Introduction. Total hip replacement (THR) is a very common procedure performed for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip. The aim of THR is to restore function and quality of life of the patients, by restoring femoral offset, leg length, centre of rotation, and achieving stability, to avoid dislocation postoperatively. Method. We aimed to perform preoperative assessment of femoral offset on anteroposterior (AP) radiographs of the hip, and on corresponding CT scans, for patients undergoing primary THR. Patients were positioned according to a standardised protocol prior to obtaining radiographs of the hip and CT scan. Inter- and intra-observer reliability was evaluated between 3 observers of differing levels of seniority – an orthopaedic trainee, a fellow, and a consultant. CT scan measurements of offset were performed by one consultant radiologist. The researchers measuring radiographic offset were blinded to the results of the CT measurements. Results. In the entire cohort of 50 patients, the mean femoral offset was 44 mm on AP radiographs of the hip and 45 mm on CT scans. No significant difference in mean femoral offset was seen between AP radiographs of the hip and CT. There was good inter and intra-observer reliability in the measurement of femoral offset on AP radiographs of the hip. There was no difference in the radiographic measurements between observers of differing levels of seniority. Conclusions. Accurate restoration of femoral offset is very important in the good functioning of THR. AP radiographs of the hip are accurate, and should be routinely obtained preoperatively for templating, prior to THR

The opposable thumb is one of the defining characteristics of human anatomy and is involved in most activities of daily life. Lack of optimal thumb motion results in pain, weakness, and decrease in quality of life. First carpometacarpal (CMC1) osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common sites of OA. Current clinical diagnosis and monitoring of CMC1 OA disease are primarily aided by X-ray radiography; however, many studies have reported discrepancies between radiographic evidence of CMC1 OA and patient-related outcomes of pain and disability. Radiographs lack soft-tissue contrast and are insufficient for the detection of early characteristics of OA such as synovitis, which play a key role in CMC OA disease progression. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and two-dimensional ultrasound (2D-US) are alternative options that are excellent for imaging soft tissue pathology. However, MRI has high operating costs and long wait-times, while 2D-US is highly operator dependent and provides 2D images of 3D anatomical structures. Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging may be an option to address the clinical need for a rapid and safe point of care imaging device. The purpose of this research project is to validate the use of mechanically translated 3D-US in CMC OA patients to assess the measurement capabilities of the device in a clinically diverse population in comparison to MRI. Four CMC1-OA patients were scanned using the 3D-US device, which was attached to a Canon Aplio i700 US machine with a 14L5 linear transducer with a 10MHz operating frequency and 58mm. Complimentary MR images were acquired using a 3.0 T MRI system and LT 3D coronal photon dense cube fat suppression sequence was used. The volume of the synovium was segmented from both 3D-US and MR images by two raters and the measured volumes were compared to find volume percent differences. Paired sample t-test were used to determine any statistically significant differences between the volumetric measurements observed by the raters and in the measurements found using MRI vs. 3D-US. Interclass Correlation Coefficients were used to determine inter- and intra-rater reliability. The mean volume percent difference observed between the two raters for the 3D-US and MRI acquired synovial volumes was 1.77% and 4.76%, respectively. The smallest percent difference in volume found between raters was 0.91% and was from an MR image. A paired sample t-test demonstrated that there was no significant difference between the volumetric values observed between MRI and 3D-US. ICC values of 0.99 and 0.98 for 3D-US and MRI respectively, indicate that there was excellent inter-rater reliability between the two raters. A novel application of a 3D-US acquisition device was evaluated using a CMC OA patient population to determine its clinical feasibility and measurement capabilities in comparison to MRI. As this device is compatible with any commercially available ultrasound machine, it increases its accessibility and ease of use, while proving a method for overcoming some of the limitations associated with radiography, MRI, and 2DUS. 3DUS has the potential to provide clinicians with a tool to quantitatively measure and monitor OA progression at the patient's bedside

Introduction. Leg length discrepancy (LLD) is a common sequalae of limb reconstruction procedures. The subsequent biomechanical compensation can be directly linked to degenerative arthritis, lower back pain, scoliosis and functional impairment. It becomes particularly problematic when >2cm, established as a clinical standard. This two-arm experimental study assesses how reliable an iPhone application is in the measurement of LLD at different distances in control and LLD patients. Materials and Methods. 42 participants were included in the study, divided evenly into 21 control and 21 LLD patients. A standardised measurement technique was used to obtain TMM and iPhone application measurements, taken at a distance of 0.25m, 0.50m and 0.75m. Results. The mean discrepancy of iPhone-based measurements in the control group was 1.57cm, 1.59cm and 2.19cm at 0.25m, 0.50m and 0.75m respectively. This compares to measurements in the LLD cohort with a mean discrepancy of 1.71cm, 1.85cm and 2.19cm. The overall mean discrepancy of iPhone data was 1.78cm in the control cohort compared to 1.92cm in the LLD cohort. Conclusions. Results suggest that the iPhone application can be used to identify clinically significant leg length discrepancies. At 0.75 metres anomalous results become more prevalent and the accuracy of the application appears to decline. The results also suggest the application is slightly more accurate in the control group, nevertheless, in distances up to 0.50 metres the mean discrepancy sits within the 2cm standard of clinically significant LLD

