A Morel-Lavallee lesion (MLL) is a benign cystic lesion that occurs due to injury to the soft-tissue envelope's perforating vascular and lymphatic systems, resulting in a distinctive hemolymphatic fluid accumulation between the tissue layers. The MLL has the potential to make a significant impact on the treatment of orthopaedic injuries. A 79-year-old male patient community ambulatory with assisting aid (cane) known case of Diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bronchial asthma and ischemic heart disease. He was brought to the Emergency, complaining of right hip discomfort and burning sensation for the last 5 days with no history of recent trauma at all. Patient had history of right trochanteric femur fracture 3 years ago, treated with DHS in a privet service. Clinical and Radiological assessment showed that the patient mostly has acute MLL due to lag screw cut out. We offered the patient the surgical intervention, but he refused despite explaining the risks of complications if not treated and preferred to receive the conservative treatment. Compression therapy management explained to him including biker's shorts (instructed to be worn full-time a day) and regular follow up in clinic. Symptom's improvement was reported by the patient in the subsequent visits. In the polytrauma patient, a delayed diagnosis of these lesions is conceivable due to the presence of more visible injuries. It's located over the greater trochanter more commonly, but sometimes in other areas such as the lower lumbar region, the thigh, or the calf. Incorrect or delayed diagnosis and care can have unfavorable outcomes such as infection, pseudocyst development, and cosmetologically deformity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound will aid in MLL diagnosis. However, the effectiveness of MLL therapy remains debatable. We strongly believe that the MLL caused due to tangential shear forces applied to the soft tissue leads to accumulation of the blood and/or lymph between the subcutaneous and overlying fascia and it often misdiagnosed due to other distracting injuries. Nontheless, in our case we reported MLL occur due to internal pressure on the fascia caused by cut out of DHS lag screw

Introduction. The ankle cartilage has an important function in walking movements, mainly in sports; for active young people, between 20 and 30 years old, the incidence of osteochondral lesions is more frequent. They are also more frequent in men, affecting around 21,000 patients per year in USA with 6.5% of ankle injuries generating osteochondral lesions. The lesion is a result of ankle sprain and is most frequently found in the medial location, in 53% of cases. The main objective of this work was to develop an experimental and finite element models to study the effect of the ankle osteochondral lesion on the cartilage behavior. Materials and Methods. The right ankle joint was reconstructed from an axial CT scan presenting an osteochondral lesion in the medial position with 8mm diameter in size. An experimental model was developed, to analyze the strains and influence of lesion size and location similar to the patient. The experimental model includes two cartilages constructed by Polyjet™ 3D printing from rubber material (young modulus similar to cartilage) and bone structures from a rigid polymer. The cartilage was instrumented with two rosettes in the medial and lateral regions, near the osteochondral region. The fluid considered was water at room temperature and the experimental test was run at 1mm/s. The Finite element model (FE) includes all the components considered in the experimental apparatus and was assigned the material properties of bone as isotropic and linear elastic materials; and the cartilage the same properties of rubber material. The fluid was simulated as hyper-elastic one with a Mooney-Rivlin behavior, with constants c1=0.07506 and c2=0.00834MPa. The load applied was 680N in three positions, 15º extension, neutral and 10º flexion. Results. The experimental strain measured in the cartilage in the rosettes presents similar behavior in all experiments and repetitions. The maximum value observed near the osteochondral lesion was 3014(±5.6)µε in comparison with the intact condition it was 468 (±1.95)µε. The osteochondral lesion increases the strains around 6.5 times and the synovial liquid reduces the intensity of strain distribution. The numerical model presents a good correlation with the experiments (R2 0.944), but the FE model underestimates the values. Discussion and conclusion. As a first conclusion, the size of the osteochondral lesion is important for the strains developed in cartilage. The size of lesion greater than 10mm is critical for the strains concentration. The synovial fluid present an important aspect in the strains measured, it reduces the strains in the external surface of cartilage and induces an increase in the lower part. This phenomenon should be addressed in more studies to evaluate this effect

