Abstract. INTRODUCTION. The most frequent mode of aseptic failure of primary total knee replacements is tibial baseplate loosening. This is influenced by stresses across the implant-bone interface which can be increased in obese patients leading to potentially higher rates of early failure. The evidence is mixed as to the true effect of elevated BMI (body mass index) on revision rates. We present the experience of early tibial failures in our department and how our
Introduction and Objective. Hip fractures represent one of the most challenging injuries in orthopaedic practice due to the associated morbidity, mortality and the financial burden they impose on the health care systems. By many still considered as the gold standard in the management of intertrochanteric fractures, the Dynamic Hip Screw utilizes controlled collapse during weight bearing to stabilize the fracture. Despite being a highly successful device, mechanical failure rate is not uncommon. The most accepted intraoperative indicator for lag screw failure is the tip apex distance (TAD), yet lateral femoral wall thickness (LWT) is another evolving parameter for detecting the potential for lateral wall fracture with subsequent medialization and implant failure. The aim of this study is to determine the mean and cut off levels for LWT that warrant lateral wall fracture and the implications of that on implant failure, revision rates and
Introduction. Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty (rTSA) is an efficient treatment, to relieve from pain and to increase function. However, scapular notching remains a serious issue and post-operative range of motion (ROM) presents many variations. No study compared implant positioning, different implant combinations, different implant sizes on different types of patient representative to undergo for rTSA, on glenohumeral ROM in every degree of freedom. Material and Methods. From a CT-scan database classified by a senior surgeon, CT-exams were analysed by a custom software Glenosys® (Imascap®, Brest, France). Different glenoid implants types and positioning were combined to different humerus implant types. Range of motion was automatically computed. Patients with an impingement in initialisation position were excluded from the statistical analysis. To validate those measures, a validation bench was printed in 3D to analyse different configurations. Results. 25 patients were included; 50 configurations were realised per patient. The validation bench on 5 configurations retrieved an error of 1,5° ± 0,88°. The impingement rate and ROM were improved using lateralised glenoid implant types, inferior positioning glenoid implant types, 42mm glenospheres, decreased Neck Shaft Angles for humerus implants and humerus inset. Conclusion. Impingement in resting arm at side position and ROM can be maximised with an adequate
Aims. Patients with A1 and A2 trochanteric hip fractures represent a substantial proportion of trauma caseload, and national guidelines recommend that sliding hip screws (SHS) should be used for these injuries. Despite this, intramedullary nails (IMNs) are routinely implanted in many hospitals, at extra cost and with unproven patient outcome benefit. We have used data from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) to examine the use of SHS and IMN for A1 and A2 hip fractures at a national level, and to define the cost implications of management decisions that run counter to national guidelines. Methods. We used the NHFD to identify all operations for fixation of trochanteric fractures in England and Wales between 1 January 2021 and 31 December 2021. A uniform price band from each of three hip fracture implant manufacturers was used to set cost implications alongside variation in implant use. Results. We identified 18,156 A1 and A2 trochanteric hip fractures in 162 centres. Of these, 13,483 (74.3%) underwent SHS fixation, 2,352 (13.0%) were managed with short IMN, and 2,321 (12.8%) were managed with long IMN. Total cost of IMN added up to £1.89 million in 2021, and the clinical justification for this is unclear since rates of IMN use varied from 0% to 97% in different centres. Conclusion. Most trochanteric hip fractures are managed with SHS, in keeping with national guidelines. There is considerable variance between hospitals for
Summary Statement. Routine metal allergy screening prior to joint arthroplasty is not essential and the use of cobalt chromium or stainless steel implants is recommended regardless of the patient's metal allergy status. Introduction. This study was undertaken to obtain a consensus amongst joint arthroplasty experts with regards to metal allergy screening prior to joint arthroplasty and the
