Our objective was to examine revision rates and patient reported outcome scores (PROMS) for cemented and uncemented primary total knee joint replacement (TKJR) at six months, one year and five years post-operatively. Patients and Methods: This matched cohort study involved secondary analyses of data collected as part of a large prospective observational study monitoring outcomes following knee replacement in Christchurch, New Zealand. Cemented and uncemented TKJR participants (n = 1526) were matched on age (± 5 years), sex and body mass index (BMI). From this larger sample, PROMS data, Oxford Knee Score and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), out to five years post-operatively were analysed for a matched subset of participants (n = 252). The average age of participants was 67.9 years (SD 9.4, range 38-94). There were no differences between cemented and uncemented cohorts on the basis of age, sex, BMI or comorbidities, revision rates or PROMS outcomes. Cemented procedures had greater skin to skin times than uncemented procedures (p < 0.01). Unadjusted outcomes comparing risk for revision across the two participant cohorts did not significantly differ. Overall rates for revision were low (cemented 3.2% v uncemented 2.7%, p=0.70). Propensity adjusted associations between baseline characteristics (age, sex, BMI, comorbidity, baseline Oxford and baseline WOMAC scores) also revealed no differences in risk for revision at any post-operative timepoint. In this large multi-surgeon matched cohort study there were no significant differences in functional outcomes or revision rates, when outcomes following modern cemented and uncemented TKJR were compared out to 5-year follow up. Based on our findings, uncemented TKJR is predictable irrespective of patient's age, BMI or gender

Introduction. The degree of cartilage degeneration assessed intraoperatively may not be sufficient as a criterion for patellar resurfacing in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, single-photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) is useful for detecting osteoarthritic involvement deeper in the subchondral bone. The purpose of the study was to determine whether SPECT/CT reflected the cartilage lesion underneath the patella in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) and whether clinical outcomes after TKA without patellar resurfacing differed according to the severity of patellofemoral (PF) OA determined by visual assessment and SPECT/CT findings. Methods. This study included 206 knees which underwent TKA. The degree of cartilage degeneration was graded intraoperatively according to the International Cartilage Repair Society grading system. Subjects were classified into four groups according to the degree of bone tracer uptake (BTU) on SPECT/CT in the PF joint. The Feller's patella score and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were assessed preoperatively and postoperative 1 and 2 years. Results. The increased BTU in the PF joint was associated with more severe degenerative cartilage changes underneath the patella (P < 0.001). The risk for the presence of denudated cartilage was greater in the high uptake group (odds ratio = 5.89). There was no association between clinical outcomes and visual grading of patellar cartilage degeneration or the degree of BTU on SPECT/CT. Discussion and Conclusions. The visual assessment of the degree of cartilage degeneration underneath the patella and preoperative SPECT/CT evaluation of the PF joint were not predictive of clinical outcome after TKA with unresurfaced patella

Advanced osteoarthritis of knee is associated with low-backache in a significant number of patients and adversely affects the quality of life. There is a paucity of literature describing outcomes of backache after total-knee-arthroplasty (TKA). We evaluated backache in patients of advanced knee-osteoarthritis and their functional and radiological outcomes after TKA after approval from Institutional ethics committee. Fifty-nine patients (40 females and 19 males) were included. Mean body-mass index was 28.7. Mean visual analogue score (VAS) for knee-pain was 7.98 preoperatively and 1.6 in follow-up. For chronic backache, the mean VAS score improved from 6.08 to 2.4, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) improved from 67.5 to 37.8, Knee society score (KSS) from 49.8 to 76.6, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) Score from 55.44 to 34.65 and SF-36 Quality-of-life score from 44.95 to 74.63. There was a significant correlation between in knee and low-back functional scores. Magnetic resonance imaging-based scoring of degenerative changes (Pfirrmann grading) showed improvement only in 13.5% patients; 56% showed no change and 30.5% showed deterioration of scores. Chronic low backache is a significant co-morbidity in advanced knee-osteoarthritis. TKA has the potential to relieve backache along with knee-pain and improves quality of life

