Reconstructive acetabular osteotomy is a well established and effective procedure in the treatment of acetabular dysplasia. However, the dysplasia is frequently accompanied by intra-articular pathology such as labral tears. We intended to determine whether a concomitant hip arthroscopy with peri-acetabular rotational osteotomy could identify and treat intra-articular pathology associated with dysplasia and thereby produce a favourable outcome. We prospectively evaluated 43 consecutive hips treated by combined arthroscopy and acetabular osteotomy. Intra-operative arthroscopic examination revealed labral lesions in 38 hips. At a mean follow-up of 74 months (60 to 97) the mean Harris hip score improved from 72.4 to 94.0 (p < 0.001), as did all the radiological parameters (p < 0.001). Complications included penetration of the joint by the osteotome in one patient, a fracture of the posterior column in another and deep-vein thrombosis in one further patient. This combined surgical treatment gave good results in the medium term. We suggest that arthroscopy of the hip can be performed in conjunction with peri-acetabular osteotomy to provide good results in patients with symptomatic dysplasia of the hip, and the arthroscopic treatment of intra-articular pathology may alter the progression of osteoarthritis.
We carried out a morphometric analysis of acetabular dysplasia in patients with cerebral palsy requiring hip surgery using three-dimensional CT. We evaluated 54 hips in 27 patients. The contralateral normal hips of ten patients with unilateral Perthes’ disease were used as a control group. The acetabular defects were assessed qualitatively as anterior, posterior or global. Quantitative assessments were made using three-directional acetabular indices (anterosuperior, superolateral and posterosuperior) and measured by multiplanar reformation, from which we calculated the acetabular volume. In the qualitative study, posterior defects were most common in the subluxation group whereas global defects predominated in the dislocation group. In the quantitative study, all acetabular indices in both the subluxation and dislocation groups were higher than those in the control group and the superolateral indices showed a tendency to elevation in the dislocation group. The acetabular volume was largest in the control group, smallest in the dislocation group, and intermediate between the two in the subluxation group.
The technical advances in arthroscopic surgery
of the hip, including the improved ability to manage the capsule
and gain extensile exposure, have been paralleled by a growth in
the number of conditions that can be addressed. This expanding list
includes symptomatic labral tears, chondral lesions, injuries of
the ligamentum teres, femoroacetabular impingement (FAI), capsular
laxity and instability, and various extra-articular disorders, including snapping
hip syndromes. With a careful diagnostic evaluation and technical
execution of well-indicated procedures, arthroscopic surgery of
the hip can achieve successful clinical outcomes, with predictable
improvements in function and pre-injury levels of physical activity
for many patients. This paper reviews the current position in relation to the use
of arthroscopy in the treatment of disorders of the hip. Cite this article:
We have evaluated Four clinicians were asked to perform registration of the landmarks of the anterior pelvic plane on two cadavers. Registration was performed under four different conditions of acquisition. Errors in rotation were not significant. Version errors were significant with percutaneous methods (16.2°; p <
0.001 and 19.25° with surgical draping; p <
0.001), but not with the ultrasound acquisition (6.2°, p = 0.13). Intra-observer repeatability was achieved for all the methods. Inter-observer analysis showed acceptable agreement in the sagittal but not in the frontal plane. Ultrasound acquisition of the anterior pelvic plane was more reliable
We examined the morphology of mammalian hips asking whether evolution can explain the morphology of impingement in human hips. We describe two stereotypical mammalian hips, coxa recta and coxa rotunda. Coxa recta is characterised by a straight or aspherical section on the femoral head or head-neck junction. It is a sturdy hip seen mostly in runners and jumpers. Coxa rotunda has a round femoral head with ample head-neck offset, and is seen mostly in climbers and swimmers. Hominid evolution offers an explanation for the variants in hip morphology associated with impingement. The evolutionary conflict between upright gait and the birth of a large-brained fetus is expressed in the female pelvis and hip, and can explain pincer impingement in a coxa profunda. In the male hip, evolution can explain cam impingement in coxa recta as an adaptation for running.
Osteoarthritis is extremely common and many different causes for it have been described. One such cause is abnormal morphology of the affected joint, the hip being a good example of this. For those joints with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) or developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH), a link with subsequent osteoarthritis seems clear. However, far from being abnormal, these variants may be explained by evolution, certainly so for FAI, and may actually be normal rather than representing deformity or disease. The animal equivalent of FAI is coxa recta, commonly found in species that run and jump. It is rarely found in animals that climb and swim. In contrast are the animals with coxa rotunda, a perfectly spherical femoral head, and more in keeping with the coxa profunda of mankind. This article describes the evolutionary process of the human hip and its link to FAI and DDH. Do we need to worry after all?
