Current evidence suggests that superior surgical team performance is linked to fewer intra-operative errors, reductions in mortality and even improved patient outcomes. Virtual reality has demonstrated excellent efficacy in training surgeons and scrub nurses individually, however its impact on training teams is currently unknown. This study aimed to assess if training together (scrub nurse and surgeon) in an innovative multiplayer virtual reality program was superior to single player training for novices learning anterior approach total hip arthroplasty (AA-THA).

40 participants (20 novice surgeons (CT1-ST3 level) and 20 novice scrub nurses) were enrolled in this study and randomised to individual or team virtual reality training. Individually-trained participants played with virtual avatar counterparts, whilst teams trained live in pairs (surgeon and scrub nurse). Both groups underwent 5 VR training sessions over 6 weeks. Subsequently, they underwent a real-life assessment in which they performed AA-THA on a high-fidelity model with real equipment in a simulated operating theatre. Teams performed together and individually-trained participants were randomly paired up with a solo player of the opposite role. Videos of the assessment were marked by two blinded expert assessors. The primary outcome was team performance as graded by the validated NOTECHs II score. Secondary outcomes were procedure time and number of technical errors from an expert pre-defined protocol.

Teams outperformed individually-trained participants for non-technical skills in the real-world assessment (NOTECHS-II score 50.3 ± 6.04 vs 43.90 ± 5.90, p=0.0275). They completed the assessment 28.1% faster (31.22 minutes ±2.02 vs 43.43 ±2.71, p=0.01), and made close to half the number of technical errors when compared to the individual group (12.9 ± 8.3 vs 25.6 ± 6.1, p=0.001).

Multiplayer, team training appears to lead to faster surgery with fewer technical errors and the development of superior non-technical skills.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine why some TKR patients are satisfied and others are dissatisfied. Method: 2,481 primary TKR patients who had completed a decision date WOMAC were randomly identified within the Ontario Joint Replacement Registry (OJRR) database. One year post-operatively, these patients were mailed a survey to determine satisfaction/expectations, willingness to undergo surgery again, Jaeschke self-reported clinical improvement, WOMAC scores and complications. The satisfied and not satisfied patient groups were identified, statistical analysis employed to determine variables that individually affect satisfaction and logistic regression used to identify significant factors which might lead to patient dissatisfaction. Results: Only 70% of primary TKR patients felt that their expectations had been met and 15% reported that they had no expectations. Only 81% of patients reported that they were satisfied with their TKR. When asked whether they would have their surgery again, 96% of the satisfied patients reported that they would do so as compared to only 63% in the dissatisfied group (p< 0.0001). Using the Jaeschke self-reported clinical improvement scale, 87% of TKR patients reported that they were improved, but only 75% reported that they were a good, great or a very great deal improved. There was a high correlation with the WOMAC change score and the Jaeschke self-reported improvement and willingness to undergo surgery again questions. Significant differences were found between the satisfied and dissatisfied TKR patients in terms of a pre-operative WOMAC score of < 20 (p< 0.004), the WOMAC change score (p< 0.0001), expectations (p< 0.0001), complications (p< 0.0001), age (p< 0.002), referral status (p< 0.0005), living alone (p< 0.01) and comorbidities (p< 0.05). Logistic regression suggested that the most important predictive factors were a pre-operative WOMAC < 20 (p< 004), the WOMAC change score (p< 0.0001), expectations met (p< 0.0001) and complications (p< 0.0001). Conclusion: Only one in five primary TKR patients are satisfied with their operative procedure. Significant risk factors for patient dissatisfaction after primary TKR include a pre-operative WOMAC < 20, a WOMAC change score of less than 33 points, expectations that were not met or a complication

