Acta Orthopaedica最新文献

Background and purpose:  Vascularized fibular grafting following tumor resection is an essential treatment option in limb salvage surgery. We aimed to evaluate: (I) bone healing, (II) complications and reoperations, (III) limb salvage, and (IV) survival.

Methods:  We present a retrospective evaluation of a national cohort comprising 27 patients. The indications were 13 cases of Ewing sarcoma, 12 cases of osteosarcoma, and 2 cases of giant cell tumor. The median age at surgery was 16 years (interquartile range [IQR] 10-18), and the median follow-up was 82 months (IQR 32-101). Patients were analyzed overall, as well as in subgroups based on tumor location (upper versus lower extremity) and pathology (osteosarcoma versus Ewing sarcoma).

Results:  The primary rate of graft union was 63%, and after secondary procedures the overall rate of graft union was 67%, with a median time to union of 13 months (IQR 9-17). The reoperation rate was 74%, while the limb salvage rate was 93%. The 5-year overall survival rate was 81% (95% confidence interval [CI] 61-92). Patients with upper extremity tumors were more likely to attain graft union (risk ratio [RR] 5.5, CI 1.3-31.5) and less likely to undergo multiple reoperations (RR 0.3, CI 0.8-0.9) than patients with lower extremity tumors.

Conclusion:  Vascularized fibular grafting following tumor resection was associated with a graft union rate of 67%, a high frequency of reoperations, a high limb salvage rate (93%), and a 5-year survival rate of 81%.

Background and purpose:  The optimal approach to the hip joint in patients with displaced femoral neck fractures (dFNF) receiving a total hip arthroplasty (THA) remains controversial. We compared the direct lateral approach (DLA) with the direct anterior approach (DAA) primarily on Timed Up and Go (TUG), and secondarily on the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), the Oxford Hip Score (OHS), EQ5D-5L, and the EQ5D-VAS.

Methods:  Between 2018 and 2023, we conducted a randomized controlled trial including elderly patients with dFNFs treated with THA. The primary outcome was the difference in TUG at 6 weeks postoperatively. Key secondary outcomes were TUG at 2, 12, and at 52 weeks postoperatively, and FJS, OHS, EQ5D-5L, and EQ5D-VAS at 2, 6, 12, and at 52 weeks postoperatively.

Results:  130 patients with a mean age of 78.6 (standard deviation 1.2) were allocated to DAA (n = 64) or DLA (n = 66). There was no statistically significant difference in TUG times at 6 weeks postoperatively between the DAA and the DLA, 16.0 s (95% confidence interval [CI] 13.2-18.7) vs 17.8 s (CI 15.1-20.4), estimated mean difference -1.8 s (CI -5.7 to 2.0). However, patients who underwent DAA had a significantly higher FJS at 2, 6, and 12 weeks.

Conclusion:  Among elderly patients with dFNF we found no difference between DAA or DLA regarding crude mobility as demonstrated with the TUG test, but patients treated with DAA showed better outcomes in the FJS in the early post-fracture period though not at 52 weeks.

Spondylolysis is defined as a defect or elongation in the pars interarticularis of the lumbar spine, either unilateral or bilateral. Growing children with bilateral spondylolysis may develop spondylolisthesis, i.e., forward slipping of the affected vertebra. The etiology of spondylolysis is regarded as a stress fracture due to repetitive loading associated with a genetic predisposition. Lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows an increased signal intensity before an actual fracture line develops. In low grade spondylolisthesis, two-thirds of children with acute pediatric spondylolysis will undergo bony union with early activity restriction. Health-related quality of life is improved in patients achieving bony union as compared with patients having non-union, of which one-fourth will additionally develop spondylolisthesis. In patients with high-grade spondylolisthesis, defined as a more than 50% forward slippage of the affected vertebra, spinal fusion is recommended to prevent further progression.

Background and purpose:  Disease- or procedure-specific registers offer valuable information but are costly and often inaccurate regarding outcome measures. Alternatively, automatically collected data from administrative systems could be a solution, given their high completeness. Our primary aim was to validate a method for identifying secondary surgical procedures (reoperations) in the Danish National Patient Register (DNPR) within the first year following primary fracture surgery. The secondary aim was to evaluate the accuracy of the diagnosis and procedure codes used to determine the causes of these reoperations. Finally, we developed algorithms to enhance precision in identifying the reasons for reoperations.

Methods:  In a national cohort of 11,551 patients with primary fracture surgery, reoperations were identified through subsequent surgical procedure codes in the DNPR. Each patient record was reviewed to confirm the reoperations and causes. To improve accuracy, a stepwise algorithm was developed for each cause.

Results:  We identified 2,347 possible reoperations; 2,212 were validated as true reoperations by review of patient record, i.e., a 94% positive predictive value (PPV). However, the coding for the causes of these reoperations was inaccurate. Our algorithm identified major reoperations with a sensitivity/PPV of 89/77%, minor reoperations 99%/89%, infections 77/85%, nonunion 82/56%, early re-osteosynthesis 90/75%, and secondary arthroplasties 95/87%.

