Bulletin of the Hospital for Joint Disease (2013)最新文献

Ultrasound technologies are infrequently utilized in orthopedics as a first line diagnostic method, however, advances in technology and the applied techniques have opened the door for how and when ultrasound can be used. One specific avenue is the use of point of care ultrasound in which ultrasound is used at the time of initial patient evaluation by the evaluating physician. This use expedites time to diagnosis and can even guide therapeutic interventions. In the past two decades there have been numerous studies demonstrating the effectiveness of ultrasound for the diagnosis of many orthopedic conditions in the upper extremity, often demonstrating that it can be used in the place of and with greater diagnostic accuracy than magnetic resonance imaging. This review elaborates on these topics and lays a groundwork for how to incorporate point of care ultrasound into a modern orthopedic practice.

Osteochondral lesions (OCL) of the knee are a common pathology that can be challenging to address. Due to the innate characteristics of articular cartilage, OCLs generally do not heal in adults and often progress to involve the subchondral bone, ultimately resulting in the development of osteoarthritis. The goal of articular cartilage repair is to provide a long-lasting repair that replicates the biological and mechanical properties of articular cartilage, but there is no widely adopted technique that results in true pre-injury state hyaline cartilage. Current treatment modalities have seen reasonable clinical success, but significant limitations remain. Microfracture provides short-term benefit with a fibrocartilage-based repair. While osteochondral autograft or allograft and autologous chondrocyte implantation can be effective, each have their strengths and shortcomings. Emerging concepts in cartilage repair, including scaffold engineering and one stage cell-based options, are continually advancing. These have the benefits of reduced surgical morbidity and potentially improved integration with surrounding articular cartilage but have not yet reached widespread clinical application. Tissue engineering strategies and gene therapy have the potential to advance the field, however, they remain in the early stages. The current article reviews the structure and physiology of articular cartilage, the strengths and limitations of present treatment modalities, and the newer ongoing innovations that may change the way we approach osteochondral lesions and osteoarthritis.

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries are a rare form of knee injury often seen in the setting of high energy polytraumas; however, these injuries can occur in isolation as well. Often, the posterolateral corner (PLC) is involved, which imparts further posterior translational and rotational instability to these injuries. While non-operative management is certainly a reliable option for low grade isolated PCL tears, high grade injuries with concomitant PLC involvement, additional intra-articular pathologies requiring operative management, multiligamentous injuries, or patients who have failed non-operative management require PCL repair or reconstruction. The current review focuses on the many facets of PCL reconstruction, including single versus double bundle reconstruction, tibial slope implications, graft selection, multiligamentous injury considerations, tunnel management, and onlay versus inlay tibial footprint creation. We conclude with a proposed algorithm in the management of this injury.

Postoperative stiffness is a challenging problem in the setting of primary total knee arthroplasty. There remains a relatively high prevalence of patients suffering from this condition, and it can lead to unsatisfactory outcomes and need for revision surgery as well as a large financial burden on the health care system. There are a number of factors that predispose patients to developing arthrofibrosis, including patient-specific factors and intraoperative and postoperative considerations. Arthrofibrosis can be treated effectively in the early stages with manipulation under anesthesia with or without lysis of adhesions, however, those who fail to respond to these interventions may require revision surgery, which generally has poorer outcomes when performed for this indication. Current research is focused on understanding the pathologic cascade of arthrofibrosis and novel targeted therapeutics that may decrease stiffness in these patients and improve outcomes.

Distal radius fractures are one of the most common fractures in adults and historically have frequently led to significant disability. Originally described over 5,000 years ago, until recently these fractures were almost exclusively treated by closed methods. Since the introduction of osteosynthesis in 1907, followed by the founding of the AO in 1958, and more recently the development of the volar locked plate in the early 2000s, over the past century the surgical treatment of these fractures has evolved greatly. While technological advancements have changed management for specific fracture patterns, closed treatment still has an important role and is definitive for many patients. The following review provides a historical perspective for current treatment strategies as well as an overview of the important factors that must be considered when treating patients with these injuries.

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a major cause of failure in total joint arthroplasty. This complication begets an increase in morbidity and mortality along with significant costs to the healthcare system. The use of prophylactic antibiotics has significant decreased the incidence of this complication. However, the incidence of PJI has not drastically decreased over the last 50 years. This review explores the history, current concepts, and future developments for prevention of PJI prior to incision in total joint arthroplasty.

Recurrent patellar instability can significantly impact patients' quality of life and function. A large amount of research on patellar instability has been conducted in the past two decades, and a number of traditionally held principles of treatment have been challenged. This review addresses three current concepts and controversies in the treatment of patellar instability, specifically what factors lead to an increased tibial tubercle-trochlear groove distance and how to address them, when to add a tibial tubercle osteotomy to a medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction, and which medial patellar stabilizers should be reconstructed. Based on current evidence, there are a few recommendations that can be made at this time. While trochleoplasty does have concerns with regard to reproducibility and complication risk, surgeons should consider this technique especially in cases with Dejour D trochlear dysplasia given high failure rates with other techniques. When evaluating whether to concomitantly perform a tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) with a MPFL, a TTO does appear to improve outcomes in the presence of maltracking or a positive J sign even with a tibial tuberosity-trochlear grove distance (TT-TG) of 18 to 20 mm, whereas patients without maltracking with a TT-TG of up to 25 mm may do well with an isolated MPFL reconstruction. Lastly, while MPFL reconstruction continues to have the most robust data supporting favorable outcomes, a number of biomechanical studies and short-term clinical studies have suggested promising results with medial quadriceps tendon femoral ligament and hybrid techniques.

Although gait is one of the most globally ubiquitous concepts-traversing all geographic, cultural, and language barriers-it is often seen as an overwhelming and confusing concept. This review describes the phases and components of gait to help the clinician identify what is normal, evaluate what is not normal, and understand some common pathologic gait patterns seen in the different orthopedic subspecialties.

The association of radial nerve palsy and humeral shaft fracture is well known. Primary exploration and fracture fixation is recommended for open fractures and vascular injury while expectant management remains the standard of care for closed injuries. In the absence of nerve recovery, exploration and reconstruction is recommended 3 to 5 months following injury. When direct repair or nerve grafting is unlikely to achieve a suitable outcome, nerve and tendon transfers are potential options for the restoration of wrist and finger extension.

Orthopedic surgery in the United States has gone through many changes over the past few centuries. Starting with a small sect of subspecialized surgeons, advances in technology and surgical skills have paralleled the growth of the specialty. To keep up with demand, the training of orthopedic surgeons has undergone many iterations. From apprenticeships to the current residency model, the field has always adapted to ensure the constant production of well-trained surgeons to take care of the growing orthopedic needs in the population. In order to guarantee this, many regulatory committees have been formed over the years to help guide the regulation and certification of orthopedic training programs. With current day residents facing new challenges, the specialty continues to adapt the way it trains its future.