Response to “Letter Regarding: Long-term Outcomes of Microfracture for Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus”

Background: Microfracture is the most common reparative surgery for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLTs). While shown to be effective in short- to midterm outcomes, the fibrocartilage that microfracture produces is both biomechanically and biologically inferior to that of native hyaline cartilage and is susceptible to possible deterioration over time following repair. With orthobiologics being proposed to augment repair, there exists a clear gap in the study of long-term clinical outcomes of microfracture to determine if this added expense is necessary. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing microfracture of an OLT with a single fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon from 2007 to 2009 was performed. Patients meeting the inclusion criteria were contacted to complete the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Sports subscales and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, as well as surveyed regarding their satisfaction with the outcome of the procedure and their likelihood to recommend the procedure to a friend with the same problem using 5-point Likert scales. Patient demographics were reviewed and included for statistical analysis. Results: Of 45 respondents, 3 patients required additional surgery on their ankle for the osteochondral defect, yielding a 10-year survival rate of 93.3%. Of surviving cases, 90.4% (38/42) reported being “extremely satisfied” or “satisfied” with the outcome of the procedure. The VAS score at follow-up averaged 14 out of 100 (range, 0-75), while the FAAM-ADL and FAAM-Sports scores averaged 90.29 out of 100 and 82 out of 100, respectively. Thirty-six patients (85.7%) stated that their ankle did not prevent them from participating in the sports of their choice. Conclusion: The current study represents a minimum 10-year follow-up of patients undergoing isolated arthroscopic microfracture for talar osteochondral defects, with a 93.3% survival rate and 85.7% return to sport. While biological adjuvants may play a role in improving the long-term outcomes of microfracture procedures, larger and longer-term follow-up studies are required for procedures using orthobiologics before their cost can be justified for routine use. Level of Evidence: Level IV, retrospective cohort case series study.

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Arthroscopic Bone Marrow Stimulation for the Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus Shows Promising Clinical Outcomes Over 10 Years

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011420s00068 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 2473011420S0006

Author(s):

Jae Han Park ◽

Jin Woo Lee ◽

Kwang Hwan Park ◽

Sang B. Kim ◽

Yoo Jung Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bone Marrow ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Osteochondral Lesions ◽

Line Treatment ◽

Long Term Outcomes ◽

Bone Marrow Stimulation ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Marrow Stimulation

Category: Arthroscopy; Ankle Introduction/Purpose: Arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation (BMS) has been considered as the 1st-line treatment for osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT) with its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, low complication rate and successful clinical results in numerous studies. However, there were few studies which had investigated long-term clinical outcomes about the arthroscopic BMS. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term outcomes of arthroscopic BMS for OLT and to identify prognostic factors that affect the outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed for 202 ankles (189 patients) who underwent arthroscopic BMS as a primary surgery for the OLT between January 2001 and December 2008 with more than 10 years of follow-up. Visual analog scale (VAS) and American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scales, Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS) were assessed as clinical outcomes and re-operation data were collected. The clinical scores were compared along the stream of time. Kaplan-Meier plot and log rank test showed survival outcomes of OLT in the long-term follow-up. Factors associated with revision surgery were evaluated with multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression model. Results: The VAS scales were improved from 7.11 +- 1.73 (preoperatively) to 1.51 +- 1.61 (3 to 6 years after BMS), and 2.00 +- 1.67 (over 10 years after BMS) (P < 0.001). Also the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scale were also improved from 58.39 +- 13.7373 (preoperatively) to 85.85 +- 10.31 (3 to 6 years after BMS), and 82.56 +- 11.62 (over 10 years after BMS) (P < 0.001). FAOS at final follow-up was compatible with those of other literatures with short- and mid-term follow-up. Re-operation rate was 5.94 % (12 / 202 ankles). According to multivariate regression analysis, significant factors associated with the revision surgery were large- size (greater than 150mm2) OLT (P = 0.009) and body mass index greater than 25 kg/m2 (P = 0.014). Conclusion:: Arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation is an effective and reliable operative procedure for the primary treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus with favorable long-term outcomes at a mean follow-up of 13.9 years. Therefore, we recommend this procedure for the 1st-line treatment of the OLT. Success of arthroscopic BMS depends on the size of the OLT and the body mass index of patients.

