Higher activity level after opening wedge high tibial osteotomy compared to medial unicompartimental knee arthroplasty in a selected cohort of advanced age: A propensity score-matched analysis.

BACKGROUND: High tibial osteotomy (HTO) and medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (mUKA) are accepted treatment for medial knee osteoarthritis (OA). Patients often present meeting indications for both procedures. The purpose of this study was to compare results after MOWHTO and UKA in a matched population of patients older than 50 years. METHOD: A retrospective analysis searching for patients older than 50 years meeting indication both for UKA and MOWHTO was performed. A propensity score matching (PSM) based on demographics and clinical data was performed. Tegner activity scale (TAS), Lysholm knee score (LKS) and numeric rating scale for pain (NRS) were recorded prospectively prior to surgery, at 6 months and after a minimum of 4 years. RESULTS: 64 UKA and 71 MOWHTO were found. Mean follow up was similar (54,05 ± 4,80 and 52,62 ± 3,91). A significant improvement was found in both groups for all outcomes at 6 months and at final follow up. PSM yielded 29 pairs. Patients treated with MOWHTO showed superior TAS scores at 6 months (3,41 ± 0,50 vs 3,10 ± 0,56; p < 0,05) and at final follow up (3,83 ± 0,80 vs 3,27 ± 0,59; p < 0,005). NRS and LKS were comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS: MOWHTO performed using an open wedge technique, with locking plate and a fast rehabilitation protocol guaranteed higher level of activity than UKA in patients older than 50 years. Difference is significant already at 6 months and last longer than 4 years. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Simultaneous Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty in Elderly: Are There Factors that Can Influence Safety and Clinical Outcome?

Objective: The aim of this study was to look for preoperative patients' related factors correlating with worse clinical outcomes in a cohort of elderly patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (SiBTKA) to search for risk factors, which may influence clinical outcomes and safety. Subjects and Methods. The hospital database was mined searching for patients older than 70 years that underwent SiBTKA for severe bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) between 2012 and 2016. Preoperative clinical information, Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) prior to surgery were recorded. The OKS and the KOOS were submitted again after a minimum of 5 years of follow-up (FU). Results: An improvement was observed in all clinical scores at last FU. The major complication rate was 5.4%. No patients' clinical data showed correlation with perioperative complications or need for transfusions. Functional scores at the last FU were negatively affected by age at surgery and positively affected by preoperative clinical scores. Discussion. In the setting of severe symptomatic bilateral knee OA, SiBTKA seems to be effective in improving symptoms at midterm follow-up, with acceptable rates of perioperative complications in patients older than 70. Higher age at surgery and lower preoperative functional scores are associated with worse clinical outcomes at FU. This could assist surgeons in advising patients that delay of surgical treatment could worsen outcomes.

The use of augmented reality for limb and component alignment in total knee arthroplasty: systematic review of the literature and clinical pilot study.

PURPOSE: A systematic review of the literature has been carried out to assess the actual evidence of the use of augmented reality in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We then conducted a pilot clinical study to examine the accuracy of the Knee + augmented reality navigation in performing TKA. The present augmented reality (AR) system allows the surgeon to view the tibial and femur axis superimposed on the surgical field through the smart glasses. It provides real-time information during surgery and intraoperative feedback. METHODS: A systematic review of the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases up to May 2021 using the keywords "augmented reality", "knee arthroplasty", "computer assisted surgery", "navigation knee arthroplasty" was performed by two independent reviewers. We performed five TKAs using the Knee + system. Patients were 4 females, with mean age of 76.4 years old (range 73-79) and mean Body Max Index (BMI) of 31.9 kg/m2 (range 27-35). The axial alignment of the limb and the orientation of the components were evaluated on standardized pre and postoperative full leg length weight-bearing radiographs, anteroposterior radiographs, and lateral radiographs of the knee. The time of tourniquet was recorded. The perception of motion sickness was assessed by Virtual Reality Sickness Questionnaire (VRSQ) subjected to surgeon immediately after surgery. RESULTS: After duplicate removal, a total of 31 abstracts were found. However, only two studies concerned knee arthroplasty. Unfortunately, both were preclinical studies. Knee + system is able to perform a cutting error of less than 1° of difference about coronal alignment of femur and tibia and less than 2° about flexion/extension of femur and posterior tibial slope. The absolute differences between the values obtained during surgery and the measurement of varus femur, varus tibia, posterior slope, and femur flexion angle on post-operative radiographs were 0.6° ± 1.34°, 0.8° ± 0.84°, 0.8° ± 1.79°, and 0.4 mm ± 0.55 mm, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: On light of our preliminary results, the Knee + system is accurate and effective to perform TKA. The translation from pilot study to high-level prospective studies is warranted to assess accuracy and cost-effective analysis compared to conventional techniques. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

All-inside repair of meniscal bucket handle tears: a retrospective study at mean 4-years follow-up evaluation.

