Prevalence of proximal tibia vara in Indonesian population with knee osteoarthritis

BackgroundProximal tibia vara has drawn interest since the concept of constitutional varus was introduced. Proximal tibia vara is a condition where the knee varus tilt the tibia condyle medially and shift the tibial articular surface medially. This condition affects medial proximal tibial angle measurements and the placement of the tibial implant in knee replacement surgery. Thus, it challenged the neutral knee arthroplasty alignment target because some people may present a proximal tibia vara. This study assesses the prevalence of the proximal tibia vara and the correlation to knee osteoarthritis grade.MethodsThis retrospective study was carried out from January 2021 to June 2021. Eighty-five limbs were included with the following inclusion criteria: knee osteoarthritis patients who received a long view lower extremity radiograph. The exclusions criteria were (1) patients who had undergone arthroplasty and lower extremity surgery before and (2) valgus knee deformity. The outcomes in this study were HKAA, MAD, TAD, MPTA, PTRP, LDFA, and PTS. Intraclass correlation (ICC) using two-way mixed was used to assess the reproducibility of the radiographic parameters. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the correlation between knee osteoarthritis grade and radiographs parameters (MAD and TAD).ResultA total 85 limbs from 52 patients were assessed in this study. Proximal tibia vara was found in 18 knees (21%.). The logistic regression was performed to assess the correlation between the severity of the knee osteoarthritis and radiographic parameters (MAD, TAD, LDFA, and PTS) with an overall p-value < 0.001 and pseudo-R² = 0.29.ConclusionA significant portion of patients with knee osteoarthritis have proximal tibia vara, and it is a pre-existing condition. Since the pre-existing proximal tibia vara affects preoperative measurements, a long-standing lower extremity x-ray is recommended to be obtained as part of knee replacement preparation.     

Tibial periprosthetic fractures in Total Knee Arthroplasty – A scoping review

BackgroundPeriprosthetic tibial fractures in Total Knee Arthroplasty are much less commonly seen than femoral fractures, and there is a paucity of available literature and management recommendation for these fractures. We aimed to identify the relevant and up-to-date literature on this subject to analyse the incidence, risk factors, and management recommendations.MethodsA literature search was done on the databases of PubMed and SCOPUS using appropriate keywords. All the published literature in the English language was included for this review.ResultsWe included 21 studies comprising 260 tibial periprosthetic fractures (91 intra-operative (35%) and 169 (65%) post-operative or delayed fractures). Only 5.9% of these fractures were managed conservatively. Whereas 98 cases (58%) were managed with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with plating, 19 (11.2%) were managed with revision TKA. Seventeen cases (10%) were managed with minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO), and 8 (4.7%) were managed with intramedullary nailing. Less than 6% of cases were managed with other means, viz. megaprosthesis (n = 4), arthrodesis (n = 5), amputation (n = 1), and external fixator (n = 1).ConclusionIntraoperative fractures accounted for one-third of the fractures in our review. A majority of the delayed periprosthetic fractures were treated with surgical intervention. The most preferred surgical treatment method was ORIF of fractures using locking plates (either open or MIPPO). Revision TKA or megaprosthesis was used in cases with the loosened implants in association with the fracture.Level of evidenceIV     

Identifying the optimal inlet for antegrade tibial intramedullary nailing via magnetic resonance imaging

IntroductionTibial shaft fractures treated with antegrade rigid tibial intramedullary nailing has been supported worldwide. However, the optimal inlet for nailing is still controversial. Practically, varied inlets may significantly affect the tibial alignment. This retrospective study intended to utilize magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the optimal inlet for antegrade tibial nailing.MethodsMRIs of 100 consecutive adult patients (50 men and 50 women, average 27 years) were used in this study. All patients had MRIs for meniscus or knee ligament injuries. There were no fractures or prior bony anomalies. The center of the tibial width (TW) at the level of the tibial tubercle (TT) was considered the optimal inlet and was positioned on the axial view of the MRIs. Various related anatomic landmarks were investigated concomitantly. All parameters were compared statistically.ResultsThe medial edge of the patellar tendon (PT) was 55% from the lateral end of the TW. The apex of the TT was 38% from the lateral end of the TW. The lateral edge of the PT was 19% from the lateral end of the TW. The TT was 2.5 cm distal to the tibial articular surface. The PT width was 2.3 cm. Except for the TW, the distance from the TT to the articular surface, and PT width between genders (p < 0.001), all other parameters showed no statistical significance (p > 0.05).ConclusionsThe optimal inlet for antegrade rigid tibial intramedullary nailing may be at a site 3 mm laterally to the medial edge of the PT. There are normally no differences for the nail inlet between men and women. The PT splitting approach for nail insertion may require modification.     

