Aims. This Delphi study assessed the challenges of diagnosing soft-tissue knee injuries (STKIs) in acute settings among orthopaedic healthcare stakeholders. Methods. This modified e-Delphi study consisted of three rounds and involved 32 orthopaedic healthcare stakeholders, including physiotherapists, emergency nurse practitioners, sports medicine physicians, radiologists, orthopaedic registrars, and orthopaedic consultants. The perceived importance of diagnostic components relevant to STKIs included patient and external risk factors, clinical signs and symptoms, special clinical tests, and diagnostic imaging methods. Each round required scoring and ranking various items on a ten-point Likert scale. The items were refined as each round progressed. The study produced rankings of perceived importance across the various diagnostic components. Results. In Round 1, the study revealed widespread variability in stakeholder opinions on diagnostic components of STKIs. Round 2 identified patterns in the perceived importance of specific items within each diagnostic component. Round 3 produced rankings of perceived item importance within each diagnostic component. Noteworthy findings include the challenges associated with accurate and readily available diagnostic methods in acute care settings, the consistent acknowledgment of the importance of adopting a patient-centred approach to diagnosis, and the transition from divergent to convergent opinions between Rounds 2 and 3. Conclusion. This study highlights the potential for a paradigm shift in acute STKI diagnosis, where variability in the understanding of STKI diagnostic components may be addressed by establishing a uniform, evidence-based framework for evaluating these injuries. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(11):984–991

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To identify unanswered questions about the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation and delivery of care of first-time soft-tissue knee injuries (ligament injuries, patella dislocations, meniscal injuries, and articular cartilage) in children (aged 12 years and older) and adults.

Abstract. Introduction. Frailty is associated with poorer outcomes after joint replacement. Targeting frailty pre-operatively via protein supplementation and exercise has the potential to improve outcomes after joint replacement. Before conducting a randomised controlled trial (RCT), a feasibility study is necessary to address key uncertainties and explore how to optimise trial design. Methodology. Joint PREP is a feasibility study for a multicentre, two-arm, parallel group, pragmatic, RCT to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of prehabilitation for frail patients undergoing total hip or knee replacement. Sixty people who are ≥65 years of age, frail and scheduled to undergo total hip or knee replacement at 2–3 NHS hospitals will be recruited and randomly allocated on a 1:1 ratio to the intervention or usual care group. The intervention group will be given a daily protein supplement and will be asked to follow a home-based, tailored daily exercise programme for 12 weeks before their operation, supported by fortnightly telephone calls from a physiotherapist. Embedded qualitative research with patients will explore their experiences of participating, reasons for non-participation and/or reasons for withdrawal or treatment discontinuation. Results. Outcomes to be assessed include eligibility, recruitment and retention rates; intervention adherence; acceptability of the trial and intervention; and data completion. Data collection is ongoing. Discussion. This study will generate important data regarding the feasibility of a RCT to evaluate a prehabilitation intervention for frail patients undergoing joint replacement. A future RCT will contribute to the evidence on interventions to optimise the benefit that frail patients gain from joint replacement

Abstract. INTRODUCTION. Geniculate nerve blocks (GNB) and ablation (GNA) are increasing in popularity as strategies for the management of knee pain in patients unsuitable for surgical intervention. Typically these simple blocks have been performed by specialists in pain medicine. We present the results of a GNB clinic run by a surgical care practitioner (SCP). METHODOLOGY. An SCP clinic was created where ultrasound-guided GNBs comprising local anaesthetic and steroid were administered. Patients considered unsuitable for surgery were referred with knee pain by orthopaedic knee surgeons and specialist physiotherapists. A VAS pain score and an Oxford Knee Score (OKS) were completed prior to and immediately following blockade. Serial VAS diaries were completed. Further OKS were requested at 6 weeks and 6 months. Patients could request GNA at any point during follow-up and their follow-up ceased at this stage. RESULTS. 50 patients were identified between December 2020 and 2021. Patients are followed up until 6 months post-block or until referral for GNA. Pre-blockade mean OKS was 13.4, mean VAS 8.6, post procedure mean VAS 2.7. Six-week mean OKS was 20.9 in those not referred for ablation, mean improvement of 7.3. Of the cohort of 50, 25 have progressed to ablation. CONCLUSION. GNB is a simple procedure which can provide both lasting symptomatic relief and prognostic information in the treatment of patients with knee pain not amenable to surgical intervention, a growing subset of patients. This SCP-led clinic increases capacity for the provision of GNBs, helping to identify patients suitable for GNA

