Varus knees with associated cartilage pathologies are not uncommon scenarios that present to orthopaedic surgeons. There is no agreement on the ideal management of varus knees with concomitant cartilage pathology. Through a literature review, the authors tried to answer three main questions: On October 2022, OVID MEDLINE, EMBASE, and COCHRANE databases were searched. Clinical studies reporting on clinical, radiologic, or macroscopic cartilage regeneration following either isolated knee osteotomy or concomitant osteotomy and a cartilage procedure were reviewed. Despite controversies, the literature demonstrated favourable outcomes of combined knee osteotomy and a cartilage procedure in patients with substantial deformity and cartilage defects. Isolated high tibial osteotomy may induce cartilage regeneration in several scenarios and severities of concomitant malalignment and cartilage defects. There are recommendations that knee osteotomy should be added to a cartilage procedure when an extra-articular deformity of > 5° is detected. Some studies report good outcomes for combining a knee osteotomy with cartilage grafting, but they lack a control group of isolated osteotomy. There is still scarce of evidence on the influence of osteotomies on cartilage regeneration and the outcomes of concomitant osteotomy and different cartilage procedures vs isolated osteotomies. With advanced statistical evaluation (artificial intelligence, machine learning) of big datasets, more answers and better results will be delivered.
Synovial sarcoma is a rare and highly malignant soft tissue sarcoma. The inconspicuous and diversity of its early symptoms make it a highly misdiagnosed disease. The management of synovial sarcomas is challenging as they are rare and have a poor prognosis. Early and correct diagnosis and treatment are critical for clinical outcomes. Misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis can have devastating consequences for the patient. The detection of SS18 gene rearrangement is considered a powerful tool in establishing the diagnosis of synovial sarcomas. Biopsies and testing for gene rearrangements are recommended for all patients in whom SS cannot be excluded. Surgery is the mainstay of treatment for synovial sarcomas. Neoadjuvant/adjuvant radiotherapy is recommended for patients with big tumors (>5 cm) or positive resection margins, and neoadjuvant/adjuvant chemotherapy is recommended for patients with high-risk tumors or advanced diseases. This article reviews synovial sarcomas from the perspectives of clinical and radiological presentation, histological and cytogenetic analysis, differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
The number of primary total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and revisions is expected to steadily grow in the future. The femoral revision surgery can be technically demanding whether severe bone defects need to be addressed. The femoral revision aims to obtain a proper primary stability of the stem with a more proximal fixation as possible. Several authors previously proposed classification systems to describe the morphology of the bony femoral defect and to drive accordingly the surgeon in the revision procedure. The previous classifications mainly considered cortical and medullary bone at the level of the defect of poor quality by definition. Therefore, the surgical strategies aimed to achieve a distal fixation bypassing the defect or to fill the defect with bone impaction grafting or structured bone grafts up to the replacement of the proximal femur with megaprosthesis. The consensus on a comprehensive and reliable classification system and management algorithm is still lacking. A new classification system should be developed taking into account the bone quality. The rationale of a new classification is that 'functional' residual bone stock could be present at the level of the defect. Therefore, it can be used to achieve a primary (mechanical) and secondary (biological) stability of the implants with a femoral fixation more proximal as possible.
Purpose: The fixation method of distal, extra-articular femur fractures is a controversially discussed. To ensure better stability itself, earlier mobilization and to prevent blood loss - all these are justifications for addressing the femur via reamed intramedullary nailing (RIMN). Anatomical reposition of multifragmentary fractures followed by increased risks of non-union are compelling reasons against it. The purpose of this study was to systematically review the literature for rates of non-union and wound infection, as well as blood loss and time of surgery.
Methods: According to the PRISMA guidelines we conducted this systematic review by searching the Cochrane, PubMed, Ovid, MedLine, and Embase databases. Inclusion criteria were the modified Coleman methodology score (mCMS) >60, age >18 years, and extra-articular fractures of the distal femur. Biomechanical and animal studies were excluded. By referring to title and abstract relevant articles were reviewed independently. In the consecutive meta-analysis, we compared 9 studies and 639 patients.
Results: There is no statistically significant difference comparing superficial wound infections when RIMN was performed (OR = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.18 - 1.42; P = 0.19) as well as in deep wound infections (OR = 0.74; 95% CI: 0.19-2.81; P = 0.62). However, these results were not significant. We also calculated for potential differences in the rate of non-unions depending on the surgical treatment applied. Data of 556 patients revealed an overall number of 43 non-unions. There was no significant difference in rate of non-unions between both groups (OR = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.51-1.85; P = 0.92).
Conclusion: No statistical difference was found in our study among RIMN and plate fixation in the treatment of distal femoral fractures with regard to the incidence of non-union and wound infections. Therefore, the indication for RIMN or plating should be made individually and based on the surgeon's experience.
Aim: The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of floating hip injury and attempt to provide a management algorithm.
Methods: PubMed was searched using the terms 'Floating hip' or 'acetabular fracture' and 'Ipsilateral femoral fracture' or 'pelvic fracture' and 'Ipsilateral femoral fracture'. One author performed a preliminary review of the abstracts and references of the retrieved articles.
Results: The mean injury severe score reported was higher than 20. Chest and abdominal injuries, as well as fractures at other sites, were the most common associated injuries. Despite the high disability rate, surgery remained the preferred option for managing these injuries. The surgical timing varied from a few hours to several days and was subjected to the principles of damage control orthopedics. Although, in most cases, fixation of femoral fractures took precedence over pelvic or acetabular fractures, there was still a need to consider the impact of damage control orthopedics, associated injuries, and surgeon's considerations and preferences. Posttraumatic arthritis, neurological deficits, heterotopic ossification, femoral head necrosis, femoral nonunion, and limb inequality were common complications of the floating hip injury.
Conclusions: The severity of such injuries often exceeds that of an isolated injury and often requires specialized multidisciplinary treatment. In the management of these complex cases, the complexity and severity of the injury should be fully assessed, and an appropriate surgical plan should be developed to perform definitive surgery as early as possible, with attention to prevention of complications during the perioperative period.