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and one of the ten most disabling diseases in developed countries. Total joint replacement (TJR) is considered by far as the most effective treatment for end-stage OA patients. The majority of patients achieve symptomatic improvement following TJR. However, about 22% of the TJR patients either do not improve or deteriorate after surgery. Several potential non-genetic predictors for the TJR outcome have been investigated. However, the results were either inconclusive or had very limited predictive power. The aim of this study was to identify genetic variants for the poor outcome of TJR in primary OA patients by a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Study participants were total knee or hip replacement patients due to primary OA who were recruited to the Newfoundland Osteoarthritis Study (NFOAS) before 2017. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used to assess pain and functional impairment pre- and 3.99±1.38 years post-surgery. Two non-responder classification criteria were used in our study. One was defined by an absolute WOMAC change score. Participants with a change score less than 7/20 points for pain were considered as pain non-responders; and those with less than 22/68 points for function were classified as function non-responders. The second one was the Outcome Measures in Arthritis Clinical Trials and the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) criteria. Blood DNA samples were genotyped using the Illumina GWAS microarrays genotyping platform. The quality control (QC) filtering was performed on GWAS data before the association of the genetic variants with non-responders to TJR was tested using the GenABEL package in R with adjustment for the relatedness of the study population and using the commonly accepted GWAS significance threshold p < 5*10. −8. to control multiple testing. In total, 316 knee and 122 hip OA patients (mean age 65.45±7.62 years, and 58% females) passed the QC check. These study participants included 368 responders and 56 non-responders to pain, and 364 responders and 68 non-responders to function based on the absolute WOMAC point score change classification. While 377 responders and 56 non-responders to pain, and 366 responders and 71 non-responders to function were identified by the OMERACT-OARSI classification criteria. Interestingly, the same results were obtained by both classification methods, and we found that the G allele of rs4797006 was significantly associated with pain non-responders with odds ratio (OR) of 5.12 (p<7.27×10. -10. ). This SNP is in intron one of the melanocortin receptor 5 (MC5R) gene on chr18. This gene plays central roles in immune response, pain sensitivity, and negative regulation of inflammatory response to antigenic stimulus. The A allele of rs200752023 was associated with function non-responders with OR of 4.41 (p<3.29×10. -8. ). The SNP is located in intron three of the RNA Binding Fox-1 Homolog 3 (RBFOX3) gene on chr17 which has been associated with numerous neurological disorders. Our data suggested that two chromosomal regions are associated with TJR poor outcomes and could be the novel targets for developing strategies to improve the outcome of the TJR

Aims. Severe, superior acetabular bone defects are one of the most challenging aspects to revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). We propose a new concept of “superior extended fixation” as fixation extending superiorly 2 cm beyond the original acetabulum rim with porous metal augments, which is further classified into intracavitary and extracavitary fixation. We hypothesized that this new concept would improve the radiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with massive superior acetabular bone defects. Patients and Methods. Twenty eight revision THA patients were retrospectively reviewed who underwent reconstruction with the concept of superior extended fixation from 2014 to 2016 in our hospital. Patients were assessed using the Harris Hip Score (HHS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index score (WOMAC). In addition, radiographs were assessed and patient reported satisfaction was collected. Results. At an average follow-up of 28 months (range 18 – 52 months), the postoperative HHS and WOMAC scores were significantly improved at the last follow-up (p < 0.001). The postoperative horizontal and vertical locations of the COR from the interteardrop line were significantly improved from the preoperative measurements (p < 0.001). One (3.6 %) patient was dissatisfied due to periprosthetic joint infection. Conclusion. Extracavitray and intracavitary superior extended fixation with porous metal augments and cementless cups are effective in reconstructing severe superior acetabular bone defects, with promising short-term clinical and radiographic outcome

Background. Assessing patients’ functional outcomes following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with traditional scoring systems is limited by their ceiling effects. The Forgotten Joint Score (FJS) has been suggested as a more discriminating option. The actual score in the FJS which constitutes a “forgotten joint,” however, has not been defined. The emerging concept of joint perception led to the development of the Patient's Joint Perception question (PJP) to assess the patient's opinion of their prosthetic joint. Methods. 101 TKA were assessed at a mean of 41 months of follow-up (range 29=51). Outcomes included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), FJS, and PJP. Correlation of the scores as well as the ceiling effects were analyzed. Results. The mean FJS was 79.0 (range 0=100). PJP was correlated with the FJS and WOMAC (Spearman's rho −0.720 and 0.684, respectively). 34% of the patients felt their prosthetic knee as a natural joint (FJS: 95% confidence interval [CI] 92.2–97.9), 15% as an artificial joint with no restriction (FJS: 95% CI 69.6–93.5), and 40% as an artificial joint with minor restrictions (FJS: 95% CI 65.4–78.3). 11% had major restrictions and none reported a non-functional joint. The ceiling effect was high with both the WOMAC and FJS, where 17% and 18% achieved the maximal score respectively. In addition, 13% of the patients had a WOMAC >10 and 22% an FJS < 90 while reporting having a natural knee. Furthermore, 19% with a perfect WOMAC reported having an artificial joint with or without limitation. Conclusion. With a TKA, a forgotten knee perception corresponds to an FJS >92. In 13%–22% of the cases, the WOMAC and FJS failed to identify the forgotten joint, or reached the maximum score when the patients did not feel their knee was natural. The PJP is a simple and reliable tool that enables identification of patients who feel replaced knee is natural

