OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of preoperative anxiety and depression on subjective function, pain and revision rates following total knee arthroplasty (TKA).
METHODS: A prospective comparative study was conducted, including 349 patients undergoing TKA surgery between January 2019 and April 2021. Patients completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) questionnaire preoperatively, and a set of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) preoperatively and at 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Patients were categorized into anxiety and depression groups based on HADS scores. PROMs included the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score-Physical Function Shortform (KOOS-PS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and NRS-Pain. Differences in PROM scores between the anxiety/depression group and, respectively, nonanxiety/nondepression group were assessed, as well as differences in minimal clinical important difference (MCID) and attainment of Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS). Lastly, revision rates were compared.
RESULTS: Anxiety and depression groups exhibited inferior subjective function preoperatively and postoperatively compared to nonanxiety and nondepression groups (all p < 0.05), experienced more pain preoperatively (p < 0.001) and also postoperatively for depression patients (all p < 0.05). Significantly fewer patients with anxiety and depression reached the PASS for KOOS-PS, OKS and NRS-Pain (all p < 0.05). There were no differences in the proportion of patients reaching the MCID for all PROMs (all p > 0.060), and revision rates did not differ between groups (both p > 0.96).
CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative anxiety and depression negatively influence subjective function and pain preoperatively and up to 2-year follow-up in patients undergoing TKA. Revision rates did not differ between groups, and there were no relevant differences in clinical improvement of subjective function and pain.
METHODS: Level II, prospective comparative study.

Many people with pain from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee are either not ready for surgery or may never be surgical candidates. Genicular artery embolization (GAE) is a new proposed management for those with pain despite maximum medical management. It has historically been used to manage recurrent spontaneous haemarthrosis following total knee replacement, but newer studies are showing a positive effect in managing pre-arthroplasty knee OA. The goal of this review is to summarise current and relevant literature from searches of computerised databases and relevant journals, and analyse their results. Studies included show that GAE has promising outcomes in managing mild to moderate OA knee pain in those who have exhausted at least 3 months of conservative therapy. Most studies show improvements in VAS pain and PROM scores (including KOOS, and/or WOMAC). Minimal adverse effects have been associated in up to two years of follow up, the majority of which are self-resolving. The article précises a concise general procedural technique for performing GAE, as well as comparing and contrasting different embolic agents that may be utilised. GAE shows promising outcomes in management of mild to moderate OA knee pain. In the future, there will need to be higher volume studies to determine effectiveness, suitable candidates, and other potential adverse effects.

BACKGROUND: Disagreement exists on the optimal coronal alignment target for lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). An improved understanding of the distribution of coronal alignment and joint line orientation in lateral osteoarthritis (OA) might prove beneficial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pre- and postoperative Coronal Plane Alignment of the Knee (CPAK) distribution following lateral UKA and to evaluate the association between phenotypic variation and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
METHODS: A surgeon\'s registry was retrospectively reviewed between 2012 and 2022 to identify patients who received primary lateral UKA for advanced, lateral compartment OA. Radiographic measurements were performed, and CPAK phenotypes were determined. The Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Kujala, and patient satisfaction were analyzed at one-year and two-year follow-up.
RESULTS: A total of 305 knees were included. Preoperatively, seven phenotypes were observed and CPAK3 (54.1%) was most commonly observed. Postoperatively, all nine phenotypes were observed and CPAK6 (32.8%) was predominant. Preoperatively, 23.6% did not have a prearthritic valgus alignment. No significant differences in PROMs were found between individual phenotypes or between preserved and altered phenotypes.
CONCLUSIONS: Coronal alignment and joint line orientation were highly variable within a lateral compartment OA cohort. However, no association was demonstrated between superior postoperative PROMs and phenotype variation or phenotype preservation, which might suggest that there is not one universal optimal alignment target. Interestingly, 23.6% of knees with lateral compartment OA did not have a prearthritic valgus alignment, which may have been affected by joint line orientation.

BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the most effective method of pain relief and increased functional status for end-stage knee arthritis. We aimed to assess in patients undergoing unilateral, primary TKA whether the temperature of the operated limb, compared to the nonoperative limb, remains elevated up to 1 year postoperatively.
METHODS: Using a prospective, longitudinal, observational study design, 1,094 patients were enrolled, and 889 patients completed a minimum of 4 out of 5 follow-up appointments. There were 864 patients who had a normal postoperative course, while 25 patients were deemed to have a superficial or deep infection. Skin temperatures were measured using an infrared thermometer on the operated and nonoperated knees preoperatively, at 2, 6, 12 weeks, and 1 year postoperatively. A subgroup analysis was performed on the 25 patients deemed to have a superficial or deep infection.
RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in skin temperature in the operated versus nonoperated knee at every follow-up, with a P < .001. However, the effect size was small at the 1-year follow-up, with a mean difference in skin temperature of 0.3 °C. In the infected subgroup, there was a statistically significant difference in skin temperature at 2, 6, and 12 weeks, with a greater difference in skin temperature between the operated and nonoperated knees (4.05 versus 3.78 °C in the noninfected). However, there was little clinical difference (0.27 °C) at 2 weeks between infected and noninfected patients.
CONCLUSIONS: This study could improve postoperative interactions between patients and surgeons. It is normal for skin temperature post-TKA to increase initially and improve over time, but it can take up to 1 year before there is little clinical difference. Because of the small difference in the rise of skin temperature between infected and noninfected patients, there is little indication that skin temperature is a reliable indicator of infection.

