Background: Cam morphology is thought to originate near puberty and reflects a response of the peripheral aspect of the proximal femoral physis to increased local load. Participation in particular sports activities has been associated with cam morphology in contemporary patient populations; however, it is unclear whether cam is a recent phenomenon. There are limited data regarding the frequency of its occurrence and the general deviations in femoral anatomy in different historical populations. Such information may help to understand the possible influence of lifestyle and diet on cam morphology. Questions/purposes: The purpose of this study was to evaluate femoral morphology in three historical populations. We asked: (1) Was cam morphology present in the three study populations, did those populations differ, and were there differences between sexes? (2) Were there differences in neck-shaft angle, version, or inclination between and among the examined populations? Methods: We examined 204 adult femurs from the Neolithic population from Iran (n = 37, 3000 BC to 1631 BC), medieval population from Poland (n = 135, 10th to 13th centuries), and contemporary Australian aborigines (n = 32, early 20^th century), provided by the Open Research Scan Archive, Museum of the First Piasts at Lednica and the University of Wrocław, respectively. All three human populations represent different chronologic periods and lifestyles. All bones were scanned using CT and then measured on their three-dimensional (3-D) reconstructions in selected planes. Cam impingement was defined as an alpha angle > 55° measured on the inclination view. To evaluate the differences in anatomy between populations, we measured the true neck-shaft angle on the true AP view, apparent neck-shaft angle on the apparent AP view, the version angle on the version view, and the inclination angle on the inclination view. The prevalence of cam morphology and other anatomic parameters were compared among groups using chi-square test, one-way ANOVA with post hoc Tukey test, and paired t-test. Results: Cam morphology was present in 5% of the Neolithic population from Iran, in 7% of the medieval population from Poland, and 3% of the contemporary Australian aborigine femurs (OR Neolithic population from Iran/the medieval population from Poland 0.7 [95% CI 0.2 to 3.4]; p = 0.67; OR Neolithic population from Iran/contemporary Australian aborigines 1.8 [95% CI 0.2 to 20.5]; p = 0.65; OR the medieval population from Poland/contemporary Australian aborigines 2.5 [95% CI 0.3 to 20.1]; p = 0.40). There were differences in the presence of cam morphology between the sexes in the medieval population from Poland with both femurs (females: 1% [1 of 76]; males: 15% [9 of 59]; p = 0.002). There was a difference in true neck-shaft angle between the Neolithic population from Iran (121° ± 6°) and contemporary Australian aborigines (131° ± 5°; mean difference 10° [95% CI 7° to 13°]; p < 0.001) and between the medieval population from Poland (124° ± 5°) and the contemporary Australian aborigines (mean difference 7° [95% CI 5° to 9°]; p < 0.001). Apparent neck-shaft angle differed between the Neolithic population from Iran (126° ± 6°) and the contemporary Australian aborigines (134° ± 5°; mean difference 8° [95% CI 6° to 11°]; p < 0.001), and between the medieval population from Poland (126° ± 6°) and the contemporary Australian aborigines (mean difference 9° [95% CI 7° to 11°]; p < 0.001). Moreover, we observed a difference in the version angle between the Neolithic population from Iran (19° ± 7°) and the medieval population from Poland (12° ± 9°; mean difference 7° [95% CI 4° to 10°]; p < 0.001] and in the inclination angle between aforementioned groups (18° ± 7° versus 11° ± 8°; mean difference 7° [95% CI 5° to 10°]; p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study found that cam morphology existed in historical populations at rates comparable with a contemporary population. Clinical Relevance: The presence of cam morphology in historical populations suggests that cam morphology can develop outside of the intense sports activity seen in modern adolescents. Further study will help elucidate the etiology of cam morphology, which may be useful in the development of preventive strategies.

Background: Three-dimensional idiopathic scoliosis cannot be accurately assessed with the aid of a single plane parameter – the Cobb angle. We propose a novel method for evaluating the three-dimensional (3D) pattern of scoliosis based on two X-rays (PA and lateral). The proposed method consists of the measurements of the angles between the upper endplate of the upper-end vertebra and the lower endplate of the lower-end vertebra (3D scoliosis angle). Methods: The 3D-angles of thirty scoliosis curves were measured with either computed tomography (CT) or digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs): PA and lateral. CT was used as a reference. In the case of CT, the 3D angle was calculated based on the coordinates of three points situated on the upper endplate and those of three points situated on the lower endplate of the scoliosis curve. In the case of the DRR, the 3D angle was calculated using the four-angle method: the angles formed by the endplates of the curve with the transverse plane. The results were tested with the Student’s t-test, and the agreement of measurements was tested with the intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: There was no significant difference between the 3D-angle measurements obtained with DRRs versus CT, p > 0.05. There was, however, a significant difference between the 3D-scoliosis angle and the Cobb angle measurements performed based on the X-rays. The reproducibility and reliability of 3D angle measurements were high. Conclusions: Based on two standard radiographs, PA and lateral, it is possible to calculate the 3D scoliosis angle. The proposed method facilitates 3D-scoliosis assessment without the use of sophisticated devices. Considering the 3D nature of AIS, the 3D parameters of the spine may help to apply a more effective treatment and estimate a more precise prognosis for patient with scoliosis.

