Resurfacing the patella is performed the majority of the time in the United States and in many regions it is considered standard practice. In many countries, however, the patella is left un-resurfaced an equal amount of the time or even rarely ever resurfaced. Patella resurfacing is not a simple or benign procedure. There are numerous negative sequelae of resurfacing including loosening, fragmentation, avascular necrosis, lateral facet pain, stress fracture, acute fracture, late fracture, and restricted motion. In a study by Berend, Ritter, et al, failures of the patella component were reported 4.2% of the time at an average of only 2.6 years. A study was undertaken at Washington University in recent years to determine rather more clinical problems were observed following total knee replacement with or without patella resurfacing. Records were maintained on all problem total knees cases with well localised anterior knee pain. The referral area for this clinic is St. Louis which is among the largest American cities, with the highest percentage of total knees that are performed without patella resurfacing. During 4 years of referrals of total knee patients with anterior knee pain, 47 cases were identified of which 36 had a resurfaced patella and 11 had a non-resurfaced patella. Eight of 36 resurfaced patellae underwent surgery while only 2 of 11 non-resurfaced patellae underwent subsequent surgery. More than 3 times as many painful total knees that were referred for evaluation had already had their patella resurfaced. In spite of the fact that approximately equal number of total knees were performed in this area without patella resurfacing, far more patients presented to clinic with painful total knee in which the patella had been resurfaced. The numerous pathologies requiring a treatment following patella resurfacing included patella loosening, fragmentation of the patella, avascular necrosis patella, late stress fracture, lateral facet pain, oblique resurfacing, and too thick of a patellar composite. In a large multi-center randomised clinical trial at 5 years from the United Kingdom in over 1700 knees from 34 centers and 116 surgeons, there was no difference in the Oxford Score, SF-12, EQ-5D, or need for further surgery or complications. The authors concluded, “We see no difference in any score, if there is a difference, it is too small to be of any clinical significance”. In a prospective of randomised clinical trial performed at Tulane University over 20 years ago, no differences were observed in knee score, a functional patella questionnaire, or the incidence of anterior knee pain between resurfaced and un-resurfaced patellae at time intervals of 2–4 years, 5–7 years, or greater than 10 years. Beyond 10 years the knee scores of total knee patients with a resurfaced patella had declined significantly greater than those with a non-resurfaced patella. There are numerous advantages of not resurfacing the patella including less surgical time, less expense, a lower risk of “major” complications (especially late complications), and if symptoms develop in an un-resurfaced patella, it is an easier salvage situation with more options available. A small percentage of total knee patients will be symptomatic whether or not their patella is resurfaced. Not resurfacing the patella retains more options and has fewer complications. The major determinant of clinical result and the presence of anterior knee pain after knee replacement is surgical technique and component design not whether or not the patella is resurfaced. Patella resurfacing is occasionally necessary for patients with inflammatory arthritis, a deformed or maltracking patella, or symptoms and pathology that are virtually restricted to the patellofemoral joint. For the vast majority of patients, however, patella resurfacing is not necessary

