The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to investigate the reasons for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) revisions at a tertiary hospital over a four-year period. The study aimed to identify the primary causes of TKA revisions and shed light on the implications for patient care and outcomes. The study included 31 patients who underwent revisions after primary knee arthroplasty between January 2017 and December 2020. A retrospective approach was employed, utilizing medical records and radiological findings to identify the reasons for TKA revisions. The study excluded oncology patients to focus on non-oncologic indications for revision surgeries. Patient demographics, including age and gender, were recorded. Data analysis involved categorizing the reasons for revision based on clinical assessments and radiological evidence. Among the 31 patients included in the study, 9 were males and 22 were females. The age of the patients ranged from 43 to 81, with a median age of 65 and an interquartile range of 18.5. The primary reasons for TKA revisions were identified as aseptic loosening (10 cases) and prosthetic joint infection (PJI) (13 cases). Additional reasons included revision from surgitech hemicap (1 case), patella osteoarthritis (1 case), stiffness (2 cases), patella maltracking (2 cases), periprosthetic fracture (1 case), and patella resurfacing (1 case). The findings of this retrospective cohort study highlight aseptic loosening and PJI as the leading causes of TKA revisions in the examined patient population. These results emphasize the importance of optimizing surgical techniques, implant selection, and infection control measures to reduce the incidence of TKA revisions. Future research efforts should focus on preventive strategies to enhance patient outcomes and mitigate the need for revision surgeries in TKA procedures

The benefit of using acetabular screws in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been questioned in recent years. The disadvantages of using screws include increased operative time, risk of injury to surrounding neurovascular structures and metal ware breakage. Recent large registry studies have reported that screws do not confer a protective effect against acetabular loosening or the presence of osteolysis. Other studies have even described an increased risk of aseptic acetabular loosening with the selective use of screws. We report findings from a multicentre cohort study. This large cohort study compared clinical outcomes between primary acetabular components that were inserted with and without screws. Independent variables included the presence (or absence) of screws, the total number of screws used and the cumulative screw length (CSL). Outcome measures included all-cause revision, acetabular component revision and acetabular component loosening. Statistical software (Stata/IC 13.1 for Mac [64-bit Intel]) was used to conduct all statistical analyses. A p-value < 0 .05 taken to be significant. There were 4,583 THAs performed in total. Screws were used in 15.9% (n=733). At a mean follow-up of 5.2 years, the all-cause revision rate in the screw cohort was 1.5% compared to 0.83% in the no screw cohort (p=0.085). There was no difference in acetabular component revision rates for screws (3/733, 0.41%) versus no screws (12/3,850, 0.31%) (p=0.439). The rate of acetabular loosening noted during the time of revision surgery was significantly higher when screws were used in the index procedure (2/733, 0.2%) compared to the no screw cohort (1/3,850, 0.02%) (p=0.017). There was no difference in outcomes when stratifying by the number of screws used or the cumulative screw length. Primary acetabular components do not require screws for fixation. All cause revision rates and acetabular component revision rates are comparable for the screw and the no screw cohorts. The rate of acetabular component loosening, as observed during revision surgery, is significantly higher when screws are used in the index total hip replacement

Aims. With up to 40% of patients having patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis (PFJ OA), the two arthroplasty options are to replace solely the patellofemoral joint via patellofemoral arthroplasty (PFA), or the entire knee via total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of this study was to assess postoperative success of second-generation PFAs compared to TKAs for patients treated for PFJ OA using patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and domains deemed important by patients following a patient and public involvement meeting. Methods. MEDLINE, EMBASE via OVID, CINAHL, and EBSCO were searched from inception to January 2022. Any study addressing surgical treatment of primary patellofemoral joint OA using second generation PFA and TKA in patients aged above 18 years with follow-up data of 30 days were included. Studies relating to OA secondary to trauma were excluded. ROB-2 and ROBINS-I bias tools were used. Results. A total of nine studies were included, made up of four randomized controlled trials (domain 1) and five cohort studies (domain 2). PROMs and knee function specific scores developed for reporting TKA were unable to detect any difference between PFA and TKA. There was no significant difference in complications between PFA and TKA. PFAs were found to have a better postoperative range of motion. Conclusion. TKA and PFA are both viable options for patients with primary PFJ OA. Over time, we have seen an emphasis on patient satisfaction and better quality of life. Recommending sacrificing healthy medial and lateral compartments to treat patellofemoral joint arthritis should be given further thought. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(12):948–956

