Outcomes of total hip arthroplasty using dual mobility cups following failed internal fixation of proximal femoral fractures at a mean follow-up of 6 years.

INTRODUCTION: Performing total hip arthroplasty (THA) after failed internal fixation of proximal femoral fractures (PFF) is known to be associated with high rates of complications. Dual mobility cups (DMC) are known to lower dislocation events in high-risk patients. Very few reports investigated the outcomes of THA using DMC following failure of internal fixation for PFF. METHODS: This is a retrospective monocentric continuous study of 31 patients who underwent THA with DMC after failed internal fixation of PFF. The clinical assessment was based on the modified Harris hip score (mHHS) at the last follow-up. The complication rates and radiological analyses were recorded. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 5.96 ± 4.2 years. At the last follow-up, the mean mHHS was 92.9 ± 9.1 with 71% of the patients describing their operated hip as a forgotten hip. No dislocation or aseptic loosening events were noted. One patient developed a septic loosening of the implant. No significant radiological changes were recorded. Sixteen stems (51.6%) were placed in a neutral position, 13 (42%) in valgus (2.74 ± 1.72°), and 2 (6.4%) in varus (6.94 ± 2.02°). CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the advantage of using DMC following failed internal fixation of PFF in reducing dislocation and complication events in this high-risk population.

Major acetabular defects: outcomes of first revision total hip arthroplasty using Kerboull cross-plate with allograft and cemented dual mobility cup at a maximum follow-up of fourteen years.

BACKGROUND: The use of dual mobility cups (DMC) has been shown to reduce hip instability after revision surgery. For severe acetabular bone loss, reconstruction with a Kerboull cross-plate and bone allograft would contribute to restoring native hip position and bone stock. Only two papers reported on the combination of Kerboull cross-plate with bone allograft and cemented DMC in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: This is a monocentric retrospective study (28 cases) of first-time revision THA using such a construct in American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) grade III and IV acetabular bone defect. Detailed demographic, clinical and radiographic results were recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: With a mean follow-up of six ± 3.63 years, no case of instability was reported. The modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) was 88.4 ± 10.1. No hook fracture or mechanical failure was observed. Non-progressive radiolucent lines were recorded. Osteointegration of the allografts was observed in all cases with a mean Grodet score of 7.9 ± 0.97. CONCLUSIONS: In first revision THA, the use of a Kerboull cross-plate with allograft and a cemented DMC in AAOS grade III and IV acetabular bone defects demonstrated excellent clinical and radiological outcomes with no recorded cases of dislocation or mechanical failure.

Primary total hip arthroplasty: mid-term outcomes of dual-mobility cups in patients at high risk of dislocation.

INTRODUCTION: Dual-mobility cups (DMC) are currently used in patients having risk factors of instability. Most of the studies report the use of DMC in patients having a single high-risk variable. The aim of the study was to analyse a continuous series of patients treated with primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) and DMC with different high risk for dislocation. METHODS: This is a retrospective study analysing the outcomes of primary THA with DMC in patients at high-risk of dislocation. The sample consisted of 215 patients having 1 of 3 aetiologies or risk factors: (1) young subjects (<55 years); (2) osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH); and (3) femoral neck fracture (FNF). RESULTS: With a mean follow-up duration of 70 ± 24.7 months, the findings showed the following: 2 patients had dislocated their hip following motor vehicle accidents; 1 patient had a traumatic femoral peri-prosthetic fracture; and 1 patient had an acute infection. No intra-prosthetic dislocation or aseptic loosening were encountered. No radiolucent lines were observed on the acetabular side. The mean modified Hip Harris Score was 96.6 ± 7.4%. Out of 186 patients, 170 (90.1%) would label their operated hip as a "forgotten hip". 78 out of the 84 patients (92.8%) who used to practice oriental sitting and/or ablution for prayers were able to return to their usual daily activities of extreme hip position and 74 out of the 84 patients (88%) described their operated hip as "a forgotten hip". No correlation was found between any of the studied variables. DISCUSSION: The findings of this series of patients at high risk of dislocation showed excellent clinical and radiological results with very few complications. The use of DMC seems to counteract the impact of some aetiologies/risk factors that could lead to higher instability. Most patients practising extreme hip positions resumed their usual practices.

