Introduction. External fixators are attached to bones with percutaneous pins and wires inserted through soft tissues and bone increasing the risk of infections. Such infections compromise patient outcomes e.g., through pin loosening or loss, failure of fixator to stabilise the fracture, additional surgery, increased pain, and delayed mobilisation. These infections also impact the healthcare system for example, increased OPD visits, hospitalisations, treatments, surgeries and costs. Nurses have a responsibility in the care and management of patients with external fixators and ultimately in the prevention of pin-site infection. Yet, evidence on best practices in the prevention of pin-site infection is limited and variation in pin-site management practices is evident. Various strategies are used for the prevention of pin-site infection including the use of different types of non-medicated and medicated wound dressings. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the use of
The purpose of this study was to validate a
Introduction. Demineralised Bone Matrix (DBM) is widely used in Orthopaedics and dentistry as a bone graft substitute and may be used to augment bone formation in load bearing applications. In this study we examine the effect of gamma irradiation and freeze
Introduction. Chronic Achilles tendinopathy is a common overuse injury. There are several modalities of treatment, reflecting difficulties in its management. In particular, due to the well-recognised morbidity associated with surgical decompression, treatment has steered towards a less invasive route.
Aims. Tissue adhesives (TAs) are a commonly used adjunct to traditional surgical wound closures. However, TAs must be allowed to
Aim. Local antibiotics released through a carrier is a commonly used technique to prevent infection in orthopaedic procedures. An interesting carrier in aseptic bone reconstructive surgery are bone chips impregnated with AB solution. Systemically administered Cefazolin (CFZ) is used for surgical site infection prophylaxis however in vitro study showed that fresh frozen and processed bone chips impregnated with CFZ solution completely release the CFZ within a few hours. On the other hand irradiated freeze-dried bone chips, treated with supercritical CO2 (scCO2) have been shown to be an efficient carrier for the antibiotics vancomycine or tobramycine. With this pilot study we wanted to investigate if CFZ solution impregnation of bone chips treated with scCO2 shows a more favorable release pattern of CFZ. Method. The bone chips were prepared using the standard scCO2 protocol and were impregnated with 100 mg/ml cefazolin at different timepoints during the process: before freeze
This study aimed to describe the morphology of the coracoid process and determine the frequency of commonly observed patterns. The second purpose was to determine the location of inferior tunnel exit with superior based tunnel drilling and the superior tunnel exit with inferior based tunnel drilling. A sample of 100
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a potent anti-bacterial agent which could reduce periprosthetic joint infection. Early infection complications in joint replacements are often considered to be due to local contamination at the time of surgery and result in a significant socioeconomic cost. Current theatre cleaning procedures produce “clean” operating theatres which still contain bacteria (colony forming units, CFU). Reducing this bacterial load may reduce local contamination at the time of surgery. HOCl is produced naturally in the human neutrophil and has been implicated as the primary agent involved in bacterial killing during this process. In vitro research confirms its efficacy against essentially all clinically relevant bacteria. The recent advent of commercial production of HOCl, delivered as a fog, has resulted in extensive use in the food industry. Reported lack of corrosion and high anti-bacterial potency are seen as two key factors for the use of HOCl in the orthopaedic environment. Prior work by the authors comparing human cell toxicity of HOCl, chlorhexidine and iodine solutions shows favourable results. This study evaluates use of neutral HOCl applied as a
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have been increasing, especially amongst adolescents. These injuries can increase the risk for early-onset knee osteoarthritis (OA). The consequences of late-stage knee OA include structural joint change, functional limitations and persistent pain. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pro-inflammatory biomarker reflecting knee joint healing, and increasing evidence suggests that IL-6 may play a critical role in the development of pathological pain. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between subjective knee joint pain and function, and synovial fluid concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6, in adolescents undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery. Seven youth (12-17 yrs.) undergoing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery participated in this study. They completed the Pedi International Knee Documentation Committee (Pedi-IKDC) questionnaire on knee joint pain and function. At the time of their ACL reconstruction surgery, synovial fluid samples were collected through aspiration to
Introduction. During revision surgery, the active electrode of an electrocautery device may get close to the implant, potentially provoking a flashover. Incidents have been reported, where in situ retained hip stems failed after isolated cup revision. Different sizes of discoloured areas, probably induced by electrocautery contact, were found at the starting point of the fracture. The effect of the flashover on the implant material is yet not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the fatigue strength reduction of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy after electrocautery contact. Material and Methods. 16 titanium rods (Ti-6Al-4V, extra low interstitial elements, according to DIN 17851, ⊘ 5 mm, 120 mm length) were stress-relief annealed (normal atmosphere, holding temperature 622 °C, holding time 2 h) and cooled in air. An implant specific surface roughness was achieved by chemical and electrolytic polishing (Ra = 0.307, Rz = 1.910).
