Complications after high tibial osteotomy and distal femoral osteotomy are associated with increasing medical comorbidities and tobacco use

No Differences in 2-Year Reoperation Rates for Meniscus Allograft Transplant With Concomitant Cartilage Restoration or Osteotomy: A National Database Study

PURPOSE

To investigate reoperation rates after meniscus allograft transplant (MAT), comparing rates with and without concomitant articular cartilage and osteotomy procedures using a national insurance claims database.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent MAT from 2010 to 2021 with a minimum 2-year follow-up using the PearlDiver database. Using Current Procedural Terminology and International Classification of Diseases codes, we identified patients who underwent concomitant procedures including chondroplasty or microfracture, cartilage restoration defined as osteochondral graft or autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), or osteotomy. Univariate logistic regressions identified risk factors for reoperation. Reoperations were classified as knee arthroplasty, interventional procedures, or diagnostic or debridement procedures.

RESULTS

The study included 750 patients with an average age of 29.6 years (interquartile range: 21.0-36.8) and average follow-up time was 5.41 years (SD: 2.51). Ninety-day, 2-year, and all-time reoperation rates were 1.33%, 14.4%, and 27.6%, respectively. MAT with cartilage restoration was associated with increased reoperation rate at 90 days (odds ratio: 4.88; 95% confidence interval: 1.38-19.27; P = .015); however, there was no significant difference in reoperation rates at 2 years or to the end of follow-up. ACI had increased reoperation rates at 90 days (odds ratio: 6.95; 95% confidence interval: 1.45-25.96; P = .006), with no difference in reoperation rates 2 years postoperatively or to the end of follow-up. Osteochondral autograft and allograft were not associated with increased reoperation rates.

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort, 14.4% of patients had a reoperation within 2 years of MAT. Nearly 1 in 4 patients undergoing MAT had concomitant cartilage restoration, showing that it is commonly performed on patients with articular cartilage damage. Concomitant osteochondral autograft, osteochondral allograft, chondroplasty, microfracture, and osteotomy were not associated with any significant difference in reoperation rates. ACI was associated with increased reoperation rates at 90 days, but not later.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, retrospective cohort study.

Medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy is a viable option in young patients with advanced arthritis in a long-term follow-up

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of medial open wedge high tibial osteotomy (MOWHTO) as a treatment option for advanced medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA) Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) III and IV.

METHODS

Patients with severe medial compartment arthritis, who underwent MOWHTO with locking plate between 2003 and 2015, were retrospectively reviewed. A locking plate for the osteotomy was utilized. Preoperative and postoperative patients' evaluation was performed using the International Knee Documentation Committee Score (IKDC), the Oxford Knee Score (OKS), the Knee Injury Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and the Short Form-12 Score (SF-12). Standardized standing whole-limb X-rays were taken to evaluate the mechanical tibiofemoral angle (mTFA) and proximal medial tibial angle (PMTA), and the severity of OA.

RESULTS

A total of 32 patients, 35 knees (27 males, five females) of which 21 were classified as K-L Grade III and 14 as K-L Grade IV, and mean age 47.1 ± 9.17 years old, who were followed for 13.6 years (range 7-20 years), were included in the study. During the follow-up period, three knees required conversion to total knee replacement (91.5% survival rate). All clinical outcome scores (KOOS, OKS, IKDC and SF-12) showed a significant improvement compared to preoperative status (p < 0.05). Preoperative mTFA and PMTA were significantly corrected immediately after surgery and retained this improvement at the last follow-up.

CONCLUSION

MOWHTO with a locking plate is an effective method to treat severe medial compartments. Clinical and radiological results are satisfactory and the survival rate is 91.5%, at a mean follow-up of 13.6 years after the procedure.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.

Ten-year minimal follow-up of lateral opening wedge distal femoral osteotomy for lateral femorotibial osteoarthritis: Good survivorship and high patient satisfaction

PURPOSE

This study aimed (1) to determine complications and survival rates of lateral opening wedge distal femoral osteotomy (LOW-DFO) in the long term, (2) to assess their clinical outcomes in the long term and (3) to identify risk factors of failure.

METHODS

Between 1991 and 2011, 62 LOW-DFOs were performed in the same department. Inclusion criteria were all isolated LOW-DFO performed for isolated lateral tibiofemoral osteoarthritis and valgus malalignment, with a minimum 10-year follow-up. Thirty-eight patients were included, with a mean age of 48 ± 9 years. All patients had clinical and radiological assessments. The survival curves were calculated based on the following endpoints: unicompartmental or total knee arthroplasty.

RESULTS

The mean follow-up was 15.2 ± 4.4 [10-29] years. The mean preoperative mechanical FemoroTibial Axis (mFTA) was 188.8° ± 3.2° [184°-197°], primarily due to femur deformity (mean lateral distal femoral axis [LDFA] 83.2° ± 2.8°). Bone union was achieved in 89.5% of patients (n = 34) at a mean delay of 6.5 ± 6.7 months. The complication rate was 26% (five stiffness, one nonunion, three secondary displacements and one deep vein thrombosis). Nine revision surgeries (24%) were recorded. Survival rates at 5 and 10 years were 92.1% and 78.9%, respectively. The mean delay between DFO and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was 11.6 ± 5.7 [1-27] years. Nineteen patients (50%) were free of TKA at the last follow-up. KSS scores were improved significantly. Return to sports was obtained in 92% of cases (n = 35), with a mean delay of 11 ± 8 months. Seventy-four per cent of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the surgery. Eighty-four per cent would be willing to undergo the surgery again. Older age (p = 0.032) was a significant risk factor for TKA conversion.