Aims. To investigate the optimal thresholds and diagnostic efficacy of commonly used serological and synovial fluid detection indexes for diagnosing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) in patients who have rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods. The data from 348 patients who had RA or osteoarthritis (OA) and had previously undergone a total knee (TKA) and/or a total hip arthroplasty (THA) (including RA-PJI: 60 cases, RA-non-PJI: 80 cases; OA-PJI: 104 cases, OA-non-PJI: 104 cases) were retrospectively analyzed. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to determine the optimal thresholds of the CRP, ESR, synovial fluid white blood cell count (WBC), and polymorphonuclear neutrophil percentage (PMN%) for diagnosing RA-PJI and OA-PJI. The diagnostic efficacy was evaluated by comparing the area under the curve (AUC) of each index and applying the results of the combined index diagnostic test. Results. For PJI prediction, the results of serological and synovial fluid indexes were different between the RA-PJI and OA-PJI groups. The optimal cutoff value of CRP for diagnosing RA-PJI was 12.5 mg/l, ESR was 39 mm/hour, synovial fluid WBC was 3,654/μl, and PMN% was 65.9%; and those of OA-PJI were 8.2 mg/l, 31 mm/hour, 2,673/μl, and 62.0%, respectively. In the RA-PJI group, the specificity (94.4%), positive predictive value (97.1%), and AUC (0.916) of synovial fluid WBC were higher than those of the other indexes. The optimal cutoff values of synovial fluid WBC and PMN% for diagnosing RA-PJI after THA were significantly higher than those of TKA. The specificity and positive predictive value of the combined index were 100%. Conclusion. Serum inflammatory and synovial fluid indexes can be used for diagnosing RA-PJI, for which synovial fluid WBC is the best detection index. Combining multiple detection indexes can provide a reference basis for the early and accurate diagnosis of RA-PJI. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(9):559–570

Aims. Cemented hemiarthroplasty is an effective form of treatment for most patients with an intracapsular fracture of the hip. However, it remains unclear whether there are subgroups of patients who may benefit from the alternative operation of a modern uncemented hemiarthroplasty – the aim of this study was to investigate this issue. Knowledge about the heterogeneity of treatment effects is important for surgeons in order to target operations towards specific subgroups who would benefit the most. Methods. We used causal forest analysis to compare subgroup- and individual-level treatment effects between cemented and modern uncemented hemiarthroplasty in patients aged > 60 years with an intracapsular fracture of the hip, using data from the World Hip Trauma Evaluation 5 (WHiTE 5) multicentre randomized clinical trial. EuroQol five-dimension index scores were used to measure health-related quality of life at one, four, and 12 months postoperatively. Results. Our analysis revealed a complex landscape of responses to the use of a cemented hemiarthroplasty in the 12 months after surgery. There was heterogeneity of effects with regard to baseline characteristics, including age, pre-injury health status, and lifestyle factors such as alcohol consumption. This heterogeneity was greater at the one-month mark than at subsequent follow-up timepoints, with particular regard to subgroups based on age. However, for all subgroups, the effect estimates for quality of life lay within the confidence intervals derived from the analysis of all patients. Conclusion. The use of a cemented hemiarthroplasty is expected to increase health-related quality of life compared with modern uncemented hemiarthroplasty for all subgroups of patients aged > 60 years with a displaced intracapsular fracture of the hip. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(7):656–661

Periprosthetic joint infection is a serious complication of primary total hip replacement (THR) with significant associated morbidity. In acute infection, Debridement, Antibiotics and Implant Retention (DAIR) may be considered. Current national guidelines recommend a DAIR should be performed by “an experienced arthroplasty surgeon┕ but do not specify the need for this to be a revision arthroplasty surgeon. We investigated outcomes in our NHS Trust of DAIR procedures performed by revision and non-revision arthroplasty surgeons.

Infection registry data and patient records were analysed for all DAIR procedures of infected primary THRs between 2017 and 2021. Data collected included details of the primary surgery, the presentation with infection, the DAIR procedure and any subsequent complications including return to theatre at any time point. Routinely collected pre- and post-operative patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) were reviewed.

54 periprosthetic joint infections of primary THRs received a DAIR procedure. 41 DAIRs were performed by a revision surgeon and 13 by non-revision surgeons. There was no significant difference in time from primary THR to presentation with infection, time from presentation to DAIR or pre-operative C-reactive protein between the two groups.

In 21 (38.9%) patients the DAIR procedure was classed as a treatment failure; 17 patients (31.5%) returned to theatre for further revision surgery, one (2.4%) died related to infection and three (5.6%) had persistent infection but did not receive further surgery. Treatment failure was significantly higher in the non-revision surgeon group (9/13 (69.2%)) than in the revision surgeon group (12/41 (29.3%)) (p = 0.02). Overall, improvement in PROMs after DAIR was seen at both six and 12 months.

