Daycase lumbar microdiscectomy surgery is not widely practised in the UK. We studied the outcome of microdiscectomy as daycase or inpatient surgery.

Data collection was by retrospective case-note review of consecutive patients in each group. Inpatients not suitable for daycase surgery were excluded.

There was no significant difference between patient groups in the rate of recurrent prolapse, wound infection, permanent sensory loss, or persistent postoperative pain. Symptoms resolved and patients returned to normal activities equally in both groups.

Fixation of the glenoid component is critical to the outcome of total shoulder arthroplasty. In an in vitro study, we analysed the effect of surface design and thickness of the cement mantle on the pull-out strength of the polyethylene pegs which are considered essential for fixation of cemented glenoid components. The macrostructure and surface of the pegs and the thickness of the cement mantle were studied in human glenoid bone. The lowest pull-out forces, 20 ± 5 N, were for cylindrical pegs with a smooth surface fixed in the glenoid with a thin cement mantle. The highest values, 425 ± 7 N, were for threaded pegs fixed with a thicker cement mantle. Increasing the diameter of the hole into which the peg is inserted from 5.2 to 6.2 mm thereby increasing the thickness of the cement mantle, improved the mean pull-out force for the pegs tested.