A randomized clinical trial evaluating plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF-Endoret) versus hyaluronic acid in the short-term treatment of symptomatic knee osteoarthritis.

Purpose: This multicenter, double-blind clinical trial evaluated and compared the efficacy and safety of PRGF-Endoret (BTI Biotechnology Institute, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain), an autologous biological therapy for regenerative purposes, versus hyaluronic acid (HA) as a short-term treatment for knee pain from osteoarthritis.

Methods: We randomly assigned 176 patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis to receive infiltrations with PRGF-Endoret or with HA (3 injections on a weekly basis). The primary outcome measure was a 50% decrease in knee pain from baseline to week 24.

Arthroscopic treatment of unstable total hip replacement.

Hip arthroscopy may be useful in the diagnosis and treatment of apparently well-implanted but unstable total hip replacement prostheses. We present 2 cases of arthroscopically assisted capsular tightening in unstable total hip replacements. Both cases had significant capsular laxity.

Exploration of glenohumeral instability under anesthesia: the shoulder jerk test.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to develop a new protocol for the performance of jerk tests under anesthesia, and to study its correlation to intra-articular pathology and the diagnosis of a lax or unstable shoulder.

Type Of Study: Prospective controlled study.

Methods: We performed a systematic examination, in the office as well as under anesthesia, of 300 patients (600 shoulders) divided into 3 homogeneous groups: 100 presented with instability resulting from recurrent dislocation of one or both shoulders, 100 presented with alternative shoulder symptomatology without signs of instability, and a further 100 underwent surgery for other locomotor system pathologies.

A study of diagnostic reliability in inferior shoulder instability: Measurement of inferior humeral displacement using arthroscopy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to define arthroscopic measurement of inferior humeral displacement, which allows an objectively estimated reduction of capsular volume using arthroscopic techniques.

Type Of Study: Prospective controlled study.

Methods: Based on a 3-grade classification, inferior displacement caused by axial traction was measured arthroscopically at 15 degree of forward flexion and 70 degree of abduction and neutral rotation over the humeral head in 143 patients (146 shoulders) who underwent surgery consecutively; 99 shoulders because of recurrent dislocations and 47 because of pain in the shoulder.