Better outcomes after mini-subvastus approach for primary total knee arthroplasty: a Bayesian network meta-analysis

Change in patellar height in medial and lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty: a clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Evidence on patellar height changes following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is lacking. Therefore, this study compared the patella height in patients who underwent medial versus lateral UKA. Moreover, a subgroup analysis was conducted to investigate whether sex, age, and BMI of the patients exert an influence on the postoperative patellar height.

METHODS

Radiographs and hospital records of patients undergoing UKA were prospectively collected. Surgeries were performed by one author with long experience in UKA in a highly standardised fashion. The implants were fixed-bearing medial PPK (Zimmer Biomet, Warsaw, Indiana, USA) and fixed-bearing lateral ZUK (Lima Corporate, Udine, Italy). The patellar height was measured using the Insall-Salvati and Caton-Deschamps indices.

RESULTS

A total of 203 patients were included: 119 patients were included in the medial and 84 in the lateral UKA. The mean age of the patients was 68.9 ± 6.7 years, and the mean BMI was 28.1 ± 4.1 kg/m2. 54% (110 of 203 patients) were women. On admission, between-group comparability was found in age, BMI, sex, and length of the follow-up. No between-group and within-group difference was detected pre- and post-operatively in the Insall-Salvati and Caton-Deschamps indices in patients who have undergone medial versus lateral UKA. Concerning the subgroup analyses, no between-group and within-group difference was detected pre- and post-operatively in all comparisons according to sex, age, and BMI.

CONCLUSION

No difference was found in patella height in patients who have undergone medial compared to lateral UKA. Furthermore, there was no evidence of an association between patient characteristics (sex, age, BMI) and patella height between medial and lateral UKA.

Subvastus Approach Supporting Fast-Track Total Knee Arthroplasty Over the Medial Parapatellar Approach: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Numerous surgical approaches are being used to perform total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This systematic review and network meta-analysis aimed to compare surgical approaches used in TKA regarding postoperative outcomesat different time points.

METHODS

We performed a literature search from medical database inception until October 2, 2021. We searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating patients undergoing TKA and comparing at least 2 surgical approaches regarding early postsurgical clinical outcomes (range of motion [ROM], pain on a visual analog scale, and Knee Society Score [KSS]). We included 33 RCTs in our networks. Using paired and network meta-analysis, we calculated pooled mean differences (MDs) with 95% CIs by comparing surgical approaches to the medial parapatellar method.

RESULTS

The subvastus (SV) method performed the best on days 1 (MD = 6.99; CI: 1.08; 12.89), 3 (MD = 8.00; CI: 2.08; 13.92), 4 (MD = 27.01; CI: 18.09; 35.92), and 6 (MD = 27.22; CI: 18.38; 36.07) for ROM improvement. Regarding the decrease in pain, the mini SV approach offered significantly lower pain values on days 1 (MD = -1.98; CI: -2.93; -1.03), 3 (MD = -0.85; CI: -1.49; -0.22), and 7 (MD = -1.90; CI: -2.23; -1.57). The differences decreased as time passed. Furthermore, the SV and mini-SV methods performed the best regarding total, knee and function KSS.

CONCLUSION

Quadriceps-sparing approaches, especially the SV and mini-SV, are superior to the other approaches in the early postsurgical period, but the differences decrease as time passes.

Fostering Excellence in Knee Arthroplasty: Developing Optimal Patient Care Pathways and Inspiring Knowledge Transfer of Advanced Surgical Techniques

Osteoarthritis of the knee is common. Early sports trauma or cartilage defects are risk factors for osteoarthritis. If conservative treatment fails, partial or total joint replacement is often performed. A joint replacement aims to restore physiological biomechanics and the quality of life of affected patients. Total knee arthroplasty is one of the most performed surgeries in musculoskeletal medicine. Several developments have taken place over the last decades that have truly altered the way we look at knee arthroplasty today. Some of the fascinating aspects will be presented and discussed in the present narrative review.

Minimally Invasive (Epivastus) Approach for Total Knee Arthroplasty

The aim of the study was to assess the efficiency of a developed minimally invasive (epivastus) approach in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by comparing its early results with those of a standard medial mediapatellar approach (MMPA).

Materials and Methods

A single-center, comparative randomized prospective study involved 127 patients, who underwent TKA using MMPA (n=62) and a modified minimally invasive epivastus approach (n=65) within the period from January to December, 2022. The study groups were comparable by gender, age, BMI, gonarthrosis stage, and knee joint functioning parameters.

Results

The surgery duration in the epivastus group was significantly lower compared to MMPA group (p<0.001). However, the interpretation of tissue trauma markers assessment appeared rather ambiguous. There were no statistically significant differences in lactate dehydrogenase (p=0.253). C-reactive protein, myoglobin, creatinine showed a significant increase in MMPA group (p<0.001; p=0.002 and p=0.048, respectively), while aspartate aminotransferase, creatine phosphokinase and ESR, in contrast, increased in the epivastus group (p<0.001; p=0.024 and p=0.010, respectively). Pain syndrome determined by VAS 3 days after the surgery was significantly lower in the epivastus group (p=0.006). The extent of blood loss appeared to be much greater in MMPA group (p=0.006). The joint function indicators on day 3 after the surgery were found to be better in the patients after TKA using an epivastus approach (p<0.001). The postoperative assessment of the endoprosthetic spatial orientation showed the indicators characterizing the correct endoprosthetic implantation to be comparable in both groups (p≥0.06).

Conclusion

The present study demonstrated the efficiency of the developed minimally invasive (epivastus) approach in TKA. However, it should be taken into consideration that surgeons should take a training course to be able to accomplish a high-quality approach.An ambiguous interpretation of tissue trauma markers assessment of performing minimally traumatic approaches requires terminology correction. It is probably necessary to change the approach to the approach marking and use the terms specifying minimal invasiveness and the reduction of muscle injury rather than soft tissues in general.

Mid-vastus total knee arthroplasty for medial osteoarthritis recovers gait balance control better than lateral parapatellar approach three months post-surgery

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) approaches affect recovery outcomes, with different levels of residual loss of muscle strength and functional deficits. The current study compared the gait balance control in older individuals 3 months after TKA via the lateral parapatellar approach (LPPA) and mid-vastus approach (MVA) in terms of the inclination angle (IA) of the center of pressure (COP) to the body's center of mass (COM) vector, and the rate of change of IA (RCIA). In a gait laboratory, 12 patients with severe medial knee osteoarthritis who had undergone bilateral TKA via LPPA and 12 via MVA were evaluated and compared against 12 healthy controls for their balance control during gait 3 months after surgery. The participants' kinematic data and ground reaction forces were measured synchronously using an 8-camera motion capture system and three forceplates, respectively, from which the COM, COP, IA and RCIA were calculated using a 13-body-segment model. The LPPA group showed significantly greater sagittal IA during DLS (p < 0.01) but less sagittal and frontal RCIA throughout the gait cycle (p < 0.04) compared to controls. The MVA showed better recovery in the balance control with most IA and RCIA variables similar to those of the healthy controls throughout the gait cycle. The patients with LPPA walked with a compromised balance control throughout the gait cycle while the MVA group showed close-to-normal balance control with a slight decrease in sagittal RCIA during SLS. The current between-approach findings were likely related to the differences in the muscles involved during surgery, suggesting that MVA may be a better choice than LPPA when taking short-term gait balance control into consideration.

The Comparison between Mini-Subvastus Approach and Medial Parapatellar Approach in TKA: A Prospective Double-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

Minimal invasive approach has been increasingly used in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and more is expected of early rehabilitation in terms of pain release and recovery of knee function. The approach type is one of the major factors that determines the early rehabilitation after TKA. The purpose of this study is to determine whether mini‐subvastus approach (MSVA) is superior to the traditional medial parapatellar approach (MPA) in TKA.

Methods

From 2018 to 2019, a randomized double‐blinded prospective study was conducted on 58 patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral TKA. The subjects included eight men and 50 women, with an average age of 65 years. One side was randomized using MSVA and the other side using MPA. Visual analog scale (VAS), operative duration, recovery time to straight leg raising (SLR), range of motion (ROM), HSS score, release rate of lateral retinaculum, satisfaction rate were recorded and compared. Paired‐samples T test were used for quantitative data and chi‐square test for qualitative data.