Epidemiology of inpatient tibia fractures in Singapore - A single centre experience

Purpose: There are no previous epidemiological studies to represent the trends of tibia fractures in the urban setting. The purpose of our study was to provide unique epidemiological information on the incidence of tibia fractures requiring admission in the urban population of Singapore. Methods: This is a retrospective review of clinical and radiological records encompassing three years period from 2012 to 2014 in a tertiary hospital in Northern Singapore, which covers an adult population of 550,000. Clinical information included demographics, mechanism of injury, and Gustillo-Anderson classification. Radiological records were evaluated by two of the authors and fractures were classified using the AO classification after consensus was reached. Results: There were 214 cases of tibia fractures with a population incidence of 13 in 100,000. Among the tibia fractures, 47% were diaphyseal, 43% proximal and 10% distal. Majority of patients were males with a male to female ratio of 3 to 1. The mean age of females was 64 years while that of males was 40 years. The commonest mechanism of injury was road traffic accident, which contributed to 42% of cases, with motorcyclists making up 78% of all road traffic accidents. Compound fractures made up 23% of all fractures, most of which were Gustillo-Anderson type III; 69% of patients underwent surgical intervention. Conclusion: The incidence of tibia fractures is 13/100,000 with a male-to-female ratio of 3:1. This incidence is lower than other studies, but the proportion of open fractures were surprisingly high at 23%. Distribution of fractures was unimodal with a peak in younger men and older women. This may signify a component of fragility among tibia fractures, especially proximal and distal fractures, which peaks above the age of 80 years old.     

Outcomes of fixation for periprosthetic tibia fractures around and below total knee arthroplasty

IntroductionThe incidence of periprosthetic fractures after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is rising due to an increasing number of TKAs performed annually and the growing elderly population. Like periprosthetic fractures of the distal femur, periprosthetic tibia fractures are primarily treated with operative fixation; however, there is limited scientific literature that has reported outcomes of periprosthetic tibia fractures treated with modern plating techniques. To our knowledge, this is the largest series of non-intraoperative periprosthetic tibia fractures treated with open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) ever reported.MethodsRetrospective chart review of 4557 operatively treated tibia fractures with ORIF over a 16-year period at two Level 1 Trauma Centers.Results38 patients with an average follow-up of 15.3 months (range 3–24) were identified. 11 (28.9%) fractures were in the proximal tibia (four with extension into the plateau (Felix 1A) and seven adjacent to the tibial stem (Felix 2A)), six (15.8%) in the midshaft/diaphysis (Felix 3A), and 21 (55.3%) in the distal 1/3rd (metaphysis, Felix 3A). 76.3% (29/38) of fractures united by 6 months following the index procedure, leaving 9 nonunions. The overall re-operation rate was 31.6% (12/38). There were no significant differences in rates of union (p = 1.00), reoperation (p = 0.66), superficial infection (p = 0.66), or deep infection (p = 0.31) in patients treated with single versus dual plating.ConclusionPeriprosthetic tibia fractures are difficult to treat and have a high risk of nonunion and reoperation even with modern plating techniques. Most patients can be treated to union with operative fixation and do not require revision arthroplasty, if the components are stable initially. We recommend dual plating for fractures in the proximal third, and either single plating or nailing for fractures in the middle and distal thirds depending on bone quality, implant positioning, and fracture morphology.     

