Adenosine, lidocaine, and Mg2+ (ALM) therapy exerts differential immuno-inflammatory responses in males and females early after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR). Our aim was to investigate sex-specific effects of ALM therapy on joint tissue repair and recovery 28 days after surgery. Male (n = 21) and female (n = 21) adult Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into ALM or Saline control treatment groups. Three days after ACL rupture, animals underwent ACLR. An ALM or saline intravenous infusion was commenced prior to skin incision, and continued for one hour. An intra-articular bolus of ALM or saline was also administered prior to skin closure. Animals were monitored to 28 days, and joint function, pain, inflammatory markers, histopathology, and tissue repair markers were assessed.Aims
Methods
Objectives. Bone void fillers are increasingly being used for dead space management in arthroplasty revision surgery. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of calcium sulphate bone void filler (CS-BVF) on the damage and wear of total knee arthroplasty using experimental wear simulation. Methods. A total of 18 fixed-bearing U2 total knee arthroplasty system implants (United
As has been shown in larger animal models, knee immobilization can lead to arthrofibrotic phenotypes. Our study included 168 C57BL/6J female mice, with 24 serving as controls, and 144 undergoing a knee procedure to induce a contracture without osteoarthritis (OA). Experimental knees were immobilized for either four weeks (72 mice) or eight weeks (72 mice), followed by a remobilization period of zero weeks (24 mice), two weeks (24 mice), or four weeks (24 mice) after suture removal. Half of the experimental knees also received an intra-articular injury. Biomechanical data were collected to measure passive extension angle (PEA). Histological data measuring area and thickness of posterior and anterior knee capsules were collected from knee sections.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to report the meaningful values of the EuroQol five-dimension three-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L) and EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) in patients undergoing primary knee arthroplasty (KA). This is a retrospective study of patients undergoing primary KA for osteoarthritis in a university teaching hospital (Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh) (1 January 2013 to 31 December 2019). Pre- and postoperative (one-year) data were prospectively collected for 3,181 patients (median age 69.9 years (interquartile range (IQR) 64.2 to 76.1); females, n = 1,745 (54.9%); median BMI 30.1 kg/m2 (IQR 26.6 to 34.2)). The reliability of the EQ-5D-3L was measured using Cronbach’s alpha. Responsiveness was determined by calculating the anchor-based minimal clinically important difference (MCID), the minimal important change (MIC) (cohort and individual), the patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) predictive of satisfaction, and the minimal detectable change at 90% confidence intervals (MDC-90).Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to determine the risk of tibial eminence avulsion intraoperatively for bi-unicondylar knee arthroplasty (Bi-UKA), with consideration of the effect of implant positioning, overstuffing, and sex, compared to the risk for isolated medial unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA-M) and bicruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty (BCR-TKA). Two experimentally validated finite element models of tibia were implanted with UKA-M, Bi-UKA, and BCR-TKA. Intraoperative loads were applied through the condyles, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and lateral collateral ligament (LCL), and the risk of fracture (ROF) was evaluated in the spine as the ratio of the 95th percentile maximum principal elastic strains over the tensile yield strain of proximal tibial bone.Aims
Methods
To identify the responsiveness, minimal clinically important difference (MCID), minimal clinical important change (MIC), and patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS) thresholds in the 36-item Short Form Health Survey questionnaire (SF-36) (v2) for each of the eight dimensions and the total score following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). There were 3,321 patients undergoing primary TKA with preoperative and one-year postoperative SF-36 scores. At one-year patients were asked how satisfied they were and “How much did the knee arthroplasty surgery improve the quality of your life?”, which was graded as: great, moderate, little (n = 277), none (n = 98), or worse.Aims
Methods
Unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty (UKA and TKA) are successful treatments for osteoarthritis, but the solid metal implants disrupt the natural distribution of stress and strain which can lead to bone loss over time. This generates problems if the implant needs to be revised. This study investigates whether titanium lattice UKA and TKA implants can maintain natural load transfer in the proximal tibia. In a cadaveric model, UKA and TKA procedures were performed on eight fresh-frozen knee specimens, using conventional (solid) and titanium lattice tibial implants. Stress at the bone-implant interfaces were measured and compared to the native knee.Aims
Methods
