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OBJECTIVE: To analyze the potential of the dual outer diameter screw and systematically evaluate the pull-out force of the dual outer diameter screw compared to the uncemented and cemented standard pedicle screws with special regard to the pedicle diameter and the vertebra level. METHODS: Sixty vertebrae of five human spines (T 6 -L 5 ) were sorted into three study groups for pairwise comparison of the uncemented dual outer diameter screw, the uncemented standard screw, and the cemented standard screw, and randomized with respect to bone mineral density (BMD) and vertebra level. The vertebrae were instrumented, insertion torque was determined, and pull-out testing was performed using a material testing machine. Failure load was evaluated in pairwise comparison within each study group. The screw-to-pedicle diameter ratio was determined and the uncemented dual outer diameter and standard screws were compared for different ratios as well as vertebra levels. RESULTS: Significantly increased pull-out forces were measured for the cemented standard screw compared to the uncemented standard screw (+689 N, P < 0.001) and the dual outer diameter screw (+403 N, P < 0.001). Comparing the dual outer diameter screw to the uncemented standard screw in the total study group, a distinct but not significant increase was measured (+149 N, P = 0.114). Further analysis of these two screws, however, revealed a significant increase of pull-out force for the dual outer diameter screw in the lumbar region (+247 N, P = 0.040), as well as for a screw-to-pedicle diameter ratio between 0.6 and 1 (+ 488 N, P = 0.028). CONCLUSIONS: For clinical application, cement augmentation remains the gold standard for increasing screw stability. According to our results, the use of a dual outer diameter screw is an interesting option to increase screw stability in the lumbar region without cement augmentation. For the thoracic region, however, the screw-to-pedicle diameter should be checked and attention should be paid to screw cut out, if the dual outer diameter screw is considered.

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In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), patellofemoral groove design varies greatly and likely has a distinct influence on patellofemoral biomechanics. To analyse the selective influence, five patellofemoral design variations were developed based on Genesis II total knee endoprosthesis (original design, being completely flat, being laterally elevated, being medially elevated, and both sides elevated) and made from polyamide using rapid prototyping. Muscle-loaded knee flexion was simulated on 10 human knee specimens using a custom-made knee simulator, measuring the patellofemoral pressure distribution and tibiofemoral and patellofemoral kinematics. The measurements were carried out in the native knee as well as after TKA with the 5 design prototypes. The overall influence of the different designs on the patellofemoral kinematics was small, but we found detectable effects for mediolateral tilt (p < 0.05 for 35°-80° flexion) and translation of the patella (p < 0.045 for 20°-65° and 75°-90°), especially for the completely flat design. Considering patellofemoral pressures, major interindividual differences were seen between the designs, which, on average, largely cancelled each other out. These results suggest that the elevation of the lateral margin of the patellofemoral groove is essential for providing mediolateral guidance, but smooth contouring as with original Genesis II design seems to be sufficient. The pronounced interindividual differences identify a need for more patellofemoral design options in TKA.

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BACKGROUND: Anterior cruciate ligament rupture can lead to symptomatic instability, especially during pivoting activities, which are often associated with increased anterior and rotational tibial loading. Therefore, the purpose of our robot-aided in-vitro study was to analyze the influence of tibial rotation on anterior knee stability under three anterior cruciate ligament conditions. METHODS: Ten human knee specimens were examined using a robotic system. Anterior tibial translations were measured during anterior force application at internally and externally rotated positions of the tibia (5° steps until 4 Nm was reached) at 20°, 60°, and 90° of flexion. The native knee was compared with the knee with deficient and replaced anterior cruciate ligament. FINDINGS: Tibial rotation significantly influenced anterior tibial translation (P<0.001), with differences of up to 12 mm between the largest and smallest anterior translation in the deficient knee. The largest influence of the anterior cruciate ligament on anterior translation was found in slightly externally rotated positions of the tibia (5°-10° at 20° of flexion; 0°-5° at 90° of flexion). Significantly increased anterior tibial translation (up to 7 mm) was measured after anterior cruciate ligament resection, which could be almost completely restored by the replacement (remaining difference<1mm) over a wide range of tibial rotations. INTERPRETATION: Tibial rotation clearly influences anterior tibial translation. Because the greatest effect of the anterior cruciate ligament was found in slightly externally rotated positions of the tibia, increased attention to tibial rotation should be paid when performing the Lachman and anterior drawer tests.

