Aims

Frailty greatly increases the risk of adverse outcome of trauma in older people. Frailty detection tools appear to be unsuitable for use in traumatically injured older patients. We therefore aimed to develop a method for detecting frailty in older people sustaining trauma using routinely collected clinical data.

Introduction

The use of the Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF) in the management of tibial fractures and deformity correction is well established in the literature, however the majority of published papers are small in patient number. The aim of the project was to evaluate clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients with tibial fractures treated with a TSF.

Emerging evidence from different countries around the world is increasingly associating hip and knee replacements performed during the summer months with an increased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). We aimed to synthesise evidence on this phenomenon globally.

A systematic review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines using Medline, PubMed, and EMBASE from inception until August 2021 for relevant original articles without language restrictions. Meta-analysis was performed using random effects models to estimate and compare the pooled odds ratio (OR) and the confidence interval (CI) of operations undertaken during the summer season as defined by study authors.

Five studies from Canada, Japan, Pakistan, and the USA (n= 2) met the inclusion criteria. Data involving 1,589,207 primary hip and knee replacements, were included in the meta-analysis. There were 5985 superficial SSIs, out of total 420121 operations during the summer season, equating to a risk of 1.4%. During the other 3 seasons, there were 15364 Superficial SSIs out of 1169086 total operations, a risk of 1.3%.

The pooled OR highlighted increased odds of developing superficial SSI for patients who underwent joint replacements during the summer months (OR 1.29, 95% confidence interval 1.05 – 1.60, P < 0.0001); with evidence of significant heterogeneity.

Our preliminary meta-analysis suggests a 29% increased chance of having an SSI if the joint replacement was performed in the summer months. A high degree of heterogeneity was evident which warrants further exploration. Given the concerning consequences of developing wound infections after joint replacements, these findings may have important implications for informing individual patient-surgeon preoperative consent, surgical planning, and guiding future research.

Aims

The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented burden on global healthcare systems, and existing infrastructures must adapt and evolve to meet the challenge. With health systems reliant on the health of their workforce, the importance of protection against disease transmission in healthcare workers (HCWs) is clear. This study collated responses from several countries, provided by clinicians familiar with practice in each location, to identify areas of best practice and policy so as to build consensus of those measures that might reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to HCWs at work.

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the impact on length of hospital stay from dedicated infectious diseases input for orthopaedic infection patients compared to sporadic infection specialist input.

Aim

To demonstrate the use of indium-111 white-cell labelled SPECT CT (In111-WC-SPECT-CT) in bone infection.

While the demand for orthopaedic surgical expertise in the developing world is in critically short supply, short-term remedy from visiting doctors cannot solve this long-term healthcare problem. Capacity building by senior and training orthopaedic surgeons from established Western training programmes can offer a significant contribution to the orthopaedic patient in the developing world and the gains for those visiting are extremely valuable. We report on several visits by a UK orthopaedic team to a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan and discuss the operative and non-operative case mix and the benefits in terms of local capacity building and the unique experience of those visiting.

Ultrasound treatment can be used as an alternative to surgical methods for treating non-union or to enhance healing in a delayed union. This study presents our short-term results of using low intensity pulse ultrasound stimulation in long bone non-union. 18 patients with surgically treated long bone non-union were treated using the Exogen® ultrasound stimulator (Smith & Nephew Inc., UK). The average age of patients was 48 years (20–73 yrs). There were 8 femur fractures, 9 tibial fractures and 1 knee arthrodesis. 5 of these patients had infected non-union. The average follow up after initiation of treatment was 4 months (range 2–8 months). They received 20 minutes stimulation daily at the fracture site with regular follow up in clinic. We reviewed their serial radiographs and clinical progress. The mean interval to initiation of the ultrasound treatment was 7.9 months (2–27 months). Complete bony union was obtained in 6 of the 18 cases (33%) within 4 months of initiation of treatment. In 7 of 18 cases (38%) there was good evidence of progress towards bony union, while in 4/18(22%) patients there was no progress towards union at average of 4 months (range 2–8 months). There were no complications noted with this treatment. Most non-unions are treated by surgical revision, with consolidation rates ranging from 85 to 100% according to previous studies. Our study suggested 72% patients showing progress towards union with 33% achieving bony consolidation at 4 months. Patients with infected non-union also benefitted from this treatment. In summary ultrasound treatment can be a viable option to treat long bone non-unions, which may avoid the morbidity and complications associated with surgery.

Background

Chronic osteomyelitis with intramedullary sequestrum resulting in persistent infection is a challenging orthopaedic problem that often involves multiple surgical operations and unfortunately has a significant recurrence rate. Reasons for this may include difficulty in eradicating all intramedullary microsequestra making subsequent prolonged antibiotic therapy less effective. Use of the Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator (RIA) has many advantages for management of intramedullary infections in chronic osteomyelitis. The RIA technique allows irrigation of sterile large quantities of saline with simultaneous bony debridement with very sharp reamers that are specially designed to allow simultaneous fluid aspiration.

