Introduction

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the radiological and clinical outcomes in Northern Ireland of free vascularised fibular bone grafting for the treatment of humeral bone loss secondary to osteomyelitis. Upper limb skeletal bone loss due to osteomyelitis is a devastating and challenging complication to manage for both surgeon and patient. Patients can be left with life altering disability and functional impairment. This limb threatening complication raises the question of salvage versus amputation and the associated risk and benefits of each. Free vascularised fibula grafting is a recognised treatment option for large skeletal defects in long bones but is not without significant risk. The benefit of vascularised over non-vascularised fibula grafts include preservation of blood supply lending itself to improved remodeling and osteointegration.

Materials & Methods

Chronic osteomyelitis is a complex and challenging condition the successful treatment of which requires a specialist multidisciplinary approach. Prior to tertiary referral to a specialist Orthoplastic Unit, patients often receive multiple courses of antibiotics, in usually unsuccessful attempts, to eradicate infection. This often results in the development of chronic polymicrobial infection. We reviewed the intra-operative cultures of patients treated in our Orthoplastic unit over a 9-year period from 2012–2021 to determine the spectrum of polymicrobial cultures and the relationship to pre-operative cultures.

Introduction

Paediatric tibial fractures, unlike femoral fractures do not have much potential for overgrowth. In simple factures of the tibial shaft treated non-operatively the major problems are shortening and malunion.

In complex injuries with extensive soft tissue disruption and bone loss, the long-term aim of reconstruction is to achieve union with a fully functional limb without limb-length inequality.

Introduction: Paediatric tibial fractures, unlike femoral fractures do not have much potential for overgrowth. In simple factures of the tibial shaft treated non-operatively the major problems are shortening and malunion.

In complex injuries with extensive soft tissue disruption and bone loss, the long-term aim of reconstruction is to achieve union with a fully functional limb without limb-length inequality.

Methods: Four children who sustained high-energy grade III open fractures of the tibia were treated with acute shortening and bone transport. Any soft tissue reconstructive and secondary grafting procedures for delayed union were recorded. The children were prospectively followed up to fracture union. Distraction ostegenesis proceeded until limb length equality was achieved and the regenerate allowed to consolidate.

Discussion: Despite achieving equal limb lengths at the end of distraction osteogenesis the injured tibia overgrew by 1–2cm at three years post injury. This would suggest that even in the presence of extensive soft tissue trauma, as seen in these high energy injuries, the increased blood flow associated with metaphyseal corticotomy stimulates epiphyseal activity resulting in overgrowth. The value of stopping adjustments just short of achieving limb length equality to allow for expected overgrowth in the injured tibia merits further investigation.

Introduction: A critical determinant of early dislocation following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is correct positioning of the acetabular component. This challenging aspect of THA has not been lessened by the introduction of more minimally invasive techniques. In this paper we introduce a simple and reproducible technique, which uses the transverse acetabular ligament (TAL) to determine cup orientation. We have used this technique as the sole method of cup orientation in our last 1000 consecutive primary total hips.

Methods: One thousand consecutive patients were studied in order to determine the prevalence of early dislocation (within 3 months) following acetabular component placement determined by reference to the transverse ace-tabular ligament. All patients underwent primary total hip arthroplasty via a posterolateral approach with a posterior repair.

Results: At a minimum follow-up of 9 months (range 9–39 months) 6 of the 1000 hips (0.6%) had dislocated.

Conclusion: Although multiple factors are known to contribute to this rate correct placement of the acetabular component is critical. As our results compare favourably with other published series where a posterior repair has been performed by extrapolation we feel that that the TAL does provide an acceptable method of determining cup orientation. The fact that it is independent of patient position on the table and is easy to locate with a minimally invasive approach makes it an attractive method.

Introduction: Blood loss is a major concern following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) frequently resulting in blood transfusions postoperatively. Various strategies exist to reduce blood loss and allogenic transfusion requirements. This study investigates the effect of immediate postoperative flexion on blood loss and transfusion requirements following TKA.

