-articular disorders in elite athletes

Introduction. Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) causes anterior hip pain, labral tears and damage to the articular cartilage leading to early osteoarthritis of the hip. Surgical hip dislocation and osteoplasty of the femoral neck and acetabular rim is a technique pioneered by the Bernese group for the treatment of FAI. We present and discuss our results of this technique. Methods. Functional outcome was measured in hips with over 12 month follow-up using the Oxford hip and McCarthy non-arthritic hip scores pre- and post-operatively. Results. From March 2003 to December 2005, 79 hips underwent surgical hip dislocation for treatment of FAI. Ten were skeletally immature and excluded. In 16 hips, grade 4 osteoarthritis was present in greater than 10 × 10mm regions after reshaping of the abnormal anatomy. In these cases, hip resurfacing was performed. Of the 53 hips preserved (average age 37(17-65)), 35 had the labrum detached, debrided and reattached using bone anchors, 32 underwent recession of the acetabular rim at the site of impingement, 21 had chondral ‘carpet’ flaps debrided, 5 had removal of medial osteophytes, 7 had labral and/or bony cysts excised and grafted and 1 underwent an osteochondral graft. In 5 hips osteoarthritis progressed requiring hip resurfacing at an average of 8 months. Oxford Hip Score improved from an average 32 (range 13-59) to 23 (12-45) and McCarthy hip score from 50 (19-76) to 63 (28-79) in the preserved hips at an average 20 months following surgery (range 12-38 months). Conclusion. The early results of surgical hip dislocation are encouraging. The open procedure has distinct advantages compared to arthroscopy enabling a wider range of lesions to be treated. Careful patient selection is important in order to exclude patients with hip osteoarthritis. Long-term follow-up is required to see if this technique prevents the natural progression to osteoarthritis

A fracture of the distal radius may lead to malunion of bone segments, which gives discomfort to the patient and may lead to chronic pain, reduced range of motion, reduced grip strength and finally to early osteoarthritis. A treatment option to realign the bone segments is a corrective osteotomy. In this procedure the surgeon tries to improve alignment by cutting the bone at, or near, the fracture location and by fixating the bone segments in an improved position, using a plate and screws. Standard corrective osteotomy of the distal radius is most often planned using two orthogonal radiographs to find correction parameters for restoring the radial inclination, palmar tilt and ulnar variance, to normal. However, 2D imaging techniques hide rotations about the bone axis and may therefore cause a misinterpretation of the correction parameters. We present a new technique that uses preoperative 3-D imaging techniques to plan positioning and to design a patient-tailored fixation plate that only fits in one way and realigns the bone segments as planned in six degrees of freedom. The procedure uses a surgical guide that snugly fits the bone geometry and allows predrilling the bone at specified positions, and cutting the bone through a slit at the preoperatively planned location. The patient-tailored plate fits the same bone geometry and uses the predrilled holes for screw fixation. The method is evaluated experimentally using artificial bones and renders realignment highly accurate and very reproducible (derr < 1.2 ± 0.8 mm and ϕerr < 1.8 ± 2.1°). In addition, the new method is evaluated clinically (n=1) and results in accurate positioning (derr ≤ 1.0 mm and ϕerr ≤ 2.6°). Besides using a patient-tailored plate for corrective distal radius osteotomy, the method may be of interest for corrective osteotomy of other long bones, mandibular reconstruction and clavicular reconstruction as well. In all of these cases the contralateral side can equally be used as reference for reconstruction of the affected side. The two-step method of predrilling and cutting using a surgical guide, followed by the utilisation of a patient-tailored plate for fixation and accurate 3D positioning at the same time, seems very easy to utilise during surgery, since it does not require complex navigation, robotic equipment or tracking tools. Custom treatment with a patient-tailored plate may reduce the reoperation rate, since repositioning is likely to be better than conventional malunion treatment using 2D imaging techniques and a standard anatomical plate. The patient-tailored plating technology is expected to have a great impact on future corrective osteotomy surgery

In the large majority of cases of knee osteoarthritis (OA), total knee replacement (TKA) is the selected treatment, due to its proven durability, satisfactory function and familiarity of surgeons. However in recent years there has been an increase in the numbers of uni-compartmental knees used (UKA), due to more favorable follow-up, improved designs and techniques, quicker and better patient recovery, and less hospitalization costs. Designs have been produced for even lesser invasive components than UKA, including simple spacers, with mixed results. Recently, several studies have been carried out on the wear patterns on the femoral and tibial condyles in OA, showing that the main areas of cartilage loss occur on the distal end of the femur, that area engaged in walking activities, and over a large proportion of the tibial plateau. A study we carried out on the bone pieces resected at TKA surgery showed that no less than 22% of the cases could have been done with a device which resurfaced only the medial side. That figure would have been higher if the patients had been treated earlier, before cartilage wear and deformation had progressed. In a more recent study, we showed the progress of the wear of OA by analyzing MRI scans of 50 patients at various stages of OA. The cartilage wear occurred on areas which were initially the thickest on both the femur and the tibia. This was evidently associated with excessive contact stresses, while the menisci, if they had previously been spreading the load over a large area of the cartilage surfaces, were no longer functional. In this paper it is proposed that the treatment modality of OA could be carried out on a sliding scale, based on MRI analysis together with clinical factors including pain and disability. Early Intervention devices, including UKA, could be used much more frequently if the surgical technique was developed to be reliable, simple and reproducible. Specifically there is space for an Early Intervention device (EI) where only the distal end of the femur and the tibial surface are resurfaced. A design has been produced where a pocket is milled into the distal end of the femur to house a plastic runner, and a thin layer is resected from the proximal tibia for a metal plate with a special keel design. The advantages of such a design are ease of exposure, accurate and simple surgery, minimal tibial resection for long term fixation, reduced wear, and ease of restoration of the original joint line. The wear is assessed using a custom-made wear machine, while fixation is evaluated using FEA. It is proposed that such a device would add a valuable option for the treatment of symptomatic early OA where the functional level of the patient can be maintained, and the progress of OA possibly arrested

Treatment for osteoarthritis (OA) has traditionally focused on joint replacement for end-stage disease. An increasing number of surgical and pharmaceutical strategies for disease prevention have now been proposed. However, these require the ability to identify OA at a stage when it is potentially reversible, and detect small changes in cartilage structure and function to enable treatment efficacy to be evaluated within an acceptable timeframe. This has not been possible using conventional imaging techniques but recent advances in musculoskeletal imaging have been significant. In this review we discuss the role of different imaging modalities in the diagnosis of the earliest changes of OA. The increasing number of MRI sequences that are able to non-invasively detect biochemical changes in cartilage that precede structural damage may offer a great advance in the diagnosis and treatment of this debilitating condition.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:738–46.

Hyaline articular cartilage has been known to be a troublesome tissue to repair once damaged. Since the introduction of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in 1994, a renewed interest in the field of cartilage repair with new repair techniques and the hope for products that are regenerative have blossomed. This article reviews the basic science structure and function of articular cartilage, and techniques that are presently available to effect repair and their expected outcomes.