Aims. The study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic debridement and partial excision in patients with traumatic central tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), and to identify prognostic factors associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes. Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients arthroscopically diagnosed with Palmer 1 A lesions who underwent arthroscopic debridement and partial excision from March 2009 to February 2021, with a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Patients were assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, Mayo Wrist Score (MWS), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain. The poor outcome group was defined as patients whose preoperative and last follow-up clinical score difference was less than the minimal clinically important difference of the DASH score (10.83). Baseline characteristics, arthroscopic findings, and radiological factors (ulnar variance, MRI, or arthrography) were evaluated to predict poor clinical outcomes. Results. A total of 114 patients were enrolled in this study, with a mean follow-up period of 29.8 months (SD 14.4). The mean DASH score improved from 36.5 (SD 21.5) to 16.7 (SD 14.3), the mean MWS from 59.7 (SD 17.9) to 79.3 (SD 14.3), and the mean VAS pain score improved from 5.9 (SD 1.8) to 2.2 (SD 2.0) at the last follow-up (all p < 0.001). Among the 114 patients, 16 (14%) experienced poor clinical outcomes and ten (8.8%) required secondary ulnar shortening osteotomy. Positive ulnar variance was the only factor significantly associated with poor clinical outcomes (p < 0.001). Positive ulnar variance was present in 38 patients (33%); among them, eight patients (21%) required additional operations. Conclusion. Arthroscopic debridement alone appears to be an effective and safe initial treatment for patients with traumatic central TFCC tears. The presence of positive ulnar variance was associated with poor clinical outcomes, but close observation after arthroscopic debridement is more likely to be recommended than ulnar shortening osteotomy as a primary treatment. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(4):380–386

Aims

Implantation of ultra-purified alginate (UPAL) gel is safe and effective in animal osteochondral defect models. This study aimed to examine the applicability of UPAL gel implantation to acellular therapy in humans with cartilage injury.

Injury to the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) may result in ulnar wrist pain with or without instability. One component of the TFCC, the radioulnar ligaments, serve as the primary soft-tissue stabilizer of the distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ). Tears or avulsions of its proximal, foveal attachment are thought to be associated with instability of the DRUJ, most noticed during loaded pronosupination. In the absence of detectable instability, injury of the foveal insertion of the radioulnar ligaments may be overlooked. While advanced imaging techniques such as MRI and radiocarpal arthroscopy are well-suited for diagnosing central and distal TFCC tears, partial and complete foveal tears without instability may be missed without a high degree of suspicion. While technically challenging, DRUJ arthroscopy provides the most accurate method of detecting foveal abnormalities. In this annotation the spectrum of foveal injuries is discussed and a modified classification scheme is proposed.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(1):5–10.

Aims. To determine the relationship between articular cartilage status and clinical outcomes after medial opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOHTO) for medial compartmental knee osteoarthritis at intermediate follow-up. Methods. We reviewed 155 patients (155 knees) who underwent MOHTO from January 2008 to December 2016 followed by second-look arthroscopy with a mean 5.3-year follow-up (2.0 to 11.7). Arthroscopic findings were assessed according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) Cartilage Repair Assessment (CRA) grading system. Patients were divided into two groups based on the presence of normal or nearly normal quality cartilage in the medial femoral condyle: good (second-look arthroscopic) status (ICRS grade I or II; n = 70), and poor (second-look arthroscopic) status (ICRS grade III or IV; n = 85) groups at the time of second-look arthroscopy. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and 36-Item Short Form survey. Results. Significant improvements in all clinical outcome categories were found between the preoperative and second-look arthroscopic assessments in both groups (p < 0.001). At the latest follow-up, the mean IKDC and WOMAC scores in the good status group further improved compared with those at the time of second-look arthroscopic surgery (p < 0.001), which was not shown in the poor status group. The mean IKDC (good status, 72.8 (SD 12.5); poor status, 64.7 (SD 12.1); p = 0.002) and mean WOMAC scores (good status, 15.7 (SD 10.8); poor status, 21.8 (SD 13.6); p = 0.004) significantly differed between both groups at the latest follow-up. Moreover, significant correlations were observed between ICRS CRA grades and IKDC scores (negative correlation; p < 0.001) and WOMAC scores (positive correlation; p < 0.001) at the latest follow-up. Good cartilage status was found more frequently in knees with the desired range of 2° to 6° valgus correction than in those with corrections outside this range (p = 0.019). Conclusion. Second-look arthroscopic cartilage status correlated with clinical outcomes after MOHTO at intermediate-term follow-up, despite the relatively small clinical differences between groups. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(11):1686–1694

Aims

The Oswestry-Bristol Classification (OBC) is an MRI-specific assessment tool to grade trochlear dysplasia. The aim of this study is to validate clinically the OBC by demonstrating its use in selecting treatments that are safe and effective.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to identify the changes in untreated long head of the biceps brachii tendon (LHBT) after a rotator cuff tear and to evaluate the factors related to the changes.

