scholarly journals MRI Classification of subtalar and talonavicular joint osteoarthritis

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011418S0053
Author(s):  
Razi Zaidi ◽  
Rikin Hargunani ◽  
Michele Calleja ◽  
Andrew Goldberg

Category: Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: The sublatar joint is formed by the articulation of the talus and the calcaneus. The Calcaneus had three facets; posterior, middle and anterior that articulate with the talus. The anterior facet is also continuous with the Talonavicular joint. Plain radiography of the foot and ankle is the usual method to detect degeneration in these joints, however plain films do not permit full characterisation of non-ossified structures, such as articular cartilage, marrow tissue and synovial fluid. MRI is a better way to detect these changes. The aim of this study was to develop a quantitative way to score arthritic changes to the subtalar and talonavicular joints using MRI that was usable, repeatable and reliable. Methods: The MRI scans of thirty consecutive subjects with foot and ankle pain were retrospectively evaluated. MRI images were obtained using 1.5-T MRI. Images were interpreted independently by three musculoskeletal radiologists. In order to determine intra-observer reliability as well as the inter-observer reliability two of the readers independently scored the studies twice, more than 14 days apart. Five features of osteoarthritis were scored in the Subtalar joint and the Talonavicular joint. These were; cartilage morphology, subarticular marrow, subarticular cyst, marginal osteophytes and synovitis. The Subtalar joint was scored in eight different regions and Talonavicular joint in two The maximum score for both regions was 100. Scores were summarised and Inter- and Intra-observer agreement was calculated. Intraclass coefficient values less than 0.40 were poor, fair between 0.40 and 0.59 were fair, values between 0.60 and 0.74 were good, and values between 0.75 and 1 excellent. Results: For the 30 MRI scans the mean score for the Subtalar joint ranged from 11.7 to 14.4 and for the Talonavicular joint ranged from 3.7 to 5.6. The inter-observer correlation for the Subtalar joint between the three readers ranged between 0.53 and 0.83 for the individual features but overall was excellent at 0.76. For the Talonavicular joint the total correlation was good at 0.67. The inter-observer ICC for the total score was 0.75 which showed excellent agreement between the three readers. The total intra-observer correlation was excellent. Conclusion: We have designed a novel scoring system subtalar and talonavicular arthritis that is easy to perform and demonstrates excellent reliability and may be an extremely useful tool for clinical trials on ankle arthritis and other studies to diagnose and monitor disease progression.

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011417S0001
Author(s):  
Nicholas Cheney ◽  
Kyle Rockwell ◽  
John Weis ◽  
Dylan Lewis ◽  
Joseph Long ◽  
...  

Category: Pathophysiology Introduction/Purpose: Gastrocnemius eqiunus has been associated with a wide range of foot and ankle pathologies in the literature, however, many still question it’s involvement or existence. A recent response in Foot & Ankle International pointed out an incorrect demonstration of the Silfverskold test in a prior study. With a growing body of literature supporting gastrocnemius equinus as a contributing factor in foot and ankle pain, why do many feel that it still does not exist? It was our hypothesis that unless the examination is performed correctly, the diagnosis can be missed and could be the potential cause for disbelief in its existence or effect on foot and ankle pain. We sought to demonstrate the difference in examination findings when performing the test correctly and incorrectly. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with conditions associated with gastrocnemius equinus in the literature were included in the study. Each patient was consented and had a Silverskold test performed correctly by inverting and locking the subtalar joint as well as stabilizing the talonavicular joint in order to isolate the ankle joint. We then performed the exam incorrectly without stabilizing the same two joints, allowing motion through the ipsilateral hindfoot and midfoot joints. A long arm goniometer was used to measure the angles with each arm along the length of the fibula and fifth metatarsal. The senior author performed all of the examinations to maintain consistency. The angles were recorded for later review. Results: We found that when the subtalar and talonavicular joints were stabilized, there was almost fifteen degrees less dorsiflexion than when the same joints were not stabilized. The average dorsiflexion when performed in the correct manner was seventy-eight degrees, while the average dorsiflexion with the exam performed incorrectly was ninety-three degrees. Conclusion: We demonstrated that if the examination is not performed correctly, the equinus contracture could go undiagnosed as motion through the hindfoot and midfoot joints can alter the findings. It is important to understand and perform the technique correctly to evaluate for the contracture as it has been shown to be a contributing factor in many foot and ankle problems. If we standardize the examination, there may be less disagreement about its existence or affect on foot and ankle pain.


