Aims

Patient decision aids have previously demonstrated an improvement in the quality of the informed consent process. This study assessed the effectiveness of detailed written patient information, compared to standard verbal consent, in improving postoperative recall in adult orthopaedic trauma patients.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is projected to result in 10 million deaths every year globally by 2050. Without urgent action, routine orthopaedic operations could become high risk and musculoskeletal infections incurable in a “post-antibiotic era.” However, current methods of studying AMR processes including bacterial biofilm formation are 2D in nature, and therefore unable to recapitulate the 3D processes within in vivo infection. Within this study, 3D printing was applied for the first time alongside a custom-developed bioink to bioprint 3D bacterial biofilm constructs from clinically relevant species including Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), Methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Bacterial viability and biofilm formation in bioprinted constructs was excellent, with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CSLM) used to demonstrate biofilm production and maturation over 28 days. Bioprinted 3D MRSA and MSSA biofilm constructs had greater resistance to antimicrobials than corresponding two-dimensional (2D) cultures. Thicker 3D E.coli biofilms had greater resistance to tetracycline than thinner constructs over 7 days of treatment. Raman spectroscopy was also adapted in a novel approach to non-invasively diagnose 3D bioprinted biofilm constructs located within a joint replacement model. In conclusion, mature bacterial biofilm constructs were reproducibly 3D bioprinted for the first time using clinically relevant bacteria. This methodology allows the study of antimicrobial biofilm penetration in 3D, and potentially aids future antimicrobial research, replicating joint infection more closely than current 2D culture models. Furthermore, by deploying Raman spectroscopy in a novel fashion, it was possible to diagnose 3D bioprinted biofilm infections within a joint replacement model

Background. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction is a commonly performed orthopaedic operation. The use of a four-strand semitendinosus and gracilis hamstring graft (STG) is a well established method of reconstruction to restore knee stability. Aim. To assess the ten year subjective knee function and activity level following STG anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Methods. 86 patients underwent anterior cruciate reconstruction by two knee surgeons in the year 1999. 80 patients meet the inclusion criteria of STG reconstruction by a standard operative technique. Patient evaluation was by completion of a Lysholm Knee Score and Tegner Activity Level Scale at a minimum of ten years from reconstructive surgery. This was by initial postal questionnaire and subsequent telephone follow-up. Results. 80 patients underwent anterior cruciate reconstruction with average age 30.9 years +/− 8.8 (15 to 58 years). There was a 77.5% (62 patients) response at ten years to the questionnaire. The mean Lysholm Knee Score at ten years was 78.4 +/− 12.8 (39 to 90). The mean activity level had decreased from 8.3 to 5.3 at ten years according to the Tegner Activity Scale. 11 patients required medial and lateral partial menisectomies at the time of original reconstruction. This group of patients had a Lysholm Knee Score of 67.6 +/− 19.1 and Tegner Activity Scale of 3.9 at ten years following reconstruction. 17 of the 80 patients (21.25%) required re-operation because of further knee symptoms, with 4 patients requiring revision of the anterior cruciate following re-rupture. Conclusion. Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with four-strand STG hamstring graft provides a reliable method of restoring knee function with a 5% revision rate for re-rupture at ten years. Combined partial medial and lateral menisectomy at the time of the initial reconstruction is a poor prognostic indicator for function at ten years

Orthopedic surgery is one of the most blood-consuming surgeries. Currently there has been a radical change in transfusion policies, developing a series of therapeutic measures essentially created to minimize the use of allogeneic blood. On the one hand, the safety of our patients must be even more our main objective. On the other hand, our economic resources are more restricted and therefore we must evaluate our surgical techniques and proceedings in order to be safer and more cost-effective. The aim of this study is to report our results of the blood lost, the percentage of blood loss, the necessity of transfussions and how many blood pakages are needed. From a sample of 2400 total knee arthroplasties proceedings, we analyze some surgical proceedings such as lligament balance, patelar traking, artrotomy, ischemia, femoro-tibial axis and type of arthroplasty. We also examine the total blood lost and the percentage of total blood loss after 4 hours, after 24hours and after 48 hour of the total knee arthoplasty surgery. We made a statistical analysis with t-test or anova test when it was necesassary. The outcome of our investigation show that the blood loss when the ischemia is less than 50 minutes is 1470 cc and 1603 cc when is more than 50 minuntes (p<0.05). If we use the medial arthrotomy, the total bleeding is 1563cc, but with subvastus arthrotomy is 1294cc (p<0.05). If we use a primary rotational total knee arthroplasty the bleeding is 953cc, but if we use a PS or PCR the bleeding is 874cc (p<0.05). As a conclusion we should know that our patients have more blood loss when the ischemia is more than fifty minutes, the bleeding is higher when we make a medial arthrotomy and when we use a rotational knee primary arthroplasty