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BACKGROUND: For the analysis of different treatments concerning anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture, objective methods for the quantification of knee stability are needed. Therefore, a new method for in-vivo stability measurement using a robotic testing system should be developed and evaluated. METHODS: A new experimental setting was developed using a KUKA robot and a custom-made chair for the positioning and fixation of the participants. The tibia was connected to the robot via a Vacoped shoe and magnetic buttons, providing adequate safety. Anterior tibial translation and internal tibial rotation were measured on both legs of 40 healthy human subjects at 30°, 60° and 90° of flexion, applying anterior forces of 80 N and internal torques of 4 Nm, respectively. RESULTS: While the mean differences between the right and left leg measured for anterior tibial translation were within an acceptable range (<1.5 mm), the absolute values were substantially large (38-40.5 mm). For mean internal tibial rotation, between 17.5 and 20° were measured at the different sides and flexion angles, with a maximal difference of 0.75°. High reproducibility of the measurements could be demonstrated for both, anterior tibial translation (ICC(3,1) = 0.97) and internal tibial rotation (ICC(3,1) = 0.94). CONCLUSIONS: Excellent results were achieved for internal tibial rotation, almost reproducing current in-vitro studies, but too large anterior tibial translation was measured due to soft-tissue compression. Therefore, high potential for the analysis of ACL related treatments concerning rotational stability is seen for the proposed method, but further optimization is necessary to enhance this method for the reliable measurement of anterior tibial translation.

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BACKGROUND: Anterior knee pain is often associated with patellar maltracking and instability. However, objective measurement of patellar stability under clinical and experimental conditions is difficult, and muscular activity influences the results. In the present study, a new experimental setting for in vitro measurement of patellar stability was developed and the mediolateral force-displacement behavior of the native knee analyzed with special emphasis on patellar tilt and muscle loading. METHODS: In the new experimental setup, two established testing methods were combined: an upright knee simulator for positioning and loading of the knee specimens, and an industry robot for mediolateral patellar displacement. A minimally invasive coupling and force control mechanism enabled unconstrained motion of the patella as well as measurement of patellar motion in all six degrees of freedom via an external ultrasonic motion-tracking system. Lateral and medial patellar displacement were measured on seven fresh-frozen human knee specimens in six flexion angles with varying muscle force levels, muscle force distributions, and displacement forces. RESULTS: Substantial repeatability was achieved for patellar shift (ICC(3,1) = 0.67) and tilt (ICC(3,1) = 0.75). Patellar lateral and medial shift decreased slightly with increasing flexion angle. Additional measurement of patellar tilt provided interesting insights into the different displacement mechanisms in lateral and medial directions. For lateral displacement, the patella tilted in the same (lateral) direction, and tilted in the opposite direction (again laterally) for medial displacement. With regard to asymmetric muscle loading, a significant influence (p < 0.03, up to 5 mm shift and 8° tilt) was found for lateral displacement and a reasonable relationship between muscle and patellar force, whereas no effect was visible in the medial direction. CONCLUSION: The developed experimental setup delivered reproducible results and was found to be an excellent testing method for the in vitro analysis of patellar stability and future investigation of surgical techniques for patellar stabilization and total knee arthroplasty. We demonstrated a significant influence of asymmetric quadriceps loading on patellar stability. In particular, increased force application on the vastus lateralis muscle led to a clear increase of lateral patellar displacement.

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Osteochondral autologous transplantation is frequently used to repair small cartilage defects. Incongruence between the osteochondral graft surface and the adjacent cartilage leads to changed friction and contact pressure. The present study wanted to analyze the differences between intact and surgically treated cartilage surface in respect to contact pressure and frictional characteristic (dissipated energy). Six ovine carpometacarpal joints were used in the present study. Dissipated energy during instrumentally controlled joint movement as well as static contact pressure were measured in different cartilage states (intact, defect, deep-, flush-, high-implanted osteochondral graft and cartilage failure simulation on a high-implanted graft). The best contact area restoration was observed after the flush implantation. However, the dissipated energy measurements did not reveal an advantage of the flush implantation compared to the defect and deep-implanted graft states. The high-implanted graft was associated with a significant increase of the mean contact pressure and decrease of the contact area but the dissipated energy was on the level of intact cartilage in contrast to other treatments where the dissipated energy was significantly higher as in the intact state. However the cartilage failure simulation on the high-implanted graft showed the highest increase of the dissipated energy.

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PURPOSE: Considering the discrepant results of the recent biomechanical studies, the purpose of this study was to simulate dynamic muscle-loaded knee flexion with a large number of specimens and to analyse the influence of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) without and with patellar resurfacing on the patellofemoral pressure distribution. METHODS: In 22 cadaver knee specimens, dynamic muscle-loaded knee flexion (15°-90°) was simulated with a specially developed knee simulator applying variable muscle forces on the quadriceps muscles to maintain a constant ankle force. Patellofemoral pressures were measured with flexible, pressure-sensitive sensor foils (TEKSCAN) and patellofemoral offset with an ultrasound motion-tracking system (ZEBRIS). Measurements were taken on the native knee, after total knee arthroplasty and after patellar resurfacing. Correct positioning of the patellar implant was examined radiologically. RESULTS: The maximal patellofemoral peak pressure partly increased from the native knee to the knee with TKA with intact patella (35°-90°, p < 0.012) and highly increased (twofold to threefold) after patellar resurfacing (20°-90°, p < 0.001). Concurrently, the patellofemoral contact area decreased and changed from a wide area distribution in the native knee, to a punctate area after TKA with intact patella and a line-shaped area after patellar resurfacing. Patellar resurfacing led to no increase in patellar thickness and patellofemoral offset. CONCLUSIONS: Despite correct implantation of the patellar implants and largely unchanged patellofemoral offset, a highly significant increase in pressure after patellar resurfacing was measured. Therefore, from a biomechanical point of view, the preservation of the native patella seems reasonable if there is no higher grade patellar cartilage damage.