Aim. Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) presents the second most common complication of total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Accumulating evidence suggests that up to 20% of aseptic failures are low-grade PJI. However, there is still no single test to reliably diagnose all PJI. In his thesis, Mazzucco emphasized the viscosity differences between normal, osteoarthritic, and rheumatic synovial fluid. Similarly, a recent study by Fu et al. reported significantly lower viscosity in patients with PJI compared to the aseptic failure cohort. The primary aim of our study was to determine whether synovial fluid viscosity is a more reliable diagnostic criterion for PJI compared to the synovial fluid cell count with differential and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Method. We prospectively analyzed the viscosity of synovial fluid samples obtained during TJA of hip and knee joint revision procedures. We sampled 2.5–5 mL of synovial fluid for viscosity measurement. The samples were centrifuged (4 min at 7000 rpm) and the resulting supernatant was immediately transferred into the Ostwald viscometer. Viscosity was derived from the time required for a given volume of synovial fluid to pass the viscometer at 20 °C. The synovial fluid samples were also analysed for their cell count with differential and serum CRP was measured. The definite diagnosis of PJI was established on basis of EBJIS criteria. For the viscosity, the threshold for detecting PJI was set at 65 seconds. Results. Between December 2020 and March 2021, we analyzed 12 knee and 11 hip TJA revision samples. These included 14 septic and 9 aseptic synovial fluid samples. The average viscometer time in the PJI group was 31s (range 20–48s) compared to 247s (range 68–616s) in the group of aseptic revision procedures. The specificity and sensitivity of our viscosity measurements were 100%. The sensitivity and specificity of cell count was 100% and 85.7%, for the synovial fluid differential they were 100% and 85.7%, and for the CRP they were 88.9% and 71.4%, respectively. Conclusions. Our study is the first to report a significant difference in synovial fluid viscosity between the PJI and the aseptic cohort. It points towards the diagnostic superiority of viscosity measurements over conventional synovial fluid cell count, synovial fluid differential, and serum CRP levels. Albeit currently limited by small sample size, the study remains ongoing

Introduction. Component position and overall limb alignment following Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) have been shown to influence device survivorship and clinical outcomes. However current methods for measuring post-operative alignment through 2D radiographs and CTs may be prone to inaccuracies due to variations in patient positioning, and certain anatomical configurations such as rotation and flexion contractures. The purpose of this paper is to develop a new vector based method for overall limb alignment and component position measurements using CT. The technique utilizes a new mathematical model to calculate prosthesis alignment from the coordinates of anatomical landmarks. The hypothesis is that the proposed technique demonstrated good accuracy to surgical plan, as well as low intra and inter-observer variability. Methods. This study received institutional review board approval. A total of 30 patients who underwent robotic assisted TKA (RATKA) at four different sites between March 2017 and January 2018 were enrolled in this prospective, multicenter, non-randomized clinical study. CT scans were performed prior to and 4–6 weeks post-operatively. Each subject was positioned headfirst supine with the legs in a neutral position and the knees at full extension. Three separate CT scans were performed at the anatomical location of the hip, knee, and ankle joint. Hip, knee, and ankle images were viewed in 3D software and the following vertices were generated using anatomical landmarks: Hip Center (HC), Medial Epicondyle Sulcus (MES), Lateral Epicondyle (LE), Femur Center (FC), Tibia Center (TC), Medial Malleolus (MM), Lateral Malleolus (LM), Femur Component Superior (FCS), Femur Component Inferior (FCI), Coronal Femoral Lateral (CFL), Coronal Femoral Medial (CFM), Coronal Tibia Lateral (CTL), and Coronal Tibia Medial (CTM). Limb alignment and component positions were calculated from these vertices using a new mathematical model. The measurements were compared to the surgeons’ operative plan and component targeted positions for accuracy analysis. Two analysts performed the same measurements separately for inter-observer variability analysis. One of the two analysts repeated the measurements at least 30 days apart to assess intra-observer variability. Correlation analysis was performed on the intra-observer analysis, while Bland Altman analysis was performed on the inter-observer analysis. Results. Average measurement errors of overall limb alignments, femoral and tibial component position were less than 1 degree. Bland Altman plots for inter-observer analysis demonstrate great reproducibility in limb and component alignment measurements between surgeons with no bias. Correlation plots for intra-observer analysis demonstrate low variability with slopes ranging between 0.86 to 1.00 and R value greater than 0.88. Discussion. The proposed method demonstrated good accuracy to plan and low intra- and inter observer variability. This technique may be considered for assessing component position accuracy with post-operative CTs. Further studies are needed to investigate the robustness of the method in a larger cohort. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

As treatments of knee osteoarthrosis are continually refined, increasingly sophisticated methods of evaluating their biomechanical function are required. Whilst TKA shows good preoperative pain relief and survivorship, functional outcomes are sub-optimal, and research focus has shifted towards their improvement. Restoration of physiological function is a common design goal that relies on clear, detailed descriptions of native biomechanics. Historical simplifications of true biomechanisms, for example sagittal plane approximation of knee kinematics, are becoming progressively less suitable for evaluation of new technologies. The patellar tendon moment arm (PTMA) is an example of such a metric of knee function that usefully informs design of knee arthroplasty but is not fully understood, in part due to limitations in its measurement. This research optimized PTMA measurement and identified the influence of knee size and sex on its variation. The PTMA about the instantaneous helical axis was calculated from optical tracked positional data. A fabricated knee model facilitated calculation optimization, comparing four data smoothing techniques (raw, Butterworth filtering, generalized cross-validated cubic spline-interpolation and combined filtering/interpolation). The PTMA was then measured for 24 fresh-frozen cadaveric knees, under physiologically based loading and extension rates. Sex differences in PTMA were assessed before and after size scaling. Large errors were measured for raw and interpolated-only techniques in the mid-range of extension, whilst both raw and filtered-only methods saw large inaccuracies at terminal extension and flexion. Combined filtering/interpolation enabled sub-mm PTMA calculation accuracy throughout the range of knee flexion, including at terminal extension/flexion (root-mean-squared error 0.2mm, max error 0.5mm) (Figure 1). Before scaling, mean PTMA throughout flexion was 46mm; mean, peak, and minimum PTMA values were larger in males, as was the PTMA at terminal flexion, the change in PTMA from terminal flexion to peak, and the change from peak to terminal extension (mean differences ranging from 5 to 10mm, p<0.05). Knee size was highly correlated with PTMA magnitude (r>0.8, p<0.001) (Figure 2). Scaling eliminated sex differences in PTMA magnitude, but peak PTMA occurred closer to terminal extension in females (female 15°, male 29°, p=0.01) (Figure 3). Improved measurement of the PTMA reveals previously undocumented characteristics that may help to improve the functional outcomes of knee arthroplasty. Knee size accounted for two-thirds of the variation in PTMA magnitude, but not the flexion angle at which peak PTMA occurred, which has implications for morphotype-specific arthroplasty and musculoskeletal models. The developed calculation framework is applicable both in vivo and vitro for accurate PTMA measurement and might be used to evaluate the relative performance of emerging technologies. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

