Total knee arthroplasty with subvastus approach in patient with chronic post-traumatic patellar dislocation

AbstractChronic lateral dislocation of the patella is a rare condition and acquired causes are usually secondary to knee trauma. The neglected chronic dislocation leads to progressive genu valgum and external tibial torsion deformities with subsequent gonarthrosis, which becomes painful and debilitating. There is no consensus regarding treatment of these patients, but total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a useful therapy in cases of painful symptomatic gonarthrosis. Few reports have shown that subvastus approach and lateral release may be a valid option for TKA, since it allows the correction of valgus deformity and patellar tracking without interrupting vascular blood supply of patella. This article reports a case of TKA and extensor mechanism realignment without patellar resurfacing in a patient with genu valgum and chronic post-traumatic patellar dislocation with satisfactory results after two years of follow-up

Elimination of the Pivot-Shift Sign After Repair of an Occult Anterolateral Ligament Injury in an ACL-Deficient Knee

Several biomechanical studies have demonstrated the importance of the anterolateral ligament (ALL) in rotational instability of the knee.1,10,12,14 Despite this, the precise role of the ALL in eliminating the pivot shift remains controversial.9,11,13 This disparity exists secondary to the nature of cadaveric research and the subsequent creation of artificial injury patterns that are not a true representation of in vivo characteristics. This case report provides clinical evidence of the important role that the anterolateral structure plays in anterolateral rotational instability, as demonstrated by the pivot-shift sign

Clinical and epidemiological characteristics of septic arthritis of the hip, 2006 to 2012, a seven-year review

OBJECTIVE: To epidemiologically characterize the population treated at our orthopedic clinic with a diagnosis of septic arthritic of the hip between 2006 and 2012. METHODS: Fifteen patients diagnosed with septic arthritis of the hip between 2006 and 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients' clinical and epidemiological characteristics were surveyed; a sensitivity profile relating to the microorganisms that caused the infections and the complications relating to the patients' treatment and evolution were identified. RESULTS: Septic arthritis was more common among males. Most diagnoses were made through positive synovial fluid cultures, after joint drainage was performed using the Smith-Petersen route. Among the comorbidities found, the most prevalent were systemic arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and human immunodeficiency virus. The pathological joint conditions diagnosed prior to joint infection were osteoarthrosis and developmental dysplasia of the hip. The infectious agent most frequently isolated was Staphylococcus aureus. From the clinical and laboratory data investigated, 53.33% of the cases presented with fever, and all except one patient presented with increased measures in inflammation tests. Gram staining was positive in only 26.66% of the synovial fluid samples analyzed. Six patients presented with joint complications after treatment was administered. CONCLUSION: S. aureus is the most common pathogen in acute infections of the hip in our setting. Factors such as clinical comorbidities are associated with septic arthritis of the hip. Because of the relatively small number of patients, given that this is a condition of low prevalence, there was no statistically significant correlation in relation to worse prognosis for the disease

Comparison of Floseals and Tranexamic Acid for Bleeding Control after Total Knee Arthroplasty: a Prospective Randomized Study

OBJECTIVE: Tranexamic acid (TXA) and the hemostatic agent Floseals have already been used to minimize bleeding during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: We conducted a prospective, randomized study of 90 patients with indications for TKA. Following inclusion, the participants were randomly allocated in blocks to the following 3 groups: control, Floseals and TXA. Bleeding parameters, including decreases in hemoglobin (Hb), drain output, number of blood transfusions and complications, were assessed. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02152917. RESULTS: The mean decrease in Hb was highest in the control group (4.81±1.09 g/dL), followed by the Floseals (3.5±1.03 g/dL) and TXA (3.03±1.2 g/dL) groups. The Floseals and TXA groups did not differ, and both performed better than the control group. The mean total drain output was 901.3±695.7 mL in the control group, 546.5±543.5 mL in the TXA group and 331.2±278.7 mL in the Floseals group. Both TXA and Floseals had significantly less output than the control group, and Floseals had significantly less output than TXA. The number of blood transfusions was very small in all 3 groups. CONCLUSION: The use of TXA or Floseals was associated with less blood loss than that of the control group among patients undergoing primary TKA, as measured both directly (intraoperative bleeding + drainage) and on the basis of a decrease in Hb, without differences in the rate of complications. TXA and Floseals showed similar decreases in Hb and total measured blood loss, but the drain output was smaller in the Floseals group