Background. For some time, optimized perioperative pathway protocols have been implemented in orthopedic surgery. In our hospital an accelerated clinical pathway has been successfully in effect for several years, focused on safely decreasing patients' length of stay and increasing their function at the time of discharge. The aim of the present project was to evaluate whether a further optimization is even more promising regarding early postoperative outcome parameters. Materials and Methods. Prospective, parallel group design in an Orthopaedic University Medical Centre. 143 patients, scheduled for unilateral primary total knee replacement (TKR) under perioperative regional analgesia were included. 76 patients received a Standard Accelerated Clinical Pathway (SACP). 67 patients received an Optimized Accelerated Clinical Pathway (OACP) including patient-controlled regional analgesia pumps, ultra-early/doubled physiotherapy and motor driven continuous passive motion machine units. Main measures were early postoperative pain on a visual analogue scale, consumption of regional anaesthetics, knee range of motion, time out of bed, walking distance/stair climbing, circumference measurements and Knee Society Scores of the operated leg. Patients in both groups were checked for a possible discharge by a blinded orthopedic surgeon on the 5th and 8th postoperative (po) day, using a discharge checklist including the KATZ Index of Independence in Activities of Daily Living, standard requirements for pain at rest/mobilization, walking distance and regular wound healing. A potential discharge was only approved if the patient was able to meet all six criteria from the discharge checklist. Re-admission within 6 weeks after discharge from hospital was registered. Results. Patients within the OACP had significant benefits regarding stair climbing/walking distance/time-out-of bed/circumference measurements of the thigh/Knee Society function score on the 5th po day and stair climbing/circumference measurements of the thigh on the 8th po day, and reduction of the consumption of regional anaesthetics. No significant reduction in length of stay was observed. Discussion. Early postoperative functional process indicators tended to be higher within the OACP group, but the main effects flatten in the course of the first eight postoperative days. Further, prospective randomised clinical trials with uniform, objective discharge criteria are needed

Background. In the literature are different data about the allogenic blood transfusion rate after total knee replacement. The common intention in orthopedic surgery is to reduce the requirement for allogenic blood transfusions by optimizing the blood management. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of the mechanical autotransfusion system OrthoPAT® to reduce the postoperative allogenic blood transfusion (ABT) rate. Method. According to the preliminary performed power analysis we did a prospective controlled study including 151 patients which were randomized in a group A (OrthoPAT® for intra- and postoperative blood salvage and retransfusion, n=76 patients) and a control group B (no retransfusion system was used, n=75 patients). All patients had a primary osteoarthritis of the knee and were operated on without use of a tourniquet. We implanted in all patients a cemented posterior stabilized total knee prosthesis design. In group A the autotransfusion system was used for 6 hours (intra- and postoperatively) and the collected blood was retransfused. The retransfused blood was anticoagulated, filtered and centrifuged to separate waste products. Red cells were washed with saline and reconcentrated to a high hematocrit. The preoperative data for cardiopathy, angiopathy, preoperative anemia or anticoagulant treatment showed no significant differences for group A and B. Because of missing data we finally were able to use the results of 140 patients: 70 group A and 70 in group B. The indications for a blood transfusion were influenced by the clinical symptoms of anemia, the hemoglobin value (hemoglobin < 8.0 g/dl) and the anamnesis of cardiovascular diseases. Evaluation was done with the medical history and the pre-/postoperative hemoglobin values and postoperative need of allogenic blood transfusion. Results. The two groups showed no significant differences relating to the demographic data or the medical history. 23 patients (33 %) of the retransfusion group who in mean received 281 ml of salvaged blood needed allogenic blood transfusion compared with 23 patients (33 %) of the control group B (p=0,999). The hemoglobin values of group A versus the control group showed after the donation of the salvaged blood a tendency to a higher hemoglobin value (p=0,062) but no longer at the third and fifth day postoperative. Conclusions. In this clinical observation the use of the autotransfusion system does not reduce the postoperative allogenic blood transfusion rate. At the third and fifth day postoperatively no significant differences of the hemoglobin values could be stated comparing group A with group B