Outcomes of current operative treatments for arthrofibrosis after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are not consistently positive or predictable. Pharmacological in vivo studies have focused mostly on prevention of arthrofibrosis. This study used a rabbit model to evaluate intra-articular (IA) effects of celecoxib in treating contracted knees alone, or in combination with capsular release. A total of 24 rabbits underwent contracture-forming surgery with knee immobilization followed by remobilization surgery at eight weeks. At remobilization, one cohort underwent capsular release (n = 12), while the other cohort did not (n = 12). Both groups were divided into two subcohorts (n = 6 each) – one receiving IA injections of celecoxib, and the other receiving injections of vehicle solution (injections every day for two weeks after remobilization). Passive extension angle (PEA) was assessed in live rabbits at 10, 16, and 24 weeks, and disarticulated limbs were analyzed for capsular stiffness at 24 weeks.Aims
Methods
Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an alternative to total knee arthroplasty with isolated medial or lateral compartment osteoarthritis. However, polyethylene wear can significantly reduce the lifespan of UKA. Different bearing designs and materials for UKA have been developed to change the rate of polyethylene wear. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of insert conformity and material on the predicted wear in mobile-bearing UKA using a previously developed computational wear method. Two different designs were tested with the same femoral component under identical kinematic input: anatomy mimetic design (AMD) and conforming design inserts with different conformity levels. The insert materials were standard or crosslinked ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). We evaluated the contact pressure, contact area, wear rate, wear depth, and volumetric wear under gait cycle loading conditions.Objectives
Methods
Researchers continue to seek easier ways to evaluate the quality of bone and screen for osteoporosis and osteopenia. Until recently, radiographic images of various parts of the body, except the distal femur, have been reappraised in the light of dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) findings. The incidence of osteoporotic fractures around the knee joint in the elderly continues to increase. The aim of this study was to propose two new radiographic parameters of the distal femur for the assessment of bone quality. Anteroposterior radiographs of the knee and bone mineral density (BMD) and T-scores from DXA scans of 361 healthy patients were prospectively analyzed. The mean cortical bone thickness (CBTavg) and the distal femoral cortex index (DFCI) were the two parameters that were proposed and measured. Intra- and interobserver reliabilities were assessed. Correlations between the BMD and T-score and these parameters were investigated and their value in the diagnosis of osteoporosis and osteopenia was evaluated.Objectives
Methods
To compare the effect of femoral bone tunnel configuration on tendon-bone healing in an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction animal model. Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the plantaris tendon as graft material was performed on both knees of 24 rabbits (48 knees) to mimic ACL reconstruction by two different suspensory fixation devices for graft fixation. For the adjustable fixation device model (Socket group; group S), a 5 mm deep socket was created in the lateral femoral condyle (LFC) of the right knee. For the fixed-loop model (Tunnel group; group T), a femoral tunnel penetrating the LFC was created in the left knee. Animals were sacrificed at four and eight weeks after surgery for histological evaluation and biomechanical testing.Objectives
Methods
The primary stability of the cementless Oxford Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (OUKR) relies on interference fit (or press fit). Insufficient interference may cause implant loosening, whilst excessive interference could cause bone damage and fracture. The aim of this study was to identify the optimal interference fit by measuring the force required to seat the tibial component of the cementless OUKR (push-in force) and the force required to remove the component (pull-out force). Six cementless OUKR tibial components were implanted in 12 new slots prepared on blocks of solid polyurethane foam (20 pounds per cubic foot (PCF), Sawbones, Malmo, Sweden) with a range of interference of 0.1 mm to 1.9 mm using a Dartec materials testing machine HC10 (Zwick Ltd, Herefordshire, United Kingdom) . The experiment was repeated with cellular polyurethane foam (15 PCF), which is a more porous analogue for trabecular bone.Objectives
Materials and Methods
Patient-specific (PS) implantation surgical technology has been introduced in recent years and a gradual increase in the associated number of surgical cases has been observed. PS technology uses a patient’s own geometry in designing a medical device to provide minimal bone resection with improvement in the prosthetic bone coverage. However, whether PS unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) provides a better biomechanical effect than standard off-the-shelf prostheses for UKA has not yet been determined, and still remains controversial in both biomechanical and clinical fields. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical effect between PS and standard off-the-shelf prostheses for UKA. The contact stresses on the polyethylene (PE) insert, articular cartilage and lateral meniscus were evaluated in PS and standard off-the-shelf prostheses for UKA using a validated finite element model. Gait cycle loading was applied to evaluate the biomechanical effect in the PS and standard UKAs.Objectives
