The purpose of this prospective audit was to assess the efficacy of local infiltration analgesia in relieving postoperative pain following knee replacement surgery. Methods and materials: Data was collected on 61 consecutive patients undergoing knee replacement. They formed 2 groups. Patients in Group I (n=33) had 30 mls of Bupivacaine 0.5%, Ketoralac 30 mg, 0.75ml of adrenaline 1:1000 concentration made up to100mls with normal saline while patients in Group II (n=28) had either patient controlled analgesia (PCA) or regional nerve blocks. The group I patients had the local analgesia cocktail infiltrated into the soft tissues before wound closure. Majority of these patients had spinal anaesthesia supplemented with sedation while some had general anaesthesia supplemented with regional nerve blocks. All the patients were prescribed morphine as rescue analgesia and patacetamol/co-codamol and/or naproxene as supplemental analgesia. Pain was assessed with Numerical Rating Scale (NRS 0 – 10) at 1 hr, 3 hr, 6 hr and 8 hrs post-operatively. Results: The two groups were well matched for age, sex, ASA grade and body mass index. Pain control was generally satisfactory for group I (NRS range 0 – 2) compared to group II (NRS range 0 – 7). Most patients did not require morphine for post-operative pain control in group I (18/27 pts) while additional analgesics were not needed until 6 hours in this group. They were able to mobilise with assistance earlier compared to the other group. Moreover the pain levels as assessed by pain scores were lower with group I patients compared to group II patients. The nursing level of intensity was lower in group I patients as monitoring of PCA was not required compared to group II patients. Conclusion: Local infiltration analgesia is practical, simple and safe procedure with good efficacy in relieving pain after knee surgery. Moreover monitoring levels are reduced relieving nursing staff to concentrate on other duties

Objective. As the aging society progresses rapidly in Japan, the number of elderly patients underwent TKA is increasing. These elderly patients do not expect to do sports, but regain independency in the activity of daily living. Therefore, we measured basic ambulatory function quantitatively using 3m timed up and go (TUG) test. We clinically experienced patient with medially unstable knee after TKA was more likely to result in the unsatisfactory outcome. We hypothesized that post-operative knee stability influenced ambulatory function recovery after TKA. In this study, we evaluated ambulatory function and knee stability quantitatively, and analyzed the effect of knee stability on the ambulatory function recovery after TKA. Materials & Methods. Seventy nine patients with varus type osteoarthritic knees underwent TKA were subjected to this study. The mean age of surgery was 72.4 years old. Preoperative standing coronal deformity was 9.6 degrees in varus. TUG test results in less duration with faster ambulatory function. TUG (seconds) was measured at 3 time periods; pre-operatively, at hospital discharge and 1year after surgery. To standardize TUG recovery time during 1 year after TKA, we defined TUG recovery rate as the percentage of recovery time to the pre-operative TUG as shown in the following equation. TUG recovery rate (%) = (TUG pre-op –TUG 1y po) / TUG pre-op ×100. We also evaluated the knee stability at hospital discharge and 1year after surgery. The knee stability at extension and flexion were assessed by varus and valgus stress radiography using Telos (10kg) and stress epicondylar view with 1.5kg weight at the ankle respectively. Image analyzing software was used to measure joint separation distance (mm) at medial as medial joint opening (MJO) and at lateral as lateral joint opening (LJO) at both knee extension and flexion. (Fig.1). The sequential change of TUG was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA (p<0.05). The influence of joint opening distances (MJO and LJO at extension and flexion) on TUG 1y po and TUG recovery rate were analyzed using simple linear regression analysis (p<0.05). Results. The mean TUGs were 13.4, 13.7 and 10.8 seconds pre-operatively, at hospital discharge and 1 year after TKA respectively. Significant decrease was found at 1 year after surgery. TUG pre-op did not show significant correlation to any joint openings. TUG 1y po was positively correlated with both flexion and extension MJO at hospital discharge. (Fig.2) TUG recovery rate negatively correlated to flexion-MJO at hospital discharge. (Fig.3). Discussions. The most interesting findings in the present study were that both flexion and extension MJO at hospital discharge were positively correlated with TUG 1y po and negatively correlated with TUG recovery rate. This indicated that early post-operative medial stability played an important role in the recovery of ambulatory function. The early post-operative medial instability would cause pain and deteriorate functional recovery after surgery. There is some disagreement regarding the importance of pursuing the perfect ligament balance, which would be more likely to result in medial instability. Consequently, surgeons should prioritize medial stability for better ambulatory functional recovery after TKA