Aims. The James Lind Alliance aims to bring patients, carers, and clinicians together to identify uncertainties regarding care. A Priority Setting Partnership was established by the British Association for Surgery of the Knee in conjunction with the James Lind Alliance to identify research priorities related to the assessment, management, and rehabilitation of patients with persistent symptoms after knee arthroplasty. Methods. The project was conducted using the James Lind Alliance protocol. A steering group was convened including patients, surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses, physiotherapists, and researchers. Partner organizations were recruited. A survey was conducted on a national scale through which patients, carers, and healthcare professionals submitted key unanswered questions relating to problematic knee arthroplasties. These were analyzed, aggregated, and synthesized into summary questions and the relevant evidence was checked. After confirming that these were not answered in the current literature, 32 questions were taken forward to an interim prioritization survey. Data from this survey informed a shortlist taken to a final consensus meeting. Results. A total of 769 questions were received during the initial survey with national reach across the UK. These were refined into 32 unique questions by an independent information specialist. The interim prioritization survey was completed by 201 respondents and 25 questions were taken to a final consensus group meeting between patients, carers, and healthcare professionals. Consensus was reached for ranking the top ten questions for publication and dissemination. Conclusions. The top ten research priorities focused on pain, infection, stiffness, health service configuration, surgical and non-surgical management strategies, and outcome measures. This list will guide funders and help focus research efforts within the knee arthroplasty community. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(9):1176–1182

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To assess the cost-effectiveness of a two-layer compression bandage versus a standard wool and crepe bandage following total knee arthroplasty, using patient-level data from the Knee Replacement Bandage Study (KReBS).

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This study compared patient-reported outcomes of three total knee arthroplasty (TKA) designs from one manufacturer: one cruciate-retaining (CR) design, and two cruciate-sacrificing designs, anterior-stabilized (AS) and posterior-stabilized (PS).

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To investigate the impact of consecutive perioperative care transitions on in-hospital recovery of patients who had primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) over an 11-year period.

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This study aims to identify the top unanswered research priorities in the field of knee surgery using consensus-based methodology.