Background. Non-invasive hemoglobin measurement was introduced to potentially eliminate blood draws postoperatively. We compared the accuracy and effectiveness of a non-invasive hemoglobin measurement system with a traditional blood draw in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty. Methods. After IRB approval, 100 consecutive patients undergoing primary total hip or knee arthroplasty had their hemoglobin level tested by both traditional blood draw and a non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring system. Results were analyzed for the entire group, further stratifying patients based on gender, race, surgery (THA versus TKA), and post-operative hemoglobin level. Finally, we compared financial implications and patient satisfaction with the device. Paired t-test with 0.05 conferring significance was used. Stratified analyses of the absolute difference between the two measures were assessed using Mann- Whitney test. To assess the level of agreement between the two measures, the concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was calculated. Results. Mean blood-draw hemoglobin value on POD1 was 11.063 ± 1.39 g/dL and 11.192 ± 1.333 g/dL with the non-invasive device. For all patients, the mean absolute difference between the two methods was 0.13 g/dL (p = 0.30). The CCC between the two methods was 0.58, conferring a moderate to strongly positive linear relationship (Figure 1). Non-invasive measurement was preferred by 100% of patients with a mean VAS score of 0/10. Additionally, the cost savings with the non-invasive system was $16.50 per patient. Discussion. Overall, there was no significant difference between the hemoglobin level obtained by traditional laboratory methods versus the Masimo Radical-7 system on post-operative day #1 in patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty. In the minority of patients (19%) who had a hemoglobin level of less than 10 g/dL, the difference between the two methods was statistically significant. Additionally, 100% of patients preferred the Masimo device to a traditional blood draw and the Masimo device was substantially cheaper. While further investigation of non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring systems is necessary, particularly in patients with a post-operative hemoglobin of less than 10 g/dL, our study shows that the Masimo Radical-7 device provides an accurate, preferable, and less expensive alternative to a traditional blood draw after total joint replacement. Conclusion. Overall, the non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring system offered a similar hemoglobin reading to the standard lab-draw reading, while improving satisfaction and lowering cost. The system relies on adequate perfusion for measurement, and our study demonstrated that lower hemoglobin values may reduce finger-tip perfusion and affect the hemoglobin reading

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of weight-bearing on the measurement of in vivo wear of total knee replacements using model-based RSA at 1 and 2 years following surgery. Model-based RSA radiographs were collected for 106 patients who underwent primary TKR at a single institution. Supine RSA radiographs were obtained post-operatively and at 6-, 12-, and 24-months. Standing (weight-bearing) RSA radiographs were obtained at 12-months (n=45) and 24-months (n=48). All patients received the same knee design with a fixed, conventional PE insert of either a cruciate retaining or posterior stabilized design. Ethics approval for this study was obtained. In order to assess in vivo wear, a highly accurate 3-dimensional virtual model of each in vivo TKA was developed. Coordinate data from RSA radiographs (mbRSA v3.41, RSACore) were applied to digital implant models to reconstruct each patient's replaced knee joint in a virtual environment (Geomagic Studio, 3D Systems). Wear was assessed volumetrically (digital model overlap) on medial and lateral condyles separately, across each follow-up. Annual rate of wear was calculated for each patient as the slope of the linear best fit between wear and time-point. The influence of weight-bearing was assessed as the difference in annual wear rate between standing and supine exams. Age, BMI, and Oxford-12 knee improvement were measured against wear rates to determine correlations. Weight bearing wear measurement was most consistent and prevalent in the medial condyle with 35% negative wear rates for the lateral condyle. For the medial condyle, standing exams revealed higher mean wear rates at 1 and 2 years, supine, 16.3 mm3/yr (SD: 27.8) and 11.2 mm3/yr (SD: 18.5) versus standing, 51.3 mm3/yr (SD: 55.9) and 32.7 mm3/yr (SD: 31.7). The addition of weight-bearing increased the measured volume of wear for 78% of patients at 1 year (Avg: 32.4 mm3/yr) and 71% of patients at 2 years (Avg: 48.9 mm3/yr). There were no significant (95% CI) correlations between patient demographics and wear rates. Volumetric, weight-bearing wear measurement of TKR using model-based RSA determined an average of 33 mm3/yr at 2 years post-surgery for a modern, non-cross-linked polyethylene bearing. This value is comparable to wear rates obtained from retrieved TKRs. Weight-bearing exams produced better wear data with fewer negative wear rates and reduced variance. Limitations of this study include: supine patient imaging performed at post-op, no knee flexion performed, unknown patient activity level, and inability to distinguish wear from plastic creep or deformation under load. Strengths of this study include: large sample size of a single TKR system, linear regression of wear measurements and no requirement for implanted RSA beads with this method. Based on these results, in vivo volumetric wear of total knee replacement polyethylene can be reliably measured using model-based RSA and weight-bearing examinations in the short- to mid–term. Further work is needed to validate the accuracy of the measurements in vivo