Aims. This study compares the re-revision rate and mortality following septic and aseptic revision hip arthroplasty (rTHA) in registry data, and compares the outcomes to previously reported data. Methods. This is an observational cohort study using data from the German Arthroplasty Registry (EPRD). A total of 17,842 rTHAs were included, and the rates and cumulative incidence of hip re-revision and mortality following septic and aseptic rTHA were analyzed with seven-year follow-up. The Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to determine the re-revision rate and cumulative probability of mortality following rTHA. Results. The re-revision rate within one year after septic rTHA was 30%, and after seven years was 34%. The cumulative mortality within the first year after septic rTHA was 14%, and within seven years was 40%. After multiple previous hip revisions, the re-revision rate rose to over 40% in septic rTHA. The first six months were identified as the most critical period for the re-revision for septic rTHA. Conclusion. The risk re-revision and reinfection after septic rTHA was almost four times higher, as recorded in the ERPD, when compared to previous meta-analysis. We conclude that it is currently not possible to assume the data from single studies and meta-analysis reflects the outcomes in the ‘real world’. Data presented in meta-analyses and from specialist single-centre studies do not reflect the generality of outcomes as recorded in the ERPD. The highest re-revision rates and mortality are seen in the first six months postoperatively. The optimization of perioperative care through the development of a network of high-volume specialist hospitals is likely to lead to improved outcomes for patients undergoing rTHA, especially if associated with infection. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(6):565–572

Aims. This study aims to determine difference in annual rate of early-onset (≤ 90 days) deep surgical site infection (SSI) following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis, and to identify risk factors that may be associated with infection. Methods. This is a retrospective population-based cohort study using prospectively collected patient-level data between 1 January 2013 and 1 March 2020. The diagnosis of deep SSI was defined as per the Centers for Disease Control/National Healthcare Safety Network criteria. The Mann-Kendall Trend test was used to detect monotonic trends in annual rates of early-onset deep SSI over time. Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the effect of different patient, surgical, and healthcare setting factors on the risk of developing a deep SSI within 90 days from surgery for patients with complete data. We also report 90-day mortality. Results. A total of 39,038 patients underwent primary TKA for osteoarthritis during the study period. Of these, 275 patients developed a deep SSI within 90 days of surgery, representing a cumulative incidence of 0.7%. The annual infection rate did not significantly decrease over the seven-year study period (p = 0.162). Overall, 13,885 (35.5%) cases were excluded from the risk analysis due to missing data. Risk factors associated with early-onset deep SSI included male sex, American Society of Anesthesiologists grade ≥ 3, blood transfusion, acute length of stay, and surgeon volume < 30 TKAs/year. Early-onset deep SSI was not associated with increased 90-day mortality. Conclusion. This study establishes a reliable baseline infection rate for early-onset deep SSI after TKA for osteoarthritis using robust Infection Prevention and Control surveillance data, and identifies several potentially modifiable risk factors. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(9):971–976

Demand for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is increasing as it remains the gold-standard treatment for end-stage osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. While magnetic-resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the knee are not indicated for diagnosing knee OA, they are commonly ordered prior to the referral to an orthopaedic surgeon. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of patients who underwent an MRI in the two years prior to their primary TKA for OA. Secondary outcomes included determining patient and physician associations with increased MRI usage. This is a population-based cohort study using billing codes in Ontario, Canada. All patients over 40 years-old who underwent a primary TKA between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2017 were included. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS and included the Cochran-Armitage test for trend of MRI prior to surgery, and predictive multivariable regression model. Significance was set to p<0.05. There were 172,689 eligible first-time TKA recipients, of which 34,140 (19.8%) received an MRI in the two years prior to their surgery. The majority of these (70.8%) were ordered by primary care physicians, followed by orthopaedic surgeons (22.5%). Patients who received an MRI were younger and had fewer comorbidities than patients who did not (p<0.001). MRI use prior to TKA increased from 15.9% in 2008 to 20.1% in 2017 (p<0.0001). Despite MRIs rarely being indicated for the work-up of knee OA, nearly one in five patients have an MRI in the two years prior to their TKA. Reducing the use of this prior to TKA may help reduce wait-times for surgery

