Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a frequently performed procedure in orthopaedic surgery. Recently, patient-specific instrumentation was introduced to facilitate correct positioning of implants. The aim of this study was to compare the early clinical results of TKA performed with patient-specific CT-based instrumentation and conventional technique. A prospective, randomized controlled trial on 112 patients was performed between January 2011 and December 2011. A group of 112 patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were enrolled in this study and randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group comprised 52 patients who received the Signature CT-based implant positioning system, and the control group consisted of 60 patients with conventional instrumentation. Clinical outcomes were evaluated with the KSS scale, WOMAC scale, and VAS scales to assess knee pain severity and patient satisfaction with the surgery. Specified in-hospital data were recorded. Patients were followed up for 12 months. At one year after surgery, there were no statistically significant differences between groups with respect to clinical outcomes and in-hospital data, including operative time, blood loss, hospital length of stay, intraoperative observations, and postoperative complications. Further high-quality investigations of various patient-specific systems and longer follow-up may be helpful in assessing their utility for TKA.

BackgroundThe results of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients with inherited bleeding disorders (IBDs) are poorer when compared with those in the general population, with a notably higher risk of complications and higher revision rates. Thus, revision procedures are becoming a growing concern in this group of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of revision TKA in patients with IBD.Material/MethodsA retrospective cohort study with longitudinal assessment of hemophilia patients scheduled for revision TKA between January 2010 and September 2015 was performed. The clinical status of the patients was assessed based on the Knee Society Score, and the Numeric Rating Scale was used to assess knee pain severity and patient satisfaction with the surgery. Radiological examination, post-operative complications, and reinterventions were recorded and analyzed.ResultsVery good results were obtained in all patients treated for aseptic loosening of the implant. However, inferior results were found in cases with infection. All patients operated on for aseptic loosening required only single-stage TKA, whereas patients with infection underwent multiple interventions. Complications were observed only in cases with infection.ConclusionsOur study clearly outlined the differences in results based on failure mode, with far inferior results obtained in cases with infection. Given the lack of data in this area as well as the high specificity of this population, further high-quality studies are needed.

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SummaryBackgroundThe goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of physiotherapy on the strength of muscles responsible for tibial internal rotation (IR) in male patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using autografts of the semitendinosus and gracilis muscles (STGR).Material/MethodsFifty-nine males were examined. The first group consisted of 19 patients subjected to 4-stage physiotherapy following ACLR. The second group consisted of 20 males without knee injuries. The third group consisted of 20 males who had not undergone systematic physiotherapy within the last 12 months following lower limb injuries. Moments of maximal strength (MMS), isometric torque (IT), and peak torque (PT) were measured under static and isokinetic conditions using the Humac Norm System. In the first group, IT measurements were performed during the 13th and 21st week of physiotherapy, while PT measurements were performed during the 16th and 21st weeks of physiotherapy following ACLR. In the control groups (II and III) the measurements were performed once.ResultsIn the first group, the IT (13 weeks) and PT (16 weeks) values of internal tibial rotator muscles, obtained from the operated extremities were significantly lower than the values obtained from the uninvolved knees and the control group results. During the 21st week of physiotherapy, the results obtained for IT and PT in patients after ACLR were similar to the values obtained from the uninvolved knees and the results of the second group subjects.ConclusionsThe 21-week physiotherapy in ACLR patients favorably affected the PT values of tibial rotator muscles of the operated knees. In the third group, the IT values did not indicate a complete improvement after 12 months without systematic physiotherapy.

SummaryBackgroundIt is well known that traumatic brain injury often changes the way the patient perceives reality, which often means a distortion of the perception of self and the world. The purpose of this article is to understand the processes of identity change after traumatic brain injury.Case ReportWe describe progressive deterioration in personal identity in a former physician who had sustained a serious head injury (1998), resulting in focal injuries to the right frontal and temporal areas. He regained consciousness after 63 days in coma and 98 days of post-traumatic amnesia, but has since displayed a persistent loss of autobiographical memory, self-image, and emotional bonds to family and significant others. Qualitative ‘life-story’ interviewing was undertaken to explore the mental state of a patient whose subjective, “first person” identity has been disengaged, despite the retention of significant amounts of objective, “third person” information about himself and his personal history (though this was also lost at a later stage in the patient’s deterioration).Identity change in our patient was characterized by a dynamic and convoluted process of contraction, expansion and tentative balance. Our patient tends to cling to the self of others, borrowing their identities at least for the period he is able to remember. Identity is closely connected with the processes of memory.ConclusionsThe results will be examined in relation to the microgenetic theory of brain function. The brain mechanisms that may account for these impairments are discussed. Findings from this study have important implications for the delivery of person-focused rehabilitation.