Therapeutic validity and effectiveness of exercise interventions after lower limb-salvage surgery for sarcoma: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

An increasing number of patients are surviving sarcoma after lower limb-salvage surgery (LSS) and are left with functional limitations. This systematic review aimed to determine the therapeutic validity and effectiveness of exercise interventions after lower limb-salvage surgery (LSS) for sarcoma.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted using formal narrative synthesis of intervention studies (with and without control group) identified through PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PEDro databases. Studies were included if participants were treated with LSS for unilateral lower limb sarcoma and followed an exercise intervention using active exercise, physical training, or rehabilitation before and/or after surgery. This review's outcome measures were interventions' therapeutic validity, assessed using the CONTENT scale (0 to 9); methodological quality, identified using the Downs & Black checklist (0 to 28); interventions' effectiveness, assessed based on differences in outcome measures between intervention and control groups; and certainty of evidence, classified according to the GRADE approach.

RESULTS

Seven studies involving 214 participants were included. None of the included interventions were therapeutically valid (median 5, range 1-5). All but one study were of at least fair methodological quality (median 18, range 14-21). There was very low-quality evidence that exercise interventions resulted in increased knee range of motion (MD 10-15°) or compliance (MD 30%), and reduced functionality scores (MD -5%) compared to usual care.

CONCLUSIONS

We found overall low therapeutic validity of interventions, performed in overall low-quality studies. Combined with the very low certainty of evidence, the results prevent drawing valid conclusions on the interventions' effectiveness. Future studies should aim for uniformity among their methodological approaches and outcome measures, using the CONTENT scale as a template to avert insufficient reporting.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42021244635.

"Cost-effectiveness of ACL treatment is dependent on age and activity level: a systematic review"

PURPOSE

To systematically review the literature on health-economic evaluations of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury between reconstruction surgery (ACLR) and non-operative treatment (NO) and suggest the most cost-effective strategy between the two.

METHODS

All economic studies related to ACLR versus NO post-ACL injury, either trial based or model based, published until April 2022, were identified using PubMed and Embase. The methodology of the health-economic analysis for each included study was categorized according to the four approaches: cost-minimization analysis (CMA), cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA), cost-benefit analysis (CBA), and cost-utility analysis (CUA). The quality of each included study was assessed using the Consensus on Health Economic Criteria (CHEC) list.

RESULTS

Of the seven included studies, two compared the strategies of early ACLR and NO alone, and five compared early ACLR and NO with optional delayed ACLR. All studies performed a CUA, and one study performed a CBA additionally. The CHEC scores of the included studies can be considered good, ranging from 15 to 18 from a maximum of 19. Applying the common standard threshold of $50,000 per QALY, six studies in young people with high-activity levels or athletes showed that early ACLR would be preferred over either NO alone or delayed ACLR. Of six studies, two even showed early ACLR to be the dominant strategy over either NO alone or delayed ACLR, with per-patient cost savings of $5,164 and $1,803 and incremental per-patient QALY gains of 0.18 and 0.28, respectively. The one study in the middle-aged people with a moderate activity level showed that early ACLR was not more cost-effective than delayed ACLR, with ICER $101,939/QALY using the societal perspective and ICER $63,188/QALY using the healthcare system perspective.

CONCLUSION

Early ACLR is likely the more cost-effective strategy for ACL injury cases in athletes and young populations with high-activity levels. On the other hand, non-operative treatment with optional delayed ACLR may be the more cost-effective strategy in the middle age population with moderate activity levels.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Systematic review of level III studies.

Duloxetine in OsteoArthritis (DOA) study: effects of duloxetine on pain and function in end-stage hip and knee OA – a pragmatic enriched randomized controlled trial

Background

Some osteoarthritis (OA) patients experience inadequate pain relief from analgesics like acetaminophen and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This could be the result of experienced non-nociceptive centralized pain. Placebo-controlled randomized trials (RCT) have proven the effectiveness of duloxetine for OA and several chronic pain conditions where central sensitization (CS) is one of the key underlying pain mechanisms.

Objectives

Assess the efficacy of an 8-week duloxetine treatment compared to usual care in end-stage knee and hip OA patients with a level of centralized pain.