Cartilage lesions occur as a result of joint trauma, and progressively degenerate over time leading to osteoarthritis (OA). Early intervention therapies to repair the initial tissue damage have the potential to delay or prevent the onset of OA. We have developed two acellular treatments; 1) an injectable proteoglycan-like self-assembling hydrogel for the repair of ICRS grade 1 lesions, and 2) a decellularised xenogeneic osteochondral scaffold for surgical grafting in grade 2–4 lesions. We produced an in vitro glycosaminoglycan depleted grade 1 lesion model using porcine cartilage. Peptide-chondroitin sulphate mixture was injected and spontaneously gelled in situ. Cartilage resistance to deformation was increased by 50 %. Decellularised porcine osteochondral scaffolds which maintain the native tissue composition and architecture whilst being immunocompatible were successfully developed and are currently undergoing in vivo assessment in an ovine critical size condylar defect model. Incorporation of the subchondral bone in osteochondral scaffolds is intended to improve osseointegration; implanted decellularised bone-only scaffolds in sheep exhibited superb osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties in a proof-of-concept study. We envisage that our early intervention therapies will be employed clinically to maintain or restore functional hyaline-like cartilage across the whole range of early chondral pathologies and prevent the onset of OA

ONFH with large or lateral-located lesion is challenging due to difficulty of regeneration. We introduce novel tissue engineering technique using ex vivo expanded bone marrow stromal cell seeded on calcium metaphosphate (CMP) scaffold to regenerate dead bone for these challenging cases. Ten millilitres of bone marrow was aspirated from iliac crest and mononuclear cells were collected. These cells were expanded and differentiated to osteoblast-lineage cells using osteogenic media and autologous serum for 2–4 weeks ex vivo. Porous bead-form scaffolds were made of CMP and cells were seeded in a density of million/ml³ into 20 to 30 beads for 1 hour. The necrotic area was curetted and the beads were implanted through core tract in 9 hips (Steinberg IIc in 5 hips and IVc in 4 hips which involved greater than 30% of whole head; JIC classification C1 in 4 hips, and C2 in 5 hips which involved weight bearing area). The tract was blocked with a CMP rod. The age of patients ranged from 16 to 37. Associated factors were; steroid in 4, idiopathic in 3, alcoholic in 1 and traumatic in 1 hip, respectively. Kerboul combined necrotic angle was more than 200° in all hips. We compared preoperative and annual radiographs and MRI images to check dome depression of femoral head and signal change of osteonecrotic area. Follow-up period ranged from 8 to 14 years. Two IIc lesions progressed and were converted to THA at two and six years postoperatively. We could get clinical and radiographic success in 7 hips (78%). Follow-up radiographs and MRI showed partial or nearly complete regeneration of necrotic bone, prevention of collapse, and reduction in necrotic lesion. This can be a good strategy for bone regeneration of unmet need as in a human model

We evaluated the histological changes before and after fixation in ten knees of ten patients with osteochondritis dissecans who had undergone fixation of the unstable lesions. There were seven males and three females with a mean age of 15 years (11 to 22). The procedure was performed either using bio-absorbable pins only or in combination with an autologous osteochondral plug. A needle biopsy was done at the time of fixation and at the time of a second-look arthroscopy at a mean of 7.8 months (6 to 9) after surgery. The biopsy specimens at the second-look arthroscopy showed significant improvement in the histological grading score compared with the pre-fixation scores (p < 0.01). In the specimens at the second-look arthroscopy, the extracellular matrix was stained more densely than at the time of fixation, especially in the middle to deep layers of the articular cartilage. Our findings show that articular cartilage regenerates after fixation of an unstable lesion in osteochondritis dissecans

