Articular Cartilage of the Syndesmosis: Avoiding Iatrogenic Cartilage Injury During Syndesmotic Fixation

2021 ◽  
pp. 107110072110413
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Gilbertson ◽  
Matthew C. Sweet ◽  
Joseph K. Weistroffer ◽  
James R. Jastifer

Background: The optimal surgical management of syndesmosis injuries consists of internal fixation between the distal fibula and tibia. Much of the available data on this joint details the anatomy of the syndesmotic ligaments. Little is published evaluating the distribution of articular cartilage of the syndesmosis, which is of importance to minimize the risk of iatrogenic damage during surgical treatment. The purpose of this study is to describe the articular cartilage of the syndesmosis. Methods: Twenty cadaveric ankles were dissected to identify the cartilage of the syndesmosis. Digital images of the articular cartilage were taken and measured using calibrated digital imaging software. Results: On the tibial side, distinct articular cartilage extending above the plafond was identified in 19/20 (95%) specimens. The tibial cartilage extended a mean of 6 ± 3 (range, 2-13) mm above the plafond. On the fibular side, 6/20 (30%) specimens demonstrated cartilage proximal to the talar facet, which extended a mean of 24 ± 4 (range, 20-31) mm above the tip of the fibula. The superior extent of the syndesmotic recess was a mean of 10 ± 3 (range, 5-17) mm in height. In all specimens, the syndesmosis cartilage did not extend more than 13 mm proximal to the tibial plafond and the syndesmotic recess did not extend more than 17 mm proximal to the tibial plafond. Conclusion: Syndesmosis fixation placed more than 13 mm proximal to the tibial plafond would have safely avoided the articular cartilage in all specimens and the synovial-lined syndesmotic recess in most. Clinical Relevance: This study details the articular anatomy of the distal tibiofibular joint and provides measurements that can guide implant placement during syndesmotic fixation to minimize the risk of iatrogenic cartilage damage.

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 247301142097570
Author(s):  
Mossub Qatu ◽  
George Borrelli ◽  
Christopher Traynor ◽  
Joseph Weistroffer ◽  
James Jastifer

Background: The intermetatarsal joint between the fourth and fifth metatarsals (4-5 IM) is important in defining fifth metatarsal fractures. The purpose of the current study was to quantify this joint in order to determine the mean cartilage area, the percentage of the articulation that is cartilage, and to give the clinician data to help understand the joint anatomy as it relates to fifth metatarsal fracture classification. Methods: Twenty cadaver 4-5 IM joints were dissected. Digital images were taken and the articular cartilage was quantified by calibrated digital imaging software. Results: For the lateral fourth proximal intermetatarsal articulation, the mean area of articulation was 188 ± 49 mm2, with 49% of the area composed of articular cartilage. The shape of the articular cartilage had 3 variations: triangular, oval, and square. A triangular variant was the most common (80%, 16 of 20 specimens). For the medial fifth proximal intermetatarsal articulation, the mean area of articulation was 143 ± 30 mm2, with 48% of the joint surface being composed of articular cartilage. The shape of the articular surface was oval or triangular. An oval variant was the most common (75%, 15 of 20 specimens). Conclusion: This study supports the notion that the 4-5 IM joint is not completely articular and has both fibrous and cartilaginous components. Clinical Relevance: The clinical significance of this study is that it quantifies the articular surface area and shape. This information may be useful in understanding fifth metatarsal fracture extension into the articular surface and to inform implant design and also help guide surgeons intraoperatively in order to minimize articular damage.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 7118
Author(s):  
Ermina Hadzic ◽  
Garth Blackler ◽  
Holly Dupuis ◽  
Stephen James Renaud ◽  
Christopher Thomas Appleton ◽  
...  

Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a degenerative joint disease, leading to articular cartilage breakdown, osteophyte formation, and synovitis, caused by an initial joint trauma. Pro-inflammatory cytokines increase catabolic activity and may perpetuate inflammation following joint trauma. Interleukin-15 (IL-15), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, is increased in OA patients, although its roles in PTOA pathophysiology are not well characterized. Here, we utilized Il15 deficient rats to examine the role of IL-15 in PTOA pathogenesis in an injury-induced model. OA was surgically induced in Il15 deficient Holtzman Sprague-Dawley rats and control wild-type rats to compare PTOA progression. Semi-quantitative scoring of the articular cartilage, subchondral bone, osteophyte size, and synovium was performed by two blinded observers. There was no significant difference between Il15 deficient rats and wild-type rats following PTOA-induction across articular cartilage damage, subchondral bone damage, and osteophyte scoring. Similarly, synovitis scoring across six parameters found no significant difference between genetic variants. Overall, IL-15 does not appear to play a key role in the development of structural changes in this surgically-induced rat model of PTOA.