Aims. The first death in the UK caused by COVID-19 occurred on 5 March 2020. We aim to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of major trauma and orthopaedic patients admitted in the early COVID-19 era. Methods. A prospective trauma registry was reviewed at a Level 1 Major Trauma Centre. We divided patients into Group A, 40 days prior to 5 March 2020, and into Group B, 40 days after. Results. A total of 657 consecutive trauma and orthopaedic patients were identified with a mean age of 55 years (8 to 98; standard deviation (SD) 22.52) and 393 (59.8%) were males. In all, 344 (approximately 50%) of admissions were major trauma. Group A had 421 patients, decreasing to 236 patients in Group B (36%). Mechanism of injury (MOI) was commonly a fall in 351 (52.4%) patients, but road traffic accidents (RTAs) increased from 56 (13.3%) in group A to 51 (21.6%) in group B (p = 0.030). ICU admissions decreased from 26 (6.2%) in group A to 5 (2.1%) in group B. Overall, 39 patients tested positive for COVID-19 with mean age of 73 years (28 to 98; SD 17.99) and 22 (56.4%) males. Common symptoms were dyspnoea,
Introduction. Damage development in cemented acetabular replacements has been studied in bovine pelvic bones under long-term physiological. 1. loading, albeit
The development of more wear resistant biomaterials and better locking mechanisms for the polyethylene into the tibial base has significantly reduced polyethylene wear as a reason for revision TKA. Aseptic loosening is now the primary cause for revision TKA. Loosening can be caused by multifactorial operative issues: 1] patient selection, 2] implant alignment, 3] cementing technique. Furthermore, aseptic loosening occurs at a consistent rate over time. Increased cement penetration is important to counter bone resorption. Increasing penetration also improves cement mantle toughness leading to better mechanical integrity of the bone-cement interface and reduces bone-cement interface stress. It is important to recognise that a cleaner and drier interface does improve bone-cement penetration. Techniques to improve the process include better cement formulations, drilling sclerotic bone, devices and implant features to increase pressurization, using negative pressure suction ports in the tibia. We have extensive experience with CarboJet, a method of CO. 2. gas jet cleaning and
Introduction. Fatigue and wear at the head/stem modular junction of large diameter total hip replacements can be exacerbated as a result of the increase in frictional torque. In vivo, a “toggling,” anterior-posterior (A-P) movement of the head taper on the trunnion may facilitate corrosion in the presence of physiological fluids, leading to increased metal ion release. Clinically, metal ion release has been linked to the formation of pseudo tumours and tissue necrosis [1]. Aims. In this investigation, a large diameter metal on metal THR was tested on a rig designed to recreate the toggling motion at the head/stem junction. Post-test analyses are conducted to look for evidence of mechanical and corrosive damage. Methods and Materials. A 58 mm diameter metal head (12/14 taper) was assembled onto a sectioned Freeman stem affixed to custom designed rig that enabled both, axial loads and a frictional torque (for the AP toggle load) about the rotation of the femoral head to be applied as shown in Figure 1. A linear variable differential transformer (LVDT), which had a minimum resolution of 0.5 microns, was positioned in contact with the neck directly under the modular head to track A-P movements at the junction. An axial load of 150N with toggle loads varying between 100 (± 50N) and 200N (± 50N) at 1 Hz were run on 4 taper assemblies, 2
The development of more wear resistant biomaterials and better locking mechanisms for the polyethylene into the tibial base has significantly reduced polyethylene wear as a reason for revision TKA. Aseptic loosening is now the primary cause for revision TKA. Loosening can be caused by multifactorial operative issues: 1] patient selection, 2] implant alignment, 3] cementing technique. Furthermore, aseptic loosening occurs at a consistent rate over time. Increased cement penetration is important to counter bone resorption. Increasing penetration also improves cement mantle toughness leading to better mechanical integrity of the bone-cement interface and reduces bone-cement interface stress. It is important to recognise that a cleaner and drier interface does improve bone-cement penetration. Techniques to improve the process include better cement formulations, drilling sclerotic bone, devices and implant features to increase pressurization, using negative pressure suction ports in the tibia. We have extensive experience with CarboJet, a method of CO2 gas jet cleaning and