Background. Occasionally, patients experience new or increased ankle pain following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aims of this study were to determine (1) how the correction of varus malalignment of the lower limb following TKA affected changes in alignment of the ankle and hindfoot, (2) the difference in changes in alignment of the ankle and hindfoot between patients with and without ankle osteoarthritis (OA), and (3) whether the rate of ankle pain and the clinical outcome following TKA differed between the 2 groups. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed prospectively collected data of 56 patients (99 knees) treated with TKA. Among these cases, concomitant ankle OA was found in 24 ankles. Radiographic parameters of lower-limb, ankle, and hindfoot alignment were measured preoperatively and 2 years postoperatively. In addition, ankle pain and clinical outcome 2 years after TKA were compared between patients with and without ankle OA. Results. The orientation of the ankle joint line relative to the ground improved from varus 9.4° to varus 3.4°, and the valgus compensation of the hindfoot for the varus tilt of the ankle joint showed a 2.2° decrease following TKA. Patients in the group with ankle OA showed decreased flexibility of the hindfoot resulting in less preoperative valgus compensation (p = 0.022) compared with the group without ankle OA. The postoperative hindfoot alignment was similar between the 2 groups because of the smaller amount of change in patients with ankle OA. The group with ankle OA had a higher rate of increased ankle pain (38% compared with 16%) as well as a worse Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score (mean of 22.2 compared with 14.2) following TKA. Conclusions. A considerable proportion of patients who underwent TKA had concomitant ankle OA with reduced flexibility of the hindfoot. These patients experienced increased ankle pain following TKA and a worse clinical outcome

The purpose of this retrospective study was to estimate the outcome improvements after Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) in patients who underwent THA with a navigation system in our institutions, and to compare them with those undergoing THA without a navigation system that had been reported in the literatures. The subjects in this study comprised 245 patients (39 males, 206 females; mean age, 59.9±12.0 years; mean BMI, 22.8±3.2 kg/m2) who underwent THA. All patients had adequate data to allow complete scoring of the WOMAC for a minimum one-year postoperative follow-up. CT-based navigation was used in all THAs. Postoperatively, no restrictions were imposed. A MEDLINE search was conducted using the search terms ‘Total hip’, ‘Quality of life (QOL)’, and ‘WOMAC’. 10 articles evaluated all WOMAC subscales one to two years after THA. The WOMAC subscale scores were compared statistically between our study and the results reported in the 10 articles using Welch's t-test. The present physical function subscale scores were the best of the 10 studies, and in 8 of the 10 studies, the differences were significant. WOMAC subscale results in our study were significantly better than those reported in most articles in which THA was performed without navigation. These results show that THA using navigation can improve patients' postoperative QOL

Aim. Bone loss is a severe problem in septic revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA). The use of porous coated metaphyseal sleeves is a promising treatment option for extended bone defects. The currently published mid-term results remain limited and no study has been focused exclusively on septic cases. Our aim was to determine the implant survivorship (with special focus on osseointegration) and the clinical and radiological mid-term outcome of metaphyseal sleeve fixation in septic RTKA surgery (minimum follow-up of 2 years). Method. Between January 2005 and September 2015, 57 patients underwent septic RTKA surgery using metaphyseal sleeves. In 56 patients (98,2 %) who underwent a total of 69 two stage revision procedures, clinical and radiological follow-up examinations were conducted. One patient (1,8 %) was lost to follow-up. The examinations included the American Knee Society Score (KSS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), the SF-36 Health survey as well as radiographic measurement to determine if successful osseointegration had been achieved. Results. Thirteen knees (18.8%) had to be re-revised at the time of follow-up (mean 5.3 years, min. 2 – max. 11.2), all due to reinfection (Figure 1). We did not encounter any cases of aseptic loosening. The mean range of motion (92° ± 21°), SSS (7 ± 2), KSS (76 ± 19), WOMAC (70 ± 20), SF-36 MCS (55 ± 14) and SF-36 PCS (35 ± 9) have shown satisfying results. Conclusions. Metaphyseal sleeves have shown very promising mid-term results regarding clinical scores, osseointegration, and aseptic loosening. Our results are the first analysing the performance of metaphyseal sleeves in exclusively septic cases and show that they are a reliable fixation option in septic RTKA patients with severe bone loss

