Bulletin of the NYU hospital for joint diseases最新文献

The pivot shift test is a cornerstone in the clinical diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency. It can be difficult to perform in overweight patients or in those with long or bulky legs. We present an alternative method to perform the pivot shift test that recalls the judo technique of figure-of-four knee lock and eases the examination of the patient with anterior cruciate ligament deficiency. This modality of execution also makes the surgeon able to perform varus-valgus tests with small changes in hand positions. The surgeon, embracing with one arm the tibia of the affected limb, grasps with this hand the wrist of his free arm opposite to the affected limb. Then the surgeon hooks onto the posterior surface of the leg with his free hand. In this way, the surgeon can exert a moment on the limb of the patient, and can apply combined internal rotation, flexion, and valgus stress to perform the pivot shift test or simply varus or valgus force to perform the varus-valgus tests.

Unlabelled: Metal-on-metal hip resurfacing has been proven to be a successful option for treating hip osteoarthritis in young, active patients. However, compared to a standard primary hip arthroplasty, hip resurfacing has a higher degree of technical difficulty. While all resurfacing systems utilize similar principles, there can be some variation in surgical technique. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a second learning curve when a surgeon transitioned from one hip resurfacing system to another.

Materials and methods: In 2007, the senior investigator (MAM) transitioned from using one resurfacing system for a majority of his patients to a different system. The records of 200 resurfacings were reviewed, including the last 150 patients who underwent this procedure prior to the switch, and who were then compared with the first 50 patients using a newer system. The mean age and mean body mass index (BMI) of the patients in the prior 150-patient group was 53 years and 28 kg/m2, respectively, compared to a mean age of 51 years and a mean BMI of 29 kg/m2 in the newer system group. The mean follow-up for the prior 150 patients was 45 months (range, 40 to 50 months), compared to 31 months (range, 25 to 37 months) for the first 50 receiving the new system. Clinical survivorship and complications were monitored, and clinical outcomes were evaluated using Harris hip scores.

Results: The implant survival rate of the last 150 patients regarding the first resurfacing system was 97.3 (146/150), compared to 100% survival with the second system. The mean Harris hip score improved from 61 points (range, 40 to 76 points) to 93 points (range, 50 to 100 points) in the first group and from 52 points (range, 31 to 83 points) to 97 points (range, 86 to 100 points) in the latter group. There were four revisions: three for femoral neck fractures and one for unexplained groin pain; two revisions were in the postoperative period, and one was 1-year postoperative and the other 2-years postoperative. Of these four revisions, all had femoral component sizes smaller than 48 mm and were revised to total hip arthroplasty; all are doing well at the most recent follow-up (Harris hip scores greater than 80 points).

Conclusion: This study illustrates that there is no additional learning curve when transitioning from one re-surfacing system to another for an experienced surgeon. It also reinforces the previously established criteria that only well-selected patients should have a hip resurfacing arthroplasty performed in order to minimize the likelihood of postoperative complications such as femoral neck fracture. The learning curve appears to be a phenomenon that only occurs once for resurfacing and is not related to the specific implant manufacturer, but rather to the nature of the operation itself.

Orthopaedic patients with poor nutritional status are at an increased risk of postoperative complications, such as infection and wound healing. Nasal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus, especially with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, has been shown to be a risk factor for surgical-site infections. We examined the incidence of nutritional depletion in our arthroplasty population and its correlation with Staphylococcus aureus colonization. We conducted a retrospective review of prospectively collected data of our arthroplasty patient population. Patients with known Staphylococcus aureus colonization or surgical-site infection were compared with a random cohort of patients. Patient demographics, preoperative nasal culture, and two nutritional screening scores were collected. Six hundred and fifty-two patients underwent arthroplasty and completed preoperative nasal cultures and nutritional assessment. A high percentage (27%) of our patients demonstrated some level of nutritional depletion prior to joint replacement. Overall nutritional scores were not significantly associated with surgery-type, preoperative nasal culture, or surgical- site infection in our patient population.

The popularity of snowboarding has brought awareness to injuries sustained during the sport. Wrist injuries are among the most common injuries, and there is an interest in using protective equipment to prevent these injuries. The purpose of this study was to review the literature on wrist guard use, injury prevention, the biomechanical effects of wrist guards, and the various types of wrist guards commercially available for consumers. A literature search was done using MEDLINE® Ovid (1950 to January 2009), MEDLINE® PubMed® (1966 to January 2009), and EMBASE® (1980 to January 2009) for studies on snowboard injuries and wrist guards. References from the studies found were also reviewed. Two randomized controlled studies (Level I), one meta-analysis (Level II), eight prospective case control studies (Level II), one cross-sectional study, and four biomechanical-cadaveric studies were found from the literature search. Based on the review of this literature, wrist injuries are among the most common injury type, and wrist guard use may provide a protective effect in preventing them. There is no consensus as to what type or design of wrist guard is the most effective and which wrist guards are available for use by the consumer.

