Jeffrey Peck

Osteochondral lesions of the femoral head in young people are rare and present unique management challenges. Optimal treatment for these lesions is unclear. From 2009 to 2016, clinical and radiographic outcomes were prospectively collected within a series of symptomatic focal osteochondral lesions of the femoral head with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. A surgical hip dislocation followed by implantation of a size-matched fresh osteochondral femoral head allograft was performed. Nine hips in eight patients (6 female patients) underwent surgery at an average of 17 years (11 to 21 years). Individual allograft sizes ranged from 10 to 35 mm in diameter; with 2 of 9 hips receiving two allografts in a stacked or mosaicplasty technique at the time of treatment. The average graft implantation was 3536.5 mm². Modified Harris hip scores improved by 13.4 (P = 0.018) from preoperative to final follow-up for all patients. Significant improvements in internal rotation (12° versus 23°, P = 0.011), external rotation (32° versus 50°, P = 0.041), and abduction (28° versus 40°, P = 0.042) were also achieved. Three patients (four hips) demonstrated poor radiographic healing (P = 0.049). Fresh osteochondral allograft treatment is a good option for focal osteochondral lesions of the femoral head with improved outcomes and motion; however, higher failure rates may be seen in those with a lower center edge angle.

Purpose Intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) has historically been difficult to obtain in patients with Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) disease. Transcranial motor-evoked potentials (TcMEPs) have been found to be safe and effective for other spinal deformity patients. Our objective was to determine the effectiveness of TcMEP monitoring in patients with CMT. Methods An IRB-approved, retrospective review of CMT patients undergoing spinal deformity surgery assessing TcMEP, somatosensory-evoked potential (SSEP), and neurogenic motor evoked potential (NMEP) IONM was performed. A 2:1 matched cohort control group of idiopathic spinal deformity patients was used. A waveform grading system was applied to review baseline TcMEP reliability and quality, which was validated via intraclass correlation coefficient amongst five raters. Results Twenty-three CMT patients (26 surgical cases) were identified. The use of TcMEP improved the ability to obtain baseline IONM when compared to SSEP (83% vs. 20%; p < 0.001) and NMEP (83% vs. 18%; p = 0.003). Baseline monitoring was obtained less often for CMT patients using SSEP (20% vs. 100%; p < 0.001) and TcMEP (83% vs. 100%; p = 0.111) compared to idiopathic patients. Sweep length (time from stimulation waveform evaluation) and maximum stimulation voltage were higher in the CMT group (289 ms vs. 111 ms p = 0.007 and 740 V vs. 345 V p = 0.089, respectively). Conclusion TcMEP monitoring significantly improves the ability to provide IONM for CMT patients undergoing spinal deformity surgery. Utilizing longer sweep lengths enhances the ability to attain baseline TcMEP readings, allowing surgeons to more safely proceed with surgery for these complex patients. Level of evidence Therapeutic-Level III.