Conclusion:  While the overall reported reoperations in the DNPR had a high PPV, the predefined diagnosis and procedure codes alone were not sufficient to accurately determine the causes of these reoperations. An algorithm was developed for this purpose, yielding acceptable results for all causes except nonunion.

Background and purpose:  Early migration of the uncemented cruciate-sacrificing rotating platform ATTUNE and Low Contact Stress (LCS) tibial components was classified as at-risk for aseptic loosening rates exceeding 6.5% at 15 years based on recent fixation-specific migration thresholds. In this secondary report of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) we aimed to evaluate whether the 5-year migration, inducible displacement, and the clinical outcome of the ATTUNE components were comparable to those of the LCS.

Methods:  Patients from the initial 2-year radiostereometric analysis (RSA) RCT were recruited for a 5-year follow-up. At 5 years, participants underwent 2 supine and 1 loaded RSA examination, clinical assessments, and questionnaires. Migration was analyzed using maximum total point motion (MTPM), translations, and rotations, focusing on 5-year migration, continuous migration (> 0.10 mm/year), and inducible displacement. Revisions, along with clinical and functional outcomes, were also evaluated.

Results:  At 5 years, 24 ATTUNE and 24 LCS implants were analyzed. The mean MTPM was similar for tibial components (ATTUNE 1.13mm [confidence interval (CI) 0.94-1.33]; LCS 1.24 mm [CI 1.05-1.46]) but significantly lower for the ATTUNE femoral component (1.14 mm [CI 0.92-1.39]) than LCS 1.87 mm [CI 1.57-2.21]). 2-to-5-year migration rates were comparable, but 11 ATTUNE and 7 LCS exceeded 0.10 mm MTPM/year, indicating a higher risk of loosening. Inducible displacement was similar, although 1 patient with a tibial ATTUNE showed excessive displacement (3.34 mm MTPM) with focal osteolysis but no symptoms. 1 revision 10 days post-surgery was performed for an ATTUNE insert spinout, resolved with an isolated insert exchange. Clinical and functional outcomes were comparable.

Conclusion:  At the 5-year follow-up, ATTUNE tibial components showed similar migration, while the femoral component migrated significantly less than the LCS, which mainly occurred during the first 2 years. 2-to-5-year migration rates, inducible displacement, and clinical and functional outcomes were comparable. These findings suggest a comparable long-term risk of aseptic loosening between the uncemented ATTUNE and LCS knee systems.

Background and purpose:  Measuring patient satisfaction after total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is important. We aimed to cross-culturally adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the self-reported Goodman Satisfaction Score (GSS) in a sample of Norwegian patients following primary THA and TKA.

Methods:  The GSS was translated and adapted into Norwegian (GSS-NO) following standard guidelines. 800 patients from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register who had undergone surgery 6-11 months prior were invited to complete GSS-NO and questions on sociodemographic factors, pain, and function in a cross-sectional study. We examined validity in relation to internal structure, response processes, and precision using Rasch analysis, relationships between the GSS-NO and pain and function using Pearson's correlation coefficients, and test-retest reliability using linear weighted kappa statistics.

Results:  The GSS-NO was adapted with few challenges. 404 patients (49% THA, 51% TKA) returned complete answers. The GSS-NO met all criteria regarding the rating scale functioning. Local independence among items and unidimensionality was supported and there was acceptable goodness-of-fit. The internal consistency was 0.94. We found no systematic differential item functioning by age, sex, work status, education, cohabitation status, or hip or knee surgery. The correlation coefficients between GSS-NO and pain and function outcomes were 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.76-0.82) and 0.79 (CI 0.76-0.82), respectively. Test-retest reliability with weighted kappa ranged from 0.43-0.55 for THA and 0.54-0.81 for TKA.

Conclusion:  The cross-cultural adaptation of GSS-NO proved to be a valid and reliable measure for use in Norwegian-speaking patients following primary THA and TKA.

Background and purpose:  Computed tomography radiostereometric analysis (CT-RSA) assesses implant micromovements using low-dose CT scans. We aimed to investigate whether CT-RSA is comparable to marker-based radiostereometric analysis (RSA) measuring early femoral head migration in cemented stems. We hypothesized that CT-RSA is comparable to marker-based RSA in evaluating femoral head subsidence.

