Percutaneous transverse pinning for metacarpal fractures: a clinical trial.

INTRODUCTION: Metacarpal fractures account for 25%-50% of all hand fractures and may negatively impact hand function and ability to work. Percutaneous transverse pinning of non-articular metacarpal fractures allows mobilisation immediately after the procedure. METHODS: Between March 2017 and February 2022, 56 patients undergoing percutaneous transverse pinning for unstable metacarpal fractures were prospectively recruited. We investigated surgical outcomes in terms of Patient-rated Wrist/Hand Evaluation (PRWHE) and pre-and post-operative radiographic evaluation. The Student t-test was used to compare the means of PRWHE values after surgery. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age was 40.21 ± 17.9 years (range of 16 to 86 years). The average operating time was 27.96 min. The mean follow-up period was 14.3 ± 6.4 months (from 2 to 41 months). The mean PRWHE score was 6.5 ± 1.8. None of the patients had clinically observable rotational deformities, and the functional outcomes were satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous transverse pinning for non-articular metacarpal fractures restores excellent function, and imaging results are satisfactory. Further high-quality clinical trials are required to validate these results on a larger scale. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II, prospective cohort study.

Meniscectomy is associated with a higher rate of osteoarthritis compared to meniscal repair following acute tears: a meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: Meniscal tears are common and may impair knee function and biomechanics. This meta-analysis compared meniscal repair versus resection in patients with symptomatic meniscal tears in terms of patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs), joint width, surgical failure, and rate of progression to osteoarthritis (OA) at conventional radiography. METHODS: This study was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA statement. In August 2023, the following databases were accessed: PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Embase. Two reviewers independently performed the analysis and a methodological quality assessment of the included studies. All the clinical investigations which compared repair versus resection of meniscal tears were accessed. RESULTS: Data from 20 studies (31,783 patients) were collected. The mean BMI was 28.28 ± 3.2 kg/m2, and the mean age was 37.6 ± 14.0 years. The mean time elapsed from injury to surgery was 12.1 ± 10.2 months and the mean medial joint width was 4.9 ± 0.8 mm. Between studies comparability at baseline was found in age, women, BMI, time from injury to surgery and length of the follow-up, PROMs, medial joint width, and stage of OA. The resection group demonstrated a greater Lysholm score (P = 0.02). No difference was found in the International Knee Documentation Committee (P = 0.2). Nine studies reported data on the rate of failures at a mean of 63.00 ± 24.7 months. No difference was found between the two groups in terms of persistent meniscal symptoms (P = 0.8). Six studies reported data on the rate of progression to total knee arthroplasty at a mean of 48.0 ± 14.7 months follow-up. The repair group evidenced a lower rate of progression to knee arthroplasty (P = 0.0001). Six studies reported data on the rate of advanced knee OA at a mean of 48.0 ± 14.7 months of follow-up. The repair group evidenced a lower rate of advanced knee OA (P = 0.0001). No difference was found in the mean joint space width (P = 0.09). CONCLUSION: Meniscal repair is associated with a lower progression to knee osteoarthritis at approximately six years of follow-up compared to partial meniscectomy. No difference in PROMs, medial joint width, and failures were evidenced. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, meta-analysis.

Reply to Schimmelbusch, K.J.; Collison, F.T. Comment on "Rosa et al. Optic Nerve Drusen Evaluation: A Comparison between Ultrasound and OCT. J. Clin. Med. 2022, 11, 3715".

We appreciate the comments of Schimmelbusch et al. [...].

Pharmacological agents for bone fracture healing: talking points from recent clinical trials.

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacological strategies might influence bone healing in terms of time to union or quality of mature bone. This expert opinion discussed the current level I evidence on the experimental pharmacological agents used to favor bone fracture healing. AREAS COVERED: This study was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: the 2020 PRISMA statement. In April 2023, the following databases were accessed: PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase. All the randomized clinical trials investigating pharmacological agents for bone fracture healing were accessed. No time constraint was set for the search. The search was restricted to RCTs. No additional filters were used in the database search. Data from 19 RCTs (4067 patients) were collected. 78% (3160 of 4067) were women. The mean length of the follow-up was 9.3 months (range, 1-26 months). The mean age of the patients was 64.4 years (range, 8-84 years). EXPERT OPINION: Calcitonin could favor bone fracture healing. Bisphosphonates (alendronate, zoledronate, clodronate), monoclonal antibodies (denosumab, romosozumab), statins, vitamin D and calcium supplementation, strontium ranelate, and ibuprofen did not influence bony healing. Concerning the effect of parathormone, current level I evidence is controversial, and additional studies are required. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, systematic review of RCTs.

