INTRODUCTION:. Successful tibial component placement during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) entails accurate rotational alignment, minimal overhang, and good bone coverage, each of which can be facilitated with a tibial component that matches the resected tibial surface. Previous studies investigated bony coverage of multiple tibial component families on digitized resections. However, these studies were based on manual placement of the component that may lead to variability in overhang and rotational alignment. An automated simulation that follows a consistent algorithm for tibial component placement is desirable in order to facilitate direct comparison between tibia component designs. A simulation has been developed and applied to quantify tibial coverage in multiple ethnicities, including Japanese, Indian, and Caucasian. Here, this approach is taken to evaluate tibial coverage of five contemporary tibial designs in Chinese subjects. METHODS:. Digital models of 100 healthy Chinese tibiae (50 male, 50 female; age 68 ± 3 years; stature 1.65 ± 0.10 m) were virtually resected at 5° posterior slope referencing the anterior border of the proximal tibia, 0° varus/valgus rotation referencing the tibial mechanical axis, and 8 mm off the unaffected plateau (reflecting a 10 mm surgical cut, assuming a cartilage thickness of 2 mm). Neutral internal/external (I/E) alignment axis was derived from the medial third of the tubercle and the PCL attachment site. Five commercial tibial designs (Design A, Deluxe™, Montagne, Beijing, China; Designs B-E contemporary market-established symmetric designs from four US manufacturers) were virtually placed on the resected tibiae following an automated algorithm, which maximizes component size while ensuring proper rotational alignment (within 5° I/E) and minimizing overhang (<1 mm in zones 1–4, Fig 1). Tibial coverage (posterior notch excluded, zone 5 in Fig 1) and distance from the component to the exterior cortex of the tibia in four clinically relevant anatomical zones (anterior medial, anterior lateral, posterior medial, and posterior lateral, zones 1–4, Fig 1) were calculated. Statistical significance was defined at p < 0.05. RESULTS:. Coverage across designs varied between 75% and 96%. All five designs showed comparable means and standard deviations in tibial coverage (Fig. 2). Although statistically higher coverage was found in Designs D-E than Designs A-C (p < 0.04), the difference in means (86–87% for Designs A-C; 88% for both Designs D-E) was clinically not meaningful (Fig. 2). Design A was found to be slightly (0.67 mm, p = 0.02) farther away from the cortex than Design E in the anterior medial zone; no other significant differences were found for distance to cortex between any of the component designs in any of the anatomical zones (Fig. 3). DISCUSSION:. The data suggests comparable tibial coverage, which may reflect the likelihood for component subsidence clinically, is expected between the six contemporay design investigtated when implanted into Chinese patients. Though subsidence is multifactorial, and is dependent on aspects of implant design and surgical technique beyond just tibial tray shape, these results nevertheless provide initial indicators on the expected rate of subsidence or overhang in Chinese patients for Design A relative to the more established Designs B-E

Introduction:. Adequate coverage of the resected tibial plateau with the tibial tray is necessary to reduce the theoretical risk of tibial subsidence after primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Maximizing tibial coverage is balanced against avoiding excessive overhang of the tray causing soft tissue irritation, and establishing proper tray alignment improving implant longevity and patella function. 1. Implant design factors, including the number of tray sizes, tray shape, and tray asymmetry influence the ability to cover the tibial plateau. 2. Furthermore, rotating platform (RP) tray designs decouple restoring proper tibial rotation from maximizing tibial coverage, which may enhance the ability to maximize coverage. The purpose of the current study was to assess the ability of five modern tray designs (Fig. 1), including symmetric, asymmetric, fixed-bearing, and RP designs, to maximize coverage of the tibial plateau across a large patient population. Methods:. Lower limb computed-tomography scans were collected from 14,791 TKA patients and the tibia was segmented. Virtual surgery was performed with an 8-mm tibial resection (referencing the high side) made perpendicular to the tibial mechanical axis in the frontal plane, with 3° posterior slope, and aligned transversely to the medial third of the tibial tubercle. An automated algorithm placed the largest possible tray on the plateau, optimizing the ML and AP placement (and I-E rotation for the RP tray), to minimize overhang. The largest sized tray that fit the plateau with less than 2-mm of tray overhang was identified for each of the five implant systems. The surface area of the tibial tray was divided by the area of the resected plateau and the percentage of patients with greater than 85% plateau coverage was calculated. Results:. The percentage of patients with greater than 85% plateau coverage across the tray designs ranged from 17.0% to 61.4% (Fig. 1). The tray with the greatest number of size options (Tray 4, 10 sizes) had the best coverage among the fixed-bearing trays. The RP variant of the same tray had the best overall coverage. Tibial asymmetry did not significantly improve the overall tibial coverage across the patient distribution for both asymmetric designs. Incorporating a broader medial condyle improved fit along the posterior medial corner for Tray 2, but increased the average under-hang along the posterior lateral plateau offsetting any improvement in total coverage. Discussion:. This analysis represents the most comprehensive assessment of tray coverage to date across a large TKA-patient population. Large variations exist in the size and shape of the proximal tibia among TKA patients. 3. Developing a tray design which provides robust coverage despite this variation remains challenging. This analysis suggests that tibial asymmetry may not robustly improve coverage. Conversely, incorporating an increased number of tray sizes and utilizing an RP implant to decouple coverage from alignment may provide the most reliable solution for maximizing coverage across the patient population