2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Ryan C. Pate ◽  
John W. Fanning ◽  
Naomi N. Shields ◽  
Alexander C.M. Chong

Introduction. The purpose of this study was to determine the inter- and intra-observer reliability of a clinical radiographic scale for hallux rigidus. Methods. A total of 80 patients were retrospectively selected from the patient population of two foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons. Each corresponding series of radiographic images (weight-bearing anteroposterior, weight-bearing lateral, and oblique of the foot) was randomized and evaluated. Re-randomization was performed and the corresponding radiograph images re-numbered. Four orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeons graded each patient, and each rater reclassified the re-randomized radiographic images three weeks later. Results. Sixty-one out of 80 patients (76%) were included in this study. For intra-observer reliability, most of the raters showed “excellent” agreement except one rater had a “substantial” agreement. For inter-observer reliability, only 14 out of 61 cases (23%) showed total agreement between the eight readings from the four surgeons, and 11 out of the 14 cases (79%) were grade 3 hallux rigidus. One of the raters had a tendency to grade at a higher grade resulting in poorer agreement. If this rater was excluded, the results demonstrated a “substantial” agreement by using this classification. Conclusion. The hallux rigidus radiographic grading system should be used with caution. Although there is an “excellent” level of intra-observer agreement, there is only “moderate” to “substantial” level of inter-observer reliability.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Zarie ◽  
Mohamed Farah Mohamoud ◽  
Amir Reza Farhoud ◽  
Nima Bagheri ◽  
Furqan Mohammed Yaseen Khan ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND:ArbeitsgemeinschaftfürOsteosynthesefragen (AO) classification is the most frequently used tool to classify intertrochanteric fractures. However, there is limited evidence regarding its reliability. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate inter-observer and intra-observer reliability of the AO-2018 intertrochanteric fracture classification.METHOD: A retrospective study was conducted in Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex, on radiography of patients who came with intertrochanteric fractures from March 21, 2018, to March 19, 2019. Four orthopedic trauma surgeons assessed 96 anteroposterior pelvic radiographs of intertrochanteric fractures and classified using an AO intertrochanteric fracture classification of 2018. The reading and review of radiography were performed in 2 separate occasions in a 1-month interval. The inter-observer and intra-observer reliability was assessed using kappa statistics.RESULT: The level of both mean inter-observer (K =0.322; 95%CI: 0.321-0.323) and intra-observer agreement (K =0.317; 95%CI: 0.314-0.320) in AO intertrochanteric fracture classification subgrouping were not satisfactory. The inter-observer (K =0.61; 95%CI: 0.608-0.611) and intra-observers’ (K=0.560;95%CI: 0.544-0.566) reliability in AO main groupings showed moderate agreement.CONCLUSION: The AO classification does not show adequate and acceptable inter-observer and intra-observer reliability and reproducibility. Therefore, it will be hard to base on the AO classification for treatment protocols.


2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renáta Gregová ◽  
Lívia Körtvélyessy ◽  
Július Zimmermann

Universals Archive (Universal #1926) indicates a universal tendency for sound symbolism in reference to the expression of diminutives and augmentatives. The research ( Štekauer et al. 2009 ) carried out on European languages has not proved the tendency at all. Therefore, our research was extended to cover three language families – Indo-European, Niger-Congo and Austronesian. A three-step analysis examining different aspects of phonetic symbolism was carried out on a core vocabulary of 35 lexical items. A research sample was selected out of 60 languages. The evaluative markers were analyzed according to both phonetic classification of vowels and consonants and Ultan's and Niewenhuis' conclusions on the dominance of palatal and post-alveolar consonants in diminutive markers. Finally, the data obtained in our sample languages was evaluated by means of a three-dimensional model illustrating the place of articulation of the individual segments.