CONCLUSION

LOW-DFO is an efficient procedure to manage lateral knee osteoarthritis in young patients with valgus deformity, with a good survival rate at 10 years and high patient satisfaction.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

Patients aged 55 or older undergoing around the knee osteotomy have a higher rate of deep vein thrombosis but not overall early post-operative complications

Purpose

Osteotomies around the knee have been established as an effective method for treating varus or valgus malalignment associated with other knee pathologies in young and middle-aged patients. There is limited literature regarding the risks and complications based on patient age. The purpose of this study is to determine whether age influences as a risk factor for developing intraoperative and early post-operative complications in patients undergoing osteotomies around the knee.

Methods

A consecutive series of patients over 18 years old who underwent distal femoral osteotomy (DFO) or high tibial osteotomy (HTO) with a minimum follow-up period of 90 days were included. Demographic characteristics, surgical technique, intraoperative and post-operative complications up to 90 days were identified. A statistical comparison based on age younger than 55 years or 55 years and older was conducted to determine if patient age acted as a risk factor in the development of complications.

Results

A total of 159 osteotomies were included, of which 129 were HTOs. The average age was 46.16 years, and 118 patients were younger than 55 years. Seven hinge fractures were identified as the only intraoperative complication, while the overall early post-operative complication rate was 11.32%. The most frequent was deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in 5.66% of cases, followed by deep infection with a total rate of 2.52%. When performing the subgroup analysis by age, we observed a significantly higher rate of DVT in the group aged 55 years and older (p 0.036) (odds ratio 3.96 95% confidence interval 1.009-15.533; p 0.048); however, no significant differences were observed in the overall complication rate according to the age group of the patients.

Conclusions

This study reveals that in patients undergoing osteotomies around the knee, the most common post-operative complication was DVT. The rate of DVT was significantly higher in patients aged 55 years and older, although no differences were observed in the overall complication rate according to the patients' age range.

Level of evidence

Level III (retrospective cohort study).

Lateral Opening-Wedge Distal Femoral Osteotomy Made Easy: Tips and Tricks

A lateral opening-wedge distal femoral osteotomy is useful to offload the lateral tibiofemoral compartment for focal chondral defects or isolated lateral compartment arthritis. Although beneficial for these lateral compartment disorders, a distal femoral osteotomy requires careful forethought to optimize correction accuracy and safety. We recommend the following for effective execution of a distal femoral osteotomy: (1) Plan the desired correction preoperatively while accounting for an individual patient's anatomy and femoral width. (2) Perform an iliotibial band Z-lengthening for large deformity corrections to not overconstrain the lateral structures. (3) Use the plate to help guide the level of the osteotomy, which will facilitate bony contact after the osteotomy and decrease plate prominence. (4) Perform the osteotomy with a saw anteriorly and an osteotome posteriorly for safety and stop the osteotomy approximately 1 cm short of the far cortex. (5) Fashion tricortical wedge grafts at the height of the planned correction to maintain reduction and facilitate plate placement. (6) Control the plate position to lie optimally at the level of the osteotomy, ensuring it is not proud and is parallel with the femoral shaft. With these presurgical and intraoperative steps, a lateral opening-wedge distal femoral osteotomy can be performed effectively.

A systematic approach to managing complications after proximal tibial osteotomies of the knee

Proximal tibial osteotomy (PTO) is an effective procedure for active and young adult patients with symptomatic unicompartmental osteoarthritis and malalignment. They were considered technically demanding and prone to various complications related to the surgical technique, biomechanical or biological origin. Among the most important are hinge fractures and delayed or non-healing, neurovascular complications, loss of correction, implant-related problems, patellofemoral complaints, biological complications and changes in limb length. Being aware of these problems can help minimizing their prevalence and improve the results of the procedure.The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the potential complications that may occur during and after proximal tibial osteotomies, their origin and ways to prevent them.

Utilization of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation in the Knee is Increasing While Reoperation Rates Are Decreasing Despite Increasing Preoperative Comorbidities

PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this study was to assess the use of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) procedures in the knee during last decade, and the secondary aims of the study were to determine reoperation rates after ACI and to identify associated risk factors.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study from 2010-2020 was performed using the PearlDiver database. The database was queried for the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for ACI performed in any knee location, including the patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints. Reoperation was defined as interventional knee procedures or total knee arthroplasty after ACI. Reoperations were identified using CPT and International Classification of Diseases codes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to identify risk factors for reoperation. Significance was defined as P < .05.

RESULTS

Among the 2010 patients included in this study, there were 90-day and overall reoperation rates of 2.24% and 30.4%, respectively, with an average follow up of 4.8 ± 3.3 years. The most common reoperations included chondroplasty, meniscectomy, and microfracture. There was an increased rate of ACI performed from 2017-2019 (5.53/100,000) compared to 2014-2016 (4.16/100,000; P < .001). ACI surgeries performed in 2017-2019 were associated with decreased risk of reoperation within 2 years relative to 2014-2016 (odds ratio [OR] = 0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52-0.94; P = .019). In the entire ACI cohort, older age (OR = 1.07; 95% CI, 1.05-1.09; P < .001) and tobacco use (OR = 2.13; 95% CI, 1.06-3.94; P = .022) were associated with increased risk of conversion to arthroplasty. Male sex was associated with decreased overall reoperation rates (OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.60-0.89; P = .002).

CONCLUSIONS

There has been increasing use of ACI in the knee with decreased risk of reoperation since 2017 and the introduction of matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte implantation. Older age and tobacco use were predictors of increased risk of conversion to arthroplasty. Male sex was associated with decreased risk of reoperation.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, retrospective cohort design; database study.