Information about project titled 'Development of a pilot cartilage surgery registry'
Development of a pilot cartilage surgery registry
| Details about the project - category | Details about the project - value |
|---|---|
| Project status: | Published |
| Project manager: | Cathrine Nørstad Eftang |
| Supervisor(s): | Lars Engebretsen, Asbjørn Årøen |
Description
Background: Patients with focal cartilage defects (FCDs) in their knees have reduced function and the treatment is difficult. There are geographical variations in treatment, the results from randomized controlled studies are inconclusive and the generalizability from these studies is low. A systematic and long-term data collection on the management of FCDs will improve the quality of treatment.
Aim: To describe the development and report baseline challenges during the setting up of a pilot of a knee cartilage surgery register.
Methods: The study was designed as a prospective cohort study where patients with full-thickness FCDs in the knee with International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grade 3-4 on arthroscopy were included. The pilot included two hospitals in Norway.
Results: We registered 58 patients with isolated FCDs, whereas 16 additional patients with full-thickness FCDs combined with a reconstruction of the cruciate ligament were registered through the Norwegian Knee Ligament Register. The cohort of patients with isolated FCDs consisted of 65% men and had a mean age of 29.8 years. The data are incomplete and the compliance varies from 18-73%. The distribution of mean KOOS scores were similar to previous patient cohorts with FCDs, with low scores for the KOOS Sport/Recreation and Quality of Life subscales.
Implications: The level of compliance demonstrated a large difference between the two participating hospitals. The surgeons incompletely filled out the forms postoperatively, and the forms require revision. This study points out some important challenges that need to be addressed prior the establishment of a nation-wide register.