Aims

Limited evidence is available on mid-term outcomes of robotic-arm assisted (RA) partial knee arthroplasty (PKA). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate mid-term survivorship, modes of failure, and patient-reported outcomes of RA PKA.

Aims

Trochlear dysplasia is a significant risk factor for patellofemoral instability. The Dejour classification is currently considered the standard for classifying trochlear dysplasia, but numerous studies have reported poor reliability on both plain radiography and MRI. The severity of trochlear dysplasia is important to establish in order to guide surgical management. We have developed an MRI-specific classification system to assess the severity of trochlear dysplasia, the Oswestry-Bristol Classification (OBC). This is a four-part classification system comprising normal, mild, moderate, and severe to represent a normal, shallow, flat, and convex trochlear, respectively. The purpose of this study was to assess the inter- and intraobserver reliability of the OBC and compare it with that of the Dejour classification.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate antegrade autologous bone grafting with the preservation of articular cartilage in the treatment of symptomatic osteochondral lesions of the talus with subchondral cysts.

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the long-term clinical and radiological outcome of patients who suffer recurrent injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after reconstruction and require revision surgery.

The role of arthroscopy in the treatment of soft-tissue injuries associated with proximal tibial fractures remains debatable. Our hypothesis was that MRI over-diagnoses clinically relevant associated soft-tissue injuries. This prospective study involved 50 consecutive patients who underwent surgical treatment for a split-depression fracture of the lateral tibial condyle (AO/OTA type B3.1). The mean age of patients was 50 years (23 to 86) and 27 (54%) were female. All patients had MRI and arthroscopy. Arthroscopy identified 12 tears of the lateral meniscus, including eight bucket-handle tears that were sutured and four that were resected, as well as six tears of the medial meniscus, of which five were resected. Lateral meniscal injuries were diagnosed on MRI in four of 12 patients, yielding an overall sensitivity of 33% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11 to 65). Specificity was 76% (95% CI 59 to 88), with nine tears diagnosed among 38 menisci that did not contain a tear. MRI identified medial meniscal injuries in four of six patients, yielding an overall sensitivity of 67% (95% CI 24 to 94). Specificity was 66% (95% CI 50 to 79), with 15 tears diagnosed in 44 menisci that did not contain tears.

MRI appears to offer only a marginal benefit as the specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing meniscal injuries are poor in patients with a fracture. There were fewer arthroscopically-confirmed associated lesions than reported previously in MRI studies.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1631–6.

We report the clinical outcome and findings at second-look arthroscopy of 216 patients (mean age 25 years (11 to 58)) who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction or augmentation. There were 73 single-bundle ACL augmentations (44 female, 29 male), 82 double-bundle ACL reconstructions (35 female, 47 male), and 61 single-bundle ACL reconstructions (34 female, 27 male).

In 94 of the 216 patients, proprioceptive function of the knee was evaluated before and 12 months after surgery using the threshold to detect passive motion test.

Second-look arthroscopy showed significantly better synovial coverage of the graft in the augmentation group (good: 60 (82%), fair: 10 (14%), poor: 3 (4%)) than in the other groups (p = 0.039). The mean side-to-side difference measured with a KT-2000 arthrometer was 0.4 mm (-3.3 to 2.9) in the augmentation group, 0.9 mm (-3.2 to 3.5) in the double-bundle group, and 1.3 mm (-2.7 to 3.9) in the single-bundle group: the result differed significantly between the augmentation and single-bundle groups (p = 0 .013). No significant difference in the Lysholm score or pivot-shift test was seen between the three groups (p = 0.09 and 0.65, respectively). In patients with good synovial coverage, three of the four measurements used revealed significant improvement in proprioceptive function (p = 0.177, 0.020, 0.034, and 0.026).