Angular limit for coronal joint deformity correction using intramedullary guidance in total knee arthroplasty. A pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Post-operative misalignment of the lower limb mechanical axis following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is thought to be associated with clinical failure. In a balanced knee, a neutral global mechanical axis following the use of intra-medullary (IM) guidance does not necessarily imply a horizontal TKA joint line. Using femoral and tibial axes separately would be more accurate in evaluating TKA alignment. Thus, the aim of the study is to define a pre-operative mechanical tibial and/or femoral angle threshold value for post-operative optimal alignment correction using IM guides. METHODS: This single-center prospective continuous pilot study included 50 patients treated with a TKA for primitive osteoarthritis. Femoral and tibial cuts were performed using intramedullary (IM) guide. Three angles were calculated and analyzed pre and post-operatively on standing antero-posterior views using long-leg radiographs: femorotibial angle (FTA), mechanical femoral angle (MFA), and mechanical tibial angle (MTA). Statistical analysis was performed for the whole sample and for the three following FTA subgroups; normo-axial, varus and valgus. RESULTS: The pre-operative MTA is the only parameter for which a threshold value was observed; when pre-operative MTA exceeded the value of 94°, an optimal correction might not be obtained post-operatively. DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that the bony correction obtained via IM guiding depends exclusively on the primary deformation of the tibia. In cases of a varus of more than 94°, the IM guide was found to yield sub-optimal corrections. Thus, other solutions need to be investigated.

A single antegrade intramedullary k-wire for fifth metacarpal neck fractures.

OBJECTIVES: Antegrade intramedullary nailing (AIMN) using 2k-wires seems to be superior to other modalities in treating displaced fractures of the fifth metacarpal neck (FFMN). Few reports demonstrated similar results retrospective with a single k-wire. The aim of the study is to describe our single k-wire technique and evaluate the related results. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of a continuous series of patients treated with a single intramedullary k-wire for FFMN. It includes 30 patients who met the criteria for surgery: a dorsal angulation of more than 30°, malrotation, or both. The mean clinical follow-up period was 7 ± 14.9 months. RESULTS: The mean pre-operative angle was 50° ± 11.35° and the mean immediate post-operative angle was 4.86° ± 2.8°. The mean immediate correction was 47° ± 9.3°. The mean correction at last follow-up was 45.14° ± 8.55°. Healing was obtained in all patients and bone union was achieved at a mean of 5.6 ± 1.2 weeks. The mean operative time was 8.5 min. The mean C-arm usage (number of clicks) was 7.2 times. The mean exposure radiation time was calculated at 3.6 s. The mean radiation dose was 0.08 mGy/mm2. The mean satisfaction score was 1.26 ± 0.45. Quick-DASH and EQ-5D scores yielded excellent values. CONCLUSIONS: With potential benefits like lesser surgical time, radiation and cost, the use of a single AIMN could be safer, quicker and cheaper while reproducing similar clinical, functional and radiological outcomes to those reported with the use of 2k-wires.

A familial case series of valgus slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

We present a familial case of valgus slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). Charts of members of the same family having the condition were retrieved. Clinical and radiological examinations were conducted after 10 years of the initial presentation and treatment. Two siblings, brother and sister, were initially diagnosed with valgus SCFE and treated surgically. Normal clinical examination was found for both siblings and both, treated and untreated hips. A radiological examination for the parents revealed signs of valgus SCFE in both hips of the mother. No association with metabolic, hormonal or neurological conditions was found. The review of the literature demonstrated that varus SCFE has a strong familial tendency. Our case series would suggest that, as in the classical SCFE, genetic inheritance could also be a contributing factor to valgus SCFE. Future radiological studies are needed to look for the true incidence of valgus SCFE in first- and second-degree relatives.

Mortality Rate and Mid-Term Outcomes of Total Hip Arthroplasty Using Dual Mobility Cups for the Treatment of Femoral Neck Fractures in a Middle Eastern Population.

BACKGROUND: The dual mobility cups (DMCs) were shown to reduce dislocation rate following total hip arthroplasty for any etiology, including femoral neck fractures. No reported studies evaluating DMC results for femoral neck fracture in a Middle Eastern population were found in the literature. METHODS: This study aims to look for mortality rate, clinical, and functional outcomes in a population having specific rituals involving extreme hip positions as part of their daily activities. RESULTS: Of an initial sample of 174 patients (177 operated hips), 18 (10.3%) patients (20 hips) died after a mean of 39.6 ± 13.8 months (ranging from 2 to 49 months) with only 3 (1.7%) during the first post-operative year. Twelve patients (13 hips) were lost to follow-up and 19 patients (19 hips) had their radiological data incomplete. In the final sample of 125 patients (125 hips), no dislocation, aseptic loosening, or infection was encountered. The mean modified Hip Harris Score was of 94.8 ± 8.4. The mean modified Hip Harris Score of 40 patients who used to practice regularly oriental sitting position or prayers was 94.1 ± 3.1. After surgery, 36 of these 40 patients (90%) described their hip as "a forgotten hip." Multivariate analyses found correlation only between mortality and cardiovascular co-morbidities. CONCLUSION: DMC implants showed excellent clinical and functional results. The majority of patients having rituals and customs involving extreme hip positions were able to resume their daily activities. The observed low mortality rate should incite future research to investigate its correlation with the use of DMCs.