Resurfacing the patella is performed the majority of the time in the US and in many regions it is considered standard practice. In many countries, however, the patella is left unresurfaced an equal amount of the time or even rarely ever resurfaced. Patella resurfacing is not a simple or benign procedure. There are numerous negative sequelae of resurfacing including loosening, fragmentation, avascular necrosis, lateral facet pain, stress fracture, acute fracture, late fracture, and restricted motion. In a study by Berend, Ritter, et al, failures of the patella component were reported 4.2% of the time at an average of only 2.6 years. A study was undertaken at Washington University in recent years to determine whether more clinical problems were observed following total knee replacement with or without patella resurfacing. Records were maintained on all problem total knees cases with well localised anterior knee pain. The referral area for this clinic is St. Louis which is among the largest American cities, with the highest percentage of total knees that are performed without patella resurfacing. During 4 years of referrals of total knee patients with anterior knee pain, 47 cases were identified of which 36 had a resurfaced patella and 11 had a non-resurfaced patella. Eight of 36 resurfaced patellae underwent surgery while only 2 of 11 non-resurfaced patellae underwent subsequent surgery. More than 3 times as many painful total knees that were referred for evaluation had already had their patella resurfaced. In spite of the fact that approximately equal number of total knees were performed in this area without patella resurfacing, far more patients presented to clinic with painful total knee in which the patella had been resurfaced. The numerous pathologies requiring a treatment following patella resurfacing included patella loosening, fragmentation of the patella, avascular necrosis patella, late stress fracture, lateral facet pain, oblique resurfacing, and too thick of a patellar composite. In a large multi-center randomised clinical trial at 5 years from the United Kingdom in over 1700 knees from 34 centers and 116 surgeons, there was no difference in the Oxford Score, SF-12, EQ-5D, or need for further surgery or complications. The authors concluded, “We see no difference in any score, if there is a difference, it is too small to be of any clinical significance”. In a prospective randomised clinical trial performed at Tulane University over 20 years ago, no differences were observed in knee score, a functional patella questionnaire, or the incidence of anterior knee pain between resurfaced and unresurfaced patellae at time intervals of 2–4 years, 5–7 years, or greater than 10 years. Beyond 10 years the knee scores of total knee patients with a resurfaced patella had declined significantly greater than those with a non-resurfaced patella. There are numerous advantages of not resurfacing the patella including less surgical time, less expense, a lower risk of “major” complications (especially late complications), and if symptoms develop in an unresurfaced patella, it is an easier salvage situation with more options available. A small percentage of total knee patients will be symptomatic whether or not their patella is resurfaced. Not resurfacing the patella retains more options and has fewer complications. The major determinant of clinical result and the presence of anterior knee pain after knee replacement is surgical technique and component design not whether or not the patella is resurfaced. Patella resurfacing is occasionally necessary for patients with inflammatory arthritis, a deformed or maltracking patella, or symptoms and pathology that are virtually restricted to the patellofemoral joint. For the vast majority of patients, however, patella resurfacing is not necessary

Introduction:. The risk for late periprosthetic fractures is higher in patients treated for a neck of femur fracture compared to those treated for osteoarthritis. It has been hypothesised that osteopenia and consequent decreased stiffness of the proximal femur are responsible for this. We investigated if a femoral component with a bigger body would increase the torque to failure in a biaxially loaded composite sawbone model. Method:. A biomechanical composite sawbone model was used. Two different body sizes (Exeter 44-1 vs 44-4) of a polished tapered cemented stem were implanted by an experienced surgeon, in 7 sawbones each and loaded at 40 deg/s internal rotation until failure. Torque to fracture and fracture energy were measured using a biaxial materials testing device (Instron 8874). Data are non-parametric and tested with Mann-Whitney U-test. Results:. The mean torque load to fracture was 154.1 NM (SD 4.4) for the 44-1 stem and 229 NM (SD10.9) for the 44-4 stem (p = 0.01). The mean fracture energy was 9.6 J (SD1.2) for the 44-1 stem and 17.2 J (SD2.0) for the 44-4 stem (p = 0.14). Conclusion:. the use of a large body polished tapered cemented stem for neck of femur fractures increases the torque to failure in a biomechanical model and therefore is likely to reduce late periprosthetic fracture risk in this vulnerable cohort

Introduction. Internal fixation of pertrochanteric fractures is evolving as newer implants are being developed. Proximal Femoral Nail Antirotation (PFNA) is a recently introduced implant from AO/ASIF designed to compact the cancellous bone and may be particularly useful in unstable and osteoporotic hip fractures. This study is a single and independent centre experience of this implant used in management of acute hip fractures. Methods. 68 patients involving 68 PFNA nailing procedures done over a period of 2 years (2007–09) were included in the study. Average follow-up period of patients was 1 year. AO classification for trochanteric fractures was used to classify all the fractures. Radiological parameters including tip-apex distance and neck shaft angle measurement were assessed. Results. Average age of patients included in the study was 80 years. 18 patients died during the follow up period due to non-procedure related causes. Average tip-apex distance was 12.7 mm and radiological fracture union time was 5 months. Revision of short to a long PFNA was needed for periprosthetic fracture of shaft of femur in two patients. Two patients needed a complex total hip replacement eventually and further two patients had removal of the implant due to PFNA blade penetration through the femoral head. Discussion. PFNA is a technically demanding procedure and has a learning curve. Our experience shows that it is a useful implant in unstable pertrochanteric fracture fixation. A close radiological and clinical follow up is recommended due to the risk of late fracture and implant related complications