Aims. Periprosthetic proximal femoral fractures (PFFs) are a major complication after total hip arthroplasty (THA). Health status after PFF is not specifically investigated. The aim of this study is to evaluate the health status pattern over two years after sustaining a PFF. Methods. A cohort of patients with PFF after THA was derived from the Brabant Injury Outcomes Surveillance (BIOS) study. The BIOS study, a prospective, observational, multicentre follow-up cohort study, was conducted to obtain data by questionnaires pre-injury and at one week, and one, three, six, 12, and 24 months after trauma. Primary outcome measures were the EuroQol five-dimension three-level questionnaire (EQ-5D-3L), the Health Utility Index 2 (HUI2), and the Health Utility Index 3 (HUI3). Secondary outcome measures were general measurements such as duration of hospital stay and mortality. Results. A total of 70 patients with a PFF were included. EQ-5D utility scores were significantly lower on all timepoints except at six months’ follow-up compared to pre-injury. EuroQol visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) scores at one month's follow-up were significantly lower compared to pre-injury. The percentage of reported problems at two years was higher for all dimensions except anxiety/depression when compared to pre-injury. The mean EQ-5D utility score was 0.26 higher in males compared to females (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.01 to 0.42; p = 0.003). The mean EQ-VAS score for males was 8.9 points higher when compared to females over all timepoints (95% CI 1.2 to 16.7; p = 0.027). Mortality was 10% after two years’ follow-up. Conclusion. PFF patients are a frail population with substantial functional impairment at baseline. Post-injury, they have a significant and clinically relevant lower health status two years after trauma when compared to pre-injury. Health status improves the most between one and three months after injury. Two years after PFF, more patients experience problems in mobility, self-care, usual activities, and pain/discomfort than pre-injury. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(5):442–449

Background. Clinical guidelines recommend epidural steroid injection (ESI) for severe sciatica but there is uncertainty of effectiveness. The POiSE study aims to identify factors, routinely collected in clinical practice that predict outcome in patients who have ESI. This presentation describes characteristics and early clinical outcomes of POiSE participants. Methods. Prospective cohort study in 19 NHS spinal services in England, inviting patients with sciatica listed for an ESI. Participant baseline characteristics and 6-week follow-up outcomes are presented. Outcomes include pain intensity (0–10 NRS), disability (Oswestry Disability Index 0–100) and global change in symptoms. Results. Over 24 months, 693 patients were invited to participate and 353 (51%) completed baseline questionnaires. Mean (SD) age 49.0 years (14.4), 60% female, and 46% (n=101) of those in work had certified time-off for sciatica. Mean pain intensity was 7.2 (2.0) and 6.2 (2.7) for leg and back pain respectively and mean disability (ODI) was 46.5 (18). 60% (n=210) had leg pain for >6 months. Average confidence at baseline (0 to 10) that the ESI would help symptoms was 5.7 (2.4). Of 217 patients reaching 6-week follow-up, mean leg and back pain intensity is 5.0 (2.8) and 4.9 (2.9) respectively and ODI 36.6 (20.4), with 57% reporting improvement (completely recovered/much better/better). Follow-up data collection at 6, 12 and 24-weeks post-ESI is ongoing. Conclusion. Interim analysis shows only just over half of patients are reporting improvement at 6 weeks post ESI. The POiSE cohort study will help better identify the patients with sciatica who are most likely to benefit from this treatment. Conflicts of interest. None. Sources of funding. This study is supported by Health Education England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (HEE/ NIHR ICA Programme Clinical Lectureship, Dr Siobhan Stynes, NIHR300441). The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the National Institute for Health Research or the Department of Health and Social Care