INTRODUCTION:. Recent trends in total hip arthroplasty (THA) have resulted in the use of larger acetabular components to achieve larger femoral head sizes to reduce dislocation, and improve range of motion and stability. Such practices can result in significant acetabular bone loss at the time of index THA, increasing risk of anterior/posterior wall compromise, reducing component coverage, component fixation, ingrowth surface and bone stock for future revision surgery. We report here on the effects of increasing acetabular reaming on component coverage and bone loss in a radiographic CT scan based computer model system. METHODS:. A total of 74 normal cadaveric pelves with nonarthritic hip joints underwent thin slice CT scan followed by upload of these scans into the FDA approved radiographic analysis software. Utilizing this software package, baseline three-dimensional calculations of femoral head size and acetabular size were obtained. The software was used to produce a CT scan based model that would simulate reaming and placement of acetabular components in these pelves that were 125, 133 and 150% the size of the native femoral head. Calculations were made of cross sectional area bone loss from anterior/posterior columns, and loss of component coverage with increasing size. RESULTS:. Use of acetabular components that were 125, 133 and 150% the size of the native femoral head led to a average loss of 23, 27% and 33% loss of cross-sectional acetabular bone and an average 7, 16 and 27% loss of acetabular component coverage. CONCLUSION:. The CT scan/computer based model described here demonstrates that acetabular preparation and use of large components simply to gain larger femoral head size can result in significant bone loss and reduced component coverage. Operating hip surgeons attempting to utilize such large components must take great caution when attempting to maximize acetabular component size

Dynamic 2D sonography of the infant hip is a commonly used clinical procedure for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) screening. It however has been found to be unreliable with some studies reporting associated misdiagnosis rates of up to 29%. In a recent systematic review, Charlton et al. examined dynamic ultrasound (US) screening for hip instability in the first six weeks after birth and found current best practices for such early screening techniques to be divergent between international institutions in terms of clinical scanning protocols. Such protocols include: the appropriate scanning plane and US probe position (e.g. coronal, transverse, lateral, anterior), DDH diagnostic metrics (e.g. femoral head coverage, alpha angle), appropriate patient age when scanning, and follow up procedures. To improve reliability of diagnosis and to help in standardizing diagnosis across different raters and health-centers, we propose an automated method for dynamically assessing hip instability using 3D US. 38 infant hips from 19 patients were scanned with B-mode 3D US by a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon and two technologists from the radiology department at a paediatric tertiary care centre. To quantify hip assessment, we proposed the use of femoral head coverage variability (ΔFHC3D) within 3D US volumes collected during a sequence of US scans (one at rest, and another with posterior stress applied to the joint as maneuvered during a dynamic assessment). We used phase symmetry image features to localize the ilium's vertical cortex and a random forest classifier to identify the location of the femoral head. The proposed ΔFHC3D provided good repeatability with an average test-retest ICC measure of 0.70 (95% confidence interval: 0.35 to 0.87, F(21,21) = 7.738, p<.001). The mean difference of ΔFHC3D measurements was 0.61% with a SD of 4.05%. Since the observed changes in ΔFHC3D start near 0% and range up to about 18% from stable to mildly unstable hips in this cohort, the mean difference and standard deviation of ΔFHC3D measurements observed suggest that the proposed metric and technique likely have sufficient resolution and repeatability to quantify differences in hip laxity. The long-term significance of this approach to evaluating dynamic assessments may lie in increasing early diagnostic accuracy in order to prevent dysplasia remaining undetected prior to manifesting itself in early adulthood joint disease