INTRODUCTION. Thorough understanding and feedback of the post-operative implant position relative to the pre-operative anatomy is missing in today's clinical practice. However, three dimensional insights in the local under or oversizing of the implant can provide important feedback to the surgeon. For the knee for instance, to identify a shift in the sagittal joint line that potentially links to mid-flexion instability or to identify zones at risk for soft tissue impingement. Despite a proven inferior outcome, clinical post-operative implant evaluation remains primarily based on bi-planar, static 2D x-rays rather than 3D imaging. Along with the cost, a possible reason is the increased radiation dose and/or metal artifact scatter in computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These detrimental effects are now avoided by using recently released x-ray processing software. This technique uses standard-of-care post-operative x-rays in combination with a pre-operative CT and 3D file of the implant to determine the implant position relative to the pre-operative situation. The accuracy of this new technique is evaluated in this paper using patient cases. Therefore, the obtained implant position is benchmarked against post-operative CT scans. MATERIALS & METHODS. Retrospectively, 19 patients were selected who underwent total knee arthroplasty and received pre- and post-operative CT of their diseased knee. The CT scans were performed with a pixel size of 0.39 mm and slice spacing of 0.60 mm (Somatom, Siemens, München, Germany). All patients underwent TKA surgery using the same bi-cruciate substituting total knee (Journey II, Smith&Nephew, Memphis, USA). Following surgery, standard bi-planar standing x-rays of the operated knee was additionally performed as standard of care. To evaluate the implant position relative to the pre-operative situation, the 3D implants are first positioned on the post-operative CT slices. Using Mimics (Materialise NV, Leuven, Belgium), the pre-operative bone was subsequently automatically matched onto the post-operative scan to identify the implant location relative to the reconstructed pre-operative bone. This has been independently repeated by three observers to assess the inter-observer variability. Second, the post-operative bi-planar x-rays are combined with the reconstructed pre-operative bone and 3D file of the implant. This combination is performed using the 2D-to-3D conversion integrated in the recently launched X-ray module of Mimics. This module uses a contour based registration method to determine the implant and bone position using the post-operative x-rays. For both reconstruction methods, the implant position has been evaluated in six degrees of freedom using an automated Matlab routine; resulting in three translations and three rotations. RESULTS. From the evaluated implant positions, the root mean square error was derived between subsequent measurements. For the CT reconstruction based inter-observer evaluation, the median RMS error for all degrees of freedom is below 1 mm and 1 degree for both the femoral and tibial implant. Comparing the reconstructed CT implant position with the 2D-to-3D reconstruction, the median RMS difference between the implant positions remains below 1 mm and 1 degree except for the distraction/compression component and the internal/external rotation of the component. DISCUSSION. On average, the RMS difference between the 2D-to-3D conversion and the reconstructed post-operative CT exceeds the inter-observer RMS difference obtained using reconstructed post-operative CT. The differences are in line with previous cadaveric studies using the same reconstruction technique. The largest differences are seen for the femoral and tibial internal/external rotation. However, the obtained values are still within reasonable limits according to a recent review by De Valk et al., who reported an inter-observer variation of 3° for the femur and 2° for the tibia. In addition, the 2D-to-3D conversion displays a larger difference for the distraction/compression component. Since a true, golden standard measurement is lacking in our tests, it is not clear whether this error is attributed to the CT imaging or the 2D-to-3D conversion. Given the low inter-observer variation for this degree of freedom, it is hypothesized that this discrepancy is linked to the finite slice spacing for the CT scans. Apart from the obtained accuracy, the use of the 2D-to-3D module has the advantage of significantly reducing the radiation dose with approx. a factor 20. In addition, the imaging procedure needs no more than the standard imaging required by clinical practice

Pyrexia in the post-operative setting has often been associated with a possible systemic or wound infection. We assessed whether there is any justification for our concern regarding post-operative pyrexia following hip arthroplasty and subsequent deep prosthetic infection. Method:. Study 1. An assessment of the clinical outcome of 97 sequential patients who underwent 103 primary hip arthroplasty for primary osteoarthritis replacements. Daily temperature and systemic complications in the post-operative period were recorded. Clinical outcome was measured using an Oxford hip questionnaire. Patients had a mean follow-up of 5.2 years (range 3.5–7.2years). Study 2. A review of postoperative temperature records of 80 patients who had undergone primary total hip replacement. Thirty-one patients had required revision surgery at a mean time interval of 37.2 months (range 5–74 months) for confirmed deep prosthetic infection. The remaining Forty-nine patients were asymptomatic at a mean follow-up of 31.5 months. Results:. Study 1. Post-operative pyrexia of 38 degrees Celsius was present in 51% of patient’s undergoing primary hip replacement in the first post-operative week but in 21.1% no etiological cause could be identified. Clinical outcome measured by an oxford hip questionnaire was not influenced by the post-operative temperature pattern. Study 2. The mean peak temperature on the first post-operative day was significantly lower in patients with deep prosthetic infection then patients with a clinically normal outcome (p=0.01). Conclusion: Post-operative pyrexia is clearly not uncommon following primary arthroplasty and its presence should not be regarded as detrimental. Pyrexia in the post-operative setting is a component of the acute phase response to trauma and study 2 demonstrates patients who develop a low-grade infection following arthroplasty may have diminished febrile response to surgical trauma

Introduction. Acute kidney injury is a recognised post-operative complication in primary joint replacement. Recently it has been demonstrated that antibiotic regimen can significantly impact on the proportion of patients who develop acute kidney impairment post-operatively. Within our unit an increased rate of acute kidney injury had been noted post-operatively over the last 5 years. This increase followed the introduction of a rapid recovery protocol for arthroplasty patients. Our aim was determine whether we could identify a causative factor or those who were at increased risk of post-operative renal impairment. Methods. Data were collected for 413 patients initially retrospectively but continued prospectively. Univariable and multivariable analysis was performed to determine any causative factors. The primary increase was 150% increase in baseline creatinine, but as some authors recognise an increase in 125% this was also analysed. Results. Within the 12 month period studied 23.3% of patients developed acute kidney injury, with an increase of 125% of their baseline creatinine. 8.23% of patients developed an increase of 150% in their creatinine levels. Age, previous renal failure and the pre-operative use of an ACE inhibitor were found to be statistically higher in the renal failure group. The uni-variable analysis also demonstrated that patients who received a small volume of post-operative intravenous fluids had a lower rate of renal failure than those who received no fluids (10% vs. 23%; p = 0.04). The multivariable regression analysis demonstrated that age was the only statistically significant positive predictive factor in developing renal failure. Antibiotic regimen had no effect. Discussion. Renal impairment has significant impact on patient morbidity and post-operative management. It increases the length of stay, and may potentially require more invasive therapy. We have demonstrated that the identified risk factors are non-modifiable but that a gentamicin and teicoplanin regimen was not an implicated causative factor

