Recurrent patellar dislocation patients with high-grade J-sign have multiple structural bone abnormalities in the lower limbs

PURPOSE

To explore the relationship between preoperative J-sign grading and structural bone abnormalities in patients with recurrent patellar dislocation (RPD).

METHODS

A retrospective study was conducted on RPD patients over 5 years. Patients were categorised based on J-sign grade into low (J- and J1+), moderate (J2+) and high groups (J3+). Trochlear dysplasia (TD) and osseous structures (femoral anteversion angle [FAA], knee torsion, tibial tuberosity-trochlear groove [TT-TG] distance, Caton-Deschamps index) were assessed and grouped according to risk factor thresholds. The χ2 test was used to compare composition ratio differences of structural bone abnormalities among the groups.

RESULTS

A total of 256 patients were included, with 206 (80.5%) females. The distribution of J-sign grade was as follows: 89 knees (34.8%) of low grade, 86 moderate (33.6%) and 81 high (31.6%). Among the five structural bone abnormalities, TD was the most common with a prevalence of 78.5%, followed by increased TT-TG at 47.4%. Excessive tibiofemoral rotation had the lowest occurrence at 28.9%. There were 173 (67.6%) patients who had two or more abnormalities, while 45 (17.6%) had four to five bony abnormalities. Among patients with any bony abnormality, the proportion of high-grade J-sign surpassed 40%. Patients with moderate and high-grade J-sign had more increased FAA and more pronounced patella alta (all p < 0.001). The proportion of excessive knee torsion and TD increased with increasing each J-sign grade, with the more notable tendency in knee torsion (high vs. moderate vs. low-grade: 61% vs. 22% vs 7%, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the higher J-sign grade was also associated with more combined bony abnormalities (p < 0.001). In the high-grade J-sign group, 90.2% of the knees had two or more bony risk factors and 40.7% had four or more, which were significantly higher than the moderate and low-grade J-sign groups (40.7% vs. 11.6% vs. 2.2%, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In patients with a high-grade J-sign, over 90% of the lower limbs had two or more structural bone risk factors, and more than 40% had four or more. These proportions were significantly higher compared to knees with low-grade and moderate J-sign. In clinical practice, when treating high-grade patellar mal-tracking, it is important to focus on and correct these strongly correlated abnormal bone structures.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Derotational distal femoral osteotomy improves subjective function and patellar tracking after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction in recurrent patellar dislocation patients with increased femoral anteversion: A systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to systematically review and quantitatively analyse the clinical outcomes of combined derotational distal femoral osteotomy (D-DFO) and medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFL-R) in the treatment of recurrent patellar dislocation (RPD) with increased femoral anteversion angle (FAA).

METHODS

This study was performed in line with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and AMSTAR (Assessing the Methodological Quality Of Systematic Reviews) Guidelines. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Cochrane Library databases were searched to identify studies reporting clinical outcomes of combined D-DFO and MPFL-R in RPD patients with increased FAA. Data on patient-reported outcome measures, radiological parameters, patellar tracking as revealed by J-sign and complications were extracted based on the inclusion criteria. The Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Study score was used for quality assessment. Review Manager and R statistical software were used to perform the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Eleven studies with a total of 569 knees in 553 patients were included. Patients were predominantly female (79%). The weighted mean of FAA decreased from 33.6° to 13.0° (weighted mean difference = 20.59; p < 0.00001) after the combined procedure. Significant improvements (p < 0.00001) were identified in the Lysholm score (weighted mean: 55.5 vs. 80.4), International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score (weighted mean: 52.8 vs. 78.6) and Kujala score (weighted mean: 54.5 vs. 80.6). The incidence of residual J-sign ranged from 14.3% to 38.3% with an overall pooled rate of 28.2% (95% confidence interval = 22.8%-33.6%). The overall redislocation rate was 1.1%. No patients experienced surgical site infection or bone nonunion. Two studies compared the clinical outcomes of MPFL-R with and without D-DFO. Compared with isolated MPFL-R, the combined procedure yielded a better Lysholm score (weighted mean: 84.9 vs. 79.3, p < 0.0001), IKDC score (weighted mean: 84.1 vs. 79.9, p = 0.001), Kujala score (weighted mean: 84.3 vs. 79.4, p < 0.0001) and a lower residual J-sign rate (26/97 [26.8%] vs. 44/105 [41.9%], p = 0.02), respectively.

CONCLUSION

The combination of D-DFO and MPFL-R led to improved clinical outcomes and a low redislocation rate in patients with RPD and increased FAA. Additional D-DFO can achieve more favourable results in subjective function and patellar tracking than isolated MPFL-R in the setting of excessive FAA.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.

