Aims. The aim of this study was to determine whether patients with metal-on-metal (MoM) arthroplasties of the hip have an increased risk of cardiac failure compared with those with alternative types of arthroplasties (non-MoM). Patients and Methods. A linkage study between the National Joint Registry, Hospital Episodes Statistics and records of the Office for National Statistics on deaths was undertaken. Patients who underwent elective total hip arthroplasty between January 2003 and December 2014 with no past history of cardiac failure were included and stratified as having either a MoM (n = 53 529) or a non-MoM (n = 482 247) arthroplasty. The primary outcome measure was the time to an admission to hospital for cardiac failure or death. Analysis was carried out using data from all patients and from those matched by propensity score. Results. The risk of cardiac failure was lower in the MoM cohort compared with the non-MoM cohort (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 0.901; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.853 to 0.953). The risk of cardiac failure was similar following matching (aHR 0.909; 95% CI 0.838 to 0.987) and the findings were consistent in subgroup analysis. Conclusion. The risk of cardiac failure following total hip arthroplasty was not increased in those in whom MoM implants were used, compared with those in whom other types of prostheses were used, in the first seven years after surgery. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2018;100-B:20–7

Aims. Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) demonstrates the most feared complication after total joint replacement (TJR). The current work analyzes the demographic, comorbidity, and complication profiles of all patients who had in-hospital treatment due to PJI. Furthermore, it aims to evaluate the in-hospital mortality of patients with PJI and analyze possible risk factors in terms of secondary diagnosis, diagnostic procedures, and complications. Methods. In a retrospective, cross-sectional study design, we gathered all patients with PJI (International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 code: T84.5) and resulting in-hospital treatment in Germany between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2022. Data were provided by the Institute for the Hospital Remuneration System in Germany. Demographic data, in-hospital deaths, need for intensive care therapy, secondary diagnosis, complications, and use of diagnostic instruments were assessed. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for in-hospital mortality were calculated. Results. A total of 52,286 patients were included, of whom 1,804 (3.5%) died. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, the most frequent comorbidities, were not associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Cardiac diseases as atrial fibrillation, cardiac pacemaker, or three-vessel coronary heart disease showed the highest risk for in-hospital mortality. Postoperative anaemia occurred in two-thirds of patients and showed an increased in-hospital mortality (OR 1.72; p < 0.001). Severe complications, such as organ failure, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), or septic shock syndrome showed by far the highest association with in-hospital mortality (OR 39.20; 95% CI 33.07 to 46.46; p < 0.001). Conclusion. These findings highlight the menace coming from PJI. It can culminate in multi-organ failure, SIRS, or septic shock syndrome, along with very high rates of in-hospital mortality, thereby highlighting the vulnerability of these patients. Particular attention should be paid to patients with cardiac comorbidities such as atrial fibrillation or three-vessel coronary heart disease. Risk factors should be optimized preoperatively, anticoagulant therapy stopped and restarted on time, and sufficient patient blood management should be emphasized. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(4):367–373

Aims. Glucose-insulin-potassium (GIK) is protective following cardiac myocyte ischaemia-reperfusion (IR) injury, however the role of GIK in protecting skeletal muscle from IR injury has not been evaluated. Given the similar mechanisms by which cardiac and skeletal muscle sustain an IR injury, we hypothesized that GIK would similarly protect skeletal muscle viability. Methods. A total of 20 C57BL/6 male mice (10 control, 10 GIK) sustained a hindlimb IR injury using a 2.5-hour rubber band tourniquet. Immediately prior to tourniquet placement, a subcutaneous osmotic pump was placed which infused control mice with saline (0.9% sodium chloride) and treated mice with GIK (40% glucose, 50 U/l insulin, 80 mEq/L KCl, pH 4.5) at a rate of 16 µl/hr for 26.5 hours. At 24 hours following tourniquet removal, bilateral (tourniqueted and non-tourniqueted) gastrocnemius muscles were triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC)-stained to quantify percentage muscle viability. Bilateral peroneal muscles were used for gene expression analysis, serum creatinine and creatine kinase activity were measured, and a validated murine ethogram was used to quantify pain before euthanasia. Results. GIK treatment resulted in a significant protection of skeletal muscle with increased viability (GIK 22.07% (SD 15.48%)) compared to saline control (control 3.14% (SD 3.29%)) (p = 0.005). Additionally, GIK led to a statistically significant reduction in gene expression markers of cell death (CASP3, p < 0.001) and inflammation (NOS2, p < 0.001; IGF1, p = 0.007; IL-1β, p = 0.002; TNFα, p = 0.012), and a significant reduction in serum creatine kinase (p = 0.004) and creatinine (p < 0.001). GIK led to a significant reduction in IR-related pain (p = 0.030). Conclusion. Systemic GIK infusion during and after limb ischaemia protects murine skeletal muscle from cell death, kidneys from reperfusion metabolites, and reduces pain by reducing post-ischaemic inflammation. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(3):212–218