We present the results of a new non-invasive lengthening nail enabling accurate control of the lengthening process and joint rehabilitation. Introduction. The use of intramedullary lengthening nails have gained popularity as they reduce common complications associated with external fixators, including infection, joint stiffness, bone regenerate deformity, late fracture and patient implant acceptance. Current nails however are associated with complications including implant breakage, mechanical failure, runaway nail and requiring MUA to restart or obtain segment lengthening. The Precice nail incorporates magnet technology with a hand held device allowing non-invasive lengthening. The nail is also reversible allowing shortening if required. Physiotherapy can continue throughout treatment to maintain joint range of motion without concern of uncontrolled nail runaway. The lengthening is axial reducing shear/torsional forces on the regenerate. Method. The lengthening of 4 femora was undertaken in 3 patients, mean age 34 yrs for post-traumatic shortening and short stature. A standard technique included an Ilizarov corticotomy followed by a 6 day latent period. Patients were mobilised partial weight bearing and knee range of motion maintained. The femora were lengthened one third of a millimetre three times per day. Radiographic and clinical review was performed every 2 weeks. Results. The desired femoral length was obtained in all patients, mean 5.6 cms (4.5–6.5). There were no complications of infection, poor bone regenerate or premature consolidation. One patient undergoing bilateral femoral lengthening underwent surgical release of a tight Tensor Fascia Lata following completion of lengthening due to hip flexion contracture. One patient required slowing of the lengthening rate due to knee flexion contracture. Physiotherapy corrected the deformity and the normal lengthening rate could be resumed. Conclusion. The Precice nail is a new device that offers accurate control of the lengthening process and rehabilitation. This should reduce complications of poor regenerate formation and soft tissue contractures

Distraction osteogenesis is widely used for leg lengthening, but often requires a long period of external fixation which carries risks of pin-track sepsis, malalignment, stiffness of the joint and late fracture of the regenerate. We present the results of 20 cases in which, in an attempt to reduce the rate of complications, a combination of external fixation and intramedullary nailing was used. The mean gain in length was 4.7 cm (2 to 8.6). The mean time of external fixation was 20 days per centimetre gain in length. All distracted segments healed spontaneously without refracture or malalignment. There were three cases of deep infection, two of which occurred in patients who had had previous open fractures of the bone which was being lengthened. All resolved with appropriate treatment. This method allows early rehabilitation, with a rapid return of knee movement. There is a lower rate of complications than occurs when external fixation is used on its own. The time of external fixation is shorter than in other methods of leg lengthening. The high risk of infection calls for caution

The inmate population is a unique cohort with several healthcare-related challenges. International studies have demonstrated higher rates of infectious diseases, chronic diseases and psychiatric disorders in inmates when compared to general population. However, little is known about the outcomes following total joint arthroplasty in this population. This retrospective chart review aims to outline the differences in clinical outcomes after hip and knee total joint arthroplasty in the Kingston inmate population compared to the national population standard. A list of all inmate inpatient hospital visits with diagnostic/procedure codes pertaining to total joint arthroplasty within the last ten years was obtained through a computer-based search of the Kingston General Hospital Discharge Abstract Database(DAD). The patient charts were reviewed and demographic and outcome data pertinent to our study was collected. Data was compiled using Excel and imported into IBM SPSS for descriptive analysis. Twenty male inmate patients underwent 24 primary Total Hip Arthroplasties(THA) or Total Knee Arthroplasties(TKA) and one medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty from May 2003 to January 2013. The average age was 58 with mean Body Mass Index(BMI) of 34. Median American Society of Anesthesiologist(ASA) score was 3 and mean Charlston Comorbidity Index was 3.92. The rates of HCV and HIV were 35%(n=5) and 0%, respectively. Average length of stay from time of initial procedure was 4.2 days. The overall revision rate was 24% (n=6). Reasons for revision included deep prosthetic infection (50%, n=3), aseptic loosening (17%, n=1), arthrofibrosis (17%, n=1) and late periprosthetic fracture (17%, n=1). Infection rates were reported at 16% (n=4); 75% of which were deep prosthetic infections requiring revision surgery. Other complications included ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI) (n=1), and postoperative knee stiffness requiring manipulation under anesthesia(MUA) (n=1). Compared to Correctional Services Canada(CSC) data on male inmate health in 2012, our study population demonstrated a higher rate of HCV (35% vs. 9.4%), diabetes (30% vs. 4.2%) and overall cardiovascular and respiratory comorbidities. This may reflect the higher rate of comorbidities associated with osteoarthritis, such as BMI>25, which was evident in 95% of our study population vs. 64.5% in Canadian inmates. Total joint revision rates in our inmate study population was 24%, which is higher than the 2014 Canadian Joint Replacement Registry's yearly revision rate of 8.7% in THA and 5.2% in TKA. Our study population also demonstrated infection as the leading cause for revision at 50%, compared to 14.5% for THA and 19.6% for TKA in the general Canadian population. Further study of the complex biopsychosocial risk factors in the inmate population is warranted to better define pre-surgical risk assessment criteria

