Is the femoral intramedullary alignment already actual in total knee arthroplasty?

Clinical outcomes and overall alignment after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) depend on femoral component positioning in the sagittal and the coronal plane, making choice of the distal femoral cutting guide crucial. Currently, there is no consensus on the potential advantage of an extramedullary (EM) guide compared to an intramedullary (IM) guide in TKA. The IM guide is the most widely used system for making the distal femoral cut although evidence for its superiority over the EM guide is lacking.

Aiming for anatomical femoral axis on the coronal plane leads to good-to-excellent short-term outcomes in isolated patellofemoral arthroplasty.

Background: In patellofemoral replacement (PFR) coronal alignment is mostly influenced by local condylar anatomy. However, there is still a lack of consensus regarding references to follow intraoperatively for the optimal positioning of the trochlear component. The aim of this study was to assess whether aiming for the anatomical femoral axis on the coronal plane leads to improved clinical outcomes and whether coronal alignment correlates with clinical outcomes.

Italian consensus statement for the use of allografts in ACL reconstructive surgery.

Purpose: Graft choice for primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) is debated, with considerable controversy and variability among surgeons. Autograft tendons are actually the most used grafts for primary surgery; however, allografts have been used in greater frequency for both primary and revision ACL surgery over the past decade. Given the great debate on the use of allografts in ACL-R, the "Allografts for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction" consensus statement was developed among orthopedic surgeons and members of SIGASCOT (Società Italiana del Ginocchio, Artroscopia, Sport, Cartilagine, Tecnologie Ortopediche), with extensive experience in ACL-R, to investigate their habits in the use of allograft in different clinical situations.

Patella Resurfacing in Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Series of 1280 Patients at Midterm Follow-Up.

Background: The management of patella in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a controversial topic. The elevated risk of patellofemoral complications seems to support those who are not eager to perform such procedure. The aim of this study is to carry out a retrospective assessment of patients who underwent patellar resurfacing during TKA from 2004 to 2009.

Small joints replacement for hand osteoarthritis: a systematic review.

Introduction: Small joints replacement is a valid treatment for moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the hand. Several design and materials are now available for prostethic procedures with very different clinical and functional outcomes.

Sources Of Data: An online search was carried out using Medline, Cochrane and Google scholar online databases, searching for studies on small joints replacement in hand surgery.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and return to sport activity: postural control as the key to success.

Purpose: The risk for re-tear following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is influenced by several hormonal, neuromuscular, biomechanical and anatomic factors. One of the most important negative prognostic factors that markedly increase the risk for ACL re-tear is the presence of high knee-abduction moment (KAM), which can be measured immediately by landing on both feet after a vertical jump. We evaluated the effect in postoperative values for KAM according to the type of graft used for ACL reconstruction (hamstring vs patellar tendon) and a specific rehabilitation protocol focusing on recovery of muscular strength, proprioception and joint stabilisation.

Home-based vs supervised rehabilitation programs following knee surgery: a systematic review.

Introduction: Following knee surgery, rehabilitation can dramatically affect the postoperative course and the final outcomes of the procedure. We systematically reviewed the current literature comparing clinical outcomes of home-based and outpatient supervised rehabilitation protocols following knee surgery.

Sources Of Data: We searched Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Google Scholar, The Cochrane Library and SPORTDiscus.

Surgical management of partial tears of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Purpose: Partial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears involving the posterolateral (PL) bundle can lead to rotatory laxity of the knee, while tears involving the anteromedial (AM) bundle result in abnormal anteroposterior laxity of the knee. In this systematic review, we examine the best evidence on the management of partial tears of the ACL.

Methods: A comprehensive search of several databases was performed from the inception of the database to December 2011, using various combinations of keywords focusing on clinical outcomes of human patients who had partial tears of ACL and who had undergone ACL augmentation.