Author(s):  
Kimberly A. Agnello ◽  
Kei Hayashi ◽  
Dorothy Cimino Brown

Abstract Objective This study aimed to evaluate frequency, location and severity of cartilage pathology in dogs with naturally occurring cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) disease. Study Design Stifle arthroscopic video recordings (n = 120) were reviewed. A modified Outerbridge classification system (MOCS) (0–4) was used to score cartilage at 10 locations in the femorotibial (medial and lateral femoral condyles and tibial plateaus) and patellofemoral compartments (proximal, middle and distal locations of the patella and femoral trochlear groove) of the stifle joint. Synovial pathology was scored and the presence of a medial meniscal tear was recorded. A Kruskal–Wallis test was used to evaluate association of location and synovitis with cartilage score; and presence of meniscal tear with cartilage and synovitis scores. Bonferroni correction was utilized and p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results Cartilage pathology and synovitis were identified in all joints. Overall cartilage severity scores were low (median MOCS 1). The median MOCS of the proximal trochlear groove (2) was significantly higher than all other locations evaluated. Higher synovitis scores were significantly associated with higher cartilage severity scores and a medial meniscal tear had no association with cartilage severity scores or synovitis. Conclusion Arthroscopic articular cartilage lesions are common in dogs with CCL disease at the time of surgical intervention, although the severity of cartilage damage is mild. The proximal trochlear groove of the femur had the most severe cartilage score in the stifle joint.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Körner ◽  
Christoph E. Gonser ◽  
Stefan Döbele ◽  
Christian Konrads ◽  
Fabian Springer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background The aim of this study is to analyse the re-operation rate after surgical treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus (OCLTs) in children and adolescents. Methods Between 2009 and 2019, 27 consecutive patients with a solitary OCLT (10 male, 17 female; mean age 16.9 ± 2.2 years; 8 idiopathic vs. 19 traumatic) received primary operative treatment (arthroscopy + bone marrow stimulation [BMS], n = 8; arthroscopy + retrograde drilling, n = 8; autologous chondrocyte implantation [ACI]/autologous bone grafting, n = 9; arthroscopy + BMS + retrograde drilling; n = 1; flake fixation, n = 1). Seventeen OCLTs were located at the medial and ten at the lateral talus. ‘Re-operation’ as the outcome measure was evaluated after a median follow-up of 42 months (range 6–117 months). Patients were further subdivided into groups A (re-operation, n = 7) and B (no re-operation, n = 20). Groups A and B were compared with respect to epidemiological, lesion- and therapy-related variables. Results Seven of 27 patients needed a re-operation (re-operation rate 25.9% after a median interval of 31 months [range 13–61 months]). The following operative techniques were initially used in these seven patients: arthroscopy + BMS n = 2, arthroscopy + retrograde drilling n = 4, ACI + autologous bone grafting n = 1. A comparison of group A with group B revealed different OCLT characteristics between both groups. The intraoperative findings according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification revealed significantly more advanced cartilage damage in group B than in group A (p = 0.001). Conclusions We detected a re-operation rate of 25.9% after primary surgical OCLT treatment. Patients with re-operation had significantly lower ICRS classification stages compared to patients without re-operation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kangkang Zha ◽  
Xu Li ◽  
Zhen Yang ◽  
Guangzhao Tian ◽  
Zhiqiang Sun ◽  
...  

AbstractArticular cartilage is susceptible to damage but hard to self-repair due to its avascular nature. Traditional treatment methods are not able to produce satisfactory effects. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown great promise in cartilage repair. However, the therapeutic effect of MSCs is often unstable partly due to their heterogeneity. Understanding the heterogeneity of MSCs and the potential of different types of MSCs for cartilage regeneration will facilitate the selection of superior MSCs for treating cartilage damage. This review provides an overview of the heterogeneity of MSCs at the donor, tissue source and cell immunophenotype levels, including their cytological properties, such as their ability for proliferation, chondrogenic differentiation and immunoregulation, as well as their current applications in cartilage regeneration. This information will improve the precision of MSC-based therapeutic strategies, thus maximizing the efficiency of articular cartilage repair.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Hye Won Lee ◽  
Byung-Seob Ko ◽  
Suna Kang ◽  
Jin Ah Ryuk ◽  
Min Joo Kim ◽  
...  

