The aim of this study was to estimate the incremental use of resources, costs, and quality of life outcomes associated with surgical reconstruction compared to rehabilitation for long-standing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the NHS, and to estimate its cost-effectiveness. A total of 316 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to either surgical reconstruction or rehabilitation (physiotherapy but with subsequent reconstruction permitted if instability persisted after treatment). Healthcare resource use and health-related quality of life data (EuroQol five-dimension five-level health questionnaire) were collected in the trial at six, 12, and 18 months using self-reported questionnaires and medical records. Using intention-to-treat analysis, differences in costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) between treatment arms were estimated adjusting for baseline differences and following multiple imputation of missing data. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated as the difference in costs divided by the difference in QALYs between reconstruction and rehabilitation.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to report the pooled prevalence of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) and examine whether the risk of developing PTOA after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has decreased in recent decades. The PubMed and Web of Science databases were searched from 1 January 1980 to 11 May 2022. Patient series, observational studies, and clinical trials having reported the prevalence of radiologically confirmed PTOA after ACL injury, with at least a ten-year follow-up, were included. All studies were analyzed simultaneously, and separate analyses of the operative and nonoperative knees were performed. The prevalence of PTOA was calculated separately for each study, and pooled prevalence was reported with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using either a fixed or random effects model. To examine the effect of the year of injury on the prevalence, a logit transformed meta-regression analysis was used with a maximum-likelihood estimator. Results from meta-regression analyses were reported with the unstandardized coefficient (β).Aims
Methods
Aims. Our aim was to perform a meta-analysis of the outcomes of revision
anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, comparing the use
of different types of graft. Materials and Methods. A search was performed of Medline and Pubmed using the terms
“Anterior Cruciate Ligament” and “ACL” combined with “revision”,
“re-operation” and “failure”. Only studies that reported the outcome
at a minimum follow-up of two years were included. Two authors reviewed
the papers, and outcomes were subdivided into autograft and allograft. Autograft
was subdivided into hamstring (HS) and bone-patellar tendon-bone
(BPTB). Subjective and objective outcome measures were analysed
and odds ratios with confidence intervals were calculated. Results. A total of 32 studies met the inclusion criteria. Five studies
used HS autografts, eight reported using BPTB autografts, two used
quadriceps tendon autografts and eight used various types. Seven
studies reported using allografts, while the two remaining used
both BPTB autografts and allografts. Overall, 1192 patients with
a mean age of 28.7 years (22.5 to 39) and a mean follow-up of 5.4
years (2.0 to 9.6) were treated with autografts, while 269 patients
with a mean age of 28.4 years (25 to 34.6) and a mean follow-up
of 4.0 years (2.3 to 6.0) were treated with allografts. Regarding
allografts, irradiation with 2.5 mrad was used in two studies while
the graft was not irradiated in the seven remaining studies. Reconstructions
following the use of autografts had better outcomes than those using
allograft with respect to laxity, measured by KT-1000/2000 (MEDmetric
Corporation) and the rates of complications and re-operations. Those
following the use of allografts had better mean Lysholm and Tegner
activity scores compared with autografts. If irradiated allografts
were excluded from the analysis, outcomes no longer differed between
the use of autografts and allografts. Comparing the types of autograft,
all outcomes were similar except for HS grafts which had better
International Knee Documentation Committee scores compared with
BPTB grafts. Conclusion. Autografts had better outcomes than allografts in revision ACL
reconstruction, with lower post-operative laxity and rates of complications
and re-operations. However, after excluding irradiated allografts,
outcomes were similar between autografts and allografts. Overall,
the choice of graft at revision
The April 2015 Knee Roundup360 looks at: Genetic determinants of ACL strength; TKA outcomes influenced by prosthesis; Single- or two-stage revision for infected TKA?; Arthroscopic meniscectomy: a problem that just won’t go away!; Failure in arthroscopic ACL reconstruction;
The June 2015 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup. 360 . looks at:
There is a disparity in sport-related injuries between sexes, with females sustaining non-contact musculoskeletal injuries at a higher rate. Anterior cruciate ligament ruptures are between two and eight times more common than in males, and females also have a higher incidence of ankle sprains, patellofemoral pain, and bone stress injuries. The sequelae of such injuries can be devastating to an athlete, resulting in time out of sport, surgery, and the early onset of osteoarthritis. It is important to identify the causes of this disparity and introduce prevention programmes to reduce the incidence of these injuries. A natural difference reflects the effect of reproductive hormones in females, which have receptors in certain musculoskeletal tissues. Relaxin increases ligamentous laxity. Oestrogen decreases the synthesis of collagen and progesterone does the opposite. Insufficient diet and intensive training can lead to menstrual irregularities, which are common in female athletes and result in injury, whereas oral contraception may have a protective effect against certain injuries. It is important for coaches, physiotherapists, nutritionists, doctors, and athletes to be aware of these issues and to implement preventive measures. This annotation explores the relationship between the menstrual cycle and orthopaedic sports injuries in pre-menopausal females, and proposes recommendations to mitigate the risk of sustaining these injuries. Cite this article:
Implantation of ultra-purified alginate (UPAL) gel is safe and effective in animal osteochondral defect models. This study aimed to examine the applicability of UPAL gel implantation to acellular therapy in humans with cartilage injury. A total of 12 patients (12 knees) with symptomatic, post-traumatic, full-thickness cartilage lesions (1.0 to 4.0 cm2) were included in this study. UPAL gel was implanted into chondral defects after performing bone marrow stimulation technique, and assessed for up to three years postoperatively. The primary outcomes were the feasibility and safety of the procedure. The secondary outcomes were self-assessed clinical scores, arthroscopic scores, tissue biopsies, and MRI-based estimations.Aims
Methods
This study examined windswept deformity (WSD) of the knee, comparing prevalence and contributing factors in healthy and osteoarthritic (OA) cohorts. A case-control radiological study was undertaken comparing 500 healthy knees (250 adults) with a consecutive sample of 710 OA knees (355 adults) undergoing bilateral total knee arthroplasty. The mechanical hip-knee-ankle angle (mHKA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), and lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA) were determined for each knee, and the arithmetic hip-knee-ankle angle (aHKA), joint line obliquity, and Coronal Plane Alignment of the Knee (CPAK) types were calculated. WSD was defined as a varus mHKA of < -2° in one limb and a valgus mHKA of > 2° in the contralateral limb. The primary outcome was the proportional difference in WSD prevalence between healthy and OA groups. Secondary outcomes were the proportional difference in WSD prevalence between constitutional varus and valgus CPAK types, and to explore associations between predefined variables and WSD within the OA group.Aims
Methods
Orthopaedic surgery requires grafts with sufficient mechanical strength. For this purpose, decellularized tissue is an available option that lacks the complications of autologous tissue. However, it is not widely used in orthopaedic surgeries. This study investigated clinical trials of the use of decellularized tissue grafts in orthopaedic surgery. Using the ClinicalTrials.gov (CTG) and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) databases, we comprehensively surveyed clinical trials of decellularized tissue use in orthopaedic surgeries registered before 1 September 2022. We evaluated the clinical results, tissue processing methods, and commercial availability of the identified products using academic literature databases and manufacturers’ websites.Aims
Methods
The December 2014 Research Roundup. 360 . looks at: demineralised bone matrix not as good as we thought?; trunk control following
The April 2013 Knee Roundup. 360 . looks at: graft tension and outcome; chondrocytes at the midterm; pre-operative deformity and failure; the designer effect; whether chondroitin sulphate really does work; whether
The February 2013 Knee Roundup. 360 . looks at: mobile-bearing TKRs; arthroscopic ACL reconstruction; the use of chondrocytes for osteochondral defects;
Aims. The intra-articular administration of tranexamic acid (TXA) has
been shown to be effective in reducing blood loss in unicompartmental
knee arthroplasty and
The December 2022 Sports Roundup360 looks at: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) repair with dynamic intraligamentary stabilization or anterior ACL at five years?; Femoroacetabular impingement in mild osteoarthritis: is hip arthroscopy the answer?; Steroids in Achilles tendinopathy: A randomized trial.
The December 2014 Knee Roundup. 360 . looks at: national guidance on arthroplasty thromboprophylaxis is effective; unicompartmental knee replacement has the edge in terms of short-term complications; stiff knees, timing and manipulation; neuropathic pain and total knee replacement; synovial fluid α-defensin and CRP: a new gold standard in joint infection diagnosis?; how to assess anterior knee pain?; where is the evidence? Five new implants under the spotlight; and a fresh look at
The February 2024 Knee Roundup360 looks at: Do patients with hypoallergenic total knee arthroplasty implants for metal allergy do worse? An analysis of healthcare utilizations and patient-reported outcome measures; Defining a successful total knee arthroplasty; Incidence, microbiological studies, and factors associated with periprosthetic joint infection after total knee arthroplasty; A modified Delphi consensus statement on patellar instability; Cause for concern? Significant cement coverage in retrieved metaphyseal cones after revision total knee arthroplasty; Prevalence of post-traumatic osteoarthritis after anterior cruciate ligament injury remains high despite advances in surgical techniques; Cost-effectiveness of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus physical therapy for traumatic meniscal tears in patients aged under 45 years.