Introduction. The commonest causes of revision of Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (UKR) in National Registers are loosening and pain. Cementless UKR was introduced to address loosening and was found, in small randomised studies, to have better radiographic fixation than Cemented UKR. Although non-significant these studies also suggested the clinical outcome was better with cementless. The aim of this larger study was to compare the pain and function of cementless and cemented UKR at five years. Methods. 263 Cemented and 266 Cementless UKR of identical design, implanted by four high volume surgeons for the same indications, were reviewed by independent physiotherapists at five years. Revision, re-operation, Oxford Knee Score (OKS), American Knee Society score (AKSS) and EQ-5D were assessed. Two pain specific scores were also used: Pain Detect (PD) and Intermittent and Constant Osteoarthritis Pain (ICOAP). The pain scores were normalised onto a scale of 0 to 100 with 100 being the best. The cemented cohort was mainly implanted before the cementless, although there was considerable overlap. To explore whether differences were due to progressive improvement in surgical practice with time each cohort was divided into early and late subgroups. Results. Pre-operatively there were no differences between the devices in patient demographics or scores. At 5 years there were no differences in revision rate (0.8%), re-operation rate (2.2%) or medical complication rate (4%). The Cementless had significantly (p<0.05) better OKS (43 v 41), AKSS and EQ5D. There were significantly (p=0.03) fewer cementless cases with unexplained pain (2.3% v 6%). The cementless had significantly (p<0.002), less ‘strongest’ (84 v 76) and ‘average’ (90 v 85) pain as assessed by PD and less chronic (97 v 92) and intermittent (93 v 86) pain as assessed by ICOAP. Subgroup analysis found no significant differences in outcome between the early and late subgroups within the cohorts, whereas there were significant differences in outcomes between the late subgroup of the cemented cohort and the early subgroup of the cementless cohort. Discussion and Conclusion. Almost all outcome scores were significantly better following cementless compared to cemented UKR, suggesting that the cementless is better than cemented. However, as the cemented cases were mainly implanted before the cementless, it could be the difference was due to other factors, such as surgical technique or rehabilitation, that improved with time. This is unlikely to be the case as there were no differences between the early and late subgroups within the cohorts whereas there were differences between the late subgroup of the cemented cohort and the early subgroup of the cementless cohort which were implanted at a similar time. Although the functional scores following cementless are significantly better than cemented, the differences are similar to or smaller than the minimally clinical important difference (MCID) for these scores. In contrast there is significantly less pain following the cementless and the differences tended to be greater than the MCID. This suggests that Cementless UKR is associated with appreciably less pain and slightly better function than Cemented UKR. For figures, tables, or references, please contact authors directly

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Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) around the knee are challenging injuries. This study aims to describe the characteristics of knee PPFs and the impact of patient demographics, fracture types, and management modalities on in-hospital mortality.

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In cases of severe periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the knee, salvage procedures such as knee arthrodesis (KA) or above-knee amputation (AKA) must be considered. As both treatments result in limitations in quality of life (QoL), we aimed to compare outcomes and factors influencing complication rates, mortality, and mobility.

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A fracture of the medial tibial plateau is a serious complication of Oxford mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (OUKA). The risk of these fractures is reportedly lower when using components with a longer keel-cortex distance (KCDs). The aim of this study was to examine how slight varus placement of the tibial component might affect the KCDs, and the rate of tibial plateau fracture, in a clinical setting.

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The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes, mortalities, implant survival rates, and complications of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with or without hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection over at least ten years of follow-up.

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The aim of this study was to compare any differences in the primary outcome (biphasic flexion knee moment during gait) of robotic arm-assisted bi-unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (bi-UKA) with conventional mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at one year post-surgery.

