Treatment of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis with a pyrocarbon implant: Long-term results.

OBJECTIVE: Trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis is the second most common degenerative articular disease. Although initial therapy should be conservative, surgical treatment is often required. Several surgical techniques have been described, but none has proved to be a gold-standard. The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term clinical and radiological results of trapeziometacarpal interposition arthroplasty with the PyroDisk implant (Integra LifeSciences). METHODS: A retrospective long-term study of all patients who underwent trapeziometacarpal interposition arthroplasty with a pyrocarbon implant at our institution was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-four patients who underwent PyroDisk (Integra LifeSciences). arthroplasty at our institution were identified; 7 were lost to follow-up; 17 patients were evaluated, for 20 arthroplasties. Mean follow-up was 13.5 years (range: 12-15 years). Disability in daily living activities was low (mean Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, 29.6), with a mean pain score of 0.22. Mean Kapandji score at 13.5 years was 8.63. Mean grip strength was 18.5 kg and key-pinch strength 2.84 kg. Two patients had implant dislocation, needing revision surgery for implant removal. Implant survival rate was 88.9% at 13.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed that good clinical results can be expected after interposition arthroplasty with PyroDisk (Integra LifeSciences). Regarding radiological findings, peri-implant osteolysis was present in 12 of the patients, but had no influence on the clinical outcome.

Knee osteoarthrosis secondary to ochronosis - clinical case.

Alkaptonuria is a rare metabolic disease in which a deficiency of the enzyme homogentisate dioxygenase causes an accumulation of homogentisic acid. Ochronosis consists of excessive deposition of homogentisic acid in the connective tissue and presents as a chestnut brown or black pigmentation. With aging, the accumulation of pigments from homogentisic acid in the joints causes osteoarthrosis. There is no specific treatment for the disease and the approach is symptomatic. Arthroplasty is the solution for severe cases of osteoarthrosis caused by this pathological condition and presents results comparable to those from patients with primary osteoarthrosis. Here, the case of a 67-year-old patient who underwent several arthroplasty procedures because of osteoarthrosis caused by this rare pathological condition is presented. The last surgical intervention consisted of total right knee arthroplasty.

A alcaptonúria é uma doença metabólica rara em que a deficiência da enzima ácido homogentísico-oxidase provoca uma acumulação de ácido homogentísico. A ocronose consiste na deposição excessiva de ácido homogentísico no tecido conjuntivo e apresenta-se como uma pigmentação acastanhada ou preta. Com o envelhecimento, a acumulação de pigmentos de ácido homogentísico nas articulações provoca osteoartrose. Não existe um tratamento específico para a doença e a abordagem é sintomática. A artroplastia é a solução para casos graves de osteoartrose causada por essa patologia e apresenta resultados comparáveis aos doentes com osteoartrose primária. Os autores apresentam o caso de um doente de 67 anos submetido a várias artroplastias, em virtude da osteoartrose causada por essa rara patologia. A última intervenção cirúrgica foi uma artroplastia total do joelho direito.