Design

Pragmatic, enriched, open-label RCT.

Methods

Patients were randomized to duloxetine or to care-as-usual. Primary outcome was pain in the index joint, measured with the pain domain of the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) or the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS). The intention-to-treat principle was used, with mixed-model repeated measures to analyze the effect.

Results

One hundred eleven patients were randomized. Nearly 44% felt much to very much better after duloxetine usage compared to 0% in the care-as-usual group (p < 0.001). The duloxetine group scored 11.3 points (95%CI: 5.8, 16.8) better on the pain domain of the KOOS/HOOS (p < 0.001). Knee patients improved significantly more than hip patients (18.7 [95%CI: 11.3, 26.1] versus 6.0 [95%CI: − 2.6, 14.5] points better).

Conclusions

Adding duloxetine treatment seems to be beneficial for end-stage knee OA patients with neuropathic-like symptoms (at risk of CS). End stage Hip OA patients seem to be nonresponsive to duloxetine.

Trial registration

Dutch Trial Registry with number NTR 4744 (15/08/2014) and in the EudraCT database with number 2013–004313-41.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12891-022-05034-0.

Intra-and interobserver reliability of determining the femoral footprint of the torn anterior cruciate ligament on MRI scans

BACKGROUND

Re-injury rates following reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) are significant; in more than 20% of patients a rupture of the graft occurs. One of the main reasons for graft failure is malposition of the femoral tunnel. The femoral origin of the torn ACL can be hard to visualize during arthroscopy, plus many individual variation in femoral origin anatomy exists, which may lead to this malpositioning. To develop a patient specific guide that may resolve this problem, a preoperative MRI is needed to identify the patient specific femoral origin of the ACL. The issue here is that there may be a difference in the reliability of identification of the femoral footprint of the ACL on MRI between different observers with different backgrounds and level of experience. The purpose of this study was to determine the intra- and interobserver reliability of identifying the femoral footprint of the torn ACL on MRI and to compare this between orthopedic surgeons, residents in orthopedic surgery and MSK radiologists.

METHODS

MR images of the knee joint were collected retrospectively from 20 subjects with a confirmed rupture of the ACL. The 2D (coronal, sagittal, transversal) proton-density (PD) images were selected for the segmentation procedure to create 3D models of the femurs. The center of the femoral footprint of the ACL on 20 MRI scans, with visual feedback on 3D models (as reference) was determined twice by eight observers. The intra- and interobserver reliability of determining the center of the femoral footprint on MRI was evaluated. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for the X, Y and Z coordinates separately and for a 3D coordinate.

RESULTS

The mean 3D distance between the first and second assessment (intraobserver reliability) was 3.82 mm. The mean 3D distance between observers (interobserver reliability) was 8.67 mm. ICCs were excellent (> 0.95), except for those between the assessments of the two MSK radiologists of the Y and Z coordinates (0.890 and 0.800 respectively). Orthopedic surgeons outscored the residents and radiologists in terms of intra- and interobserver agreement.

CONCLUSION

Excellent intraobserver reliability was demonstrated (< 4 mm). However the results of the interobserver reliability manifested remarkably less agreement between observers (> 8 mm). An orthopedic background seems to increase both intra- and interobserver reliability. Preoperative planning of the femoral tunnel position in ACL reconstruction remains a surgical decision. Experienced orthopedic surgeons should be consulted when planning for patient specific instrumentation in ACL reconstruction.

Assessment of pedicle size in patients with scoliosis using EOS 2D imaging: a validity and reliability study

PURPOSE

Free-hand pedicle screw insertion methods are widely used for screw insertion during scoliosis surgery. Preoperative knowledge about the pedicle size helps to maximize screw containment and minimize the risk of pedicle breach. Radiographs taken by a biplanar low-dose X-ray device (EOS) have no divergence in the vertical plane. The criterion validity and reliability of preoperative EOS images for pedicle size measurements in patients with idiopathic scoliosis (IS) was investigated in this study.