INTRODUCTION. Loss of joint function is only exploited in osteoarthritis (OA) once severe impairment is apparent. Animal models allow for lesion induction and serial OA progression measures. We recently described an adjustable non-surgical loading model for generating focal cartilage lesions in only the lateral femur joint compartment, in which regimes can be adjusted so that these either do or do not progress spontaneously. Herein, we use ventral plane videographic treadmill gait analysis to determine whether gait changes can be used to discriminate between stable and spontaneously progressing lesions, induced by these two loading regimes. METHODS. Animals encountered normal conditions, except during loading (9N, 40 cycles, 0.1 Hz, 10 sec/ cycle) which was applied to right knees in two groups (n=8) of 8-week-old male CBA mice: i) loaded once; ii) loaded 3 times/week for 2 weeks. Gait (including: brake, propel, stance, stride, stride length, stride frequency, steps and paw area) was assessed 3 times/week for 2 weeks in each mouse using a DigigaitTM treadmill. Thereafter, mice received 5mg/kg carprofen for analgesia and gait analysis repeated on 3 further alternate days. RESULTS. The two loading regimes produced virtually identical gait modifications with delayed onset (apparent on day 3) which remained unchanged for 2 weeks; mice loaded once only showed modified contralateral limb use, but those loaded multiply exhibited additional ipsilateral front limb modifications; no changes in gait were observed in loaded limbs. Intriguingly, the two regimes produced distinct responses to analgesia. Load-induced gait changes were completely rescued by carprofen in mice loaded only once, whilst those in mice loaded repetitively persisted. CONCLUSION. Our findings reveal specific and reproducible, compensatory changes in contralateral, non-loaded limb gait induced by any joint loading which produces focal articular lesions, and modified ipsilateral front limb use only when progressing lesions are induced by repetitive loading. We find that pain relief completely alleviates all gait modifications associated with stable lesions induced by single loading, but not those induced by repetitive loading. Differing responses in mice with stable and progressive articular cartilage load-induced lesions suggests that gait behaviour in a mechanical loading model of OA may predict joint degeneration

Subacromial bursa fibrosis are linked to rotator cuff lesion with shoulder stiffness; however, the mechanism underlying this shoulder disorder remain elusive. MicroRNA-29s (miR-29s) are emerging fibrosis inhibitor targeting fibrogenic matrices during tissue fibrosis. This study is aimed to investigate clinical relevance and function of miR-29 signalling to subacromial bursa homeostasis in shoulder stiffness. Subacromial bursa in patients with rotator cuff lesion with or without shoulder stiffness who required open acromioplasty were harvested for assessing fibrosis histopathology using Manson's trichrome staining. Expressions of proinflammatory cytokines, fibrotic matrices, and miR-29s were quantified using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. Range of motion and pain scores of the stiffness group were higher than those of non-stiffness group. Upregulated proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and fibrotic matrices (collagen 1α1, 3α1, and 4α1) but decreased miR-29a and b expression existed in the stiffness group. Affected tissues exhibited severe fibrotic matrix accumulation, synovial hyperangiogenesis, hyperplasia, and strong miR-29a transcripts. In vitro, IL-1β rather than IL-6 and TNF-α decreased miR-29a expression of subacromial bursa fibroblasts. miR-29a knockdown escalated fibrotic matrix expression, whereas forced miR-29a expression alleviated the IL-1β-induced fibrotic matrix expression. Of interest, miR-29a transgenic mice displayed moderate responses to supraspinatus and infraspinatus tenotomy-induce fibrosis and gait irregularity of affected shoulders. Weak miR-29 signalling causes excessive fibrosis and remodelling in subacromial bursa and ultimately increases the prevalence of shoulder stiffness. This study reveals a new mechanistic underlying shoulder stiffness and highlights that sustained miR-29a potentially ameliorates the severity and function of stiff shoulder

In this study a combination of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and the osteochondral autograft transfer system (OATS) was used and evaluated as a treatment option for the repair of large areas of degenerative articular cartilage. We present the results at three years post-operatively. Osteochondral cores were used to restore the contour of articular cartilage in 13 patients with large lesions of the lateral femoral condyle (n = 5), medial femoral condyle (n = 7) and patella (n = 1). Autologous cultured chondrocytes were injected underneath a periosteal patch covering the cores. After one year, the patients had a significant improvement in their symptoms and after three years this level of improvement was maintained in ten of the 13 patients. Arthroscopic examination revealed that the osteochondral cores became well integrated with the surrounding cartilage. We conclude that the hybrid ACI/OATS technique provides a promising surgical approach for the treatment of patients with large degenerative osteochondral defects