Previous reports have shown the efficacy of muscle interposition grafts in treating recalcitrant infection in the presence of hip arthroplasty. We report our experience with a two stage debridement and rectus femoris pedicled interposition graft technique in chronic severe native hip infection with a persistent draining sinus.

During the last 16 months, three paraplegic patients presented with persistently draining sinuses and chronic osteomyelitis of the pelvis, acetabulum and proximal femur, in a total of four hips. The mean patient age was 49 years (range, 40 to 59 years). In all patients there had been previous attempts to control the infection with wound debridement and long-term antibiotics.

A two-stage operative treatment was used in all patients. The first stage comprised wound debridement, washout, gentamycin-bead application and temporary vacuum assisted wound coverage.

At the second stage, approximately ten days later, through a standard anterior midline incision, the rectus femoris muscle was elevated on its pedicle, rolled, transposed into the acetabulum and sutured to the transverse acetabular ligament. At the second stage, all patients had local administration of antibiotics with genetamycin impregnated absorbable collagen fleece and all wounds were closed by delayed primary closure with a negative pressure dressing placed over the closed wound. All patients were commenced on a 6 week course of intravenous antibiotics, according to sensitivities.

No loss of flap occurred in any of the patients. One wound had partial dehiscence and required a split skin graft. At the final follow-up examination all the wounds were healed and there was no recurrence of draining sinuses, pressure sores or systemic sepsis.

The two stage technique with a pedicled rectus femoris interposition graft may be a useful technique for the treatment of complex chronic persistent osteomyelitis of the pelvis, acetabulum and proximal femur, with the primary aim of stopping the discharging sinus.

Distal femoral growth plate (DFGP) fractures were originally described as the ‘wagon wheel’ fractures, because they were noted to occur in the young boys who ran alongside wagons passing at speed and got their leg caught between the spokes. The resultant high energy injury was a forceful hyperextension and twisting of the knee. There was a significant incidence of severe complications with these injuries. In our setting, in a developing country, we noted that DFGP injuries appeared more common and tended to occur with a lower energy mechanism of injury.

To investigate if this were a real phenomena, we designed a prospective study looking at DFGP injuries with the primary outcome measure being the mechanism of injury and the secondary outcome measures including method of fixation and functional outcome.

The inclusion criteria for the study were all patients that presented with a DFGP fracture over a period of one year. There were no exclusion criteria. All data was collected prospectively on a standard proforma. Patients were treated according to a standard treatment regimen: where the fracture could be reduced closed and was stable, plaster cast only. Where a fracture could be reduced closed and was unstable, percutaneous pin fixation, where a fracture could not be reduced closed, open reduction and internal fixation.

Forty-three patients were included in the study. 39/43 (91%) of the patients were boys, and the average age was 15.5 years (standard deviation, SD, 3.2 years). Thirty-three (77%) of the injuries resulted from low energy trauma, with the majority (28/33) resulting from sporting injuries, predominately football, with others having simple falls (3/33) or falling off bicycles (2/33). The 10 high energy injuries resulted from pedestrians (3/10) or cyclists (1/10) hit by cars and falling from a height (6/10). Some significant differences were seen in the mean ages of the high and low energy groups. The low energy group were significantly older, with a mean age of 16.3 years (SD 2.8 years) compared to 13.1 years (SD 3.1 years) for the higher energy group (Student’s t-test, p=0.004). When comparing the type of fracture, according to the Salter Harris classification, significantly more Salter Harris IV and V fractures were seen in the high energy group (Chi Squared test, p=0.039) compared to the low. Open fractures were 1/10 (10%) of the high energy group, but there were no open fractures in the low energy group. Complications including infection and amputation, only occurred in the high energy group.

This is the first study to show, that in some countries, the DFGP injury may be more commonly due to a low energy mechanism of injury. The reasons for this may include delayed physeal closure, that has been previously shown in this group.

A number of series report limb length discrepancy in long bone chronic osteomyelitis, however in most cases, it is shortening of the affected bone. This is thought to be due to damage in the affected growth plate leading to early growth arrest. However, it is known that the inflammatory state of chronic osteomyelitis results in an increased blood supply and, as in other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, the increased blood supply results in overgrowth of the affected bone.

