Search

Background: Osteoarthritis of knee is a chronic degenerative joint disease which leads to pain, swelling and stiffness. Intra-articular hyaluronic acid or steroids are being used for its treatment. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of intra articular hyaluronic acid in comparison to steroids for knee osteoarthritis.Methods: A prospective randomized study including 70 patients (121 knees) diagnosed with osteoarthritis of knee, were randomly divided into two groups: 35 patients (58 knees) were given intra-articular hyaluronic acid and 35 patients (63 knees) were given intra-articular methylprednisolone. The outcome was evaluated with knee society score (KSS) and visual analog scale (VAS) before the injection and 1, 3 and 6 months after the injection.Results: The mean KSS pain and function scores increased while VAS decreased in both the groups. All the scores showed improvement at 6 months follow up. In both the groups, the scores at 6 months were significantly better than the pre injection values, and the scores of hyaluronic acid group were significantly better compared to steroid group.Conclusions: Intraarticular hyaluronic acid seems to be better for long term pain relief and preservation of function in comparison to intraarticular steroids in osteoarthritis of knee.

Background: Chronic plantar fasciitis is often a difficult to treat entity and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an upcoming modality instead of steroid in chronic cases of plantar fasciitis resistant to traditional non-operative management.Methods: Sixty patients with chronic plantar fasciitis were prospectively randomised into 2 groups and treated with either a single injection of 3 cc PRP or 40 mg DepoMedrol (Cortisone) injection and followed for a year. Immediately prior to PRP or cortisone injection American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hind foot scoring was done for all patients. These scores were repeated at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months.Results: Six weeks evaluation of AOFAS after PRP and corticosteroid administration, the mean visual analogue scale (VAS Score) showed a significant increase in corticosteroid group (4.2) as compared to PRP group (5.8). But, the PRP group (1.8) showed significant improvement in mean VAS scores as compared to Steroid group (3.4) after a year of the treatment. Similarly, the AOFAS score improved significantly in the steroid group (64.4) at 6wks as compared to the PRP group (52.2) but at 12 months however, the PRP group sustained its effect with a mean AOFAS score of 92.2 while in the steroid group, the score dropped to a mean of 78.4.Conclusions: PRP was more effective than steroid for the long term treatment of chronic plantar fasciitis. Level of Evidence: Level I, prospective randomized comparative series.

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate neurological, functional and radiological outcome of the anterior reconstruction of spine by posterior approach in cases of unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures.Methods: Ten patients with acute unstable burst fractures at thoracolumbar junction (T-11 to L-3) with partial or complete neurological deficit in the age group of 18-50 years with McCormack’s score six or more and thoracolumbar injury severity score (TLISS) five or more were included. Neurological status, Japanese Orthopaedic association score (JOA score), visual analogue scale (VAS), angle of kyphotic deformity, McCormack’s score and TLISS score were evaluated.Results: The mean duration of surgery was 282 minutes. The mean blood loss was 1885 ml. Five patients with neurologic deficit recovered an average of 1.40 ASIA grades at last 24 months’ follow-up. The JOA score improved from -6 preoperatively to 11 at 24 months follow up. The mean kyphotic angle was 19 degrees preoperative improved to -0.6o postoperatively. Visual analogue score improved from 6.1 to 1.7.Conclusions: The familiar posterior approach is a safe and reliable surgical approach for reconstruction of all the columns of spine. It has the advantage of doing anterior decompression and reconstruction with posterior instrumentation in single stage, reducing the operative time and blood loss. It reduces the morbidity of anterior approach (isolated or two staged) in the hands of an average orthopaedic surgeon.

Background: Multimodal periarticular cocktail injection (MPCI) containing local anesthetics, adrenaline, and anti-inflammatory agents such as NSAIDS have been promising in terms of quick functional recovery. This study evaluates the efficiency of steroid as a component of MPCI in knee arthroplasty.Methods: This is a prospective, double-blind, RCT where 36 patients with osteoarthritis were included and randomized to receive MPCI either with steroid or without steroid. Pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS) at preoperative and postoperatively at rest, and during activity. The range of motion of the knee was looked for in a similar way. The amount of NSAIDs and the duration of NSAID usage were noted till the last follow-up.Results: Both non-steroid and steroid groups were similar with regard to VAS at rest and during activity, or range of motion, at all postoperative observations. The postoperative knee society knee score in the steroid group improved significantly as compared to that in non-steroid group at the one-month (84.1±13.1 and 65.9±12.1; pConclusions: The Study validates usage of steroid in MPCI due to faster rehabilitation and less consumption of NSAIDs and no additional risk of post-operative complications.

BACKGROUND: Indiscriminate use of intra-operative fluoroscopy can incur harm both to the patient as well as the surgeons. Orthopedic surgeons seldom do in skin marking prior to cleaning and draping of the operative site. This study aims to study the feasibility and utility of pre-operative skin marking with henna in conjunction with marker radiograph.METHODS: Out of 54 patients undergoing spine surgery, vertebral level localization was done by fluoroscopy in 26 patients. In the rest of the 28 patients, preoperative marker radiograph with steel wires was taken in conjunction with henna line markings on the skin. These were correlated for vertebral level localization. Difference in time taken for vertebral localization by these two methods, and the difference in the number of fluoroscopic images required was observed and recorded.RESULTS: Approximately 4 minutes were needed for level localization via fluoroscopic technique, whereas the henna marking technique did this in approximately 30 seconds. No adverse effects of henna application were observed during the study.CONCLUSIONS: The use of preoperative skin marking with henna along with the appropriate marker radiograph can reduce the surgical time and radiation exposure without increasing the chances of a wrong level surgery in the spine.

Background: Spontaneous epidural haematoma is a rare clinical presentation and may be associated with coagulation disorders. These hematomas present usually with rapidly developing paraparesis and any delay in diagnosis may be disastrous.Methods: We included five patients of spontaneous epidural hematomas in hemophilia A with neurological deficit. They were treated non-operatively with factor VIII replacement therapy with oral tranexamic acid and intravenous dexamethasone as per protocol. All patients were followed up for 6 months and assessed for signs of neurological recovery and radiological resolution of hematoma.Results: All patients had complete motor recovery within 3 months of initiating treatment and showed resolution of hematoma on MRI. Conclusions: Prognosis following early initiation of correction of factor deficiency is good.