Methods:  We prospectively included 31 patients undergoing cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA), of which 27 were eligible for the analysis. Femoral head migration at 1 year was measured with marker-based RSA and CT-RSA. Comparison was performed using paired analysis and Bland-Altman plots, and the intra- and interobserver reliability of CT-RSA was assessed Results: The median (interquartile range [IQR]) translation on the Y-axis measured with marker-based RSA was -0.86 mm (-1.10 to -0.37) and -0.83 mm (-1.11 to -0.48) for CT-RSA (i.e. subsidence), with a median difference of -0.03 mm (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.08 to 0.18). The minimal important difference in translation was set to 0.2 mm. This value was excluded from the CI of the differences. No statistical difference was found between marker-based RSA and CT-RSA regarding assessment of subsidence of the femoral head. The Bland-Altman plots showed good agreement between the 2 methods in measuring subsidence of the femoral head. The intra- and interobserver reliability of the CT-RSA method was excellent with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 1 (0.99-1) and ICC = 0.99 (0.99-1), respectively.

Conclusion:  We showed that CT-RSA was comparable to marker-based RSA in measuring femoral head subsidence. Moreover, the intra- and interobserver reliability of the CT-RSA method was excellent, suggesting that the method is assessor independent.

Purpose:  We aimed to evaluate the association between socioeconomic factors and patient-reported Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder (WOOS) index at 1 year after hemiarthroplasty, reverse, or anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis or cuff-tear arthropathy.

Methods:  Eligible patients were identified using linked national data from the Danish Shoulder Arthroplasty Registry and Statistics Denmark between April 2012 and April 2019. Univariable and multivariable linear regression was used to identify the association between socioeconomic factors and the WOOS index at 1 year following primary shoulder arthroplasty adjusted for age, sex, underlying diagnosis, implant design, and comorbidities. We examined socioeconomic factors including employment status, marital status, education, and income. Estimates were provided with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results:  2,292 patients were identified with a mean WOOS index of 76 (standard deviation 24). In the adjusted analysis, unemployed patients had a significantly lower WOOS index compared with patients with low-level jobs (14, CI 7.0-21), patients with high-level jobs (19, CI 12-25), and retired patients (14, CI 8.3-21). Low education level was associated with a lower WOOS index compared with medium education (4.8, CI 2.6-7.0) and high education level (7.7, CI 5.0-10). There was no association between WOOS index and income or marital status.

Conclusion:  Unemployment and low education level were associated with worse WOOS index 1 year after shoulder arthroplasty for osteoarthritis or cuff-tear arthropathy. This highlights a potential inequity in patient-reported outcomes after shoulder arthroplasty.

Background and purpose:  Degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) is the most common cause of spinal cord dysfunction in adults. Repeated follow-ups after surgery are resource consuming. The aim was to examine whether patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) change after the first year. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether it is necessary to obtain follow-up data from patients more than 1 year after surgery for DCM.

Methods:  We included individuals treated surgically for DCM in the Swedish Spine registry (Swespine), with available preoperative, 1-, and 2-year PROMs, primarily the European Myelopathy Scale (EMS) and secondarily the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the European Quality of life Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-VAS). A tertiary analysis included available 5-year data. Median, interquartile range (IQR), and Bland-Altman plots were used to compare PROM data at different follow-up time points.

Results:  642 individuals had baseline, 1-, and 2-year follow-up data, of whom 347 also had 5-year data. EMS was 14 (12-16) preoperative, 15 (12-17) at the 1-year follow-up, and 15 (12-17) at the 2-year follow-up. Corresponding data for NDI was 38 (24-50), 25 (12-42), and 26 (12-42) and for EQ-VAS 50 (30-60), 60 (42-77), and 60 (40-75). Similar findings were seen in individuals who also had 5-year data. Bland-Altman plots indicated good agreement between 1- and 2-year data, and between 1- and 5-year data and were without proportional bias.

Conclusion:  In individuals treated for DCM no clinically meaningful change in PROMs occurred after the 1-year follow-up.

Background and purpose:  Hand fractures are commonly presented in emergency departments, yet diagnostic errors persist, leading to potential complications. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in fracture detection has shown promise, but research focusing on hand metacarpal and phalangeal fractures remains limited. We aimed to train and evaluate a convolutional neural network (CNN) model to diagnose metacarpal and phalangeal fractures using plain radiographs according to the AO/OTA classification system and custom classifiers.

Methods:  A retrospective analysis of 7,515 examinations comprising 27,965 images was conducted, with datasets divided into training, validation, and test datasets. A CNN architecture was based on ResNet and implemented using PyTorch, with the integration of data augmentation techniques.

Results:  The CNN model achieved a mean weighted AUC of 0.84 for hand fractures, with 86% sensitivity and 76% specificity. The model performed best in diagnosing transverse metacarpal fractures, AUC = 0.91, 100% sensitivity, 87% specificity, and tuft phalangeal fractures, AUC = 0.97, 100% sensitivity, 96% specificity. Performance was lower for complex patterns like oblique phalangeal fractures, AUC = 0.76.

Conclusion:  Our study demonstrated that a CNN model can effectively diagnose and classify metacarpal and phalangeal fractures using plain radiographs, achieving a mean weighted AUC of 0.84. 7 categories were deemed as acceptable, 9 categories as excellent, and 3 categories as outstanding. Our findings indicate that a CNN model may be used in the classification of hand fractures.