Patient-specific instruments do not show advantage over conventional instruments in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty at 2 year follow-up: a prospective, two-centre, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial.

PURPOSE: The aim of this two-centre RCT was to compare pre- and post-operative radiological, clinical and functional outcomes between patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) and conventional instrumented (CI) unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). It was hypothesised that both alignment methods would have comparable post-operative radiological, clinical and functional outcomes. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients were included, and randomly allocated to the PSI or the CI group. Outcome measures were peri-operative outcomes (operation time, length of hospital stay and intra-operative changes of implant size) and post-operative radiological outcomes including the alignment of the tibial and femoral component in the sagittal and frontal plane and the hip-knee-ankle-axis (HKA-axis), rate of adverse events (AEs) and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) pre-operatively and at 3, 12 and 24 months post-operatively. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in alignment of the femoral component in the frontal plane in favour of the CI method. No statistically significant differences were found for the peri-operative data or in the functional outcome at 2-year follow-up. In the PSI group, the approved implant size of the femoral component was correct in 98.2% of the cases and the tibial component was correct in 60.7% of the cases. There was a comparable rate of AEs: 5.1% in the CI and 5.4% in the PSI group. CONCLUSION: The PSI method did not show an advantage over CI in regard of positioning of the components, nor did it show an improvement in clinical or functional outcome. We conclude that the possible advantages of PSI do not outweigh the costs of the MRI scan and the manufacturing of the PSI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Randomised controlled trial, level I.

Subcutaneous emphysema after shoulder arthroscopy. A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Subcutaneous emphysema (SE) and pneumomediastinum are rare complications after shoulder arthroscopy. CASE REPORT: A case is presented in which SE was seen after arthroscopic cuff repair. DISCUSSION: A review of current literature shows that SE after shoulder arthroscopy can be due to loco-regional anaesthesiology, endotracheal intubation, gas-forming infection, postoperative mobilisation or the arthroscopic procedure itself. During the procedure air can be sucked into the subacromial space due to suction and subsequently transferred into subcutaneous tissue by the positive pressure of the infusion pump. When the condition is recognised early and addressed properly spontaneous resolving is possible with good clinical outcome.

Patient-specific positioning guides for total knee arthroplasty: no significant difference between final component alignment and pre-operative digital plan except for tibial rotation.

PURPOSE: To assess whether there is a significant difference between the alignment of the individual femoral and tibial components (in the frontal, sagittal and horizontal planes) as calculated pre-operatively (digital plan) and the actually achieved alignment in vivo obtained with the use of patient-specific positioning guides (PSPGs) for TKA. It was hypothesised that there would be no difference between post-op implant position and pre-op digital plan. METHODS: Twenty-six patients were included in this non-inferiority trial. Software permitted matching of the pre-operative MRI scan (and therefore calculated prosthesis position) to a pre-operative CT scan and then to a post-operative full-leg CT scan to determine deviations from pre-op planning in all three anatomical planes. RESULTS: For the femoral component, mean absolute deviations from planning were 1.8° (SD 1.3), 2.5° (SD 1.6) and 1.6° (SD 1.4) in the frontal, sagittal and transverse planes, respectively. For the tibial component, mean absolute deviations from planning were 1.7° (SD 1.2), 1.7° (SD 1.5) and 3.2° (SD 3.6) in the frontal, sagittal and transverse planes, respectively. Absolute mean deviation from planned mechanical axis was 1.9°. The a priori specified null hypothesis for equivalence testing: the difference from planning is >3 or <-3 was rejected for all comparisons except for the tibial transverse plane. CONCLUSION: PSPG was able to adequately reproduce the pre-op plan in all planes, except for the tibial rotation in the transverse plane. Possible explanations for outliers are discussed and highlight the importance for adequate training surgeons before they start using PSPG in their day-by-day practise. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prospective cohort study, Level II.

No radiographic difference between patient-specific guiding and conventional Oxford UKA surgery.

PURPOSE: Implant position is an important factor in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) surgery. Results on conventional UKA alignment are commonly described in literature. Patient-specific guiding (PSG) is a new technique for positioning the Oxford UKA. Our hypothesis is that PSG improves component position without affecting the HKA angle. METHODS: This prospective study compares the results of our first thirty cases of cementless Oxford UKA using PSG with thirty cases using conventional outlining. Baseline characteristics for both groups were identical. Details on handling of the guide, estimated blood loss and operation time were recorded. Postoperative screened radiographs and standing long-leg radiographs of both groups were compared. RESULTS: Median AP position of the femoral component was 3 degrees varus (-5 to 9) using PSG versus 2 degrees varus (-10 to 8) for the conventional group. For the femoral flexion, this was 9 degrees flexion (0-16) using PSG versus 12 degrees flexion (0-20). The tibial median AP position was 1 degree varus (-3 to 7) using PSG versus 2 degrees varus (-5 to 10). The median tibial posterior slope was 5 degrees (1-10) using PSG versus 5 degrees (0-12). All guides aligned well. No conversion to conventional outlining was performed, and no significant changes had to be made to the original approved plan. Operation time, estimated blood loss and postoperative haemoglobin drop were not significantly different between both groups. DISCUSSION: Implant position was not different between both groups, even in the early phase of the learning curve. Perioperative results were not different between both groups. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Patient-specific guide for revision of medial unicondylar knee arthroplasty to total knee arthroplasty: beneficial first results of a new operating technique performed on 10 patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Unicompartmental to total knee arthroplasty revision surgery can be technically demanding. Joint line restoration, rotation, and augmentations can cause difficulties. We describe a new technique in which single-way fitting guides serve to position the knee system cutting blocks. METHOD: Preoperatively, images of the distal femur and proximal tibia are taken using CT scanning. These images are used to create a patient-specific guide that fits in one single position on the contours of the bone and the prosthesis in situ. The guides are fixed with pins and then removed. The pins determine the position of the cutting blocks. 10 consecutive revisions were performed using this technique. RESULTS: All guides fitted well. 7 of 10 femoral prostheses were within the desired AP and sagittal angle ± 3°. However, 1 proximal tibia did not have enough bone stock on the medial plateau for adequate fixation of the guide, so conversion to intramedular referencing was performed. This was to be expected after the preoperative planning. All tibial components were within the desired AP angle ± 3° and 7 of 10 were within the desired sagittal angle. Hip-knee-ankle angle was within 0 ± 3° in 8 of 10 cases. INTERPRETATION: This new technique makes preoperative planning and execution of this plan during surgery less demanding. Problems such as the need for augmentations can be predicted at the preoperative planning. The instrumentation must be redesigned in order to make this technique work in cases where there is minimal bone stock present.

Popliteal lesion due to traction during unicompartmental knee revision surgery.

Popliteal artery injury is a rare but known complication in knee surgery. Only one article in current literature reports that the risk increases during revision knee surgery. A new case is described in which an injury to the popliteal artery occurred during lateral unicompartmental to total knee arthroplasty revision surgery. This vascular injury occurred 5-10 cm below the tibial resection level in a healthy patient with a history of cruris fracture with plate osteosynthesis and lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. This paper stresses the importance of being aware that trauma and surgery can create fibrosis in which the popliteal artery can get fixated, thus reducing the scope for safe manipulation of the knee during secondary surgery.