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Background: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of Peyton's 4-step approach on musculoskeletal ultrasound skills in a peer-teaching environment as compared to traditional "see one, do one" training and to evaluate students' acceptance of the training strategy., Material and Methods: A total of 491 second year medical students (342 women, 149 men) completed a compulsory curricular course on musculoskeletal ultrasound. We randomly assigned students to receive traditional peer teaching or peer teaching using Peyton's four-step approach in small groups. All groups received theoretical and practical hands-on training of selected views of the knee and shoulder. We assessed differences in practical skills (objective structured practical examination, OSPE) and evaluation results with respect to teaching strategy., Results: There were no relevant differences between the two teaching interventions regarding the OSPE results. Students scored significantly higher in the knee view (knee 6.5 ± 1.7 points, shoulder 6.0 ± 1.9 points; p < 0.001), needed less time to display the required image (knee 36 ± 21 s, shoulder 43 ± 20 s; p < 0.001) and more students obtained the cut-off mark of 60% to pass the exam (knee 73%, shoulder 61%; p < 0.001). Acceptance of the peer-teaching concept was high, and the overall rating of the instructors was good. The majority of students enjoyed the course and rated it highly., Conclusion: Traditional teaching and Peyton's 4-step approach seem to be equally effective for teaching basic musculoskeletal ultrasound skills to undergraduate medical students. Qualitative analysis revealed high acceptance of both peer teaching strategies. Differences in course content complexity and degree of difficulty need to be addressed in future courses., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest./Die Autoren geben an, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Introduction: The aim of multidisciplinary rehabilitation after total knee replacement (TKA) is to reduce postoperative complications and costs and enable faster convalescence. The goals of fast-track rehabilitation, as a multidisciplinary concept, are to reduce the length of hospital stay and achieve early functional improvements by optimizing the perioperative setting., Method: A literature review was carried out for the years 1960-2013. The search terms were: "rehabilitation", "training", "physiotherapy", "physical therapy", "recovery", "exercise program", "knee surgery", "TKA", "total knee replacement", "arthroplasty", "intensive", "multidisciplinary", "accelerated", "rapid" or "fast track". Only randomized controlled trials and metaanalyses were included. A survey was also performed to assess care as actually offered in orthopaedic rehabilitation clinics in North Rhine-Westphalia., Results: A total of 729 articles were identified of which 11 studies were included. Fast-track rehabilitation can significantly reduce both the duration of hospital stay and costs after TKA. Current studies showed that a better short-/middle-term clinical outcome might be achieved with multidisciplinary rehabilitation. However, a difference in the long-term outcome could not be observed. Our survey shows that most patients are admitted to a rehabilitation clinic in a state of poor general condition as well as decreased mobility and knee range of motion., Conclusions: Fast-track rehabilitation facilitates a shortened hospital stay as well as cost saving. It probably can be used to optimize the condition of the patient before admission to a rehabilitation facility., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The treatment of cartilage defects remains a major problem in orthopaedics. With regard to cartilage tissue engineering, the reimplantation of pre-cultivated chondrocytes in the form of a chondrocyte graft is a promising alternative to conventional methods. Clinical practice requires this MACT procedure (matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation) to produce a biocompatible replacement tissue with adequate mechanical properties. Mechanical stimulation has the capacity to improve the quality of these cell-seeded biomaterials. By altering chondrocytes' cellular activities, the biological and biomechanical properties of cartilage replacement tissue can be modulated. Different systems are used for this purpose, e.g. shear, perfusion, hydrostatic pressure or compression. The mechanisms, biological effects, chances and problems of the techniques are presented and assessed. Among the stimulating techniques considered are systems that apply indirect and direct shear forces such as spinner flasks, rotating-wall bioreactors, direct tissue shear and perfusion culture systems. The application of hydrostatic pressure or compression may be brought about by either static or dynamic loading systems. Compressive loading is considered in the light of both its short- and long-term effects; additionally two exemplified systems are discussed in detail. However, despite promising approaches and seemingly favourable tissue characteristics, the in vitro culturing of functional cartilage replacement tissue with cartilage-like mechanical and biological characteristics still remains elusive. Furthermore, controlling, monitoring and regulating culturing conditions are general biotechnological requirements of a standardised in vitro cultivation. Among these, different aspects such as aseptic operation, media supplementation, nutrient and gas exchange, temperature and humidity control are considered., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

Soft-tissue management is essential for the outcome in total knee arthroplasty. In combination with osseous resections and component positioning, correction of the underlying ligamentous dysbalance should yield a stable joint throughout the flexion arc. Different "philosophies" with regard to technique, timing and tactics in ligament balancing are described. So far, surgeons have not been provided with standardised devices that allow the objective measurement of this complex issue. Moreover, knowledge concerning the "ideal" soft-tissue stability following knee arthroplasty is still sparse. As part of the scientific project "OrthoMIT" (minimal invasive orthopaedic therapy) an approach to combine conventional soft-tissue management with navigation and force-sensing devices should be realized technically. The aim is to develop an instrument for the objective measurement of soft-tissue management in scientific and clinical applications.