Management of transient bone osteoporosis: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Transient bone osteoporosis (TBO) is characterized by persistent pain, loss of function, no history of trauma and magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings of bone marrow edema. SOURCE OF DATA: PubMed, Google scholar, EMABSE and Web of Science were accessed in February 2023. No time constrains were used for the search. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: TBO is rare and misunderstood, typically affecting women during the third trimester of pregnancy or middle-aged men, leading to functional disability for 4-8 weeks followed by self-resolution of the symptoms. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Given the limited evidence in the current literature, consensus on optimal management is lacking. GROWING POINTS: This systematic review investigates current management of TBO. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: A conservative approach leads to the resolution of symptoms and MRI findings at midterm follow-up. Administration of bisphosphonates might alleviate pain and accelerate both clinical and imaging recovery.

Micro RNA in meniscal ailments: current concepts.

INTRODUCTION: Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are short non-coding RNAs that act primarily in posttranscriptional gene silencing, and are attracting increasing interest in musculoskeletal conditions. SOURCE OF DATA: Current scientific literature published in PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase and Web of Science databases. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Recently, the potential of miRNAs as biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment of meniscal injuries has been postulated. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Evaluation of the role of miRNAs in patients with meniscal tears is still controversial. GROWING POINTS: A systematic review was conducted to investigate the potential of miRNA in the diagnosis and management of meniscal damage. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: Intra-articular injection of microRNA-210 in vivo may represent a potential innovative methodology for the management of meniscal injuries. Characterization of the miRNAs expression in the synovial fluid could lead to the development of better early diagnosis and management strategies for meniscal tears.

Reduced knee laxity and failure rate following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction compared with repair for acute tears: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, both repair and reconstruction may be performed to restore joint biomechanics and proprioception. The present study compared joint laxity, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), and rate of failure following primary repair versus reconstruction for ACL ruptures. METHODS: This meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Pubmed, Google scholar, Embase, and Web of Science were accessed in September 2022. All the clinical investigations comparing repair versus reconstruction for primary ACL tears were accessed. Studies reporting data on multiple ligament injuries settings were not eligible. RESULTS: Data from eight articles (708 procedures) were collected. The mean length of the follow-up was 67.3 ± 119.4 months. The mean age of the patients was 27.1 ± 5.7 years. Thirty-six percent (255 of 708 patients) were women. The mean body mass index (BMI) was 24.3 ± 1.1 kg/m2. The mean time span from injury to surgery was 36.2 ± 32.3 months. There was comparability at baseline with regards to instrumental laxity, Lachman test, International Knee Document Committee (IKDC), and Tegner Scale (P > 0.1). Similarity between ACL reconstruction and repair was found in IKDC (P = 0.2) and visual analog scale (VAS) satisfaction (P = 0.7). The repair group demonstrated greater mean laxity (P = 0.0005) and greater rate of failure (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: ACL reconstruction may yield greater joint stability and lower rate of failure compared with surgical repair. Similarity was found in PROMs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Optic Nerve Drusen Evaluation: A Comparison between Ultrasound and OCT.

This observational study compared optic coherence tomography (OCT) and B-scan in the detection of optic disc drusen. In total, 86 eyes of 50 patients with optic disc drusen (ODD) (36 bilateral) with a mean age of 34.68 ± 23.81 years, and 54 eyes of 27 patients with papilledema, with a mean age of 35.42 years ± 17.47, were examined. Patients with ODD, diagnosed with ultrasound, underwent spectral-domain OCT evaluation. With US, 28 ODD cases were classified as large (4 buried and 24 superficial), 58 were classified as point-like (6 buried, 49 superficial and 3 mixed). Then, all patients underwent OCT. OCT was able to detect the presence of ODD and/or peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass structure (PHOMS) in 69 eyes (p < 0.001). In particular, 7 eyes (8.14%) showed the presence of ODD alone, 25 eyes (29.07%) showed only PHOMS and 37 eyes (43.02%) showed ODD and PHOMS. In 17 eyes (19.77%) no ODD or PHOMS were detected. In the papilledema group, no ODD were observed with both US and OCT. OCT showed the presence of drusen or similar lesions in only 80.23% of the cases highlighted by the US scan, so it does not allow for certain ODD diagnoses, especially in the case of buried ODD.