Orientation of the acetabular component influences
wear, range of movement and the incidence of dislocation after total
hip replacement (THR). During surgery, such orientation is often
referenced to the anterior pelvic plane (APP), but APP inclination
relative to the coronal plane (pelvic tilt) varies substantially
between individuals. In contrast, the change in pelvic tilt from
supine to standing (dPT) is small for nearly all individuals. Therefore,
in THR performed with the patient supine and the patient’s coronal
plane parallel to the operating table, we propose that freehand placement
of the acetabular component placement is reliable and reflects standing
(functional) cup position. We examined this hypothesis in 56 hips
in 56 patients (19 men) with a mean age of 61 years (29 to 80) using
three-dimensional CT pelvic reconstructions and standing lateral
pelvic radiographs. We found a low variability of acetabular component
placement, with 46 implants (82%) placed within a combined range
of 30° to 50° inclination and 5° to 25° anteversion. Changing from
the supine to the standing position (analysed in 47 patients) was associated
with an anteversion change <
10° in 45 patients (96%). dPT was
<
10° in 41 patients (87%). In conclusion, supine THR appears
to provide reliable freehand acetabular component placement. In
most patients a small reclination of the pelvis going from supine
to standing causes a small increase in anteversion of the acetabular component Cite this article:
The purpose of this study was to determine patient-reported
outcomes of patients with mild to moderate developmental dysplasia
of the hip (DDH) and femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) undergoing
arthroscopy of the hip in the treatment of chondrolabral pathology.
A total of 28 patients with a centre-edge angle between 15° and
19° were identified from an institutional database. Their mean age
was 34 years (18 to 53), with 12 female and 16 male patients. All
underwent labral treatment and concomitant correction of FAI. There
were nine reoperations, with two patients requiring revision arthroscopy,
two requiring periacetabular osteotomy and five needing total hip arthroplasty. Patients who required further major surgery were more likely
to be older, male, and to have more severe DDH with a larger alpha
angle and decreased joint space. At a mean follow-up of 42 months (24 to 89), the mean modified
Harris hip score improved from 59 (20 to 98) to 82 (45 to 100; p
<
0.001). The mean Western Ontario and McMaster Universities
Osteoarthritis Index score improved from 30 (1 to 61) to 16 (0 to
43; p <
0.001). Median patient satisfaction was 9.0/10 (1 to
10). Patients reported excellent improvement in function following
arthroscopy of the hip. This study shows that with proper patient selection, arthroscopy
of the hip can be successful in the young patient with mild to moderate
DDH and FAI. Cite this article:
The June 2015 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup360 looks at: ACL reconstruction in paediatric knees; Hips, slips and cams; The adolescent clavicle; 3D fluoroscopy in DDH?; The psychiatric aspects of hip pain in adolescents; Adolescent bunions: dealer’s choice?; Medial epicondylar fractures revisited
Labral tears are commonly associated with femoroacetabular impingement. We reviewed 151 patients (156 hips) with femoroacetabular impingement and labral tears who had been treated arthroscopically. These were subdivided into those who had undergone a labral repair (group 1) and those who had undergone resection of the labrum (group 2). In order to ensure the groups were suitably matched for comparison of treatment effects, patients with advanced degenerative changes (Tönnis grade >
2, lateral sourcil height <
2 mm and Outerbridge grade 4 changes in the weight-bearing area of the femoral head) were excluded, leaving 96 patients (101 hips) in the study. At a mean follow-up of 2.44 years (2 to 4), the mean modified Harris hip score in the labral repair group (group 1, 69 hips) improved from 60.2 (24 to 85) pre-operatively to 93.6 (55 to 100), and in the labral resection group (group 2, 32 hips) from 62.8 (29 to 96) pre-operatively to 88.8 (35 to 100). The mean modified Harris hip score in the labral repair group was 7.3 points greater than in the resection group (p = 0.036, 95% confidence interval 0.51 to 14.09). Labral detachments were found more frequently in the labral repair group and labral flap tears in the resection group. No patient in our study group required a subsequent hip replacement during the period of follow-up. This study shows that patients without advanced degenerative changes in the hip can achieve significant improvement in their symptoms after arthroscopic treatment of femoroacetabular impingement. Where appropriate, labral repair provides a superior result to labral resection.
The use of joint-preserving surgery of the hip
has been largely abandoned since the introduction of total hip replacement.
