Aims

Currently, the most common approach for the management of a chronic PJI is a Two-Stage Replacement; because of success rates exceeding 90% when using an antibiotic impregnated cement spacer. Reliable information regarding the etiologic microorganism and its sensitivities is essential to select the antimicrobial therapy that should be used locally in the bone cement spacer during the first stage surgery as well as to select the appropriate microbiological systemic agent. Diagnostic algorithms focus to the importance of joint aspiration cultures although in the modern literature, preoperative joint aspiration has a broad range of values of sensitivity and the proportion of “dry-aspirations” is not well assessed. This low sensitivity of aspiration fluid samples in chronic-PJI is partly attributable to the fact that the majority of the microorganisms in these infections grow in biofilms attached to the implant. We have developed this biopsy technique in an effort to improve the identification rates of the causative organism.

Introduction: Tibial plafond fractures constitute one of the most challenging injuries in orthopaedic surgery. Complications are common and clinical outcomes are generally poor. New guidelines for the management of these fractures and modern implants look forward to improving these results.

Material and Methods: 40 tibial plafond fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation between January 2006 and December 2008 were included prospectively. Fractures were classified according to the AO classification. A CT scan was required in17 intraarticular fractures. Definitive surgery was delayed until soft tissue injury had been healed. Eleven patients underwent provisional external fixation. Mean time to surgery was of 7.5 days (range, 0 to 40 days). 27 fractures were treated by anteromedial plating, 12 with anterolateral plating and in one case two plates were required. Bone grafting was used in 8 cases. Plain radiographs were used to determine axial alignment and time to healing. Reduction of the articular surface was considered anatomical when there was less of 1mm of displacement. The Ankle Osteoarthritis Score (AOS) was analysed for pain and disability. Statistical analysis was performed with the SPSS 12.0 for Windows.

Results: According to the AO classification there were 22 Type A fractures, 9 Type B and 9 Type C. There were 7 open fractures (3 Type I, 3 Type II, 1 Type IIIA). Mean time to healing was of 18.1 weeks (8 to 32). Mean AOS score was of 41.2 points. There were 33 excellent and good results. There were 11 secondary losses of reduction and 5 non-union.

Clinical results were correlated with the quality of the reduction and with secondary displacement (p=1 and p=0.69 respectively). Anatomic reduction was more frequent in Type A (81.8%) and B (88.9%) fractures than in Type C (77.8%). There were not statistically significant differences in the quality of the reduction (p=0.88) or in the appearance of secondary displacement (p=0.46) between anteromedial or anterolateral plating. There were 6 infections (4 following anteromedial plating and 2 after anterolateral plating which was not statistically significant p=0.88). 13 patients developed soft tissue complications. Five requiring soft tissue fiaps.

Conclusion: Anteromedial and anterolateral plating of the distal tibia provide good clinical and radiological results. Infection rate is similar with both approaches. Appropriate timing of surgery can minimize soft tissue complications.

Introduction: Bone stock in revision total hip arthroplasty is one of the most important issues for the orthopaedic surgeon. Different options have been described to manage acetabular bone defects. We reviewed the clinical and radiological results of two different uncemented oblong cups

Material and methods: 18 LOR (Sulzer) and 21 BOFOR (EndoPlus) uncemented cups were evaluated. Morsellized cancellous bone graft was used in all cases but 3. Mean follow-up was 31.6 months. Mean patient age was 72.3 years (32 to 91). Bone defects were classified according to Paprosky’s criteria. Clinical and radiological results were recorded.

Results: There have been no infections and no re-revisions in this series, although one patient is awaiting evaluation for re-revision. Clinical results improved according to the Harris Hip Score from 44 to 75 points. 34 cups were considered stable and 5 showed migration. All unstable cups were implanted in patients with type IIIA or IIIB bone defects. We observed the appearance of non-progressive radiolucent lines of less than 2 mm in 7 hips, sclerosis lines in 1 and acetabular osteolysis in 2.

Conclusions: Uncemented oblong cups are a valid option in revision total hip arthroplasty. The results were worse in patients with major acetabular bone defects. A longer follow-up is needed to evaluate these cups and confirm our findings.

Introduction: The main symptom of osteoporosis is fractures. Osteoporostic hip fractures are and increasing problem due to their morbid-mortality and health cost. The necessity of recommending treatment for osteoporosis upon discharge after hip fractures is generally accepted. The object of this study is to evaluate secondary prevention upon discharge and at 6 months after a hip fracture

MATERIAL AND Methods: Prospective observational study analyzing all osteoporòtica hip fractures among patients older than 50 treated during 2004, with telephonic follow-up.

RESULTS: We attended 563 fractures in 556 patients, with a mean age of 82,96 years (50 – 105) and a female: male ratio of 2,9:1. Mortality was 7,8% in-hospital and 20,2% at 6 months. Though 52,1% had suffered a previous osteoporotic fracture an 13,7% a previous hip fracture, only 16,3% had at some time been treated for osteoporosis.