We compared the quality of debridement of chondral lesions performed by four arthroscopic (SH, shaver; CU, curette; SHCU, shaver and curette; BP, bipolar electrodes) and one open technique (OPEN, scalpel and curette) which are used prior to autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI). The ex vivo simulation of all five techniques was carried out on six juvenile equine stifle joints. The OPEN, SH and SHCU techniques were tested on knees harvested from six adult human cadavers. The most vertical walls with the least adjacent damage to cartilage were obtained with the OPEN technique. The CU and SHCU methods gave inferior, but still acceptable results whereas the SH technique alone resulted in a crater-like defect and the BP method undermined the cartilage wall. The subchondral bone was severely violated in all the equine samples which might have been peculiar to this model. The predominant depth of the debridement in the adult human samples was at the level of the calcified cartilage. Some minor penetrations of the subchondral end-plate were induced regardless of the instrumentation used. Our study suggests that not all routine arthroscopic instruments are suitable for the preparation of a defect for ACI. We have shown that the preferred debridement technique is either open or arthroscopically-assisted manual curettage. The use of juvenile equine stifles was not appropriate for the study of the cartilage-subchondral bone interface

Femoral head collapse due to avascular necrosis (AVN) is a relatively rare occurrence following intertrochanteric fractures; however, with over thirty-thousand intertrochanteric fractures per year in England and Wales alone, and an incidence of up to 1.16%, it is still significant. Often patients are treated with a hip fixation device, such as a sliding hip screw or X-Bolt. This study aimed to investigate the influence of three factors on the likelihood of head collapse: (1) implant type; (2) the size of the femoral head; and (3) the size of the AVN lesion. Finite element (FE) models of an intact femur, and femurs implanted with two common hip fixation designs, the Compression Hip Screw (Smith & Nephew) and the X-Bolt (X-Bolt Orthopaedics), were developed. Experimental validation of the FE models on 4. th. generation Sawbones composite femurs (n=5) found the peak failure loads predicted by the implanted model was accurate to within 14%. Following validation on Sawbones, the material modulus (E) was updated to represent cancellous (E=500MPa) and cortical (E=1GPa) bone, and the influence of implant design, head size, and AVN was examined. Four head sizes were compared: mean male (48.4 mm) and female (42.2 mm) head sizes ± two standard deviations. A conical representation of an AVN lesion with a lower modulus (1MPa) was created, and four different radii were studied. The risk of head collapse was assessed from (1) the critical buckling pressure and (2) the peak failure stress. The likelihood of head collapse was reduced by implantation of either fixation device. Smaller head sizes and greater AVN lesion size increased the risk of femoral head collapse. These results indicate the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures with a hip fixation device does not increase the risk of head collapse; however, patient factors such as small head size and AVN severity significantly increase the risk