Elevated levels of circulating cobalt ions have been linked with a wide range of systemic complications including neurological, endocrine, and cardiovascular symptoms. Case reports of patients with elevated blood cobalt ions have described significant cardiovascular complications including cardiomyopathy. However, correlation between the actual level of circulating cobalt and extent of cardiovascular injury has not previously been performed. This review examines evidence from the literature for a link between elevated blood cobalt levels secondary to metal-on-metal (MoM) hip arthroplasties and cardiomyopathy. Correlation between low, moderate, and high blood cobalt with cardiovascular complications has been considered. Elevated blood cobalt at levels over 250 µg/l have been shown to be a risk factor for developing systemic complications and published case reports document cardiomyopathy, cardiac transplantation, and death in patients with severely elevated blood cobalt ions. However, it is not clear that there is a hard cut-off value and cardiac dysfunction may occur at lower levels. Clinical and laboratory research has found conflicting evidence of cobalt-induced cardiomyopathy in patients with MoM hips. Further work needs to be done to clarify the link between severely elevated blood cobalt ions and cardiomyopathy. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2021;10(6):340–347

Aims. This study aims to evaluate the impact of metabolic syndrome in the setting of obesity on in-hospital outcomes and resource use after total joint replacement (TJR). Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted using the National Inpatient Sample from 2006 to the third quarter of 2015. Discharges representing patients aged 40 years and older with obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m. 2. ) who underwent primary TJR were included. Patients were stratified into two groups with and without metabolic syndrome. The inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) method was used to balance covariates. Results. The obese cohort with metabolic syndrome was significantly older, more likely to be female, had higher rates of Medicare insurance, and more likely to be non-Hispanic Black than the obese cohort without metabolic syndrome. In the unweighted analysis, patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome were more likely to experience cardiac, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, and postoperative anemia complications, had a longer length of stay, and were less likely to be discharged home compared to obese patients without metabolic syndrome. After adjusting for covariates using IPTW, patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome were more likely to experience postoperative anemia complications only and had lower rates of home discharge, but there were no significant differences in any other complication variables or length of stay. Conclusion. Given the variability of metabolic health in obesity, the development of tailored perioperative protocols and recommendations acknowledging this variability in metabolic health in obese patients would ultimately potentially benefit patients and improve outcomes of TJR. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(10):837–843

Aims. Two-stage exchange revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed in case of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has been considered for many years as being the gold standard for the treatment of chronic infection. However, over the past decade, there have been concerns about its safety and its effectiveness. The purposes of our study were to investigate our practice, collecting the overall spacer complications, and then to analyze their risk factors. Methods. We retrospectively included 125 patients with chronic hip PJI who underwent a staged THA revision performed between January 2013 and December 2019. All spacer complications were systematically collected, and risk factors were analyzed. Statistical evaluations were performed using the Student's t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and Fisher's exact test. Results. Our staged exchange practice shows poor results, which means a 42% mechanical spacer failure rate, and a 20% recurrent infection rate over the two years average follow-up period. Moreover, we found a high rate of spacer dislocation (23%) and a low rate of spacer fracture (8%) compared to the previous literature. Our findings stress that the majority of spacer complications and failures is reflecting a population with high comorbid burden, highlighted by the American Society of Anesthesiology grade, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and Lee score associations, as well as the cardiac, pulmonary, kidney, or hepatic chronic conditions. Conclusion. Our experience of a two-stage hip exchange revision noted important complication rates associated with high failure rates of polymethylmethacrylate spacers. These findings must be interpreted in the light of the patient’s comorbidity profiles, as the elective population for staged exchange has an increasing comorbid burden leading to poor results. In order to provide better results for this specific population, our conclusion suggests that comparative strategy studies are required to improve our therapeutic indication. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(6):485–494

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To map literature on prognostic factors related to outcomes of revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA), to identify extensively studied factors and to guide future research into what domains need further exploration.

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The escalating demand for medical resources to address spinal diseases as society ages is an issue that requires careful evaluation. However, few studies have examined trends in spinal surgery, especially unscheduled hospitalizations or surgeries performed after hours, through large databases. Our study aimed to determine national trends in the number of spine surgeries in Japan. We also aimed to identify trends in after-hours surgeries and unscheduled hospitalizations and their impact on complications and costs.

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To develop prediction models using machine-learning (ML) algorithms for 90-day and one-year mortality prediction in femoral neck fracture (FNF) patients aged 50 years or older based on the Hip fracture Evaluation with Alternatives of Total Hip arthroplasty versus Hemiarthroplasty (HEALTH) and Fixation using Alternative Implants for the Treatment of Hip fractures (FAITH) trials.

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This study aimed to investigate the risk of postoperative complications in COVID-19-positive patients undergoing common orthopaedic procedures.

Objectives. To determine the morbidity and mortality outcomes of patients presenting with a fractured neck of femur in an Australian context. Peri-operative variables related to unfavourable outcomes were identified to allow planning of intervention strategies for improving peri-operative care. Methods. We performed a retrospective observational study of 185 consecutive adult patients admitted to an Australian metropolitan teaching hospital with fractured neck of femur between 2009 and 2010. The main outcome measures were 30-day and one-year mortality rates, major complications and factors influencing mortality. . Results. The majority of patients were elderly, female and had multiple comorbidities. Multiple peri-operative medical complications were observed, including pre-operative hypoxia (17%), post-operative delirium (25%), anaemia requiring blood transfusion (28%), representation within 30 days of discharge (18%), congestive cardiac failure (14%), acute renal impairment (12%) and myocardial infarction (4%). Mortality rates were 8.1% at 30 days and 21.6% at one year. Factors predictive of one-year mortality were American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score (odds ratio (OR) 4.2 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5 to 12.2)), general anaesthesia (OR 3.1 (95% CI 1.1 to 8.5)), age > 90 years (OR 4.5 (95% CI 1.5 to 13.1)) and post-operative oliguria (OR 3.6 (95% CI 1.1 to 11.7)). Conclusions. Results from an Australian metropolitan teaching hospital confirm the persistently high morbidity and mortality in patients presenting with a fractured neck of femur. Efforts should be aimed at medically optimising patients pre-operatively and correction of pre-operative hypoxia. This study provides planning data for future interventional studies. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2013;2:162–8

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Factors associated with high mortality rates in geriatric hip fracture patients are frequently unmodifiable. Time to surgery, however, might be a modifiable factor of interest to optimize clinical outcomes after hip fracture surgery. This study aims to determine the influence of postponement of surgery due to non-medical reasons on clinical outcomes in acute hip fracture surgery.

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The aims of this study were to: 1) report on a cohort of skeletally mature patients with native hip and knee septic arthritis over a 14-year period; 2) to determine the rate of joint failure in patients who had experienced an episode of hip or knee septic arthritis; and 3) to assess the outcome following septic arthritis relative to the infecting organism, whether those patients infected by Staphylococcus aureus would be more likely to have adverse outcomes than those infected by other organisms.

The February 2014 Knee Roundup. 360 . looks at: whether sham surgery is as good as arthroscopic meniscectomy; distraction in knee osteoarthritis; whether trans-tibial tunnel placement increases the risk of graft failure in ACL surgery; whether joint replacements prevent cardiac events; the size of the pulmonary embolism problem; tranexamic acid and knee replacement haemostasis; matching the demand for knee replacement and follow-up; predicting the length of stay after knee replacement; and popliteal artery injury in TKR

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It is unclear whether mortality outcomes differ for patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery who are readmitted to the index hospital where their surgery was performed, or to another hospital.

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Chronic osteomyelitis (COM) of the lower limb in adults can be surgically managed by either limb reconstruction or amputation. This scoping review aims to map the outcomes used in studies surgically managing COM in order to aid future development of a core outcome set.

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The aim of this study was to determine whether early surgical treatment results in better neurological recovery 12 months after injury than late surgical treatment in patients with acute traumatic spinal cord injury (tSCI).

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Although readmission has historically been of primary interest, emergency department (ED) visits are increasingly a point of focus and can serve as a potentially unnecessary gateway to readmission. This study aims to analyze the difference between primary and revision total joint arthroplasty (TJA) cases in terms of the rate and reasons associated with 90-day ED visits.

The February 2014 Research Roundup. 360 . looks at: blood supply to the femoral head after dislocation; diabetes and hip replacement; bone remodelling over two decades following hip replacement; sham surgery as good as arthroscopic meniscectomy; distraction in knee osteoarthritis; whether joint replacement prevent cardiac events; tranexamic acid and knee replacement haemostasis; cartilage colonisation in bipolar ankle grafts; CTs and proof of fusion; atorvastatin for muscle re-innervation after sciatic nerve transection; microfracture and short-term pain in cuff repair; promising early results from L-PRF augmented cuff repairs; and fatty degeneration in a rodent model