【Abstract】 Objective To explore the prevention and treatment of leg length discrepancy after total hip arthroplasty(THA). Methods There were 87 patients who were treated by THA from January 2004 to December 2006, including 36males and 51 females, with the average age of 60.2 years (ranging from 35 years to 78 years). Among these cases, there were 35 of avascular necrosis of the femoral head, 38 of subcapital femoral neck fracture, 4 of femoral neck tumor, 6 of rheumatoid arthritis and 4 of acetabular dysplasia. In 70 cases, the patients had leg length discrepancy, and the legs shortened from 1 cm to 6 cm. Based on the cl inical measurement and radiographic examination, the surgical protocols were designed, the type of the hip prosthesis was chosen, and the neck length of the femoral prosthesis and the position of osteotomy were estimated. By the proper wearing of the acetabula, the best rotation point was found out. The cut plane of the femoral neck was adjusted according to the results of the radiographic and other examinations. The neck length was readjusted after the insertion of the prosthesis so as to achieve intended leg-length equal ization. The discrepancy of the leg length was measured and evaluated after operation. Results Superficial infestation happened in 2 cases 5 days after the operation and was cured by mero-drainage. Luxation happened in 4 cases 4 weeks after the operation, in which 2 cases were cured by operation while the other 2 were cured by manual reduction. All the patients were followed up for 6 months to 36 months, with the average time of 18.3 months. The Harris scores were 34.81 ± 1.36 preoperatively and 91.50 ± 1.87 postoperatively (P lt; 0.05). In the 17 patients with equal legs before the operation, 1 was lengthened 1.5 cm in the leg, while in the 70 patients with shortened legs before the operation, 66 returned to the same length in their legs, and 4 were lengthened or shortened from 1.6 cm to 2.1 cm. The total rate of equal leg length was 94.25%. Conclusion The preoperative measurement, radiographic templating and intraoperative correction, together with postoperative orthopraxy, are effective in prevention and treatment of leg length discrepancy after THA.
Objective To review the research progress of upper instrumented vertebra (UIV) selection strategy for long-segment fixation (LSF) in adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS). Methods The relevant domestic and foreign literature in recent years was reviewed, and the selection strategy of sagittal and coronal UIV for LSF in ADS patients, the relationship between UIV selection and proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) and proximal junctional failure (PJF), the impact of minimally invasive spine surgery on the selection strategy of UIV were summarized. Results LSF can restore the biomechanical balance of the spine and reconstruct the physiological curve of the spine for ADS patients. LSF should be selected for ADS patients with severe scoliosis, vertebral rotation, and severe sagittal imbalance. For patients with poor general condition, UIV can choose the thoracic and lumbar vertebrae to reduce the operation time and intraoperative bleeding, which is conducive to early mobilization and reduce complications; for patients with good general condition, the upper thoracic vertebrae can be considered if necessary, in order to achieve satisfactory long-term effectiveness. However, the lower thoracic vertebra (T9、10) should be selected as much as possible to reduce postoperative complications such as PJK and PJF. In recent years, a new reference marker, the first coronal reverse vertebra was proposed, to guide the selection of UIV. But a large-sample multicenter randomized controlled study is needed to further verify its reliability. Studies have shown that different races and different living habits would lead to different parameters of the spine and pelvis, which would affect the selection of UIV. Minimally invasive surgeries have achieved satisfactory results in the treatment of ADS, but the UIV selection strategy in specific applications needs to be further studied. Conclusion The selection strategy of UIV in LSF has not yet been unified. The selection of UIV in the sagittal plane of the upper thoracic spine, the lower thoracic spine, or the thoracolumbar spine should comprehensively consider the biomechanical balance of the spine and the general condition of the patient, as well as the relationship between the upper horizontal vertebra, the upper neutral vertebra, and the upper end vertebra on the coronal plane.