Intraobserver Reliability and Interobserver Agreement in Radiographic Classification of Heterotopic Ossification

WHICH PROBLEMATICS IN THA AFTER ACETABULAR FRACTURES: EXPERIENCE OF 38 CASES

BACKGROUND

Within a timeframe of 8 years (2008-2016), 38 patients have undergone total hip replacement surgery for coxarthrosis or aseptic necrosis secondary to acetabulum fractures.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study included 27 males and 11 females between 42 and 70 years of age, all of whom came from other institutions. The follow-up period ranged between a minimum of 4.6 and a maximum of 9.7 years.

RESULTS

At the final follow-up, all patients were evaluated using the Merle D'Aubigne and Pastel model. Optimal results were found in all the cases. Three patients benefited from surgical revisitation with implant exchange following infection and one/two state reimplatation at seven, fourtheen et twenty-seven months respectively. Two patients benefited from cotyle revision due to chronic instability of the implant.

CONCLUSIONS

The scope of the study was to present all the possible surgical difficulties that can come up with prosthetic implants. More particularly, hip implants after acetabulum fractures qualifies as a "difficult primary implant".

Diclofenac for prophylaxis of heterotopic ossification after hip arthroplasty: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is defined as the formation of lamellar bone in extraskeletal soft tissues. HO can be a severe complication after hip arthroplasty but can possibly be prevented by postoperative treatment with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) or radiotherapy. Diclofenac is 1 of the most used drugs in HO prophylaxis because it is effective and long established. However, there is still no uniform therapy regimen in terms of duration, dose and side effect profile regarding the application of diclofenac in HO prevention. We have, therefore, conducted the first systematic review investigating diclofenac for HO prophylaxis after hip arthroplasty. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy, dose and duration of diclofenac therapy in preventing HO after total hip arthroplasty (THA).

METHODS

According to the PRISMA Guidelines we performed a systematic literature search in EMBASE via Ovid, in MEDLINE via PubMed and in the Cochrane Library addressing all studies in English and German regarding the prophylaxis of HO with diclofenac after THA. We identified 731 potential studies and included 6 randomised controlled trials with 957 patients.

RESULTS

The studies were heterogeneous with regard to duration of therapy, dose, comparative group and follow-up period. The therapy duration ranged from 9 to 42 days, the applied diclofenac doses ranged from 75 mg to 150 mg daily. Patients treated with diclofenac showed a significant reduction in the total incidence of HO regarding to the Brooker Classification compared to placebo and no clinically relevant ossifications occured (Brooker III and IV).

CONCLUSIONS

Diclofenac is efficacious in the prevention of HO and can be used routinely after THA. The existing data indicates that a minimum dose of 75 mg diclofenac per day started on the first postoperative day for a minimum of 9 days is needed to prevent HO with an acceptable incidence of side effects, such as gastrointestinal symptoms.

Interobserver and Intraobserver Reliability of Classification Systems for Radiographic Complications After Radial Head Arthroplasty

PURPOSE

Although several classifications are used to assess radiographs following radial head arthroplasty (RHA), including the Popovic classification for radiolucency, the Chanlalit classification for stress shielding (SS), the Brooker classification for heterotopic ossification (HO), and the Broberg-Morrey classification for radiocapitellar arthritis, little is known about the reliability of these classification systems. The purpose of this study was to determine the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of these classifications.

METHODS

Six orthopedic surgeons at various levels of training reviewed elbow radiographs of 20 patients who underwent RHA and classified them according to the Popovic, Chanlalit, Brooker, and Broberg-Morrey classifications for radiolucency, SS, HO, and RHA, respectively. Four weeks after initial review, radiographic reviews were repeated. Reliability was measured using the Fleiss kappa and the intraclass correlation coefficient. Agreement was interpreted as none (<0), slight (0.01-0.2), fair (0.21-0.4), moderate (0.41-0.6), substantial (0.61-0.8), and almost perfect (0.81-1) based on agreement among attending surgeons.

RESULTS

Among fellowship-trained attending surgeons, interobserver reliability was slight for SS (Chanlalit) and the categorical interpretation of radiolucency (Popovic), fair for radiocapitellar arthritis (Broberg-Morrey) and HO (Brooker), and substantial for the ordinal interpretation of radiolucency (Popovic). Residents had a higher interobserver reliability than attending physicians when using the Brooker classification. Mean intraobserver reliability was fair for SS (Chanlalit) and the categorical interpretation of radiolucency (Popovic), moderate for HO (Brooker) and radiocapitellar arthritis (Broberg-Morrey), and almost perfect for the ordinal interpretation of radiolucency (Popovic). Trainees had higher intraobserver reliability than attending surgeons using the SS (Chanlalit) classification.