Total joint replacement (TJR) is by far the most effective therapy for end-stage OA patients. Most of patients achieve joint pain reduction and function improvement following to TJR, however up to 22% of them either do not improve or deteriorate after surgery. The aim of this study was to identify genetic variants to be associated with poor outcome of TJR in primary OA patients by a genome-wide association approach (GWAS). Study participants were primary OA patients from the Newfoundland Osteoarthritis Study (NFOAS) that comprised total knee or hip replacement and recruited before 2016 in St. John's, NL. DNA samples were extracted from patients' blood. Study participants completed their pre-operation and 3.99±1.38 years post-surgery outcome assessment using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). DNA samples were genotyped using the genome-wide Illumina HumanOmni2.58 genotyping microarray containing 2.4 million SNPs. Pre-association quality control filtering was conducted for the raw genotyping data using PLINK 1.7 program, and genotype imputation was performed using the IMPUTE2 algorithm with multiple population reference data from 1000 Genome Project. The imputed data with ∼3.1 million variants was used to test the association with non-responders to TJR using the additive genetic model. Eighty three primary OA patients (44 responders and 39 non-responders) were included in the analysis. Association analysis detected three chromosomal regions on chr5, 7, and 8 to be significantly associated with non-responding to pain. The top SNPs at these loci are intergenic variants that include SNP (rs17118094, p=4.4×10-5) on chr5. This SNP is adjacent to SGCD gene that plays an important role in muscular strength and maintenance. Another associated SNP (rs71572810, p=4.7×10-5) is nearby IMMP2L gene on chr7. This gene is reported to be associated with behavioral abnormalities. Finally, SNP (rs6992938, p=5.8×10-5) on chr8 is located downstream of TRPA1 gene that is known to have a central role in the pain response to endogenous inflammatory mediators. Three loci were also found to be significantly associated with non-responding to function. The lead variant in the locus on chr1 is an intergenic SNP (rs9729377, p=1.7×10-5) falling between CTBS and MCOLN2 genes. CTBS gene is associated with TNF-α, a cytokine that stimulate the inflammation acute phase reaction, and MCOLN2 gene plays a role in the chemokine secretion and macrophage migration in the innate immune response. Other top SNPs in loci on chr2 and 10 harbor CCDC93, INSIG2, and KLF6 genes that are associated with heel bone mineral density, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and BMI. To our knowledge, this project is the first study that investigated the association between genetic factors and TJR non-responders. Our results demonstrated that genes related to muscle strength, behavioral trait, pain response, and inflammation play a significant role in poor outcome of TJR, warranting further investigation

While total joint replacement (TJR) is considered as an effective intervention to relieve pain and restore joint function for end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) patients, a significant proportion of the patients are dissatisfied with their surgery outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify genetic factors that can predict patients who do or do not benefit from these surgical procedures by a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Study participants were derived from the Newfoundland Osteoarthritis Study (NFOAS) which consisted of 1086 TJR patients. Non-responders to TJR was defined as patients who did not reach the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) based on the self administered Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) in terms of pain reduction or function improvment. DNA was extracted from the blood samples of the study participants and genotyped by Illumina GWAS genotyping platform. Over two million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across the genome were genotyped and tested for assocition with non-responders. 39 non-responders and 44 age, sex, and BMI matched responders were included in this study. Four chromosome regions on chromosomes 5, 7, 8, and 12 were suggested to be associated with non-responders with p < 1 0–5. The most promising one was on chromosome 5 with the lead SNP rs17118094 (p=1.7×10–6) which can classify 72% of non-responders accurately. The discriminatory power of this SNP alone is very promising as indicated by an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.72 with 95% confidence interval of 0.63 to 0.81, which is much better than any previously studied predictors mentioned above. All the patients who carry two copies of the G allele (minor allele) of rs17118094 were non-responders and 75% of those who carry one copy of the G allele were non-responders. The discriminatory ability of the lead SNPs on chromosomes 7 and 12 were comparable to the one on chromosome 5 with an AUC of 0.74, and 88% of patients who carry two copies of the A allele of rs10244798 on chromosome 7 were non-responders. Similarly, 88% of patients who carry two copies of the C allele of rs10773476 on chromosome 12 were non-responders. While the discriminatory ability of rs9643244 on chromosome 8 was poor with an AUC of 0.26, its strong association with non-responders warrants a further investigation in the region. The study identified four genomic regions harboring genetic factors for non-responders to TJR. The lead SNPs in those regions have great discriminatory ability to predict non-responders and could be used to create a genetic prediction model for clinical unitilty and application