However, with the modification of such techniques as pelvic osteotomy,
and the introduction of intracapsular procedures such as surgical
hip dislocation and arthroscopy, previously unexpected options for
the surgical treatment of sequelae of childhood conditions, including
developmental dysplasia of the hip, slipped upper femoral epiphysis
and Perthes’ disease, have become available. Moreover, femoroacetabular
impingement has been identified as a significant aetiological factor
in the development of osteoarthritis in many hips previously considered to
suffer from primary osteoarthritis. As mechanical causes of degenerative joint disease are now recognised
earlier in the disease process, these techniques may be used to
decelerate or even prevent progression to osteoarthritis. We review
the recent development of these concepts and the associated surgical
techniques. Cite this article:
Surgical dislocation of the hip in the treatment of acetabular fractures allows the femoral head to be safely displaced from the acetabulum. This permits full intra-articular acetabular and femoral inspection for the evaluation and potential treatment of cartilage lesions of the labrum and femoral head, reduction of the fracture under direct vision and avoidance of intra-articular penetration with hardware. We report 60 patients with selected types of acetabular fracture who were treated using this approach. Six were lost to follow-up and the remaining 54 were available for clinical and radiological review at a mean follow-up of 4.4 years (2 to 9). Substantial damage to the intra-articular cartilage was found in the anteromedial portion of the femoral head and the posterosuperior aspect of the acetabulum. Labral lesions were predominantly seen in the posterior acetabular area. Anatomical reduction was achieved in 50 hips (93%) which was considerably higher than that seen in previous reports. There were no cases of avascular necrosis. Four patients subsequently required total hip replacement. Good or excellent results were achieved in 44 hips (81.5%). The cumulative eight-year survivorship was 89.0% (95% confidence interval 84.5 to 94.1). Significant predictors of poor outcome were involvement of the acetabular dome and lesions of the femoral cartilage greater than grade 2. The functional mid-term results were better than those of previous reports. Surgical dislocation of the hip allows accurate reduction and a predictable mid-term outcome in the management of these difficult injuries without the risk of the development of avascular necrosis.
We report a case of a male patient presenting
with bilateral painful but apparently well-positioned and -fixed
large-diameter metal-on-metal hip replacements four years post-operatively.
Multiple imaging modes revealed a thick-walled, cystic expansile
mass in communication with the hip joint (a pseudotumour). Implant
retrieval analysis and tissue culture eliminated high bearing wear
or infection as causes for the soft-tissue reaction, but noted marked corrosion
of the modular neck taper adaptor and corrosion products in the
tissues. Therefore, we believe corrosion products from the taper
caused by mismatch of the implant components led to pseudotumour
formation requiring revision.
Hip arthroscopy is particularly attractive in
children as it confers advantages over arthrotomy or open surgery,
such as shorter recovery time and earlier return to activity. Developments
in surgical technique and arthroscopic instrumentation have enabled
extension of arthroscopy of the hip to this age group. Potential
challenges in paediatric and adolescent hip arthroscopy include
variability in size, normal developmental change from childhood to
adolescence, and conditions specific to children and adolescents
and their various consequences. Treatable disorders include the
sequelae of traumatic and sports-related hip joint injuries, Legg–Calve–Perthes’
disease and slipped capital femoral epiphysis, and the arthritic
and septic hip. Intra-articular abnormalities are rarely isolated and
are often associated with underlying morphological changes. This review presents the current concepts of hip arthroscopy
in the paediatric and adolescent patient, covering clinical assessment
and investigation, indications and results of the experience to
date, as well as technical challenges and future directions.
The cam-type deformity in femoroacetabular impingement
is a 3D deformity. Single measurements using radiographs, CT or
MRI may not provide a true estimate of the magnitude of the deformity.
We performed an analysis of the size and location of measurements
of the alpha angle (α°) using a CT technique which could be applied
to the 3D reconstructions of the hip. Analysis was undertaken in
42 patients (57 hips; 24 men and 18 women; mean age 38 years (16
to 58)) who had symptoms of femoroacetabular impingement related
to a cam-type abnormality. An α° of >
50° was considered a significant
indicator of cam-type impingement. Measurements of the α° were made
at different points around the femoral head/neck junction at intervals
of 30°: starting at the nine o’clock (posterior), ten, eleven and
twelve o’clock (superior), one, two and ending at three o’clock
(anterior) position. The mean maximum increased α° was 64.6° (50.8° to 86°). The two
o’clock position was the most common point to find an increased α°
(53 hips; 93%), followed by one o’clock (48 hips; 84%). The largest α°
for each hip was found most frequently at the two o’clock position
(46%), followed by the one o’clock position (39%). Generally, raised α angles
extend over three segments of the clock face. Single measurements of the α°, whether pre- or post-operative,
should be viewed with caution as they may not be representative
of the true size of the deformity and not define whether adequate
correction has been achieved following surgery. Cite this article:
Many radiographic techniques have been described for measuring patellar height. They can be divided into two groups: those that relate the position of the patella to the femur (direct) and those that relate it to the tibia (indirect). This article looks at the methods that have been described, the logic behind their conception and the critical analyses that have been performed to test them.
