1,720,961 research outputs found

    Comparative evaluation of meniscal pathology: MRI vs arthroscopy

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    The meniscal pathology of the knee is one of the clinical realities the orthopedic surgeon must daily confront with. The diagnosis is generally both clinical and instrumental; among the different diagnostic imaging techniques, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) appears to be the most accurate method regarding sensitivity and specificity for the study of meniscal fibrocartilages and articular cartilage. In an attempt to clarify the roles of MRI and diagnostic knee arthroscopy, we performed a retrospective comparative study of the two methods to assess their sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of meniscal pathology. We evaluated 105 consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of intra-articular knee pathology who were subjected to MRI examination and subsequently to surgical arthroscopy, recording on a graphic card the surgical and radiographic findings expressed by a blinded expert radiologist. Comparison of MRI and arthroscopy data showed, for the internal meniscus, values of 98.5% sensitivity, 94.7% specificity and 93.8% "K" index for MRI compared to arthroscopy, and of 90%, 98.6% and 90.5% for the external meniscus. These results allow us to state that the diagnostic capacity of MRI appears to be very high and therefore crucial in the planning of the correct surgical treatment of individual patients, thanks to its ability to highlight even small changes affecting intra-articular structures

    Arthroscopy in osteochondral pathology of the elbow: indications, treatment and complications

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    The arthroscopic technique has revolutionized orthopaedic surgery in the last forty years, due to the improvement in surgical technique and innovations in technologies. Actually, knee and shoulder arthroscopy are commonly used to treat the most frequent pathologies with mini-invasive approaches demonstrate recovery of function and outcomes. Not the same thing can be said for other joints such as ankle, elbow and hip, where the narrowness of the space makes the technique more challenging. In this study, a brief review of the literature and the history of elbow arthroscopy are described. Indications, surgical technique, risks and complication, tip and tricks, advices and notes to avoid complications are reported. Elbow arthroscopic surgery is a difficult technique that requires a long learning curve, but in an experienced surgeon's hands, it is a safe and successful methodology when applied with correct indications and cautions

    Arthroscopic anatomic repair of bankart lesion in rugby players

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    Recent studies have reported equivalent outcomes of arthroscopic and open shoulder stabilization. However, surgical strategy for shoulder instability is a challenging and controversial problem for surgeons that have to treat collision sport athletes. In fact, only few studies support the arthroscopic surgery for this group of patients. The aim of this study is to evaluate the outcome of arthroscopic stabilization in a homogenous population of professional young athletes practicing in high-level collision sport. We treated 22 consecutive professional rugby players, with a mean age of 23.6 years, affected by traumatic anterior shoulder instability. All patients underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair with bone suture-anchors. Exclusion criteria were: failed previous shoulder surgery, atraumatic, multidirectional or posterior instability, bone defects greater than 20% of the anterior-inferior glenoid, engaging Hill-Sachs, rotator cuff tears, capsular-ligament avulsion on the humeral side (HAGL). Patients were evaluated according to Constant score, Rowe score and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for discomfort and handicap. The mean follow-up was 40.7 months (range, 6 to 87 months). All patients except one were able to return at the same previous sports level at 5 to 6 months postoperatively. Re-dislocation occurred in 3 players for high impact trauma during competition or training. Our results confirm that, also in the collision sport patients, anatomic arthroscopic Bankart repair is a good option for the treatment of traumatic anterior instability without associated lesions

    Knee function after a mean of 19 years Post-retirement in 65 Italian semi-professional rugby veterans

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    : Background and aim sport activity has been largely correlated to the development of knee osteoarthritis, but only few papers have investigated the long-term impact of a rugby career on the knee joint. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the incidence and epidemiology of knee osteoarthritis and general health in a population of 65 retired semi-professional rugby players. Methods demographic and anamnestic analysis was recorded and Oxford Knee score, SF-12 and VAS were submitted to all veterans in order to assess current knee function, general health condition and level of pain. Parametric analysis of Spearman was used to evaluate the statistical significance on these results and the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the significant differences between the questionnaire results and the demographic and anamnestic records. Results we found that players who sustained a knee injury during their career have a current reduction of the knee function compared to veterans who did not suffer any injury and who showed values comparable with those of the health population. In terms of general and mental health, athletes who retired later have now a better condition than those who retired from the sport  earlier. Conclusions: we concluded that knee injury prevention should be an unequivocal priority because although rugby is a high energy sport, it does not increase the risk of knee osteoarthritis in absence of serious knee injuries

    Ultrasound-based decision making following metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty

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    Background: Metal-on-Metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) represents a very controversial procedure because of the possibility of postoperative adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR). This study investigates the reliability of the ultrasound scan as a diagnostic tool to quantify a clinically useful threshold in the level of periprosthetic fluid collection to suggest implant revision. Methods: This study includes 116 patients (123 implants) who received an Articular Surface Replacement XL (ASRTMXL, De Puy Synthes, USA) MoM THA. The study group included 56 males and 60 females with a mean age of 66.6 years (range, 15–86 years). All patients were clinically and radiologically annually evaluated (according to the Harris Hip Score) up to a mean follow-up of 7.5 years (min. 1.4 – max. 10.3 years) from the primary surgery: all patients underwent standard ultrasound evaluation of the affected hip and Cobalt/Chromium blood detection testing according to a custom-made diagnostic algorithm for MoM THA revision. Results: At final follow-up, 51 (43.1%) of 117 implants underwent revision after a mean of 6 years (1.79–9.26) from the primary ASR implant. The authors found a statistically significant correlation between Cr (p = 0.015) and Co (p = 0.009) blood values and different ultrasound grades. Statistical analysis showed a significant association between periprosthetic fluid collection and revision surgery (p < 0.0001) and the final revision risk was estimated to be 7 times greater in patients with ultrasound grade ≥ 2 (peri-prosthetic collection ≥ 20 mm). Conclusions: This study confirms the reliability of ultrasound evaluation in detecting clinically significant peri-prosthetic joint effusions: a new diagnostic algorithm for MoM THA revision is here presented. Longer follow up studies are mandatory to better understand the potential advantages of this diagnostic protocol

    Italian arthroplasty registry: Learning curve and optimization of data entry procedures(Article) [Registro Italiano Artroprotesi: Curva di apprendimento e ottimizzazione delle procedure di immissione dei dati]

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    Arthroplasty registries represent a fundamental tool for the production of evidence in total joint replacement. Italy started in 2005 a national registry (Italian Arthroplasty Registry - RIAP) organised as federation of regional registries under the coordination of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. However, data collection still appears to be hardened by the additional workload required from clinicians. The aim of the study was to evaluate the data entry times for an inexperienced operator and the relative learning curve. The analysis carried out shows that after 15 cases, a plateau of about two minutes is reached for the compilation of a single case of primary hip and knee arthroplasty, up to 4 minutes for the shoulder and for revision surgery. The work burden for the orthopedist does not seem to justify the reluctance in data collection observed in these years of RIAP experience

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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