Introduction. Ostochondral lesion of the knee is a common cause of chronic knee pain. Arthroscopic treatment with subcondral microfracture is a widespread technique leading to noticeable improvement of knee function and pain. To improve the effectiveness of this treatment options, we thought to add intra (PRF) or post-operative (PRP) growth factors. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is obtained by centrifugation of the blood to produce a plasma with high concentration of platelets and growth factors. This latter represents a promising method to manage degenerative cartilage lesion and can be used postoperatively to improve clinical results of patients treated arthroscopically. Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) has been presented as a second-generation platelet concentrate, and it is used intraoperatively to cover the microfracuteres’ holes. No literature was found about using of PRF intraoperative in association with arthroscopic microfracture technique. The aim of this study is to compare clinical outcomes of the treatment of knee osteochondral lesion using arthroscopic microfracture technique alone or in association with PRF Intraoperative application using “Vivostat” system or with PRP “ReGen Lab” postoperative injection. Patients & Methods. 90 patients with clinical and radiographic evidence of osteochondral lesion of the medial or lateral compartment of the knee were enrolled. All patients received arthroscopic debridement and Microfractures and were randomised into 3 groups: 30 patients received microfractures and intraoperative PRF “Vivostat” injection(Group A), 30 patients received microfracture and 3 intra-articular injections of 5.5 mL PRP “Regen”(Group B), 30 patients received microfracture only. IKDC, KOOS and VAS score were administered to all patients before starting the treatment, at 1, 6 and 12 months from the end of the management. Results. Patients who received microfracture and PRF intraoperative application provided the best outcomes, showing a significant higher clinical scores (P<0.001) compared to the other two groups. Patients underwent PRP postoperative administration reported significant higher score than those undergoing arthroscopic microfracture alone (P<0.005), but lesser than Intraoperative PRF group at 6 months and 1 year follow up. Discussion/Conclusion. Treatment of osteochondral lesions of the knee using microfracture technique significantly improved functional and pain scores from the pre- to postoperatively time in the overall cohort. Intraoperative application of PRF shows significantly better outcome than postoperative PRP injections. However, additional treatment with intra-articular PRP injection as an adjunct to microfracture technique may offer better clinical outcomes over microfracture technique alone

The precise point of intradural rupture in preganglionic traction injuries to the brachial plexus has been a subject of controversy. In this study of avulsed roots we have shown that rupture occurs at varying levels. True avulsion of the root with attached spinal cord tissue was seen in two cases and in the remainder rupture was peripheral to the central-peripheral transition zone. We have further shown that corpora amylacea marked the boundary between tissue of the central and peripheral nervous systems. This observation provides a basis for renewed work towards the direct repair of intradural ruptures of the ventral and dorsal roots.

Abstract. Objective. A common orthopaedic pain found in a wide spectrum of individuals, from young and active to the elderly is anterior knee pain (AKP). It is a multifactorial disorder which is thought to occur through muscular imbalance, overuse, trauma, and structural malalignment. Over time, this can result in cartilage damage and subsequent chondral lesions. Whilst the current gold standard for chondral lesion detection is MRI, it is not a highly sensitive tool, with around 20% of lesions thought to be mis-diagnosed by MRI. Single-photon emission computerised tomography with conventional computer tomography (SPECT/CT) is an emerging technology, which may hold clinical value for the detection of chondral lesions. SPECT/CT may provide valuable diagnostic information for AKP patients who demonstrate absence of structural change on other imaging modalities. This review systematically assessed the value of SPECT/CT as an imaging modality for knee pain, and its ability to diagnose chondral lesions for patients who present with knee pain. Methods. Using PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search was carried out in PubMed, Science Direct, and Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, AMED, Ovid Emcare and Embase. Inclusion criteria consisted of any English language article focusing on the diagnostic value of SPECT/CT for knee chondral lesions and knee pain. Furthermore, animal or cadaver studies, comparator technique other than SPECT/CT or patients with a pathology other than knee chondral lesions were excluded from the study. Relevant articles underwent QUADAS-2 bias assessment. Results. 11,982 manuscripts were identified, and the titles were screened for relevance. Seven studies were selected as being appropriate and were subjected to QUADAS-2 assessment. All 7 articles scored low for bias. Two papers deemed that the ICRS score of chondral lesions at intraoperative assessment correlated with SPECT/CT tracer uptake. Two studies concluded that MRI significantly correlated with SPECT/CT tracer uptake, with some instances whereby SPECT/CT identified more chondral lesions than MRI. Two papers compared bone scintigraphy (BS) to SPECT/CT and concluded that SPECT/CT was not only able to identify more chondral lesions than BS, but also localise and characterise the lesions. Conclusion. Evidence implies that SPECT/CT may be a useful imaging modality for the detection and localisation of cartilage lesions, particularly in discrepant cases whereby there is an absence of lesions on other imaging modalities, or a lack of correspondence with patients’ symptoms. More studies would be of value to confirm the conclusions of this review. Declaration of Interest. (b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project

