Comparison of KOOS Scores of Middle-Aged Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty to the General Dutch Population Using KOOS Percentile Curves: The LOAS Study.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the application of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) percentile curves, using preoperative and postoperative data of patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: We used Longitudinal Leiden Orthopedics Outcomes of Osteo-Arthritis study data of patients between 45 and 65 years and undergoing primary TKA. KOOS scores (0-100) were obtained preoperatively and 6, 12, and 24 months after TKA. Preoperative knee radiographs were assessed according to Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) in a subset (37%) of patients. Comorbidities were self-reported using a standardized questionnaire. The median (interquartile range) population-level KOOS scores were plotted on previously developed population-based KOOS percentile curves. In addition, we assessed the application of the curves on patient level and investigated differences in scores between patients with preoperative KL scores ≤2 and ≥3 and presence (vs absence) of comorbidities. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 853 patients (62% women, mean age 59 years, body mass index 30 kg/m2) with knee osteoarthritis undergoing primary TKA. Preoperatively, median KOOS scores of all subscales were at or below the 2.5th percentile. Scores increased to approximately the 25th percentile 12 months postoperatively. Greater improvements were observed in pain and less improvements in sport and recreational function and quality of life. Patients with higher preoperative KL scores and without comorbidities showed greater improvements. CONCLUSION: The KOOS percentile curves provided visual insights in knee complaints of patients relative to the general population. Furthermore, the KOOS percentile curves give insight in how preoperative patient characteristics are correlated with postoperative results.

Growth factors in cartilage tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering of cartilage consists of two steps. Firstly, the cells from a small biopsy of patient's own tissue have to be multiplied. During this multiplication process they lose their cartilage phenotype. In the second step, these cells have to be stimulated to re-express their cartilage phenotype and produce cartilage matrix. Growth factors can be used to improve cell multiplication, redifferentiation and production of matrix. The choice of growth factors should be made for each phase of the tissue engineering process separately, taking into account cell phenotype and the presence of extracellular matrix. This paper demonstrates some examples of the use of growth factors to increase the amount, the quality and the assembly of the matrix components produced for cartilage tissue engineering. In addition it shows that the "culture history" (e.g., addition of growth factors during cell multiplication or preculture period in a 3-dimensional environment) of the cells influences the effect of growth factor addition. The data demonstrate the potency as well as the limitations of the use of growth factors in cartilage tissue engineering.

Alginate as a chondrocyte-delivery substance in combination with a non-woven scaffold for cartilage tissue engineering.

For tissue engineering of cartilage, chondrocytes can be seeded in a scaffold and stimulated to produce a cartilage-like matrix. In the present study, we investigated the effect of alginate as a chondrocyte-delivery substance for the construction of cartilage grafts. E210 (a non-woven fleece of polyglactin) was used as a scaffold. When bare' E210 (without alginate and without chondrocytes) was implanted subcutaneously in nude mice for 8 weeks. the explanted tissue consisted of fat and fibrous tissue only. When E210 with alginate but without chondrocytes was implanted in nude mice, small areas of newly formed cartilage were found. Alginate seems to stimulate chondrogenesis of ingrowing cells. When chondrocytes were seeded in E210, large amounts of cartilage were found, independent of the use of alginate. This was expressed by a high concentration of glycosaminoglycans (30 microg/mg w.w.) and the presence of collagen type II (1.5 microg/mg w.w.). Macroscopically the grafts of E210 without alginate were shrunk and warped, whereas the grafts with alginate had kept their original shape during the 8 weeks of implantation. The use of alginate did not lead to inflammatory reactions nor increased capsule formation. In conclusion, the use of alginate to seed chondrocytes in E210 does not influence the amount of cartilage matrix proteins produced per tissue wet weight. However, it provides retention of the graft shape.