Introduction. Several reports demonstrated the overcoverage of the anterior acetabulum. Anterior CE angle over 46°may be a probable risk factor for pincer FAI syndrome after a rotational acetabular osteotomy. In addition, a highly anteverted femoral neck, reported as a risk factor for posterior impingement, has been found in DDH patients. These findings indicate proper acetabular reorientation is essential to avoid anterior or posterior impingement after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between acetabular three-dimensional (3D) alignment reorientation and clinical range of motion (ROM) after periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). Methods. A total of 53 patients who underwent curved PAO (CPO) for DDH from January 2014 to April 2017 were selected. Three (5.7%) of them were lost to follow-up. Therefore, the data from 58 hips, contributed by 50 patients (44 women and 6 men), were included in the analysis. Pre- and postoperative computed tomography (CT) scans from the pelvis to the knee joint were performed and transferred to a 3D template software (Zed Hip; Lexi, Tokyo, Japan). The pelvic plane axis was defined according to the functional pelvic plane. The pre- and postoperative lateral and anterior 3D center-edge (CE) angles were measured on the coronal and sagittal views through the center of the femoral head. The pre- and postoperative 3D center-edge (CE) angles and femoral anteversion were measured and compared with clinical outcomes, including postoperative ROM. Results. The radiographical outcomes of our study are demonstrated in Figure 1. The mean values of pre- and postoperative lateral CE angles were 12.6º±8.7 and 30.2º±9.7, respectively (p<0.001), and mean pre- and postoperative anterior CE angles were 42.4º±15.3 and 63.9º±12.1, respectively (p<0.001). Both CE angles were significantly improved. The correlation between pre- and postoperative acetabular coverage and postoperative ROM was evaluated. Postoperative abduction and internal rotation ROM were significantly associated with postoperative lateral CE angles (abduction; p < 0.001, internal rotation; p = 0.028); flexion and internal rotation ROM was significantly associated with postoperative anterior CE angles (flexion; p < 0.001, internal rotation; p = 0.028). Femoral anteversion was negatively correlated with postoperative abduction (p = 0.017) and external rotation (p = 0.047) ROM (Table 1). Postoperative abduction ROM was strongly positively correlated with femoral anteversion, whereas postoperative external rotation was strongly negatively correlated (Table 2). The total anteversion was strongly correlated with pre- or postoperative ROMs during flexion and internal rotation ROM (Table 2). Conclusion. Postoperativeanterior acetabular coverage may affect internal rotation ROM more than the lateral coverage. Therefore, the direction of acetabular reorientation should be carefully determined according to 3D alignment during PAO. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

Introduction. The goal of tibial tray placement in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is to maximize tibial surface coverage while maintaining proper rotation. Maximizing tibial surface coverage without component overhang reduces the risk of tibial subsidence. Proper tibial rotation avoids excess risk of patellar maltracking, knee instability, inappropriate tibial loading, and ligament imbalance. Different tibial tray designs offer varying potential in optimizing the relationship between tibial surface coverage and rotation. Patient specific instrumentation (PSI) generates customized guides from an MRI- or CT-based preoperative plan for use in TKA. The purpose of the present study was to utilize MRI information, obtained as part of the PSI planning process, to determine, for anatomic, symmetric, and asymmetric tibial tray designs, (1) which tibial tray design achieves maximum coverage, (2) the impact of maximizing coverage on rotation, and (3) the impact of establishing neutral rotation on coverage. Methods. In this prospective comparative study, MR images for 100 consecutive patients were uploaded into Materialise™ PSI software that was used to evaluate characteristics of tibial component placement. Tibial component rotation and surface coverage was analyzed using the preoperative planning software. Anatomic (Persona™), symmetric (NexGen™), and asymmetric (Natural-Knee II™) designs from a single manufacturer (Zimmer™) were evaluated to assess the relationship of tibial coverage and tibial rotation. Tibial surface coverage, defined as the proportion of tibial surface area covered by a given implant, was measured using Adobe Photoshop™ software (Figure 1). Rotation was calculated with respect to the tibial AP axis, which was defined as the line connecting the medial third of the tibial tuberosity and the PCL insertion. Results. When tibial surface coverage was maximized, the anatomic tray compared to the symmetric/asymmetric trays showed significantly higher surface coverage (82.1% vs 80.4/80.1%; p<0.01), significantly less deviation from the AP axis (0.3° vs 3.0/2.4°; p<0.01), and a significantly higher proportion of cases within 5° of the AP axis (97% vs 73/77%). When constraining rotation to the AP axis, the anatomic tray showed significantly higher surface coverage compared to the symmetric/asymmetric trays (80.8% vs 76.3/75.8%; p<0.01). No significant differences were found between symmetric and asymmetric trays. Discussion. We found that the anatomic tibial tray resulted in significantly higher tibial coverage with significantly less deviation from the AP axis compared to the symmetric and asymmetric trays. When rotation was constrained to the AP axis, the anatomic tray resulted in significantly higher tibial coverage than the symmetric and asymmetric trays. Tibial rotation is recognized as an important factor in the success of a total knee replacement. Maximizing coverage with the least compromise in rotation is the goal for tibial tray design. In this study, the anatomic tibia seemed to optimize the relationship between tibial surface coverage and rotation. This study additionally illustrates the way by which advanced preoperative planning tools (ie. MRI/computer reconstructions) allow us to obtain valuable information with regard to implant design

