Acta Orthopaedica Belgica 

About: Acta Orthopaedica Belgica is an academic journal published by Acta Medica Belgica. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Arthroplasty & Fracture fixation. It has an ISSN identifier of 0001-6462. Over the lifetime, 4535 publications have been published receiving 53313 citations.

Tibial osteotomy for osteoarthritis of the knee.

Abstract: 1. The results are presented of upper tibial osteotomy carried out in ten patients for osteoarthritis of the knee associated with lateral deformity. 2. The operation is indicated when there is severe pain, valgus or varus deformity, and a range of flexion of at least 90 degrees. 3. In every case pain has been relieved, and recovery of movement after operation has been easy.

Pullout strength of pedicle screws versus pedicle and laminar hooks in the thoracic spine

Abstract: While the biomechanical properties of pedicle screws have proven to be superior in the lumbar spine, little is known concerning pullout strength of pedicle screws in comparison to hooks in the thoracic spine. In vitro biomechanical pullout testing was performed to evaluate the axial pullout strength of pedicle screws versus pedicle and laminar hooks in the thoracic spine with regard to surgical correction techniques in scoliosis. Nine human cadaveric thoracic spines were harvested and disarticulated. To simulate a typical posterior segmental scoliosis instrumentation, standard pedicle hooks were used between T4 and T8 and supralaminar hooks between T9 and T12 and tested against pedicle screws. The pedicle screws were loaded strictly longitudinal to their axis; the hooks were loaded perpendicular to the intended rod direction. In total, 90 pullout tests were performed. Average pullout strength of the pedicle screws was significantly higher than in the hook group (T4-T8: 531 N versus 321 N, T9-T12: 807 N versus 600 N, p < 0.05). Both screw diameter and the bone mineral density (BMD) had significant influence on the pullout strength in the screw group. For scoliosis correction, pedicle screws might be beneficial, especially for rigid thoracic curves, since they are significantly more resistant to axial pullout than both pedicle and laminar hooks.

Patellofemoral pain syndrome in athletes: a 5.7-year retrospective follow-up study of 250 athletes.

Abstract: Two hundred fifty athletes from a sports clinic, 122 (49%) females and 128 (51%) males (mean age 21.1 years), who were diagnosed as having patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) and were instructed to practice vastus medialis training, returned a completed questionnaire after an average of 5.7 years' follow-up. Sixty-eight (27%) were pain-free for an average of 8.1 months: 17 (25%) women and 51 (75%) men. As to the remaining 182 (73%) who were still suffering, 95 (52%) had experienced a decrease in pain, 64 (35%) were unchanged and 23 (13%) had experienced an increase in pain. Sixty-eight (37%) described the pain as being mild, 88 (48%) as moderate, and 26 (15%) as severe. Athletic activity was affected in 184 (74%) of the cases, employment in 16 (6%) cases. The prognosis was not correlated with a history of trauma or with age. Athletes with a hypermobile patella had a less good prognosis (r = 0.23, p = 0.04). For about half of the athletes the prognosis was good, although the other half obtained an inadequate result, using a self-training program.