The growth of life expectancy during the last decades has led to an increment in age-related conditions such as hip arthritis and fractures. On the other hand, these elderly patients will present a higher incidence of mental diseases which, in some studies, have been associated with inferior results. This study aims to evaluate the differences in early complication rates between patients with cognitive impairment compared with those without this condition following total hip replacement for osteoarthritis or fracture in the context of contemporary perioperative care protocols. We conducted a retrospective cohort study where cognitively-impaired patients who required primary hip arthroplasty were compared to a propensity-score matched cohort of patients without cognitive alterations. Early major complications were measured and analyzed in order to determine significant differences. Screening and matching. 1196 patients were identified during the study period. After screening for inclusion and exclusion criteria and matching, two cohorts comprising 65 patients each were compared. After performing the propensity-score match, no significant differences were found in covariates between the two groups. Outcomes. The occurrence of delirium was more frequent in patients with cognitive deficit (27.5%) than in the control group (9%), p<0.001. No significant differences were found among groups regarding myocardial infarction, venous thromboembolism, blood transfusion requirement, 30-day readmission, in-hospital death, 90-days death, dislocation or surgical site infection. The composite outcome of any adverse event did not exhibit a significant difference either. To our knowledge, this is the first study which demonstrates similar outcomes between patients with cognitive impairment and those without these alterations. Our results might indicate that contemporary protocols and implants are bridging the traditional gap between these two populations. These findings support the use of total hip arthroplasty in patients with mental alterations when indicated, especially in those institutions with strict perioperative protocols

Aims. Hip fracture commonly affects the frailest patients, of whom many are care-dependent, with a disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19. We examined the impact of COVID-19 infection on hip fracture mortality in England. Methods. We conducted a cohort study of patients with hip fracture recorded in the National Hip Fracture Database between 1 February 2019 and 31 October 2020 in England. Data were linked to Hospital Episode Statistics to quantify patient characteristics and comorbidities, Office for National Statistics mortality data, and Public Health England’s SARS-CoV-2 testing results. Multivariable Cox regression examined determinants of 90-day mortality. Excess mortality attributable to COVID-19 was quantified using Quasi-Poisson models. Results. Analysis of 102,900 hip fractures (42,630 occurring during the pandemic) revealed that among those with COVID-19 infection at presentation (n = 1,120) there was a doubling of 90-day mortality; hazard ratio (HR) 2.09 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.89 to 2.31), while the HR for infections arising between eight and 30 days after presentation (n = 1,644) the figure was greater at 2.51 (95% CI 2.31 to 2.73). Malnutrition (1.45 (95% CI 1.19 to 1.77)) and nonoperative treatment (2.94 (95% CI 2.18 to 3.95)) were the only modifiable risk factors for death in COVID-19-positive patients. Patients who had tested positive for COVID-19 more than two weeks prior to hip fracture initially had better survival compared to those who contracted COVID-19 around the time of their hip fracture; however, survival rapidly declined and by 365 days the combination of hip fracture and COVID-19 infection was associated with a 50% mortality rate. Between 1 January and 30 June 2020, 1,273 (99.7% CI 1,077 to 1,465) excess deaths occurred within 90 days of hip fracture, representing an excess mortality of 23% (99.7% CI 20% to 26%), with most deaths occurring within 30 days. Conclusion. COVID-19 infection more than doubles the rate of early hip fracture mortality. Those contracting infection between 8 and 30 days after initial presentation are at even higher mortality risk, signalling the potential for targeted interventions during this period to improve survival. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(10):1156–1167

Routine post-operative bloods following all elective arthroplasty may be unnecessary. This retrospective cohort study aims to define the proportion of post-operative tests altering clinical management. Clinical coding identified all elective hip or knee joint replacement under Hawkes Bay District Health Board contract between September 2019-December 2020 (N=373). Uni-compartmental and bilateral replacements, procedures performed for cancer, and those with insufficient data were excluded. Demographics, perioperative technique, and medical complication data was collected. Pre- and post-operative blood tests were assessed. Outcome measures included clinical intervention for abnormal post-operative sodium (Na), creatinine (Cr), haemoglobin (Hb), or potassium (K) levels. A cost-benefit analysis assessed unnecessary testing. 350 patients were Included. Median age was 71 (range 34-92), with 46.9% male. Only 26 abnormal post-operative results required intervention (7.1%). 11 interventions were for low Na, 4 for low K, and 4 for elevated Cr. Only 7 patients were transfused blood products. Older age (p=0.009) and higher ASA (p=0.02) were associated with intervention of any kind. Abnormal preoperative results significantly predicted intervention for Na (p<0.05) and Cr (p<0.05). All patients requiring treatment for K used diuretic medication. Preoperative Hb level was not associated with need for transfusion. Overall, there were 1027 unnecessary investigations resulting in $18,307 excess expenditure. Our study identified that the majority of elective arthroplasty patients do not require routine postoperative blood testing. We recommend investigations for patients with preoperative electrolyte abnormality, those taking diuretics, and patients with significant blood loss noted intra-operatively. In future, a larger, randomised controlled trial would be useful to confirm these factors