Background. Tapered cementless femoral components have been used in total hip arthroplasty (THA) constructs for more than 20 years. The Synergy femoral component was introduced in 1996 as a second generation titanium proximally porous-coated tapered stem with dual offsets to better restore femoral offset at THA (Figure 1). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of the authors' experience using the Synergy stem at minimum 15 years of follow-up. Material and methods. We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive series of 102 patients (112 hips) who underwent surgery between November 1996 and October 1998 for primary THA using cementless Synergy stem with a minimum 15-years follow-up. The mean age at the time of surgery was 61 years, and the mean duration of follow-up was 16.3 years. Seventeen patients were lost at FU (8 died before the 15 years mark, 8 changed residency, 1 not willing to be seen) with no problems related to the replaced hip. Ninety-four hips in 85 patients were available for clinical and radiologic analysis. Clinical results of the 94 THAs with more than 15 years of follow-up were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively at 5, 10 and 15 years by means of standard evaluation tools: SF12, WOMAC and Harris Hip Score. Thigh pain frequency and intensity were also recorded. Radiographic analysis (Figure 2) was focused on stem alignment, bone ingrowth, radiolucent lines presence, width and progression, stress-shielding and heterotopic ossification (HTO). Student paired test and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results. All clinical evaluation tools showed at 5-year FU, 10-year FU and at latest FU (15–17 years) a statistically significant improvement compared to the preoperative scores. We observed a not constant thigh pain in 5 hips (4.75%). Nine stems were revised due to polyethylene wear (3 cases), late periprosthetic fracture (2 cases), infection (2 cases), subsidence (1 case) and instability (1 case). Stem related revision was a case of subsidence, related to occult intraoperative calcar crack and early revised (within 1 year); cumulative stem-related survival rate at 15 years was 99%. Alignment was varus in 5 cases and valgus in 1. Bone in-growth was observed in 93 hips (98%). Radiolucent lines were uncommon, non progressive, less than 2 mm, in Gruen zones 2 and 6. Stress-shielding was present as cortical reaction in 5 femurs in Gruen zones 3 and 5. Fifteen cases of HTO (grade I and II in 12 case and grade III in 3 cases) were observed. Conclusions. The Synergy stem demonstrated excellent clinical and radiographic results at 15–17 years FU in 85 patients. Survivorship (with stem revision as end point) was 99% at 15 years. Thigh pain was uncommon and the level of activity and autonomy is excellent. Radiographically bone ingrowth is evident in all stems and radiolucent lines are “benign” with no aseptic loosening

Most early failures of THA are related to patient factors and technical “surgeon” factors. Most late failures of THA are related to patient factors and device factors. Occasionally unexpected device-specific failure modes cause specific early failure patterns. The most common reasons for early THA failure are infection and instability. Infection risk is strongly influenced by patient factors. Instability early after THA is usually a technical problem, but at times also is patient related. Important late failure modes of THA include loosening, wear and osteolysis, and periprosthetic fracture. Loosening and wear are at least in part device related. Late periprosthetic fracture is almost mainly patient related. Taken together these data suggest the following: . Most strongly related to patient factors: Early and late infection, periprosthetic fracture and wear and osteolysis. Most strongly related to surgeon factors: Early infection, instability, and loosening. Most strongly related to device factors: Wear, loosening, and unique mechanical implant failure modes