METHODS

Sixteen patients who underwent surgical treatment for IS were prospectively included. Intra- and extracortical pedicle height and width measurements on EOS images were compared with reconstructed intra-operative 3D images of the isthmus of included pedicles. Secondly, intra- and interobserver reliability of pedicle size measurements on EOS images was determined.

RESULTS

The total number of analyzed pedicles was 203. The correlation between the EOS and 3D scan measurements was very strong for the intra- and extracortical pedicle height and strong for the intra- and extracortical pedicle width. There are, however, significant, but likely clinically irrelevant differences (mean absolute differences < 0.43 mm) between the two measure methods for all four measurements except for extracortical pedicle height. For pedicles classified as Nash-Moe 0, no significant differences in intra- and extracortical pedicle width were observed. Both intra- and interobserver reliability was excellent for all pedicle size measurements on EOS images.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study indicate a good validity and reliability for pedicle size measurements on EOS radiographs. Therefore, EOS radiographs may be used for a preoperative estimation of pedicle size and subsequent screw diameter in patients with IS.

Bilateral changes in tendon structure of patients diagnosed with unilateral insertional or midportion achilles tendinopathy or patellar tendinopathy

PURPOSE

Changes in tendon structure are commonly seen in patients with unilateral achilles (AT) or patellar (PT) tendinopathy but might also be present on the asymptomatic side, indicating a higher risk for developing symptoms. The aim of this study is to compare tendon structure of the symptomatic side with the asymptomatic side in AT and PT patients and control subjects.

METHODS

A total of 46 patients with unilateral AT (16 insertional and 30 midportion) and 38 with unilateral PT were included. For the control group, a total of 18 Achilles tendons and 25 patellar tendons were scanned. Tendon structure was assessed using ultrasound tissue characterisation (UTC), which quantifies tendon organisation dividing the structure into four different echo types (I-IV).

RESULTS

There were significant differences in echo types I, III, and IV between symptomatic and asymptomatic sides and controls. Additionally, there was a significant difference between the symptomatic and the asymptomatic side for all tendinopathy locations. In the insertional AT tendon portion, the symptomatic side showed a higher percentage of echo type III. For the midportion AT, the symptomatic side showed a lower percentage of echo type I and a higher percentage of echo types III and IV. For the patellar tendon, the symptomatic side showed a higher percentage of echo types III and IV. All differences were higher than the minimal detectable changes.

CONCLUSION

Although patients have symptoms unilaterally, the tendon structures are compromised on both sides. These results stress the importance of monitoring both symptomatic and asymptomatic tendon structures and in addition highlight that the asymptomatic side should not be used as reference in clinical practice.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Duloxetine in OsteoArthritis (DOA) study: study protocol of a pragmatic open-label randomised controlled trial assessing the effect of preoperative pain treatment on postoperative outcome after total hip or knee arthroplasty

INTRODUCTION

Residual pain is a major factor in patient dissatisfaction following total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). The proportion of patients with unfavourable long-term residual pain is high, ranging from 7% to 34%. There are studies indicating that a preoperative degree of central sensitisation (CS) is associated with poorer postoperative outcomes and residual pain. It is thus hypothesised that preoperative treatment of CS could enhance postoperative outcomes. Duloxetine has been shown to be effective for several chronic pain syndromes, including knee osteoarthritis (OA), in which CS is most likely one of the underlying pain mechanisms. This study aims to evaluate the postoperative effects of preoperative screening and targeted duloxetine treatment of CS on residual pain compared with care-as-usual.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This multicentre, pragmatic, prospective, open-label, randomised controlled trial includes patients with idiopathic hip/knee OA who are on a waiting list for primary THA/TKA. Patients at risk for CS will be randomly allocated to the preoperative duloxetine treatment programme group or the care-as-usual control group. The primary end point is the degree of postoperative pain 6 months after THA/TKA. Secondary end points at multiple time points up to 12 months postoperatively are: pain, neuropathic pain-like symptoms, (pain) sensitisation, pain catastrophising, joint-associated problems, physical activity, health-related quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and perceived improvement. Data will be analysed on an intention-to-treat basis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study is approved by the local Medical Ethics Committee (METc 2014/087) and will be conducted according to the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki (64th, 2013) and the Good Clinical Practice standard (GCP), and in compliance with the Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (WMO).