Background and Objectives: The negative effects of smoking on the musculoskeletal system were presented by many authors, although the relationship between smoking and osteoarthritis remains unclear. The aim of this paper was to investigate the negative effects of smoking on meniscal tissue in osteoarthritic knees by microscopic examination, by adapting the Bonar scoring system and its modifications. Materials and Methods: The study involved 34 patients with varus knees, from whom 65 samples of knee menisci were obtained. The mean age in the studied group was 65.385 years. The smoking status of the patients concluded that there were 13 smokers and 21 nonsmokers. Results: Among smokers, the mean classical Bonar score was 8.42 and the mean modified Bonar score was 6.65, while nonsmokers were characterized by scores of 8.51 and 7.35, respectively. There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the number of cigarettes and the collagen in the medial meniscus (p = 0.0197). Moreover, in the medial meniscus, the modified Bonar score correlated negatively with the number of cigarettes (p = 0.0180). Similarly, such a correlation was observed between the number of cigarettes and the modified Bonar score in the lateral meniscus (p = 0.04571). Furthermore, no correlation was identified between the number of cigarettes and the classical Bonar score in the lateral meniscus. There was a statistically significant difference in the collagen variable value between the smokers and nonsmokers groups (p = 0.04525). Conclusions: The microscopic investigation showed no differences in the menisci of smokers and nonsmokers, except for the collagen, which was more organized in smokers. Moreover, the modified Bonar score was correlated negatively with the number of cigarettes, which supports the role of neovascularization in meniscus pathology under the influence of tobacco smoking.

Purpose: Late-diagnosed dislocated hips underwent open reduction, Dega osteotomy, and proximal femoral osteotomy between 1968 and 1988. The objectives of this study are to assess the survival of hips into adulthood, clinical and radiological outcome, patients’ life perspectives and the risk factors of failure. Methods: An assessment of 67 hips treated when younger than five years (<age 5yr. group) and 71 hips in the group aged older than five years (+age 5yr.) was performed. All cases were evaluated clinically and radiographically, and survival was assessed, considering hip replacement as endpoints for failure (abbreviation HR+ refers to hips that underwent hip replacement surgery; HR- refers to hips that have not been replaced at the follow-up). The fertility rate and the social security disability benefits (SSDB) recipiency percentage were calculated. Results: The 40-year survival rates were 73% (95% confidence (CI) 71% to 76%) in the <age 5yr. group, 54% (95% CI 51% to 57%) in the +age 5yr. group, 70% (95% CI 67% to 73%) in one-sided dislocations and 57% (95% CI 54% to 60%) in bilateral dislocations. At follow-up, the median Harris hip and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis scores were 90.0 and 13.0 (<age 5yr. group, HR-), 74.0 and 28.0 (+age 5yr. group, HR-), 90.0 and 16.0 (<age 5yr. group, HR+) and 84.5 and 11.5 (+age 5yr. group, HR+), respectively. The operation normalized the radiological parameters. The correlation between the grade of femoral head avascular necrosis (AVN) at a median 2.6 years after the operation and the grade of osteoarthritis at follow-up was 0.38 (p < 0.001). The fertility rate was 1.54. In total, 16.0% (aged under five years) and 38.5% (aged over five years) of patients were receiving SSDB (p = 0.003). Conclusion: Early failure risk factors are older age at the surgical procedure, high AVN grade and bilateral hip involvement. Still, the results facilitate hip reposition whenever technically manageable, even in teenagers. Level of evidence: III

A systematic review of studies reporting outcomes after Dega transiliac pelvic osteotomy (DO) in developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) was carried out with a meta-analysis of the pre- and postoperative acetabular index (AI) values. The MEDLINE, ClinicalKey, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for articles published up to April 2020 (keywords: Dega, Dega osteotomy, Dega acetabuloplasty, Dega transiliac, and Dega acetabular). The reference lists of reviewed articles were manually searched. Three hundred and seventy-two articles were identified; 23 met the inclusion criteria. The difference between pre- and postoperative AI values were reported in 19 studies (636 hips); the average postoperative AI value was ≤20° in 16/19. Ten studies were included in the meta-analysis. The overall difference between the mean pre- and postoperative AI was 22.5° (95% confidence interval 20.2–24.8°). The average postoperative center-edge angle was reported in 14/23 studies (480 hips) and was normative (≥20°). Hips were assessed using the Severin classification in 11/23 studies; 81.7% of 410 hips were Severin class I–II. The clinical outcome quantified following McKay/Berkeley or other criteria in nine studies (512 hips) was good or very good in 84.8% of hips at follow-up. The incidence of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head was 18.9% (19 studies, 856 hips). The cumulative rate of reoperation of 5.8% was reported in 14 studies. DO ensures adequate correction of radiological parameters in DDH, and facilitates a good clinical outcome with low incidences of AVN and reoperation risk. Level of evidence: IV.

This study aimed to investigate the degeneration of the meniscal tissue in osteoarthritic knees and to adapt the Bonar score and its modifications to develop a microscopic examination. This study included consecutive patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty for symptomatic end-stage gonarthrosis. During the surgery, the menisci were completely dissected to preserve their original shapes. The samples were prepared using the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining method and the Alcian blue protocol and were examined under light microscopy. The extent of histopathological changes was assessed based on the classical Bonar score assumptions. Additionally, in the second step of the examination, menisci remnants were evaluated using the modified Bonar score developed by Zabrzyński et al. The study involved 44 patients, from whom 83 samples of knee menisci were obtained. Histological examination of the meniscal specimens under a light microscope revealed tissue degeneration in all cases, in both the medial and lateral menisci. The mean classical Bonar score was 8.3571 and the mean modified Bonar score was 6.9398. There were no statistically significant differences in classical Bonar score assessment between medial and lateral menisci (p = 0.3014). There were no statistically significant differences in the modified-Bonar score assessment between medial and lateral menisci (p = 0.3620). We show that both menisci are implicated in the degenerative process, with high scores in the Bonar system, regardless of knee axial deformity. The Bonar score, along with its modifications, can be readily employed in the microscopic assessment of meniscus pathology.