Background. To conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis of RCTs with the aims of comparing relevant clinical outcomes (i.e. VAS, WOMAC total and sub-score score, Lequesne Algofunctional index, joint space width change and adverse events) between diacerein, glucosamine and placebo. Methods. Medline and Scopus databases were searched from inception to August 29th, 2014, using PubMed and Scopus search engines and included RCTs or quasi-experimental designs comparing clinical outcomes between treatments. Data were extracted from original studies. A network meta-analysis was performed by applying weight regression for continuous outcomes and a mixed-effect Poisson regression for dichotomous outcomes. Results. Thirty-one of 505 identified studies were eligible. Compared to placebo, glucosamine showed significant improvement with unstandardized mean differences (UMD) in total Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC), pain WOMAC, function WOMAC, and Lequesne score of −2.49 (95% confidence interval [CI], −4.14, −0.83), −0.75 (95% CI, −1.18, −0.32), −4.78 (95% CI, −5.96, −3.59) and −1.03 (95% CI, −1.34, −0.72), respectively. Diacerein clinically improves visual analog scores, function WOMAC, and stiffness WOMAC with UMD values of −2.23 (95% CI, −2.82, −1.64), −6.64 (95% CI, −10.50, −2.78) and −0.68 (95% CI, −1.20, −0.16) when compared to placebo. Conclusions. The network meta-analysis suggests that diacerein and glucosamine are equally efficacious for symptom relief in knee OA, but that the former has more side effects

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most successful and commonly performed surgical interventions worldwide. Based on registry data, at one-year post THA, implant survivorship is nearly 100% and patient satisfaction is 90%. A novel, porous coated acetabular implant was introduced in Europe and Australia in 2007. Several years after its introduction, warnings were issued for the system when used with metal-on-metal bearings due to adverse local tissue reaction, with one study reporting a 24% failure rate (Dramis et al. 2014). A subsequent 2018 study by Teoh et al. showed that the acetabular system had a survival rate of 98.9% at five years when used with conventional polyethylene or ceramic bearing surfaces. The current study was conducted to determine the safety and effectiveness of the acetabular system using standard highly-crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) and ceramic liners at five-year follow-up. Our hypothesis was that the acetabular system would exhibit survivorship comparable to other acetabular components on the market at five-year follow-up. A prospective, non-randomized study was conducted from February 2009 to June 2017 at eight sites in Canada and the USA. One hundred fifty-five hips were enrolled and 148 hips analyzed after THA indicated for degenerative arthritis. At five-year follow-up, 103 subjects remained for final analysis. All patients received a zero, three, or multi-hole R3 acetabular shell with Stiktite porous coating (Smith & Nephew, Inc., Memphis, TN, USA). Standard THA surgical techniques were employed, with surgical approach and either of a XLPE or ceramic bearing surface chosen at the discretion of the surgeon. The primary outcome was revision at five-years post-op with secondary outcomes including the Harris Hip Score (HHS), Hip Disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), radiographic analysis, and post-operative adverse events. Data and outcomes were analyzed using summary statistics with 95% confidence intervals, t-tests, and Wilcoxon Rank tests. At five-year follow-up the overall success rate was 97.14% (95% CI: 91.88–100). When analyzed by liner type, the success rate was 96.81% (95% CI: 90.96–99.34) for polyethylene (n=94) and 100% (95% CI: 71.51–100) for ceramic (n=11), with no significant difference between either liner type (p=1). There were three revisions during the study (1.9%), two for femoral stem revision post fracture, and one for deep infection. The HHS (51.36 pre-op, 94.50 five-year), all 5 HOOS sub-scales, and WOMAC (40.9 pre-op, 89.13 five-year) scores all significantly improved (p < 0 .001) over baseline scores at all follow-up points. One (0.7%) subject met the criteria for radiographic failure at one-year post-op but did not require revision. Six (1.8%) of the reported adverse events were considered related to the study device, including four cases of squeaking, one bursitis, and one femur fracture. Results from this five-year, multicenter, prospective study indicate good survivorship for this novel, porous coated acetabular system. The overall survivorship of 97.14% at five-year follow-up is comparable to that reported for similar acetabular components and aligns with previous analyses (Teoh et al. 2018)