BACKGROUND. The need for post-operative manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) for stiffness after primary total knee arthroplasty is a frustrating complication that can lead to suboptimal outcomes if range-of-motion to a functional level is not regained. Implant morphology and kinematics, PCL imbalance, and soft-tissue balancing can all contribute to post-operative stiffness. Utilization of total knee arthroplasty components that replicate the native knee's medial ball and socket kinematics may lead to easier maintenance of flexion post-operatively compared to conventional components. PURPOSE. To determine if a medial pivot total knee arthroplasty design can reduce the need for post-operative MUA after primary total knee arthroplasty. METHODS. A retrospective chart review of primary total knee arthroplasties performed between 2013 and 2016 by a single fellowship-trained joint replacement surgeon was performed. Cases that met criteria for inclusion were: primary total knee arthroplasty, identifiable implant based on operative report and/or post-operative radiographs, immediate post-operative passive flexion against gravity of at least 110 degrees, and availability of post-operative follow-up notes documenting range-of-motion that was either satisfactory or necessitating need for MUA. The need for a MUA was deemed necessary if post-operative flexion was not beyond 90 degrees within six weeks of surgery. The percentage of patients requiring MUA for a group implanted with the EVOLUTION Medial Pivot System was compared to a group implanted with all other designs (Stryker Triathlon CR, PS, TS). RESULTS. One hundred fifty-six cases met criteria for inclusion and were reviewed. The Triathlon system was used predominantly in the first half of the study period and accounted for 65 (42%) of the cases performed. Six patients in this group underwent MUA and two patients required repeated MUA. An additional patient in the Triathlon group met the criteria for MUA but had other conditions which prevented the investigators from performing it. The percentage of patients who met the indication for MUA in the Triathlon group was 10.8%. The EVOLUTION system was used predominantly in the second half of the study period and accounted for 91 (58%) of the cases performed. There were two patients (2.2%) who met criteria for MUA and both patients subsequently underwent MUA. There was a statistically significant reduction in the number of patients meeting criteria for MUA in the EVOLUTION group compared with the Triathlon group (p=0.024). CONCLUSION. Utilization of a medial ball and socket design for primary total knee arthroplasty allows the polyethylene implant to control the position of the femur on the tibia. This design possibly allows for improved early maintenance of post-operative flexion, which may minimize the need for post-operative MUA. For any figures or tables, please contact authors directly (see Info & Metrics tab above).

Arthrofibrosis remains a dominant post-operative complication and reason for returning to the OR following total knee arthroplasty. Trauma induced by ligament releases during TKA soft tissue balancing and soft tissue imbalance are thought to be contributing factors to arthrofibrosis, which is commonly treated by manipulation under anesthesia (MUA). We hypothesized that a robotic-assisted ligament balancing technique where the femoral component position is planned in 3D based on ligament gap data would result in lower MUA rates than a measured resection technique where the implants are planned based solely on boney alignment data and ligaments are released afterwards to achieve balance. We also aimed to determine the degree of mechanical axis deviation from neutral that resulted from the ligament balancing technique. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed 301 consecutive primary TKA cases performed by a single surgeon. The first 102 consecutive cases were performed with a femur-first measured resection technique using computer navigation. The femoral component was positioned in neutral mechanical alignment and at 3° of external rotation relative to the posterior condylar axis. The tibia was resected perpendicular to the mechanical axis and ligaments were released as required until the soft tissues were sufficiently balanced. The subsequent 199 consecutive cases were performed with a tibia-first ligament balancing technique using a robotic-assisted TKA system. The tibia was resected perpendicular to the mechanical axis, and the relative positions of the femur and tibia were recorded in extension and flexion by inserting a spacer block of appropriate height in the medial and lateral compartments. The position, rotation, and size of the femoral component was then planned in all planes such that the ligament gaps were symmetric and balanced to within 1mm (Figure 1). Bone resection values were used to define acceptable limits of implant rotation: Femoral component alignment was adjusted to within 2° of varus or valgus, and within 0–3° of external rotation relative to the posterior condyles. Component flexion, anteroposterior and proximal-distal positioning were also adjusted to achieve balance in the sagittal plane. A robotic-assisted femoral cutting guide was then used to resect the femur according to the plan (Figure 2). CPT billing codes were reviewed to determine how many patients in each group underwent post-operative MUA. Post-operative mechanical alignment was measured in a subset of 50 consecutive patients in the ligament balancing group on standing long-leg radiographs by an independent observer. Results. Post-operative MUA rates were significantly lower in the ligament balancing group (0.5%; 1/199) than in the measured resection group (3.9%; 4/102), p=0.051. 91.3% (42/46) of knees were within 3° and 100% (46/46) were within 4° of neutral alignment to the mechanical axis post-operatively in the ligament balancing group. Conclusions. Gap driven femoral based planning in TKA resulted in a significantly lower post-operative manipulation rate than in the measured resection approach, while maintaining acceptable overall alignment to the mechanical axis

