Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients who had Previous Infection of the Hip with LegLength Discrepancy / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: To analyze the results of a minimum of three-year follow-up in patients with a severely deformed sequelae pyogenic hip, who had undergone total hip arthroplasty with a simultaneous limb length correction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The postoperative complication, clinical and the radiographic results were analyzed in 74 out of 102 patients, who were followed for a minimum of three years between December 1987 and May 2003. The average age was 42.8 years. The average follow-up duration was 4 years and 11 months. There were 50 tuberculosis infections, 24 pyogenic infections, and 23 fused hip cases. The average leg length shortening was 4.1 cm (range, 1.0-10.0 cm). RESULTS: Preoperative Harris hip score improved to 90.2 postoperatively from 65.0 (range, 25-92.5) preoperatively. Leg length shortening was corrected by 0.4 cm (0.0-3.0 cm). Radiographically, excluding the 3 revisions, no case met the criteria of definite loosening. The postoperative complications included the recurrence of tuberculosis (2 cases), and variable nerve palsies, including femoral nerve (3 cases), and a sciatic nerve (3 cases). These patients completely recovered from nerve palsy. B-K amputation, after the postoperative exacerbation of circulation to the affected limb, was needed in one case with a preoperatively undetected femoral artery occlusion. CONCLUSION: Although, restoring the normal limb length in the severely deformed pyogenic hip sequelae patients requires highly demanding surgical techniques, with a relatively higher incidence of postoperative complications, it is possible to achieve a higher level of patient satisfaction and definite gait improvement.

The Effect of Lateral Retinacular Peeling in Total Knee Arthroplasty

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to investigate if a lateral retinacular peeling helped decrease the amount of lateral patellar tilt in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The lateral tilt angles were measured in tangential radiographs made preoperatively and postoperatively, with the knee in 100 degrees of flexion, in an earlier series of 38 TKAs(Group 1) and a series of 53 TKAs (Group 2) that included lateral retinacular peel and partial facetectomy. RESULTS: The mean preoperative patellar tilt angle was 9.1+/-4.5 degrees in the group 1 and 9.5+/-5.2 degrees in the group 2. The mean postoperative patellar tilt angle was 12.8 +/-6.2 and 11.0+/-7.1 degrees, respectively. The implant tilt angle was 6.3+/-7.3 and 5.5+/-6.1 degrees, respectively. The differences between two groups were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The patella would tilt laterally following total knee arthroplasty. A lateral retinacular peeling had no discernible effect on the postoperative lateral tilt of the resurfaced patella.

Anterior Debridement and Strut Graft with Pedicle Screw Fixation for Tuberculous Spondylitis / 대한척추외과학회지

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the clinical and radiographic results of surgical treatment for patients with tuberculous spondylitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study included 18 active tuberculous spondylitis patients (12 males and 6 females) who underwent anterior curettage, strut bone grafting and posterior instrumentation. Their average age was 50.1 years (age range: 24-76 years). The mean follow-up was 43 months. Vertebral bodies from T5 to L5 were involved. The anterior column support was iliac autograft in 10 patients and titanium mesh in 4. All the patients had transpedicular instrumentation with an additional hook in 3 and anterior instrumentation in 1. Except for one paraplegic patient, all the others were able to ambulate wearing TLSO. The mean duration of Anti-Tbc medication was 13.3 months (range: 12 to 18 months). The clinical and radiographic results were analyzed, and they included the segmental kyphotic angle and the complications of instrumentation on the involved vertebrae. RESULT: The subjective satisfaction was greater than good except for 2 patients. These 2 patients' satisfaction was fair due to incomplete neurologic recovery and persistent BG-donor site pain. The three paraplegic patients fully recovered postoperatively. The mean correction of the segmental kyphosis was 13 degrees. The mean correction loss was 0.7 degrees at the final follow-up. Pedicle screws were inserted in the involved vertebrae for 10 patients (n = 30). There was no loosening of instrumentation nor spread or recurrence of infection. One case was complicated by pneumonia. CONCLUSION: For the surgical treatment of active tuberculous spondylitis, anterior column support with strut grafting and posterior instrumentation is mandatory in the destabilized spine after anterior debridement or the correction of kyphosis.