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Parameters influencing complaints and joint function in patients with osteochondral lesions of the ankle—an investigation based on data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU)

  • Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 19 July 2018

This article has been updated

Abstract

Introduction

Patients with osteochondral lesions of the ankle represent a heterogeneous population with traumatic, posttraumatic and idiopathic forms of this pathology, where the etiology of the idiopathic form is principally unknown. The aim of this study was to classify the heterogeneous patient population according to the patients’ complaints and joint function. Data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU) was analyzed for this purpose to investigate whether traumatic and posttraumatic lesions cause more complaints and loss of joint function than idiopathic lesions. Moreover, it was sought to determine if lesion localization, defective area, stage, patient age, gender, and body mass index (BMI) are related to patients’ complaints and loss of joint function.

Materials and methods

A 117 patients with osteochondral lesions of the ankle were operated in 20 clinical centers in the period between October 2014 and January 2016. Data collection was performed by means of a web-based Remote Data Entry system at the time of surgery. Patients’ complaints and joint function were assessed with online questionnaires using the German versions of the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) and the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), followed by statistical data evaluation.

Results

No significant difference was indicated between the groups with traumatic/posttraumatic lesions and idiopathic lesions with regard to most of the patients’ complaints and joint function, excluding the category Life quality of the FAOS score, where patients with idiopathic lesions had a significantly better quality of life (p = 0.02). No significant association was detected between lesion localization, defective area, patient age, gender, and BMI on the one hand, and patients’ complaints and joint function on the other. Similarly, no significant association was found between lesion stage according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) classification and patients’ complaints and joint function. However, a higher lesion stage according to the classification of Berndt and Harty, modified by Loomer, was significantly associated with more complaints and loss of joint function in some categories of the FAAM and FAOS scores (p ≤ 0.04).

Conclusions

Etiology of the lesion, lesion localization, defective area, lesion stage according to the ICRS classification, patient age, gender, and BMI do not seem to be of considerable relevance for prediction of patients’ complaints and loss of joint function in osteochondral lesions of the ankle. Using the classification of Berndt and Harty, modified by Loomer, seems to be more conclusive.

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Change history

  • 19 July 2018

    The original version of this article contained an error.

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Acknowledgements

The German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU) is initiated by the Working Group Clinical Tissue Regeneration and supported by the Deutsche Arthrose-Hilfe e.V. and the Stiftung Oskar-Helene-Heim.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Traumatology and Reconstructive Surgery, BG Trauma Center Tübingen, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Schnarrrenbergstr. 95, 72076, Tübingen, Germany

    Daniel Körner, Atesch Ateschrang & Steffen Schröter

  2. AO Research Institute Davos, Davos, Switzerland

    Boyko Gueorguiev

  3. Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Philipp Niemeyer

  4. OCM Klinik Munich, Munich, Germany

    Philipp Niemeyer

  5. Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Heidelberg University Hospital, Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Yannic Bangert

  6. Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, St. Vinzenz Hospital Dinslaken, Dinslaken, Germany

    Wolfgang Zinser

  7. Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, Sana Kliniken Leipziger Land, Borna, Germany

    Matthias Aurich

  8. Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Schön Klinik Munich Harlaching, Munich, Germany

    Markus Walther

  9. International Center for Hip, Knee and Foot Surgery, ATOS Klinik Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

    Christoph Becher

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  1. Daniel Körner
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  2. Boyko Gueorguiev
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  9. Atesch Ateschrang
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  10. Steffen Schröter
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel Körner.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Funding

For this study data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU) was used, which is financially supported by the Deutsche Arthrose-Hilfe e.V. and the Stiftung Oskar-Helene-Heim.

Ethical approval

The local ethic committees at all participating clinical centers gave their approval.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Körner, D., Gueorguiev, B., Niemeyer, P. et al. Parameters influencing complaints and joint function in patients with osteochondral lesions of the ankle—an investigation based on data from the German Cartilage Registry (KnorpelRegister DGOU). Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 137, 367–373 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-017-2638-6

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