Aim. Perioperative hyperglycemia has many etiologies including medication, impaired glucose tolerance, uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (DM), or stress, the latter of which is common to post-surgical patients. This acute hyperglycemia may impair the ability of the host to combat infection. 1. Our study aims to investigate if post-operative day 1 (POD1) blood glucose level is associated with complications, including periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), after total joint arthroplasty (TJA) and to determine a threshold for glycemic control that surgeons should strive for during a patient's hospital stay. Method. A single-institution retrospective review was conducted on 24,857 primary TJAs performed from 2001–2015. Demographics, Elixhauser comorbidities, laboratory values, complications and readmissions were collected. POD1 morning blood glucose levels were utilized and correlated with PJI, as defined by the Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria. The Wald test was used to determine the influence of covariates on complication rate. An alpha level of 0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. Results. The rate of PJI significantly increased linearly from blood glucose levels of 115 mg/dL onwards. We determined that blood glucose (OR 1.004, 95% CI: 1.001–1.006, p=0.001), male gender (OR 1.480, 95% CI: 1.185–1.848, p=0.001), body mass index (OR 1.049, 95% CI: 1.033–1.065, p<0.001), operative time (OR 1.004, 95% CI: 1.001–1.007, p=0.006), length of stay (OR 1.059, 95% CI: 1.038–1.080, p<0.001), post-operative hematocrit (OR 0.751, 95% ci: 0.621–0.909, p=0.003), peripheral vascular disease (OR 1.942, 95% CI: 1.042–3.617, p=0.037), liver disease (OR 2.576, 95% CI: 1.344–4.935, p=0.004), rheumatic disease (OR 1.991, 95% CI: 1.266–3.132, p=0.003), and alcohol abuse (OR 2.588, 95% CI: 1.096–6.110, p=0.030) were associated with PJI. The Youden index was used to determine an optimal blood glucose threshold of 132 mg/dL to reduce the likelihood of PJI. The PJI rate in the entire cohort was 1.59% (1.46% in non-diabetics compared to 2.39% in diabetics, p=0.001). Diabetics did not have an association between blood glucose level and PJI (OR 1.002, 95% CI: 0.998–1.006, p=0.331), although there was a linear trend for postoperative glucose predicting PJI. Conclusions. The relationship between POD1 blood glucose levels and PJI increased linearly, with an optimal cut off of 132 mg/dL. Immediate and strict post-operative glycemic control is critical in reducing post-operative complications, and we demonstrate that even mild hyperglycemia is significantly associated with PJI

The accurate positioning of the total knee arthroplasty affects the survival of the implants(1). Alignment of the femoral component in relation to the native knee is best determined using pre- and post-operative 3D-CT reconstruction(2). Currently, the scans are visualised on separate displays. There is a high inter- and intra-observer variability in measurements of implant rotation and translation(3). Correct alignment is required to allow a direct comparison of the pre- and post-operative surfaces. This is prevented by the presence of the prostheses, the bone shape alteration around the implant, associated metal artefacts, and possibly a segmentation noise. The aim is to create a novel method to automatically register pre- and post-operative femora for the direct comparison of the implant and the native bone. The concept is to use post-operative femoral shaft segments free of metal noise and of surgical alteration for alignment with the pre-operative scan. It involves three steps. Firstly, using principal component analysis, the femoral shafts are re-oriented to match the X axis. Secondly, variants of the post-operative scan are created by subtracting 1mm increments from the distal femoral end. Thirdly, an iterative closest point algorithm is applied to align the variants with the pre-operative scan. For exploratory validation, this algorithm was applied to a mesh representing the distal half of a 3D scanned femur. The mesh of a prosthesis was blended with the femur to create a post-operative model. To simulate a realistic environment, segmentation and metal artefact noise were added. For segmentation noise, each femoral vertex was translated randomly within +−1mm,+−2mm,+−3mm along its normal vector. To create metal artefact random noise was added within 50 mm of the implant points in the planes orthogonal to the shaft. The alignment error was considered as the average distance between corresponding points which are identical in pre- and post-operative femora. These preliminary results obtained within a simulated environment show that by using only the native parts of the femur, the algorithm was able to automatically register the pre- and post-operative scans even in presence of the implant. Its application will allow visualisation of the scans on the same display for the direct comparison of the perioperative scans. This method requires further validation with more realistic noise models and with patient data. Future studies will have to determine if correct alignment has any effect on inter- and intra-observer variability

