1,721,073 research outputs found

    Outcomes After Deepening Trochleoplasty and Concomitant Realignment in Patients With Severe Trochlear Dysplasia With Chronic Patellofemoral Pain: Results at 2-Year Follow-up

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    Background: Abnormal patellofemoral joint stress appears to have major relevance in a subgroup of patients with patellofemoral pain (PFP). Purpose: To evaluate whether patients with chronic PFP and trochlear dysplasia–induced patellofemoral joint malalignment benefit from a deepening trochleoplasty procedure with the aim of improving patellotrochlear congruence. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Included were 15 patients (male/female, 1/14; mean age, 30.3 years [range, 19-51 years]) with 8.8 years (range, 1-20 years) of chronic PFP and severe trochlear dysplasia. All patients underwent correction of patellotrochlear malalignment with deepening trochleoplasty and concomitant realignment procedures. The Kujala score and a numerical analog scale (0-10) for intensity of pain were used to assess symptoms preoperatively and at 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from the patients were compared with the MRI scans of age- and sex-matched controls regarding the patellotrochlear contact area and contact ratio, patellar tilt, patellotrochlear index, and lateral trochlear inclination (LTI) angle. Results: The Kujala score increased from a mean of 55 (range, 15-81) preoperatively to 82.5 (range, 53-98) after 12 months (95% CI, –42.56 to –12.37; P < .001) and to 84.2 (range, 59-99) after 24 months (95% CI, –44.29 to –14.11; P < .001). The intensity of PFP decreased from 5.7 (range, 3-10) preoperatively to 1.4 (range, 0-4) after 12 months (95% CI, 2.57 to 5.96; P < .001) and had a mean of 1.6 (range, 0-6) after 24 months (95% CI, 2.44 to 5.75; P < .001). Preoperatively, parameters in the study group indicated significant patellotrochlear malalignment, which improved and normalized (except for the LTI angle) postoperatively compared with the values of the control group ( P > .05). Conclusion: In a subgroup of patients with chronic PFP due to severe trochlear dysplasia, deepening trochleoplasty and concomitant realignment procedures significantly reduced pain and improved knee joint function while normalizing patellotrochlear congruence

    Democracy Dies playfully. Three Questions – Introductory Thoughts on the Papers Assembled and Beyond

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    In this introduction to the special issue, we trace the digital game’s potential to represent (un)democratic political systems. We pose three central questions: Is the digital game an undemocratic medium? Is digital game development undemocratic? And: Are digital game communities undemocratic? By answering these three questions, we engage with the implications of different digital game’s narratives and game mechanics, with common concerns about working conditions in game development as well as with group dynamics in game communities. In every section, the contributions to this special issue are presented and linked to these overarching themes

    When Should Bony Correction Be Considered in Addition to Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction? Results of a Clinically Derived 2-Group Classification of Lateral Patellar Instability Based on 122 Patients at 2- to 5-Year Follow-up

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    BACKGROUND: The need for concomitant bony procedures to realign pathoanatomic risk factors in addition to medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction (MPFL-R) remains unclear. PURPOSE: To evaluate a clinically derived 2-part classification of lateral patellar instability aimed at identifying patients indicated for a concomitant bony procedure. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: The study included 122 patients (42 male, 80 female; mean ± SD age, 22 ± 6 years) who were assigned to a mild instability group (mIG) and a complex instability group (cIG) based on the reversed dynamic patellar apprehension test (ReDPAT) and J-sign. The mIG had a positive ReDPAT result 40° of knee flexion and/or a high-grade J-sign (grade 2 or 3). The mIG underwent isolated MPFL-R, and the cIG underwent MPFL-R and concomitant bony procedures depending on the established risk factor assessment. For evaluation, the BANFF Patellar Instability Instrument 2.0 (BPII 2.0) and numeric analog scale (0-10) for patellofemoral pain and subjective knee function were used. The minimal clinically important difference for the BPII 2.0 was ascertained by calculating half the standard deviation of baseline scores. RESULTS: Radiographic analysis confirmed a significantly more pronounced pathoanatomic risk factor constellation in the cIG regarding severity of trochlear dysplasia, distal malalignment, and patellar height (all P < .05). At final follow-up, no patellar redislocation occurred in either group; 2 patients in the cIG reported patellar subluxation. Within both groups, all outcome scores improved significantly pre- to postoperatively (all P < .0001); no between-group difference was found regarding BPII 2.0 score and numeric analog scale for function. The minimal clinically important difference for the BPII 2.0 was met by 84% (32/38) of the mIG and 90% (76/84) of the cIG (P = .36), but the cIG experienced more patellofemoral pain than the mIG (1.3 ± 1.6 vs 2.1 ± 2.1; P = .036). CONCLUSION: Patients with a high-grade J-sign and/or a positive ReDPAT finding beyond 40° to 50° of knee flexion exhibited a significantly more pronounced pathoanatomic risk factor constellation; however, the correction of modifiable risk factors led to similarly good outcomes to patients who underwent isolated MPFL-R. A slightly higher level of patellofemoral pain after bony procedures was evident in these patients