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

2013-004313-41; Pre-results.

Is proprioception diminished in patients with patellar tendinopathy?

PURPOSE

Patellar tendinopathy is a highly prevalent overuse injury, and most treatments are only effective to some extent. This persistence of complaints could be linked to changed proprioception. One study showed diminished proprioception in athletes with lateral epicondylitis. Aim of this study was to determine differences in proprioception, by measuring threshold to detect passive motion (TTDPM) between recreational athletes diagnosed with patellar tendinopathy and healthy controls.

METHOD

The TTDPM as measure of proprioception was determined in 22 recreational athletes with patellar tendinopathy and 22 healthy recreational athletes using a validated instrument. Amount of knee flexion and extension before the movement was noticed by the subject was determined. 80 measurements per athlete (left and right leg, towards extension and flexion and with two starting angles of 20° and 40° flexion) were performed. Mean TTDPM was compared between groups and among the injured recreational athletes between the affected and unaffected knee.

RESULTS

No significant difference in TTDPM was found between recreational athletes with patellar tendinopathy and healthy controls. We did find a significant difference between the injured and non-injured knee in recreational athletes with patellar tendinopathy; mean TTDPM was 0.02° higher in the injured knee (p=0.044).

CONCLUSION

No difference was found in proprioception between recreational athletes with patellar tendinopathy and healthy recreational athletes. It is unclear whether such a small difference in TTDPM between affected and unaffected knee is important in clinical setting.

Does the adolescent patellar tendon respond to 5 days of cumulative load during a volleyball tournament?

Patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee) has a high prevalence in jumping athletes. Excessive load on the patellar tendon through high volumes of training and competition is an important risk factor. Structural changes in the tendon are related to a higher risk of developing patellar tendinopathy. The critical tendon load that affects tendon structure is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate patellar tendon structure on each day of a 5-day volleyball tournament in an adolescent population (16-18 years). The right patellar tendon of 41 players in the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup was scanned with ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) on every day of the tournament (Monday to Friday). UTC can quantify structure of a tendon into four echo types based on the stability of the echo pattern. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) were used to test for change of echo type I and II over the tournament days. Participants played between eight and nine matches during the tournament. GEE analysis showed no significant change of echo type percentages of echo type I (Wald chi-square = 4.603, d.f. = 4, P = 0.331) and echo type II (Wald chi-square = 6.070, d.f. = 4, P = 0.194) over time. This study shows that patellar tendon structure of 16-18-year-old volleyball players is not affected during 5 days of cumulative loading during a volleyball tournament.

No difference in effectiveness between focused and radial shockwave therapy for treating patellar tendinopathy: a randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of focused shockwave therapy (FSWT) and radial shockwave therapy (RSWT) for treating patellar tendinopathy.

METHODS

Patients were randomized into two groups. One group received three sessions of FSWT, and the other group received three sessions of RSWT. Both groups also received an eccentric training programme. Follow-up measurements took place 1, 4, 7 and 14 weeks after the final shockwave treatment. The primary outcome measure was the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella (VISA-P) questionnaire. Secondary outcome measures were pain during ADL, sports activities and the decline squat.

RESULTS

Forty-three subjects (57 tendons) were included in the study. Twenty-one subjects (31 tendons) received FSWT, and 22 subjects (26 tendons) received RSWT. Both groups improved significantly on the VISA-P score, but there were no differences in improvement between the FSWT group (15 points on the VISA-P) and the RSWT group (9.6 points, n.s.). This was also the case for the secondary outcome measures.

CONCLUSION

There were no statistically significant differences in effectiveness between FSWT and RSWT. It is therefore not possible to recommend one treatment over the other on grounds of outcome. Both groups improved significantly, although it is questionable whether this difference is clinically relevant.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

II.