Arthroscopic management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) has become the mainstay of treatment. However, chondral lesions are frequently encountered and have become a determinant of less favourable outcomes following arthroscopic intervention. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the outcomes of hip arthroscopy (HA) in patients with FAI and concomitant chondral lesions classified as per Outerbridge. A systematic search was performed using the PRISMA guidelines on four databases including MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science. Studies which included HA as the primary intervention for management of FAI and classified chondral lesions according to the Outerbridge classification were included. Patients treated with open procedures, for osteonecrosis, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, and previous ipsilateral hip fractures were excluded. From a total of 863 articles, twenty-four were included for final analysis. Demographic data, PROMs, and radiological outcomes and rates of conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) were collected. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I. Improved post-operative PROMs included mHHS (mean difference:-2.42; 95%CI:-2.99 to −1.85; p<0.001), NAHS (mean difference:-1.73; 95%CI: −2.23 to −1.23; p<0.001), VAS (mean difference: 2.03; 95%CI: 0.93-3.13; p<0.001). Pooled rate of revision surgery was 10% (95%CI: 7%-14%). Most of this included conversion to THA, with a 7% pooled rate (95%CI: 4%-11%). Patients had worse PROMs if they underwent HA with labral debridement (p=0.015), had Outerbridge 3 and 4 lesions (p=0.012), concomitant lesions of the femoral head and acetabulum lesions (p=0.029). Reconstructive cartilage techniques were superior to microfracture (p=0.042). Even in concomitant lesions of the femoral head and acetabulum, employing either microfracture or cartilage repair/reconstruction provided a benefit in PROMs (p=0.027). Acceptable post-operative outcomes following HA with labral repair/reconstruction and cartilage repair in patients with FAI and concomitant moderate-to-severe chondral lesions, can be achieved. Patients suffering from Outerbridge 3 and 4 lesions, concomitant acetabular rim and femoral head chondral lesions that underwent HA with labral debridement, had worse PROMs. Reconstructive cartilage techniques were superior to microfracture. Even in concomitant acetabular and femoral head chondral lesions, employing either microfracture or cartilage repair/reconstruction was deemed to provide a benefit in PROMs

The Pivot-shift test is a clinical test for knee instability for patinets with Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), however the test has low inter-observer reliability. Dynamic radiostereometry (dRSA) imaging is a highly precise method for objective evaluation of joint kinematics. The purpose of the study was to quantify precise knee kinematics during Pivot-shift test by use of the non-invasive dynamic RSA imaging. Eight human donor legs with hemipelvis were evaluated. Ligament lesion intervention of the ACL was performed during arthroscopy and anterolateral ligament (ALL) section was performed as a capsular incision. Pivot-shift test examination was recorded with dRSA on ligament intact knees, ACL-deficient knees and ACL+ALL-deficient knees. A Pivot-shift pattern was identifyable after ligament lesion as a change in tibial posterior drawer velocity from 7.8 mm/s in ligament intact knees, to 30.4 mm/s after ACL lesion, to 35.1 mm/s after combined ACL-ALL lesion. The anterior-posterior drawer excursion increased from 2.8 mm in ligament intact knees, to 7.2 mm after ACL lesion, to 7.6 mm after combined lesion. Furthermore a change in tibial rotation was found, with increasing external rotation at the end of the pivot-shift motion going from intact to ACL+ALL-deficient knees. This experimental study demonstrates the feasibility of RSA to objectively quantify the kinematic instability patterns of the knee during the Pivot-shift test. The dynamic parameters found through RSA displayed the kinematic changes from ACL to combined ACL-ALL ligament lesion

