Purpose: The purpose of this systematic review and pooled analysis was to evaluate incidence and risk factors for glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA) in patients who underwent Latarjet procedure with a minimum of 5‐year follow‐up.Methods: The PRISMA guidelines were followed to perform this systematic review. PubMed and EMBASE were searched up to February 29, 2020 for English, human in vivo studies that evaluated glenohumeral OA in patients undergoing Latarjet procedure at least 5 years after surgery. A pooled analysis on the included databases sent by authors was performed to evaluate the risk factors influencing the development or progression of dislocation arthropathy after the Latarjet procedure.Results: Four studies, including a total of 280 patients (213 males and 67 females), were analysed. In our study population, the median age at surgery was 25.0 years (range 20.8–32.6 years). and 92.1% were athletes. In 90% of the cases, the number of dislocations before surgery were fewer than 5. The recurrence of instability after Latarjet procedure was observed only in seven patients (2.5%). The position of the bone graft resulted flush to the anterior glenoid rim in 238 cases (85.3%), medial in 8 (2.9%) and overhanging in 33 (11.8%). Radiological signs of development or progression of shoulder OA were observed in 25.8% of the patients, of which 88.6% presented a grade 1 of OA according to Samilson and Prieto classification. The overhanging position of the bone graft resulted statistically significant for onset or worsening of OA. The age at surgery, the number of dislocations before surgery and the Hill–Sachs lesion were not significantly associated with joint degeneration. Instead, hyperlaxity showed a prevention role in the development of OA after open Latarjet procedure.Conclusion: The Latarjet procedure is a valid and safe surgical treatment in recurrent anterior shoulder instability with a low risk of developing moderate or severe OA also at long‐term follow‐up. The overhanging position of the bone graft represents the principal risk factor of joint degeneration, whereas the hyperlaxity seems to be protective. Finally, age, gender, time between first dislocation and surgery, and number of dislocations do not seem to affect the onset of OA after Latarjet procedure. Therefore, an accurate execution of the Latarjet procedure can be considered a valid treatment even in young and athletes thanks to the low recurrence rates and the low development of major long‐term complications.Level of evidence: IV.
10 November 2021 in Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology
Purpose: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the clinical follow-up of patients with external snapping hip syndrome (ESHS) treated with endoscopic gluteus maximus tendon release and to compare the residual muscular strength and thigh circumference as an indirect outcome measure. Methods: Patients of all ages with external snapping hip syndrome were treated with endoscopic gluteus maximus tendon release. Outcome measures evaluated included: visual analog scale (VAS), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), and Non-Arthritic Hip Score (NAHS). The gluteus maximus strength and the circumference of the thigh were also evaluated. Results: Among 25 patients, 23 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and one patient was lost to follow-up. The series included 22 patients, 6 males and 16 females with a mean age of 27.9 ± 13.4 years (range 16–76 years). All patients had resolution of the snapping symptoms after the procedure. The mean follow-up was 18 ± 9.3 months. All outcomes improved in a statistically significant manner: VAS value decreased from 6.8 (range 6–8) to 0.6 (range 0–4) (p < 0.001), mHHS increased from 48.6 (range 17.6–67) to 88.2 (range 67–94.6) (p < 0.001), NAHS increased from 49.0 (range 21.5–66) to 90.8 (range 66–98.75) (p < 0.001). A statistically significant reduction of operated limb thigh circumference compared to the contralateral side (3.7%) was also found, while there were no statistical differences regarding the strength of gluteus maximus muscles. Conclusions: Endoscopic gluteus maximus tendon release is an excellent surgical option to treat snapping hip syndrome. The evaluated muscle strength revealed no functional impairment. The significance of the limb circumference reduction has yet to be determined. Level of evidence: IV: retrospective comparative trial.
Background/Objectives: Neuropathic pain associated with neuromas is a complex clinical problem to treat. Targeted Muscle Reinnervation (TMR) has been demonstrated to treat pain both as a prophylactic procedure in amputated patients and in patients affected by painful neuromas. It is not clear what its role could be in chronic situations: the literature reports amazing results but also unsuccessful pain relief. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients treated with TMR for long-lasting painful neuromas in the upper and lower limbs. Following a clinical and instrumental diagnosis, all patients responded positively to a local anesthetic block. During follow-up visits, the NRS and DN4 questionnaires were used to assess improvement in pain. Results: Three patients were included in this study. TMR was performed 45 months after trauma. Two TMRs involved nerves of the upper extremity, in one case, the tibial nerve. The recipient muscles were the second lumbricalis, pronator quadratus, and flexor digitorum longus of the foot. After surgery, pain decreased for 3 months, but patients experienced a relapse that returned to levels close to the pre-operative period. The types of pain, as reported in DN4 questionnaire, changed slightly compared to those in the pre-surgical period. Follow-up ranged between 12 and 19 months. Conclusions: This small series collected the results of TMR in patients affected by long-lasting symptomatic neuromas in the upper and lower extremities. Despite what is published in other series, this procedure reduced pain for up to 6 months. At final follow-up, the type of pain changed slightly as reported in the DN4 questionnaire, and pain scores reduced by just one point as shown by the NRS. Our experience suggests that TMR might have a slight effect on long-lasting painful neuromas and in these cases, only short-term pain relief could be expected. This suggests using TMR as close as possible to the trauma in order to increase the chances of relieving pain.
Radial nerve palsies present a challenging clinical scenario, often leading to substantial functional impairment. This study focuses on evaluating the outcomes of tendon transfer surgeries in patients with post-traumatic radial nerve injuries. The radial nerve, vital for upper limb movements, faces various etiologies such as trauma, compression, or idiopathy. Patients with radial nerve palsy encounter difficulties in daily activities, emphasizing the need for effective management strategies. The research introduces a novel evaluation protocol, aiming to comprehensively assess tendon transfer outcomes. This protocol incorporates functional movements of wrist and finger joints, encompassing both objective and subjective parameters. The retrospective study includes eleven patients treated between 2010 and 2022, with a minimum follow-up of one year post-surgery. Tendon transfers demonstrated positive results. The evaluation protocol covers a wide range of parameters, including wrist and finger mobility, thumb function, grip strength, and patient satisfaction. The results indicate successful restoration of motor function, with an average grip strength of 70% compared to the healthy arm. The proposed evaluation protocol facilitates standardized and reproducible assessment, minimizing subjective errors in clinical evaluations. Despite the study's limitations, such as a relatively small sample size, the findings underscore the effectiveness of tendon transfers in treating radial nerve palsies. The introduced evaluation scheme provides a comprehensive and reproducible approach to assess outcomes, contributing to the global standardization of tendon transfer assessments in radial nerve injuries.