In order to study the effect of long bone chronic osteomyelitis on limb length, we designed a prospective trial of 42 consecutive patients presenting to our unit with chronic osteomyelitis of a long bone. The inclusion criteria were all patients presenting with a long bone osteomyelitis. There were no exclusion criteria. The mean age at presentation was 10.3 years. The mean duration of symptoms of 18.2 months prior to presentation. For 37 (88%) of patients the cause of osteomyelitis was haematogenous. On examination, 3 (7%) patients had shortening of the long bone compared to the unaffected side (of an average of 2.5cm), whilst 13 (31%) patients had overgrowth of the affected bone (average overgrowth 2.2cm). The most common bone affected was the tibia (20/42, 48%), followed by the femur (8/42, 19%) and the humerus (6/42, 14%).

All patients underwent radiographic analysis, and the average percentage of long bone affected was 59%. 8/42 (12%) of patients had at least one physis affected (2 of these patients had undergrowth and 1 had overgrowth).

This large prospective series of patients is the first in the world literature to show the effect of osteomyelitis on the growth of long bones, in particular an overgrowth rate of 31%. We suggest that the mechanism for this is related to the duration of symptoms. In areas of the world where there is poor access to health care, there is consequently a prolonged period of increased blood supply as a result of inflammation. This increased blood supply may make limb length discrepancy is more likely to be due to overgrowth rather than undergrowth.

We report the results of a consecutive series of 500 patients treated with a follow-up range from 5–12 years.

Ten patients were lost to follow-up and 398 patients [81%] died. The mean age was 82 years, with 85% being women. Forty-six patients [9.2%] required a second operation of any type, with revision performed in 23 [4.6%]. Of the long-term survivors 66 [81%] had none or minimal pain, whilst 5 [6%] had reported constant pain in the hip.

This is the largest consecutive series, with the following follow-up, reported and for the frail elderly patient this prosthesis can still be recommended.

The objective of our study was to assess the efficacy of infection control measures (pre-admission screening and patient segregation) on reducing inpatient exposure to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

A prospective case-control study was undertaken, analysing all admissions to three wards over an 83-month period from September 1995 to July 2002 inclusive (a total of approximately 34 000 patients). An orthopaedic ward with active infection control measures was compared with two controls, an orthopaedic ward with no measures and a general surgical ward with no measures. A statistical analysis was performed of the difference between the 3 wards in numbers of new cases of MRSA infection or colonisation. There was a statistically significant difference in numbers of new cases between the ward with the active infection control measures and the two control wards.

The infection control methods described are shown to reduce the exposure of patients to MRSA, which is of importance in orthopaedics, and has further benefits that may be applied in other surgical specialties, notably the choice of antibiotic used with the associated risk of side-effects of the specific anti-MRSA agents, the cost for surgical prophylaxis and patients’ confidence in the admitting surgical unit. As a useful by-product, such segregated inpatient beds are effectively ring-fenced, ensuring availability even during a hospital bed-shortage.

Daycase lumbar microdiscectomy surgery is not widely practised in the UK. We studied the outcome of microdiscectomy as daycase or inpatient surgery.

Data collection was by retrospective case-note review of consecutive patients in each group. Inpatients not suitable for daycase surgery were excluded.

There was no significant difference between patient groups in the rate of recurrent prolapse, wound infection, permanent sensory loss, or persistent postoperative pain. Symptoms resolved and patients returned to normal activities equally in both groups.

Introduction: The nature of orthopaedic surgery often demands a high level of physical activity that may be associated with a variety of musculoskeletal symptoms. We designed this study to identify the prevalence and variety of musculoskeletal symptoms affecting orthopaedic surgeons working in Britain.

Methods: A questionnaire was designed to explore relevant musculoskeletal symptoms. The case group included all fellows of the British Orthopaedic Association working in Britain (n=1300) and the control group was the primary anaesthetist working with that surgeon (n=1300). All questionnaires were anonymous and completed by post.

Results: The response rate was 47% (n=605) for orthopaedic surgeons and 20% for the control group (n=255). The prevalence of back pain was higher in the orthopaedic surgeons (50%) compared to controls (40%; p< 0.05) as was neck pain (28% vs 19%; p< 0.01), carpal tunnel syndrome (20% vs. 5%; p< 0.001), hand pain (20% vs 8%; p< 0.001) and shoulder pain (29% vs 19%; p< 0.005). Although orthopaedic surgeons reported more symptoms than controls, it was notable that significantly more controls used analgesics compared to surgeons (59% vs 35%; p< 0.001). The use of glucosamine was equal in both groups (3% vs 6%). There were two reports of injuries in surgeons that occurred whilst operating (meniscal tear and lumbar disc prolapse). Significantly more surgeons felt their symptoms would lead to early retirement compared to controls (15% vs 8%; p< 0.01).

Discussion: This study has shown that occupational musculoskeletal morbidity is higher in orthopaedic surgeons compared to a control group. The reasons for this are multifactoral. The cumulative nature of the symptoms may lead to early retirement in more orthopaedic surgeons compared to other specialities. This study highlights an important occupational health issue and raises the question of increased health and safety awareness from our managers when considering the demands placed on surgeons.