INTRODUCTION. Navigation systems have proved allowing performing measurement of the lower limb axis with a good accuracy, but the mandatory use of reference pins or screws limit their use to the operating room. The use of non-invasive navigation systems has been suggested to overcome this limitation. We conducted a prospective study to assess the validity of such a measurement system with non-invasive fixation of the reference arrays. The main goal was to compare this method with a standard, invasive navigation system requiring bony fixation of the arrays. The following hypothesis was tested: there will be a significant difference between the simultaneous measurement of the mechanical femoro-tibial angle by a standard navigation system and by the non-invasive navigation system. MATERIAL AND METHODS. 20 patients scheduled for total or partial knee arthroplasty were included after giving their informed consent. There were 7 men and 13 women with a median age of 65 years (range, 55 to 90). The median coronal deformation measured by X-rays was 8° of varus (range, 5° valgus to 22 ° varus). The same navigation system was used for both invasive and non-invasive measurements, but the basic algorithms were adapted for the non-invasive technique. For the non-invasive technique, metallic plates were strapped on the thigh and the calf to allow arrays fixation (fig. 1). Coronal femoro-tibial mechanical angle (CMFA) in maximal extension without stress was recorded by the non invasive system. This non-invasive analysis was immediately followed by surgery, and the same angle was measured intra-operatively with the invasive system. Comparisons between non-invasive and invasive measurements were performed using a Wilcoxon test, after checking that their distribution followed a normal distribution, and an equivalence testing with limits of ±3°. The correlation between the two sets of measurements was analyzed using a correlation test Spearman rank. The analysis of the concordance of the two sets of measurements was performed using Bland and Altman tests. The significance level p was set at 0.05. RESULTS. There was no significant difference between non invasive and invasive measurements of the CMFA in full extension. There was a good correlation (fig. 2) and a good concordance (fig. 3) between both measurements. DISCUSSION. The non invasive measurement technique system seems to be as accurate as conventional, invasive navigation. CONCLUSION. This technique might be a valuable alternative to long leg x-rays, with a good accuracy but without radiation exposure. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

Background. Humeral version is the twist angle of the humeral head relative to the distal humerus. Pre-operatively, it is most commonly measured referencing the transepicondylar axis, although various techniques are described in literature (Matsumura et al. 2014, Edelson 1999, Boileau et al., 2008). Accurate estimation of the version angle is important for humeral head osteotomy in preparation for shoulder arthroplasty, as deviations from native version can result in prosthesis malalignment. Most humeral head osteotomy guides instruct the surgeon to reference the ulnar axis with the elbow flexed at 90°. Average version values have been reported at 17.6° relative to the transepicondylar axis and 28.8° relative to the ulnar axis (Hernigou, Duparc, and Hernigou 2014), although it is highly variable and has been reported to range from 10° to 55° (Pearl and Volk 1999). These studies used 2D CT images; however, 2D has been shown to be unreliable for many glenohumeral measurements (Terrier 2015, Jacxsens 2015, Budge 2011). Three-dimensional (3D) modeling is now widely available and may improve the accuracy of version measurements. This study evaluated the effects of sex and measurement system on 3D version measurements made using the transepicondylar and ulnar axis methods, and additionally a flexion-extension axis commonly used in biomechanics. Methods. Computed tomography (CT) scans of 51 cadaveric shoulders (26 male, 25 female; 32 left) were converted to 3D models using medical imaging software. The ulna was reduced to 90° flexion to replicate the arm position during intra-operative version measurement. Geometry was extracted to determine landmarks and co-ordinate systems for the humeral long axis, epicondylar axis, flexion-extension axis (centered through the capitellum and trochlear groove), and ulnar long axis. An anatomic humeral head cut plane was placed at the head-neck junction of all shoulders by a fellowship trained shoulder surgeon. Retroversion was measured with custom Matlab code that analysed the humeral head cut plane relative to a reference system based on the long axis of the humerus and each elbow axis. Effects of measurement systems were analyzed using separate 1-way RM ANOVAs for males and females. Sex differences were analyzed using unpaired t-tests for each measurement system. Results. Changing the measurement reference significantly affected version (p<0.001). The ulnar axis method consistently resulted in higher measured version than either flexion-extension axis (males 9±1°, females 14±1°, p<0.001) or epicondylar axis (males 8±1°, females 12±1°, p<0.001). See Figure 1. Version in males (38±11°) was 7° greater than females (31±12°) when referencing the flexion-extension axis (p=0.048). Conclusion. Different measurement systems produce different values of version. This is important for humeral osteotomies; if version is assessed using the epicondyles pre-operatively and subsequently by the ulna intra-operatively, then the osteotomy will be approximately 10° over-retroverted. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly (see Info & Metrics tab above).