CONCLUSIONS

The number of Popovic zones is reliable for communication between physicians, but caution should be taken with the Brooker, Chanlalit, Broberg-Morrey, and categorical interpretation of the Popovic classifications. All the classifications had better intraobserver than interobserver reliability.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Reliability of classification systems for radiographic complications after RHA is less than substantial except the number of zones of radiolucency; therefore, caution is required when drawing conclusions based on these classifications.

Simplified biplanar classification for heterotopic ossification is more predictive of patient-reported outcomes than the Brooker classification after anterior total hip arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Heterotopic ossification (HO) commonly occurs after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and can adversely impact clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study is to propose a more reliable HO grading method that is better predictive of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after THA than the Brooker classification.

METHODS

513 THAs (62 ± 10 years old) were reviewed. The incidence and grade of HO was evaluated using the Brooker grading system and a simplified biplanar classification system (grade 1: ⩾1 cm between bone on both anteroposterior and lateral views, grade 2: <1 cm between bone on either view). The modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Forgotten Joint Score (FJS), and visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain were collected at minimum of 2 years after surgery and were compared between HO grades using multiple regression models.

RESULTS

The incidence of HO varied by Brooker grade (grade 1, 23.4%; grade 2, 22.4%; grade 3, 7.2%; grade 4, 0%) and biplanar grade (grade 1: 45.6%; grade 2: 7.4%). The biplanar classification demonstrated higher interobserver reliability than the Brooker classification (κ = 0.95 and 0.91, respectively). Brooker grade 3 HO decreased the mHHS by 6.5 (standard error: 2.7) but did not have a significant effect on FJS or VAS. Biplanar grade 2 HO decreased the mHHS by 9.9 (standard error: 2.7), the FJS by 12.9 (standard error: 4.51) and increased the VAS pain score by 0.81 (standard error: 0.35). The Cox test was used to compare the fit of regression models and determined the biplanar classification was a significantly better predictor than the Brooker classification (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Biplanar grade 2 HO had a significant negative influence on PROs. Contrary to previous literature, these results show clinical significance of non-bridging HO. Compared with the Brooker classification, the biplanar classification has greater interobserver reliability and is more predictive of outcomes after THA.

The Impact of Heterotopic Ossification on Self-Reported Outcomes After Total Hip Arthroplasty Using the Direct Anterior Approach

BACKGROUND

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a known finding after total hip arthroplasty (THA) that potentially affects clinical outcomes. The incidence of HO is related to various factors, including soft-tissue trauma, postoperative medication, surgical approach, and the surgeon's experience. Because use of the direct anterior approach (DAA) is gaining popularity, we aimed (1) to determine the incidence of HO after DAA-THA and (2) to evaluate the impact of HO on patient-reported outcomes (PROs).

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 401 THAs (67 ± 10 years old, 210 men). The incidence and grade of HO were evaluated using the Brooker classification with anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. PROs were collected with use of the Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and the Core Outcome Measures Index (COMI)-Hip and were correlated with HO grades using generalized multiple regression models.

RESULTS

The incidence of HO was 29.9% on the anteroposterior radiographic views (Brooker grade 1, 14.5%; grade 2, 11.1%; grade 3, 2.7%; and grade 4, 0.57%); the lateral radiographic views detected 9% additional HO when compared with the anteroposterior radiographs alone (Brooker grade 1, 8%, and grade 2, 1%). HO was more frequent in men. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, age in women, and higher body mass index (BMI) in men were associated with higher HO grades. A transverse "bikini" incision was associated with a lower rate (4%) of Brooker grades 3 and 4 HO when compared with a longitudinal incision (12%). A Brooker grade of 0 to 3 HO did not impact outcomes. Only Brooker grade-4 HO was associated with significantly worse PROs; however, pain was not affected.