Introduction. Tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis with a retrograde intramedullary nail is an established procedure considered as a salvage in case of severe arthritis and deformity of the ankle and subtalar joints [1]. Recently, a significant development in hindfoot arthrodesis with plates has been indicated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare a plate specifically developed for arthrodesis of the hindfoot with an already established nail system [2]. Method. Sixteen paired human cadaveric lower legs with removed forefoot and cut at mid-tibia were assigned to two groups for tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis using either a hindfoot arthrodesis nail or an arthrodesis plate. The specimens were tested under progressively increasing cyclic loading in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion to failure, with monitoring via motion tracking. Initial stiffness was calculated together with range of motion in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion after 200, 400, 600, 800, and 1000 cycles. Cycles to failure were evaluated based on 5° dorsiflexion failure criterion. Result. Initial stiffness in dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, varus, valgus, internal rotation and external rotation did not differ significantly between the two arthrodesis techniques (p ≥ 0.118). Range of motion in dorsiflexion and plantar flexion increased significantly between 200 and 1000 cycles (p < 0.001) and remained not significantly different between the groups (p ≥ 0.120). Cycles to failure did not differ significantly between the two techniques (p = 0.764). Conclusion. From biomechanical point of view, both tested techniques for tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis appear to be applicable. However, clinical trials and other factors, such as extent of the deformity, choice of the approach and preference of the surgeon play the main role for
Current advice regarding
Appropriate surgical management of hip fractures has major clinical and economic consequences. Recently IMN use has increased compared to SHS constructs, despite no clear evidence demonstrating superiority of outcome. We therefore set out to provide further evidence about the clinical and economic implications of
Abstract. Background and study aim. The UK National Joint Registry(NJR) has not reported total knee replacement (TKR)survivorship based on design philosophy alone, unlike its international counterparts. We report outcomes of implant survivorship based on design philosophy using data from NJR's 2020 annual report. Materials and methods. All TKR implants with an identifiable design philosophy from NJR data were included. Cumulative revision data for cruciate-retaining(CR), posterior stabilised(PS), mobile-bearing(MB) design philosophies was derived from merged NJR data. Cumulative revision data for individual brands of implants with the medial pivot(MP) philosophy were used to calculate overall survivorship for this design philosophy. The all-cause revision was used as the endpoint and calculated to 15 years follow-up with Kaplan-Meier curves. Results. 1,144,384 TKRs were included. CR is the most popular design philosophy (67.4%), followed by PS (23.1%), MB (6.9%) and least commonly MP (2.6%). MP and CR implants showed the best survivorship (95.7% and 95.6% respectively) at 15 years which is statistically significant at, and beyond, 10 years. Observed survivorship was lower at all time points with the PS and MB implants (94.5% for both designs at 15 years). Conclusions. While all design philosophies considered in this study survive well, CR and MP designs offer statistically superior survivorship at and beyond 10 years. MP design performs better than CR beyond 13 years yet, remain the least popular design philosophy used. Publishing data based on knee arthroplasty design philosophy would help surgeons when making decisions on
Lumbar fusion surgery is an established procedure for the treatment of several spinal pathologies. Despite numerous techniques and existing devices, common surgical trends in lumbar fusion surgery are scarcely investigated. The purpose of this Canada-based study was to provide a descriptive portrait of current surgeons’ practice and implant preferences in lumbar fusion surgery while comparing findings to similar investigations performed in the United Kingdom. Canadian Spine Society (CSS) members were sampled using an online questionnaire which was based on previous investigations performed in the United Kingdom. Fifteen questions addressed the various aspects of surgeons’ practice: fusion techniques, implant preferences, and bone grafting procedures. Responses were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. Of 139 eligible CSS members, 41 spinal surgeons completed the survey (29.5%). The most common fusion approach was via transforaminal lumber interbody fusion (TLIF) with 87.8% performing at least one procedure in the previous year. In keeping with this, 24 surgeons (58.5%) had performed 11 to 50 cases in that time frame. Eighty-six percent had performed no lumbar artificial disc replacements over their last year of practice. There was clear consistency on the relevance of a patient specific management (73.2%) on the preferred fusion approach. The most preferred method was pedicle screw fixation (78%). The use of stand-alone cages was not supported by any respondents. With regards to the cage material, titanium cages were the most used (41.5%). Published clinical outcome data was the most important variable in dictating