Risk factors for patellar tendinopathy in volleyball and basketball players: A survey-based prospective cohort study

Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is a common overuse injury of the patellar tendon in jumping athletes. In a recent large cross-sectional study from 2008 several factors were identified that may be associated with the etiology of PT. However, because of the study design no conclusions could be drawn about causal relations. The primary aim of the current study is to investigate whether the factors identified in the previous 2008 study can also be prospectively recognized as predictors of symptomatic PT in 2011. Nine hundred twenty-six Dutch elite and non-elite basketball and volleyball players from the previous study were invited again to complete an online survey about knee complaints and risk factors for PT in 2011. The logistic regression included 385 athletes of which 51 (13%) developed PT since 2008. Male gender [odds ratio (OR) 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1-3.5] was found to be a risk factor for developing PT. No sports-related variables could be identified to increase the risk of developing PT, but some evidence was found for performing heavy physically demanding work, like being a nurse or a physical education teacher (OR 2.3, 95% CI 0.9-6.3). These findings indicate that, when considering preventive measures, it is important to take into account the total tendon load.

Psychosocial factors influencing the recovery of athletes with anterior cruciate ligament injury: a systematic review

This review describes the psychosocial factors that affect recovery following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and reconstructive surgery in athletes. A systematic search in literature with inclusion and exclusion criteria on PubMed, PsycINFO, and Embase was performed. Articles used in this review were divided in five different parts according to the biopsychosocial model of Wiese-Bjornstal, with the addition of intervention studies. The results showed that a high internal Health Locus of Control and a high self-efficacy were useful cognitive factors to facilitate the recovery. Athletes with a low level of fear of reinjury had the best knee outcome after the injury followed by a reconstruction. In addition, athletes who returned to sport had less fear of reinjury and were more experienced and established athletes compared with athletes who did not return to sport. Furthermore, researchers showed that there was a positive relation between goal setting and adherence, which in turn yielded a positive relation with the outcome of the rehabilitation of an ACL injury. There were several psychosocial interventions that appeared to be facilitating the rehabilitation process.

The impact of physically demanding work of basketball and volleyball players on the risk for patellar tendinopathy and on work limitations

Patellar tendinopathy is a common injury in jumping athletes. Little is known about work-related etiological factors for patellar tendinopathy and related work limitations. The aim of this study was to identify work-related etiological factors for patellar tendinopathy and to determine the relation between patellar tendinopathy and work limitations. Basketball and volleyball players between 18 and 35 years were invited to complete an online-questionnaire concerning knee complaints, etiological risk factors for patellar tendinopathy and related work limitations. A total of 1505 subjects were included in the analysis. Risk factors for patellar tendinopathy were gender and heavy physically demanding work. The odds for having patellar tendinopathy were significantly higher for heavy physically demanding occupations compared to mentally demanding occupations. 30% of subjects with patellar tendinopathy with a physically demanding job reported to be impaired in their work and 17% reported to be less productive. Basketball and volleyball players with heavy physically demanding work seem to have an increased risk for developing patellar tendinopathy. This finding has important clinical relevance in the treatment of this injury. Working activities should be adjusted in order to reduce the total load on the patellar tendon and help prevention and recovery.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy for patellar tendinopathy: a review of the literature

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (EWST) has become a popular treatment for patellar tendinopathy. The purpose of this review was to study the effectiveness of ESWT treatment for patellar tendinopathy; to draft guidelines for an effective treatment protocol of ESWT treatment; and to identify topics for further research.

METHODS

A computerised search of the Medline and Embase databases was conducted on 1 August 2007, to identify studies dealing with the effectiveness of ESWT for patellar tendinopathy.

RESULTS

Seven articles describing the effectiveness of ESWT on patellar tendinopathy, all published after 2000, were included. These studies included a total of 283 patients (298 tendons), 204 of whom (215 tendons) were assigned to ESWT treatment. The treatment results were positive but most studies had methodological deficiencies, small numbers and/or short follow-up periods. Method of application and shockwave generation, energy level, number and frequency of treatments, use of (local) anaesthesia and method of localisation were variable.

CONCLUSION

ESWT seems to be a safe and promising treatment for patellar tendinopathy with a positive effect on pain and function. Based on current knowledge it is impossible to recommend a specific treatment protocol. Further basic and clinical research into the working mechanism and effectiveness of ESWT for patellar tendinopathy are necessary.