INTRODUCTION:. In order to obtain a secure taper connection it is advised to clean and
Introduction. Since the introduction of modular hip taper junctions, corrosion has been studied yet the clinical effect remains unclear. Mechanically assisted corrosion and crevice corrosion are thought to be the primary clinical processes driving taper corrosion. Like all corrosion reactions, these processes require the taper junction to be in contact with an electrolyte. This study investigates the effect of sealing the taper junction from the environment on the mechanically-induced corrosion of a modular hip taper junction. Methods. A short-term corrosion fatigue test was conducted with Ti6Al4V 12/14 taper coupons coupled with CoCrMo 12/14 taper 28mm+12 heads (DePuy Synthes, Warsaw, IN). Ten specimens were assembled with a 1.1 kN press load and sealed with silicone sealant (Dow-Corning 732 Multi-Purpose Sealant). Prior to assembly five of these specimens were assembled with the taper junction having been wetted with phosphate buffered saline before assembly; the rest were assembled
Recently, our lab has made observations of metal damage patterns from retrieval studies that appeared to be cellular in nature [1]. This type of damage presented on about 74% of the retrieved implants and was attributed to inflammatory cells (termed ICI corrosion) [1]. An alternate hypothesis arose surrounding the use of electrosurgery in total joint arthroplasty (TJA). In TJA, where surgery occurs around metallic devices, the interactions of the high voltage, high frequency current created by an electrosurgical generator and the implant need to be better understood. In order to explore the effects electrosurgical currents have on metal implants, the interaction of a model system of highly polished metal disks and a standard electrosurgical generator (ConMed, Utica, NY) was evaluated in various modes and power settings. The disks were made of CoCrMo or Ti-6Al-4V alloys and were polished to a mirror finish for use and placed directly on the return electrode pad used in patients. Both coagulation and cut modes were evaluated, as well as both monopolar and bipolar configurations in wet and
Adherent cells are known to respond to physical characteristics of their surrounding microenvironment, adapting their cytoskeleton and initiating signaling cascades specific to the type of cue encountered. Scaffolds mimicking native biophysical cues have proven to differentiate stem cells towards tissue-specific lineages and to maintain the phenotype of somatic cells for longer periods of culture time. Although the characteristic anisotropy of tendon tissue is commonly replicated in scaffolds, relevant physical cues such as tendon rigidity or mechanical loading are often neglected. The objective of this study is to use tendons' main extracellular matrix component, collagen type I, to create scaffolds with an anisotropic surface topography and controlled rigidity, in an effort to engineer functional tendon tissue equivalents, with native organization and strength. Porcine collagen type I in solution was treated with one of the following cross-linkers: glutaraldehyde, genipin or 4-arm polyethylene glycol (4SP). The resulting mixture was poured on micro-grooved (2×2×2 μm) or planar polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molds and
Cemented total hip arthroplasty has become an extremely successful operation with excellent long term results. Although showing decreasing popularity in North America, it always remained a popular choice for the elderly patients in Europe and other parts of the world. Besides optimal component orientation, a proper cementing technique is of major importance to assure longevity of implant fixation. Consequently a meticulous bone bed preparation assures the mechanical interlock between the implant component, cement and the final bone bed. Cementing the acetabular side should include preservation of the transverse acetabular ligament and clear identification of the medial wall. Medialisation and deepening of the socket are important at reaming, to ensure a containment of the cup. The contact of the cup to cancellous bone should be maximised. Either smaller reamers or 4–6mm anchoring holes can be drilled to the superior sclerosis. Smaller defects can be curettage, while larger ones might require cancellous bone grafting. Of major importance is the thoroughly pulsatile jet lavage with saline to irrigate the cancellous bone bed, to reduce fat and blood lamination. After final irrigation, before cementation,