Background. Over 10% of total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgeries performed in England and Wales are revision procedures. 1. Malorientation of the acetabular component in THA may contribute to premature failure. Yet with increasingly younger populations receiving THA surgery (through higher incidences of obesity) and longer life expectancy in general, the lifetime of an implant needs to increase to avoid a rapid increase in revision surgery in the future. The Evaluation of X-ray, Acetabular Guides and Computerised Tomography in THA (EXACT) trial is assessing the pelvic tilt of a patient by capturing x-rays from the patient in sitting, standing and step-up positions. It uses this information, along with a CT scan image, to deliver a personalised dynamic simulation that outputs an optimised position for the hip replacement. A clinical trial is currently in place to investigate how the new procedure improves patient outcomes. 2. . Our aim in this project was to assess whether accurate functional assessment of pelvic tilt could be further obtained using inertial measurement units (IMUs). This would provide a rapid, non-invasive triaging method such that only patients with high levels of tilt measured by the sensors would then receive the full assessment with x-rays. Methods. Recruited patients were fitted with a bespoke device consisting of a 3D-printed clamp which housed the IMU and fitted around the sacrum area. A wide elastic belt was fitted around the patient's waist to keep the device in place. Pelvic tilt is measured in a standing, flexed seated and step-up position while undergoing X-rays with the IMU capturing the data in parallel. Patients further completed another five repetitions of the movements with the IMU but without the x-ray to test repeatability of the measurements. Statistical analysis included measures of correlation between the X-ray and IMU measurements. Results. Data on 30 patients indicated a moderate-strong correlation (R. 2. =0.87) between IMU and radiological measures of pelvic tilt. Key message. A novel device has been developed that can suitably track pelvic movements to stratify patients into risk categories for post-operative dislocations

INTRODUCTION. Measurement of range of motion is a critical item of any knee scoring system. Conventional measurements used in the clinical settings are not as precise as required. Smartphone technology using either inclinometer application or photographic technology may be more precise with virtually no additional cost when compared to more sophisticated techniques such as gait analysis or image analysis. No comparative analysis between these two techniques has been previously performed. The goal of the study was to compare these two technologies to the navigated measurement considered as the gold standard. MATERIAL. Ten patients were consecutively included. Inclusion criterion was implantation of a TKA with a navigation system. METHODS. Two free angle measurement applications were downloaded to the Smartphone: one using inclinometer technology, the other using camera technology. After navigation assisted TKA and just before wound closure, the operated knee was positioned at full extension, 30±2°, 60±2°, 90±2° and 120±2° according to the navigated measurement. At each step, the knee flexion angle was measured with both Smartphone applications: inclinometer application (figure 1) and camera application (figure 2). For each of the ten patients, 5 navigated, 5 inclinometer and 5 camera measurements were obtained for each patient, giving three sets of 50 repeat measurements. The sample size was calculated to get a significance level of 0.05 and a power of 0.8 to detect a 10° difference. The difference between the three sets of measurements was analyzed with an ANOVA test for repeat measurements, with post-hoc comparisons with a paired Wilcoxon test. The correlation between the three sets of measurements was analyzed with a Kendall test, with post-hoc comparisons with a Spearman test. All tests were performed at a 0.05 level of significance, and post-hoc comparisons were performed at a 0.01 level of significance. RESULTS. The mean paired difference between navigated and camera measurements was 0.7° (SD 1.5°), with one difference greater than 3°. The mean paired difference between navigated and inclinometer measurements was 7.5° (SD 5.3°), with 16 differences greater than 10°. The mean paired difference between inclinometer and camera measurements was −6.8° (SD5.2°), with 7 differences greater than 10°. The ANOVA test for repeat measurements showed a significant difference between the three sets of measurements (p<0.001). The results of post-hoc paired comparisons with the Wilcoxon test are reported in table 2. The Kendall test showed that the distribution of the three sets of measurements was no different. The post-hoc paired correlations with the Spearman test showed a good coherence between all pairs of measurements (R² between 0.02 and 0.12). No pre-operative criteria showed a significant influence on the differences observed. DISCUSSION. Measuring the knee flexion angle with the camera of a smartphone is effective in a routine clinical practice. Accuracy can be better than other conventional measurement techniques. All applications of a smartphone do not have the same precision and must be validated before clinical use. CONCLUSION. Smartphone technology enables a more accurate assessment of the knee range of motion after TKA than conventional measurement techniques. To view tables/figures, please contact authors directly