Introduction. The aim of this study was to see if the evaluation of the initial postoperative radiograph following primary knee and hip arthroplasty correlated with clinical outcome at five years postoperatively. Methodology. Using our institution database we identified forty-nine hip replacements and fifty-two knee replacements performed between 2000 and 2006. All the patients underwent postoperative radiographs one day after surgery and clinical evaluation up to at least five years postoperatively. A consultant radiologist evaluated the radiographs for alignment and component position. The hip arthroplasty patients were assessed clinically using the Harris hip score, Oxford hip score, and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index (WOMAC). The knee arthroplasty patients were assessed using the Knee Society score, Oxford knee score, and the WOMAC score. Results. In the hip group a significant positive linear relationship was found between the superior measurement for location of the centre of rotation of hip relative to teardrop and the Oxford hip score at 5 years, as well as the WOMAC hip score, and between cup inclination and the WOMAC Hip score at a minimum of five years follow-up. The acetabular cup inclination was found to be significantly related to functional outcome as measured by the WOMAC hip score at a minimum of five years follow-up with unadjusted regression analysis. In the knee group there was no significant relationship found between radiographic findings and functional outcome as measured by the Knee Society score and Oxford knee score. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between anteroposterior tibial lucency and functional outcome as measured by the WOMAC knee score at a minimum of five years follow-up. Conclusion. Further studies would be required with a larger sample size to evaluate possible relationships identified by this study, to develop an assessment tool to predict outcomes of arthroplasty procedures

Up to 40% of patients are using opioids at the time of joint replacement surgery in the USA despite emerging evidence suggesting opioids are ineffective for chronic non-cancer pain. Our primary objective was to determine if preoperative opioid use among patient awaiting total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was associated with worse patient-reported outcomes (PRO) measures at one-year follow-up when compared to non-opioid users, after adjusting for age, gender, and comorbidities. The study linked Alberta's Pharmacy Information Network (PIN) data with prospectively collected Alberta Bone and Joint Health Repository administrative data (medical and PRO data) for patients who underwent primary TKA in Alberta from 2013–2015. The PIN contains prescribing information from physician offices and pharmacies across Alberta. Preoperative ‘opioid users’ were defined as having 90-days of consistent opioid use in the 180-days prior TKA, and ‘opioid-exposed’ subjects had recorded opioid prescriptions in the 180-days prior to TKA, but did not meet the definition of an opioid user. Those with no opioid-exposure in the 180-days pre-TKA were deemed a ‘non-opioid user’. We used multiple linear regression to examine how preoperative opioid use (opioid user, opioid-exposed, non-opioid user) impacted Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and function scores at one year after TKA after adjusting for confounding variables. These included age, sex, preoperative WOMAC scores, comorbidities including depression, diabetes, obesity, stroke, pulmonary disease, renal disease, cardiac disease, liver disease, and overall comorbid burden. Of the 2182 unique cases identified, 151 (7%) were opioid users, 527 (24%) opioid-exposed and 1504 (69%) non-opioid user. Opioid users were more likely to be prescribed strong opioids (e.g., hydromorphone, oxycodone) compared to with opioid-exposed subjects (p < 0 .001) and had a median morphine equivalent dose of 30.7 mg/day compared with the opioid-exposed group (2.2 mg/day, p < 0 .001) in the 180-days prior to TKA. Opioid users, in the 180-days prior to TKA had an active opioid prescription for a mean duration of 153 days (95CI 149, 157) within the 180-days prior to TKA, compared to 34 days (95CI 32, 37) for opioid-exposed (p < 0 .001). In the parsimonious pain and function models, opioid use, lower preoperative WOMAC score, depression, and obesity were associated with worse one-year pain and function. Patients prescribed preoperative opioids had worse WOMAC scores one-year after TKA respectively when compared to non-opioid users, after adjusting for other factors (opioid user pain score: −9.5, function score: −9.4, opioid exposed pain score: −2.6, function score: −3.6, p < 0 .001 for all). Further, opioid users with a concomitant diagnosis of depression had significantly worse one-year postoperative WOMAC scores when compared to non-depressed non-opioid users (scores −14, p < 0 .001 for both pain and function). In Alberta, 31% of patients were prescribed opioids within 180-days before TKA, preoperative opioid use was associated with worse one-year postoperative WOMAC pain and function scores relative to non-opioid users. Our results suggest that strategies to reduce preoperative opioid use could improve patient outcomes after TKA, and support the most recent Canadian opioid prescribing guidelines that attempt to minimize opioid use for chronic conditions such as arthritis