Introduction:. Tibial component fit, specifically significant overhang of tibial plateau or underhang of cortical bone, can lead to pain, loosening and subsidence. The purpose was to utilize morphometric data to compare size, match, and fit between patient specific and incrementally sized standard unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) implants. Methods:. CT images of 20 medial UKA knees and 10 lateral UKA knees were retrospectively reviewed. Standard and patient-specific implants were modeled in CAD, utilizing sizing templates and patient-specific CAD Designs. Virtual surgery maximized coverage of tibial plateau while minimizing implant overhang. Tibial plateau implant coverage was evaluated for fit and incidence of overhang/undercoverage. RESULTS:. Patient specific implants provided significantly greater cortical rim coverage versus incrementally sized standard implants, 77% v. 43% (range 41–46%) respectively medially (p < 0.0001) and 60% v. 37% (range 29–41%) laterally (p < 0.0001). Patient-specific and standard implants' arc length were evaluated for percent of implant edge on cortical bone, 84% v. 55% (range 48–59%) medially (p < 0.0001) and 79% v. 57% (range 53–60%) laterally (p < 0.0001). Average amount of overhang/undercoverage of cortical rim area differed in patient-specific and standard implants: 0.24 mm v. 0.46 mm maximum overhang, (p = 0.043); 0.87 mm vs. 3.01 mm maximum undercoverage medially (p < 0.0001); 0.14 mm vs. 0.59 mm maximum overhang, (p = 0.05); 1.19 mm vs. 2.26 mm maximum undercoverage laterally (p = 0.017). Anterior overhang yielded 25 −75% and 30–80% of medial and lateral implants respectively in standard implant group; no overhang in patient-specific implant group. Conclusions:. Tibial plateau anatomy variability produces difficulty optimizing coverage and preventing significant implant overhang/undercoverage with standard unicompartmental implants. Using virtual implantation, standard implants were undersized to avoid overhang. However, we encountered significantly more overhang in standard implants versus patient specific cohort. This study removed variability matching tibial tray and femoral standard group implant placement. Patient-specific implants provide superior cortical bone coverage and fit while minimizing issues of overhang and undercoverage seen in standard implants

The goal of tibial tray placement in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is to maximise tibial surface coverage while maintaining proper rotation. Maximising tibial surface coverage without component overhang reduces the risk of tibial subsidence. Proper tibial rotation avoids excess risk of patellar maltracking, knee instability, inappropriate tibial loading, and ligament imbalance. Different tibial tray designs offer varying potential in optimising the relationship between tibial surface coverage and rotation. Patient specific instrumentation (PSI) generates customised guides from an MRI- or CT-based preoperative plan for use in TKA. The purpose of the present study was to utilise MRI information, obtained as part of the PSI planning process, to determine, for anatomic, symmetric, and asymmetric tibial tray designs, (1) which tibial tray design achieves maximum coverage, (2) the impact of maximising coverage on rotation, and (3) the impact of establishing neutral rotation on coverage. MR images for 100 consecutive patients were uploaded into Materialise™ PSI software that was used to evaluate characteristics of tibial component placement. Tibial component rotation and surface coverage was analysed using the preoperative planning software. Anatomic (Persona™), symmetric (NexGen™), and asymmetric (Natural-Knee II™) designs from a single manufacturer (Zimmer™) were evaluated to assess the relationship of tibial coverage and tibial rotation. Tibial surface coverage, defined as the proportion of tibial surface area covered by a given implant, was measured using Adobe Photoshop™ software. Rotation was calculated with respect to the tibial AP axis, which was defined as the line connecting the medial third of the tibial tuberosity and the PCL insertion. When tibial surface coverage was maximised, the anatomic tray compared to the symmetric/asymmetric trays showed significantly higher surface coverage (82.1% vs 80.4/80.1%; p<0.01), significantly less deviation from the AP axis (0.3° vs 3.0/2.4°; p<0.01), and a significantly higher proportion of cases within 5° of the AP axis (97% vs 73/77%). When constraining rotation to the AP axis, the anatomic tray showed significantly higher surface coverage compared to the symmetric/asymmetric trays (80.8% vs 76.3/75.8%; p<0.01). No significant differences were found between symmetric and asymmetric trays. We found that the anatomic tibial tray resulted in significantly higher tibial coverage with significantly less deviation from the AP axis compared to the symmetric and asymmetric trays. When rotation was constrained to the AP axis, the anatomic tray resulted in significantly higher tibial coverage than the symmetric and asymmetric trays. Tibial rotation is recognised as an important factor in the success of a total knee replacement. Maximising coverage with the least compromise in rotation is the goal for tibial tray design. In this study, the anatomic tibia seemed to optimise the relationship between tibial surface coverage and rotation. This study additionally illustrates the way by which advanced preoperative planning tools (ie. MRI/computer reconstructions) allow us to obtain valuable information with regard to implant design

We sought to evaluate the impact of a dedicated weekly ortho-plastics operating list on our ability to provide definitive soft tissue cover of open lower limb fractures within 72 hours. We reviewed all open lower limb fractures at our centre before and after the introduction of an ortho-plastics list to determine whether definitive soft tissue coverage was achieved within 72 hours. There were 23 open lower limb fractures at our centre in 2012 before the introduction of the ortho-plastics operating list of which only 7 (30%) had definitive soft tissue coverage within 72 hours. We hypothesised that the main reason for this was not patient or injury related factors but rather the logistical difficulties of coordinating theatre time on a routine trauma list with senior orthopaedic and plastic surgeon availability. To test this hypothesis we re-audited our time to soft tissue cover six months after the introduction of the ortho-plastics list and 70% of cases achieved coverage within 72 hours. Achieving definitive soft tissue coverage of open lower limb fractures within 72 hours of injury is a challenge. A dedicated weekly ortho-plastics operating list significantly improves our ability to deliver this service