UNASSIGNED: The number of total knee replacements (TKRs) performed per year has been increasing annually and it is estimated that by 2030 demand would reach 3.48 million procedures per year in the United States Of America. The prevalence of periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) around TKRs has followed this trend with incidences ranging from 0.3% to 3.5%. Distal femoral PPFs are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. When there is sufficient bone stock in the distal femur and a fracture pattern conducive to fixation, locking compression plating (LCP) and retrograde intramedullary nailing (RIMN) are commonly used fixation strategies. Conversely, in situations with loosening and deficient bone stock, a salvage procedure such as a distal femoral replacement is recognized as an alternative. This meta-analysis investigates the rates of non-union, re-operation, infection, and mortality for LCPs and RIMNs when performed for distal femoral PPFs fractures around TKRs.
UNASSIGNED: A search was conducted to identify articles relevant to the management of distal femoral PPFs around TKRs in adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Articles meeting the inclusion criteria were then assessed for methodological quality using the methodological items for non-randomised studies (MINORS) criteria. Articles were reviewed, and data were compiled into tables for analysis.
UNASSIGNED: 10 articles met the inclusion criteria, reporting on 528 PPFs. The overall incidence of complications was: non-union 9.4%, re-operation 12.9%, infection 2.4%, and mortality 5.5%. This meta-analysis found no significant differences between RIMN and LCP in rates of non-union (9.2% vs 9.6%) re-operation (15.1% vs 11.3%), infection (2.1% vs 2.6%), and mortality (6.0% vs 5.2%), respectively.
UNASSIGNED: This meta-analysis demonstrated no significant difference in rates of non-union, re-operation, infection, and mortality between RIMN and LCP and both remain valid surgical treatment options.

OBJECTIVE: The association between preoperative mental health and immediate postoperative ambulation in primary Total Joint Arthroplasty (TJA) has sparsely been studied. Thus, this study\'s objective was to investigate the association between mental health (measured by the Mental Component Score (MCS) from the Veterans RAND 12 (VR-12)) and peri-operative metrics.
METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent primary TJA and completed a VR-12 questionnaire between January 2018 and June 2023 at a single academic hospital. Patients were stratified into terciles based on preoperative MCS. Patient demographics, ambulation within 4 h postop, LOS, and discharge location were compared. The effect of MCS on LOS while controlling discharge location was assessed using negative binomial regression.
RESULTS: 1120 patients were included in this analysis (432 THA and 688 TKA). After stratification into terciles (Low: 34.7 ± 6.6, Middle: 49.3 ± 3.7, High:62.1 ± 4.4), comparison of demographics revealed significant differences in age (p = 0.005) and sex distribution (p = 0.04) but no difference in surgery type (p = 0.857). There was no significant difference in ambulation rate between MCS groups (p = 0.789) or in distance covered during first ambulation (p = 0.251). Low MCS patients had a longer LOS (p = 0.000, p = 0.002) and a lower rate of discharged home (p = 0.016). After controlling discharge location, no significant association was found between MCS and LOS (p = 0.288).
CONCLUSIONS: Patient with low MCS tended to be younger, women, and had poorer preoperative HOOS/KOOS scores. Low MCS was associated with longer LOS and lower rates of discharge home. However, MCS was not associated with early ambulation rate and LOS after controlling discharge location.

UNASSIGNED: Periprosthetic fracture is a rare complication of arthroplasty but can have devastating consequences for the patient and presents a complex surgical challenge. Locking compression plate and retrograde intramedullary nail are both widely accepted surgical fixation techniques for distal femoral periprosthetic fractures around a total knee arthroplasty. Although there is still a need for further high-quality research into both techniques, there is even less literature concerning the use of distal femoral replacement to treat distal femoral periprosthetic fractures. Interest has been piqued in distal femoral replacements for the treatment of distal femoral periprosthetic fractures due to the theoretical advantages of immediate post-operative weight-bearing and lack of dependence on fracture union, but there are still understandably reservations about performing such an extensive and invasive procedure when an accepted alternative is available. This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the current literature to compare the complication rates and return to pre-operative ambulatory status of distal femoral replacement and locking compression plate.
UNASSIGNED: A literature search was performed to identify articles related to the management of distal femoral periprosthetic fractures around a total knee arthroplasty in adherence to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) checklist. Methodological quality was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) criteria. Articles were reviewed, and data extracted for analysis.
UNASSIGNED: Five articles met the inclusion criteria, reporting on 345 periprosthetic fractures. The overall rates of complications for distal femoral replacement and locking compression plate were: re-operation (6.1% vs 12.1%), infection (3.0% vs 5.3%), mortality (19.7% vs 19.3%), and return to pre-operative ambulatory status (60.9% vs 71.8%) (respectively).
UNASSIGNED: This meta-analysis shows no statistically significant difference in the rates of re-operation, infection, mortality or return to pre-operative ambulatory status when comparing distal femoral replacement to locking compression plate.