The primary aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of osteoid osteoma (OO) between the group of patients with the presence of nidus on biopsy samples from radiofrequency ablation (RFA) with those without nidus. Secondly, we aimed to examine other factors that may affect the outcomes of OO reflecting our experience as a tertiary orthopaedic oncology centre. We retrospectively reviewed 88 consecutive patients diagnosed with OO treated with RFA between November 2005 and March 2015, consisting of 63 males (72%) and 25 females (28%). Sixty-six patients (75%) had nidus present in their biopsy samples. Patients’ mean age was 17.6 years (4-53). Median duration of follow-up was 12.5 months (6-20.8). Lesions were located in the appendicular skeleton in seventy-nine patients (90%) while nine patients (10%) had an OO in the axial skeleton. Outcomes assessed were based on patients’ pain alleviation (partial, complete, or no pain improvement) and the need for further interventions. Pain improvement in the patient group with nidus in histology sample was significantly better than the group without nidus (OR 7.4, CI 1.35-41.4, p=0.021). The patient group with nidus on biopsy demonstrated less likelihood of having a repeat procedure compared to the group without nidus (OR 0.092, CI 0.016-0.542, p=0.008). Our study showed significantly better outcomes in pain improvement in appendicular lesions compared to the axially located lesions (p = 0.005). Patients with spinal lesions tend to have relatively poor pain relief than those with appendicular or pelvic lesions (p=0.007). Patients with nidus on histology had better pain alleviation compared to patients without nidus. The histological presence of nidus significantly reduces the chance of repeat interventions. The pain alleviation of OO following RFA is better in patients with appendicular lesions than spinal or axially located lesions

Osteochondromas are benign chondrogenic lesions arising on the external surface of the bone with aberrant cartilage (exostosis) from the perichondral ring that may contain a marrow cavity also. In a few cases, depending on the anatomical site affected, different degrees of edema, redness, paresthesia, or paresis can take place due to simple contact or friction. Also, depending on their closeness to neurovascular structures, the procedure of excision becomes crucial to avoid recurrence. We report a unique case of recurrent osteochondroma of the proximal humerus enclosing the brachial artery which makes for an important case and procedure to ensure that no relapse occurs. We report a unique case of a 13-year-old female who had presented with a history of pain and recurrent swelling for 5 years. The swelling size was 4.4 cm x 3.7 cm x 4 cm with a previous history of swelling at the same site operated in 2018. CT reports were suggestive of a large well defined broad-based exophytic diaphyseal lesion in the medial side of the proximal humerus extending posteriorly. Another similar morphological lesion measuring approximately 9 mm x 7 mm was noted involving the posterior humeral shaft. The minimal distance between the lesion and the brachial artery was 2 mm just anterior to the posterio-medial growth. Two intervals were made, first between the tumor and the neurovascular bundle and the other between the anterior tumor and brachial artery followed by exostosis and cauterization of the base. Proper curettage and excision of the tumor was done after dissecting and removing the soft tissue, blood vessels, and nerves so that there were very less chances of relapse. Post-operative X-ray was done and post 6 months of follow-up, there were no changes, and no relapse was observed. Thus, when presented with a case of recurrent osteochondroma of the proximal humerus, osteochondroma could also be in proximity to important vasculature as in this case enclosing the brachial artery. Thus, proper curettage and excision should be done in such cases to avoid recurrence

Syndesmotic ankle lesions involve disruption of the osseous tibiofibular mortise configuration as well as ligamentous structures stabilizing the ankle joint. Incomplete diagnosis and maltreatment of these injuries is frequent, resulting in chronic pain and progressive instability thus promoting development of ankle osteoarthritis in the long term. Although the pathogenesis is not fully understood, abnormal mechanics has been implicated as a principal determinant of ankle joint degeneration after syndesmotic ankle lesions. Therefore, the focus of this presentation will be on our recent development of a computationally efficient algorithm to calculate the contact pressure distribution in patients with a syndesmotic ankle lesion, enabling us to stratify the risk of OA development in the long term and thereby guiding patient treatment