A Comparative Study of the Reverse Sural Fascio-Cutaneous Flap Outcomes in the Management of Foot and Ankle Soft Tissue Defects in Diabetic and Trauma Patients.

Introduction. Soft tissue defects in the distal leg and foot are challenging conditions for reconstruction. The widely used reverse sural fascio-cutaneous flap (RSFCF) has been reported with large variation in complication frequency. Some authors reported higher complications in the diabetic population when compared with trauma patients. We compared the reliability of the RSFCF in treating such defects among both populations. Methods. This is a retrospective series with a prospective data collection of 24 patients (11 with type 2 diabetes and 13 in trauma settings) treated with an ipsilateral RSFCF for soft tissue defects of the distal leg and the rear foot. Healing events and complications were recorded and compared for both groups. The mean follow-up was 32 months. Results. Diabetic group versus trauma group showed the following results; mean flap healing time of 24 versus 22 days, donor site healing time of 14 versus 16 days, 1 total flap necrosis in both groups, 3 versus 2 cases of skin edge necrosis, 2 cases of temporary venous congestion in both groups, and 8 versus 10 cases of transient hypoesthesia of the lateral border of the foot. No infection was encountered in both groups and no recurrence of infection in the primary infected diabetic patients. Conclusions. We found the RSFCF to be useful, reproducible, and reliable in treating soft tissue defects with a very low frequency of serious complications. Diabetic patients were found to have similar outcomes when compared with trauma patients. Therefore, diabetes might not be a major factor of flap failure. Levels of Evidence: Level III: Therapeutic.

Revision total hip arthroplasty with a Kerboull plate: comparative outcomes using standard versus dual mobility cups.

INTRODUCTION: Instability is a major complication in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA). Dual mobility (DM) cups were shown to reduce the risk of post-operative implant dislocation. Few case-series studies assessed the outcomes of cemented DM cups when associated to acetabular reconstruction antiprotrusio cages. No published comparative studies were found to look for outcome differences between standard cups (SC) and DM cups in first revision THA associated with a Kerboull plate (KP) and acetabular bone grafting. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective comparative study of two groups of patients in two institutions. All cases were first revision THA with KP reconstruction; a cemented standard cup (SC) was used in one institution (THA-SC group) while a cemented DM cup was used in the second institution (THA-DM group). The posterolateral approach and the same technique for KP placement, the cross technique, were performed in both groups. Primary outcomes were dislocation and revision rates. Survivorship and clinical and radiological results were set to be secondary outcomes. There were ten patients (13 hips) in the first group and 16 patients (16 hips) in the second with a mean follow-up clinical and radiological evaluation of 74.2 ± 47.9 months. RESULTS: Besides age, no significant demographic differences were present between both groups. There were three dislocations (23%) in the first group treated with close reduction compared to none in the second (p = 0.04). No further episode of dislocation or revision surgery occurred until the last follow-up in both groups. The mean Harris Hip Scores for the THA-SC and THA-DM groups were 87.5 ± 10.9 and 87.4 ± 12.1, respectively. When present, radiolucent lines were less than 1 mm thick and were non-progressive in both groups. In all patients, complete trabeculation remodeling or cortical repair of the graft was observed. CONCLUSION: The cup type was the single variable which could account for the observed dislocation rate difference. The mid-term results of using DM cups with KP in first revision THA seem very encouraging. Our findings add to the previously published results on the excellent outcomes in terms of stability in revision THA when using DM cups.

The cross technique for the positioning of Kerboull plate in acetabular reconstruction surgery.

Acetabular reconstruction aims at filling bony defects and positioning the acetabular component in its anatomical place. To this, the use of Kerboull plate would give an automatic optimal positioning while reconstructing the acetabular cavity. We developed a technique, the cross technique, that approaches acetabular reconstruction in a systematic way. It consists of placing the KP following its cross design, in reference to a vertical plane (hook, center, palette) and a horizontal plane (horizontal flanges). The cross technique has three steps; the preparation of the acetabular cavity, the cross technique itself and cementation. We recommend a downsizing of the plate in relation to the size of the acetabular cavity in addition to another downsizing of the acetabular implant in relation to the plate size whenever a dual mobility cup is used.