Aim. Decubitus ulcers are found in approximately 4.7% of hospitalized patients, with a higher prevalence (up to 30%) among those with spinal cord injuries. These ulcers are often associated with hip septic arthritis and/or osteomyelitis involving the femur. Girdlestone resection arthroplasty is a surgical technique used to remove affected proximal femur and acetabular tissues, resulting in a substantial defect. The vastus lateralis flap has been employed as an effective option for managing this dead space. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of this procedure in a consecutive series of patients. Method. A retrospective single-center study was conducted from October 2012 to December 2022, involving 7 patients with spinal cord injuries affected by chronic severe septic hip arthritis and/or femoral head septic necrosis as a consequence of decubitus ulcers over trochanter area. All patients underwent treatment using a multidisciplinary approach by the same surgical team (orthopedic and plastic surgeons) along with infectious disease specialists. The treatment consisted of a one-stage procedure combining Girdlestone resection arthroplasty with unilateral vastus lateralis flap reconstruction, alongside targeted antibiotic therapy. Complications and postoperative outcomes were assessed and recorded. The mean follow-up period was 8 years (range 2-12). Results. Of the 7 patients, 5 were male and 2 were female, with a mean age of 50.3 years at the time of surgery. Minor wound dehiscence occurred in 28.6% of the flap sites, and 2 patients required additional revisional procedures—one for hematoma and the other for bleeding. There were no instances of flap failure, and complete wound healing was achieved in an average of 32 days (range 20-41), with the ability to load over the hip area. No cases of infection recurrence or relapse were observed. Conclusions. An aggressive surgical approach is strongly recommended for managing chronic hip septic arthritis or proximal femur osteomyelitis in patients with spinal cord injuries. A single-stage procedure combining Girdlestone resection arthroplasty with immediate vastus lateralis muscle flap reconstruction proves to be an effective strategy for dead space management and localized antibiotic delivery through the vastus muscle, giving reliable soft tissue coverage around the proximal femur to avoid the recurrence of pressure ulcers. The implementation of a standardized multidisciplinary protocol contributes significantly to the success of reconstruction efforts

AIM. Tibial component design has be been scrutinized in a number of studies in an attempt to improve tibial coverage in total knee arthroplasty. However, very few have controlled for both component rotation and resultant changes to posterolateral tibial tray overhang and posteromedial underhang. We hypothesize that asymmetrical tibial components can provide greater coverage than symmetrical trays without increasing overhang. METHODS. The 6 most commonly used tibial trays on the Australian Joint Registry (2009) were superimposed on MRI slices of normal knees to assess tibial component overhang, underhang and percent coverage. Rotational alignment in this analysis was based upon the line joining the junciton of the medial and middle 1/3 of the patellar tendon and the PCL insertion. RESULTS. The popliteus tendon was on average 1 mm from the posterior tibial cortex. Only 28.2% of all tibial trays showed optimal posterolateral fit and 48.8% were oversized enough to cause popliteus impingement. NexGen symmetric tray had the largest number of optimally fitting trays on the posterolateral corner (33.7%, the difference was significant against the Genesis II and Triathlon only). The asymmetric Genesis II had the largest percentage of overhang greater than 1 mm. All 6 tray designs had over 80% tibial bone coverage. The Genesis II had the greatest amount of coverage at 88% (paired t test, p<0.001 for each comparison). CONCLUSION. Asymmetric trays in the analysis appear to offer improved bone coverage at the expense of tray overhang when compared to symmetric tray designs thus rejecting our hypothesis

Background

Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are endemic in hospitals throughout Ireland and present a major concern in hospital hygiene causing significant morbidity, mortality and imposing a significant financial burden. This is particularly true in the field of orthopaedic surgery where a nosocomial MRSA infection can prove catastrophic to a patient's recovery from surgery. Much has been made of the possibility of healthcare workers acting as vectors for the transmission of MRSA and other pathogenic bacteria in the hospital setting. This focus has led to the implementation of strict hand decontamination policies in hospitals in order to counter the possibility of staff - patient transmission of such bacteria. Investigations have also attempted to assess the bacterial contamination of work uniforms such as white coats, ties and scrubs. An area that has been generally overlooked however, is the assessment of the bacterial contamination some of the most commonly handled items of many healthcare workers, namely pagers and mobile phones. In this study we aimed to assess the potential for these items to act as reservoirs for MRSA contamination and thus propagate its transmission in the hospital setting.

