Topical diclofenac has proven efficacy and safety in the management of osteoarthritic pain. Its therapeutic efficacy is dependent on its ability to deliver pharmacodynamically active concentrations to the underlying tissues in the affected joint. However, the disposition of topical diclofenac is not fully characterized, and no studies have been performed using diclofenac diethylamine 2.32% gel. This study investigated the penetration of topical diclofenac into knee synovial tissue and fluid and evaluated relative exposure in the knee versus plasma. In this phase 1, double-blind, placebo-controlled steady-state multicenter pharmacokinetic study, patients scheduled for arthroplasty to treat knee OA were randomly assigned 2:1 to 4 g diclofenac/placebo gel, applied to the affected knee every 12 hours for 7 days pre-surgery. Diclofenac concentrations were measured in synovial tissue, fluid, and plasma ≥12 hours after last application. Adverse events (AEs) were evaluated. Diclofenac concentrations were assayed by validated high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry.Introduction
Methods
Revision knee arthroplasty is an increasingly common procedure and can be challenging in the presence of bone defects, ligament instability and soft-tissue deficiencies. Current treatment options in addressing tibial and femoral bone loss in the revision setting include cement, morselised or structural allograft, metal wedges and augments and custom or hinge prosthesis. The aim of this study is to describe our early experience using unique femoral and tibial metaphyseal sleeves as an alternate for dealing with significant tibial and femoral bone loss. Porous stepped metaphyseal sleeves were implanted during twenty revision total knee replacements in eleven men and nine women who had an average age of 73.3 years at the time of the procedure. The indications included aseptic loosening in nineteen cases and second stage reimplantation in one case. Bone defects in tibia and femur were classified intra operatively according to AORI classification. All patients were prospectively followed clinically and radiographically for a mean follow up of sixteen months (range 12-26 months).Introduction
Methods