Peri-acetabular osteotomy is an established surgical
treatment for symptomatic acetabular dysplasia in young adults.
An anteroposterior radiograph of the pelvis is commonly used to
assess the extent of dysplasia as well as to assess post-operative
correction. Radiological prognostic factors include the lateral
centre-edge angle, acetabular index, extrusion index and the acetabular
version. Standing causes a change in the pelvis tilt which can alter
certain radiological measurements relative to the supine position.
This article discusses the radiological indices used to assess dysplasia
and reviews the effects of patient positioning on these indices
with a focus on assessment for a peri-acetabular osteotomy. Intra-operatively,
fluoroscopy is commonly used and the implications of using fluoroscopy
as a modality to assess the various radiological indices along with
the effects of using an anteroposterior or posteroanterior fluoroscopic
view are examined. Each of these techniques gives rise to a slightly different
image of the pelvis as the final image is sensitive to the position
of the pelvis and the projection of the x-ray beam. Cite this article:
The aim of this study was to determine whether
an osteoplasty of the femoral neck performed at the same time as an
intertrochanteric Imhäuser osteotomy led to an improved functional
outcome or increased morbidity. A total of 20 hips in 19 patients
(12 left, 8 right, 13 male, 6 female), who underwent an Imhäuser
intertrochanteric osteotomy following a slipped capital femoral
epiphysis were assessed over an eight-year period. A total of 13
hips in 13 patients had an osteoplasty of the femoral neck at the
same time. The remaining six patients (seven hips) had intertrochanteric
osteotomy alone. The mean age was 15.3 years (13 to 20) with a mean
follow-up of 57.8 months (15 to 117); 19 of the slips were severe
(Southwick grade III) and one was moderate (grade II), with a mean
slip angle of 65.3° (50° to 80°); 17 of the slips were stable and
three unstable at initial presentation. The mean Non-Arthritic Hip Scores
(NAHS) in patients who underwent osteoplasty was 91.7 (76.3 to 100)
and the mean NAHS in patients who did not undergo osteoplasty was
76.6 (41.3 to 100) (p = 0.056). Two patients required a subsequent
arthroplasty and neither of these patients had an osteoplasty. No
hips developed osteonecrosis or chondrolysis, and there was no increase
in complications related to the osteoplasty. We recommend that for
patients with a slipped upper femoral epiphysis undergoing an intertrochanteric
osteotomy, the addition of an osteoplasty of the femoral neck should
be considered. Cite this article:
We describe the results of Copeland surface replacement shoulder arthroplasty using the mark III prosthesis in patients over 80 years of age. End-stage arthritis of the shoulder is a source of significant pain and debilitating functional loss in the elderly. An arthroplasty offers good relief of pain and may allow the patient to maintain independence. The risk-benefit ratio of shoulder replacement may be felt to be too high in an elderly age group, but there is no published evidence to support this theory. We have assessed whether the procedure was as reliable and safe as previously seen in a younger cohort of patients. Between 1993 and 2003, 213 Copeland surface replacement arthroplasty procedures were performed in our unit, of which 29 (13.6%) were undertaken in patients over the age of 80. This group of patients was followed up for a mean of 4.5 years (2.1 to 9.3). Their mean age was 84.3 years (81 to 93), the mean operating time was 40 minutes (30 to 45) and the mean in-patient stay was five days (2 to 21). There were no peri-operative deaths or significant complications. The mean Constant score adjusted for age and gender, improved from 15.1% to 77%. Copeland surface replacement shoulder arthroplasty may be performed with minimal morbidity and rapid rehabilitation in the elderly.
The epidemiological data and intra-operative findings from 260 consecutive arthroscopically-diagnosed acetabular labral tears seen over a ten-year period were analysed. Radiographs of 128 of these patients were assessed for dysplasia using established radiological parameters. Patients with acetabular dysplasia were then compared against those without in order to identify any differences in gender, age, the side of the tear, the pattern of the tear, the number of quadrants involved, the quadrant preference and the prevalence of intra-articular comorbidity. Dysplasia was found in 46% (59 of 128) of the hips. No significant differences existed between the dysplastic and non-dysplastic subgroups as regards gender distribution, the side of the lesion, the number of quadrants involved or the distribution of tears among the quadrants. However, tears associated with dysplasia were diagnosed in an older age group, had a different pattern and were associated with a much higher prevalence of osteoarthritis.