The overall success rate of DAIR was 61.1% and there was a sustained improvement in PROMs after surgery. However, there was a significant difference in failure rates between revision surgeons and non-revision surgeons.

Arthroplasty in patients who are intravenous drug abusers presents a complex challenge, frequently requiring intervention at a younger age. The cohort suffer increased complication rates due to significant co-morbidities and poor engagement in medical services, in comparison to other patients undergoing lower limb arthroplasty. Multiple small studies show arthroplasty in this patient cohort is associated with high complication and mortality rates. A search of electronic databases were undertaken with the assistance of the library services from the Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, including Chocraine, SCOPUS and PubMed. Abstracts were reviewed and relevant studies extracted for full review. Full text articles were reviewed based on strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. Searches identified Two thousand and forty-four papers; twenty-seven studies were identified for full review of the paper based on the inclusion criteria above. From this, nine studies were deemed appropriate to for data extraction. These nine papers present one hundred and thirty-two cases of lower limb arthroplasty, fifty nine Total Knee Arthroplasty and seventy three Total Hip Arthroplasty. From this the authors examined incidences of implant failure due to infection, revision, mortality, dislocation, aseptic loosening, peri-prosthetic fracture, or other causes. Of these, 58% of patients (n = 77) with a history of intravenous drug abuse suffered some form of significant complication; 4% of this cohort (n = 5) were lost to follow up. Infection was reported in 32% of cases and a mortality rate of 4.7%. The rising demand of lower limb arthroplasty for intra-venous drug abusers presents a very real problem for the modern Orthopaedic surgeon. Within the studies examined, more than half report implant failure. This study synthesises the available literature regarding treatment of these patients to help facilitate decision making and informed consent

Recently, some smart media devices including portable accelerometers have been used to measure objective physical activity (OPA) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study was to longitudinally assess OPA changes in patients who underwent THA using a compact triaxial accelerometer and to investigate the impact of this recovery process on patient-reported outcomes. This prospective cohort study involved 163 consecutive patients who had unilateral osteoarthritis of the hip and were followed up for 12 months after THA. There were 132 women and 31 men with average age of 66 years. OPA was measured using a compact triaxial accelerometer preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. This study investigated the recovery process of OPA in four patient groups classified by the median of age and preoperative activity levels (younger and higher activity (YH), younger and lower activity (YL), older and higher activity (OH), and older and lower activity (OL)), and examined its impact on patient-reported outcomes, including forgotten joint score-12 (FJS-12). The target period for regaining preoperative activity levels was approximately 3 months for patients with lower preoperative activity, and about 6 months for those with higher preoperative activity. The OPA at 12 months postoperatively was higher in the patients with higher preoperative activity levels than in those with lower preoperative activity levels. In patients with higher preoperative activity levels, FJS-12 scores significantly increased between 6 and 12 months postoperatively (p=0.018). FJS-12 at 12 months postoperatively was best in YH (81.7±18.9), followed by YL (73.5±22.9), OH (73.2±17.4), and OL (66.3±21.8). Differences in the recovery process of postoperative activity levels impacted the duration required for improvement in FJS-12 scores. These results can serve as indicators for setting activity goals in patients undergoing THA

Since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a technologically based progression to almost every sector of society. This has led to an influx of e-hailing motorcycle drivers (online based consumable transportation platforms) and thus an increase in road traffic accidents. This group experiences an abundance of Orthopaedic related trauma with a considerable economic burden. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the incidence of this study group as well as quantify the severity and cost implications thereof for the sake of public health and epidemiology. This was an observational study whereby a prospective cohort analysis was respectively conducted at a single centre to determine the incidence, of the study group, over a seven-month period. The study included any e-hailing motorcycle driver who sustained Orthopaedic related trauma, whilst on duty, within the catchment area whereas all other patients were excluded and used as a comparator. A descriptive statistical analysis was done to further delineate the severity of injury by comparing the type of injury, anatomical location injured, and management plan incurred. A total of 5096 individuals experienced Orthopaedic related trauma with 60 individuals (1.18%) being e-hailing motorcyclists who sustained injury whilst on duty. The incidence being 118 per 10000 patients. Further analysis revealed that 78.33% of the population experienced fractures or dislocations with 52.31% of these injuries requiring surgical intervention. The Upper limb (53.85%) and Lower limb (43.08%) were the most affected anatomical locations. The Orthopaedic care for this population group places a meaningful burden on the South African Health sector. These drivers work in unsafe environments and sustain high energy impacts, yet very little oversight exists. Therefore, continued research with new regulations needs to be drafted, looking into vehicle safety, working conditions, operative hours, and the need for public awareness