We conclude that ACL augmentation is a reasonable treatment option for patients with favourable ACL remnants.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1325–32

The cam-type deformity in femoroacetabular impingement is a 3D deformity. Single measurements using radiographs, CT or MRI may not provide a true estimate of the magnitude of the deformity. We performed an analysis of the size and location of measurements of the alpha angle (α°) using a CT technique which could be applied to the 3D reconstructions of the hip. Analysis was undertaken in 42 patients (57 hips; 24 men and 18 women; mean age 38 years (16 to 58)) who had symptoms of femoroacetabular impingement related to a cam-type abnormality. An α° of > 50° was considered a significant indicator of cam-type impingement. Measurements of the α° were made at different points around the femoral head/neck junction at intervals of 30°: starting at the nine o’clock (posterior), ten, eleven and twelve o’clock (superior), one, two and ending at three o’clock (anterior) position.

The mean maximum increased α° was 64.6° (50.8° to 86°). The two o’clock position was the most common point to find an increased α° (53 hips; 93%), followed by one o’clock (48 hips; 84%). The largest α° for each hip was found most frequently at the two o’clock position (46%), followed by the one o’clock position (39%). Generally, raised α angles extend over three segments of the clock face.

Single measurements of the α°, whether pre- or post-operative, should be viewed with caution as they may not be representative of the true size of the deformity and not define whether adequate correction has been achieved following surgery.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1167–71.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate treatment results following arthroscopic triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) debridement for recalcitrant ulnar wrist pain. According to the treatment algorithm, 66 patients (36 men and 30 women with a mean age of 38.1 years (15 to 67)) with recalcitrant ulnar wrist pain were allocated to undergo ulnar shortening osteotomy (USO; n = 24), arthroscopic TFCC repair (n = 15), arthroscopic TFCC debridement (n = 14) or prolonged conservative treatment (n = 13). The mean follow-up was 36.0 months (15 to 54). Significant differences in Hand20 score at 18 months were evident between the USO group and TFCC debridement group (p = 0.003), and between the TFCC repair group and TFCC debridement group (p = 0.029). Within-group comparisons showed that Hand20 score at five months or later and pain score at two months or later were significantly decreased in the USO/TFCC repair groups. In contrast, scores in the TFCC debridement/conservative groups did not decrease significantly. Grip strength at 18 months was significantly improved in the USO/TFCC repair groups, but not in the TFCC debridement/conservative groups. TFCC debridement shows little benefit on the clinical course of recalcitrant ulnar wrist pain even after excluding patients with ulnocarpal abutment or TFCC detachment from the fovea from the indications for arthroscopic TFCC debridement.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1687–96.

We investigated differences in the location and mode of labral tears between dysplastic hips and hips with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). We also investigated the relationship between labral tear and adjacent cartilage damage. We retrospectively studied 72 symptomatic hips (in 68 patients: 19 men and 49 women) with radiological evidence of dysplasia or FAI on high-resolution CT arthrography. The incidence and location of labral tears and modes of tear associated with the base of the labrum (Mode 1) or body of the labrum (Mode 2) were compared among FAI, mildly dysplastic and severely dysplastic hips. The locations predominantly involved with labral tears were different in FAI and mild dysplastic hips (anterior and anterosuperior zones) and in severely dysplastic hips (anterosuperior and superior zones) around the acetabulum. Significant differences were observed in the prevalence of Mode 1 versus Mode 2 tears in FAI hips (72% (n = 13) vs 28% (n = 5)) and severe dysplastic hips (25% (n = 2) vs 75% (n = 6)). The frequency of cartilage damage adjacent to Mode 1 tears was significantly higher (42% (n = 14)) than that adjacent to Mode 2 tears (14% (n = 3)).

Hip pathology is significantly related to the locations and modes of labral tears. Mode 1 tears may be a risk factor for the development of adjacent acetabular cartilage damage.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1320–5.

Lateral epicondylitis, or ’tennis elbow’, is a common condition that usually affects patients between 35 and 55 years of age. It is generally self-limiting, but in some patients it may continue to cause persistent symptoms, which can be refractory to treatment. This review discusses the mechanism of disease, symptoms and signs, investigations, current management protocols and potential new treatments.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1158–64.