Increased TT-TG distance caused by excessive tibiofemoral rotation predicts poor clinical outcomes after tibial tubercle osteotomy in recurrent patellar dislocation

PURPOSE

To compare clinical outcome between recurrent patellar dislocation (RPD) with or without actual tibial tubercle lateralisation (TTL) after medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFL-R) combined with tibial tubercle transfer.

METHODS

From 2015 to 2018, a total of 172 knees with RPD and a tibial tubercle-trochlear groove (TT-TG) distance of > 20 mm were treated with MPFL-R combined with tibial tubercle transfer. Patients were divided into the lateralisation group (TT-PCL > 24 mm, n = 74) and the nonlateralisation group (TT-PCL ≤ 24 mm, n = 60) based on the presence or absence of actual TTL (TT-PCL > 24 mm). Clinical outcomes were assessed postoperatively at a minimum of 2 years. Second-look arthroscopic evaluations were available for 84 knees to assess cartilage damage.

RESULTS

A total of 134 knees with a median follow-up time of 32 months were included. Tibiofemoral rotation (TFR) was significantly higher in the nonlateralisation group than in the lateralisation group (15.4° vs. 9.4°, P < 0.001). At the final follow-up, the nonlateralisation group had significantly lower Kujala (78.2 vs. 86.4, P = 0.001) and Lysholm (80.3 vs. 88.2, P = 0.003) scores than the lateralisation group. At the time of the second-look arthroscopic assessment, 38.9% of the patients in the nonlateralisation group showed cartilage worsening in the medial patellar facet that was significantly higher than that in the lateralisation group (38.9% vs. 12.5%, P = 0.015).

CONCLUSION

Patients with RPD and an increased TT-TG distance of > 20 mm but without actual tibial tubercle lateralisation benefit less from tibial tubercle transfer than patients with actual tibial tubercle lateralisation, which may be related to the significantly higher tibiofemoral rotation angle of the former.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Effect of Anterolateral Ligament Status and Inherent Knee Anatomy on Anterior Tibial Subluxation of the Lateral Compartment After Acute Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: A Cohort Study Based on MRI Analysis

BACKGROUND

Anterior tibial subluxation (ATS) of the lateral compartment entails a pathological tibiofemoral alignment in knees with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Causes of increased ATS after an acute ACL injury are not clear, but soft tissue abnormalities and bony variations of the knee are potential causes.

PURPOSE

To determine whether increased ATS of the lateral compartment in knees with acute ACL injury is associated with (1) anterolateral ligament (ALL) status and (2) inherent anatomy of the lateral femoral condyle (LFC) and lateral tibial plateau (LTP).

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A total of 337 patients with clinically diagnosed ACL injuries treated between September 2019 and August 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, and 119 patients with acute ACL injury were included. Of them, 79 patients with impaired ALL (ALL injury group) and 40 patients with intact ALL (ALL intact group) were identified based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The ATS of the lateral compartment measured on MRI was compared between the 2 groups. The bony anatomy of knees, quantified by the LFC length, LFC height, LTP length, and LTP slope, was also evaluated on MRI and correlated with the ATS with partial correlation coefficients. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify the independent predictors of increased ATS.

RESULTS

The ATS of the lateral compartment in the ALL injury group was significantly larger than that in the ALL intact group (6.3 mm vs 4.0 mm, respectively; P = .001). In all included patients, the presence of ALL injuries independently predicted a mean increase in ATS of 1.8 mm (P = .003). In the ALL injury group, ATS was significantly correlated with LFC length (r = 0.463; P < .001), LFC height (r = -0.415; P < .001), and LTP slope (r = 0.453; P < .001); further, a 1-mm increase in LFC length, 1-mm decrease in LFC height, and 1° increase in LTP slope independently predicted a mean increase in ATS of 0.7 mm (P < .001), 0.6 mm (P < .001), and 0.5 mm (P < .001), respectively. In the ALL intact group, there was no significant correlation between ATS and any bony parameter.

CONCLUSION

An impaired ALL increased the ATS of the lateral compartment after acute ACL injuries. In patients with combined ALL injuries, a flatter LFC and a steeper LTP in the sagittal plane were predictors of a further increase in ATS.

Prevalence and features of delirium in older patients admitted to rehabilitation facilities: a multicenter study

BACKGROUND

Delirium is thought to be common across various settings of care; however, still little research has been conducted in rehabilitation.

AIM

We investigated the prevalence of delirium, its features and motor subtypes in older patients admitted to rehabilitation facilities during the three editions of the "Delirium Day project".

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study in which 1237 older patients (age ≥ 65 years old) admitted to 50 Italian rehabilitation wards during the three editions of the "Delirium Day project" (2015 to 2017) were included. Delirium was evaluated through the 4AT and its motor subtype with the Delirium Motor Subtype Scale.