Early results of total hip arthroplasty using dual-mobility cup in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

INTRODUCTION: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) remains a therapeutic challenge for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). The majority of these patients are young with high functional demand, and show an increased risk of dislocation following surgery than patients with osteoarthritis. The use of double mobility cup (DMC) has been linked with lower rates of complications when compared to conservative cups; however, the literature is scarce over DMC results in patients with ONFH. The aim of the study is to report the early outcomes of patients with ONFH treated with THA-DMC. MATERIALS: A retrospective analysis of patients suffering from ONFH who underwent THA using DMC (THA-DMC) from 2006 to 2015 were evaluated for functional status and risk of post-operative complications. Thirty THA-DMC in 26 patients with a mean follow-up of 51 months were evaluated clinically (modified Hip Harris Score) and radiologically. RESULTS: The mean age of the included patients was 54.9 years. At final follow-up, the mean modified Hip Harris score was 98.7 ± 2.7 and no dislocation episodes or revision surgeries were recorded. The radiological assessment revealed no signs of migration/tilting, radiolucent lines, periprosthetic osteolysis or heterotopic ossification over the DMC component and the femoral stem. The survival rate over 51 months of follow-up was 100%. DISCUSSION: The use of the new generation of dual mobility cup in patients with ONFH showed excellent functional early results with no major complications such as dislocation.

Novel anatomical-based surgical technique for positioning of the patellar component in total knee arthroplasty.

The patella remains one of the main sources of post-operative complication following total knee arthroplasty surgery. Optimal positioning of the patellar component is still a controversy with no clear-cut guidelines. Instead of choosing an empirical position, we described a novel surgical technique to better locate the patellar button based on the individual patellar anatomy of each patient.

Optimizing patellar positioning during total knee arthroplasty: an anatomical and clinical study.

INTRODUCTION: Optimal positioning of the patellar component is crucial for the success of a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Usually, the patellar component is placed empirically over the presumed centre of the patellar cut. Medialization of the prosthetic patella has been recommended; however, no evidence-based guidelines have been reported. MATERIAL AND METHOD: This anatomical study aims to quantify a pre-defined optimal location for positioning of the patellar component with regard to the centre of the patellar cut. Intra-operative measurements of the patellar cut of a series of 129 TKA were conducted in order to measure the distance between the optimal centre of prosthetic patella (OCPP) and the centre of the patellar cut, and that over the vertical (proximal-distal) axis and the horizontal axis (medial-lateral). RESULTS: Our results demonstrated that, (a) a significant morphological difference of the patellar cut exists between men and women (P < 0.0001), and (b) with reference to centre of the patellar cut, the OCPP lies superiorly and medially in 89%, inferiorly and medially in 9.4%, laterally and superiorly in 1.6%, and in no case laterally and inferiorly. No anterior pain, dislocation episode or patellar revision has been encountered during a follow-up of 4.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: The placement of the patellar component during TKA differs from one patella to another. Thus, by defining the OCPP on a patient-by-patient basis, the surgeon should be able to reproduce the functional anatomy of the native patella.

Outcomes of dual mobility cups in a young Middle Eastern population and its influence on life style.

Dual mobility cups (DMC) in total hip arthroplasty (THA) are becoming popular among orthopaedic surgeons. Substantial benefit of their use has been reported among high risk patients, particularly in reducing post-operative hip instability (dislocation). Many reports stated some concern when implanted in young and active people where complications such as polyethylene wear and mechanical loosening could potentially be higher. This Middle Eastern study analyses a retrospective series of THA for any aetiology other than infection, using DMC for the acetabular component in 75 patients (85 implants) less than 70 years old. No instability, intra-prosthetic dislocation or mechanical failure was reported during a mean follow-up of five years. The only major complication was a post-operative infection. The mean post- operative modified Harris hip score was 97.1 out of 100. All patients resumed their daily activities and all religious practicing patients were able to accomplish their prayer positions without pain. DMC is found to be an interesting option in reducing dislocation events in young patients. Those excellent short-term results would encourage surgeons to use DMC in an active and highly demanding population. Further research is necessary to confirm maintenance of such results at long term follow-up.

SURAL NEURO-CUTANEOUS FLAP IN THE MANAGEMENT OF FOOT AND ANKLE SOFT TISSUE DEFECTS IN A DIABETIC POPULATION.

BACKGROUND: Soft tissue defects in the foot and ankle region are challenging conditions particularly in diabetic patients. We evaluated the reliability of the sural flap in treating such defects among a diabetic population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a continuous retrospective series of 14 patients with type 2 diabetes treated with an ipsilateral sural flap for soft tissue defects around the rear foot (11 cases) and over the malleolar areas (3 cases). Three patients had an open tibia fracture (Gustillo IIIb), four had chronic osteitis and seven had a chronic heel ulcer. RESULTS: The mean follow-up at 28 months showed healing of the flap at a mean of 24 days, donor site healing in two weeks, one case of total flap necrosis, three cases of skin edge necrosis, two cases of temporary venous congestion and 10 cases of hypoesthesia of the lateral border of the foot. No infection or recurrence of infection was encountered. CONCLUSION: We found the sural flap useful, reproducible and reliable in treating soft tissue defects in diabetic patients with a low frequency of serious complications.