Aims

The primary aim of this study was to determine the surgical team’s learning curve for introducing robotic-arm assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) into routine surgical practice. The secondary objective was to compare accuracy of implant positioning in conventional jig-based UKA versus robotic-arm assisted UKA.

Aims

The objective of this study was to compare early postoperative functional outcomes and time to hospital discharge between conventional jig-based total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and robotic-arm assisted TKA.

The long term biological effects of wear products following total hip arthroplasty (THA) are unclear. However, the indications for THA are expanding, with increasingly younger patients undergoing the procedure.

This prospective, randomised study compared two groups of patients undergoing THA after being randomised to receive one of two different bearing surfaces: metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) n = 22 and metal-on-metal (MoM) n = 23. We investigated the relationship between three variables: bearing surface (MoP vs MoM), whole blood levels of chromium (Cr) and cobalt (Co) and chromosomal aberrations in peripheral lymphocyte pre-operatively and at one, two and five years post-surgery.

Our results demonstrated significantly higher mean cobalt and chromium (Co and Cr) blood levels in the MoM group at all follow-up points following surgery (p < 0.01), but there were no significant differences in the chromosomal aberration indices between MoM and MoP at two or five years (two years: p = 0.56, p = 0.08, p = 0.91, p = 0.51 and five years: p = 0.086, p = 0.73, p = 0.06, p = 0.34) for translocations, breaks, loss and gain of chromosomes respectively. Regression analysis showed a strong linear relationship between Cr levels and the total chromosomal aberration indices in the MoM group (R² = 0.90016), but this was not as strong for Co (R² = 0.68991). In the MoP group, the analysis revealed a poor relationship between Cr levels and the total chromosomal aberration indices (R² = 0.23908) but a slightly stronger relationship for Co (R² = 0.64292). Across both groups, Spearman’s correlation detected no overall association between Co and Cr levels and each of the studied chromosomal aberrations. There remains no clear indication which THA bearing couple is the most biocompatible, especially in young active patients. While THA continues to be very successful at alleviating pain and restoring function, the long-term biological implications of the procedure still require further scrutiny.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:1183–91.

Purpose.

Congenital insensitivity to pain is a rare autosomal recessive condition that leads to varying degrees of sensory and autonomic neuropathy. The aim of the study was to explore the common orthopaedic presentations of congenital insensitivity to pain and provide guidance on their treatment and complications.

The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has completed an extensive trial of ACI versus MACI in the treatment of symptomatic osteochondral defects of the knee. A new technique has now been proposed which is quicker and easier to perform. This is the Gel-Type Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation, CHONDRONTM. At Stanmore CHONDRON has been used for the past 17 months. Our aim was to assess the short term functional outcome of patients who have undergone CHONDRONTM using validated outcome scoring questionnaires. We retrospectively reviewed the notes of 43 patients that had undergone CHONDRONTM over one year ago and scored them using the Modified Cincinnati Score, the Visual Analogue Score and the Benltey Stanmore Functional Rating Score.