Introduction. Traumatized musculoskeletal tissue often exhibits prolonged time to healing, mostly due to low blood flow and innervation. Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (IPC) increases blood flow and decreases thromboembolic event after orthopedic surgery,[1] however little is known about healing effects.[2] We hypothesized that IPC could stimulate tissue repair: 1.) blood flow 2.) nerve ingrowth 3.) tissue proliferation and during immobilisation enhance 4.) biomechanical tissue properties. Methods. Study 1: In 104 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats the right Achilles tendon was ruptured and the animals freely mobilized. Half the group received daily IPC-treatment, using a pump and cuff over the hindpaw that inflates/deflates cyclicly, 0–55mmHg (Biopress SystemTM, Flexcell Int.), and the other half received sham-treatment. Healing was assessed at 1,3,6 weeks by perfusion-analysis with laser doppler scanner (Perimed, Sweden), histology and biomechanical testing. Study 2: 48 male SD-rats were ruptured as above. Three groups of each 16 rats were either mobilized, immobilized or immobilized with IPC treatment. Immobilization was performed by plaster cast. Healing was assessed at 2 weeks with histology and biomechanical testing. Results. Study 1: At 3 and 6 weeks reperfusion increased by 21% and 23% (p< 0.05) after IPC-treatment, strengthened by the observation of elevated numbers of blood vessels and nerves. Fibroblast density was at all time points significantly increased in the IPC group. At three and six weeks the IPC treated tendons displayed an increased tissue organization confirmed by higher collagen I/III ratio in the IPC group. No differences (p = 0.10) were found regarding biomechanical strength. Study 2: Compared to mobilization, immobilization caused a downregulation (p<0.05) of all biomechanical and histological parameters, eg. maximum force decreased 80% and collagen III occurrence by 83%. However when immobilization was combined with IPC biomechanical and histological healing increased significantly compared to pure immobilization, eg. maximum force increased 63% and collagen III occurrence by 150%. Conclusion. This study demonstrated that IPC treatment can counteract biomechanical and morphological deficits caused by immobilization by enhancing proliferative soft tissue repair. Thus, IPC promotes tissue repair by stimulating tissue perfusion and nerve ingrowth as well as accelerating both fibroblast proliferation and collagen organization

Introduction. Infection of endoprostheses is a serious complication in orthopedic surgery. As silver is known for its antibactierial effects, silver-coated endoprostheses have gained increased attention to decrease infection rates. However, cytotoxic effects of silver on bone cells have not been investigated in detail. We aimed to investigate whether silver nano-/microparticles and ionic silver exert cytotoxic effects on osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro and to correlate potential effects with the antibacterial effect on Staph. epidermidis. Methods. Murine osteoclasts (OC) and murine osteoblasts (OB) were treated with silver particles (avg. sizes: 50nm, 3μm, 30μm, 8μg/ml–500μg/ml) and Ag+NO3- (0.5μg/ml–500μg/ml). Silver treatment started on day 3 to prevent interference with cell adhesion. XTT assays were performed to assess cell viability. Tartrate resistant acidic phosphatase (TRAP) activity and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity served as measures for OC and OB differentiation, respectively. The release of silver ions from silver particles was quantified with atomic emission spectometry (AES). Titanium particles (avg. sizes: 50nm and 30μm) were used as controls to investigate whether potential silver effects were particle- or ion-mediated. The antimicrobial activity of silver ions and particles was tested with Staph. epidermidis agar inhibition assays. Results. Ionic silver had the strongest impact on cell differentiation and viability of OC and OB (OC differentiation: mean IC50 = 5 μg/ml, OC viability: mean IC50 = 14 μg/ml, OB differentiation: mean IC50 = 1 μg/ml, OB viability: mean IC50 = 1 μg/ml). Silver nanoparticles decreased cell differentiation and viability in a dose dependent manner (OC differentiation: mean IC50 = 5μg/ml, OC viability: mean IC50 = 14μg/ml, OB differentiation: mean IC50 = 1μg/ml, OB viability: mean IC50 = 1μg/ml). Silver microparticles as well as titanium nano- and microparticles had no effect on cell differentiation and viability. AES showed a size and dose dependent release of silver ions from silver nano- and microparticles. Agar inhibition assays showed a dose correlation of the antibacterial effect of silver with the cytotoxic effects on OB and OC. Conclusion. Silver nanoparticles and silver ions exert dose-dependent cytotoxic effects on OB and OC in vitro resulting in a severe alteration of cell differentiation and viability. The effect of silver on OB and OC seems to be mediated primarily by silver ions and correlates with the substance's antibacterial effects. The cytotoxicity of silver nanoparticles is mediated primarily by the size-dependent liberation of silver ions. Disturbance of OB and OC survival may have deleterious effects on the osseointegration of orthopedic implants. Further in vivo studies are needed to investigate the osseointegration of silver coated implants prior to their widespread clinical application

Many orthopaedic surgeons believe that obese patients have a higher rate of peri-operative complications and a worse functional outcome than non-obese patients. There is, however, inconsistency in the literature supporting this notion.

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of body mass index (BMI) on injury characteristics, the incidence of complications, and the functional outcome after the operative management of unstable ankle fractures.

We retrospectively reviewed 279 patients (99 obese (BMI ≥ 30) and 180 non-obese (BMI < 30) patients who underwent surgical fixation of an unstable fracture of the ankle. We found that obese patients had a higher number of medical co-morbidities, and more Orthopaedic Trauma Association type B and C fracture types than non-obese patients. At two years from the time of injury, however, the presence of obesity did not affect the incidence of complications, the time to fracture union or the level of function.

These findings suggest that obese patients should be treated in line with standard procedures, keeping in mind any known associated medical co-morbidities.