Aims. There is conflicting evidence on the safety of intra-articular injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) or corticosteroids (CSs) before total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We performed a meta-analysis of the relationship between intra-articular injections and subsequent infection rates after TKA. Methods. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for cohort studies that assessed the effect of preoperative injection of drugs into the joint cavity on the infection rate after TKA. The outcomes analyzed included the total infection rate, as well as those for different preoperative injection time periods and different drugs. Results. Eight studies, including 73,880 in the injection group and 126,187 in the control group, met the inclusion criteria. The injection group had a significantly higher postoperative infection rate than the control group (risk ratio (RR) 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07 to 1.27; p < 0.001; I. 2. = 32%). For patients who received injections up to three months preoperatively, the postoperative infection risk was significantly higher than that in the control group (RR 1.26; 95% CI 1.18 to 1.35; p＜0.001; I. 2. = 0%). There was no significant difference in the infection rates between the four-to-six-month injection and control groups (RR 1.12; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.35; p = 0.240; I. 2. = 75%) or between the seven-to-12-month injection and control groups (RR 1.02; 95% CI 0.94 to 1.12; p = 0.600; I. 2. = 0%). Conclusion. Current evidence suggests that intra-articular injections of CSs or HA before TKA increase the risk of postoperative infection. Injections administered more than three months before TKA do not significantly increase the risk of infection. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2022;11(3):171–179

In 1997 the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing was introduced to address the needs of young active patients. Alternative designs were introduced to try and improve wear performance. The aim of this study was a comparative cohort study of two types of metal-on-metal bearing to determine the mechanism of failure at 15 years. The study reviewed 91 Brimingham Hip Resurfacings (BHR) (Smith and Nephew) and 715 DUROM hip resurfacing (Zimmer) procedures in prior to 2009. Failure was defined as revision of either component for any reason. Kaplan-Meyer survivorship analysis performed. Routine follow-up with serum metal ion levels and radiographs. Mean follow-up was 17.9 years (range 15.2 – 25.1). The mean age at operation was 51.6 years (SD 8.6, range 20.7 to 70.2), including 299 women (37.1%). The Birmingham resurfacing demonstrated 92.3% survivorship at 15 years (SE 2.8, 95% CI 3.9 – 7.8) and 90.0% at latest follow-up (SE 3.5, 95% CI 4.9 to 9.4). By comparison, the DUROM survivorship at 15 years was 89.1% at 15 years (SE 1.2, 95% CI 2.0 to 2.5) and 87.4% (SE 1.3, 95% CI 2.5 to 2.3) at latest follow-up. There was no statistically significant difference in survivorship between groups (p= 0.32). Survival in male patients was 92.7% compared to 80.0% in females. The reported failures occurred from Adverse Reaction to Metal Debris (32 patients), periprosthetic femoral neck fracture (6) and aseptic loosening (41), PJI (12) and undiagnosed pain (6). The mean cobalt and chromium levels at last follow-up were 33.4 nmol/L and 36.5 nmol/L respectively. This study demonstrates two differently designed metal-on-metal hip resurfacing provided a durable alternative to total hip replacement, particularly in younger male patients with osteoarthritis. Differences in design did determine the reason for revision with acetabular fixation being one of the principal failure mechanisms for the DUROM compared to elevated ion levels

Abstract. Introduction. Previous research has demonstrated no clinically significant benefit of arthroscopic meniscectomy in patients with a meniscal tear, however, patients included in these studies would not meet current treatment recommendations. Prior to further randomised controlled trials (RCTs) research is needed to understand a younger population in more detail. Aim. To describe the baseline characteristics of patients with a meniscal tear and explore any association between baseline characteristics and outcome. Methodology. A prospective, national multicentre cohort study was performed recruiting patients aged 18 to 55 presenting to secondary care. MRI analysis of arthritis was performed using Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Score (WORMS) and bone shape analysis. Outcomes included the Western Ontario Meniscal Evaluation Tool (WOMET) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS4) at 12 months. Results. 150 participants were recruited across eight sites with a mean age of 43.47 (SD 9.63). MRI analysis using WORMS score and bone shape analysis revealed no or early osteoarthritis. At 12 months, 67 (44.67%) of participants were managed non-operatively and 68 (45.33%) were operatively. Participants in the operative group were significantly younger with a lower BMI (p<0.05). A stepwise logistic regression model including 17 characteristics revealed that only baseline score and surgery significantly affected 12-month WOMET and KOOS4. Conclusion. This study in contrast to previous trials demonstrated a benefit of surgery for patients with a meniscal tear. The METRO study demonstrates that it is feasible to recruit younger patients and a future RCT is required using the study population included in this cohort

