Are Rush Nails Still a Good Choice for Fibula Fixation in Ankle Fractures? A Retrospective Study with Five Years Follow-Up.

Objectives: The aim of this retrospective study is to evaluate if Rush nail fixation still has a role in distal fibular fractures surgery compared with locking plate in terms of fixation quality, complications, functional results and patient satisfaction level.

Methods: This study included 109 patients (average age 56.05), who had undergone operative treatment for bi- or trimalleolar fractures between 2009 and 2014.

Arthroscopic open ankle arthrodesis: A prospective case series with seven years follow-up.

Background: The osteoarthritis of the ankle, although less common than other joints, is associated with severe functional limitation. Surgical options are ankle arthroscopic debridement, osteotomies, ankle arthrodesis and ankle arthroplasty. Ankle arthroplasty is increasingly used thanks to the new implants design, but ankle arthrodesis still represents the most used technique and it can be performed arthroscopically or with an open procedure.

Mid-term CT assessment of bone healing after nanohydroxyapatite augmentation in open-wedge high tibial osteotomy.

Background: The aim of the present study was to confirm the effectiveness of adding nanohydroxyapatite (NHA) to a heterologous bone graft in open-wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) by measuring the bone density via multislice computed tomography (CT) of the tibial osteotomy gap in a mid-term follow-up (five years).

Methods: Twenty-six patients undergoing OWHTO were randomly assigned to two groups: a pure graft group (Group A), in which the osteotomy gap was filled with only heterologous bone graft, and an NHA group (Group B), in which the osteotomy gap was filled with heterologous bone graft and NHA. CT was performed within one week of the operation, after two months, after 12 months and after five years.

Long-Term Results of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Hamstring Grafts and the Outside-In Technique: A Comparison Between 5- and 15-Year Follow-up.

Background: Increased femoral tunnel widening and weakness of the hamstring muscles postoperatively have been described as potential adverse events after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) with a hamstring graft. Meniscectomy and cartilage lesions are important factors for the development of degenerative osteoarthritis.

Purpose: To compare 15-year follow-up data with 5-year follow-up data from the same cohort of patients after ACLR with a hamstring autograft using an outside-in technique.

Nanohydroxyapatite promotes the healing process in open-wedge high tibial osteotomy: A CT study.

Background: The aim of this prospective and randomized study was to evaluate the effectiveness of adding nanohydroxyapatite (NHA) to heterologous bone graft in open wedge high tibial osteotomy (OWHTO) by measuring the bone density of the tibial osteotomy gap.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients (26 knees) were operated by OWHTO and randomly divided into two groups: pure graft group, in which the osteotomy gap was filled with only heterologous bone graft; nanohydroxyapatite group, in which the osteotomy gap was filled with heterologous bone graft and NHA. All patients underwent computed tomography (CT) examination within one week after operation (Time 0), and after two months (Time 1) and 12months (Time 2).

Combined Intra-articular and Extra-articular Reconstruction in Anterior Cruciate Ligament-Deficient Knee: 25 Years Later.

Purpose: To determine whether an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-reconstructed knee with hamstring autograft has a greater incidence of degenerative changes when an extra-articular reconstruction is added and to determine the effect of the combined reconstruction on knee stability and function at long-term follow-up.

Methods: For this retrospective study, patients who underwent ACL reconstruction between January 2002 and December 2003 were selected and classified into 2 groups, I and II. Group I consisted of patients operated by a standard ACL reconstruction, and group II consisted of patients in whom, owing to the presence of risk factors (severe pivot shift graded +++ or high-risk sports), an extra-articular reconstruction performed with ileo-tibial tract according to McIntosh as modified by Cocker Arnold technique, was used in conjunction with intra-articular ACL reconstruction.

Knee stability after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients older than forty years: comparison between different age groups.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare clinical and arthrometrical results of a series of patients older than 40 years with those of younger patients following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The hypothesis of this study was that certain biological and biomechanical factors related to middle-aged patients, ACL reconstruction would provide different results compared with younger patients.

Methods: Thirty-six patients >40 years operated for ACL reconstruction between 2002 and 2010 were selected for this retrospective study, and results were compared with patients in two other age groups (<30 years and 30-40 years).

Evaluation of the accuracy of a patient-specific instrumentation by navigation.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of a patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) as assessed by the intraoperative use of knee navigation software during the surgical procedure.

Methods: Fifteen patients with primary gonarthrosis were selected for unilateral total knee arthroplasty. The first three patients were excluded from this study, as they were considered to be a warm up to set-up the procedure.

Revision ACL reconstruction using contralateral hamstrings.

Purpose: Due to the increasing number of primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions, the need for revision surgery has risen. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of contralateral doubled semitendinosus and gracilis tendon (DGST) for revision anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Methods: Twelve patients undergoing revision ACL reconstruction with hamstring tendon were examined at an average follow-up of 3 years.

Platelet-rich plasma: does it help reduce tunnel widening after ACL reconstruction?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in reducing femoral and tibial tunnel enlargement in patients operated on for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with hamstrings.

Methods: Forty male patients, in which both femoral and tibial 9-mm tunnels were performed because of the graft size, were enrolled in this prospective study. They were randomly assigned to group A (20 patients, PRP group) and group B (20 patients, control group).

Are MRI-based, patient matched cutting jigs as accurate as the tibial guides?

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of VISIONAIRE (Smith & Nephew Inc., Memphis, TN, USA) Patient Matched cutting tibial jigs in comparison with extramedullary (EM) tibial instrumentation by analysing data as detected by intra-operative use of VectorVision knee navigation software from BrainLAB (Redwood City, CA, USA).

Methods: Twelve patients were selected for unilateral total knee replacement (TKR).

A medium to long-term follow-up of ACL reconstruction using double gracilis and semitendinosus grafts.

This paper reports the results of our approach to ACL tears and knee laxity, based on 30 years of experience in ACL reconstruction with hamstrings and founded on the following cornerstones: the use of doubled semitendinosus and gracilis as a free graft; the use of an out-in technique for femoral drilling and of very strong and stiff fixation devices; the careful examination and repair or reconstruction of the lateral compartment in selected patients; and the use of unaggressive rehabilitation. We prospectively evaluated a series of 100 consecutive patients who underwent ACL reconstruction between 2001 and 2002. A clinical and radiological follow-up was performed at a minimum of 6 years.

BTA-TRAK combined with urinary cytology is a reliable urinary indicator of recurrent transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder.

This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of BTA-TRAK in combination with urinary cytology (UC) in the follow-up of patients with a history of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder. The overall sensitivity of BTA-TRAK, UC and the two tests combined for the detection of recurrences was 82.7% (48/58), 84.