Segond fractures are not a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction failure: Letter to the Editor

Germanium nanowires (NWs) have attractive properties for a variety of applications, including micro- and optoelectronics, memory devices, solar energy conversion, and energy storage, among others. For applications that involve exposure to air, the poor chemical stability and electronic surface passivation of native oxides have remained a long-standing concern. Termination by sulfur-rich surface layers has emerged as a promising strategy for passivation of planar Ge surfaces. Here we discuss experiments on solid-state sulfurization of Ge nanowires in sulfur vapor at near-ambient pressures and at different temperatures. Combined transmission electron microscopy imaging and chemical mapping establishes that Ge NWs remain intact during vapor-phase reaction with S at elevated temperatures, and show the formation of sulfur-rich shells with T-dependent morphology and thickness on the Ge NW surface. Photoluminescence of ensembles of such core-shell nanowires is dominated by strong emission at approximate to 1.85 eV, consistent with luminescence of GeS. Cathodoluminescence spectroscopy on individual NWs establishes that this luminescence originates in thin GeS shells formed by sulfurization of the NWs. Our work establishes direct sulfurization as a viable approach for forming stable, wide-bandgap surface terminations on Ge NWs

Septic arthritis of the knee: clinical and laboratory comparison of groups with different etiologies

OBJECTIVES: To clinically and epidemiologically characterize a population diagnosed with and treated for septic arthritis of the knee, to evaluate the treatment results and to analyze the differences between patients with positive and negative culture results, patients with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial isolates and patients with S. aureus- and non-S. aureus-related infections. METHODS: One hundred and five patients with septic knee arthritis were included in this study. The clinical and epidemiological data were evaluated. Statistical analysis was performed to compare patients with and without an isolated causative agent, patients with Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens and patients with S. aureus-related and non S. aureus-related infections. RESULTS: Causative agents were isolated in 81 patients. Gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 65 patients and Gram-negative bacteria were isolated in 16 patients. The most commonly isolated bacterium was S. aureus. Comparing cases with an isolated pathogen to cases without an isolated pathogen, no differences between the studied variables were found except for the longer hospital stays of patients in whom an etiological agent was identified. When comparing Gram-positive bacteria with Gram-negative bacteria, patients with Gram-positive-related infections exhibited higher leukocyte counts. Patients with S. aureus-related infections were more frequently associated with healthcare-related environmental encounters. CONCLUSION: S. aureus is the most common pathogen of septic knee arthritis. Major differences were not observed between infections with isolated and non-isolated pathogens and between infections with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. S. aureus infections were more likely to be associated with a prior healthcare environment exposure

Value of preoperative radiographic evaluations on knee bone defects for revision arthroplasty