Radiation induced sarcoma of bone is a rare but challenging disease process associated with a poor prognosis. To date, series are limited by small patient numbers; data to inform prognosis and the optimal management for these patients is needed. We hypothesized that patients with radiation-induced pelvic bone sarcomas would have worse surgical, oncologic, and functional outcomes than patients diagnosed with primary pelvic bone sarcomas. This was a multi-institution, comparative cohort analysis. A retrospective chart review was performed of all patients diagnosed with a radiation-induced pelvic and sacral bone sarcoma between January 1st, 1985 and January 1st, 2020 (defined as a histologically confirmed bone sarcoma of the pelvis in a previously irradiated field with a minimum 3-year interval between radiation and sarcoma diagnosis). We also identified a comparison group including all patients diagnosed with a primary pelvic osteosarcoma/spindle cell sarcoma of bone (i.e. eligible for osteosarcoma-type chemotherapy) during the same time interval. The primary outcome measure was disease-free and overall survival. We identified 85 patients with primary osteosarcoma of the pelvis (POP) and 39 patients with confirmed radiation induced sarcoma of the bony pelvis (RISB) undergoing surgical resection. Patients with RISB were older than patients with POP (50.5 years vs. 36.5 years, p67.7% of patients with POP underwent limb salvage as compared to 77% of patients with RISB; the type of surgery was not different between groups (p=.0.24). There was no difference in the rate of margin positive surgery for RISB vs. POP (21.1% vs. 14.1%, p=0.16). For patients undergoing surgical resection, the rate of surgical complications was high, with more RISB patients experiencing complications (79.5%) than POP patients (64.7%); this approached statistical significance (p=0.09). 15.4% of patients with RISB died perioperative period (within 90 days of surgery) as compared to 3.5% of patients with POP (p= 0.02). For patients undergoing surgical resection, 5-year OS was significantly worse for patients with RISB vs. POP (27.3% vs. 47.7%, p=0.02). When considering only patients without metastatic disease at presentation, a significant difference in 5-year survival remains for patients with RISB vs. POP (28.6% vs. 50%, p=0.03) was a trend towards poorer 5-year DFS for patients with RISB vs. POP (30% vs. 47.5%), though this did not achieve statistical significance (p=0.09). POP and RISB represent challenging disease processes and the oncologic outcomes are similarly poor between the two; however, the disease course for patients with RISB appears to be worse overall. While surgery can result in a favorable outcome for a small subset of patients, surgical treatment is fraught with complications

Aims. Patients with femoral neck fractures (FNFs) treated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) have an almost ten-fold increased risk of dislocation compared to patients undergoing elective THA. The surgical approach influences the risk of dislocation. To date, the influence of differing head sizes and dual-mobility components (DMCs) on the risk of dislocation has not been well studied. Methods. In an observational cohort study on 8,031 FNF patients with THA between January 2005 and December 2014, Swedish Arthroplasty Register data were linked with the National Patient Register, recording the total dislocation rates at one year and revision rates at three years after surgery. The cumulative incidence of events was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox multivariable regression models were fitted to calculate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the risk of dislocation, revision, or mortality, stratified by surgical approach. Results. The cumulative dislocation rate at one year was 8.3% (95% CI 7.3 to 9.3) for patients operated on using the posterior approach and 2.7% (95% CI 2.2 to 3.2) when using the direct lateral approach. In the posterior approach group, use of DMC was associated with reduced adjusted risk of dislocation compared to 32 mm heads (HR 0.21 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.68); p = 0.009). This risk was increased with head sizes < 32 mm (HR 1.47 (95% CI 1.10 to 1.98); p = 0.010). Neither DMC nor different head sizes influenced the risk of revision following the posterior approach. Neither articulation was associated with a statistically significantly reduced adjusted risk of dislocation in patients where the direct lateral approach was performed, although this risk was estimated to be HR 0.14 (95% CI 0.02 to 1.02; p = 0.053) after the use of DMC. DMC inserted through a direct lateral approach was associated with a reduced risk of revision for any reason versus THA with 32 mm heads (HR 0.36 (95% CI 0.13 to 0.99); p = 0.047). Conclusion. When using a posterior approach for THA in FNF patients, DMC reduces the risk of dislocation, while a non-significant risk reduction is seen for DMC after use of the direct lateral approach. The direct lateral approach is protective against dislocation and is also associated with a lower rate of revision at three years, compared to the posterior approach. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(7):844–851

