Acta orthopaedica Scandinavica最新文献

Gaucher disease, the most prevalent lysosomal storage disorder, is characterized by hepatosplenomegaly, hypersplenism, and rarely, neurological involvement. The most variable symptoms relate to skeletal disease, and both onset and progression are difficult to predict on the basis of genotype. This review describes findings from a large referral clinic (> 500 patients) and from the literature in the decade since the advent of specific enzyme replacement therapy. Such therapy is effective in reducing visceral and hematological involvement, but its greatest advantage as regards the skeleton is prevention of irreversible damage. Avascular necrosis of the joints-particularly the hips but also the knees and shoulders-and pathological fractures of the long bones including the ribs, as well as episodic "crises' of bone pain in children and young adults, are common manifestations. Various imaging modalities should be performed at baseline for life-long monitoring, and then as required because of specific complaints. Surgical interventions such as joint arthroplasties are important adjuvant treatments in this population; presurgical hematological profiling plus antibiotic cover and postoperative pain control are equally critical. Opportunities for orthopedic consultations with senior surgeons are not abused by our patients. These reflect disease-related morbidity, with greater numbers of requests being made by patients requiring enzyme therapy, who by definition have more severe disease characteristics.

Background: Subchondral bone necrosis is important in osteonecrosis, Mb Kienboeck, intraarticular fractures or osteochondral grafting. As revascularization follows, bone resorption may lead to collapse in load bearing areas during the remodeling. Bisphosphonates are potent osteoclast inhibitors. Our hypothesis was that local bisphosphonate treatment of an osteochondral graft, in a high load environment, would protect the subchondral bone from collapse and maintain the joint architecture during remodeling. To investigate this, we used a rat bone chamber model to subject a necrotic osteochondral graft to a large mechanical load during remodeling.

Method: Cylindrical osteochondral grafts were taken from the patellar groove of rats, one end of the cylinder being the joint surface. The grafts were frozen, thawed and treated with alendronate. The length of the cylinder was measured and the grafts were placed in the chambers, which were inserted into the proximal tibia of rats. The chambers were left to heal in for two weeks to allow establishment of a vascular supply, and then the transplanted osteochondral plugs were mechanically loaded for 4 weeks, once a day with 10 cycles of 2 MPa pressure at 0.16 Hz.

Results: At harvest, the graft length had decreased during remodeling in 5 of the 6 untreated controls, but only in 2 out of 8 alendronate-treated rats (p = 0.05). Histologically, the bone graft in the non-treated controls was resorbed in the remodeled part of the graft, whereas in the alendronate-treated rats a dense trabecular bone was found consisting of both new bone and graft.

Interpretation: Local treatment of the graft with bisphosphonate diminishes the risk of collapse during revascularization and bone remodeling in a mechanically loaded osteochondral graft. This could be useful in a variety of situations when bone remodeling occurs after a necrosis close to a joint, either spontaneously after osteonecrosis or a fracture, or after surgical procedures such as mosaic-plasty or other osteochondral grafting.

Background: It is unclear whether patients with inflammatory arthritis have a higher risk of dislocation after hip replacement.

Patients and material: We carried out a prospective study assessing the incidence of dislocation within 2 years after surgery for patients diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis (IA) and osteoarthrosis (OA). One single type of prosthesis was implanted using a lateral approach. Both diagnostic groups were compared by univariate analysis with respect to dislocation, sex, age, diagnosis, prior hip surgery, experience of the surgeon and malposition of the acetabular component. In a multivariate logistic regression approach, the difference in dislocation incidence was assessed after adjusting for the effect of the potential confounders given above. Between 1996 and 1999, 410 THA were performed: 70 in IA and 340 in OA. After 2 years no patients were lost to follow-up, but 12 patients had died, and 5 revisions were carried out for reasons other than dislocation.

Results: The dislocation rate in patients with IA was higher than in patients with OA: 10% (7 hips) in the IA group and 3% (10 hips) in the OA group (p = 0.006). No significant differences were found among the risk factors for dislocation between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that IA is an independent risk factor for dislocation (odds ratio (OR) 3.7, 95% CI 1.3-11), together with malposition of the cup in more than 55 degrees abduction (OR 7.7, CI 2.3-26) and increased anteversion (OR 7.6, CI 1.4-42.4).

Interpretation: Our findings clearly suggest that inflammatory arthritis has to be considered as an independent risk factor for dislocation after primary THA.

Background: There is no consensus as to which is the best treatment for intraarticular fractures of the calcaneus. Furthermore, few studies have assessed general health after calcaneus fractures. We therefore measured the state of general health after operation of calcaneal fractures and compared these data with usual foot-scores.

Patients and methods: We compared the general health of 71 patients with surgically treated calcaneal fractures 2.5 years after injury, with the general health of 71 people from the standard German population (German National Health Survey, 1998) using the SF-36 form. We compared the results of the examination with results of AOFAS Ankle Hindfoot Scale and Maryland Foot Score in the treated patients.

Results: In patients with calcaneal fractures, there were significant limitations regarding general health in all 9 elements of the SF-36 form. Correlations between SF-36 and foot-scores were strong regarding function and pain scales, but moderate for all other scales.

Interpretation: Patients face significant limitations regarding general health after calcaneal fractures. The usual foot-scores measure only 2 dimensions of outcome: function and pain. To measure all dimensions of outcome, SF-36 is a better alternative.