    Mental and physical health-related quality of life in patients with recurrent patellar dislocations—a generic and disease-specific quality of life questionnaire assessment

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    PURPOSE: There is a paucity of quality of life (QoL) assessments in studies evaluating patients treated for recurrent lateral patellar dislocation (LPD). The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether mental well-being is impaired in patients with chronic (recurrent) LPD and, if so, to assess whether the mental health-related QoL dimension improves equivalently to the physical-related QoL dimension after successful surgical treatment. METHODS: Thirty-eight patients with recurrent LPD over a mean course of the disease of 4.7 ± 3.9 years (1—18 years) prior to surgery were included. Generic health-related QoL (HRQoL) (Short Form 36; SF-36) and disease-specific QoL (Banff Patella Instability Instrument 2.0; BPII 2.0) were assessed preoperatively and after a mean follow-up of 3.5 ± 0.8 years (2 – 5 years) postoperatively. RESULTS: Untreated LPD significantly impacted the physical dimension of patients’ generic HRQoL and their disease-specific QoL. When compared to age-equivalent normative data sets, the mental HRQoL dimension was not reduced prior to operative treatment but increased during the follow-up period. Surgical treatment normalized the physical dimension of patients’ generic HRQoL and significantly improved their disease-specific QoL. However, BPII 2.0 values remained reduced, albeit patellae were successfully stabilized. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that patients with recurrent LPD are generally in good mental health, although physical impairment is striking. Notwithstanding that surgery prevented further dislocations and normalized the generic HRQoL, the disease-specific QoL remained reduced as far as this can be interpreted without population-based data. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV; Retrospective case series

    Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction using nonresorbable sutures yields comparable outcomes to reconstruction with a pedicled quadriceps tendon autograft when performed in addition to bony risk factor correction

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    PURPOSE: To evaluate the results for reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament using synthetic nonresorbable sutures (S-MPFL-R) in comparison to MPFL-R using quadriceps tendon autograft (QT-MPFL-R) in patients undergoing simultaneous correction of anatomic risk factors for lateral patellar instability (LPI) at a minimum of 2 years of follow-up. METHODS: Between November 2018 and June 2019, 19 patients (male/female 8/11; mean age 26 ± 7 years) underwent S-MPFL-R (FiberTape(®)) in combination with the correction of predisposing risk factors for LPI. The control group of 38 patients (male/female 16/22, mean age 26 ± 6 years) who underwent QT-MPFL-R was matched 1:2 by sex, age, anatomic risk factors, and concomitant surgical correction of bony risk factors. The Banff Patella Instability Instrument 2.0 (BPII 2.0) and a numerical analog scale (NAS 0–10) for patellofemoral pain and subjective knee joint function were used to assess patients’ reported quality of life before and after surgery. RESULTS: The BPII 2.0 score increased from 35.0 ± 21.7 points to 79.7 ± 13.3 points (p < 0.0001) in the S-MPRL-R group and from 44.3 ± 19.6 points to 80.9 ± 15 points (p < 0.0001) in the QT-MPFL-R group from preoperatively to postoperatively, respectively, without any significant difference between the groups. In the S-MPFL-R group and QT-MPFL-R group, 95% (18/19) and 92% (35/38) of patients, respectively, crossed the minimally clinically important difference reported for the BPII 2.0. NAS values for pain and subjective knee joint function improved significantly in both groups (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001) without any significant difference between the groups at the final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that nonresorbable sutures can serve as a viable option for MPFL-R, yielding comparable outcomes compared to quadriceps tendon autograft reconstruction when performed concomitantly with the correction of anatomic risk factors for LPI. This option reduces the need for autologous tendon harvesting or the use of allografts for MPFL-R. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III

    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
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