There are some critical points of Cruciate retaining (CR) TKA. We recognized that it is one of the most important issue how to manage for release of PCL contracture. PCL contracture would lead to poor ROM, stiff or painful knee after CR TKA. PCL release at insertion of femoral / tibial side or cut in PCL itself, “pie craft” were reported. However, for retaining of PCL function after TKA, peeling off PCL itself would be not desirable. Therefore, we proposed to perform V shape-osteotomy at PCL insertion of tibia with osteotome (Fig.1,2) and cancellous bone graft at osteotomy site to get bony union (V-shape osteotomy with cancellous bone graft: VOCG). We would present how to perform VOCG at CR TKA and clinical results. 188 knees in 126 patients were received NRG CR TKA (Stryker) at Nagano Matsushiro General Hospital between February 2008 and August 2009. Mean age at operation was 75.1±5.9 years old. The indications for VOCG were positive of POLO test positive, inadequate soft tissue balance because of PCL contracture, or poor pre-operative ROM et al. All patients were reviewed with clinical and radiographic assessments. Clinical evaluation was carried out using the Knee Society Score (knee score and functional score). The range of motion (ROM) was pre- and post-operatively. In order to evaluate the effect of VOCG, clinical outcomes were compared between two groups (with VOCG vs without VOCG).Background
Patients and Methods
A prospective randomized study was performed to evaluate the role of cold therapy in the postoperative treatment of total hip arthroplasty (THA). Forty consecutive patients underwent primary total hip arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. All components were not cemented. The patients were randomized: 20 were fitted with a cold therapy device for four days, and 20 were not. They were evaluated in terms of blood loss, creatine phosphokinase (CPK) level, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and pain relief. No significant difference was found in the amount of postoperative wound drainage between the two groups of patients. The use of cold compressive dressing after THA was not associated with an increase in CPK and CRP level. The pain score in the postoperative period of THA was significantly lower in the cold therapy group than in the control group. The results of this study support the potential benefit in pain reduction by use of the cold compressive device in the postoperative recovery of patients undergoing THA.
Polyethylene wear is the most important risk factor affecting the durability of total knee arthroplasty. We developed a new method of measuring wear of the tibial polyethylene insert in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on standard standing radiographs.
By 1998, 10 patients had undergone 12 revision total knee arthroplasties at our institute. One patient died three weeks after surgery due to cerebral infarction, leaving 11 knees of nine patients for evaluation. Average follow-up was 4.8 years (1 to 9 years). All components were subjected to revision surgery in five knees, the tibial tray and insert in four knees, and only the insert in two knees. Patients were evaluated with clinical examinations, radiographs, and the Knee Society Clinical Rating System. After revision surgery, the Knee Scores and ROMs were restored to almost the same level as just after the first TKA. Re-revision was performed on two patients, one 103 months and the other 82 months after revision TKA. In those two patients, huge bone loss of the proximal tibial canal was filled with cement without bone graft. The other patients, however whose tibial trays were fixed with cement on adequate grafted bone obtained good results. The femoral components that were not treated with revision surgery despite small flaws or scratches due to wear and tear of the tibial insert did not cause marked wear of the new tibial insert.
