The aim of this study was to show the efficacy of Chondromimetic in repairing a surgically created osteochondral defect in a caprine model.
The aim of this study was to ascertain whether the addition of thrombin is required to achieve platelet activation and sustained growth factor release in-vitro, when PRP is applied to a collagen based osteochondral scaffold.
The influence of the timing of surgery for closed ankle fractures on complications is unclear. Previous studies have failed to demonstrate any associations with clear statistical support. This is a retrospective review of 221 patients presenting with closed ankle fractures treated with open reduction and internal fixation. The patients were similar in respect to age, gender, fracture type, surgeon grade, American Society of Anaesthesiologists grade, grade of anaesthetist and tourniquet time. Power analysis was performed for sample size. Patients were followed up until fracture union. The mean duration of inpatient care was greater in the delayed group (
There has been renewed interest in metal-on-metal bearings as hip resurfacing components for treatment in young, active patients. This study examines the effects of fixation (cemented or uncemented heads) and bone-implant interface conditions (stem-bone and head-bone) on the biomechanics of the Birmingham hip resurfacing (BHR) arthroplasty, using high resolution, 3-d computational models of the bilateral pelvis from a 45-year-old donor. Femoral bone stress and strain in the natural and BHR hips were compared. Bone remodelling stimuli were also determined for the BHR hips using changes in strain energy. Proximal femoral bone stress and strain were non-physiological when the BHR femoral component was fixed to bone. The reduction of strain energy within the femoral head was of sufficient magnitude to invoke early bone resorption. Less reduction of stress was demonstrated when the BHR femoral component was completely debonded from bone. Bone apposition around the distal stem was predicted based on the stress and strain transfer through the stem. Femoral stress or strain patterns were not affected by the type of fixation medium used (cemented vs. Uncemented). Analysis of proximal stress and strain shielding in the BHR arthroplasty provides a plausible mechanism for overall structural weakening due to loss of bony support. It is postulated that the proximal bone resorption and distal bone formation may progress to neck thinning as increasing stress and strain transfer occurs through the stem. This may be further exacerbated by additional proximal bone loss through avascular necrosis. Medium term retrieval specimens have shown bone remodelling that is consistent with our results. It is unclear if the clinical consequences of neck thinning will become more evident in longer-term follow-ups of the BHR.
One potential limitation with uncemented, hemispherical metal-backed acetabular components is stress shielding of bony structures due to the mismatch in elastic modulus between the metal backing and the peri-prosthetic bone. A proposed substitute is a horseshoe-shaped acetabular component, which replicates the bony anatomy. One such device, the Cambridge cup, has shown successful clinical and radiological outcomes at five years follow-up (Brooks 2004, Field 2005). We conducted a study of the Cambridge cup from a biomechanical perspective, using validated, high-resolution computational models of the bilateral hip. Peri-prosthetic stress and strain fields associated with the Cambridge cup were compared to those for the natural hip and a reconstructed hip with a conventional metal-backed hemispherical cup during peak gait loading. We found that the hemispherical cup caused an unphysiologic distribution of bone stresses in the superior roof and unphysiologic strain transfer around the acetabular fossa. These stress distributions are consistent with bone remodelling. In contrast, the peri-acetabular stresses and strains produced by the Cambridge cup differed from the natural hip but were more physiologic than the conventional hemispherical design. With the Cambridge cup, stresses in the superior acetabular roof, directly underneath the central bearing region, were greater than with the conventional design. Despite the thin bearing, the peak liner stresses in the Cambridge cup (max. tensile stress: 1.2 MPa; yield stress: 4.5 MPa) were much lower than the reported material strengths. Fossa loading by the hemispherical cup has been suggested as a possible mechanism for decreased implant stability (Widmer 2002). Conversely, the Cambridge cup produced semi-lunar peri-prosthetic stress fields, consistent with contact regions measured in natural hips (Widmer 2002). These analyses provide a better understanding of the biomechanics of the reconstructed acetabulum and suggest that a change in component geometry may promote long-term fixation in the pelvis.