Over 500 supracondylar humerus fractures (SCHF) are treated at our institution each year. Our standard post-operative pathway includes a 3-week visit for splint removal, wire removal, and radiographs. Subsequent follow-up occurs at 12 weeks for a clinical examination. In an effort to minimize unnecessary follow-up visits, we investigated whether photographs and/or patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) scores could identify patients who do not need routine 3-month in-person follow-up. At the 3-month visit, 248 SCHF patients (mean 6.2 yrs; 0.75-11yrs) had bilateral elbow motion (ROM) and carrying angles measured; and photographs documenting frontal and sagittal alignment of both injured and uninjured upper extremities, in both maximum elbow flexion and extension. Two independent assessors made the same measurements off the clinical photographs to compare these with the clinical measurements. Two PROMs: Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ: 0 best to 14 worst) and QuickDASH (0 best to 100 worst) were completed at the 3-month visit. Inter-rater reliability of the photograph measurements was excellent (Kappa: 0.88-0.93), but weakly concordant with clinical measurements (carrying angle Kappa=0.51;max flexion Kappa=0.68;max extension Kappa=0.64). SAQ moderately correlated with QuickDASH (Kappa=0.59) and performed better at identifying patients with abnormalities. SAQ score ≥ 4 identified patients meeting 3-month follow-up criteria, with sensitivity: 36.1%; specificity: 96.8% and negative-predictive-value (NPV): 87%. We did not find that photographs were reliable. Although SAQ-score has high NPV, a more sensitive fracture-specific PROM is needed to identify patients who do not need a 3-month follow-up visit

Aims. This study aims to answer the following questions in patients with hip osteoarthritis (OA) who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA): are patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) affected by the location of the maximum severity of pain?; are PROMs affected by the presence of non-groin pain?; are PROMs affected by the severity of pain?; and are PROMs affected by the number of pain locations?. Methods. We reviewed 336 hips (305 patients) treated with THA for hip OA from December 2016 to November 2019 using pain location/severity questionnaires, modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score (HOS), international Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12) score, and radiological analysis. Descriptive statistics, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and Spearman partial correlation coefficients were used. Results. There was a significant difference in iHOT-12 scores between groups experiencing the most severe pain in the groin and the trochanter (p = 0.039). Additionally, more favourable mHHS scores were related to the presence of preoperative pain in trochanter (p = 0.049), lower back (p = 0.056), lateral thigh (p = 0.034), and posterior thigh (p = 0.005). Finally, the maximum severity of preoperative pain and number of pain locations had no significant relationship with PROMs (maximum severity: HHS: p = 0.928, HOS: p = 0.163, iHOT-12 p = 0.233; number of pain locations: HHS: p = 0.211; HOS: p = 0.801; iHOT-12: p = 0.112). Conclusion. Although there was a significant difference in iHOT-12 scores between patients with the most severe pain in the groin or trochanter, and the presence of pain in the trochanter, lower back, lateral thigh, or posterior thigh was related to higher mHHS scores, the majority of preoperative pain characteristics did not have a significant impact on outcomes. Therefore, a broad array of patients with hip OA might expect similar, favourable outcomes from THA notwithstanding preoperative pain characteristics. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(4):332–339