Introduction. Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) are recognized as crucial in evaluating the outcome of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). New Knee Society Score (NKSS), introduced in 2011, is reported to be an effective, such outcome measure. Forgotten Joint score (FJS), introduced in 2012, has been validated but has only a few studies in literature reporting upon it. In a normal population without arthritis, the FJS is reported to be between 50–95, a higher score representing better status. Our aim was to determine 1) the FJS at 1-year post TKA, distributing patients in 2 groups of FJS less than/more than 50; assessing its ceiling and floor effect 2) the influence of age, sex, BMI, diabetes, thyroid, type of deformity, pre/post-operative flexion and 3) to compare and correlate FJS with NKSS and its sub-scores - Objective knee score(OKS) and Subjective knee score(SKS). Methods. We enrolled 181 patients (222 knees), who had primary TKA performed by the same surgeon at Lilavati Hospital & Research Centre, Mumbai, between June 2016 to February 2017. NKSS was administered to each patient preoperatively. At 1 year, they were prospectively called for review and NKSS and FJS were administered. 151 patients attended the review clinic and 17 patients completed the forms with the help of their physiotherapist and sent them via email. 13 patients who could not do either, were excluded from the study. Thus, we had 168 patients (207 knees) whose complete data was analyzed. Of 168 patients, 37 were males and 131 were females, with an average age of 67 years (37–85). Patients were divided into two groups based on their FJS score - Group A (FJS<50) and Group B (FJS≥50). The demographics and NKSS in both groups were compared. The study was approved by our Institutional Review Board. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS software. Raw data statistics for FJS was determined and unpaired t-test used to compare all parameters in Groups A and B. Correlation of NKSS to FJS was analyzed using Pearson's correlation test. Results. 1). FJS at 1 year: The median FJS at 1 year was 68.8 (IQR 41.7, mean 68, SD 25.3, range 0–100). It exhibited a 14% ceiling and 0.5% floor effect. There were 49 (24%) TKAs in Group A and 158 (76%) TKAs in Group B. 2). Comparison of parameters of age, sex, BMI, diabetes, thyroid disorder, type and severity of deformity and pre/post-operative flexion between the two groups showed no difference (unpaired t-test p>0.05) for each parameter, with the numbers available. 3).  . In Group A, the median values of NKSS, OKS and SKS were 174, 94 and 87 respectively as compared to the corresponding median values of 198, 98 and 100 in Group B. The difference in their corresponding values was seen to be significant (p<0.005). For both groups, the change in scores from preoperative to postoperative values was significant for NKSS (median of 73 vs 69, p=0.003) & SKS (median of 39 vs 30, p=0.006) but not for OKS (median of 47 vs 46, p=0.655). Correlation of the FJS to NKSS at 1 year was seen to be significant (p<0.005), the strength of correlation was found to be moderate (r=0.43). Each sub-score also showed significant correlation (p<0.005), which was weak to moderate (r=0.32 to 0.43). Conclusion. Mean FJS at 1-year post TKA was 68 which compares well with a mean of 72 reported in the normal population without arthritis. It exhibited 14% ceiling and 0.5% floor effects. FJS was not influenced by age, sex, BMI, co-morbidities, type/extent of deformity or pre/post-operative flexion range. Patients with higher FJS also had higher NKSS and higher OKS/SKS values but change in scores was significant only for NKSS & SKS. We observed a moderately positive correlation of FJS with NKSS at 1 year

Patellofemoral joint degeneration is often considered a contraindication to medial unicompartmental knee replacement. We examined the validity of this preconception using information gathered prospectively on the intra-operative status of the patellofemoral joint in 824 knees in 793 consecutive patients who underwent Oxford unicondylar knee replacement for anteromedial osteoarthritis. All operations were performed between January 1998 and September 2005. A five-point grading system classified degeneration of the patellofemoral joint from none to full-thickness cartilage loss. A subclassification of the presence or absence of any full-thickness cartilage loss was subsequently performed to test selected hypotheses. Outcome was evaluated independently by physiotherapists using the Oxford and the American Knee Society Scores with a minimum follow-up of one year. Full-thickness cartilage loss on the trochlear surface was observed in 100 of 785 knees (13%), on the medial facet of the patella in 69 of 782 knees (9%) and on the lateral facet in 29 of 784 knees (4%). Full-thickness cartilage loss at any location was seen in 128 knees (16%) and did not produce a significantly worse outcome than those with a normal or near-normal joint surface. The severity of the degeneration at any of the intra-articular locations also had no influence on outcome. We concluded that, provided there is not bone loss and grooving of the lateral facet, damage to the articular cartilage of the patellofemoral joint to the extent of full-thickness cartilage loss is not a contraindication to the Oxford mobile-bearing unicompartmental knee replacement

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Intraoperative pressure sensors allow surgeons to quantify soft-tissue balance during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to determine whether using sensors to achieve soft-tissue balance was more effective than manual balancing in improving outcomes in TKA.

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This study compared the cobalt and chromium serum ion concentration of patients treated with two different metal-on-metal (MoM) hinged total knee arthroplasty (TKA) systems, as well as a titanium nitride (TiN)-coated variant.

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Manipulation under anaesthesia (MUA) remains an effective intervention to address restricted range of motion (ROM) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and occurs in 2% to 3% of primary TKAs at our institution. Since there are few data on the outcomes of MUA with different anaesthetic methods, we sought to compare the outcomes of patients undergoing MUA with intravenous (IV) sedation and neuraxial anaesthesia.