The Influence of Athletes' Age in the Onset of Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: Whether sport participation is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA) development or progression is controversial. Mechanical overload, injuries, genetics, and acquired disorders concur to the onset of OA, with high variability between sports and participants. This study investigated the association between participation in specific sports and the risk of developing knee and hip OA in athletes at different ages. We hypothesized that young athletes who are exposed to high levels of physical activities have a greater risk of developing OA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. PubMed, Google scholar, EMABSE, and Web of Science were accessed in October 2021. No time constrains were used for the search. All the published clinical studies reporting data about relationship between physical activity, OA, and age were included. RESULTS: The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale resulted in a final score ≥7 for all studies, attesting good quality of the methodological assessment. Data from 27,364 patients were retrieved. The mean age was 48.2±16.7 years. In all, 21.8% were women. CONCLUSIONS: Our systematic review suggests an association between high levels of physical activities and knee and hip OA in men younger than 50 years. People who practice intense physical activity, such as professional athletes or heavy workers, are more prone to develop early-onset OA.

Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System (LARS) synthetic graft for PCL reconstruction: systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Several strategies are available for posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction. SOURCE OF DATA: Recently published literature in PubMed, Google Scholar and Embase databases. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: The Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System (LARS) is a scaffold type artificial ligament, which has been widely used for ligament reconstruction of the knee. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: Current evidence on the reliability and feasibility of LARS for primary isolated PCL reconstruction is limited. GROWING POINTS: The primary outcome of interest of the present work was to investigate the outcomes of PCL reconstruction using the LARS. The secondary outcome of interest was to compare the LARS versus four-strand hamstring tendon (4SHT) autograft for PCL reconstruction. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: LARS for primary isolated PCL reconstruction seems to be effective and safe, with results comparable to the 4SHT autograft.

Hamstring, bone-patellar tendon-bone, quadriceps and peroneus longus tendon autografts for primary isolated posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Several autografts are available to reconstruct the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). SOURCE OF DATA: Current scientific literature published in PubMed, Google scholar, Embase and Scopus. AREAS OF AGREEMENT: Hamstring, bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB), quadriceps and peroneus longus (PLT) are the most common tendon autografts used for primary isolated PCL reconstruction. AREAS OF CONTROVERSY: The optimal tendon source for PCL reconstruction remains nevertheless debated. Identifying the most suitable tendon autograft could assist the surgeon during primary PCL reconstruction. GROWING POINTS: The present study compared the outcome of PCL reconstruction using hamstring, BPTB, quadriceps and PLT autografts. The focus was on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), joint laxity, range of motion and complications. AREAS TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH: All autografts are viable options for PCL reconstruction, with BTB and hamstring autografts demonstrating superior PROMs. However, further clinical investigations are required to determine the ideal autograft construct.

Monopolar Transurethral Enucleation of Prostatic Adenoma: Preliminary Report.

OBJECTIVE: To describe preliminary results of our monopolar transurethral enucleation of prostatic adenoma (mTUEPA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A consecutive series of male patients treated with mTUEPA, a retrograde enucleation of the prostatic adenoma performed by means of a standard monopolar resectoscope, were prospectively enrolled. Symptoms, uroflowmetry parameters, and post-voiding residual were assessed at baseline and at 1, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. Prostate volume was evaluated at baseline by means of transrectal ultrasound. Antiplatelet and anticoagulant drugs were stopped at least 1 week before the operation. RESULTS: Forty-seven patients were enrolled. Mean preoperative prostate volume was 64.9 ± 28.5 g. When assessed at baseline, the mean total International Prostatic Symptoms Score was 15.2 ± 3.9, peak flow rate (Qmax) was 8.4 ± 2.9 mL/s and the post-voiding residual was 103.2 ± 90.6 mL. Four weeks after surgery, patients reported a mean International Prostatic Symptoms Score of 5.3 ± 3. This lower urinary tract symptoms relief was further maintained at 6 and 12 months after surgery. A significant postoperative improvement in uroflowmetry parameters was described, being the 6 and 12 months mean Qmax of 23.4 ± 10.6 mL/s and 18.8 ± 9.2 mL/s, respectively (P < .001). Overall, 14 postoperative complications were reported by 13 of 47 (27.6%) patients: most of them were minor complications (Clavien-Dindo Grade I-II), whereas 1 patient reported capsule perforation during surgery, requiring interruption of the procedure and its further completion (Clavien-Dindo IIIb). CONCLUSION: mTUEPA is a safe and effective technique, merging the principles of laser enucleation and the advantages of mechanical enucleation with standard monopolar transurethral resection of the prostate equipment.