Purpose: It is somewhat surprising that radiographic criteria for lumbar stenosis have been transposed from radiography and CT to MR without scientific validation. As these radiographic criteria were developed via population studies with criteria defined by two standard deviations from the mean, we sought to perform the same methodology via MR.

Methods: The study was approved by the institutional review board; the requirement for informed consent was waived. One-hundred patients referred for possible metastatic disease, aged 4 to 94 were studied. Measurements were obtained on a midline sagittal T2-weighted (6000/120) image at each disc level, as well as at the mid-vertebral level. The distributive mean, and standard deviations were calculated and -2 SD was used as a "cutoff" for spinal stenosis. To assess for interobserver variation, 20% of the measurements were repeated by a second observer. To assess for intraobserver variation, another 20% of the measurements were repeated a second time at a minimum of a two month interval.

Results: The spinal canal was narrowest at L5-S1 (mean: 1.16 cm), and widest at L1-L2 (mean: 1.56 cm). Overall the narrowest measurements were at the intervertebral disc space and were narrower at the lower disc spaces. In our population, the lowest cutoff limit (two standard deviations below the mean) had a range between 0.38 cm at the L3-L4 disc space and 0.9 cm at the L1 vertebral level. Notably at the L3 level the size range was from 0.77 to 1.75

Conclusion: Traditional measurements of canal diameters may be too large when applied to soft tissue analysis on MR. We suggest using a cutoff of smaller than 0.90 cm for developmental stenosis.

Quantitative measurement according to a laboratory test such as hemoglobin A1c or creatinine provides a "gold standard" for care of every individual with a specific diagnosis. By contrast, no single "gold standard" quantitative measure is available in rheumatic diseases. Laboratory tests are limited, and clinical decisions are based more on patient history and physical examination than laboratory tests. A quantitative patient history is provided by a self-report questionnaire as standardized, "scientific" data to compare from one visit to the next. Patient questionnaires for usual clinical care emphasize feasibility, acceptability to patients and physicians, and clinical utility, which are not considered in research questionnaires. Development of a multidimensional health assessment questionnaire (MDHAQ) over 27 years is seen as a continuous quality improvement (CQI) rather than research activity, to account for all rather than a few selected patients for a research study. Both the traditional HAQ and MDHAQ are 2-page questionnaires, easily completed by patients in 5 to 10 minutes, although scoring a HAQ disability index (HAQ-DI) requires 42 seconds, compared to 5 seconds for an MDHAQ/RAPID3. The MDHAQ includes, within 2 pages: complex activities, psychological queries, visual analog scales (VAS) as 21 numbered circles rather than 10-cm lines, a fatigue VAS, RADAI (rheumatoid arthritis disease activity index) self-report joint count, traditional "medical" review of systems and recent medical history, and demographic data, as well as a data management system that incorporates medication data and laboratory tests, reports for physicians and patients, and flow sheets to compare a current visit with a previous visit.

The identification of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) as an important mediator in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) led to the development of TNF inhibitors (TN- FIs), which has ushered in a revolution not only in therapies for RA, but other rheumatic diseases as well. Treatment strategies for RA will continue to evolve as new agents are developed and as new data become available. This article provides a summary of clinical studies with TNFIs conducted in RA patients and reported over the previous 18 months based on a PubMed search using the terms TNFIs (with their individual generic names) and RA.

Unlabelled: Adverse local soft-tissue reactions have been associated with severe osteolysis and implant failure in metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty (THA). Such a causal relationship has not often been associated with non metal-on-metal bearing surfaces. The purpose of this study was to assess the literature for cases of adverse soft-tissue reactions in non-metal-on-metal bearings in order to determine if a consistent histological diagnosis existed and if it was bearing-specific.

Methods: A systematic review was performed in Medline and Embase databases, utilizing keyword searches to target reports of soft tissue complications following THA. Strict exclusion criteria were applied to retrieved studies in order to ensure that analyzed papers involved non-metal-on-metal bearing surfaces, had a final histological diagnosis, and had no previous history of periprosthetic infection or neoplastic process. Presenting symptoms, diagnostic work-up, histological diagnosis, and operative treatment were recorded for all reports retained for analysis.

Results: Twenty-seven reports representing 31 cases of adverse soft-tissue reactions for non-metal-on-metal THAs met the criteria for analysis. In the majority of cases, patients presented with painful, limited motion in the affected hip, and radiological evidence of severe osteolysis. Histological examination often revealed a cystic mass, denoted by a granulomatous reaction comprised of histiocytes and giant cells, but few plasma cells. Revision of loose components was the most common successful therapeutic strategy utilized.

Conclusion: The present analysis revealed that similar adverse soft-tissue reactions have been described for both metal-on-polyethylene and ceramic bearing surfaces. When encountering such reactions in patients, a comprehensive diagnostic workup, including computed tomography (CT) scanning, lesion biopsy, and revision planning to alternate bearing surfaces should be considered.