Digital Subtraction Arthrography Research Articles

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b and C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen as markers for diagnosis of aseptic loosening after total hip replacement

Plain radiography, bone scintigraphy, digital subtraction arthrography and various other techniques can be used to evaluate loosening of hip replacements. These methods are associated with radiation exposure and some of them have an increased morbidity. Furthermore, in some cases the results are not conclusive. The osteoclast biomarkers tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRAP 5b) and C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX) in serum taken from 12 patients with aseptic loosening were measured. Serum samples from 24 other patients, 12 with an intact arthroplasty and 12 without any kind of joint replacement, served as control groups. The serum level of CTX was increased in comparison to the control groups, but the differences were not significant. In contrast, the increase in TRAP 5b in patients with aseptic loosening was highly significant (P < 0.001). A TRAP 5b value of 3.365 U/L was determined as a cut-off value, giving a sensitivity of 83.3% and specificity of 91.7% to differentiate the patients with aseptic loosening from those with an intact arthroplasty. Measurement of serum TRAP 5b may be a clinically relevant assay for monitoring patients after arthroplasty.

Comparison of subtraction arthrography, radionuclide arthrography and conventional plain radiography to assess loosening of total knee arthroplasty / Vergleich von Subtraktionsarthrographie, Radionuklidarthrographie und konventionellem Röntgen zur Erfassung von Prothesenlockerungen in der Knierevisionschirurgie

The value of plain radiographs, digital subtraction arthrography and radionuclide arthrography was analysed in 23 cases of failed total knee arthroplasty. The preoperative diagnosis was compared with the intraoperative assessment. Sensitivity, specificity and the positive and negative predictive value for assessing a loose component were determined separately for the femoral and tibial components. At revision we found 13 loose femoral and 12 loose tibial implants. In eight cases both components were unstable. Plain radiography had a sensitivity of 77% for loosening of the femoral and 83% for the tibial component; digital subtraction arthrography 77% for the femoral and 8% for the tibial component and radionuclide arthrography 31% and 8%. The specificity for plain radiography was 90% for the femoral and 72% for the tibial implant. For subtraction arthrography it was 50% and 82% and for subtraction arthrography 70% and 82%. Radiography had the highest positive and negative predictive values for both components compared with the other two techniques. As a diagnostic tool to detect implant loosening, plain radiography is the most effective in this study. Subtraction arthrography and radionuclide arthrography are not suitable for use as routine methods for detection of total knee arthroplasty loosening.

The Diagnostic Value of Digital Subtraction Arthrography and Radionuclide Arthrography in Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty / Der diagnostische Wert der digitalen Subtraktionsarthrographie und der Radionuklidarthrographie in der Revisionschirurgie des Hüftgelenkersatzes

An analysis of plain radiographs, digital subtraction arthrography, and radionuclide arthrography was performed in 25 revision hip arthroplasties to evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of these methods in the diagnosis of loosening. The findings by each method were compared with intraoperative assessment of the status of components and expressed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and predictive accuracy. Overall accuracy for the acetabular component by plain radiographs was 80%; by digital subtraction arthrography, 88%; by radionuclide arthrography, 68%. Overall accuracy for the femoral component by plain radiographs was 92%; by digital subtraction arthrography, 84%; radionuclide arthrography, 76%. We consider subtraction arthrography and radionuclide arthrography to be adjuvant diagnostic tools which may be indicated in individual cases of suspected implant loosening of total hip arthroplasty. The routine use of these two methods is not warranted when compared to plain radiographs.

The diagnostic value of digital subtraction arthrography and radionuclide bone scan in revision hip arthroplasty

A prospective analysis of plain serial radigraphs (PSR), digital subtraction arthrography (DSA), and radionuclide bone scans (RBS) was performed in 56 cemented total hip arthroplasties to evaluate the efficacy and usefulness of each study in the diagnosis of loosening. To avoid selection bias in the evaluation of DSA and RBS, the decision to perform repeat surgery was based exclusively on the clinical history and PSR. Results of each study were compared with intraoperative assessment of the status of components and expressed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. Overall accuracy for the acetabular component by PSR was 66%; by DSA, 93%; by RBS, 46%. Overall accuracy for the femoral component by PSR was 79%; by DSA, 93%; RBS, 50%. Our results indicate that DSA can be recommended as a further analysis in cases with a painful hip prosthesis and no or inconclusive findings on PSR. RBS did not give any useful information and cannot be recommended routinely.