Total shoulder arthroplasty implants have evolved to include more anatomically shaped components that replicate the native state. The geometry of the humeral head is non-spherical, with the sagittal diameter of the base of the head being up to 6% (or 2.1-3.9 mm) larger than the frontal diameter. Despite this, many TSA humeral head implants are spherical, meaning that the diameter must be oversized to achieve complete coverage, resulting in articular overhang, or portions of the resection plane will remain uncovered. It is suspected that implant-bone load transfer between the backside of the humeral head and the cortex on the resection plane may yield better load-transfer characteristics if resection coverage was properly matched without overhang, thereby mitigating proximal stress shielding. Eight paired cadaveric humeri were prepared for reconstruction with a short stem total shoulder arthroplasty by an orthopaedic surgeon who selected and prepared the anatomic humeral resection plane using a cutting guide and a reciprocating sagittal saw. The humeral head was resected, and the resulting cortical boundary of the resection plane was digitized using a stylus and an optical tracking system with a submillimeter accuracy (Optotrak,NDI,Waterloo,ON). A plane was fit to the trace and the viewpoint was transformed to be perpendicular to the plane. To simulate optimal sizing of both circular and elliptical humeral heads, both circles and ellipses were fit to the filtered traces using the sum of least squares error method. Two extreme scenarios were also investigated: upsizing until 100% total coverage and downsizing until 0% overhang. Total resection plane coverage for the fitted ellipses was found to be 98.2±0.6% and fitted circles was 95.9±0.9%Cortical coverage was found to be 79.8 ±8.2% and 60.4±6.9% for ellipses and circles respectively. By switching to an ellipsoid humeral head, a small 2.3±0.3% (P < 0.001) increase in total coverage led to a 19.5±1.3%(P < 0.001) increase in cortical coverage. The overhang for fitted ellipses and circles was 1.7 ±0.7% and 3.8 ±0.8% respectively, defined as a percentage of the total enclosed area that exceeded the bounds of the humerus resections. Using circular heads results in 2.0 ±0.1% (P < 0.001) greater overhang. Upsizing until 100% resection coverage, the ellipse produced 5.4 ±3.5% (P < 0.001) less overhang than the circle. When upsizing the overhang increases less rapidly for the ellipsoid humeral head that the circular one (Figure 1). Full coverage for the head is achieved more rapidly when up-sizing with an ellipsoid head as well. Downsizing until 0% overhang, total coverage and cortical coverage were 7.5 ±2.8% (P < 0.001) and 7.9 ±8.2% (P = 0.01) greater for the ellipse, respectively. Cortical coverage exhibits a crossover point at −2.25% downsizing, where further downsizing led to the circular head providing more cortical coverage. Reconstruction with ellipsoids can provide greater total resection and cortical coverage than circular humeral heads while avoiding excessive overhang. Elliptical head cortical coverage can be inferior when undersized. These initial findings suggest resection-matched humeral heads may yield benefits worth pursuing in the next generation of TSA implant design. For any figures or tables, please contact the authors directly

Background. Acute soft tissue defects (wound dehiscence or necrosis) after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may be the cause of the devasting complication of deep infection. When a medium (4–6cm) defect is present, in patellar or infra-patellar localization, a medial hemi-gastrocnemius flap is widely used to cover it, because of its low morbidity and high functional results. Normally, this coverage is not associated to a debridement, antibiotics and implant retention surgery (DAIR). When facing this situation, we should consider associating to the coverage treatment, like muscle flap, a DAIR procedure, in order to treat the possible acute infection, even when the diagnosis of infection is not clear. We could not find any studies comparing the benefice of this association in the same surgical act to isolated treatment of soft tissue defects. Our hypothesis was that when a TKA surgical wound defect is present, the risk of an acute infection is elevated and the patient would benefit from a muscle flap with DAIR procedure and polyethylene exchange. Methods. We performed a retrospective study to compare TKA infection clearance in patients with DAIR and flap in the same surgical act against those who received an isolated flap procedure for soft tissue coverage after an acute surgical wound defect. Patients were identified from a prospectively collated TKA database. Between 2005 and 2021, 19 patients met our inclusion criteria. A medial hemi-gastrocnemius flap was performed in 15 patients (78%). Healing or TKA infection clearance was defined as the presence of the original prosthesis after soft tissue coverage intervention, no need of DAIR after soft tissue coverage or no suppressive antibiotic treatment. Results. We obtained two groups. The first one, included those patients who had received the association of DAIR with polyethylene exchange and Flap (n=12). The other group included those who had received an isolated flap (n=7). We did not find differences in comorbidities and risk factors between both groups. In the combination treatment group 66,6% patients healed after treatment. In the other group, these favourable results decrease to 42,9%. Even though results were better in the combination treatment group, no significant differences were found. Conclusion. Although no significant statistical differences were found, probably due to small sample, the association of DAIR with polyethylene exchange and muscle flap is recommended in the coverage over an acute dehiscence or necrosis after TKA. More studies, with bigger sample are needed to extrapolate results in general population