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Cartilage defects and osteoarthritis (OA) have an increasing incidence in the aging population. A wide range of treatment options are available. The introduction of each new treatment requires controlled, evidence based, histological and biomechanical studies to identify potential benefits. Especially for the biomechanical testing there is a lack of established methods which combine a physiologic testing environment of complete joints with the possibility of body-weight simulation. The current in-vitro study presents a new method for the measurement of friction properties of cartilage on cartilage in its individual joint environment including the synovial fluid. Seven sheep knee joints were cyclically flexed and extended under constant axial load with intact joint capsule using a 6° of freedom robotic system. During the cyclic motion, the flexion angle and the respective torque were recorded and the dissipated energy was calculated. Different mechanically induced cartilage defect sizes (16 mm², 50 mm², 200 mm²) were examined and compared to the intact situation at varying levels of the axial load. The introduced setup could significantly distinguish between most of the defect sizes for all load levels above 200 N. For these higher load levels, a high reproducibility was achieved (coefficient of variation between 4% and 17%). The proposed method simulates a natural environment for the analysis of cartilage on cartilage friction properties and is able to differentiate between different cartilage defect sizes. Therefore, it is considered as an innovative method for the testing of new treatment options for cartilage defects.

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Although mid- to long-term results after total ankle replacement have improved because of available second- and third-generation devices, failure of total ankle replacement is still more common compared with total hip replacement and total knee replacement. The portfolio of available total ankle replacement revision component options is small. Furthermore, the bone stock of the tibiotalar region is scarce making it difficult and in some situations impossible to perform revision total ankle replacement. In these cases tibiotalar and tibiotalocalcaneal fusions are valuable options. This article describes which surgical procedures should be performed depending on the initial situation and gives detailed advice on surgical technique, postoperative care, and clinical results.

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BACKGROUND: In patients with anterior knee pain and patellar instability, a specific training of the quadriceps muscle - especially the vastus medialis - is often recommended, although the practicability is discussed controversially and the proof of a measurable clinical effect is difficult. Therefore, this in vitro study investigates the influence of asymmetric muscle loading on the motion of the human patella. METHODS: Seven human knee specimens were tested in a specially developed knee simulator. During simulated weight-bearing knee flexion, the kinematics of tibia, femur and patella were measured using an ultrasound motion capture system. The quadriceps forces were controlled to achieve a constant ankle force over the whole flexion range which is assumed to represent almost physiological loading. Three different force distributions of the quadriceps were tested - a central, equally distributed load as well as mainly lateral and medial loads. RESULTS: A significant influence of different quadriceps force distributions was found for patellar tilt around a proximodistal axis (up to 1.7°) and patellar rotation around an anteroposterior axis (up to 3.8°) with respect to the femur. Interestingly, the patellar mediolateral shift was influenced only marginally (<1.5mm). CONCLUSIONS: Specific muscle training might help patients with patellofemoral pain and cartilage damage by a slight modification of the kinematics, but we could show that even highly asymmetric quadriceps loads only led to a small alteration of the mediolateral shift in case of a physiologic anatomy of the trochlear groove.

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Considerable immediate periprosthetic bone density changes after implantation of femoral stems have been observed comparing DEXA measurements taken pre- and post-operatively. This is important in relation to the interpretation of DEXA studies. We analysed these density changes under standardised experimental conditions. Five human femora were implanted with a custom made femoral stem and ten femora with a standard cementless prosthesis. Densitometry was performed at various stages of implantation. Following rasping only slight density changes were noted (-2.7% to +0.7%). Comparing post-implantation and pre-operative measurements, all custom made stems with a proximal press-fit demonstrated clear increases in proximal periprosthetic bone density of +11% and +14%. In contrast, the standard prosthesis with a distal press-fit showed a loss of -5% and -2% in the proximal zones. Measurements following removal of the implants demonstrated hardly any density changes (0% to -4%) compared to the pre-operative measurements. We concluded that compacting of trabecular bone or bone loss due to rasping are not the main causes of density changes. Substantial measuring errors exist. For examination of periprosthetic bone density changes, pre-operative initial measurements should not be used as a baseline for comparison. Studies should commence with an immediate postoperative measurement.

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