Methods
Posterior condylar offset (PCO) and posterior tibial slope (PTS) are critical factors in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A computational simulation was performed to evaluate the biomechanical effect of PCO and PTS on cruciate retaining TKA. We generated a subject-specific computational model followed by the development of ± 1 mm, ± 2 mm and ± 3 mm PCO models in the posterior direction, and -3°, 0°, 3° and 6° PTS models with each of the PCO models. Using a validated finite element (FE) model, we investigated the influence of the changes in PCO and PTS on the contact stress in the patellar button and the forces on the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), patellar tendon and quadriceps muscles under the deep knee-bend loading conditions.Objectives
Methods
The length of the tourniquet time during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is related to the incidence of post-operative deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Our aim in this study was to investigate the effect of the early release of the tourniquet on the incidence of DVT in patients undergoing TKA. A total of 200 patients who underwent TKA between November 2015 and November 2016 were prospectively enrolled. The tourniquet was inflated before surgery and released immediately after the introduction of the components (early release group). This group was compared with a retrospective cohort of 200 primary TKAs, in which the tourniquet was released after the dressings had been applied (late release group). The presence of a DVT was detected using bilateral lower limb ultrasonography. Peri-operative clinical and follow-up data were collected for analysis.Objectives
Methods
The lack of effective treatment for cartilage defects has prompted investigations using tissue engineering techniques for their regeneration and repair. The success of tissue-engineered repair of cartilage may depend on the rapid and efficient adhesion of transplanted cells to a scaffold. Our aim in this study was to repair full-thickness defects in articular cartilage in the weight-bearing area of a porcine model, and to investigate whether the CD44 monoclonal antibody biotin-avidin (CBA) binding technique could provide satisfactory tissue-engineered cartilage. Cartilage defects were created in the load-bearing region of the lateral femoral condyle of mini-type pigs. The defects were repaired with traditional tissue-engineered cartilage, tissue-engineered cartilage constructed with the biotin-avidin (BA) technique, tissue-engineered cartilage constructed with the CBA technique and with autologous cartilage. The biomechanical properties, Western blot assay, histological findings and immunohistochemical staining were explored.Objectives
Methods
Preservation of posterior condylar offset (PCO) has been shown to correlate with improved functional results after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Whether this is also the case for revision TKA, remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the independent effect of PCO on early functional outcome after revision TKA. A total of 107 consecutive aseptic revision TKAs were performed by a single surgeon during an eight-year period. The mean age was 69.4 years (39 to 85) and there were 59 female patients and 48 male patients. The Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and Short-form (SF)-12 score were assessed pre-operatively and one year post-operatively. Patient satisfaction was also assessed at one year. Joint line and PCO were assessed radiographically at one year.Objectives
Methods
The aim of the current study was to analyse the effects of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) deficiency on forces of the posterolateral corner structure and on tibiofemoral (TF) and patellofemoral (PF) contact force under dynamic-loading conditions. A subject-specific knee model was validated using a passive flexion experiment, electromyography data, muscle activation, and previous experimental studies. The simulation was performed on the musculoskeletal models with and without PCL deficiency using a novel force-dependent kinematics method under gait- and squat-loading conditions, followed by probabilistic analysis for material uncertain to be considered.Objectives
Methods
Up to 40% of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) revisions are performed for unexplained pain which may be caused by elevated proximal tibial bone strain. This study investigates the effect of tibial component metal backing and polyethylene thickness on bone strain in a cemented fixed-bearing medial UKA using a finite element model (FEM) validated experimentally by digital image correlation (DIC) and acoustic emission (AE). A total of ten composite tibias implanted with all-polyethylene (AP) and metal-backed (MB) tibial components were loaded to 2500 N. Cortical strain was measured using DIC and cancellous microdamage using AE. FEMs were created and validated and polyethylene thickness varied from 6 mm to 10 mm. The volume of cancellous bone exposed to < -3000 µε (pathological loading) and < -7000 µε (yield point) minimum principal (compressive) microstrain and > 3000 µε and > 7000 µε maximum principal (tensile) microstrain was computed.Objectives
Materials and Methods