Bucket-handle tears represent approximately 10% of all meniscal tears. Despite the common treatment is subtotal meniscectomy, repair is technically feasible although complex, and represents a key strategy to avoid severe meniscal tissue loss that could accelerate joint degeneration over time. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the outcomes of arthroscopically-assisted bucket-handle tear repair, and to identify factors correlating with clinical results. Fifty-four patients affected by meniscal bucket handle tear were included in the present retrospective analysis and evaluated up to mean 4-years follow-up. All patients were treated by arthroscopic-assisted all-inside repair. The primary outcome was considered the need for a re-operation due to failure of meniscal repair. Patients were also evaluated by the following items: KOOS, Lysholm, Tegner, IKDC-subjective and Quadruple-VAS score. Subgroup analysis was performed to identify whether concurrent ACL reconstruction, side of the lesion, age at surgery and time from injury to repair could influence clinical outcome. Ten out 54 patients (18.5%) were considered failed and needed reoperation, mainly within one year from surgery. Overall, there was a significant increase in all clinical scores considered and patients were able to get back to previous sport activity level. Patients with concurrent ACL reconstruction presented a lower risk of failure (p=0.025). Patients with lateral meniscus repair showed better clinical outcome compared to medial meniscus. Timing from injury and age at surgery did not correlated with clinical outcome. Our series showed fair results in bucket handle repair up to middle term evaluation. Concomitant ACL reconstruction was associated with lower failure rate whereas lateral meniscus involvement was associated with higher functional scores at final follow-up evaluation.

Autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue for the treatment of diffuse degenerative knee osteoarthritis: an update at 3 year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Conservative therapies for the treatment of knee degenerative processes are used before resorting to surgery; nonetheless, they may offer only short-term benefits. Encouraging preliminary results have been reported using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), either alone or in association with surgery. Among the many sources, adipose tissue has created a huge interest, because of its anti-inflammatory and regenerative properties ascribed to the cells of its stromal vascular fraction. We previously reported the safety and feasibility of autologous micro-fragmented adipose tissue as adjuvant for the surgical treatment of diffuse degenerative chondral lesions at 1 year. Here we present the outcomes of the same cohort of patients evaluated at 3 year follow-up. Micro-fragmented adipose tissue was obtained using a minimal manipulation technique in a closed system. The safety of the procedure was evaluated by recording type and incidence of any adverse event. The clinical outcomes were determined using the KOOS, IKDC-subjective, Tegner Lysholm Knee, and VAS pain scales taken pre-operatively and at 12 and 36 months follow-up. FINDINGS: No adverse events, lipodystrophy cases at the harvesting site nor atypical inflammatory reactions at the joint level were reported. Of the 30 patients previously treated, one was lost, and seven received additional treatments in the period of observation. On average, the 22 patients that had no other treatments in the 3-year period showed that the results observed at 1 year were maintained. Moreover, 41, 55, 55 and 64% of the patients improved with respect to the 1-year follow-up in the Tegner Lysholm Knee, VAS, IKDC-subjective and total KOOS, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our results point to autologous and micro-fragmented adipose tissue injection as an innovative and safe approach for the management of diffuse degenerative knee chondropathy in the mid-term. The procedure is simple, affordable, minimally invasive, and compliant with the regulatory panorama.

A novel technique for combined medial collateral ligament and posterior oblique ligament reconstruction: technical note.

PURPOSE: In the last year, we have performed a new technique for combined medial collateral ligament (MCL) and posterior oblique ligament (POL) reconstruction in chronic setting of anterior cruciate ligament and MCL complex deficiency. Autogenous semitendinosus tendon with the tibial attachment preserved has been used for the medial/posteromedial compartment reconstruction. We describe the operative technique. METHODS: Between January and December 2014, 12 consecutive patients with multiligamentous injuries underwent concomitant MCL/POL using a novel technique. The usefulness of the novel technique is the semitendinosus sling on the semimembranosus tendon and the POL fixation with the knee in full extension. RESULTS: An ideal anteroposterior and rotational stability avoiding the medial compartment over constraint was achieved, in the immediate after surgery, due to the sequence of the bundle fixations and to the semitendinosus sling below the semimembranosus tendon. CONCLUSIONS: This technique is easily reproducible and useful and restores the medial stability immediately after surgery.