Introduction. To achieve well aligned and balanced knee is essential for the post-operative outcome in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Gap balancing technique can adjust the bone cut depending on the soft tissue balance in addition to soft tissue releases. Therefore, gap balancing technique would be more advantageous in soft tissue balance comparing to measured resection technique (MRT) in which soft tissue balancing relayed on soft tissue releases alone. Nevertheless, the influence of surgical technique on the post-operative knee stability has not been fully investigated. Objective. We introduced a new surgical technique (medial gap technique: MGT) according to modified gap technique regarding medial knee stability as important. The intra-operative soft tissue balance and post-operative knee stability were compared between MGT and MRT in posterior-stabilized (PS) TKA for varus type osteoarthritic knees. Materials & Methods. Sixty varus type osteoarthritis knees were involved in this study. PS type TKAs (NexGen LPS flexR) were performed using MGT in 30 knees (MGT group) and MRT in 30 knees (MRT group). The extension gap was made in the same manners in both groups. Both femoral and tibial bone cuts were perpendicular to the mechanical axis. Medial soft tissue releases were limited until the spacer block with the thickness corresponding to the resected lateral tibial condyle could be inserted. After extension gap was prepared, OFR-tensorR was used to assess soft tissue balance (center gap, varus angle) at extension and flexion prior to posterior femoral condyle bone resection. Both differences of the center gap and varus angle between at extension and flexion were calculated and used for size selection and external rotation angle of femoral component in MGT. The final joint component gaps were evaluated using OFR-tensorR with both femoral trial in place and patello-femoral joint reduced at 0, 10, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 135 degrees of flexion. Quantitative stress radiographies were performed at 1 month, 6 months and 1 year post-operatively to assess joint stability. Joint opening distance (mm) at both medial and lateral joint compartment were measured with knee extension and flexion. Each parameter was compared between MGT and MRT group using unpaired t-test (p<0.05). Results. Pre-operative factors showed no significant differences between 2 groups. The joint component gaps were significantly larger in MRT group from 45 to 135 degrees of flexion (Fig.1). The joint opening at the lateral compartment was significantly larger than medial at both knee extension and flexion in both groups. The joint openings were significantly larger bilaterally in MRT group comparing to MGT group at both extension and flexion (Fig.2, 3). Discussions. Medial instability has been reported as a possible reason for the persistent knee pain after TKA in the varus knees. We proposed a new surgical technique (MGT) not to deteriorate medial stability and allow lateral looseness in TKA. Post-operative knee stability was superior in MGT group comparing to MRT group from one month to one year after surgery. The difference of the intra-operative soft tissue balance might play an important role on the post-operative knee stability

TKA is one of the most common orthopaedic operations performed worldwide and it is largely successful in pain relief and functional recovery. However, when pain persists post-operatively the thorough evaluation must be instituted. Extra-articular causes of knee pain include; hip pathology, lumbar spine degenerative disease or radicular symptoms, focal neuropathy, vascular disease, and chronic regional pain syndrome. Intra-articular causes of knee pain: infection, crepitation/ clunk, patella osteonecrosis, patella mal-tracking, soft tissue imbalance, malalignment, arthrofibrosis, component loosening, implant wear, ilio-tibial band irritation, and bursitis. Other causes of pain to rule out are component overhang with soft tissue irritation, recurrent hemarthrosis secondary to synovial impingement or entrapment, non-resurfaced patella, and metal sensitivity. A careful history may reveal previous knee surgeries with delayed healing or prolonged drainage, chronology of sign and symptoms, co-morbid medical conditions, jewel or metal sensitivity. Physical exam should help with specific signs in the operated knee. Targeted local anesthetic blocks are helpful and response to lumbar sympathetic blocks determines presence of CRPS. Lab tests are important: ESR, CRP, WBC, aspiration with manual cell count and diff, leukocyte esterase dipstick, RA titers, metal derm patch testing, nuclear scans, CT best for rotational malalignment,, and MARS MRI. More recently patient satisfaction as an outcome measure has shown TKA results not satisfactory in 11 – 18% of patients. A discordance of patient vs. surgeon satisfaction exists so the following factors may help improve this: correct patient selection, establishing and correlating surgeon-patient expectations, peri-operative optimisation of patient comorbidities to help avoid preventable complications, use of pre- and post-operative pathways. Satisfaction rates can best be improved by addressing the previous points with patients prior to TKA surgery

Problems with chondral toxicity caused by prolonged exposure to local anaesthetics have been increasingly recognised. However, day-case hip arthroscopic surgery is frequently carried out using an intraarticular depot of local anaesthetic as post-operative analgesia plus additional opiate or oral analgesia as required. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of three different post-operative analgesic regimes at hip arthroscopy, in particular examining whether intraarticular local anaesthetics gave any benefit. We investigated 71 consecutive patients undergoing day-case hip arthroscopy and prospectively audited their post-operative analgesic requirements. Each patient was given one of three alternative post-operative analgesic regimes. Group A (n=29) received bupivicaine 0.25% 10ml intraarticular and 20ml peri-portal skin infiltration, group B (n=23) had bupivicaine 0.25% 20ml peri-portal skin infiltration only, and group C (n=19) had no infiltration. Outcome measures were visual analogue scores (VAS) at time-points T1 (immediate post-operatively), T2 (one hour post-operatively), T3 (two hours post-operatively), and T4 (four hours post-operatively). Total opiate consumption was also recorded. There was significantly less post-operative pain in group A, compared with group C at T1 (p=0.03) and T2 (p=0.004), and compared with group B at T3 (p=0.02) and T4 (p=0.03). There were no significant differences in VAS between groups B and C at any time-points. Group A used significantly less opiates post-operatively compared with group B (p=0.008) or C (p< 0.001) but there was no significant difference in opiate use between groups B and C. There are no previous studies relating to hip arthros-copy post-operative analgesic requirements. Intraarticular local anaesthetic significantly reduces post-operative pain, but at what cost to the chondral surface? Local skin infiltration of the arthroscopy portals does not significantly alter pain levels or opiate requirements. Avoidance of intararticular local anaesthetic raises opiate requirements. We require improved alternative analgesic regimes