Introduction. Lower limb open fractures are severe injuries, with a joint orthoplastic approach for management recommended by BOAST. An initial audit highlighted a discrepancy in time to definitive wound coverage between the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH), which at the time was not an orthoplastic centre, and the Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) which was. Our aim was to perform a secondary audit to identify if the introduction of an orthoplastic service at the QEUH led to a reduction in time to definitive wound coverage. Materials and Methods. Forty-six patients with open lower limb fractures treated at the QEUH in 2019 following introduction of the orthoplastic service were identified. Management including time to antibiotics and wound coverage, and rates of complication were compared with previous audit data. Results. Days to washout was similar between the second cohort of QEUH patients and the first (p=0.522), as was days to definitive management without plastics input (p=0.143). When plastics input was required, there was a reduction in days to wound coverage in the second cohort of QEUH patients compared to the first (3 days vs 8.5 days; p=0.002), and a similar time if compared to the GRI cohort (p=0.778). Conclusions. Time to definitive wound coverage was reduced in those that required plastics input in the second cohort of QEUH patients, with a similar time to that of the original GRI cohort. The QEUH now displays improved concordance with the BOAST guidelines, with definite wound coverage on average occurring within 72 hours

Aim. Successful management of native Joint septic arthritis (SA) hinges on the timely initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy coupled with thorough joint debridement. Since 2018 we have implemented a protocol for empirical antibiotic in patients with suspected SA recommending amoxicillin/clavulanate (and cotrimoxazole in cases of beta-lactams allergy) based on local flora. Nevertheless we have recently found that institutional compliance to the protocol is only about 50% and many physicians are still choosing alternative wider spectrum regimens. The aim of this study is to assess whether current clinical and epidemiological characteristics of patients treated for this condition justify an update or whether previous recommendations are still valid. Method. All adult patients admitted to our institution with suspected SA between 2018-2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Data was collected from electronic medical records and then compared to similar data previously collected concerning the 2009-2017 period (that served as a basis for the aforementioned protocol). Results. A summary of available data from both time periods can be found in table 1. Overall, among the 35 patients with positive microbiology treated between 2018-2022, amoxicillin/clavulanate is appropriate for 30 (86%) of isolates (vs 88% in historic control). Analysing the whole cohort, we found that previous contact with healthcare services (hospital admission or prolonged ER stay) (p=0.0044) and antibiotic treatment for any infection (p= 0.0213) in the previous six months correlate with resistance to amoxicillin/clavulanate. In these patients, the proposed alternative cotrimoxazole is effective in 77% of cases. Conclusions. The institutional guideline for empirical antibiotic therapy in native joint SA remains adequate and there seems to be no justification to deviate from protocol except in cases of patients admitted to the hospital or antibiotic treatment in the previous six months. In these cases methicillin-resistance coverage is probably appropriate. Pseudomonal coverage is seldom required in SA. For any tables or figures, please contact the authors directly

Excessive resident duty hours (RDH) are a recognized issue with implications for physician well-being and patient safety. A major component of the RDH concern is on-call duty. While considerable work has been done to reduce resident call workload, there is a paucity of research in optimizing resident call scheduling. Call coverage is scheduled manually rather than demand-based, which generally leads to over-scheduling to prevent a service gap. Machine learning (ML) has been widely applied in other industries to prevent such issues of a supply-demand mismatch. However, the healthcare field has been slow to adopt these innovations. As such, the aim of this study was to use ML models to 1) predict demand on orthopaedic surgery residents at a level I trauma centre and 2) identify variables key to demand prediction. Daily surgical handover emails over an eight year (2012-2019) period at a level I trauma centre were collected. The following data was used to calculate demand: spine call coverage, date, and number of operating rooms (ORs), traumas, admissions and consults completed. Various ML models (linear, tree-based and neural networks) were trained to predict the workload, with their results compared to the current scheduling approach. Quality of models was determined by using the area under the receiver operator curve (AUC) and accuracy of the predictions. The top ten most important variables were extracted from the most successful model. During training, the model with the highest AUC and accuracy was the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) model, with an AUC of 0.78±0.03 and accuracy of 71.7%±3.1%. During testing, the model with the highest AUC and accuracy was the neural network model, with an AUC of 0.81 and accuracy of 73.7%. All models were better than the current approach, which had an AUC of 0.50 and accuracy of 50.1%. Key variables used by the neural network model were (descending order): spine call duty, year, weekday/weekend, month, and day of the week. This was the first study attempting to use ML to predict the service demand on orthopaedic surgery residents at a major level I trauma centre. Multiple ML models were shown to be more appropriate and accurate at predicting the demand on surgical residents as compared to the current scheduling approach. Future work should look to incorporate predictive models with optimization strategies to match scheduling with demand in order to improve resident well being and patient care