Prior studies have compared the bacterial load observed in laminar flow operating theatres (LFOTs) and standard operating theatres (STOTs) by wound culture and air sampling during surgery. However many organisms responsible for low grade infection after THR are not readily identified on routine culture and may be detectable only by more sensitive techniques such as the poly-merase chain reaction (PCR). This study assessed the wound contamination rate during THRs and compared the results in STOT with that in LFOTs using PCR. We recruited patients undergoing primary THR for osteoarthritis. Surgery was performed in either STOTs or LFOTs, using identical skin preparation solutions, surgical drapes and operating attire. Specimens of the deep tissue, taken at the beginning and end of surgery, were each immediately separated into two sterile containers, one sent for culture (aerobic, anaerobic and enriched meat broth) and the other frozen at minus 80 degrees Celsius for PCR at a later date. In each theatre type, 40 specimens from 20 THRs were analysed by both PCR and culture. Using PCR, bacterial DNA was identified on 12 of 40 specimens (30%) from STOTs, of which 3 were taken at the start of surgery and 9 at the end of the surgery, giving a 45% wound contamination rate (9 of 20). Two specimens (5%), both taken at the end of surgery, were positive on enriched culture. In LFOTs, bacterial DNA was identified by PCR on 8 of 40 specimens (20%), of which 2 were taken at the start of surgery and 6 at the end of surgery, giving a 30% wound contamination rate (6 of 20). No specimens were positive on enriched culture. Wound contamination of primary THR occurs frequently in both STOTs and LFOTs. Although STOTs showed evidence of more frequent wound contamination than LFOTs, with the numbers available, no significant difference was detected. These data remind us the importance of aseptic surgical technique as significant wound contamination can occur despite the use of ultra clean air operating theatres.
This study examines the effect of injecting an inert synthetic lubricant, perfluoroalkylether (PFAE16350), as a mechanical joint lubricant to prevent the development of osteoarthritis in a surgically induced model of osteoarthritis in the adult guinea pig.
After wound closure, the animals were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups: (1) Single intra-articular injection of 1ml synthetic, sterile lubricant (PFAE16350) or (2) Control group with single intra-articular injection of 1ml 0.9% sterile saline. At 9 weeks after surgery, after sacrifice, knee arthrotomy was performed, the presence of synthetic lubricant noted and the articular cartilages examined for macroscopic evidence of osteoarthritis. These cartilages were then fixed, embedded, sectioned, stained and graded histologically for osteoarthritis according to a modified Mankin scoring system. Immunohistochemical studies were performed to assess for any inflammatory or cytotoxic effect by the lubricant.
Subjective macroscopic assessment of the medial tibial plateau osteophyte was noted to be larger and the articular surface more roughened in the control cases compared to the lubricated cases. Synthetic lubricant was noted at arthrotomy in all cases where it was injected. Guinea-pig joints treated with the synthetic lubricant showed a mean modified Mankin score of 3.0 points compared with the guinea-pig joints treated with saline where the median modified Mankin score was 8.5 points (p<
0.001). There was no evidence of an inflammatory or cytotoxic response by immunohistochemical studies.
Using PCR, bacterial DNA was identified on 12 of 40 specimens (30%) from STOTs. Of these 12, three were taken at the start of surgery and nine at the end of the surgery, equivalent to a 45% wound contamination rate (9 of 20). Only two specimens (5%), both taken at the end of surgery, were positive on enriched culture. In LFOTs, bacterial DNA was identified by PCR on eight of 40 specimens (20%). Of these eight, two were taken at the start of surgery and six at the end of surgery, equivalent to a 30% wound contamination rate (6 of 20). None of the specimens were positive on enriched culture.
