BackgroundLate-stage isolated medial knee osteoarthritis can be treated with total knee replacement (TKR) or partial knee replacement (PKR). There is high variation in treatment choice and little robust evidence to guide selection. The Total or Partial Knee Arthroplasty Trial (TOPKAT) therefore aims to assess the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of TKR versus PKR in patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis of the knee, and this represents an analysis of the main endpoints at 5 years.MethodsOur multicentre, pragmatic randomised controlled trial was done at 27 UK sites. We used a combined expertise-based and equipoise-based approach, in which patients with isolated osteoarthritis of the medial compartment of the knee and who satisfied general requirements for a medial PKR were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive PKR or TKR by surgeons who were either expert in and willing to perform both surgeries or by a surgeon with particular expertise in the allocated procedure. The primary endpoint was the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) 5 years after randomisation in all patients assigned to groups. Health-care costs (in UK 2017 prices) and cost-effectiveness were also assessed. This trial is registered with ISRCTN (ISRCTN03013488) and ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01352247).FindingsBetween Jan 18, 2010, and Sept 30, 2013, we assessed 962 patients for their eligibility, of whom 431 (45%) patients were excluded (121 [13%] patients did not meet the inclusion criteria and 310 [32%] patients declined to participate) and 528 (55%) patients were randomly assigned to groups. 94% of participants responded to the follow-up survey 5 years after their operation. At the 5-year follow-up, we found no difference in OKS between groups (mean difference 1·04, 95% CI −0·42 to 2·50; p=0·159). In our within-trial cost-effectiveness analysis, we found that PKR was more effective (0·240 additional quality-adjusted life-years, 95% CI 0·046 to 0·434) and less expensive (−£910, 95% CI −1503 to −317) than TKR during the 5 years of follow-up. This finding was a result of slightly better outcomes, lower costs of surgery, and lower follow-up health-care costs with PKR than TKR.InterpretationBoth TKR and PKR are effective, offer similar clinical outcomes, and result in a similar incidence of re-operations and complications. Based on our clinical findings, and results regarding the lower costs and better cost-effectiveness with PKR during the 5-year study period, we suggest that PKR should be considered the first choice for patients with late-stage isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis.FundingNational Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment Programme.
High tibial osteotomy (HTO) is successful in treating symptomatic varus arthritis of the knee. We present a case where ankle pain and instability were attributed to varus ankle malalignment. This was found to be secondary to constitutional varus of the proximal tibia but the patient's knee was asymptomatic. The decision to operate on an asymptomatic knee in the hope of improving ankle symptoms took a period of careful consideration, planning and discussion. HTO was performed without immediate complication and the patient reported an excellent outcome with marked improvement in Mazur's foot and ankle score from 18 to 85. In well selected and planned cases, HTO may be considered as an instrument of deformity correction with improvement in symptoms from joints distant to the surgical site.
The aim of this study was to report the long-term outcome and implant survival of the lateral resurfacing elbow (LRE) arthroplasty in the treatment of elbow arthritis.We reviewed a consecutive series of 27 patients (30 elbows) who underwent LRE arthroplasty between December 2005 and January 2008. There were 15 women and 12 men, with a mean age of 61 years (25 to 82). The diagnosis was primary hypotrophic osteoarthritis (OA) in 12 patients (14 elbows), post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) in five (five elbows) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in ten patients (11 elbows). The mean clinical outcome scores including the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons elbow score (ASES-e), the mean range of movement and the radiological outcome were recorded at three, six and 12 months and at a mean final follow-up of 8.3 years (7.3 to 9.4). A one sample t-test comparing pre and postoperative values, and survival analysis using the Kaplan-Meier method were undertaken.A statistically significantly increased outcome score was noted for the whole group at each time interval. This was also significantly increased at each time in each of the subgroups (OA, RA, and PTOA). Implant survivorship was 100%.We found that the LRE arthroplasty, which was initially developed for younger patients with osteoarthritis, is an effective form of surgical treatment for a wider range of patients with more severe degenerative changes, irrespective of their cause. It is therefore a satisfactory alternative to total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) and has lower rates of complications in the subgroups of patients we have studied. It does not require activities to be restricted to the same extent as following TEA. Based on this experience, we now recommend LRE arthroplasty rather than TEA as the primary form of implant for the treatment of patients with OA of the elbow. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:338-45.
Abstract This review article provides an overview of lower limb deformity analysis. A brief history and radiographic standards are presented. Deformity analysis is considered in the frontal, sagittal, and axial planes, from simple to more complex cases. The authors recommended analysis methods based on their own experience of deformity correction, while acknowledging that there may be different ways to treat individual cases. Subsequently, methods for osteotomy planning to address the identified deformities are discussed.
Deficiencies in oxygenation are widespread in solid tumors. The transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha is an important mediator of the hypoxic response of tumor cells and controls the up-regulation of a number of factors important for solid tumor expansion, including the angiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We have isolated two cell lines nullizygous for HIF-1alpha, one from embryos genetically null for HIF-1alpha, and the other from embryos carrying loxP-flanked alleles of the gene, which allows for cre-mediated excision. The loss of HIF-1alpha negatively affects tumor growth in these two sets of H-ras-transformed cell lines, and this negative effect is not due to deficient vascularization. Despite differences in VEGF expression, vascular density is similar in wild-type and HIF-1alpha-null tumors. The evidence from these experiments indicates that hypoxic response via HIF-1alpha is an important positive factor in solid tumor growth and that HIF-1alpha affects tumor expansion in ways unrelated to its regulation of VEGF expression.