Objective: To evaluate the outcome of treatment for adolescent disc disease (ADD) in individuals regularly involved in high class sport compared to relatively more sedentary adolescents. Design: Retrospective observational study. Setting: Private Spinal Orthopaedic Practice. Patients: 52 individuals with confirmed ADD. 25 competing at county or national level in various sports (Group A). 27 moderately active individuals (Group B), but not elite sports players. Interventions: History and clinical examination followed by radiological investigations were performed. Both groups were treated with oral medication including simple analgesia, muscle relaxants and NSAIDs as well as physiotherapy. Those with persistent pain were referred for pain management. Surgery was considered for refractory cases. Main outcome measurements: The clinical and radiological evidence of disease progression, need for minimally invasive and invasive treatments as well as return to previous level of sport. Results: 11 patients (44%) in group A had a non-invasive programme of treatment based on intensive physiotherapy. 11 (44%) needed minimally-invasive treatments in addition to physiotherapy. Three patients (12%) required surgery. One patient had to give up elite sport because of recurrent pain on significant exercise, but the others resumed their previous level of activity. Nine patients (33%) in Group B were treated by physiotherapy alone while 13 (48%) had minimally-invasive treatment in addition to physiotherapy. Five patients (18.5%) required surgery. Two patients required revision surgery. All patients returned to their normal level of sporting activity. Conclusion: Adolescents who play sport at a high level should not be discouraged by a diagnosis of ADD, as the outcomes of treatment are at least no worse than in their less active counterparts

Introduction. Unexpected cancellation of scheduled total joint arthroplasty (TJA) procedures create patient distress and are disruptive to the clinical team. The purpose of this study was to identify the etiology of cancellation for scheduled TJA and to determine the subsequent fate of those patients. Methods. A consecutive series of 11670 primary THA and TKA patients at a single institution was reviewed from January 2013 through March 2017. All patients who were scheduled for a primary THA or TKA and subsequently cancelled were identified. The etiology of cancellation and time to rescheduling were recorded. Univariate analysis and cox regression models were performed. Results. 505 (4.3%) of the 11,670 scheduled patients had their surgery cancelled. 209 (42%) were due to medical reasons and 173 (34%) were secondary to patient preference. 391 patients (77%) eventually underwent their procedure at a mean delay of 165 days (19 –1908 days). The most common medical reasons for cancellation included cardiac disease (n=44, 21%), hyperglycemia (n=32, 15%) and dental infections (n=24, 11%). Only 53 (25%) patients cancelled for a medical reason underwent further diagnostic or therapeutic intervention for their medical condition. When compared to patient driven cancellations, those cancelled for medical reasons had a higher mean CCI (0.82 vs. 0.39, p<0.001), were cancelled closer to the scheduled surgery date (8.55 vs 18.1 days, p<0.001), had similar time periods between cancellation and rescheduling (159 vs 177 days, p=0.445) and were more likely to eventually undergo surgery (86% vs. 73%, p=0.004). Conclusion. TJA surgeries are most often cancelled due to a medical concern. Yet, only a minority of these patients undergo intervention for that medical condition. Cancelled patients have their surgery delayed, on average, over 5 months. To minimize the risk of cancellation, healthcare providers should consider early referral of medically complex patients to the patient's primary care physician

Integrated Regional Orthopaedic (MSK) Assessment clinics (ROAC) are now mandated in many provinces for the assessment and triage of patients referred for total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Their introduction underscores the lack of means for Primary Care Physicians (PCP) to appropriately refer patients for surgical consideration. Thus, problems arise when patients who are clear candidates for surgery are subject to a significant extra step in the care pathway by attending a ROAC while those who have insufficient problems are also seen, contributing to costs and crowding the access portal. We postulated that a patient reported outcome measure, decision aid combined with a validated grading of a weight bearing knee X-ray would provide an inexpensive yet effective tool to significantly improve the referral process for Knee OA (compared with the current mechanism). To date we have enrolled two hundred and forty-five consenting patients to the study, all referred by their PCP to the ROAC with a diagnosis of symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis. All patients were evaluated as per the current ROAC protocol which included a medical history, physical examination and an X-ray (standing AP, lateral and patella-femoral skyline). Prior to the visit, subjects were sent a copy of a patient decision aid, Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and requested to answer whether their current clinical status described as Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS2) was acceptable. All radiographs were analyzed and scored for OA severity using the validated grading from 0 – 13. Of the 245 cases, 200 completed OKS and PASS2 uestionnaires and had standing X-rays for evaluation (only 120 completed the decision aid and these were left out of this report). Of the 200 included cases, 104 were referred from the ROAC to see a surgeon. In analysis, we found that a self-reported PASS 2 answer NO and an AP X-ray graded at 6 or above predicted over 75% of those patients that were referred. This represents a 3.4 greater likelihood of referral using this simple analysis. The OKS did not modify this prediction. Thus, use of a validated grading of a standing AP X-ray along with a response, ‘readiness for surgery’ indicated 75% of patients appropriate for surgical consideration. Patients with less severe gradings are likely being unnecessarily referred to ROAC leading to overuse of scarce resources, crowding the access and adding to costs, others, who score higher, are being needlessly delayed. The ability to discreetly screen for the best possible candidates should be a continued focus of ROAC and will lead to improved use of expensive resources, overall patient care and satisfaction and the provision of tools to the PCP for appropriate referral