Research is the quest for information. It is not an excuse for attending meetings in exotic places, nor is it an escape from clinical work that has become uninteresting. The early orthopaedic joumals contained reports of patients who have been treated by individual surgeons in specific, often novel, ways. There was little scientific structure, but nevertheless these papers were valuable as they disseminated knowledge to other Surgeons and also stimulated enquiry. Orthopaedic research has developed dramatically over the last two or three decades. Patient related research has been advanced as a result of the availability of new techniques for example electron microscopy, DNA sequencing and the Genome, together with the discovery of the fine details of the cytokine control of cellular processes. This has gone hand in hand with the development of surgical sophistication allowing more adventurous interventions. Joint replacement and internal fixation have led to close associations between orthopaedic surgeons and scientists from other disciplines, notably engineers and material scientists. This multi-disciplinary involvement is typical of orthopaedic surgeons and results in each discipline benefiting from the specialist knowledge of the others. The natural tendeney for orthopaedic surgeons to be interested in mechanical items is clear from a study of the distribution of interesting cars in the hospital car park! The efficacy of different treatment methods should be challenged and this has resulted in the need for careful audit and epidemiological review. In some instances this has resulted in the conclusion that often used treatments are not effective. The assiduous application of the Cochrane principles is often very revealing, not least in that it indicates the lack of properly conducted orthopaedic trials. Academic orthopaedics is in danger. In many countries the speciality is under pressure, normally as a result of economic measures that restrict the avallability of salarles and grants. In spite of these restrictions, it is surprising that there is a steady supply of excellent papers. How much better it could be with more funding. The purpose of publícation is to share information. It should be the aim of every research worker to make a contribution to the understanding of the subject and to share his findings with his colleagues. Curiously many researchers feeI that their commitment to their project is complete as soon as they finish the trial and have the results. The preparafion of their work for dissemination through publication is often a very weak link and in some instances is absent. This is a dangerous tendency as their information may not be broadcast, wasting the scientific endeavour and endangering the status of the fundíng organisation, whose charitable status often depends on sharing the fruitg of research. The incentive to publish is very variable. In some institutions the very existenee of a research department depends on a ‘paper score’ which is normally calculated from the product of the number of papers and the impact factor of the j ournal in which they are published. The calculation used to determine the impact factor of ajournal does not favour orthopaedic journals, as most orthopaedic papers are not quoted prolifically within the first year of publication. In contrast orthopaedic papers tend to have a much longer and more valuable lifetime and to some this is the more important and relevant feature. Unfortunately, the long-term value of the papers is not part of the calculation of impact factor. In order to achieve a high impact factor the publication must be in a rapidly changing field and contain at least a tiny element of special originality, which leads to it being quoted by most of the workers in that field. In the publishing world there is an ongoing discussion conceming an index that is more relevant than the impact factor. For some, the competition for publication is so intense that there is ‘salami slicing’. Salami slicing is a process of publishing very small morsels of information in short papers instead of producing the complete study. It is done intentionally to increase the number of papers published and is frowned upon by scientific editors. Even worse there are cases of plagiarism and fraud, sadly occurring more commonly in surgical publication, than in other disciplines. It may be time to ask fundamental questions about the need for research, articularly the need for every doctor in training to improve or embellish his or her Curriculum Vitae by decorating it with published works. There ís a tendeney for the more wealthy and better respected grant awarding bodies to fund successful rescarch teams, rather than to risk their limited resources on a spectacular project from an unknown team. Funding is avallable from commercial sources. The role of this type of rescarch may require special assessment. There are issues of intellectual property rights and instances of commercial organisations delaymg or preventing publication if the findings of the study are not favourable. Many cynical readers give no weight to papers that are sponsored by commercial sources. It is essential that rescarch in orthopaedics continues and that every possible step is taken in order to facilitate high quality research. There may be strength in numbers and it could be that the newly revitalised European Orthopaedic Research Society could help in supporting the endeavours of rescarch workers, particularly when it comes to European funding.
Radiographic results showed no evidence of loosening of HA coated cups, in contrast to non HA coated cups which migrated significantly in 80% of cases. Four patients with loose non HA coated cups underwent revision surgery.
The novel horseshoe shaped cup was designed by the senior authors to minimise the resection of healthy bone in total hip arthroplasty. It replaces the cartilage and underlying sub-chondral bone of the acetabulum socket with a cup that is designed to flex in harmony with the surrounding bony structure. Fifty female patients with a displaced, subcapital, femoral neck fractures were chosen for the study. In half of the group of patients, the composite support shell was coated with HA, with the other half remaining uncoated. Clinical and radiological assessments were undertaken regularly for five years. To date 20 patients have died and 13 have withdrawn from the study due to poor medical health unrelated to the study. Charnley modified Merle d’Aubigne score at five years was as good as the preoperative score with 80% of patients having full range of movement, no pain and walking unaided. Radiographic results showed no evidence of loosening of HA coated cups, in contrast to non HA coated cups which migrated significantly in 80% of cases. Four patients with loose non HA coated cups underwent revision surgery. This trial has demonstrated success at 5 years with the HA coated Cambridge Acetabular Cup. Cups from which HA coating has been removed have migrated significantly in 80% of cases. There is an advantage of the HA fixation which will be taken into account before wider clinical usage is advocated.