BACKGROUND: Robot-assisted total joint arthroplasty (robotic-TJA) has become more widespread over the last 20 years due to higher patient satisfaction and reduced complications. However, robotic TJA may have longer operative times and increased operating room traffic, which are known risk factors for contamination events. Contamination of surgical instruments may be contact- or airborne-related with documented scalpel blade contamination rates up to 9%. The robot arm is a novel instrument that comes in and out of the surgical field, so our objective was to assess whether the robot arm is a source of contamination when used in robotic TJA compared to other surgical instruments.
METHODS: This was a prospective, single-institution, single-surgeon pilot study involving 103 robotic TJAs. The robot arm was swabbed prior to incision and after closure. Pre- and postoperative control swabs were also collected from the suction tip and scalpel blade. Swabs were incubated for 24 hours on tryptic soy agar followed by inspection for growth of any contaminating bacteria.
RESULTS: A contamination event was detected in 10 cases (10%). The scalpel blade was the most common site of contamination (8%) followed by the robot arm (2%) and suction tip (0%).
CONCLUSIONS: Robotic TJA is contaminated with bacteria at a rate around 10%. Although the robot arm is an additional source of potential contamination, the robot arm accrues bacterial contamination infrequently compared to the scalpel blade.
CONCLUSIONS: Contamination of the robot arm during robotic TJA is minimal when compared to contamination of the scalpel blade.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication in hip and knee joint arthroplasty. The \"Joint-Specific Bone Involvement, Antimicrobial Options, Coverage of the Soft Tissues, and Host Status (JS-BACH)\" classification system was developed in 2021 to stratify the complexity of PJI, and more importantly, to act as a tool to guide referrals to specialist centers. The \"JS-BACH\" classification has not been validated in an external cohort. This study aimed to do so using a large prospective cohort from Australia and New Zealand.
METHODS: We applied the JS-BACH classification to the Prosthetic Joint Infection in Australia and New Zealand Observational (PIANO) cohort. This prospective study of newly diagnosed PJI collected 2-year outcome data from 653 participants enrolled in 27 hospitals. The definition of PJI treatment failure at 24 months was any of the following: death, clinical or microbiological signs of infection, destination prosthesis removed, or ongoing antibiotic use. Individual cases were classified as per JS-BACH into \"1: uncomplicated\" (n = 268), \"2: complex\" (n = 330), and \"3: limited options\" (n = 55). This cohort was similar to the original JS-BACH population in terms of baseline characteristics. However, there was a difference in complexity, with more debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention procedures, fewer revision procedures, and a higher proportion of uncomplicated patients in the PIANO cohort.
RESULTS: The risk of treatment failure correlated strongly with the JS-BACH category, with odds ratios (95% confidence interval) for category 2 versus 1 of 1.75 (1.24 to 2.47) and for category 3 versus 1 of 7.12 (3.42 to 16.02).
CONCLUSIONS: Despite the PIANO study population being less complicated than the original derivation cohort, the JS-BACH classification showed a clear association with treatment failure in this large external cohort.

Total knee arthroplasty is one of the most common orthopedic procedures. Simultaneous bilateral knee arthroplasty involves performing total knee arthroplasty on both knees in a single anesthetic session. This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses 2020. A primary search was performed using PubMed, EBSCO, Scopus, Web of Science, Clarivate, and Google Scholar databases. Quantitative data synthesis was performed using MedCalc® Statistical Software version 20.115 to determine the pooled prevalence of the infection among patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral knee arthroplasty. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used to assess study quality. We included 30 studies in our quantitative data synthesis, with a total population of 118,502 patients (237,004 knees). The pooled prevalence of superficial infection, deep infection, and unspecified surgical site infection was estimated to be 0.86% (95% confidence interval: 0.62-1.13%), 0.84% (95% confidence interval: 0.64-1.05%), and 1.18% (95% confidence interval: 0.45-2.27%), respectively. There was significant heterogeneity (I2 >50%) in all analyses, and inspection of funnel plots revealed a symmetrical distribution of plotted data. We found that the infection rates following simultaneous bilateral knee arthroplasty were relatively low but heterogeneous, as the data showed marked variability. Superficial infections were more common than deep infections; however, there was a small difference in their prevalence. Furthermore, the reliability of our findings was limited owing to significant heterogeneity.