Purpose. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is one of the most successful surgeries with respect to relieving pain and restoring function of the knee. However, some studies have reported that patients are not always satisfied with their results after TKA. The aim of this study was to determine which factors contribute to patient's satisfaction after TKA. Methods. We evaluated 69 patients who had undergone 76 primary TKAs between March 2012 and June 2013, and assessed patient- and physician- reported scores using the 2011 Knee Society Scoring System and clinical variables before and after TKAs. We determined the correlation between patient satisfaction and clinical variables. Results. The mean (SD) pre-operative score was 8.2 (4.9) for symptoms, 11.5 (4.5) for patient's satisfaction, 13.1 (2.2) for patient's expectations, and 35.4 (18.2) for functional activities. The mean (SD) post-operative score was 16.3 (5.0) for symptoms, 20.7 (6.4) for patient's satisfaction, 9.1 (2.3) for patient's expectations, and 47.4 (19.6) for functional activities. We found that physician- reported scores were higher than patient- reported scores, and improvement in patient- reported scores was lower than that of physician- reported scores following TKA. We did not found a correlation between any pre-operative variables including expectation and post-operative satisfaction. Post-operative symptoms (r=0.51, p<0.01) and functions (r=0.39, p<0.01) correlated with post-operative satisfaction. The predictors of patient dissatisfaction after TKA were remaining symptoms and low postoperative activities. Conclusions. Our study demonstrates that to relieve pain and to restore activities is important for increasing patient satisfaction after TKA. The 2011 Knee Society Scoring System allows surgeons to appreciate differences in the priorities of patients with TKA

Background. The accurate positioning of the total knee arthroplasty affects the survival of the implants(1). Alignment of the femoral component in relation to the native knee is best determined using pre- and post-operative 3D-CT reconstruction(2). Currently, the scans are visualised on separate displays. There is a high inter- and intra-observer variability in measurements of implant rotation and translation(3). Correct alignment is required to allow a direct comparison of the pre- and post-operative surfaces. This is prevented by the presence of the prostheses, the bone shape alteration around the implant, associated metal artefacts, and possibly a segmentation noise. Aim. Create a novel method to automatically register pre- and post-operative femora for the direct comparison of the implant and the native bone. Methods. The concept is to use post-operative femoral shaft segments free of metal noise and of surgical alteration for alignment with the pre-operative scan. It involves three steps. Firstly, using principal component analysis, the femoral shafts are re-oriented to match the X axis. Secondly, variants of the post-operative scan are created by subtracting 1mm increments from the distal femoral end (Fig1). Thirdly, an iterative closest point algorithm is applied to align the variants with the pre-operative scan. For exploratory validation, this algorithm was applied to a mesh representing the distal half of a 3D scanned femur. The mesh of a prosthesis was blended with the femur to create a post-operative model. To simulate a realistic environment, segmentation and metal artefact noise were added. For segmentation noise, each femoral vertex was translated randomly within +−1mm,+−2mm,+−3mm along its normal vector. To create metal artefact random noise was added within 50 mm of the implant points in the planes orthogonal to the shaft. The alignment error was considered as the average distance between corresponding points which are identical in pre- and post-operative femora. Results. Figure 2 shows, that when the implant zone is completely ignored, the error reaches a minimum plateau to below 1mm level. Different levels of segmentation noise had low impact on error value. Conclusions. These preliminary results obtained within a simulated environment show that by using only the native parts of the femur, the algorithm was able to automatically register the pre- and post-operative scans even in presence of the implant. Its application will allow visualisation of the scans on the same display for the direct comparison of the perioperative scans. This method requires further validation with more realistic noise models and with patient data. Future studies will have to determine if correct alignment has any effect on inter- and intra-observer variability. For figures, please contact authors directly.

Introduction. Navigation of acetabular component orientation is still not commonly performed despite repeated studies that show that more than ½ of acetabular components placed during hip arthroplasty are significantly mal-positioned and that intra-operative radiographic assessment is unreliable. The current study uses postoperative CT to assess the accuracy of a smart mechanical navigation instrument system for cup alignment. Patients and Methods. Thirty seven hip replacements performed using a smart mechanical navigation device (the HipXpert System) had post-operative CT studies available for analysis. These post-operative CT studies were performed for pre- operative planning of the contralateral side, one to three years following the prior surgery. An application specific software module was developed to measure cup orientation using CT (HipXpert Research Application, Surgical Planning Associates Inc., Boston, Massachusetts). The method involves creation of a 3D surface model from the CT data and then determination of an Anterior Pelvic Plane coordinate system. A multiplaner image viewer module is then used to create an image through the CT dataset that is coincident with the opening plane of the acetabular component. Points in this plane are input and then the orientation of the cup is calculated relative to the AP Plane coordinate space according to Murray's definitions of operative anteversion and operative inclination. The actual cup orientation was then compared to the goal of cup orientation recorded when the surgery was performed using the system for acetabular component alignment. Results. For the thirty seven hips replacements, mean operative anteversion error was 1.1 degrees (SD 3.6, range −5.5 to 8.2). Mean operative inclination error was − 1.7 degrees (SD 3.0, range −8.0 to 5.6). There were no outliers in either anteversion or inclination. Conclusion. The current study demonstrates that the mechanical navigation system produces accurate cup alignment results as measured by post-operative CT and confirms the prior accuracy study performed using 2D/3D matching. This improved accuracy compared to robotic systems may be due to the wide-based nature of the docking mechanism and the elimination of the cumulative errors of registration and tracking inherent to more complex systems

