The number of arthroplasties being performed
increases each year. Patients undergoing an arthroplasty are at
risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) and appropriate prophylaxis
has been recommended. However, the optimal protocol and the best
agent to minimise VTE under these circumstances are not known. Although
many agents may be used, there is a difference in their efficacy
and the risk of bleeding. Thus, the selection of a particular agent relies
on the balance between the desire to minimise VTE and the attempt
to reduce the risk of bleeding, with its undesirable, and occasionally
fatal, consequences. Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) is an agent for VTE prophylaxis
following arthroplasty. Many studies have shown its efficacy in
minimising VTE under these circumstances. It is inexpensive and
well-tolerated, and its use does not require routine blood tests.
It is also a ‘milder’ agent and unlikely to result in haematoma
formation, which may increase both the risk of infection and the
need for further surgery. Aspirin is also unlikely to result in persistent
wound drainage, which has been shown to be associated with the use
of agents such as low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) and other
more aggressive agents. The main objective of this review was to summarise the current
evidence relating to the efficacy of aspirin as a VTE prophylaxis
following arthroplasty, and to address some of the common questions
about its use. There is convincing evidence that, taking all factors into account,
aspirin is an effective, inexpensive, and safe form of VTE following
arthroplasty in patients without a major risk factor for VTE, such
as previous VTE. Cite this article:
Transfusion after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) has become rare, and identification of causative factors allows preventive measures. The aim of this study was to determine patient-specific factors that increase the risk of needing a blood transfusion. All patients who underwent elective THA were analyzed retrospectively in this single-centre study from 2020 to 2021. A total of 2,892 patients were included. Transfusion-related parameters were evaluated. A multiple logistic regression was performed to determine whether age, BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, sex, or preoperative haemoglobin (Hb) could predict the need for transfusion within the examined patient population.Aims
Methods
This study compared patient-reported outcomes of three total knee arthroplasty (TKA) designs from one manufacturer: one cruciate-retaining (CR) design, and two cruciate-sacrificing designs, anterior-stabilized (AS) and posterior-stabilized (PS). Patients scheduled for primary TKA were included in a single-centre, prospective, three-armed, blinded randomized trial (n = 216; 72 per group). After intraoperative confirmation of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) integrity, patients were randomly allocated to receive a CR, AS, or PS design from the same TKA system. Insertion of an AS or PS design required PCL resection. The primary outcome was the mean score of all five subscales of the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) at two-year follow-up. Secondary outcomes included all KOOS subscales, Oxford Knee Score, EuroQol five-dimension health questionnaire, EuroQol visual analogue scale, range of motion (ROM), and willingness to undergo the operation again. Patient satisfaction was also assessed.Aims
Methods
The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy and safety of carbazochrome sodium sulfonate (CSS) combined with tranexamic acid (TXA) on blood loss and inflammatory responses after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), and to investigate the influence of different administration methods of CSS on perioperative blood loss during THA. This study is a randomized controlled trial involving 200 patients undergoing primary unilateral THA. A total of 200 patients treated with intravenous TXA were randomly assigned to group A (combined intravenous and topical CSS), group B (topical CSS), group C (intravenous CSS), or group D (placebo).Aims
Methods
To compare time dependent functional improvement for patients with medial, respectively lateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) after treatment with opening wedge osteotomy relieving the pressure on the osteoarthritic part of the knee. In all, 49 patients (52 knees) with a mean age of 47 years (31 to 64) underwent high tibial osteotomies (HTO), and 24 patients with a mean age of 48 years (31 to 62) low femoral osteotomies (LFO) with opening wedge technique due to medial, respectively lateral knee OA with malalignment. All osteotomies were stabilized with a Puddu plate and bone grafting performed in the same time period (2000 to 2008). The patients were evaluated by the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) pre-operatively and at six months, and at one, two, five, and ten years postoperatively. The knee OA was graded according to the Ahlbäck and Kellgren-Lawrence radiological scoring systems.Aims
Methods
Complex joint fractures of the lower extremity are often accompanied by soft-tissue swelling and are associated with prolonged hospitalization and soft-tissue complications. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of vascular impulse technology (VIT) on soft-tissue conditioning in comparison with conventional elevation. A total of 100 patients were included in this prospective, randomized, controlled monocentre study allocated to the three subgroups of dislocated ankle fracture (n = 40), pilon fracture (n = 20), and intra-articular calcaneal fracture (n = 40). Patients were randomized to the two study groups in a 1:1 ratio. The effectiveness of VIT (intervention) compared with elevation (control) was analyzed separately for the whole study population and for the three subgroups. The primary endpoint was the time from admission until operability (in days).Aims
Methods
As the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic began to dip, restarting elective orthopaedics became a challenge. Protocols including surgery at ‘green’ sites, self-isolation for 14 days, and COVID-19 testing were developed to minimize the risk of transmission. In this study, we look at risk effects of 14-day self-isolation on the incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in our green site hospital among patients undergoing total joint replacement (TJR). This retrospective cohort study included 50 patients who underwent TJR. Basic demographic data was collected including, age, sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, body mass index (BMI), type of surgery, and complications at two and four weeks. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to identify risk factors associated with an increased risk of VTE.Aims
Methods
To develop and validate patient-centred algorithms that estimate individual risk of death over the first year after elective joint arthroplasty surgery for osteoarthritis. A total of 763,213 hip and knee joint arthroplasty episodes recorded in the National Joint Registry for England and Wales (NJR) and 105,407 episodes from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register were used to model individual mortality risk over the first year after surgery using flexible parametric survival regression.Aims
Methods
The April 2014 Research Roundup360 looks at: scientific writing needed in orthopaedic papers; antiseptics and osteoblasts; thromboembolic management in orthopaedic patients; nicotine and obesity in post-operative complications; defining the “Patient Acceptable Symptom State”; and cheap and nasty implants of poor quality.
To determine the outcomes following revision surgery of metal-on-metal
hip arthroplasties (MoMHA) performed for adverse reactions to metal
debris (ARMD), and to identify factors predictive of re-revision. We performed a retrospective observational study using National
Joint Registry (NJR) data on 2535 MoMHAs undergoing revision surgery
for ARMD between 2008 and 2014. The outcomes studied following revision were
intra-operative complications, mortality and re-revision surgery.
Predictors of re-revision were identified using competing-risk regression
modelling.Aims
Patients and Methods
The October 2015 Research Roundup360 looks at: Wasted implants; Biofilms revisited; Peri-operative anticoagulation not required in atrial fibrillation; Determinants in outcome following orthopaedic surgery; Patient ‘activation’ and outcomes; Neuroplasticity and nerve repair; KOOS Score in predicting injury?
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a major orthopaedic
intervention. The length of a patient's stay has been progressively
reduced with the introduction of enhanced recovery protocols: day-case
surgery has become the ultimate challenge. This narrative review shows the potential limitations of day-case
TKA. These constraints may be social, linked to patient’s comorbidities,
or due to surgery-related adverse events (e.g. pain, post-operative
nausea and vomiting, etc.). Using patient stratification, tailored surgical techniques and
multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia, day-case TKA might be achievable
in a limited group of patients. The younger, male patient without
comorbidities and with an excellent social network around him might
be a candidate. Demographic changes, effective recovery programmes and less invasive
surgical techniques such as unicondylar knee arthroplasty, may increase
the size of the group of potential day-case patients. The cost reduction achieved by day-case TKA needs to be balanced
against any increase in morbidity and mortality and the cost of
advanced follow-up at a distance with new technology. These factors
need to be evaluated before adopting this ultimate ‘fast-track’
approach. Cite this article:
