Within healthcare, several measures are used to quantify and compare the severity of health conditions. Two common measures are disability weight (DW), a context-independent value representing severity of a health state, and utility weight (UW), a context-dependent measure of health-related quality of life. Neither of these measures have previously been determined for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). The aim of this study is to determine the DW and country-specific UWs for DDH. A survey was created using three different methods to estimate the DW: a preference ranking exercise, time trade-off exercise, and visual analogue scale (VAS). Participants were fully licensed orthopaedic surgeons who were contacted through national and international orthopaedic organizations. A global DW was calculated using a random effects model through an inverse-variance approach. A UW was calculated for each country as one minus the country-specific DW composed of the time trade-off exercise and VAS.Aims
Methods
Evaluating musculoskeletal conditions of the lower limb and understanding the pathophysiology of complex bone kinematics is challenging. Static images do not take into account the dynamic component of relative bone motion and muscle activation. Fluoroscopy and dynamic MRI have important limitations. Dynamic CT (4D-CT) is an emerging alternative that combines high spatial and temporal resolution, with an increased availability in clinical practice. 4D-CT allows simultaneous visualization of bone morphology and joint kinematics. This unique combination makes it an ideal tool to evaluate functional disorders of the musculoskeletal system. In the lower limb, 4D-CT has been used to diagnose femoroacetabular impingement, patellofemoral, ankle and subtalar joint instability, or reduced range of motion. 4D-CT has also been used to demonstrate the effect of surgery, mainly on patellar instability. 4D-CT will need further research and validation before it can be widely used in clinical practice. We believe, however, it is here to stay, and will become a reference in the diagnosis of
Abnormal femoral torsion (FT) is increasingly recognized as an additional cause for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). It is unknown if in-toeing of the foot is a specific diagnostic sign for increased FT in patients with symptomatic FAI. The aims of this study were to determine: 1) the prevalence and diagnostic accuracy of in-toeing to detect increased FT; 2) if foot progression angle (FPA) and tibial torsion (TT) are different among patients with abnormal FT; and 3) if FPA correlates with FT. A retrospective, institutional review board (IRB)-approved, controlled study of 85 symptomatic patients (148 hips) with FAI or hip dysplasia was performed in the gait laboratory. All patients had a measurement of FT (pelvic CT scan), TT (CT scan), and FPA (optical motion capture system). We allocated all patients to three groups with decreased FT (< 10°, 37 hips), increased FT (> 25°, 61 hips), and normal FT (10° to 25°, 50 hips). Cluster analysis was performed.Aims
Patients and Methods