Aim. Pin site infection (PSI) is a common complication of external fixators. PSI usually presents as a superficial infection which is treated conservatively. This study investigated those rare cases of PSI requiring surgery due to persistent osteomyelitis (OM), after pin removal. Method. In this retrospective cohort study we identified patients who required surgery for an OM after PSI (Checketts-Otterburn Classification Grade 6) between 2011 and 2021. We investigated patient demographics, aetiology of the OM, pathogen and histology, treatment strategies and complications. Infection was confirmed using the 2018 FRI Consensus Definition. Successful outcome was defined as an infection-free interval of at least 24 months following surgery, which was defined as minimum follow-up. Results. Twenty-seven patients were treated due to a pin site infection with an osteomyelitis (22 tibias, 2 humeri, 2 calcanei, 1 radius). 85% identified as male and the median age was 53.9 years. Eighteen infections followed external fixation of fractures, with 4 cases after Ilizarov deformity correction, 2 cases followed ankle fusion and 3 after traction pin insertion. Fifteen patients were classified as BACH Uncomplicated and 12 were BACH Complex. The median follow-up was 3.99 years (2.00–8.05 years). Staphylococci were the most common pathogens (16 MSSA, 2 MRSA, 2 CNS). Polymicrobial infections were present in 5 cases (19%). All surgery was performed in a single stage following the same protocol at one institution. This included deep sampling, debridement, implantation of local antibiotics, culture-specific systemic antibiotics and soft tissue closure. Seven patients required flap coverage (6 local, 1 free flap), which was performed in the same operation. 25 (93%) patients had a successful outcome after one surgery. Two had recurrence of infection which was successfully treated by repeat of the protocol. One patient suffered a fracture through the operated site after a fall. This healed without infection recurrence. Wound leakage after local antibiotic treatment was seen in 3/27 (11%) of cases. All resolved without treatment. After a minimum of 2 years follow up, all patients were infection free at the site of the former osteomyelitis. Conclusions. OM after PSI is uncommon but has major implications for the patient as 7 out of 27 patients needed flap coverage. This reinforces the need for careful pin placement and pin site care to prevent deep infection. These infections require appropriate surgery, not just curettage. All patients in our cohort were infection-free after a minimum follow-up of 2 years suggesting that this protocol is effective

Aim. Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication of total joint arthroplasty. While research has focused on developing better tests for disease diagnosis, treatment options have stayed relatively constant over the years with high failure rates ranging from 30%–50% and are due in part to the protective biofilm produced by some bacterial species. Current treatment options are compromised by the presence of biofilm, emphasizing the need for novel treatment strategies to be developed. Our group has developed a novel treatment (PhotothermAA) which has demonstrated in vitro its ability to target bacterial biofilm. The purpose of this study was to test this PhotothermAA technology in vivo in a rabbit model of PJI for its efficacy in eradicating biofilm. Method. Rabbits were fitted with a titanium implant into the tibial plateau and inoculated with 5×10. 6. CFU Xen36 (luminescent Staphylococcus aureus). At two weeks, rabbits underwent irrigation and debridement and treatment with PhotothermAA gel for two hours and subsequently laser heated using an 808 nm laser for 10 minutes. Gel was washed out and implant was removed for quantitative biofilm coverage analysis via scanning electron microscopy (SEM, n=3 for control and n=2 for PhotothermAA treated). Periprosthetic tissue was collected before and after treatment for toxicity studies via hemotoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and scored for necrosis by three blinded reviewers (n=5 per group). Student's t-test was used for statistical analysis. Results. Implants isolated after PhotothermAA gel treatment had less biofilm coverage on the surface of the implant compared to non-treated control via SEM analysis (36.9% vs. 55.2%, p<0.14). PhotothermAA gel treatment and subsequent laser treatment was not harmful to surrounding tissue as no increase in necrotic tissue was observed. Conclusions. PhotothermAA gel and laser treatment safely decreases biofilm coverage on infected knee implants in a rabbit PJI model

The aim of this investigation is to firstly quantify the burden of disease, and secondly qualify the organisms being cultured during debridement to establish their sensitivities to available antibiotics. This study will also look at the concomitant burden of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Diabetes Mellitus (DM) in cases of hand sepsis, to establish whether these two disease processes require special consideration and treatment tailoring. The method employed to collect the data will be retrospective collection of patient information, using random sampling. Included patients will be adult patients who undergo debridement and have a sample registered on the National Health Laboratory System (NHLS). The daily intake sheet will be used to collect patients details and these details will then be used to collect results of intra-operative specimens using the NHLS. These patient details will also be used to check patients’ HIV results and HBA1c (Glycated Haemoglobin A1c) results. Majority of the specimens revealed Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA), with a reassuringly low rate of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) when compared to international data. The yield of patients tested for HIV or DM was lower than expected, despite this being the standard of care. The projected impact of this study will be assessment of the current burden of disease and then clarification of our current management strategy, in order to assess if it would be possible to change to a more cost-effective antibiotic with a narrower spectrum of bacteria coverage. The potential exists to not only implement cost saving measures, but also promote antibiotic stewardship by decreasing the practice of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotic use