Knee registries: state of the art

Factors Affecting Choice of Surgical Treatment of Cartilage Lesions of the Knee: An Analysis of Data From 5143 Patients From the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU)

Background

Symptomatic full-thickness cartilage lesions of the knee joint are considered an indication for cartilage repair surgery. Patient- and lesion-specific factors like age, nutritional status, etiology of defect, or integrity of corresponding joint surface remain controversial in indicating cartilage repair surgery. Furthermore, the selection of the most suitable cartilage repair technique for a specific cartilage lesion remains debatable.

Purpose

To evaluate indications and choice of treatment method for cartilage repair surgery, depending on patient- and lesion-specific data from the German Cartilage Registry.

Study Design

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods

A total of 6305 consecutive patients who underwent cartilage repair surgery of the knee evaluated and 5143 complete datasets were included in the analysis (follow-up rate, 81.5%). Patient-specific (age, body mass index, smoking status, previous operations, clinical leg axis) and lesion-specific (size, grading, location, etiology) data were provided by the attending surgeon at the time of surgery. Appropriate statistical tests were used to compare data depending on type and normality of data. Multivariable logistic regressions were calculated to investigate independent factors for the choice of specific cartilage repair techniques.

Results

The median size of treated cartilage lesions was 3.6 cm2, and most defects were of degenerative origin (54.8%). Of the registered patients, 39.2% were categorized as overweight and 19.6% as obese, while 23.3% were smokers. The most prevalently documented operative techniques were the autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) (52.4%), bone marrow stimulation (BMS) (17.3%), and BMS augmented with collagen scaffolds (9.3%). Independent factors that made the use of ACI more likely were bigger lesion size, previous surgery at the joint, and lesions located at the trochlea or the patella. On the contrary, BMS or augmented BMS were preferred in older patients, with damaged corresponding joint surface, and with more concomitant surgeries.

Conclusion

Cartilage repair surgery was indicated irrespective of nutritional status, smoking status, or etiology of the treated lesion. ACI was the most prevalent technique and was preferred for younger patients and patellar lesions. While older patients with degenerative changes to the joint were not excluded from cartilage repair surgery, the use of ACI was restricted.

Providing a Population Based Registry Model of Drug Poisoning in Iran

Background

The prevalence of drug poisoning is on the rise in Iran due to the increased public access to drugs. A national drug poisoning registry system is a suitable tool for better management, control, and prevention of drug poisoning.

Objectives

This study aimed to propose a national drug poisoning registry model for Iran.

Methods

This was an applied research conducted in two major phases. In the first phase, all sources pertaining to drug poisoning registries were reviewed, and a national drug poisoning registry model was proposed. In the second phase, this model was validated and finalized using a researcher-made questionnaire and through a two-stage Delphi technique.

Results

The focus of national drug poisoning activities and registry management reached the 100% consensus of experts at the Drug and Poison Information Center of the Food and Drug Organization (Ministry of Health and Medical Education). Goals, data sources, registry system structure, data set, standards, data exchange, registry features, and processes of the proposed model also achieved unanimous expert consensus.

Conclusions

Given the importance of a national drug poisoning registry in gathering, storing, analyzing, and reporting the data of patients, it is essential to provide a framework for evaluating and controlling drug poisoning and for generating valuable data for decision-making. The model proposed herein can offer the information infrastructure for designing and implementing such a system.

Impact of patient and prosthesis characteristics on common reasons for total knee replacement revision: a registry study of 36,626 revision cases from Australia, Sweden, and USA

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Total knee replacement (TKR) studies usually analyze all-cause revision when considering relationships with patient and prosthesis factors. We studied how these factors impact different revision diagnoses.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We used data from 2003 to 2019 of TKR for osteoarthritis from the arthroplasty registries of Sweden, Australia, and Kaiser Permanente, USA to study patient and prosthesis characteristics for specific revision diagnoses. There were 1,072,924 primary TKR included and 36,626 were revised. Factors studied included age, sex, prosthesis constraint, fixation method, bearing mobility, polyethylene type, and patellar component use. Revision diagnoses were arthrofibrosis, fracture, infection, instability, loosening, pain, patellar reasons, and wear. Odds ratios (ORs) for revision were estimated and summary effects were calculated using a meta-analytic approach.

RESULTS

We found between-registry consistency in 15 factor/reason analyses. Risk factors for revision for arthrofibrosis were age < 65 years (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.4-2.7) and mobile bearing designs (MB) (OR 1.7; CI 1.1-2.5), for fracture were female sex (OR 3.2; CI 2.2-4.8), age ≥ 65 years (OR 2.8; CI 1.9-4) and posterior stabilized prostheses (PS) (OR 2.1; CI 1.3-3.5), for infection were male sex (OR 1.9; CI 1.7-2.0) and PS (OR 1.5; CI 1.2-1.8), for instability were age < 65 years (OR 1.5; CI 1.3-1.8) and MB (OR 1.5; CI 1.1-2.2), for loosening were PS (OR 1.5; CI 1.4-1.6), MB (OR 2.2; CI 1.6-3.0) and use of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (OR 2.3; CI 1.8-2.9), for patellar reasons were not resurfacing the patella (OR 13.6; CI 2.1-87.2) and MB (OR 2.0; CI 1.2-3.3) and for wear was cementless fixation (OR 4.9; CI 4.3-5.5).

INTERPRETATION

Patients could be counselled regarding specific age and sex risks. Use of minimally stabilized, fixed bearing, cemented prostheses, and patellar components is encouraged to minimize revision risk.