Determination of a Safe Zone for Ischial Screw Placement in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Implantation of acetabular components with supplemental screw fixation is commonly performed to improve osteointegration and long-term stability in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Placement of ischial screws improves stability in biomechanical studies, but can be technically challenging. The study aimed to provide a safe zone for ischial screw placement with reference to easily identifiable intra-operative landmarks. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients was performed and 27 preoperative pelvis computed tomography scans were collected. After converting these images to 3-dimensional reconstructions of the pelvis, a safe zone for ischial screw placement was established with reference to the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and the acetabular center and rim. RESULTS: The safe zone of an ischial screw in the en face sagittal plane was a median of 17 degrees (interquartile range [IQR]: 11,23) anterior to 13 degrees (IQR: 10,18) posterior to the reference line from the ASIS through the center of the acetabulum. The safe zone in the coronal plane was 34 degrees (IQR: 18,68) medial to 13 degrees (IQR: 8,19) lateral from a start point 1 centimeter medial to the inferior acetabular rim with a screw length of 25 millimeters. An ischial screw optimized for length directed down the center of the ischium was qualitatively demonstrated to have a start point unobtainable intraoperatively, originating within the cotyloid fossa. CONCLUSION: The ASIS, center of the acetabulum, and acetabular rim provide identifiable intraoperative landmarks for guiding ischial screw placement in hip arthroplasty.

Early Tibial Baseplate Fracture After Medial Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty: A Report of 2 Cases.

CASE: Implant failure after unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a rare but well-described complication in the arthroplasty literature. However, there is a paucity of literature regarding rapid catastrophic failure of modern implant designs. This is a case report of 2 patients with early catastrophic failure of the tibial baseplate after UKA with a Stryker Restoris MultiCompartmental Knee System implant using Mako robotic assistance, both requiring revision to total knee arthroplasty. CONCLUSION: Improved awareness and understanding of early UKA tibial baseplate failure may help identify both patient and surgical risk factors that could help prevent further instances in the future.

Bilateral Flexor Digitorum Accessorius Longus Precipitating Bilateral Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome: A Case Report.

CASE: A 29-year-old woman presented with bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome caused by bilateral flexor digitorum accessorius longus, experiencing immediate relief of symptoms after surgical intervention through 1 year. CONCLUSION: Accessory muscles can cause compressive neuropathies in multiple areas of the body. In patients who have FDAL as the cause of their tarsal tunnel syndrome, surgeons should have a high index of suspicion of bilateral FDAL if the same patient develops similar contralateral symptoms.

Suture Tape Augmentation for the Repair of Index Finger Radial Collateral Ligament Injury: A Biomechanical Study.

PURPOSE: Despite their clinical importance in maintaining the stability of the pinch mechanism, injuries of the radial collateral ligament (RCL) of the index finger may be underrecognized and underreported. The purpose of this biomechanical study was to compare the repair of index finger RCL tears with either a standard suture anchor or suture tape augmentation. METHODS: The index fingers from 24 fresh-frozen human cadavers underwent repair of torn RCLs using either a standard suture anchor or suture tape augmentation. Following the repairs, the initial displacement of the repair with a 3-N ulnar deviating load was evaluated. Next, the change in displacement (cyclic deformation) of the repair after 1,000 cycles of 3 N of ulnar deviating force was calculated (displacement of the 1000th cycle - displacement of the first cycle). Finally, the amount of force required to cause clinical failure (30° ulnar deviation) of the repair was determined. RESULTS: Suture tape augmentation repairs displayed significantly less cyclic deformation (0.8 ± 0.5 mm) after cyclic loading than suture anchor repairs (1.8 ± 0.7 mm). There was no significant difference in the force required to cause the clinical failure of the repairs between the suture tape (35.1 ± 18.1 N) and suture anchor (24.5 ± 9.2 N) repairs. CONCLUSIONS: Index finger RCL repair with suture tape augmentation results in decreased deformation with repetitive motion compared with RCL repair alone. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Suture tape augmentation may allow for early mobilization following index finger RCL repair by acting as a brace that protects the repaired ligament from deforming forces.

Cervical and Lumbar Disc Arthroplasty: A Review of Current Implant Design and Outcomes.

While spinal disc pathology has traditionally been treated using fusion-based procedures, recent interest in motion-preserving disc arthroplasties has grown. Traditional spinal fusion is associated with loss of motion, alteration of native spine kinematics, and increased risks of adjacent segment disease. The motion conferred by disc arthroplasty is believed to combat these complications. While the first implant designs resulted in poor patient outcomes, recent advances in implant design and technology have shown promising radiographic and clinical outcomes when compared with traditional fusion. These results have led to a rapid increase in the utilization of disc arthroplasty, with rates of cervical arthroplasty nearly tripling over the course of 7 years. The purpose of this review was to discuss the evolution of implant design, the current implant designs utilized, and their associated outcomes. Although disc arthroplasty shows significant promise in addressing some of the drawbacks associated with fusion, it is not without its own risks. Osteolysis, implant migration, and the development of heterotopic ossification have all been associated with disc arthroplasty. As interest in these procedures grows, so does the interest in developing improved implant designs aimed at decreasing these adverse outcomes. Though they are still relatively new, cervical and lumbar disc arthroplasty are likely to become foundational methodologies for the treatment of disc pathology.