Introduction. Both intra- and post-operative radiographs are traditionally obtained after instrumented lumbar spinal surgery; however the clinical advantage of routine post operative images has not been demonstrated. Aim. To explore the usefulness of routine pre-discharge postoperative radiographs in patients undergoing instrumented spinal surgery. Methodology. Patients (n = 124) who underwent a lumbar spinal fusion were identified from a retrospective database, 58 patients were excluded. Unaltered intra-operative and pre-discharge post-operative PACS images for 66 patients were reviewed and were scored for: i) Quality (0 = non-diagnostic, 1 = suboptimal, 2 = diagnostic, 3 = good quality), ii) Focus (number of vertebra and disc seen), iii) Centering using a numbered (1–9) grid system, and iv) Rotation. Results. 66 radiographs were analysed for i) Quality: 60 AP and 56 lateral intra-operative images while 57 AP and 39 lateral postoperative images were diagnostic, ii) Focus: average number of unnecessary vertebra seen in intra-operative AP and lateral images were 0.89 and 1.09, while on post-operative AP and lateral images were 8.05 and 6.45 respectively, iii) Centering: 48 AP and 51 lateral intra-operative images, while 27 AP and 20 lateral post-operative images were adequately centered and iv) Rotation was adequate in both intra-operative and post-operative images. Conclusion. Intra-operative images scored higher in all parameters suggesting that routine post-operative pre-hospital discharge radiographs are unnecessary unless specifically indicated and this practice should be discontinued with benefits including reduction of radiation dose (and subsequent sequelae), fiscal burden and length of stay

Introduction. In recent years the relationship between hyponatraemia and bone metabolism, falls and fractures has become more established. In this study hyponatraemia was an independent risk factor for increased post-operative mortality on multivariate analysis. Patients/Materials & Methods. This study retrospectively evaluates the prevalence of hyponatraemia (plasma sodium <135 mmol/l) in 3897 patients undergoing operative treatment for hip fracture and the relationship between hyponatraemia and mortality in these patients. Results. Median age at admission was 83 years. Hyponatraemia was present in 19.1% of patients with hip fracture on admission, 29.5% of patients within the first 24 hours post-operatively and 20% of patients at discharge. There was a significant association between hyponatraemia and time from admission to surgery indicating that patients admitted with hyponatraemia waited longer. Median follow-up time was 863 (range 0 – 4352) days. There were 2460 deaths (63.1% of the original 3897 patients) prior to the censor date. A total of 1144 patients (29.4% of the original 3897 patients) died within 12 months following discharge. Median survival following surgery was 39 weeks. Median time to death for patients with and without hyponatraemia on admission was 34 months (SE 1.7months) and 41 months (SE 2.5 months) respectively (p = 0.003). Median time to death for patients with and without hyponatraemia within 24 hours post-operatively was 35 months (SE 2.5 months) and 42 months (SE 1.7 months) respectively (p = 0.004). Following elimination of other independent variables associated with increased mortality, hyponatraemia on admission was associated with an increased risk of death (adjusted HR 1.15, p = 0.005). Post-operative hyponatraemia was also associated with an increased risk of death (adjusted HR 1.15, p = 0.006). Conclusion. Hyponatraemia is common in elderly patients with hip fractures both at initial presentation and during admission and is a potentially reversible cause of increased post-operative mortality

We hypothesized that using the navigation system, intra-operative knee kinematics after implantation measured may predict that post-operative kinematic in activities of daily living. Our aim was to compare intra-operative knee kinematics by a computed tomography (CT)-based navigation system and post-operative by the 2- to 3-dimensional registration techniques (2D3D). This study were performed for 8 patients (10 knees, medial osteoarthritis) who underwent primary PS TKA using CT-based navigation system. The median follow-up period from operation date to fluoroscopic surveillance date was 13 months (range 5 – 37 months). Navigation and 2D3D had a common coordinate origin for components. Medial and lateral femoral condyle anterior-posterior translation (MFT and LFT) were respectively defined as the distance of the projection of the points (which was set on the top of the posterior femoral pegs) onto the axial plane of the tibial coordinate system. Intraoperative kinematics was measured using the navigation system after final implantation and closure of the retinaculum during passive full flexion and extension imposed by the surgeon. Under fluoroscopic surveillance in the sagittal plane, each patient was asked to perform sequential deep knee flexion under both weight bearing (WB) and non-weight bearing (NWB) conditions from full extension to maximum flexion. Repeated two-way ANOVA (tasks × flexion angles) were used, and then post-hoc test (paired t-tests with Boferroni correction) were performed. The level of statistical significant difference was set at 0.05 on two-way ANOVAs and 0.05 / 3 on post-hoc paired t-tests. Mean range of motion between femoral and tibial components were Intra-operative (Intra): 28.0 ± 9.7, NWB conditions: 120.6 ± 11.1, WB conditions: 125.1 ± 12.9°, respectively. Mean ER (+) / IR (−) from 0° to 120° were Intra-operative (Intra): 9.3 ± 10.2°, NWB conditions: 8.1 ± 8.9, WB conditions: 5.2 ± 7.0, respectively. Mean MFT /LFT from 0° to 90° were Intra; 4.4 ±14.8/ 4.2± 8.5mm, NWB; 6.2 ± 6.9 / 9.2 ± 3.1 mm, WB; 9.2 ± 3.5 / 7.4 ± 2.8 mm, respectively. Mean MFT /LFT from 90° to 120° were Intra; −4.4 ± 2.5 / −5.7 ± 2.9 mm, NWB; −5.5 ± 1.8 / −8.2 ± 0.6 mm, WB; −4.0 ± 1.9 / −5.4 ± 2.3mm, respectively. Mean ADD/ABD from 0° to 120° were Intra;-4.2 ± 3.0, NWB; −0.2 ± 2.1, WB; −0.1 ± 0.8, respectively. Repeated two-way ANOVA showed a significant all interaction on kinematic variables (p<0.05). No statistically significant difference at post-hoc test was found in ER/ IR of all tasks and MFT /LFT of Intra vs NWB and Intra vs WB from 0° to 120° (p>0.05 / 3). The Conditions of these tasks were different from each others. Our study demonstrated that intra-operative kinematics could predict post-operative kinematics