Aims. Ankle fracture is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries sustained in the UK. Many patients experience pain and physical impairment, with the consequences of the fracture and its management lasting for several months or even years. The broad aim of ankle fracture treatment is to maintain the alignment of the joint while the fracture heals, and to reduce the risks of problems, such as stiffness. More severe injuries to the ankle are routinely treated surgically. However, even with advances in surgery, there remains a risk of complications; for patients experiencing these, the associated loss of function and quality of life (Qol) is considerable. Non-surgical treatment is an alternative to surgery and involves applying a cast carefully shaped to the patient’s ankle to correct and maintain alignment of the joint with the key benefit being a reduction in the frequency of common complications of surgery. The main potential risk of non-surgical treatment is a loss of alignment with a consequent reduction in ankle function. This study aims to determine whether ankle function, four months after treatment, in patients with unstable ankle fractures treated with close contact casting is not worse than in those treated with surgical intervention, which is the current standard of care. Methods. This trial is a pragmatic, multicentre, randomized non-inferiority clinical trial with an embedded pilot, and with 12 months clinical follow-up and parallel economic analysis. A surveillance study using routinely collected data will be performed annually to five years post-treatment. Adult patients, aged 60 years and younger, with unstable ankle fractures will be identified in daily trauma meetings and fracture clinics and approached for recruitment prior to their treatment. Treatments will be performed in trauma units across the UK by a wide range of surgeons. Details of the surgical treatment, including how the operation is done,
Aims. Hip resurfacing remains a potentially valuable surgical procedure for appropriately-selected patients with optimised
Abstract. Introduction. The UK National Joint Registry(NJR) has not reported total knee replacement (TKR)survivorship based on design philosophy alone, unlike its international counterparts. We report outcomes of implant survivorship based on design philosophy using data from NJR's 2020 annual report. Methodology. All TKR implants with an identifiable design philosophy from NJR data were included. Cumulative revision data for cruciate-retaining(CR), posterior stabilised(PS), mobile-bearing(MB) design philosophies was derived from merged NJR data. Cumulative revision data for individual brands of implants with the medial pivot(MP) philosophy were used to calculate overall survivorship for this design philosophy. The all-cause revision was used as the endpoint and calculated to 15 years follow-up with Kaplan-Meier curves. Results. 1,144,384 TKRs were included. CR is the most popular design philosophy(67.4%), followed by PS(23.1%), MB(6.9%), and least commonly MP(2.6%). MP and CR implants showed the best survivorship(95.7% and 95.6% respectively) at 15 years which is statistically significant at, and beyond, 10 years. Observed survivorship was lower at all time points with the PS and MB implants(94.5% for both designs at 15 years). Conclusions. While all design philosophies considered in this study survive well, CR and MP designs offer statistically superior survivorship at and beyond 10 years. MP design performs better than CR beyond 13 years yet, remains the least popular design philosophy used. Publishing data based on knee arthroplasty design philosophy would help surgeons when making decisions on
Abstract. Introduction. Patella Baja is a known complication of TKR. In this study, we report the effect of the senior author's change of practice from total excision to minimal resection of Hoffa's fat pad on patellar height. Methods. Retrospective analysis of a prospective series of TKRs performed or directly supervised by the senior author. Group 1 included 72 patients performed before April 2011 who had complete excision of Hoffa's fat pad to improve exposure during their TKR procedures. Group 2 included 138 patients performed after April 2011 who had the minimum excision of Hoffa's fat pad to allow exposure. There were no other changes in surgical technique,
Introduction. Dislocated hip hemiarthroplasties (HA) are associated with a 45% revision rate and 40% mortality rate. Implant selection for HA operations vary with no universally accepted
Cementless knee arthroplasty has seen a recent resurgence in popularity due to conceptual advantages, including improved osseointegration providing biological fixation, increased surgical efficiency, and reduced systemic complications associated with cement impaction and wear from cement debris. Increasingly younger and higher demand patients are requiring knee arthroplasty, and as such, there is optimism cementless fixation may improve implant survivorship and functional outcomes. Compared to cemented implants, the National Joint Registry (NJR) currently reports higher revision rates in cementless total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but lower in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). However, recent studies are beginning to show excellent outcomes with cementless implants, particularly with UKA which has shown superior performance to cemented varieties. Cementless TKA has yet to show long-term benefit, and currently performs equivalently to cemented in short- to medium-term cohort studies. However, with novel concepts including 3D-printed coatings, robotic-assisted surgery, radiostereometric analysis, and kinematic or functional knee alignment principles, it is hoped they may help improve the outcomes of cementless TKA in the long-term. In addition, though cementless implant costs remain higher due to novel implant coatings, it is speculated cost-effectiveness can be achieved through greater surgical efficiency and potential reduction in revision costs. There is paucity of level one data on long-term outcomes between fixation methods and the cost-effectiveness of modern cementless knee arthroplasty. This review explores recent literature on cementless knee arthroplasty, with regards to clinical outcomes, implant survivorship, complications, and cost-effectiveness; providing a concise update to assist clinicians on