Epidemiology of female youth ice hockey injuries presenting to United States emergency departments from 2002 to 2019.

BACKGROUND: This study documented injury types, rates and mechanisms for female youth ice hockey players reporting to US emergency departments to inform safety measures and sideline medical preparedness. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for ice hockey injuries (product code 1279) from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2019. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated using OpenEpi and compared between age divisions. Spearman's rank correlation was utilized to evaluate the correlation between age and injury incidence. USA Hockey membership statistics were used to establish the population at risk and calculate incidence rates (IR). RESULTS: An estimated 20,384 ice hockey injuries presented to participating United States emergency departments. The number of female youth ice hockey players increased significantly from 36,258 in 2002 to 65,072 in 2019 (p < 0.01). The most commonly injured body parts were the head (n = 5,519, IR = 62.1 [95%CI 54.3-70.0 per 10,000 athletes), trunk (n = 2,364, IR = 26.6 [95%CI 21.2-32.0] per 10,000 athletes), and wrist (n = 1,824, IR = 20.5 [95%CI 15.7-25.4] per 10,000 athletes). The most commonly reported mechanisms of injury were player-to-player collision (n = 4,746, IR = 53.4 [95%CI 46.4-60.5] per 10,000 athletes) and falls (n = 4,585, IR = 51.6 [95%CI 44.1-59.1] per 10,000 athletes). The most common diagnoses were traumatic brain injury (n = 5,333, IR = 60.0 [95%CI 52.3-67.8] per 10,000 athletes), contusion (n = 4,204, IR = 47.3 [95%CI 40.3-54.4] per 10,000 athletes) and strain/sprain (n = 3,601, IR = 40.5 [95%CI 34.1-47.0] per 10,000 athletes). A positive correlation was found between age and injury incidence, as well as increasing age and injuries from player-to-player collision and TBI's. CONCLUSIONS: Though body checking is illegal at all levels of women's ice hockey, player-to-player collision prevailed as the leading mechanism on injury. Hopefully this study informs players, parents, coaches, trainers and clinicians about the impact of player-to-player collisions on overall injury burden in the older age divisions of youth female hockey.

Epidemiology and trends of adult ice hockey injuries presenting to United States emergency departments: A ten-year analysis from 2007-2016.

PURPOSE: The adult population is under-represented in existing ice hockey injury studies, despite the number of United States (US) adult ice hockey players increasing from 103,533 in 2007 to 180,400 in 2016 (74%). This study establishes trends in demographics, injury location, and injury type for adult ice hockey players (≥19 years old) in the United States. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for all ice hockey injuries from January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2016. Cases under age 19 were excluded. Each injury's narrative text field was reviewed to determine mechanism of injury. RESULTS: A total of 1,653 patients, representing an estimated 68,786 ice-hockey related injuries, presented to NEISS-participating US EDs. The most commonly injured body parts were the face (n = 12,432, 18.1%), head (n = 10,201, 14.8%), shoulder (n = 9,654, 14.0%) and ankle (n = 5,389, 7.8%). The most common diagnoses made were laceration (n = 18,153, 26.4%), strain/sprain (n = 12,202, 17.7%), fracture (n = 10,079, 14.7%), contusion (n = 9,283, 13.5%) and concussion (n = 4,794, 7.0%). The most common mechanisms of injury were falling (n = 11,786, 18.7%), puck contact (n = 10,544, 15.3%) and player contact (n = 9,449, 13.7%). Concussions increased from 46 in 2007 to 928 in 2016 (R2 = 0.8, ß = 0.9, p < 0.001). Females (n = 1,852, 32%) had a higher proportion of head injuries than males (n = 8,349, 13.3%) (IPR = 2.4, p < 0.0001). The 50+ year old cohort showed a significant increase in injuries during the study period (n = 146 vs. 982, R2 = 0.75, ß = 0.87, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite changing trends in age and sex-related demographics, the majority of injuries in this population may be preventable with adequate enforcement of protective gear use. Increased education amongst players, coaches, trainers, orthopaedic surgeons and primary care physicians should be encouraged to minimize injuries.

Reducing perioperative blood loss with antifibrinolytics and antifibrinolytic-like agents for patients undergoing total hip and total knee arthroplasty.

Total hip and knee arthroplasties may be associated with a significant amount of perioperative blood loss. The severity of blood loss may be great enough to require the use of blood transfusions to treat perioperative anemia. Various methods of blood preservation have been studied. The use of antifibrinolytics and antifibrinolytic-like agents to reduce perioperative bleeding has been researched in orthopaedics and other surgical subspecialties. This review aims to evaluate the current evidence supporting the use of tranexamic acid, aminocaproic acid, fibrin tissue adhesive, and aprotinin in the reduction of perioperative blood loss in total hip and knee arthroplasties.