Background: Patient-reported outcome measures are commonly used to measure knee pain and functional impairment. When structural abnormality is identified on examination and imaging, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and chondroplasty are commonly indicated for treatment in the setting of pain and decreased function. Purpose: To evaluate the relationship between patient characteristics, mental health, intraoperative findings, and patient-reported outcome measures at the time of knee arthroscopy. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Between February 2015 and October 2016, patients aged 40 years and older who were undergoing routine knee arthroscopy for meniscal and cartilage abnormality, without reconstructive or restorative procedures, were prospectively enrolled in this study. Routine demographic information was collected, and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Pain, Quality of Life (QoL), and Physical Function Short Form (PS) subscales and the mental and physical component subscales of the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12 MCS and VR-12 PCS) were administered preoperatively on the day of surgery. Intraoperative findings were collected in a standardized format. Patient demographics, intraoperative findings, and the VR-12 MCS were used as predictor values, and a multivariate analysis was conducted to assess for relationships with the KOOS and VR-12 as dependent variables. Results: Of 661 eligible patients, baseline patient-reported outcomes and surgical data were used for 638 patients (97%). Lower scores on both subscales of the VR-12 were predicted by female sex, positive smoking history, fewer years of education, and higher body mass index (BMI). All KOOS subscales were negatively affected by lower VR-12 MCS scores, female sex, lower education level, and higher BMI in a statistically meaningful way. Positive smoking history was associated with worse scores on the KOOS-PS. Abnormal synovial status was associated with worse KOOS-Pain. Conclusion: The demographic factors of sex, smoking status, BMI, and education level had an overwhelming impact on preoperative KOOS and VR-12 scores. Of interest, mental health as assessed by the VR-12 MCS was also a consistent predictor of KOOS scores. The only intraoperative finding with a significant association was abnormal synovial status and its effect on KOOS-Pain scores.

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Category: Ankle Arthritis; Ankle; Basic Sciences/Biologics; Hindfoot Introduction/Purpose: Ankle fusions are associated with a complication profile including nonunion with associated poor functional outcomes, chronic pain, and need for reoperation. Local risk factors (bone and soft-tissue loss, infection, ankle and hindfoot deformity, and neuropathy) and systemic risk factors (advanced age, smoking, alcohol abuse, worker’s compensation, noncompliance, obesity, and systemic comorbidities such as diabetes and immunodeficiency) have been shown to be associated with the development of a nonunion following fusion procedures. Vitamin D has an important role in bone healing, and vitamin D deficiency has been proposed as a potential risk factor for the development of non-unions. The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of low vitamin D levels on reoperation rates and the development of nonunions following ankle fusion surgery. Methods: A retrospective chart review of all ankle fusions performed at a major health system from January 2010 to July 2019 was performed. In total, 240 ankle fusions were performed by seven surgeons. All patients who underwent primary fusion procedures were eligible for inclusion in this study. Exclusion criteria included: age less than 18 years; revision surgery; ankle fusion with the use of bulk allograft; ankle fusion performed as part of an oncologic reconstruction; and an absence of recorded vitamin D levels with 12 months of surgery. In total, 47 patients met inclusion criteria and formed the study group. In this group, 29/47 (61.7%) were female and 18/47 (38.3%) were male. Average age was 57.0 +- 12.3 years (range: 18.6 to 75.7). Patients were grouped according to their vitamin D levels as being deficient (<31 ng/ml) or normal (31-80 ng/ml). Results: Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 36.2% (17/47) at average of 35.7 ng/ml. In vitamin D deficient subgroup (n=17), average vitamin D level was 16.9 ng/ml. In normal vitamin D subgroup (n=30), average vitamin D was 46.4 ng/ml. Overall, reoperation rate was 21.3% (10/47). Reoperation rate was 35.3% (6/17) in vitamin D deficiency subgroup compared with 13.3% (4/30) reoperation rate in normal vitamin D subgroup (p<0.05). In vitamin D deficient subgroup, 5 procedures for nonunion included: dynamization (n=1), revision fusion (n=1), staged revision (n=2) and amputation (n=1) due to infected nonunion. There was also a symptomatic hardware removal. In normal vitamin D subgroup, reoperation indications included: malunion (n=1), elective dynamization before weightbearing (n=1), and symptomatic hardware removal (n=2). Normal vitamin D subgroup had zero nonunions. Conclusion: In patients undergoing ankle fusion, vitamin D deficiency (< 31 ng/ml) was associated with a reoperation rate over double that of patients with normal vitamin D levels. In the vitamin D deficient subgroup, nearly all reoperations were for nonunion as compared to zero nonunion incidence in those with normal vitamin D levels. These results suggest routine preoperative screening of vitamin D level is indicated as a key component of ankle fusion care. Vitamin D supplementation during the perioperative period may be indicated in regions with low sunlight to improve fusion rates and lower the risk of reoperation.

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