RESULTS

Delirium was detected in 226 patients (18%), and the most recurrent motor subtype was mixed (37%), followed by hypoactive (26%), hyperactive (21%) and non-motor one (16%). In a multivariate Poisson regression model with robust variance, factors associated with delirium were: disability in basic (PR 1.48, 95%CI: 1.17-1.9, p value 0.001) and instrumental activities of daily living (PR 1.58, 95%CI: 1.08-2.32, p value 0.018), dementia (PR 2.10, 95%CI: 1.62-2.73, p value < 0.0001), typical antipsychotics (PR 1.47, 95%CI: 1.10-1.95, p value 0.008), antidepressants other than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (PR 1.3, 95%CI: 1.02-1.66, p value 0.035), and physical restraints (PR 2.37, 95%CI: 1.68-3.36, p value < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

This multicenter study reports that 2 out 10 patients admitted to rehabilitations had delirium on the index day. Mixed delirium was the most prevalent subtype. Delirium was associated with unmodifiable (dementia, disability) and modifiable (physical restraints, medications) factors. Identification of these factors should prompt specific interventions aimed to prevent or mitigate delirium.

The association between low skeletal muscle mass and delirium: results from the nationwide multi-centre Italian Delirium Day 2017

Introduction

Delirium and sarcopenia are common, although underdiagnosed, geriatric syndromes. Several pathological mechanisms can link delirium and low skeletal muscle mass, but few studies have investigated their association. We aimed to investigate (1) the association between delirium and low skeletal muscle mass and (2) the possible role of calf circumference mass in finding cases with delirium.

Methods

The analyses were conducted employing the cross-sectional “Delirium Day” initiative, on patient 65 years and older admitted to acute hospital medical wards, emergency departments, rehabilitation wards, nursing homes and hospices in Italy in 2017. Delirium was diagnosed as a 4 + score at the 4-AT scale. Low skeletal muscle mass was operationally defined as calf circumference ≤ 34 cm in males and ≤ 33 cm in females. Logistic regression models were used to investigate the association between low skeletal muscle mass and delirium. The discriminative ability of calf circumference was evaluated using non-parametric ROC analyses.

Results

A sample of 1675 patients was analyzed. In total, 73.6% of participants had low skeletal muscle mass and 24.1% exhibited delirium. Low skeletal muscle mass and delirium showed an independent association (OR: 1.50; 95% CI 1.09–2.08). In the subsample of patients without a diagnosis of dementia, the inclusion of calf circumference in a model based on age and sex significantly improved its discriminative accuracy [area under the curve (AUC) 0.69 vs 0.57, p < 0.001].

Discussion and conclusion

Low muscle mass is independently associated with delirium. In patients without a previous diagnosis of dementia, calf circumference may help to better identify those who develop delirium.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40520-021-01950-8.

Expression of an Engineered Cecropin Gene Cassette in Transgenic Tobacco Plants Confers Disease Resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci

ABSTRACT A chimeric gene fusion cassette, consisting of a secretory sequence from barley alpha-amylase joined to a modified cecropin (MB39) coding sequence and placed under control of the promoter and terminator from the potato proteinase inhibitor II (PiII) gene, was introduced into tobacco by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic and control plants reacted differently when inoculated with tobacco wildfire pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tabaci at various cell concentrations. With control plants (transformed with a PiII-GUS [beta-D-glucuronidase] gene fusion), necrosis was clearly visible in leaf tissue infiltrated with bacterial inoculum levels of 10(2), 10(3), 10(4), 10(5), and 10(6) CFU/ml. With MB39-transgenic plants, however, necrosis was observed only in the areas infiltrated with the two highest levels (10(5) and 10(6) CFU/ml). No necrosis was evident in areas infiltrated with bacterial concentrations of 10(4) CFU/ml or less. Bacterial multiplication in leaves of MB39-transgenic plants was suppressed more than 10-fold compared to control plants, and absence of disease symptom development was associated with this growth suppression. We conclude that the pathogen-induced promoter and the secretory sequence were competent elements for transforming a cecropin gene into an effective disease-control gene for plants.

[Studies on cardiac function in children aged 8-12 with simple obesity]

Ninety-four obses children and 74 normal controls aged 8-12 were measured simultaneously by physiological polygraph, electrocardiograph, phonocardiograph, carotid arterial pulse contour and intracardiac impedance differential graph to analyze their cardiac function. Results revealed systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, left ventricular ejection time and stroke volume in obese children were higher than those in controls, no significant difference in cardiac output between them could be seen, and cardiac index in the former was lower than that in the latter. It suggested due to increase of venous return to the heart and rise of blood pressure in obese children, their preload and afterload of the heart increased, cardiac muscular contraction strengthened for compensation, cardiac output per unit body surface area declined, and part of their cardiac function indexes had been affected.