The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus physical therapy plus optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in young patients aged under 45 years with traumatic meniscal tears. We conducted a multicentre, open-labelled, randomized controlled trial in patients aged 18 to 45 years, with a recent onset, traumatic, MRI-verified, isolated meniscal tear without knee osteoarthritis. Patients were randomized to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or standardized physical therapy with an optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy after three months of follow-up. We performed a cost-utility analysis on the randomization groups to compare both treatments over a 24-month follow-up period. Cost utility was calculated as incremental costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy compared to physical therapy. Calculations were performed from a healthcare system perspective and a societal perspective.Aims
Methods
Wrist arthroscopy is a standard procedure in hand surgery for diagnosis and treatment of wrist injuries. Even though not generally recommended for similar procedures, general administration of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) is still widely used in wrist arthroscopy. A clinical ambispective dual-centre study was performed to determine whether PAP reduces postoperative infection rates after soft tissue-only wrist arthroscopies. Retrospective and prospective data was collected at two hospitals with departments specialized in hand surgery. During the study period, 464 wrist arthroscopies were performed, of these 178 soft-tissue-only interventions met the study criteria and were included. Signs of postoperative infection and possible adverse drug effects (ADEs) of PAP were monitored. Additionally, risk factors for surgical site infection (SSIs), such as diabetes mellitus and BMI, were obtained.Aims
Methods
This protocol describes a pragmatic multicentre
randomised controlled trial (RCT) to assess the clinical and cost
effectiveness of arthroscopic and open surgery in the management
of rotator cuff tears. This trial began in 2007 and was modified
in 2010, with the removal of a non-operative arm due to high rates
of early crossover to surgery. Cite this article:
We performed a systematic review of the literature to determine
whether earlier surgical repair of acute rotator cuff tear (ARCT)
leads to superior post-operative clinical outcomes. The MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Libraries,
controlled-trials.com and clinicaltrials.gov databases were searched
using the terms: ‘rotator cuff’, or ‘supraspinatus’, or ‘infraspinatus’,
or ‘teres minor’, or ‘subscapularis’ AND ‘surgery’ or ‘repair’.
This gave a total of 15 833 articles. After deletion of duplicates
and the review of abstracts and full texts by two independent assessors,
15 studies reporting time to surgery for ARCT repair were included.
Studies were grouped based on time to surgery <
3 months (group
A, seven studies), or >
3 months (group B, eight studies). Weighted
means were calculated and compared using Student’s Aims
Methods
The October 2012 Wrist &
Hand Roundup360 looks at: osteoarticular flaps to the PIPJ; prognosis after wrist arthroscopy; adipofascial flaps and post-traumatic adhesions; the torn TFCC alone; ulna-shortening osteotomy for ulnar impaction syndrome; Dupuytren’s disease; when a wrist sprain is not a sprain; and shrinking the torn intercarpal ligament.