Aims

The aim of this study was to explore the functional results in a fitter subgroup of participants in the Hip Fracture Evaluation with Alternatives of Total Hip Arthroplasty versus Hemiarthroplasty (HEALTH) trial to determine whether there was an advantage of total hip arthroplasty (THA) versus hemiarthroplasty (HA) in this population.

Septic Arthritis (SA) is considered a surgical urgency/ emergency by physicians around the world. As our understanding grows, and improved diagnostic algorithms are developed, it has become apparent that competing interests in terms of accurately diagnosing concurrent osteomyelitis may supercede rapid surgical intervention when the imaging is timely. Nevertheless, even in cases of isolated SA, many patients will require repeat surgery. We aimed to assess factors which could predict this. A multicenter retrospective redcap database was created involving 20 pediatric centers from the CORTICES study group with the goal of better understanding pediatric musculoskeletal infection (PMSKI). All patients who met inclusion for the database were considered, surgeons for each site determined through imaging and chart review which patients met the diagnosis of isolated SA. Patients with concomitant abscesses or osteomyelitis were expressly excluded. Appropriate non parametric statistics were used to assess univariate significance. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess clinical factors associated with an increased likelihood of more than one surgery. Receiver characteristics operating curve (ROC) analysis was used to determine optimal cutoffs to discriminate between children who required more than one surgery compared to those who required only one surgery. A probability algorithm was developed for the number of clinical factors present and the likelihood requiring more than one surgery following SA diagnosis. “Four hundred and fifty-four patients with isolated SA were analyzed from 20 US hospitals. Patients were 5.4 +/− 4.8 years old at admission, and the cohort was 56% male. Of the 454 patients, 47 (10.4%) needed more than one surgery. Bivariate comparisons across surgery groups found significant differences in minimum platelet count (pplatelet, a patient has a 0.3% reduction in the odds of needing more than one surgery (OR=.997; p=0.04). For each additional ten units of CRP, a patient has a 0.1% increase in the odds of needing more than one surgery (OR=1.001; p<0.001). Our predictive algorithm found that children with both risk factors had a 64% chance of requiring multiple surgeries. Higher CRP values and lower platelet values indicate more severe disease in isolated SA with a greater likelihood of repeat surgery. Higher CRP and lower platelet counts may portend multiple surgeries and caregivers of children with isolated SA should be advised as such

Reported incidence of blood transfusion following primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (pTHA, rTHA) has decreased considerably compared to historical rates. However, it is not known if further adoption of techniques to limit transfusions has resulted in further reduction on a large scale. The purpose of this study was to assess recent trends in blood transfusions and contemporary risk factors for transfusions using a large, national database.

The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program was queried to identify patients undergoing pTHA and rTHA between 2011 to 2019. pTHA for fracture, infection, tumor, and bilateral procedures were excluded. Only aseptic rTHA were included. Annual incidence of transfusions and proportion of patients with optimized preoperative hematocrit (HCT) (defined as ≥33%) were assessed. Risk factors for transfusion were evaluated with 2018 and 2019 data using multivariate analyses.