We present the ten- to 15-year follow-up of 31 patients (34 knees), who underwent an Elmslie-Trillat tibial tubercle osteotomy for chronic, severe patellar instability, unresponsive to non-operative treatment. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery was 31 years (18 to 46) and they were reviewed post-operatively, at four years (2 to 8) and then at 12 years (10 to 15). All patients had pre-operative knee radiographs and Cox and Insall knee scores. Superolateral portal arthroscopy was performed per-operatively to document chondral damage and after the osteotomy to assess the stability of the patellofemoral joint. A total of 28 knees (82%) had a varying degree of damage to the articular surface. At final follow-up 25 patients (28 knees) were available for review and underwent clinical examination, radiographs of the knee, and Cox and Insall scoring. Six patients who had no arthroscopic chondral abnormality showed no or only early signs of osteoarthritis on final radiographs; while 12 patients with lower grade chondral damage (grade 1 to 2) showed early to moderate signs of osteoarthritis and six out of ten knees with higher grade chondral damage (grade 3 to 4) showed marked evidence of osteoarthritis; four of these had undergone a knee replacement. In the 22 patients (24 knees) with complete follow-up, 19 knees (79.2%) were reported to have a good or excellent outcome at four years, while 15 knees (62.5%) were reported to have the same at long-term follow-up. The functional and radiological results show that the extent of pre-operatively sustained chondral damage is directly related to the subsequent development of patellofemoral osteoarthritis.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:478–85.

Hip arthroscopy is particularly attractive in children as it confers advantages over arthrotomy or open surgery, such as shorter recovery time and earlier return to activity. Developments in surgical technique and arthroscopic instrumentation have enabled extension of arthroscopy of the hip to this age group. Potential challenges in paediatric and adolescent hip arthroscopy include variability in size, normal developmental change from childhood to adolescence, and conditions specific to children and adolescents and their various consequences. Treatable disorders include the sequelae of traumatic and sports-related hip joint injuries, Legg–Calve–Perthes’ disease and slipped capital femoral epiphysis, and the arthritic and septic hip. Intra-articular abnormalities are rarely isolated and are often associated with underlying morphological changes.

This review presents the current concepts of hip arthroscopy in the paediatric and adolescent patient, covering clinical assessment and investigation, indications and results of the experience to date, as well as technical challenges and future directions.

We compared extrusion of the allograft after medial and lateral meniscal allograft transplantation and examined the correlation between the extent of extrusion and the clinical outcome. A total of 73 lateral and 26 medial meniscus allografts were evaluated by MRI at a mean of 32 months (24 to 59) in 99 patients (67 men, 32 women) with a mean age of 35 years (21 to 52). The absolute values and the proportional widths of extruded menisci as a percentage were measured in coronal images that showed maximum extrusion. Functional assessments were performed using Lysholm scores. The mean extrusion was 4.7 mm (1.8 to 7.7) for lateral menisci and 2.9 mm (1.2 to 6.5) for medial menisci (p < 0.001), and the mean percentage extrusions were 52.0% (23.8% to 81.8%) and 31.2% (11.6% to 63.4%), respectively (p < 0.001). Mean Lysholm scores increased significantly from 49.0 (10 to 83) pre-operatively to 86.6 (33 to 99) at final follow-up for lateral menisci (p = 0.001) and from 50.9 (15 to 88) to 88.3 (32 to 100) for medial menisci (p < 0.001). The final mean Lysholm scores were similar in the two groups (p = 0.312). Furthermore, Lysholm scores were not found to be correlated with degree of extrusion (p = 0.242).

Thus, transplanted lateral menisci extrude more significantly than transplanted medial menisci. However, the clinical outcome after meniscal transplantation was not found to be adversely affected by extrusion of the allograft.

We retrospectively reviewed the hospital records of 68 patients who had been referred with an injury to the posterolateral corner of the knee to a specialist knee surgeon between 2005 and 2009. These injuries were diagnosed based on a combination of clinical testing and imaging and arthroscopy when available. In all, 51 patients (75%) presented within 24 hours of their injury with a mean presentation at eight days (0 to 20) after the injury. A total of 63 patients (93%) had instability of the knee at presentation. There was a mean delay to the diagnosis of injury to the posterolateral corner of 30 months (0 to 420) from the time of injury. In all, the injuries in 49 patients (72%) were not identified at the time of the initial presentation, with the injury to the posterolateral corner only recognised in those patients who had severe multiple ligamentous injuries. The correct diagnosis, including injury to the posterolateral corner, had only been made in 34 patients (50%) at time of referral to a specialist knee clinic. MRI correctly identified 14 of 15 injuries when performed acutely (within 12 weeks of injury), but this was the case in only four of 15 patients in whom it was performed more than 12 weeks after the injury.

Our study highlights a need for greater diligence in the examination and investigation of acute ligamentous injuries at the knee with symptoms of instability, in order to avoid failure to identify the true extent of the injury at the time when anatomical repair is most straightforward.