The COVID-19 pandemic presented a significant impact on orthopaedic surgical operating. This multi-centre study aimed to ascertain what factors contributed to delays to theatre in patients with shoulder and elbow trauma. A retrospective cohort study of 621 upper limb (shoulder and elbow) trauma patients between 16/03/2020 and 16/09/2021 (18-months) was extracted from trauma lists in NHS Tayside, Highland and Grampian and Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS). Median patient age =51 years (range 2-98), 298 (48%) were male and 323 (52%) female. The commonest operation was olecranon open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) 106/621 cases (17.1%), followed by distal humerus ORIF − 63/621 (10.1%). Median time to surgery was 2 days (range 0-263). 281/621 (45.2%) of patients underwent surgical intervention within 0-1 days and 555/621 patients (89.9%) had an operation within 14 days of sustaining their injury. 66/621 (10.6%) patients waited >14 days for surgery. There were 325/621 (52.3%) patients with documented evidence of delay to surgery; of these 55.6% (181/325) were due to amendable causes. 66/325 (20.3%) of these patients suffered complications; the most common being post-operative stiffness in 48.6% of cases (n=32/66). To our knowledge, this is the first study to specifically explore effect of COVID-19 pandemic on upper limb trauma patients. We suggest delays to theatre may have contributed to higher rates of post-operative stiffness and require more physiotherapy during the rehabilitation phase. In future pandemic planning, we propose dedicated upper-limb trauma lists to prevent delays to theatre and optimise patients’ post-operative outcomes

Treatment of posterior malleolar (PM) ankle fractures remain controversial. Despite increasing recommendation for small PM fragment fixation, high quality evidence demonstrating improved clinical outcomes over the unfixated PM is limited. We describe the medium-to-long term clinical and radiographical outcomes in younger adult patients with PM ankle fractures managed without PM fragment fixation. A retrospective cohort study of patients aged 18–55 years old admitted under our orthopaedic unit between 1st of April 2009 and 31st of October 2013 with PM ankle fractures was performed. Inclusion criteria were that all patients must mobilise independently pre-trauma, have no pre-existing ankle pathologies, and had satisfactory bimalleolar and syndesmotic stabilisation. Open fractures, talar fractures, calcaneal fractures, pilon fractures, subsequent re-injury and major complications were excluded. All PM fragments were unfixated. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) with activities of daily living (ADL) and sports subscale, visual analogue scale (VAS) and patient satisfaction ratings. Osteoarthrosis was assessed using modified Kellgren-Lawrence scale on updated weightbearing ankle radiographs. 61 participants were included. Mean follow-up was 10.26 years. Average PM size was 16.19±7.39%. All participants were evaluated for clinical outcomes, demonstrating good functional outcomes (FAAM-ADL 95.48±7.13; FAAM-Sports 86.39±15.52) and patient satisfaction (86.16±14.42%), with minimal pain (VAS 1.13±1.65). Radiographical outcomes were evaluated in 52 participants, showing no-to-minimal osteoarthrosis in 36/52 (69.23%), mild osteoarthrosis in 14/52 (26.92%) and moderate osteoarthrosis in 2/52 (3.85%). Clinical outcomes were not associated with PM fragment size, post-reduction step-off, dislocation, malleoli fractured or syndesmotic injury. PM step-off and dislocation were associated with worse radiographical osteoarthrosis. Other published medium-to-long term studies reported overall good outcomes, with no differences after small fragment fixation. The unfixated smaller posterior malleolus fragment demonstrated overall satisfactory clinical and radiographical outcomes at 10-year follow-up and may be considered a valid treatment strategy