234,352 pTHA and 16,322 rTHA were included. Transfusion following pTHA decreased from 21.4% in 2011 to 2.5% in 2019 and from 33.5% in 2011 to 12.0% in 2019 for rTHA (p<0.0001). Patients with optimized HCT increased for pTHA (96.7% in 2011 vs 98.1% in 2019, p<0.0001) and did not change for rTHA (91.5% in 2011 vs 91.6% in 2019, p=0.27). Decreased HCT was most strongly associated with transfusions, with each three-point change corresponding to odds ratio of 1.90 and 1.78 for pTHA and rTHA, respectively. Increased age, female sex, history of bleeding disorders or preoperative transfusion, ASA score ≥3, non-spinal anesthesia, and longer operative times were also associated with increased odds for transfusion.

Incidence of blood transfusion has continued to decrease following pTHA and rTHA. Despite care improvements, transfusions still occur in certain high-risk patients. While transfusion in pTHA may have reached the lower asymptote, further reduction in rTHA may be possible through further improvements in preoperative optimization and surgical technique.

Abstract. Objectives. Up to 19% of patients who undergo surgery for an acute hip fracture are readmitted to the hospital within three months of the index operation. We aimed to identify risk factors for unplanned clinic attendance, readmission, and mortality within the first 12 months postoperatively and subsequently determine if there is a role for routine follow-up. Methods. Patients greater than 65 years old who underwent hip hemiarthroplasty using an uncemented Thompson implant for treatment of a traumatic non-pathological hip fracture were identified from a prospectively maintained database at a single institution between August 2007 and February 2011. Patient demographics, comorbidities, place of residence, mobility status, unplanned attendance to an orthopaedic clinic with symptoms relating to the respective limb, readmission, and mortality were recorded. Results. Five hundred and fifty-four consecutive patients were identified. Unplanned clinic attendance was correlated to age (p = 0.000, B = −0.0159, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.200 to −0.65), with patients between the ages of 65 – 70 years most likely to require unplanned clinic review postoperatively. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade (p = 0.019, 95% CI: 0.014 to 0.163) and frequency of unplanned outpatient attendance (p = 0.000, 95% CI: 0.120 to 0.284) were significantly associated with increased readmission within 12 months of the index procedure with patients who were regarded as ASA > 2 most likely to require readmission within the first postoperative year. Conclusion. To our knowledge, this is the first piece of research that identifies causative factors for unplanned clinic attendance and acute readmission during the first postoperative year in acute hip fracture patients treated by hemiarthroplasty. Routine scheduled follow-up of patients based on risk stratification may be effective in reducing the financial burden of unplanned clinic attendance. Declaration of Interest. (b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project

Summary. There is little consensus regarding the regime for treatment of tuberculosis of spine, although WHO has laid down guidelines couple of years back classifying spinal tuberculosis in Category 1. This study proves the efficacy of WHO regime in spinal tuberculosis by clinico-radiological evaluation. Introduction. The medical fraternity is divided over the duration of chemotherapy in cases spinal tuberculosis. WHO clearly recommend spinal tuberculosis under Category I, but not accepted by most clinicians. Patient and Methods. In this prospective study during the period between August 2005 and July 2012, a total of 76 cases were diagnosed and evaluated clinico-radiologically to test the efficacy of WHO protocol (2HRZE+4HR) in our hospital with a mean follow up of 50 months (30 – 80 months). Results. Spinal tuberculosis was seen in 56% of all osteoarticular tuberculosis. Maximum population was between 11–50 years, females were involved more than males (66%), and regional distribution was different in males (Lumbar) and females (Thoracic). Skip and multifocal lesions were seen in 13% (6 cases), more common in immune compromised cases. Pain was the most common symptom (95%) followed by constitutional symptoms. Radiographic changes were nonspecific, appear late and suggestive of tuberculosis in 53%case, MRI is very useful in diagnosing in 95% cases especially when X ray is contributory. ESR is useful tool for follow up of patients, elevated in 94%cases. Results were evaluated on clinical, hematological and radiological basis. Of the total 64cases (after dropouts, lost in follow up, mortality), 50 patients (78%) received treatment for 6 months and14 cases for more than 6months (P value<0.001). No MDR cases were present. In 50 patients fall in ESR at the end of 2 months was found to be statistically significant (P value<0.05) and hence were given a treatment for 6 months, the fall at the end of 6 months was highly significant (P value<0.001). In rest of the 14 cases the duration of treatment was given for more than 6 months as the trend of fall of ESR was not significant. MRI changes were assessed in the form of osteitis, osteitis with discitis, abscess formation and granulation tissue on initiation of treatment, completion of treatment and 6 months after completion of treatment. Conclusion and Discussion. The experience shows that spinal tuberculosis is common in a tertiary health care centre in India with diagnosis possible by combination of clinical evaluation and radiological evaluation. Statistical significance was found in clinical symptoms, ESR trends and MRI evaluation in cases receiving 6 months of chemotherapy. With this study, WHO short course chemotherapy was found to be effective in spinal tuberculosis, with no relapse over a period of 6 years