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Mid-Term Outcomes of Bone Marrow Stimulation for Primary Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: A Systematic Review

Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics ◽

10.1177/2473011419s00391 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (4) ◽

pp. 2473011419S0039

Author(s):

Yoshiharu Shimozono ◽

James Toale ◽

Conor Mulvin ◽

Jari Dahmen ◽

Gino MMJ Kerkhoffs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Reoperation Rate ◽

Osteochondral Lesions ◽

Long Term Outcomes ◽

Weighted Mean ◽

Bone Marrow Stimulation ◽

The Mean

Category: Ankle, Arthroscopy, Sports Introduction/Purpose: Arthroscopic bone marrow stimulation (BMS) is the most common reparative surgical intervention in the treatment of small osteochondral lesions of the talus (OLT). BMS has shown favorable short term clinical outcomes but several recent studies have shown less satisfactory results in the mid- to long-term due to fibrocartilagenous repair tissue deterioration over time following BMS. However, conflicting results with good mid- to long-term outcomes following BMS have been reported. There is still a lack of evidence on the success rates of BMS at mid-term and longer-term follow-up. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the clinical evidence of mid- to long-term outcomes following BMS for the treatment of OLT. Methods: A systematic search of the MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Methodological quality of evidence was decifered using the Modified Coleman methodology score (MCMS). Studies reporting outcomes of BMS for primary ostechndral lesions at a minimum 4-year follow-up were included. Clinical outcomes, radiological outcomes, and reported data were evaluated. Results: Fifteen studies containing 853 patients (858 ankles) were included at a weighted-mean follow-up time of 71.9 (48-141) months. The mean age was 35.3 (24.7-41.9) and the mean lesion size was 110.5mm2 (87-140). Nine studies (60%) used the AOFAS ankle hindfoot score with a weighted-mean postoperative score of 89.9 (78.4-91.8). Six studies showed both pre and post-operative AOFAS scores and showed a weighted-mean improvement of 24.5 (16-38.5). Four studies utilised the VAS score. The weighted-mean postoperative VAS scores were 2.4 (1.8-2.6). Three studies (20%) measured post-opeartive MRI at mid-term using the MOCART score and showed 48% complete filling, 74% complete integration, 76% surface damage, and 78% inhomogeneous repair tissue. Complication rate was 3.2% and reoperation rate was 6% following BMS at mid-term. Conclusion: This systematic review found good clinical outcomes following BMS for primary OLT at mid-term follow-up based on the AOFAS score. The complication rates were relatively low and the data showed a reoperation rate of 6% at mid-term. However, the radiological and MRI outcomes did not show similarly positive results, which may lead to recurrence and reoperation at long-term. Data were variable and numerous aspects largely under-reported in the literature relevant to the systematic review. Further high quality studies, a validated outcome scoring system and further MRI reports are required to accurately assess the success of BMS at mid-term.

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Letter Regarding: Long-term Outcomes of Microfracture for Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus

Foot & Ankle International ◽

10.1177/10711007211058693 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 43 (1) ◽

pp. 146-147

Author(s):

Carlijn S. ter Laak Bolk ◽

Jari Dahmen ◽

Gino M.M.J. Kerkhoffs

Keyword(s):

Osteochondral Lesions ◽

Long Term Outcomes

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Traumatic Brain Injury: A Trauma Surgeon's Perspective

Perspectives on Neurophysiology and Neurogenic Speech and Language Disorders ◽

10.1044/nnsld22.3.82 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 82-89

Author(s):

Oscar D. Guillamondegui

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Multidisciplinary Approach ◽

Trauma Team ◽

The United States ◽

Long Term Outcomes ◽

Term Care ◽

Injured Brain ◽

The Moment

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious epidemic in the United States. It affects patients of all ages, race, and socioeconomic status (SES). The current care of these patients typically manifests after sequelae have been identified after discharge from the hospital, long after the inciting event. The purpose of this article is to introduce the concept of identification and management of the TBI patient from the moment of injury through long-term care as a multidisciplinary approach. By promoting an awareness of the issues that develop around the acutely injured brain and linking them to long-term outcomes, the trauma team can initiate care early to alter the effect on the patient, family, and community. Hopefully, by describing the care afforded at a trauma center and by a multidisciplinary team, we can bring a better understanding to the armamentarium of methods utilized to treat the difficult population of TBI patients.

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