We investigated whether dangguijakyak-san (DJY) and dangguijihwang-tang (DJH), oriental medicines traditionally used for inflammatory diseases, could prevent and/or delay the progression of postmenopausal symptoms and osteoarthritis in osteoarthritis-induced estrogen-deficient rats. Treated ovariectomized (OVX) rats consumed either 1% DJY or 1% DJH in the diets. Positive-control rats were given 30 μg/kg bw 17β-estradiol and control rats were given 1% fat as were the normal-control rats. All rats received high-fat diets for 8 weeks. At the 9th week, OVX rats received articular injections of monoiodoacetate (MIA) or saline (normal control) into the right knee. At 3 weeks after MIA injection, DJY reduced visceral-fat mass and improved glucose metabolism by reducing insulin resistance, whereas DJH increased BMD and decreased insulin resistance. DJH improved weight distribution in the right knee and maximum running velocity on a treadmill at days 14 and 21 as much as those of the positive control. TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 levels in articular cartilage were much higher in the control than the positive control, whereas both DJY and DJH reduced the levels to those of the positive control. The histological analysis assessed articular cartilage damage near the tidemark and proteoglycan loss in the control versus the positive control; DJY and DJH prevented this damage and proteoglycan loss. In conclusion, DJY may provide an effective treatment for improving glucose tolerance, and DJH may be appropriate for preventing osteoarthritis.


2001 ◽  
Vol 280 (1) ◽  
pp. R115-R122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elvire Gouze-Decaris ◽  
Lionel Philippe ◽  
Alain Minn ◽  
Philippe Haouzi ◽  
Pierre Gillet ◽  
...  

This study was designed to investigate the pathways involved in neurogenic-mediated articular cartilage damage triggered by a nonsystemic distant subcutaneous or intra-articular inflammation. The cartilage damage was assessed 24 h after subcutaneous or intra-articular complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) injection measuring patellar proteoglycan (PG) synthesis (ex vivo [Na2 35SO4] incorporation) in 96 Wistar rats. Unilateral subcutaneous or intra-articular injection of CFA induced significant decrease (25–29%) in PG synthesis in both patellae. Chronic administration of capsaicin (50 mg · kg−1 · day−1 during 4 days), which blunted the normal response of C fiber stimulation, prevented the bilateral significant decrease in cartilage synthesis. Similarly, intrathecal injection of MK-801 (10 nmol/day during 5 days), which blocked the glutamatergic synaptic transmission at the dorsal horn of signal originating in primary afferent C fibers, eliminated the CFA-induced PG synthesis decrease in both patellae. Chemical sympathectomy, induced by guanethidine (12.5 mg · kg−1 · day−1 during 6 wk), also prevented PG synthesis alteration. Finally, compression of the spinal cord at the T3-T5 level had a similar protective effect on the reduction of [Na2 35SO4] incorporation. It is concluded that the signal that triggers articular cartilage synthesis damage induced by a distant local inflammation 1) is transmitted through the afferent C fibers, 2) makes glutamatergic synaptic connections with the preganglionic neurons of the sympathetic system, and 3) involves spinal and supraspinal pathways.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey R. Erickson ◽  
Jeffrey M. Gimble ◽  
Dawn Franklin ◽  
Farshid Guilak

Abstract Articular cartilage is the connective tissue that lines the surfaces of diarthrodial joints in the human body. Because cartilage is avascular, aneural, and alymphatic, it has a limited capacity for repair. Techniques such as microfracture, transplantation of autologous cartilage, and allograft or xenograft transplantations have not proven fully effective in treating cartilage damage. Current therapy is focusing on cell-based treatments such as autologous chondrocyte transplantation [1,2]. However, this method faces several limitations, as the donor site can provide a limited number of cells and the harvesting procedure itself may cause significant local morbidity. The goal of this study was to examine the chondrogenic potential of an autologous source of undifferentiated stromal cells derived from subcutaneous fat. It has been shown that chondrocytes embedded in a three-dimensional matrix retain a differentiated phenotype and produce cartilage-associated proteins [3]. In addition, it has been shown that alginate or agarose can support the formation of an extracellular matrix over time [4,5]. The goal of this study was to examine the chondrogenic potential of adipose-derived stromal cells with the ultimate goal of developing a “tissue engineering” method to regenerate articular cartilage.


2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-244
Author(s):  
Maciej Materkowski

Osteoarthritis led to the articular cartilage damage and cause different kind of problems – from social to biological. The analysis of existing research unfortunately subjected questioned the reliability of spontaneous regeneration of damaged cartilage, which makes it necessary to focus on the possibilities of protection of the tissue from further its degradation. Treatment of osteoarthritis require to use many drugs, which would lead to slowdown the this process. The aim of below publication is to analyse the practical, clinical biological possibilities of articular cartilage protection with a usage of SYSADOA – (symptomatic slow acting drugs of OA). Osteoarthritis is most frequent disease of the joints and prescription of the SYSADOA should be main principle of that treatment.


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