Innervation pattern at the undersurface of the extensor carpi radialis brevis tendon in recalcitrant tennis elbow

Purpose

We investigated the general, sensory, and sympathetic innervation patterns at the undersurface of the extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB) origin in patients with recalcitrant tennis elbow.

Methods

Eight elbows in eight consecutive patients (6 females and 2 males) with tennis elbow who underwent arthroscopic surgery were included in this study. The mean age was 45 years (38–66 years), and the mean duration of symptoms before surgery was 23 months (13–52 months). Operative treatment consisted of an arthroscopic inspection and debridement of the ECRB origin. Control tissues were obtained from biopsy of the ECRB capsule in two patients with osteochondritis dissecance of the capitellum who underwent arthroscopic resection of loose bodies. The tissue specimens were investigated immunohistochemically with antibodies delineating general (PGP9.5), sensory (SP/CGRP), and sympathetic (NPY) nerve patterns.

Results

In the non-tendinosis control tissue, SP/CGRP and NPY immunoreactions were heterogeneously distributed in association with blood vessels. Pathologic evaluation of the biopsy tissue showed atypical fibrous granulation containing numerous vessels and nerve structures in all eight patients. Marked reactions to PGP 9.5 took the form of nerve fibers associated with arteries and arterioles in the atypical granulation. Most of the perivascular innervation was found to express NPY. The immunoreactions for SP and CGRP were invariably weak.

Conclusion

Increased perivascular sympathetic innervation accompanied with loss of sensory innervation at the undersurface of the ECRB tendon may play a role in chronic pain generation in recalcitrant tennis elbow.

Level of evidence

Diagnostic, Level IV.     

Results at a minimum of 10 years of follow-up for AMS and PerFix HA-coated cementless total hip arthroplasty: impact of cross-linked polyethylene on implant longevity

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to report results at a minimum of 10 years for hydroxyapatite (HA) coating on the titanium arc-sprayed cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) and to evaluate the impact of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) on implant longevity.

Methods

A total of 131 consecutive primary THAs in 123 patients using an AMS acetabular cup and a PerFix HA stem were retrospectively reviewed. Conventional PE was used for 62 hips (CPE group) and cross-linked PE for 69 hips (XLPE group), with mean follow-up periods of 13 and 11.5 years, respectively. These patients were reviewed using the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Hip Score and evaluated in terms of PE wear, osteolysis, and implant survival.

Results

The JOA score improved from 42.6 to 83.9 points at the final follow-up. The mean wear rate of 0.12 mm/year in the CPE group was significantly greater than that of XLPE at 0.007 mm/year. In the CPE group, ten (16.1 %) and two (3.2 %) hips, respectively, underwent PE exchange due to severe wear and acetabular revision due to loosening associated with osteolysis. Three patients had revision in the XLPE group: one cup for aseptic loosening, one PE for recurrent dislocation, and one stem for neck fracture. No evident osteolysis was seen in the XLPE group. Kaplan–Meier survivorship with any revision as the end point shows that the 12-year survival rate was 97.7 % for cups, 93.8 % for PE liners, and 99.2 % for stems. Multivariate analysis revealed that the use of XLPE significantly reduced the risk of revision, with the odds ratio (OR) of 4.3.

Conclusions

AMS and PerFix HA components in this series show excellent implant fixation; however, high rates of PE wear and subsequent osteolysis were limiting factors in long-term success. Low wear rates with XLPE suggest improved implant longevity.     

Efficacy of tolvaptan on advanced chronic kidney disease with heart failure: a randomized controlled trial

Clinical and Experimental Nephrology - Tolvaptan (TLV) is reported to improve diuretic effects in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) when furosemide (FUR) is not sufficiently effective....     

Infliximab Was Found to Be Effective for Treating Immunosuppressive Drug-resistant Hepatitis due to Durvalumab

A 69-year-old man with stage III lung squamous cell carcinoma developed immune-related hepatitis following treatment with durvalumab, and was given high-dose corticosteroids and immunosuppressive drugs (mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, tacrolimus) but without demonstrating any improvement. Two cycles of infliximab (5 mg/kg) were then administered and thereafter the hepatitis improved. At the time of writing (9 months after the initiation of first course of durvalumab), the patient is alive without either any hepatitis symptoms nor any lung cancer progression. Infliximab may be effective for treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients who develop immunosuppressive drug-resistant immune-related hepatitis caused by durvalumab.