Results

There was no statistical difference in the ratio of left and right sides, preoperative ROM, VAS, HSS score, muscular strength of lower limbs, KL grade, operative order, and operative duration between the two groups. The average ROM (118.91 ± 8.21 vs. 107.60 ± 7.99, t = 14.320, p = 0.0000) and HSS score (72.03 ± 4.55 vs. 61.22 ± 4.36, t = 13.095, p = 0.0000) on POD 3, VAS in rest and motion on POD 1 and 3, the recovery time to SLR (1.17 ± 0.38 vs. 3.09 ± 0.76, t = 19.902, p = 0.0000), and the satisfaction rate on POD 1 (96.55% vs. 74.14%, χ² = 9.9251, p = 0.0016) were superior in the MSVA group over MPA group. ROM in rest and motion and HSS score on POD 30 had no difference. The release rate of lateral retinaculum was less in the MSVA group than in the MPA group. The mean value of HKA, FFC, and FTC and the proportion of outliers did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Conclusions

Compared with MPA, MSVA can make ROM of knee and SLR recover earlier, reduce postoperative pain after TKA, improve the early postoperative satisfaction and reduce the lateral release rate. MSVA can be used as a favorable measure in the concept of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS).

Intensive Physical Activity Increases the Risk of Knee and Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

The present study investigated the type of sport and activity level of athletes before they underwent knee and/or hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis (OA), and compared them with a control group of subjects who did not undergo knee and hip arthroplasty. We hypothesed athletes exposed to high physical loads during sports had the highest risk of developing OA requiring arthroplasty.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. All the comparative clinical trials to August 2021 investigating the sport activity level between subjects who underwent arthroplasty versus those who did not undergo arthroplasty for OA were considered.

RESULTS

Data from 5 studies and 3638 patients were collected. The mean age for both groups was 47.61±15.5 years, and the mean body mass index was 24.6±2.1 kg/m2 17.6% were women. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale attested good quality of the methodology of the investigations included in the present study.

CONCLUSION

Intense physical exercise, implying a high cumulative number of hours of exercise which can lead to excessive joint overload, in both sexes is associated with greater likelihood of early knee and hip OA which may lead to prosthetic surgery. Moderate and recreational exposure to sport has minor degenerative effects, and is not associated with early onset OA requiring arthroplasty.

Anatomical implications of the subvastus approach on major vascular injury during a distal femoral osteotomy: a computed tomographic venography study

PURPOSE

This study evaluated major vascular injury risk in distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) via the subvastus approach and examined the relationship between the posterior border of the vastus medialis (VM) and the superficial femoral artery (SFA) and vein (SFV).

METHODS

Eighty limbs from 80 patients were evaluated using lower extremity computed tomographic venography. The positional relationship between the VM, SFA, and SFV was evaluated by measuring the angle between each structure and the horizontal reference point (VMA: VM angle, FAA (femoral arterial angle), FVA (femoral venous angle) and the distance between VM and the SFA and SFV (VMAD: VM-arterial distance, VMVD: VM-venous distance) in each axial slice (0/10/20/30/40 mm) proximal to the level of the superior patellar margin. The proximity of the posterior border of the VM and the SFA/SFV as a vertical distance, measured between the slice of the superior border of the patella and the slice where the posterior border of the VM contacted the SFA was evaluated. Single and multiple regression analyses were performed using the vertical distance as the objective variable.

RESULTS

As the slice shifted proximally, the VMA significantly increased (24.9 ± 8.5, 36.3 ± 8.8, 47.4 ± 11.8, 59.9 ± 14, 70.3 ± 13.7 degrees, respectively, p < 0.001 between all slices) and moved posteromedially from a medial direction. FAA (94.2 ± 7, 86.9 ± 9.2, 78.4 ± 9.7, 71.4 ± 9.8, 66.6 ± 10.5 degree, respectively, p < 0.001 between all slices) and FVA (100.6 ± 4.9, 98.3 ± 5.9, 93.7 ± 7.5, 88 ± 9.2, 81.1 ± 10.5 degrees, respectively, p < 0.001 between all slices) decreased and moved from a posterolateral to a posteromedial direction, while VMAD (35.4 ± 7.8, 24.1 ± 7.3, 14.3 ± 6, 8.4 ± 7, 6.2 ± 6.3 mm, respectively, p < 0.001 between all slices) and VMVD significantly decreased (42.7 ± 7.3, 32 ± 7.4, 22.4 ± 6.8, 14.5 ± 10.6, 8.7 ± 7.1 mm, respectively, p < 0.001 between all slices). The average vertical distance was 36 ± 9.3 mm (range 18.6-61.5 mm). The body height and the patellar length significantly affected the vertical distance.