Extensor hallucis longus muscle contracture after distal tibial physeal injury: A report of two cases

Few studies have reported about isolated contracture in the extensor hallucis longus (EHL) muscle, but none of the EHL muscle contracture after distal tibial physeal injury. Two such cases in 16- and 14-year-old boys who underwent surgeries for distal physeal injury of the tibia at a previous hospital are presented. Extension contracture of the hallux appeared 1–2 months post-surgery. Physical examinations revealed that the extension contracture of the first metatarsophalangeal joint was aggravated in plantar flexion of the ankle due to a tenodesis effect, and magnetic resonance imaging showed atrophy and signal changes in the anterior compartment muscles. This was diagnosed as EHL muscle contracture due to anterior compartment syndrome (ACS) after distal tibial physeal injury. The EHL tendon transfers were performed in both cases, with favorable short-term results. Therefore, the EHL tendon transfer might be preferable in case of the EHL muscle contracture due to partial ACS.     

Aetiology and mechanisms of injury in medial tibial stress syndrome: Current and future developments

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a debilitating overuse injury of the tibia sustained by individuals who perform recurrent impact exercise such as athletes and military recruits. Characterised by diffuse tibial anteromedial or posteromedial surface subcutaneous periostitis, in most cases it is also an injury involving underlying cortical bone microtrauma, although it is not clear if the soft tissue or cortical bone reaction occurs first. Nuclear bone scans and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can both be used for the diagnosis of MTSS, but the patient’s history and clinical symptoms need to be considered in conjunction with the imaging findings for a correct interpretation of the results, as both imaging modalities have demonstrated positive findings in the absence of injury. However, MRI is rapidly becoming the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis of bone stress injuries. It can also be used for the early diagnosis of MTSS, as the developing periosteal oedema can be identified. Retrospective studies have demonstrated that MTSS patients have lower bone mineral density (BMD) at the injury site than exercising controls, and preliminary data indicates the BMD is lower in MTSS subjects than tibial stress fracture (TSF) subjects. The values of a number of tibial geometric parameters such as cross-sectional area and section modulus are also lower in MTSS subjects than exercising controls, but not as low as the values in TSF subjects. Thus, the balance between BMD and cortical bone geometry may predict an individual''s likelihood of developing MTSS. However, prospective longitudinal studies are needed to determine how these factors alter during the development of the injury and to find the detailed structural cause, which is still unknown. Finite element analysis has recently been used to examine the mechanisms involved in tibial stress injuries and offer a promising future tool to understand the mechanisms involved in MTSS. Contemporary accurate diagnosis of either MTSS or a TSF includes a thorough clinical examination to identify signs of bone stress injury and to exclude other pathologies. This should be followed by an MRI study of the whole tibia. The cause of the injury should be established and addressed in order to facilitate healing and prevent future re-occurrence.     

Sex estimation of the tibia in modern Turkish: A computed tomography study

The utilization of computed tomography is beneficial for the analysis of skeletal remains and it has important advantages for anthropometric studies. The present study investigated morphometry of left tibia using CT images of a contemporary Turkish population. Seven parameters were measured on 203 individuals (124 males and 79 females) within the 19–92-years age group. The first objective of this study was to provide population-specific sex estimation equations for the contemporary Turkish population based on CT images. A second objective was to test the sex estimation formulae on Southern Europeans by Kranioti and Apostol (2015). Univariate discriminant functions resulted in classification accuracy that ranged from 66 to 86%. The best single variable was found to be upper epiphyseal breadth (86%) followed by lower epiphyseal breadth (85%). Multivariate discriminant functions resulted in classification accuracy for cross-validated data ranged from 79 to 86%. Applying the multivariate sex estimation formulae on Southern Europeans (SE) by Kranioti and Apostol in our sample resulted in very high classification accuracy ranging from 81 to 88%. In addition, 35.5–47% of the total Turkish sample is correctly classified with over 95% posterior probability, which is actually higher than the one reported for the original sample (25–43%). We conclude that the tibia is a very useful bone for sex estimation in the contemporary Turkish population. Moreover, our test results support the hypothesis that the SE formulae are sufficient for the contemporary Turkish population and they can be used safely for criminal investigations when posterior probabilities are over 95%.