CONCLUSIONS

Low-grade HO after DAA-THA is not uncommon, and its rate is underestimated when anteroposterior radiographic views are evaluated without lateral views. The risk factors for developing HO in our cohort were an ASA grade of >3, male sex (especially with a high BMI), older age in women, and use of longitudinal incisions. With use of the bikini incision, patients had lower rates of severe HO, but mostly senior surgeons with more experience performed their surgery. Age, ASA grade, experience level of the surgeon, and Brooker grade-4 HO all had a significant influence on PROs. Clinically important HO (Brooker grade 4) remains rare after DAA-THR.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty in Patients With Ankylosing Spondylitis: Long-Term Results

BACKGROUND

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a common inflammatory spondyloarthropathy with hip involvement in 40% of patients. With the recent interest in the hip-spine interplay, the purpose of this study was to define the long-term outcomes of revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the setting of AS.

METHODS

174 hips in patients with AS treated with revision THA from 1969 to 2016 were identified. Mean age at revision THA was 53 years and 76% were male. Cumulative incidences of any re-revision, reoperation, and dislocation were calculated using a competing risk analysis. Mean follow-up was 13 years.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence of any re-revision after index revision THA was 7% at 5 years and 36% at 20 years. Cumulative incidence of any reoperation was 9% at 5 years and 38% at 20 years. Cumulative incidence of dislocation was 6% at 5 years and 8% at 20 years. Revision THAs performed with contemporary implants (2000-2016) had a lower but statistically nonsignificant cumulative incidence of any re-revision when compared with historical implants (before 2000) at 5 years (5% vs 8%), 10 years (11% vs 18%), and 15 years (11% vs 38%) (hazard ratio, 0.47; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-1.33; P = .016).

CONCLUSION

In this large series of 174 revision THAs in patients with AS, the cumulative incidence of dislocation was 8% at 20 years. The 20-year cumulative incidence of any re-revision was 36%, which is similar to reported rates in patients with comparable demographic features without AS.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV.

Incidence and risk factors for heterotopic ossification following periprosthetic joint infection of the hip

INTRODUCTION

Heterotopic ossifications (HOs) commonly occur following total hip arthroplasty. Data regarding the appearance of HO after periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) of the hip are rare. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the incidence and potential risk factors for the development of HO in patients with PJI of the hip.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We performed a single-center, retrospective study including patients treated with a two- or multistage operation and patients undergoing salvage procedure in cases of PJI of the hip with a minimum follow-up of 6 months. A total of 150 patients were included in the analysis. The Brooker-scale was used to classify HO. Patients were divided in three groups: (1) No HO, (2) HO Brooker type 1-4, and (3) high-grade HO (HO Brooker type 3 and 4). In each group, we checked possible risk factors for the development of HO for statistical significance.

RESULTS

Patients included in our study had a mean age of 70.4 ± 12.1 years. Of all patients, 75 were women (50%). HOs could be found in 70 patients (46.7%). Twenty-seven patients showed HO Brooker type 1, 23 type 2, 15 type 3 and 5 type 4. Male gender [odds ratio (OR) 2.14; p = 0.022], smoking (OR 5.75; p = 0.025) were significant risk factors for HO. A chronic infection (OR 3.54; p = 0.029) and a higher number of procedures (p = 0.009) were significant risk factors for the development of high-grade HO.

CONCLUSIONS

HOs often occur following surgical care of PJI. Male gender, smoking, a chronic infection and high number of operations are risk factors for developing HO after PJI.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for heterotopic ossification prophylaxis after total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of non-selective and selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in preventing heterotopic ossification (HO) after total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods

A thorough and systematic literature search was conducted and 29 studies were found that met inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and statistical analysis was carried out generating forest plots.

Results

Non-selective NSAIDs showed a significant decrease in the odds for forming HO after THA (odds ratio (OR) -1.35, confidence interval (CI) -1.83 to -0.86) when compared with placebo. Selective NSAIDs also showed a significant decrease in the odds for forming HO after THA when compared with placebo (OR -1.58, CI -2.41 to -0.75). When comparing non-selective NSAIDs with selective NSAIDs, there was no significant change in the odds for forming HO after THA (OR 0.22, CI -0.36 to 0.79).

Conclusion

Our meta-analyses of all available data suggest that both non-selective and selective NSAIDs are effective HO prophylaxis and can be used routinely after THA for pain control as well as prevention of HO. Indomethacin may serve as the benchmark among non-selective NSAIDs and celecoxib among selective NSAIDs. There was no difference in the incidence of HO between non-selective and selective NSAIDs, allowing physicians to choose either based on the clinical scenario and patient-specific factors. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:915-22.