Background: A periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) can reduce pain and improve quality of life in patients with hip dysplasia. While its utility for patients without traditional radiographic parameters for hip dysplasia has not been previously established, the PAO may help treat patients with hip instability that does not improve following single or multiple hip arthroscopic procedures, or when such procedures lead to hip instability. Methods: A single-surgeon registry of patients at a single institution was queried to identify patients with a lateral center-edge angle (LCEA) of ≥24° and a Tönnis angle of <10° who underwent PAO because of hip pain and/or instability that failed treatment with hip arthroscopy. Descriptive summary statistics were reported on patient demographics, mean change in LCEA, and patient-reported outcome measures, including the modified Harris hip score (mHHS) and the International Hip Outcome Tool-33 (iHOT-33), at a minimum of 6 months of follow-up. Results: Among 25 patients (mean age, 27.3 ± 6.9 years; 100% women), the mean LCEA increased from 27.2° (range, 24° to 37°) preoperatively to 39.0° ± 5.1° postoperatively (net increase, 11.8° ± 4.5°). Overall, the mean improvement in the mHHS was 11.5 ± 16.9 (preoperative, 59.4 ± 11.6; postoperative, 70.9 ± 20.6) and the mean improvement in the iHOT-33 was 23.8 ± 23.6 (preoperative, 32.2 ± 17.2; postoperative, 56.0 ± 30.0). Eighteen patients (72%) achieved a minimal clinically important improvement in mHHS (mean improvement, 17.4 ± 12.9) and iHOT-33 (mean improvement, 32.4 ± 19.1) scores. In comparison with 7 patients who did not show improvement, the 18 patients who showed improvement had significantly greater mean baseline patient-reported outcome scores. Conclusions: To our knowledge, these findings provide the first report on outcomes of PAO in patients with hip pain following arthroscopy who do not meet the traditional criteria for acetabular dysplasia. Early benefits in clinical outcomes suggest a novel surgical indication for PAO as a potential salvage option for selected patients; however, longer-term studies are needed. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Conventional interrupted sutures are traditionally used in extensor mechanism closure during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). In recent years, barbed suture has been introduced with the proposed benefits of decreased closure time and a watertight seal that is superior to interrupted sutures. Complication rates using barbed sutures and conventional interrupted sutures are

Over the past 30 years, treatment advances and the addition of neoadjuvant chemotherapy have led to improved 5-year survival in patients with osteosarcoma. More recent literature suggests the overall prognosis remains highly variable, with little improvement since the introduction of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Tumor necrosis is an important predictor of patient prognosis. Necrosis of more than 90% correlates with overall survival (OS) approaching 75%. We reviewed the history of osteosarcoma treatment and survival and performed a meta-analysis of the 2000-2011 literature. Forty articles were included in the study. Five-year OS was 63% (95% confidence interval, 60%-66%) in studies that included patients with metastatic and nonmetastatic disease and 71% (95% confidence interval, 67%-76%) in studies that included only patients with nonmetastatic disease. Fifty percent of the patients in the studies of those with nonmetastatic osteosarcoma achieved 90% necrosis on histology. Five-year OS and number of patients achieving 90% necrosis are consistent with previous reports. Research is needed to improve treatment regimens and patient outcomes.

Locking screws often are used in the treatment of osteoporotic fractures. Studies show that locking screws can increase bone stresses at the plate end, which increases the possibility of peri-implant fracture. This study evaluates whether the technique used to insert the end screw is related to the fracture tolerance adjacent to the plate. Twelve groups of plate constructs were evaluated using a fibular diaphyseal surrogate with mechanical properties similar to osteoporotic bone. All inboard screws were nonlocked with only the end screw fixation differing among groups. The end screws were inserted either perpendicularly to the plate or at an angle of 30 degrees for 6- and 12-hole plates. For both orientations, the end screws were inserted nonlocked, locked, or by a locked overdrilling technique, resulting in 6 groups per plate length. The perpendicular nonlocked screws represented a control group. The constructs were tested to failure in 4-point bending to determine peak load, failure energy, and stiffness. All constructs failed by peri-implant fracture along a plane through the 2 cortical holes of the end screw. Compared with the control group, an angulated locked screw at the plate end significantly increased the peak bending moment and energy required to produce a fracture for both plate lengths (6-hole, P = 0.008, P < 0.001; 12-hole, P = 0.006, P < 0.001). The use of an angulated locked end screw may enhance the resistance of osteoporotic bone to peri-implant fractures caused by bending forces.

This article discusses a case in which a patient who sustained an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury returned with anterior knee pain in the same knee approximately 20 years later. He underwent reconstruction at the time of the injury and had a revision reconstruction performed 10 years later. The case highlights the long-term consequences of ACL injury and subsequent reconstruction for the knee joint, as this patient has developed anterior knee pain during his mid-40s. Additionally, non-operative management of knee osteoarthritis is discussed.