Introduction. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is highly successful due to pain reduction, patient satisfaction, and increased range of motion (ROM) during activities of daily living (ADL). ROM recovery is critical for successful outcomes, however ROM values are typically captured during routine physical therapy (PT) appointments via simplified measures (e.g. goniometric maximum passive ROM). These measures are imprecise, potentially neglecting patients’ home experiences. Accordingly, improved measurement methods are necessary to realistically represent ROM recovery. A validated inertial measurement unit (IMU) method continuously capturing knee ROM was deployed assessing knee ROM recovery during PT appointments and during patients’ routine daily experiences. Our objectives were to 1) continuously capture knee ROM pre-/post-TKA via IMUs and 2) divide each day's data to PT/non-PT segments comparing ‘gold standard’ ROM measurements (PT periods) with non-invasive home measurements (non-PT periods). Given patients are verbally/physically encouraged during PT, we hypothesized PT and non-PT metrics would be significantly different including 1) greater kinematics, 2) shorter times, and 3) greater activity level during PT compared to non-PT. Methods. Following IRB approval, IMUs captured long duration, continuous (8–12 hours/day, ∼50 days) knee ROM pre-/post-TKA. Post-TKA metrics were subdivided to PT/non-PT time periods including maximum ROM, gait phase ROMs (stance/swing), gait times (stride/stance/swing), and activity level. Clinical ROM and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) were also captured before/after TKA. Statistical comparisons were completed between pre-TKA, post-TKA PT, and post-TKA non-PT metrics. Correlation analyses were completed between IMU, clinical ROM, and PROMs. Results. 10 TKA patients (3M, 69±13 years) enrolled. Patient compliance with sensor use was high (pre-TKA: 9.7±1.8 hours/day, 6±1 days; post-TKA: 8.5±2.3 hours/day, 37±4 days). Patients received 1.5±0.5 standard PT sessions per postop week (1.1±0.2 hours/session). All patients were well-healed at 6-weeks post-TKA with no additional surgical interventions required. Dividing ROM data showed distinct qualitative differences between PT and non-PT periods. Specifically, maximum knee ROM was significantly less during PT than outside PT during late rehabilitation weeks. Additionally, PT stance and swing phase ROM were significantly greater during PT throughout recovery. No differences in stride/stance/swing time were noted between PT/non-PT periods during recovery. However, significant activity level differences were noted throughout recovery. Discussion. This study highlights limitations utilizing clinic captured ROM establishing recovery. Notably, IMU ROM measurements allow capturing richer information than discrete simplified clinical measures. Maximum flexion during PT was likely less than non-PT due to exercises completed (i.e. high passive ROM vs. low ROM gait performance). PT gait flexion was likely greater than non-PT because of ‘white coat effects’ wherein patients are closely monitored clinically, whereas gait is completed as desired at home. Interestingly, temporal metrics were equal between PT/non-PT implying clinician's presence encourages improved kinematics but has no impact on ambulation timing. Activity level was significantly greater during PT than non-PT likely resultant from clinicians enforcing high activity levels throughout PT sessions. In total, these results imply data captured clinically represents optimum patient performance whereas data captured non-clinically represents realistic patient performance. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of weight-bearing on the measurement of in vivo wear of total knee replacements using model-based RSA at 1 and 2 years following surgery. Methods. Model-based RSA radiographs were collected for 106 patients who underwent primary TKR at a single institution. Supine RSA radiographs were obtained post-operatively and at 6-, 12-, and 24-months. Standing (weight-bearing) RSA radiographs were obtained at 12-months (n=45) and 24-months (n=48). All patients received the same knee design with a fixed, conventional PE insert of either a cruciate retaining or posterior stabilized design. Ethics approval for this study was obtained. In order to assess in vivo wear, a highly accurate 3-dimensional virtual model of each in vivoTKA was developed. Coordinate data from RSA radiographs (mbRSA v3.41, RSACore) were applied to digital implant models to reconstruct each patient's replaced knee joint in a virtual environment (Geomagic Studio, 3D Systems). Wear was assessed volumetrically (digital model overlap) on medial and lateral condyles separately, across each follow-up. Annual rate of wear was calculated for each patient as the slope of the linear best fit between wear and time-point. The influence of weight-bearing was assessed as the difference in annual wear rate between standing and supine exams. Age, BMI, and Oxford-12 knee improvement were measured against wear rates to determine correlations. Results. Weight bearing wear measurement was most consistent and prevalent in the medial condyle with 0–4% of calculated wear rates being negative compared to 29–39% negative wear rates for the lateral condyle. For the medial condyle, standing exams revealed higher mean wear rates at 1 and 2 years; supine, 16.3 mm. 3. /yr (SD: 27.8) and 11.2 mm. 3. /yr (SD: 18.5) versus standing, 51.3 mm. 3. /yr (SD: 55.9) and 32.7 mm. 3. /yr (SD: 31.7). The addition of weight-bearing increased the measured volume of wear for 78% of patients at 1 year (Avg: 32.4 mm. 3. /yr) and 71% of patients at 2 years (Avg: 48.9 mm. 3. /yr). There were no significant (95% CI) correlations between patient demographics and wear rates. Discussion and Conclusion. This study demonstrated TKA wear to occur at a rate of approximately 10 mm. 3. /year and 39 mm. 3. /year in patients imaged supine versus standing, respectively, averaged over 2 years of clinical follow-up. In an effort to eliminate the effect of PE creep and deformation, wear was also calculated between 12 and 24 months as 9.3 mm. 3. (standing examinations), This value is comparable to wear rates obtained from retrieved TKRs. Weight-bearing exams produced better wear data with fewer negative wear rates and reduced variance. Limitations of this study include: supine patient imaging performed at post-op, no knee flexion performed, and unknown patient activity level. Strengths of this study include: large sample size of a single TKR system, linear regression of wear measurements and no requirement for implanted RSA beads with this method. Based on these results, in vivo volumetric wear of total knee replacement polyethylene can be reliably measured using model-based RSA and weight-bearing examinations in the short- to mid–term. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly

One of the more difficult tasks in surgery is to apply the optimal instrument forces and torques necessary to conduct an operation without damaging the tissue of the patient. This is especially problematic in surgical robotics, where force-feedback is totally eliminated. Thus, force sensing instruments emerge as a critical need for improving safety and surgical outcome. We propose a new measurement system that can be used in real fracture surgeries to generate quantitative knowledge of forces/torques applied by surgeon on tissues. We instrumented a periosteal elevator with a 6-DOF load-cell in order to measure forces/torques applied by the surgeons on live tissues during fracture surgeries. Acquisition software was developed in LabView to acquire force/torque data together with synchronised visual information (USB camera) of the tip interacting with the tissue, and surgeon voice recording (microphone) describing the actual procedure. Measurement system and surgical protocol were designed according to patient safety and sterilisation standards. The developed technology was tested in a pilot study during real orthopaedic surgery (consisting of removing a metal plate from the femur shaft of a patient) resulting reliable and usable. As demonstrated by subsequent data analysis, coupling force/torque data with video and audio information produced quantitative knowledge of forces/torques applied by the surgeon during the surgery. The outlined approach will be used to perform intensive force measurements during orthopaedic surgeries. The generated quantitative knowledge will be used to design a force controller and optimised actuators for a robot-assisted fracture surgery system under development at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory

Researchers and clinicians measuring outcomes following total ankle replacement (TAR) are challenged by the wide range of outcome measures used in the literature without consensus as to which are valid, reliable, and responsive in this population. This review identifies region- or joint-specific outcome measures used for evaluating TAR outcomes and synthesises evidence for their measurement properties. A standard search strategy was conducted of electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL (to June 2015) to identify foot/ankle measures in use. A best evidence synthesis approach was taken to critically appraise measurement properties [COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN)] of identified measures. The review was restricted to English publications and excluded cross-cultural adaptations. Measurement properties collected from each article were coded for validity, reliability, responsiveness, or interpretability. Clinimetric evidence exists for identified measures tested in non-TAR populations, but were not the focus of this review. The search identified 14 studies to include in the best evidence synthesis with 32 articles providing clinimetric evidence for eight of the measures (one CBO, seven PRO), however only five measures were tested in a TAR population (Foot Function Index, Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale [AOFAS], Foot and Ankle Outcome Score, Self-Reported Foot and Ankle Score). Five studies provided clinimetric evidence in a TAR population and their methodological quality was assessed: (1) Validity—two good quality studies examining different measures provide moderate evidence supporting construct validity (FFI, AOS, AOFAS self-reported items; SEFAS); (2) Reliability—two good quality studies examining different measures provide moderate evidence supporting internal consistency and test-retest reliability (FFI, AOS, AOFAS self-reported items; FAOS, SEFAS); (3) Responsiveness—three poor quality studies, thus unknown evidence for responsiveness; (4) Interpretability—two studies provide interpretability values (AOS, FFI, AOFAS self-reported items; AOS). This review offers a basis for choosing the most appropriate instrument for evaluating TAR outcomes. Numerous outcome measures were identified with evidence supporting their use in populations with various foot/ankle conditions, but none have strong evidence supporting use in a TAR population. Measures must have adequate clinimetric properties in all patient groups in which they are applied. Evidence supporting or critiquing an instrument should not be based on studies with poor quality methodology, as identified by this review. Further testing in a TAR population would benefit identified measures with emphasis on adequate sample sizes, testing a priori hypotheses, and evaluating their content validity for a TAR population

Articulation of the polyethylene (PE) insert between the metal femoral and tibial components in total knee replacements (TKR) results in wear of the insert which can necessitate revision surgery. Continuous PE advancements have improved wear resistance and durability increasing implant longevity. Keeping up with these material advancements, this study utilises model-based radiostereometric analysis (mbRSA) as a tool to measure in vivo short-term linear PE wear to thus predict long-term wear of the insert. Radiographic data was collected from the QEII Health Sciences Centre in Halifax, NS. Data consisted of follow-up RSA examinations at post-operative, six-, 12-, and 24-month time periods for 72 patients who received a TKR. Implanted in all patients were Stryker Triathlon TKRs with a fixed, conventional PE bearing of either a cruciate retaining or posterior stabilised design. Computer-aided design (CAD) implant models were either provided by the manufacturer or obtained from 3D scanned retrieved implants. Tibial and femoral CAD models were used in mbRSA to capture pose data in the form of Cartesian coordinates at all follow-ups for each patient. Coordinate data was manually entered into a 3D modeling software (Geomagic Studio) to position the implant components in virtual space as presented in the RSA examinations. PE wear was measured over successive follow-ups as the linear change in joint space, defined as the shortest distance between the tibial baseplate and femoral component, independently for medial and lateral sides. A linear best-fit was applied to each patient's wear data; the slope of this line determined the annual wear rate per individual patient. Wear rates were averaged to provide a mean rate of in vivo wear for the Triathlon PE bearing. Mean linear wear per annum across all 72 patients was 0.088mm/yr (SD: 0.271 mm/yr) for the medial condyle and 0.032 mm/yr (SD: 0.230 mm/yr) for the lateral condyle. Cumulative linear wear at the 2-year follow-up interval was 0.207mm (SD: 0.565mm) and 0.068mm (SD: 0.484mm) for the medial and lateral condyles, respectively. Linear PE wear measurements using mbRSA and Geomagic Studio resulted in 0.056mm/yr additional wear on the medial condyle than the lateral condyle. Large standard deviations for yearly wear rates and cumulative measurements demonstrate this method does not yet exhibit the accuracy needed to provide short-term in vivo wear measurement. Inter-patient variability from RSA examinations is likely a source of error when dealing with such small units of measure. Further analysis on patient age and body mass index may eliminate some variability in the data to improve accuracy. Despite high standard deviations, the results from this research are in proximity to previously reported linear wear measurements 0.052mm/yr and 0.054mm/yr. Linear wear analysis will continue upon completion of >100 patients, in addition to volumetric PE wear over the entire articulating surface