CONCLUSION

The posterior border of the VM shifted posteromedially from distal to proximal and contacted the SFA at an average of 36 mm from the suprapatellar border. Surgeons should be aware of the risk of major vascular injury during exposure and osteotomy.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Case series, Level IV.

No difference between mobile and fixed bearing in primary total knee arthroplasty: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Both mobile (MB) and fixed (FB) bearing implants are routinely used for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This meta-analysis compared MB versus FB for TKA in terms of implant positioning, joint function, patient reported outcome measures (PROMs), and complications. It was hypothesised that MB performs better than FB implants in primary TKA.

METHODS

This meta-analysis was conducted according to the 2020 PRISMA statement. In February 2022, the following databases were accessed: Pubmed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Embase. All the randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing mobile versus fixed bearing for primary TKA were considered.

RESULTS

Data from 74 RCTs (11,116 procedures) were retrieved. The mean follow-up was 58.8 (7.5 to 315.6) months. The MB group demonstrated greater range of motion (ROM) (P = 0.02), Knee Society Score (KSS) score (P < 0.0001), and rate of deep infections (P = 0.02). No difference was found in implant positioning: tibial slope, delta angle, alpha femoral component angle, gamma femoral component angle, beta tibial component angle, tibiofemoral alignment angle, posterior condylar offset, radiolucent lines. No difference was found in duration of the surgical procedure. No difference was found in the following PROMs: Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), visual analogue scale (VAS), function and pain subscales of the KSS score. No difference was found in the rate of anterior knee pain, revision, aseptic loosening, fractures, and deep vein thrombosis.

CONCLUSION

There is no evidence in support that MB implants promote greater outcomes compared to FB implants in primary TKA.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level I.

NSAIDs for Prophylaxis for Heterotopic Ossification After Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Bayesian Network Meta-analysis

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) have been recommended to prevent of heterotopic ossification (HO) after total hip arthroplasty (THA), but debates are still ongoing. The present Bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) compared all available pathways of NSAID treatment as prophylaxis for HO after THA. The present Bayesian network meta-analysis was conducted according to The PRISMA Extension Statement for Reporting of Systematic Reviews Incorporating Network Meta-analyses of Health Care Interventions guidelines. All randomized clinical trials comparing two or more interventions to prevent HO after THA were considered for analysis. HO was classified according to Brooker. The quality of the methodological assessment was performed through the risk of bias summary tool of the Review Manager Software 5.3 (The Cochrane Collaboration, Copenhagen). The network meta-analysis was performed through a STATA routine for Bayesian hierarchical random-effects model analysis, with log odd ratio (LOR) effect measure. Data from 26 studies (6396 THAs; 58% females) were collected. The mean follow-up was 10.50 ± 5.7 months. ANOVA showed good comparability among mean age and gender (P > 0.5). Celecoxib demonstrated the highest rate of Brooker class 0 (LOR 6.96), followed by diclofenac (LOR 6.94). Naproxen demonstrated the lowest rate of Brooker I HO (LOR 2.82), followed by celecoxib (LOR 3.52). Celecoxib demonstrated lowest rate of Brooker class II HO (LOR 1.66), class III (LOR), and class IV (LOR 0.25). The equation for global linearity detected no statistically significant inconsistency (P > 0.5) in all the comparisons. The present Bayesian network meta-analysis encourages the use of celecoxib as a prophylaxis for HO. These conclusions must be interpreted in light of the limitations of the present study. Future investigations are required to establish more definitely the role of celecoxib.Level of Evidence: I, Bayesian network analysis of RCTs.