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The natural course of spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SPONK) A 1-to 27-year follow-up of 40 patients

Juréus, Jan LU ; Lindstrand, Anders LU ; Geijer, Mats LU ; Robertsson, Otto LU and Tägil, Magnus LU (2013) In Acta Orthopaedica 84(4). p.410-414
Abstract
Background and purpose Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SPONK) is a painful lesion in the elderly, frequently leading to osteoarthritis and subsequent knee surgery. We evaluated the natural course and long-term consequences of SPONK in terms of need for major knee surgery. Methods Between 1982 and 1988, 40 consecutive patients were diagnosed with SPONK. The short-term outcome has been reported previously (1991). After 1-7 years, 10 patients had a good radiographic outcome and 30 were considered failures, developing osteoarthritis. In 2012, all 40 of the patients were matched with the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR) and their medical records were reviewed to evaluate the long-term need for major knee surgery. Results At the... (More)
Background and purpose Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SPONK) is a painful lesion in the elderly, frequently leading to osteoarthritis and subsequent knee surgery. We evaluated the natural course and long-term consequences of SPONK in terms of need for major knee surgery. Methods Between 1982 and 1988, 40 consecutive patients were diagnosed with SPONK. The short-term outcome has been reported previously (1991). After 1-7 years, 10 patients had a good radiographic outcome and 30 were considered failures, developing osteoarthritis. In 2012, all 40 of the patients were matched with the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR) and their medical records were reviewed to evaluate the long-term need for major knee surgery. Results At the 2012 review, 33 of the 40 patients had died. The mean follow-up time from diagnosis to surgery, death, or end of study was 9 (1-27) years. 17 of 40 patients had had major knee surgery with either arthroplasty (15) or osteotomy (2). All operated patients but 1 were in the radiographic failure group and had developed osteoarthritis in the study from 1991. 6 of 7 patients with large lesions (> 40% of the AP radiographic view of the condyle) at the time of the diagnosis were operated. None of the 10 patients with a lesion of less than 20% were ever operated. Interpretation It appears that the size of the osteonecrotic lesion can be used to predict the outcome. Patients showing early signs of osteoarthritis or with a large osteonecrosis have a high risk of later major knee surgery. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Acta Orthopaedica
volume
84
issue
4
pages
410 - 414
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • wos:000324265000016
  • scopus:84883469115
  • pmid:23799344
ISSN
1745-3682
DOI
10.3109/17453674.2013.810521
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
2cab26d2-09e3-4fb7-b548-08786494caf0 (old id 4103246)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:22:26
date last changed
2022-02-12 02:12:48
@article{2cab26d2-09e3-4fb7-b548-08786494caf0,
  abstract     = {{Background and purpose Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SPONK) is a painful lesion in the elderly, frequently leading to osteoarthritis and subsequent knee surgery. We evaluated the natural course and long-term consequences of SPONK in terms of need for major knee surgery. Methods Between 1982 and 1988, 40 consecutive patients were diagnosed with SPONK. The short-term outcome has been reported previously (1991). After 1-7 years, 10 patients had a good radiographic outcome and 30 were considered failures, developing osteoarthritis. In 2012, all 40 of the patients were matched with the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register (SKAR) and their medical records were reviewed to evaluate the long-term need for major knee surgery. Results At the 2012 review, 33 of the 40 patients had died. The mean follow-up time from diagnosis to surgery, death, or end of study was 9 (1-27) years. 17 of 40 patients had had major knee surgery with either arthroplasty (15) or osteotomy (2). All operated patients but 1 were in the radiographic failure group and had developed osteoarthritis in the study from 1991. 6 of 7 patients with large lesions (> 40% of the AP radiographic view of the condyle) at the time of the diagnosis were operated. None of the 10 patients with a lesion of less than 20% were ever operated. Interpretation It appears that the size of the osteonecrotic lesion can be used to predict the outcome. Patients showing early signs of osteoarthritis or with a large osteonecrosis have a high risk of later major knee surgery.}},
  author       = {{Juréus, Jan and Lindstrand, Anders and Geijer, Mats and Robertsson, Otto and Tägil, Magnus}},
  issn         = {{1745-3682}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{410--414}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Acta Orthopaedica}},
  title        = {{The natural course of spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee (SPONK) A 1-to 27-year follow-up of 40 patients}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/17453674.2013.810521}},
  doi          = {{10.3109/17453674.2013.810521}},
  volume       = {{84}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}