Pharmacological treatment for osteoporosis (%, Upon discharge vs. at 6 months): Global (38,1 vs. 31%), Calcium +/− vitamin D (8,2 vs. 18%), Ca-VitD + biphosphonate (28,1 vs. 10,8%), Biphosphonate only (3,4 vs. 1,7%). The patients that had received treatment upon discharge were morle likely to receive it at 6 months (RR 2,2, CI95% 1,5 – 3,2). Women, patients that had been sent to a temporary nursing home and patients that had a better functional status were more likely to receive treatment (p< 0,05). There was no significant correlation with patient age or previous fractures.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study’s patients are similar to other studies published. Treatment compliance with biphosphonate falls at 6 month after discharge. It is important to recommend treatment for osteoporosis upon discharge.

Patients who have undergone total hip or knee replacement (THR and TKR, respectively) are at high risk of venous thromboembolism. We aimed to determine the time courses of both the incidence of venous thromboembolism and effective prophylaxis. Patients with elective primary THR and TKR were enrolled in the multi-national Global Orthopaedic Registry. Data on the incidence of venous thromboembolism and prophylaxis were collected from 6639 THR and 8326 TKR patients.

The cumulative incidence of venous thromboembolism within three months of surgery was 1.7% in the THR and 2.3% in the TKR patients. The mean times to venous thromboembolism were 21.5 days (sd 22.5) for THR, and 9.7 days (sd 14.1) for TKR. It occurred after the median time to discharge in 75% of the THR and 57% of the TKA patients who developed venous thromboembolism. Of those who received recommended forms of prophylaxis, approximately one-quarter (26% of THR and 27% of TKR patients) were not receiving it seven days after surgery, the minimum duration recommended at the time of the study.

The risk of venous thromboembolism extends beyond the usual period of hospitalisation, while the duration of prophylaxis is often shorter than this. Practices should be re-assessed to ensure that patients receive appropriate durations of prophylaxis.

Introduction and Objectives: One of the complications of hip arthroplasty is intraoperative fractures of the femur. In this study, we reviewed the incidence of intraoperative fractures in 118 hip arthroplasty surgeries using a stem from Meridian Howmedica, Rutherford, New Jersey, in an attempt to analyse the risk factors for intra-operative fractures and their relationship to short-term radiographic characteristics of the prosthesis. Our aim is to determine if there are risk factors associated with a higher incidence of intraoperative fractures in the following categories: patient, shape and dimensions of the femur, and relative size of the implant with respect to the medullary cavity. We will also determine if short-term follow up of patients with fractures yields radiographic information to indicate early loosening of the prosthesis.

Materials and Methods: We studied 118 implants from consecutive operations performed from January 1997 to December 2000. The following variables were evaluated: general patient factors; local factors (characteristics of the femur); previous treatments, degree of femoral osteoporosis, type of femur, cervicodiaphyseal angle, femoral flring, “canal flare index”, cortical index, canal width 20mm proximal to the lesser trochanter, at the lesser trochanter, and 20mm distal to the lesser trochanter, pre-operative proximal and distal measurement of the stem, and if this coincides with the actual size of the stem; intraoperative factors: type of anaesthesia, patient positioning, surgical approach, experience of the surgeon, surgical time, the need for transfusion and number of units, the use of prophylactic cerclage, detection and localization of the intraoperative femoral fracture, and treatment of the same when they occurred; postoperative radiographic factors: level of cutting femoral neck, orientation of the stem (varus or valgus), proximal and distal stem size, proximal and distal packing of the canal, and length of the neck of the head of the prosthesis; radiographic factors 12 months postoperatively: stem orientation (varus or valgus), rounding of the calcar, cortical thickening, osteolysis, osteopenia, the presence of a ledge, the presence of lines of sclerosis, sinking of the stem, loosening of the ball, and the type of integration of the stem into the bone.

Results: Of the 118 cases that were studied, intraoperative fractures occurred in 13 cases, representing an incidence of 11.01%, a somewhat higher rate than others have reported. We analyzed the occurrence of fractures in relation to the different variables in our study. We found a higher incidence of fractures in type A femurs (p< 0.05) and in cases of greater proximal filling by the implant (p< 0.05).

Discussion and Conclusions: Though our study is limited in number of patients and length of follow-up time, it has demonstrated that the incidence of intraoperative fractures is associated with a narrow metaphyseal medullary cavity and predominately with a type A femur, which is a femur with low “canal flare index” values. Furthermore, since the risk of fracture is greater when we attempt to significantly adjust the size of the pros-thesis to the metaphysis, the incidence of fractures was higher when proximal filling was higher. However, cases of prosthesis with fractures did not present with radiographic appearance after 12 months that was worse than those femurs that were not fractured.