Imaging diagnosis and pathological basis of temporomandibular disorders

a) With the development of imaging techniques, more and more imaging examination methods, including conventional radiography, arthrography, digital subtraction arthrography, CT and MRI, could be used in TMD clinics. In the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of TMD, imaging diagnosis is very important and necessary. However, the clinician should individually choose the most suitable imaging examination method for TMD patients with different conditions. b) Different imaging changes of condyle and disc of patients with TMD were described in this study. The mechanism of joint click and of chronic microtrauma in the joints of patients with TMD was also discussed. c) The pathologic findings of the condyle and meniscus from patients with TMD were degenerative changes according to our previous research using light and electronic microscopic investigations.

Digital subtraction arthrography in preoperative evaluation of painful total hip arthroplasty.

The objective of this clinical study was to define the diagnostic value of plain radiography, digital subtraction arthrography and two-phase bone scintigraphy in patients with clinically loose or infected hip prostheses. Digital subtraction arthrograms, scintigrams and plain radiographs of 70 consecutive patients who underwent revision hip arthroplasty were scored individually and in masked fashion for the presence or absence of features indicating loosening of femoral and/or acetabular components. The operative findings acted as the gold standard. Digital subtraction arthrography was best (P < 0.001) for predicting a loose acetabular component, while no significant additional predictive value was found for plain radiographs (P = 0.24) and scintigraphy (P = 0.27). Digital subtraction arthrography was also the most important modality for predicting a loose femoral component (P = 0.001), while the plain radiograph was of significant (P = 0.04) additional value and scintigraphy was of no additional value (P = 0.13) on multivariate analysis. Digital subtraction arthrography gives the best results in the prediction of loosening of acetabular and femoral components. Plain radiographs give additional information on loosening of the femoral component, but scintigraphy offers no additional advantage.

Digital subtraction in multicompartment arthrography of the wrist : Delcoigne L, Durant H, Kunnen M, Van de Velde E (Kruisstraat 24, B-9600 Ronse, Belgium). Belge Radiol 1993;76:7–10

In a series of 23 patients with chronic and unexplained painful wrist, three-compartment arthrography was carried out using digital subtraction. Pathologic conditions were disclosed in 19 patients. Digital subtraction both allowed for a stronger diluting of the dye and for the demonstration of a larger amount of lesions of smaller size than conventional wrist-arthrography, as long as motion artefacts had been avoided. Obtaining successive views without having to wait for complete contrast resorption in the injected compartments represents a significant advantage. The importance of three-compartment injection is stressed and the best way to perform the technique is discussed. As it proved to be a fast and reliable examination procedure the authors advocate using digital subtraction arthrography of the wrist whenever the method is available. However, this relatively new technique does not rule out careful correlation between arthrographic findings and clinical complaints.

Methode und Stellenwert der digitalen Subtraktionsarthrographie der Hüfte beim Nachweis von Endoprothesenlockerungen

Digital subtraction arthrography (DSAr) of the operated hip is presented and compared to nuclide bone scan and plain radiograph. Surgical proof was obtained in 47 patients. In the evaluation DSAr proved to be superior to nuclide bone scan and plain radiograph. DSAr had the best predictive value in the diagnosis of loosening of a prosthesis. In contrast to conventional arthrography there is a better differentiation between the contrast medium, the prosthesis, the acrylic cement and the bone by using DSAr. In addition DSAr presents the advantage of postprocessing, especially pixel shift.

Arthrography of painful hips following arthroplasty: digital versus plain film subtraction

Digital and manual subtraction images obtained during the arthrographic evaluation of 78 painful hip prostheses were reviewed retrospectively. Revision arthroplasty was performed in 53 of these cases, and the arthrographic and surgical findings were correlated. The digital and manual subtraction images were evaluated without knowledge of the surgical results using established criteria for component loosening. Digital subtraction arthrography of the femoral component demonstrated a 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity for the diagnosis of component loosening. Sensitivity and specificity for acetabular component loosening were 83% and 80%, respectively. Plain film subtraction of the femoral component demonstrated a 79% sensitivity and 100% specificity; the sensitivity and specificity for the acetabular component were 75% and 80%, respectively. The difference between detection of femoral component loosening on digital as opposed to manual subtraction images was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). This study demonstrate that digital subtraction improves the evaluation of femoral component loosening in painful hip prostheses.

Digital subtraction arthrography and arthrofluoroscopic dynamic observations on TMJ dysfunction syndrome

Digital subtraction arthrography and arthrofluoroscopic dynamic observation were performed for seventy cases with TMJ dysfunction syndrome. A comparative study between the findings of digital subtraction arthrography and the operative findings was carried out for eleven cases who underwent surgery. It has been found that digital subtraction arthrography can overcome the disadvantages of conventional arthrography and has important diagnostic value for TMJ dysfunction syndrome, especially for disc perforation. In addition. The procedure of digital subtraction arthrography, the normal and abnormal manifestations of digital subtraction arthrograms were described in the present study.