Introduction. Computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery (CAOS) provides great value in ensuring accurate, reliable and reproducible total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes [1,2]. Depending on surgeon preferences or patient factors (e.g. BMI, ligament condition, and individual joint anatomy), resection planning (guided adjustment of cutting blocks) is performed with different knee flexion, abduction/adduction (ABD/ADD) and internal/external (I/E) rotation angles, potentially leading to measurement errors in the planned resections due to a modified tracker/localizer spatial relationship. This study assessed the variation in the intraoperative measurement of the planned resection due to leg manipulation during TKA, and identified the leg position variables (flexion, ABD/ADD, and I/E rotation) contributing to the variability. Materials and Methods. Computer-assisted TKA (ExactechGPS®, Blue-Ortho, Grenoble, FR) was performed on a neutral whole leg assembly (MITA knee insert and trainer leg, Medial Models, Bristol, UK) by a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon (BH) at his preferred leg flexion, ABD/ADD, and I/E rotation angles. A cutting block was adjusted and fixed to the tibia, targeting the resection parameters listed in Table 1A. An instrumented resection checker was then attached to the cutting block to measure the planned resection at the same leg position (baseline). Next, the surgeon moved the leg to 9 sampled positions, representing typical leg position/orientation associated with different steps during TKA [Table 1B]. The planned resection was tracked by the CAOS system at each leg position. Tibial resection parameters at each sampled position were compared to the baseline. Regression was performed to identify the variables (flexion, ABD/ADD, I/E rotation) that significantly contribute to the measured variation (p<0.05). Results. The resection parameters at the baseline leg position are presented (see Table 1A). Clinically negligible variations were found across the 9 positions [Table 1B], with mean errors ≤0.1mm in resection depths and ≤0.2° in alignment parameters. For this particular system analyzed, leg flexion strongly correlated with the measurement errors in medial resection depths (p≤0.01, R2=0.76), lateral resection depth (p=0.01, R2=0.61) and posterior slope (p<0.01, R2=0.92) [Fig. 1]. The system tended to measure less in resection depths and posterior slope with an increased leg flexion [Fig. 1]. No other statistical significance was found (N.S.). Discussion. The results here showed that ExactechGPS can provide robust measurements of the planned resection parameters during TKA, independent of the ABD/ADD and I/E rotation of the knee. Although for the system studied, measurement errors strongly correlated with leg flexion, the magnitude of the errors was clinically negligible (within ±0.5 mm/° at a confidence level of 95%) [Table 1B]. Although CAOS systems have been evaluated for accuracy in the spatial distance measurement and clinical alignment outcomes [2,3], the measurement accuracy of planned resection parameters due to change of leg position remains unknown, even though it directly impacts the final resection. This study provided an improved understanding of clinical variability on the measurement of planned TKA resection when using a CAOS system

Background. Patellar instability is a complex, multi-factorial disorder. Radiological assessment is regarded as an important part of the management of this population. The purpose of this study was to determine the intra- and inter-rater reliability of common radiological measurements used to evaluate patellar instability. Methods. One hundred and fifty x-rays from 51 individuals were reviewed by five reviewers: two orthopaedic trainees, a radiological trainee, a consultant radiologist and an orthopaedic physiotherapist. Radiological measurements assessed included patellar shape, sulcus angle, congruence angle, lateral patellofemoral angle (LPA), lateral patellar displacement (LPD), lateral displacement measurement (LDM), boss height, and patellar height ratios (Caton-Deschamps, Blackburne-Peel, Insall-Salvati). All assessors were provided with a summary document outlining the method of assessing each measurement. Bland-Altman analyses were adopted to assess intra- and inter-rater reliability. Results. The results indicated generally low measurement error on intra-rater reliability assessment, particularly for LPD (within-subject variance 0.7mm to 3.7mm), LDM (0.7mm to 3.5mm) and boss height (0.4mm to 1.6mm) for all assessors. There was greater measurement error for the calculation of sulcus angle (0.7° to 10.6°), congruence angle (0.8° to 18.4°) and LPA (0.8° to 16.5°). Whilst the inter-rater reliability between assessors indicated a low mean difference for assessments of patellar height measurements (0.0° to 0.6°), there was greater variability for LPA (0.1° to 3.6°), LPD (0.2mm to 4.6mm) and LDM (0.1mm to 4.0mm), with wide 95% limits of agreement for all measurements indicated poor precision. Conclusions. Many of the standard measurements used to assess the patellofemoral joint on plain radiographs have poor precision. Intra-rater reliability may be related to experience but it seems likely that to achieve good inter-rater reliability, specific training may be required to calibrate observers. More formal training in the technique of radiological measurement for those who were inexperienced might have improved the inter-rater reliability

INTRODUCTION. The magnitude of knee flexion angle is a relevant information during clinical examination of the knee, and this item is a significant part of every knee scoring system. It is generally performed by visual analysis or with manual goniometers, but these techniques may be neither precise nor accurate. More sophisticated techniques are only possible in experimental studies. Smartphone technology might offer a new way to perform this measurement with increased accuracy. MATERIAL. 20 patients operated on for unicompartmental or total knee replacement with help of a navigation system participated to the study. There were 13 women and 7 men with a mean age of 72.1 years. METHODS. All patients were operated on for unicompartmental or total knee replacement. All patients were operated on with help of a non-image based navigation system. The navigation system is able to measure very accurately the knee flexion angle. The Smartphone application allows measuring this angle in two steps 1) recording the reference position by putting the Smartphone on the operating table, 2) recording the knee flexion angle by putting the Smartphone against the tibial crest. Two observers participated to the study. The first observer performed three independent navigated measurements followed by three independent Smartphone measurements while positioning the knee under visual control in full extension, at 0°, 30°, 60°, 90° of knee flexion and at maximal flexion; the second observer performed only one set of measurements. The intra- and inter-observer variability was assessed by calculation of the intra-class correlation coefficient. Navigated and Smartphone data were compared by a paired Wilcoxon test and calculation of the Spearman coefficient of correlation at a 5% level of significance. RESULTS. There was no significant difference between paired navigated and Smartphone measurements at any degree of knee flexion. There was a strong correlation between the two data sets. The intra- and inter-observer reproducibility was high. DISCUSSION-CONCLUSION. There was a high agreement between the navigated measurements considered as the reference and the Smartphone measurements. This new technology is easy to use and extensively available. It allows improving significantly the precision and the accuracy of the measurement of the knee flexion angle without technical difficulties. This technique might allow a self-control by the patient of the progression of the post-operative rehabilitation. SUMMARY. The Smartphone application allows improving significantly the precision and the accuracy of the measurement of the knee flexion angle without technical difficulties