Methods: 180 consented patients undergoing primary TKA by a single surgeon were enrolled into a prospective randomised controlled study. 90 patients were randomised to have the operated knee nursed in extension postoperatively, and 90 patients to have the knee nursed in flexion for six hours postoperatively. Both groups followed a strict transfusion protocol. Data collected included calculated pre- and postoperative haemoglobin and haematocrit which was used to calculate total blood loss. Units transfused and postoperative complication rates were also recorded.

Results: There was no significant difference in demographics or factors predisposing to bleeding between the groups. The mean total blood loss was 1841mls for those in the extension group compared with 1587mls in the flexion group (p=0.02). The mean number of units transfused in the extension group was 0.78 units/patient compared with 0.36 units/patient in the flexion group (p=0.004). There was no significant difference in pain scores between the groups (p= 0.62).

Conclusion: This study shows that the use of immediate postoperative flexion significantly reduces calculated total blood loss and transfusion rates following TKA.

Patients and Methods: One hundred and fifty patients with pre-operative haemoglobin levels of 13.0g/dl or less were enrolled into a randomised controlled trial comparing the blood saving effect of intravenous tranexamic acid and topical fibrin spray on blood loss following primary total knee arthroplasty.

Those randomly assigned to the Tranexamic Acid group received 500mg intravenously five minutes prior to tourniquet deflation and a repeat dose three hours later. Those assigned to the Topical Fibrin Spray group received 10mls of the combined product intra-operatively. Those in the control group received no pharmacological intervention.

Results: There was a significant saving in total calculated blood loss for those in the topical fibrin spray group (p=0.016) and the tranexamic acid group (0.041) compared with the control group with losses of 1190mls, 1225mls and 1415mls respectively. The increased reduction in blood loss in the topical fibrin spray group was not significantly different to that in the tranexamic acid group (p=0.72).

Objective: To examine the impact of aspirin and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on preoperative haemoglobin levels and perioperative transfusion rates in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Methods: We examined the pre-operative haemoglobin (Hb) and haematocrit (Hct) of a consecutive series of 81 patients, looking at the relationship between the pre-operative use of Aspirin/NSAIDs on preoperative Hb, postoperative Hb deficit and the perioperative transfusion rate. A single surgeon performed all procedures using an LCS TKR (Depuy, Leeds UK). A standardised transfusion protocol was used.

Results: The patients were grouped according to their pre-operative use of aspirin or a NSAID, singly or in combination. The patient groups are as shown in the table below. All groups were comparable for age, BMI and ASA grade.

Results show a significantly higher transfusion rate (p=0.048) in the group of patients who received a combination of aspirin and a NSAID compared to the other groups. The patients on aspirin or a NSAID alone also had an increased transfusion rate but the increase was not statistically significant (p=0.12 and p=0.07 respectively).

Conclusion: The use of both aspirin and an NSAID in combination leads to a lower preoperative Hb and an increased post-operative transfusion requirement following total knee arthroplasty.

Introduction: Potential benefits cited for minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty (THA) include reduced peri-operative blood loss, less post-operative pain, earlier mobilisation and a shortened hospital stay. Sceptics, however, are concerned about the widespread introduction of a new surgical technique in the absence of objective scientific evidence. The ever-increasing pressure on healthcare budgets by an ageing population makes developments in surgical technique that allow earlier mobilisation and reduced length of hospital stay highly desirable. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a minimally invasive technique in THA would result in a reduced length of hospital stay compared to a standard incision of 16cm.

Materials and Methods: 219 patients were randomised to either a minimally invasive (less than or equal to 10cm) or standard (16cm) incision group. Patients were blinded to their incision length. Anaesthetic and post-operative analgesic protocols were standardised. A single surgeon performed all operations using an uncemented cup and a cemented stem. Post-operative physiotherapy was standardised with the physiotherapists also blinded to incision length. Patients were discharged when safely able to transfer and mobilise with a walking aid.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in mean length of stay following surgery. This was 3.65 days (SD 2.04) for the mini-incision group and 3.68 days (SD 2.45) for the standard incision group (p=0.94). 32% of patients (35/110) in the standard incision group were able to go home on day 2 compared to 27% (29/109) in the mini-incision group. Using logistic regression analysis, the patient variables most significantly associated with a probability of discharge within 3 days of surgery were patient age (Wald=33.36, p< 0.0001) and pre-operative haemoglobin (Wald=10.53, p=0.001).