K-edge digital subtraction arthrography of the painful hip prosthesis: a feasibility study.

K-edge energy subtraction radiography is a method for detecting the presence of iodinated contrast material by subtracting two digital radiographs produced by X-ray beams with energies above and below the iodine K edge. We performed a feasibility study on the application of K-edge energy digital subtraction arthrography (KEDSA) to painful hip prostheses. During arthrography, loosening of the prosthesis is implied if contrast material is seen dissecting around the prosthesis, an often difficult detection task because of adjacent prosthesis metal or cement. In conventional arthrography a preliminary mask image is thus used from which films obtained after injection of iodinated contrast material are subtracted. Movement by the patient during this process may preclude subsequent subtraction. With KEDSA, since multiple image pairs may be obtained after the injection of contrast material, the problem of patient motion is virtually eliminated. A conventional X-ray tube operating between 55 and 65 kVp was alternately filtered by iodine and cerium filters to produce the KEDSA images. The apparatus was capable of producing a subtracted image within 3 sec. The technique was applied to phantoms and to six patients immediately after hip arthrography that had been positive for prosthesis loosening. Although of lower spatial resolution, the KEDSA images were, in all cases, positive for loosening in a pattern consistent with the conventional arthrographic images. KEDSA was shown to be successful in detecting extraarticular contrast material. During a single study, subtraction in various imaging planes as well as postexercise subtraction imaging can be accomplished-techniques not heretofore possible in routine subtraction arthrography.

Case Report: Loosening of Total Knee Prosthesis Demonstrated by Digital Subtraction Arthrography

ABSTRACTDigital subtraction arthrography was utilised to demonstrate loosening of both femoral and tibial components in a total knee arthroplasty.

Digital subtraction arthrography of the wrist.

Digital subtraction arthrography of the wrist was used to identify abnormalities in eighty-six (60 per cent) of 139 patients during a fifteen-month period. Multiple abnormalities were noted in thirty-four (25 per cent) of the wrists. The clinical signs and symptoms in the eighty-six wrists did not always correlate with the defects that were seen on the arthrograms. Three of five patients who had an isolated tear of the scapholunate ligament, six of thirteen who had an isolated tear of the lunotriquetral ligament, and seven of nineteen who had an isolated tear of the triangular fibrocartilage complex also had signs and symptoms on the opposite side of the wrist. Many of the lesions that were seen on arthrography may have been serendipitous, degenerative, or unrelated to a specific injury. There was a high prevalence of positive ulnar variance in patients who had at least one ulnar abnormality. Capsular tears, most often seen on the radiovolar aspect of the wrist, were best outlined by contrast medium injected into the radiocarpal joint. The arthroscopic findings differed from the arthrographic findings in five of the twenty patients in whom both studies were done. The three-compartment technique of injection is a valuable diagnostic tool. Injections of contrast medium into the distal radio-ulnar joint outlined five of thirteen tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex that were not seen after injection into the radiocarpal joint. Of the eleven tears that were seen after injection into the radiocarpal joint, five were not seen when contrast medium was injected into the distal radio-ulnar joint.

Advanced imaging of the wrist.

In an effort to improve the radiologist's contribution to the evaluation of the painful wrist, the authors have studied the usefulness of a variety of imaging techniques. Preliminary results of these studies, including: 173 conventional CT, 80 3-D CT, 119 postarthrography CT, 138 multiple compartment digital subtraction arthrography and 55 MRI examinations, are reported, and technical aspects of the examinations are described.

Digital subtraction arthrography of the temporomandibular joint

Digital subtraction arthrography of the temporomandibular joint

Digital wrist arthrography: precision in determining the site of radiocarpal-midcarpal communication.

Wrist arthrography is used for precise determination of posttraumatic interosseous ligament tears. Digital subtraction arthrography adds to the precision in diagnosis of the site of radiocarpal-midcarpal communication. Using the technique for digital subtraction wrist arthrography outlined in this paper, the classic scapho-lunate and lunate-triquetral perforations were delineated. Scaphotrapezium and triquetral-hamate interosseous ligament perforations were also delineated. The added diagnostic precision of digital subtraction at the first injection was useful in planning the correct surgical procedure.

Digital Subtraction Arthrography of the Prosthetic Hip

Digital subtraction techniques are easily adapted to the evaluation of loosening in total hip prostheses, allowing real time review of injection dynamics and data manipulation after the study. We have successfully used both standard radiographic and digital imaging techniques in the evaluation of 15 prosthetic hip joints. The digital results are comparable to and often better than those of standard radiographic techniques for the evaluation of loosening in total hip prostheses.