Background. Component positioning in total hip arthroplasty (THA) is critical to achieve optimal patient outcomes. Recent literature has shown acetabular component positioning may be inaccurate using traditional techniques. Robotic-assisted THA is a recent platform introduced to decrease the risk of malpositioned components. However, to date, a paucity of data is available comparing the intra-operative component position generated by the navigation system to post-operative radiographs. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to compare the component position measurements of a navigation system, used during robotic-assisted THA, to component position measurements obtained on post-operative radiographs. Methods. Intra-operative component position measurements for acetabular inclination, acetabular anteversion, leg length change, and offset change for 145 patients were recorded. Pre-operative and post-operative radiographs of the same 145 patients were then measured for the same parameters. A comparison of component position provided by the navigation system and radiographic data was then performed. Sub-group analyses of posterior and direct anterior measurements were performed. Results. Correlation between the navigation system and post operative radiographs was within 10° for 95.9% of cases for inclination and 96.6% for anteversion. Correlation within 10 mm of radiographic-measured values occurred in 97.7% of cases for change in leg length and 94.0% for change in global offset. 100% of the cases ended up with radiographic leg length discrepancy of less than 10 mm. Conclusion. The intra-operative component position data obtained from the navigation system utilized during robotic-assisted THA demonstrated correlated well with component position data obtained from radiographs

Objective. The goal of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is to achieve a stable and well-aligned tibiofemoral and patello-femoral (PF) joint, aiming at long-term clinical patient satisfaction. The surgical principles of both cruciate retaining (CR) and posterior stabilized (PS) TKA are accurate osteotomy and proper soft tissue balancing. We have developed an offset-type tensor, and measured intra-operative soft tissue balance under more physiological joint conditions with femoral component in place and reduced PF joint. In this study, we measured intra-operative soft tissue balance and assessed the post-operative knee joint stability quantitatively at one month, six months and one year after surgery, and compared these parameters between CR and PS TKAs. Material and Method. Sixty patients with varus osteoarthritis of the knee underwent TKAs (30 CR TKAs: CR and 30 PS TKAs: PS). Mean varus deformity in standing position was 11.1 degrees in CR, and 12.6 degrees in PS. All TKAs were performed by a single surgeon with measured resection technique. The external rotation of posterior femoral condyle osteotomy was performed according to surgical epicondylar axis in pre-operative CT. We measured intra-operative soft tissue balance using an offset-type tensor with 40 lbs of joint distraction force at 0, 10, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120 and 135 degrees of flexion. The joint component gap (mm) and varus angle (degrees) were measured at each flexion angles. One month, six months and one year after surgery, we evaluated the knee stability at extension by varus and valgus stress radiography using Telos (10kg) and at flexion by epicondylar view with 1.5kg weight at the ankle. We measured joint separation distance at medial as medial joint looseness (MJL) and at lateral as lateral joint looseness (LJL). Intra-operative measurements and post-operative joint stabilities were compared between CR and PS using unpaired t-test. The change of joint looseness in each group was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Result. Joint gap kinematics was different between CR and PS (Fig. 1). Joint component gap in PS were significantly higher than CR from 30 to 120 degrees of flexion. Post-operative MJL and LJL changes are shown in figure 2 with knee extension, and in figure 3 with knee flexion. PS showed significantly higher joint looseness than CR at both extension and flexion at three time periods after surgery. There were no significant post-operative changes in both MJL and LJL in CR and PS TKAs. Discussion. We found significant differences in gap kinematics and also in the one year post-operative joint stability between CR and PS. The different characteristics of the intra-operative soft tissue balance between CR and PS TKAs would be a possible reason for the differences in the post-operative knee stability. Our results suggested that TKAs performed by measured resection technique have significantly higher joint stability with CR TKAs comparing to PS TKAs. These findings would be important issues in choosing prosthesis and surgical technique. Conclusion. With measured resection technique, CR TKAs had more consistent joint gap kinematics and higher joint stability after surgery comparing to PS TKAs