OBJETIVO: Avaliar o valor da avaliação radiográfica pré-operatória nas revisões de artroplastias totais do joelho. MÉTODOS: Trinta e um joelhos operados no período de 2006 a 2008 em uma série consecutiva de casos de cirurgia de revisão de artroplastia total de joelho foram analisados retrospectivamente. CRITÉRIOS ANALISADOS: número de cunhas ou enxertos ósseos estruturados utilizados para preenchimento dos defeitos ósseos; localização das cunhas e enxertos ósseos utilizados e espessura média do polietileno utilizada. A classificação AORI era estabelecida previamente através de radiografias pré-operatórias segundo critérios preestabelecidos. Após a análise, os joelhos foram divididos em quatro grupos (I, IIA, IIB e III). RESULTADOS: O número médio de cunhas ou enxertos ósseos utilizados em cada joelho variou de maneira crescente entre os grupos (grupo I: 1,33; grupo IIA: 2; grupo IIB: 4,33; grupo III: 4,83) (P = 0,0012). As localizações mais comuns foram: medial na tíbia e posteromedial no fêmur. Não houve diferença estatisticamente significante na espessura do polietileno utilizado. CONCLUSÃO: A classificação AORI para defeitos ósseos no joelho baseada em radiografias pré-operatórias mostrou correlação crescente com a necessidade de utilização de cunhas e/ou enxertos estruturados na revisão de artroplastia total do joelho. Porém, até 46% dos joelhos dos grupos I e IIA apresentaram falhas ósseas de até 5mm não diagnosticadas através das radiografias pré-operatórias

Clinical and epidemiological differences between septic arthritis of the knee and hip caused by oxacillin-sensitive and -resistant s. aureus

OBJECTIVE: To establish the risk factors for joint infection by oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) using clinical and epidemiological data. METHODS: All septic arthritis cases of the knee and hip diagnosed and treated in our institution from 2006 to 2012 were evaluated retrospectively. Only patients with cultures identified as microbial agents were included in the study. The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the patients were analyzed, seeking the differences between populations affected by MRSA and oxacillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). RESULTS: S. aureus was isolated in thirty-five patients (46.0%) in our total sample, 25 in the knee and 10 in the hip. Of these 35 patients, 22 presented with MSSA and 13 presented with MRSA. Provenance from a health service-related environment, as described by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was the only variable associated with oxacillin-resistant strains of this bacterium (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Provenance from a health service-related environment was associated with a higher incidence of MRSA-related septic arthritis, suggesting that this agent should be considered in the initial choice of antibiotic treatment. Previous surgeries of the knee or affected limb and the absence of leukocytes might also be related to infection with this agent

Use of allograft in ligamentar reconstruction of knee

INTRODUÇÃO: A utilização de enxerto alógeno é um tema que há décadas desperta interesse dos ortopedistas devido às supostas vantagens que apresenta, como diminuição do tempo cirúrgico, maior tamanho de enxerto, ausência de morbidade do sítio doador. OBJETIVO: O artigo a seguir faz análise retrospectiva da casuística do grupo de joelho do IOT-HC-FMUSP no uso de enxerto de banco de tecido próprio para reconstruções ligamentares. Serão apresentados as indicações de uso de enxerto alógeno e qual tipo de enxerto foi utilizado para cada tipo de reconstrução ligamentar. MÉTODOS: Foram revisados prontuários de 46 pacientes. RESULTADOS: Usados como enxerto 30 unidades de tendão patelar, 09 unidades de tendão tibial anterior, 08 unidades de tendão calcâneo, 06 unidades de tendão quadriceptal e 01 unidade de tendão fibular e foram usados principalmente para reconstruções multi-ligamentares e revisões de reconstrução do ligamento cruzado anterior. CONCLUSÃO: O uso de enxerto alógeno mostrou-se uma interessante opção para as recosntruções ligamentares.INTRODUCTION: The use of allograft is a matter of huge interest for orthopaedic surgeons, due to the supposed advantages with its use, like decreased surgical time, larger grafts and no donator site morbidity. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this article was to review our experience with the use of allografts on ligament reconstruction. We present the technique applied for graft harvest, preparation and storage, as well as the indications for allograft use and the type of procedure in which it was applied. METHODS: We revised the records of 46 patients. RESULTS: We used 09 patellar tendons, 09 anterior tibial tendons, 08 calcaneal tendons, 06 quadriceptal tendons and 01 fibular tendon, mainly for multiple ligamentar reconstructions and ACL reviews. CONCLUSION: The use of allograft seems to be an interesting option for ligamentar reconstruction