Aim. We report the results of 60 patients who were assessed using the Oxford Hip Score following surgery for revision of ASL XL and ASR Resurfacing systems at our institution. We included preoperative metal ion levels, surgical approach, revision implant, and post op histology and complications to determine variables for improved outcomes. Methods. We performed a retrospective review of consecutive series patients who underwent revision surgery between 2007 – 2015. We collected and analysed data from 60 patients regarding time between surgery, surgical technique including approach and anaesthesia, estimated blood loss (EBL), revision implant, post op complications, histology, and length of post-operative stay. We correlated these findings to the patients reported outcomes measures using the Oxford Hip Score, which were obtained by post. Results. Our data shows a reduction in values for Oxford Hip Scores in at least 24 patients as compared to an improvement in values for 22 patients. 6 patients could not be contacted, 4 patients refused to participate, and 4 patients did not have pre-op Oxford Hip Score values for comparison. Our main findings from 46 patients are summarized in table 2. Conclusion(s). Age, Sex, Ion Level, Surgical Approach, and
The challenges faced by hip surgeons have changed over the last decade. Historically, fixation, polyethylene wear, osteolysis, loosening and failure to osseointegrate dominated the discussions at hip surgery meetings. With the introduction of highly crosslinked polyethylene, wear and osteolysis are currently not significant issues. Improved surgical technique has resulted in a high rate of osseointegration and once fixed, loosening of cementless components is rare. In this session, we will focus on issues that orthopaedic surgeons performing hip surgery routinely face including bearing couples in the young active patient,
Introduction. Revision of total knee endoprostheses (TKA) is increasing in number and causes rising healthcare costs. For constrained prostheses, the use of intramedullar femoral stems is standard. However, there is a big variety of available stem types with regard to length, type of fixation (cemented vs. hybrid) and fixation area (diaphyseal vs. metaphyseal). The aim of this biomechanical study was to investigate the primary stability of revision TKA with different stem types and different femoral bone defects, to find out whether smaller or shorter stems may achieve sufficient stability while preserving bone for re-revision. Methods. 30 right human femora were collected, fresh frozen and divided in six groups, matching for age, gender, height, weight and bone density. In group 1–3 a bone defect of AORI type F2a (15mm medial) and in group 4–6 a defect of AORI type F3 (25mm on both sides) was created. In all six groups the same modular femoral surface component (Endo-Model-W, Waldemar Link) was used, combined with different stem types (100/ 160 mm cemented / uncemented / standard/ anatomical with / without cone). Additionally, one trial was set up, omitting the modular stem. The correct fit of the implants was confirmed by fluoroscopy. After embedding, specimens were mechanically loaded 10mm medially and parallel to the mechanical femoral axis with an axial force of 2700N and a torsional moment of 5.6Nm at a flexion angle of 15° with respect to the coupled tibial plateau according to in-vivo gait load for 10,000 cycles (1Hz) in a servohydraulic testing machine (Bionix, MTS). The relative movement between implant, cement and distal femur was recorded using a stereo video system (Aramis3D,gom). An axial pull-out test at 1mm/min was performed after dynamic loading. Results. No clinical or radiological loosening of any configuration was observed. In all cases, relative movements were below 20µm and the differences between groups were very small. There were two cases, the trial without stem and one probe with short cemented stem with poor cementing technique (not included in the group result), which showed greatly increased relative movements. Pull-out test exhibited that forces of short stems with cones and uncemented anatomical cone stems with large defects (groups 4–6) were not significantly different to cemented stems in small defects. Discussion. Despite the high experimental load, even causing bone fracture in two cases, no difference between the investigated stem types concerning primary stability was found, partially probably due to the high inter-individual variations. Possible long-term differences cannot be assessed with in-vitro testing representing direct post-op situation, but the results might partially explain the controversial clinical observations and suggest further investigation on patient specific decisive parameters for