Author(s):  
Edoardo Cipolletta ◽  
Emilio Filippucci ◽  
Andrea Di Matteo ◽  
Giulia Tesei ◽  
Micaela Ana Cosatti ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose i) To assess the inter- and intra-observer reliability of ultrasound (US) in the evaluation of the hyaline cartilage (HC) of the metacarpal head (MH) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and in healthy subjects (HS) both qualitatively and quantitatively. ii) To calculate the smallest detectable difference (SDD) of the MH cartilage thickness measurement. iii) To correlate the qualitative scoring system and the quantitative assessment. Materials and Methods US examination was performed on 280 MHs of 20 patients with RA and 15 HS using a very high frequency probe (up to 22 MHz). HC status was evaluated both qualitatively (using a five-grade scoring system) and quantitatively (using the average value of the longitudinal and transverse measures). The HC of MHs from II to V metacarpophalangeal joint of both hands were scanned independently on the same day by two rheumatologists to assess inter-observer reliability. All subjects were re-examined using the same scanning protocol and the same US setting by one sonographer after a week to assess intra-observer reliability. Results The inter-observer agreement and intra-observer agreement were moderate to substantial (k = 0.66 and k = 0.73) for the qualitative scoring system and high (ICC = 0.93 and ICC = 0.94) for the quantitative assessment. The SDD of the MH cartilage thickness measurement was 0.09 mm. A significant correlation between the two scoring systems was found (r = –0.35; p < 0.001). Conclusion The present study describes the main methodological issues of HC assessment. Using a standardized protocol, both the qualitative and the quantitative scoring systems can be reliable.


Author(s):  
Volker A. Coenen ◽  
Bastian E. Sajonz ◽  
Peter C. Reinacher ◽  
Christoph P. Kaller ◽  
Horst Urbach ◽  
...  

Abstract Background An increasing number of neurosurgeons use display of the dentato-rubro-thalamic tract (DRT) based on diffusion weighted imaging (dMRI) as basis for their routine planning of stimulation or lesioning approaches in stereotactic tremor surgery. An evaluation of the anatomical validity of the display of the DRT with respect to modern stereotactic planning systems and across different tracking environments has not been performed. Methods Distinct dMRI and anatomical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of high and low quality from 9 subjects were used. Six subjects had repeated MRI scans and therefore entered the analysis twice. Standardized DICOM structure templates for volume of interest definition were applied in native space for all investigations. For tracking BrainLab Elements (BrainLab, Munich, Germany), two tensor deterministic tracking (FT2), MRtrix IFOD2 (https://www.mrtrix.org), and a global tracking (GT) approach were used to compare the display of the uncrossed (DRTu) and crossed (DRTx) fiber structure after transformation into MNI space. The resulting streamlines were investigated for congruence, reproducibility, anatomical validity, and penetration of anatomical way point structures. Results In general, the DRTu can be depicted with good quality (as judged by waypoints). FT2 (surgical) and GT (neuroscientific) show high congruence. While GT shows partly reproducible results for DRTx, the crossed pathway cannot be reliably reconstructed with the other (iFOD2 and FT2) algorithms. Conclusion Since a direct anatomical comparison is difficult in the individual subjects, we chose a comparison with two research tracking environments as the best possible “ground truth.” FT2 is useful especially because of its manual editing possibilities of cutting erroneous fibers on the single subject level. An uncertainty of 2 mm as mean displacement of DRTu is expectable and should be respected when using this approach for surgical planning. Tractographic renditions of the DRTx on the single subject level seem to be still illusive.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malena Bergvall ◽  
Carl Bergdahl ◽  
Carl Ekholm ◽  
David Wennergren

Abstract Background Distal radial fractures (DRF) are one of the most common fractures with a small peak in incidence among young males and an increasing incidence with age among women. The reliable classification of fractures is important, as classification provides a framework for communicating effectively on clinical cases. Fracture classification is also a prerequisite for data collection in national quality registers and for clinical research. Since its inception in 2011, the Swedish Fracture Register (SFR) has collected data on more than 490,000 fractures. The attending physician classifies the fracture according to the AO/OTA classification upon registration in the SFR. Previous studies regarding the classification of distal radial fractures (DRF) have shown difficulties in inter- and intra-observer agreement. This study aims to assess the accuracy of the registration of DRF in adults in the SFR as it is carried out in clinical practice. Methods A reference group of three experienced orthopaedic trauma surgeons classified 128 DRFs, randomly retrieved from the SFR, at two classification sessions 6 weeks apart. The classification the reference group agreed on was regarded as the gold standard classification for each fracture. The accuracy of the classification in the SFR was defined as the agreement between the gold standard classification and the classification in the SFR. Inter- and intra-observer agreement was evaluated and the degree of agreement was calculated as Cohen’s kappa. Results The accuracy of the classification of DRF in the SFR was kappa = 0.41 (0.31–0.51) for the AO/OTA subgroup/group and kappa = 0.48 (0.36–0.61) for the AO/OTA type. This corresponds to moderate agreement. Inter-observer agreement ranged from kappa 0.22–0.48 for the AO/OTA subgroup/group and kappa 0.48–0.76 for the AO/OTA type. Intra-observer agreement ranged from kappa 0.52–0.70 for the AO/OTA subgroup/group and kappa 0.71–0.76 for the AO/OTA type. Conclusions The study shows moderate accuracy in the classification of DRF in the SFR. Although the degree of accuracy for DRF appears to be lower than for other fracture locations, the accuracy shown in the current study is similar to that in previous studies of DRF.


Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 292
Author(s):  
Simona Crosta ◽  
Renzo Boldorini ◽  
Francesca Bono ◽  
Virginia Brambilla ◽  
Emanuele Dainese ◽  
...  

Immune checkpoint inhibitors for blocking the programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) axis are now available for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (HNSCC) in relapsing and/or metastatic settings. In this work, we compared the resulting combined positive score (CPS) of PD-L1 using alternative methods adopted in routine clinical practice and determined the level of diagnostic agreement and inter-observer reliability in this setting. The study applied 5 different protocols on 40 tissue microarrays from HNSCC. The error rate of the individual protocols ranged from a minimum of 7% to a maximum of 21%, the sensitivity from 79% to 96%, and the specificity from 50% to 100%. In the intermediate group (1 ≤ CPS < 20), the majority of errors consisted of an underestimation of PD-L1 expression. In strong expressors, 5 out of 14 samples (36%) were correctly evaluated by all the protocols, but no protocol was able to correctly identify all the “strong expressors”. The overall inter-observer agreement in PD-L1 CPS reached 87%. The inter-observer reliability was moderate, with an ICC of 0.774 (95% CI (0.651; 0.871)). In conclusion, our study showed moderate interobserver reliability among different protocols. In order to improve the performances, adequate specific training to evaluate PD-L1 by CPS in the HNSCC setting should be coordinated.


Author(s):  
Anne-Sophie van der Post ◽  
Sjoerd Jens ◽  
Frank F. Smithuis ◽  
Miryam C. Obdeijn ◽  
Roelof-Jan Oostra ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The objective of the study is to provide a reference for morphology, homogeneity, and signal intensity of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) and TFCC-related MRI features in adolescents. Materials and methods Prospectively collected data on asymptomatic participants aged 12–18 years, between June 2015 and November 2017, were retrospectively analyzed. A radiograph was performed in all participants to determine skeletal age and ulnar variance. A 3-T MRI followed to assess TFCC components and TFCC-related features. A standardized scoring form, based on MRI definitions used in literature on adults, was used for individual assessment of all participants by four observers. Results per item were expressed as frequencies (percentages) of observations by all observers for all participants combined (n = 92). Inter-observer agreement was determined by the unweighted Fleiss’ kappa with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results The cohort consisted of 23 asymptomatic adolescents (12 girls and 11 boys). Median age was 13.5 years (range 12.0–17.0). Median ulnar variance was −0.7 mm (range − 2.7–1.4). Median triangular fibrocartilage (TFC) thickness was 1.4 mm (range 0.1–2.9). Diffuse increased TFC signal intensity not reaching the articular surface was observed in 30 (33%) observations and a vertical linear increased signal intensity with TFC discontinuation in 19 (20%) observations. Discontinuation between the volar radioulnar ligament and the TFC in the sagittal plane was seen in 23 (25%) observations. The extensor carpi ulnaris was completely dislocated in 10 (11%) observations, more frequent in supinated wrists (p = 0.031). Inter-observer agreement ranged from poor to fair for scoring items on the individual TFCC components. Conclusion MRI findings, whether normal variation or asymptomatic abnormality, can be observed in TFCC and TFCC-related features of asymptomatic adolescents. The rather low inter-observer agreement underscores the challenges in interpreting these small structures on MRI. This should be taken into consideration when interpreting clinical MRIs and deciding upon arthroscopy.


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