Introduction. Provision of prehabilitation prior to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) through a digital mobile application is a novel concept. The primary aim of our research is to determine whether provision of prehabilitation through a mobile digital application impacts length of stay (LOS), requirement for inpatient rehabilitation and hospital-associated costs after TKA. Our study hypothesis is that a mobile digital application provides a low resource, cost effective method of delivering prehabilitation prior to TKA. Methods. An observational, retrospective analysis was performed on a consecutive case series of 64 patients who underwent TKA by a single surgeon over a 21-month period. Pre operative Knee Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) were collected on all patients. The first group of patients (control) did not undergo prehabilitation, the subsequent group of patients (experimental) were offered prehabilitation through a mobile application called PhysiTrack. The experimental group were provided with progressive quadriceps and hamstring strengthening exercises, and calf and hamstring stretches. Exercises were automatically progressed after 2 weeks unless the patient requested otherwise or a physiotherapist clinically intervened. The non-compliance rate was 33% (n=11), after removing these patients from the analysis, 22 patients remained and these were age matched to 22 patients from the control group. Aside from the access to prehabilitation, all patients underwent TKA using identical surgical technique and peri-operative care regime. Length of stay data for inpatient care and rehabilitation were captured for all patients. Cost was calculated using the inpatient and rehabilitation costs provided by the hospital. Results. 44 patients were included in our final analysis. Pre operative KOOS were collected for all of the experimental group and 18 (81%) of control group. These subscores were not statistically different (p>0.05) reflecting pre operative equivalence. The average inpatient length of stay was statistically different, being 5.04 days for the control group and 4.31 days for the experimental group (p=0.01). The decision for ongoing inpatient rehabilitation (after the immediate post-operative inpatient period) was not statistically different between the groups (chi-quared p=0.07). Rehabilitation length of stay was 9.12 days in the experimental and 10.85 days in the control group (p = 0.25). The remaining outcomes were statistically significant with total length of stay 11.95 days in the control and 7.63 days in the experimental group (p=0.01) and the total cost of the hospital stay $6362.55AUD for the control and $4145.17AUD for the experimental group (p=0.01). This represents an average saving $2217.38 per patient who participated in prehabiliation prior to surgery. Conclusions. Our research shows a significant cost saving with this intervention, as measured by reduction in total length of stay in patients undergoing prehabilitation using PhysiTrack. To our knowledge, this is the first study that analyses the impact of a mobile application providing prehabilitation prior to TKA. Further work is required to determine the effect in a larger, randomised cohort of patients. Future studies should also be directed towards assessing the utility of digital prehabilitation on a per patient basis prior to total knee arthroplasty

The WHO surgical safety checklist was introduced at Derriford Hospital in 2009. Evidence of the effect on efficiency has been slow to appear in the literature. Using a standardised, locally modified WHO surgical safety checklist theatre list capacity, start and finish times as well as time between cases was measured in 4 elective orthopaedic theatres. Data from 3 successive years was analysed retrospectively: prior to checklist introduction, during checklist introduction and routine checklist use. Data was analysed using the One-Way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey test. The number of cases per list showed a statistical difference from Year 1–2 and this increase was sustained in Year 3. The number of delayed starts showed no difference between Year 1&2, followed by a statistically significant decrease in Year 3. The number of late finishes showed a statistical difference from Year 1–2 and this decrease was sustained in Year 3. However, the number of lost minutes between cases showed no difference between Year 1&2, followed by an increase in Year 3. This study demonstrates that pre-list briefings combined with the WHO surgical checklist can improve theatre list capacity and prompt starts, reduce the number of overruns, however fails to improve turnaround time between cases