192 patients (88.5%) were discharged to their own homes with the main determinant of discharge to the patients’ own home being the availability of adequate family support.

Conclusion: Total hip arthroplasty performed through a single incision minimally invasive approach does not reduce the length of hospital stay compared to THA performed through a standard incision of 16cm.

Introduction: Surgical injury induces a systemic inflammatory response proportional to the severity of the insult. An appropriate response maintains homeostasis and allows wound healing while an excessive response may trigger an inflammatory cascade resulting in the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Tissue injury results in cytokine release, which in turn stimulates the production of acute phase proteins such as C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, complement C3 and haptoglobin. Serum CRP levels rise following total hip arthroplasty (THA), peaking on the second to third post-operative day. Local effects of the inflammatory response manifest as the cardinal signs of inflammation, which include swelling.

One of the potential benefits cited for minimally invasive THA is reduced soft tissue trauma resulting in less post-operative pain, less swelling and earlier mobilisation. Objective evidence, from well designed prospective studies, for these benefits remains lacking. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a minimally invasive technique in THA results in a reduced acute phase response and reduced post-operative swelling compared to THA performed through a standard incision of 16cm.

Materials and Methods: 219 patients were randomised to either a minimally invasive (less than or equal to 10cm) or standard (16cm) incision group. Patients were blinded to their incision length. Anaesthetic and postoperative analgesic protocols were standardised. A single surgeon performed all operations using an uncemented cup and a cemented stem. Baseline CRP levels were measured pre-operatively and re-measured on the second post-operative day to determine whether there was any difference in the magnitude of the inflammatory response between the two patient groups. Pre-operative measurements were also made of the mid-thigh circumference on the affected side. The mid-thigh circumference was re-measured at 48 hours to assess postoperative swelling.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the mean serum CRP levels at 48 hours, which were 135.7mg/L (SD 51.2) for the mini-incision group and 125.6mg/L (SD 59.4) for the standard group (p=0.20). With respect to post-operative swelling, the mean increase in mid-thigh circumference at 48 hours was 4.3cm for the mini-incision group and 3.7cm for the standard group. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (p=0.30)

Conclusion: THA performed through a single incision minimally invasive approach does not result in reduced post-operative swelling or a reduced acute phase response, as measured from post-operative CRP rise, compared to THA performed through a standard incision of 16cm.

Introduction: The anatomy of the proximal femur is an important factor in the design of uncemented femoral prostheses for which the quality of fixation and the associated bony remodelling depend on the primary stability and optimal transmission of forces to the proximal femur. This study looks at the variation in the diameter of the proximal femur with age and sex in a homogeneous population.

Materials and Methods: We studied standardised pre-operative antero-posterior radiographs of the proximal femur of 2,777 patients who have undergone total hip arthroplasty using a custom implant over a 10 year period. The radiographs were corrected for magnification and a measurement made of the endosteal diameter at the narrowest point of the proximal femur. These measurements were used in the design and manufacture of the custom femoral implant.

Results: Of 2777 patients, 1588 were female and 1189 male. The mean age for females was 69.9 years (Range 30–92) and for males 67.2 years (Range 34–92). The mean proximal femoral canal diameter was 12.67mm for females and 13.36mm for males.

The mean diameter of the proximal femur increased from 12.99mm in males less than 60 years to 13.47mm in those of over 60. This increase was not statistically significant (p-value 0.064, 95% CI). In females there was a statistically significant increase in the mean diameter from 11.38mm in the under 60 age group to 12.90mm in those over 60 ( p-value 0.000, 95% CI).

Conclusions: The increase in the diameter of the proximal femur with age especially in females presents a significant challenge to the design and long-term survivability of uncemented femoral components. This is more so when viewed against the already good long term results available for cemented femoral implants.