Systematic review on risk factors of rotator cuff tears.

PURPOSE: Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) occur commonly, especially among certain groups of individuals. In this meta-analysis, we aim to identify risk factors for RCTs. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE for 210 articles. Seventeen articles were selected for systematic review, of which 10 were eligible for meta-analysis. Data was analysed with Review Manager 5.3, using Mantel-Haenszel statistics and random effect models. RESULTS: A total of 6653 individuals were analysed. The odds of sustaining a RCT on the dominant hand was 2.30 times more than the non-dominant hand (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-5.25, Z = 1.99, p = 0.05; Heterogenity: τ2 = 0.38, χ2 = 8.84, df = 2 ( p = 0.01), I2 = 77%). The odds of an individual aged 60 years and above sustaining a RCT was 5.07 times higher than an individual less than 60 years old (95% CI: 2.45-10.51, Z = 4.37, p < 0.001; Heterogenity: τ2 = 0.47, χ2 = 25.24, df = 3 ( p < 0.001), I2 = 88%). Female gender was not a significant association, with an odds ratio of 0.98 when compared to the male gender (95% CI: 0.66-1.45, Z = 0.09, p = 0.93; Heterogenity: τ2 = 0.20, χ2 = 44.24, df = 5 ( p < 0.001), I2 = 89%). CONCLUSIONS: Hand dominance and older age are associated with RCTs. More studies are required for further assessment of associations and risk factors of RCTs.

The truth behind subchondral cysts in osteoarthritis of the knee.

BACKGROUND: Subchondral cysts have always been taught to be one of the cardinal radiological features of knee osteoarthritis but are not well understood. We aimed to evaluate the radiological prevalence and epidemiology of subchondral cysts in patients with knee osteoarthritis to determine if they are truly a cardinal radiological feature. METHODS: All patients of a single surgeon with symptoms of knee osteoarthritis were selected for this study. All patients had failed a trial of conservative therapy and were planned for total knee arthroplasty. Patients with symptoms of and documentary evidence of inflammatory arthritis, other neurological and orthopaedic problems causing functional deficits were excluded from this study. A total of 806 plain radiographs were analyzed with the aid of an atlas for the presence of narrowed joint space, osteophytes, subchondral sclerosis and subchondral cysts. The radiological prevalence of each feature was then calculated. Demographics and pre-operative measurements were compared between patients with and without radiological evidence of subchondral cysts. RESULTS: Subchondral cysts were only present in 30.6% of the study population. Narrowed joint space was present in 99.5%, osteophytes in 98.1% and subchondral sclerosis in 88.3% of all radiographs. The differences in prevalence were statistically significant. There was a higher proportion of females in patients with radiological evidence of subchondral cysts. These patients also had a greater varus deformity preoperatively. CONCLUSION: With a radiological prevalence of 30.6%, subchondral cysts should not be considered a cardinal radiological feature of osteoarthritis. Subchondral cysts may be associated with the female gender and genu varum.

Health care subsidy and outcomes of total knee arthroplasty in Asians.

Singapore has a nonmodified universal health care system in which the government ensures affordable health care in the public health system, largely through a system of compulsory savings, subsidies, and price controls. Patients seeking treatment via the public health system may also choose for nonsubsidized options, with the benefits of being able to choose a surgeon, better privacy, and shorter time to surgery. To the authors' knowledge, few studies have reported the effect of health care subsidies on total knee arthroplasty outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess whether patients receiving a health care subsidy had good outcomes or fared worse than their paying counterparts after undergoing conventional total knee arthroplasty. The authors retrospectively reviewed 369 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty between 2006 and 2010. Patients were stratified into 2 groups: nonsubsidized (n=95) and subsidized patients (n=274). Outcome measures, such as range of motion, function score, knee score, Oxford Knee Questionnaire, and the Short Form 36 questionnaire, were compared between the groups at 6-month and 2-year follow-up. Subsidized patients had good postoperative outcomes, and no significance differences existed in outcome scores and range of motion between the 2 groups at 6-month and 2-year follow-up except in the mean function score, where patients in the nonsubsidized group did better (P=.019). Subsidized patients had good outcomes and did not fare worse than nonsubsidized patients after conventional total knee arthroplasty, except for their knee function score.