Up to 40% of patients are using opioids at the time of joint replacement surgery in the USA despite emerging evidence suggesting opioids are ineffective for chronic non-cancer pain. Our primary objective was to determine if preoperative opioid use among patient awaiting total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was associated with worse patient-reported outcomes (PRO) measures at one-year follow-up when compared to non-opioid users, after adjusting for age, gender, and comorbidities. The study linked Alberta's Pharmacy Information Network (PIN) data with prospectively collected Alberta Bone and Joint Health Repository administrative data (medical and PRO data) for patients who underwent primary TKA in Alberta from 2013–2015. The PIN contains prescribing information from physician offices and pharmacies across Alberta. Preoperative ‘opioid users’ were defined as having 90-days of consistent opioid use in the 180-days prior TKA, and ‘opioid-exposed’ subjects had recorded opioid prescriptions in the 180-days prior to TKA, but did not meet the definition of an opioid user. Those with no opioid-exposure in the 180-days pre-TKA were deemed a ‘non-opioid user’. We used multiple linear regression to examine how preoperative opioid use (opioid user, opioid-exposed, non-opioid user) impacted Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and function scores at one year after TKA after adjusting for confounding variables. These included age, sex, preoperative WOMAC scores, comorbidities including depression, diabetes, obesity, stroke, pulmonary disease, renal disease, cardiac disease, liver disease, and overall comorbid burden. Of the 2182 unique cases identified, 151 (7%) were opioid users, 527 (24%) opioid-exposed and 1504 (69%) non-opioid user. Opioid users were more likely to be prescribed strong opioids (e.g., hydromorphone, oxycodone) compared to with opioid-exposed subjects (p < 0 .001) and had a median morphine equivalent dose of 30.7 mg/day compared with the opioid-exposed group (2.2 mg/day, p < 0 .001) in the 180-days prior to TKA. Opioid users, in the 180-days prior to TKA had an active opioid prescription for a mean duration of 153 days (95CI 149, 157) within the 180-days prior to TKA, compared to 34 days (95CI 32, 37) for opioid-exposed (p < 0 .001). In the parsimonious pain and function models, opioid use, lower preoperative WOMAC score, depression, and obesity were associated with worse one-year pain and function. Patients prescribed preoperative opioids had worse WOMAC scores one-year after TKA respectively when compared to non-opioid users, after adjusting for other factors (opioid user pain score: −9.5, function score: −9.4, opioid exposed pain score: −2.6, function score: −3.6, p < 0 .001 for all). Further, opioid users with a concomitant diagnosis of depression had significantly worse one-year postoperative WOMAC scores when compared to non-depressed non-opioid users (scores −14, p < 0 .001 for both pain and function). In Alberta, 31% of patients were prescribed opioids within 180-days before TKA, preoperative opioid use was associated with worse one-year postoperative WOMAC pain and function scores relative to non-opioid users. Our results suggest that strategies to reduce preoperative opioid use could improve patient outcomes after TKA, and support the most recent Canadian opioid prescribing guidelines that attempt to minimize opioid use for chronic conditions such as arthritis