Hip Osteoarthritis (HOA) is the most common joint disorder and a major cause of disability in the adult population, leading to total hip replacement (THR). Recently, evidence has mounted for a prominent etiologic role of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in the development of early OA in the non-dysplastic hip. FAI is a pathological mechanical process, caused by abnormalities of the acetabulum and/or femur leading to damage the soft tissue structures. FAI can determine chondro-labral damage and groin pain in young adults and can accelerate HOA progression in middle-aged adults. The aim of the study was to determine if the presence of calcium crystal in synovial fluid (SF) at the time of FAI surgery affects the clinical outcomes to be used as diagnostic and predictive biomarker. 49 patients with FAI undergoing arthroscopy were enrolled after providing informed consent; 37 SFs were collected by arthrocentesis at the time of surgery and 35 analyzed (66% males), median age 35 years with standard deviation (SD) 9.7 and body mass index (BMI) 23.4 kg/m. 2. ; e SD 3. At the time of surgery, chondral pathology using the Outerbridge score, labral pathology and macroscopic synovial pathology based on direct arthroscopic visualization were evaluated. Physical examination and clinical assessment using the Hip disability & Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS) were performed at the time of surgery and at 6 months of follow up. As positive controls of OA signs, SF samples were also collected from cohort of 15 patients with HOA undergoing THR and 12 were analysed. 45% FAI patients showed CAM deformity; 88% presented labral lesion or instability and 68% radiographic labral calcification. 4 patients out of 35 showed moderate radiographic signs of OA (Kellegren-Lawrence score = 3). Pre-operative HOOS median value was 61.3% (68.10-40.03) with interquartile range (IQR) of 75-25% and post-operative HOOS median value 90% with IQR 93.8-80.60. In both FAI and OA patients the calcium crystal level in SFs negatively correlated with glycosaminoglycan (component of the extracellular matrix) released, which is a marker of cartilage damage (Spearman rho=-0.601, p<0.001). In FAI patients a worst articular function after surgery, measured with the HOOS questionnaire, was associated with both acetabular and femoral chondropathy and degenerative labral lesion. Moreover, radiographic labral calcification was also significantly associated with pain, worst articular function and labral lesion. Calcium crystal level in SFs was associated with labral lesions and OA signs. We concluded that the levels of calcium crystals in FAI patients are correlated with joint damage, OA signs and worst post-operative outcome. The presence of calcium crystals in SF of FAI patients might be a potential new biomarker that might help clinicians to make an early diagnosis, evaluate disease progression and monitor treatment response

Introduction. Degenerative meniscal tears are the most common meniscal lesions, representing huge clinical and socio-economic burdens. Their role in knee osteoarthritis (OA) onset and progression is well established and demonstrated by several retrospective studies. Effective preventive measures and non-surgical treatments for degenerative meniscal lesions are still lacking, also because of the lack of specific and accurate animal models in which test them. Thus, we aim to develop and validate an accurate animal model of meniscus degeneration. Method. Three different surgical techniques to induce medial meniscus degenerative changes in ovine model were performed and compared. A total of 32 sheep (stifle joints) were subjected to either one of the following surgical procedures: a) direct arthroscopic mechanical meniscal injury; b) peripheral devascularization and denervation of medial meniscus; c) full thickness medial femoral condyle cartilage lesion. In all the 3 groups, the contralateral joint served as a control. Result. From a visual examination of the knee joint emerged a clear difference between control and operated groups, in the menisci but also in the cartilage, indicating the onset of OA-related cartilage degeneration. The meniscal and cartilaginous lesions were characterized by different severity and location in the different groups. For instance, a direct meniscal injury caused cartilaginous lesions especially in the medial part of the condyles, and the other approaches presented specific signature. Evaluation of scoring scales (e.g. ICRS score) allowed the quantification of the damage and the identification of differences among the four groups. Conclusion. We were effectively able to develop and validate a sheep model of meniscal degeneration which led to the onset of OA. This innovative model will allow to test in a pre-clinical relevant setting innovative approaches to prevent meniscal-related OA. Funding. Project PNRR-MAD-2022-12375978 funded by Italian Ministry of Health