Radio-pacifiers in bone cements are an accepted part of every-day practice. They have, however, been shown to be a potential cause of an increase in third body wear and to excite bone resorption We reviewed the results of 228 consecutive Stanmore Total Hip Replacements performed between 1981 and 1985 in 211 patients. All were inserted with radiolucent bone cement. Information regarding whether the prosthesis had been revised was available for all patients. 73 patients (83 hips) were still alive and 41 patients (44 hips) were sufficiently healthy to attend clinic. Information regarding pain level was obtained from the remaining 32 patients. When revision of the implant was taken as the end-point, there was 95% ten-year survival, 91% fifteen-year survival and 75% eighteen-year survival. These long-term results of Stanmore THRs, performed in a district general hospital, with radiolucent bone cement, compare favourably with the other published series for this implant. We did not find the inability to see the bone cement a particular disadvantage when reviewing x-rays for signs of loosening.
Differentiating cases of aseptic loosening of total hip arthroplasty (THA) from loosening due to low-grade infection can often be difficult. It is possible that some cases of ‘aseptic’ loosening may be related to unidentified bacterial infection. Using Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), this study attempted to identify the frequency with which bacterial DNA could be observed at revision arthroplasty for what was considered ‘aseptic’ loosening. All revision cases had to fulfil strict criteria to be considered aseptically loose In all cases operative specimens from the synovial fluid, synovium, femoral and acetabular membranes where possible were sent for analysis by histology, bacteriology and by PCR to identify the presence of the 16S bacterial ribosomal fraction, an indicator of bacterial DNA. Ten bacteria per millilitre of tissue/fluid were the threshold for detection. As a control for environmental contamination, specimens from primary THA were also sent for analysis in the same manner as revisions. The identification of bacterial DNA in at least one sample from a patient was considered a positive case result. 45 revision THA were identified over a 3-year period (1998–2001). From those 45 revision cases, 163 specimens were sent for analysis by PCR. These specimens were compared to the control group of 34 primary THA from which 91 specimens were sent for analysis by PCR. When analysed by specimens positive by PCR, bacterial DNA was identified in 55 of 163 specimens sent from the 45 revision THA. This compared with 21 of 91 specimens positive by PCR sent from the 34 primary THA (p=0. 07). When analysed by cases positive by PCR, bacterial DNA was identified in 29 of 45 revision THA and in 8 of 34 primary THA (p<
0. 001). PCR is a sensitive test for detecting infection in revision THA. Results from the primary THA cases would suggest there is at least a 23% false positive rate even with negative bacterial culture. The increased frequency with which bacterial DNA has been identified in ‘aseptically’ loose revision THAs, however, is unlikely to be due solely to environmental contamination. These results may have relevance for our interpretation and understanding of aseptic loosening as well for the diagnosis of prosthetic infection.
The use of musculo-skeletal MRI is increasing at spectacular rate, however there have been few rigorous evaluations of its’ clinical effectiveness. This study was conducted to assess the impact of MRI of the wrist on clinical diagnosis and patient management. A controlled observational study was performed, in which referring clinicians completed questionnaires on diagnosis and intended management before and after wrist MRI. We analysed 118 consecutive patients referred for MRI of the wrist, to the magnetic resonance imaging units at a regional teaching hospital and a large district general hospital. We assessed: changes in clinicians’ leading and subsidiary diagnoses after MRI; their certainty of these diagnoses; and changes in intended patient management. Five patients had incorrectly completed requests, ten cancelled their appointments and two could not tolerate the MR examination. Complete follow up data is available for 98/101 patients with correctly completed request forms who were examined. The clinical diagnosis changed in 55 of 98 patients (56%). Diagnostic certainty increased in 23 of the remaining 43 patients (53%). Clinicians reported that MRI had substantially improved their understanding of the patients’ disease in 67/98 (68%) patients. There was a change in management in 46/98 (47%) patients, with a shift away from operative treatment. 28 out of 98 (29%) patients were discharged without further investigation. MRI was similarly effective in a regional teaching centre and a district general hospital. Magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist influences clinicians’ diagnoses and management plans. These results demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of MRI of the wrist in both a regional teaching centre and a district general hospital.