Purpose. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of the revision TKA in which trabecular metal cones and femoral head allografts were used for large bone defect. Method. Total 53 patients who have undergone revision TKA from July 2013 to March 2017 were enrolled in this study. Among them, 24 patients used trabecular metal cones, and 29 patients used femoral head allografts for large bone defect. There were 3 males and 21 females in the metal cone group, while there were 4 males and 25 females in the allograft group. The mean age was 70.2 years (range, 51–80) in the femoral head allograft group, while it was 79.1 years (range, 73–85) in the metal cone group. Bone defect is classified according to the AORI classification and clinical outcomes were evaluated with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Hospital Special Surgery-score (HSS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and ROM. Operation time was also evaluated. We used radiographs to check complications such as migration or loosening. We took follow-up x-rays and 3D CT of the patients, to assess the mean bone union period. Shapiro-Wilk test was done to check normality and Student T-test and Mann Whitney U-test were done for comparison between two groups. Result. The mean follow-up period was 3 .75 years (Range; 2.1 ∼ 5.75). The pre-op scores did not show significant difference. The mean VAS in the allograft and trabecular metal cone groups was 2.1 ± 0.87 and 1.8 ± 0.53, respectively (p = 0.16). The mean HSS score were 76.3 ± 5.51 and 79.2 ± 4.12 respectively (p = 0.13) and the mean WOMAC scores were 15.1 ± 3.25 and 14.8 ± 3.31 respectively (p = 0.06), and the mean KOOS scores were 27.8 ± 4.77 and 25.5 ± 4.84, respectively (p = 0.07). The mean ROM ranges were 100.6 ± 17.54 and 101.3 ± 19.22, respectively (p = 0.09). But the mean operation time of the allograft and trabecular metal cone groups was 137 minutes (Range; 111–198) and 102minutes (Range; 93 −133) (p=0.02) respectively, which showed statistical significance. In follow-up x-rays, no migration or loosening of the implants, osteolysis and other complications were found in both groups. In follow-up 3D CT, osteointegration was seen at the trabecular metal cone site, host bone being interpreted to the host bone. The allograft group showed fibrous and stable union in follow-up 3D CT. Conclusion. According to this study, in case of revision TKA with large bone defect, using whether allograft or trabecular metal cones did not affect the clinical outcomes. However, operation time was significantly shorter in trabecular metal cone group, therefore, in patients with poor general condition along with severe underlying diseases, usage of trabecular metal cone would be a better choice to shorten operation time and ease postoperative care. Keywords. Revision TKA, metal cone, allograft, bone defect. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Introduction. Many prosthetic design changes have been introduced in attempt to improve outcomes following TKA; however there is no consensus as to whether these changes confer benefits to patients. This study aimed to assess whether patients treated with a modern implant design had an enhanced patient outcome compared to a traditional model in a double blind randomised controlled trial. Methods. 212 consecutive patients were prospectively randomised to receive either a modern (Triathlon) or a traditional (Kinemax) TKA (both Stryker Orthopaedics). 6 surgeons at a single unit performed all procedures in a standardised manner. A single researcher, blinded to implant allocation, performed all assessments. Patients were assessed pre-operatively, and at 6, 26, 52 weeks post-surgery with the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score, goniometry, timed functional assessment, lower limb power (Leg Extensor Power Rig) and pain numerical rating scales (NRS). Change in scores and between group differences were assessed with Two-Way Repeated Measures ANOVAs. Results. Both groups benefited from TKA demonstrating significant improvement in all parameters (p = < 0.001 in all cases). Significant interaction of the implant was observed in 1 year change score of OKS (F = 4.28, p = 0.04), knee flexion (F = 8.42, p = 0.004), lower limb power output (F = 11.33, p = 0.001) and maximal pain report (F = 7.44, p = 0.001), the modern implant superior in each case. Larger change scores were observed in WOMAC and timed functional assessments, but were not statistically significant. Conclusions. In a large prospective double blind randomised controlled trial, patients receiving a modern implant design demonstrated a significantly enhanced patient outcome in terms of knee range of motion, lower limb power output, reduced maximal pain report, and a clinically meaningful reduction in the OKS compared to a traditional design

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

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mid-term clinical and radiological results in patients who were managed by double metal augmentations in proximal tibial uncontained bony defects undergoing primary or revision total knee arthroplasty. Materials and Methods. We performed double metal augmentations in proximal tibial uncontained bony defects undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Out of total 14 patients, 8 patients (4 priamry arthroplasty, 4 revision arthroplasty), mean 61.3 (50–80) years, were available for review at least 5 years follow up. The average follow up period was 86.3(60–99) months. Range of motion, American Knee Society Score were evaluated pre- and postoperatively as a clinical values. Another clinical assessments undertaken at the final reviews, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC), Oxford knee score (OKS), Short Form-36 (SF-36), Lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), and Lower extremity activity scale (LEAS) were checked. Radiological results, involving presence of radiolucent lines (RLLs) > 1mm in width, and osteolysis at the block-cement-bone interface were taken under fluoroscopic images at postoperatively and annually thereafter. Results. At the final follow-up, range of motion was increased from 97.5° to 121.3° and American Knee society score was significantly improved from 30.4 to 92.6 (p=0.03) and functional score from 43.1 to 86.9 (p=0.03). At the final follow-up, average WOMAC score was 10(2–20), OKS was 40.5(33–47), LEFS was 55.8(34–75), and LEAS was 10.9(7–15). There was no broken or deterioration sign at between first and second metal block at radiographically. RLLs at the block-cement-bone interfaces under fluoroscopic images were examined in 3 knees, but didn't cause any failure sign such as osteolysis, or collapse, or instability at final reviews. Conclusions. The clinical and radiological evaluations showed that the double metal augmentations is a favorable and useful way to manage severe uncontained proximal tibial bony defects at least 5 years mid-term follow up period. Preoperative standing anteroposterior (AP) radiograph (Fig 1) shows severe uncontained proximal tibial bone defects, approximately 23 mm compared with unaffected lateral tibial condyle. AP view of fluoroscopy with medial double metal blocks (10 mm block + down sized 10 mm block) combined intramedullary stem at 60-month follow-up after primary total knee arthroplasty, demonstrating radiolucent line (white arrow) of 2.5 mm width bottom the block (Fig 2). AP view at 92-month follow-up indicating non-progressive stable radiolucent lines (white arrow) at same area without any radiographic failure signs and broken sign between first and second metal block (Fig 3)