Aims. Bone and joint infections cause significant morbidity, often requiring combination medical and surgical treatment. The presence of foreign material reduces the number of organisms required to cause an infection. The aim of this study was to assess whether there was a difference in the species of organism identified on culture in osteomyelitis compared to prosthetic joint infection. Method. This was a retrospective observational cohort study of patients that had surgical intervention for prosthetic joint infection or osteomyelitis with positive microbial culture between 2019 and 2022. Data including patient demographics, site of injury, BACH score for osteomyelitis and JS-BACH score for prosthetic joint infection, organism classification and antibiotic resistance to vancomycin and gentamicin were extracted from the medical record. Logistic and multiple regressions were used to adjust for potential confounding variables. Results. A total of 445 patients were included in the study; 267 patients with osteomyelitis or fracture-related infection and 177 patients with prosthetic joint infection. The patients with prosthetic joint infection were older (Mean age 70 for PJI; IQR 60-77 vs 56 for OM/FRI; IQR 39-64), more likely to be female (55.6% vs 26.2%) and had a higher BMI and ASA compared to those with osteomyelitis. Symptom duration tended to be longer in osteomyelitis/FRI (p<0.001). Staphylococcus aureus was the most common pathogen isolated in both osteomyelitis (155/267 (58.1%)) and prosthetic joint infection (85/177 (48.9%), followed by other Gram negative pathogens with 77/267 (28.8%) in osteomyelitis and 48/177 (27.1%) in prosthetic joint infection. On multivariate analysis, there was no difference between the rate of Staphylococcus aureus infection between the two groups. The rate of polymicrobial infection was higher in patients with osteomyelitis (92/267 (34.5%)) compared to prosthetic joint infection (38/177 (23.7%), however after adjustment for confounders there was no difference, p = 0.842. There was no difference in the presence of gentamicin resistant organisms or vancomycin resistant Gram positive organisms in osteomyelitis compared to prosthetic joint infection. Conclusion. Causative pathogens are similar in these two common forms of bone and joint infection. There was no significant difference in the identification, presence of polymicrobial infection or gentamicin and vancomycin resistance in organisms isolated in osteomyelitis compared to prosthetic joint infection. This may have implications for empiric antibiotic choice and local antibiotic therapy in the management of bone and joint infection

After a hip fracture, infections are common, but signs of infection resemble those of systemic inflammatory response to trauma and surgery, and conventional infection markers lack specificity. Plasma-calprotectin, a novel marker of neutrophil activation, has shown potential as an infection marker in ER and ICU settings. To investigate if plasma-calprotectin is superior compared to conventional infection biomarkers after hip fracture. Prospective cohort study of hip fracture patients admitted to our department. Calprotectin, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and white blood cell (WBC) count were measured in blood plasma upon admission and on day 3 post-surgery. Patients with infection (pneumonia, UTI, sepsis, SSI, other soft tissue infections) pre- or post-surgery were compared to a control group without infection within 30 days. Statistics: Wilcoxon rank-sum test, medians with interquartile range, and area under the curve (AUC) with 95% confidence intervals. Pilot study comprises calprotectin obtained at least once for 60 patients at admission and 48 on day 3. Mean age 84 years (SD 8.4), 65% women. 9/60 patients (23%) were admitted with infections. They had higher levels of CRP (median 111 [73-149]) and PCT (0.35 [0.18–0.86]) compared to the control group (29 [16-64], p=0.037; 0.10 [0.07–0.17], p=0.007). Calprotectin (2.67 vs 2.51) and WBC (12.2 vs 9.3) did not differ significantly. AUC was highest for PCT (0.79 [CI 0.60–0.97]), followed by CRP (0.71 [0.46–0.96]), WBC (0.60 [0.35–0.84]), and calprotectin (0.58, [0.33–0.83]). Day 3, 6/48 (13%) had infections, without significant differences between groups in any marker. The median levels were: calprotectin 3.5 vs 3.1, CRP 172 vs 104, WBC 12 vs 9, PCT 0.16 vs 0.17. Calprotectin had highest AUC 0.68 (0.41–0.93, n.s.). AUC for WBC was 0.67 (0.31–1.00), CRP 0.66 (0.38–0.94), PCT 0.56 (0.29–0.82). Preliminary data show no significant associations with postoperative infection for any of the studied biomarkers. However, plasma-calprotectin might perform slightly better compared to conventional markers