Pre-operative anaemia can present in up to 30% of elective arthroplasty patients. The presence of anaemia increases the risk of requiring blood transfusion post-operatively as well as acts as an independent risk factor for poor outcome such as prosthetic joint infection. Recent international consensus on this topic has recommended a specific care pathway for screening patients with pre-operative anaemia using a simple bedside Heaemacue finger-prick test to detect in a simple and cost-effective manner, and then allow treatment of preoperative anaemia. This pathway was therefore incorporated in our trust.

This was a retrospective study done at a single tertiary-referral arthroplasty centre. Our data collection included the Heamacue test results and formal haemoglobin levels if they were performed as well as compliance and costs of each of the tests for patients listed for an elective shoulder, hip and knee arthroplasty between September and December 2018. Medical records and demographics were also collected for these patients for subgroup analysis. Our exclusion criteria comprised patients listed for revision arthroplasty surgery.

87 patients were included in this study. Our compliance rate was 15%. The mean difference between a Haemacue test and a formal FBC result was only 17.6g/L suggesting that it has a reasonably high accuracy. With regards to costs, we found that a Haemacue test costs £2, compared to £7.50 for a full blood count and Haematinics combined. This gave an overall cost saving of £5.50 per patient. Extrapolation of this date locally for 2017 at our hospital, where 1575 primary joint arthroplasties were done, a cost saving of £8,662.5 could have been achieved. Within the UK using data extrapolated from the National Joint Registry a total of £1,102,205.5 (1,221,894 Euros) could have been saved.

The use of a single, Haemacue test to screen for pre-operative anaemia in elective arthroplasty patients is more cost effective compared to a formal full count and haematinics tests. However, we found that compliance with the care pathway is variable due to system limitations. This may be addressed through implementing changes to our electronic system in which patients are booked for surgery. We also noted a significant cost reduction if this pathway were to be used Nation-wide. Thus, we encourage other centres to consider the use of the Haemacue test pre-operatively in elective arthroplasty instead of formal full blood counts at the time of decision to treat with arthroplasty; this allows sufficient time for correction of pre-operative anaemia thus improving patient outcomes from arthroplasty.

Background

Hip fracture care has evolved, largely due to standardisation of practice, measurement of outcomes and the introduction of the Best Practice Tariff, leading to the sustained improvements documented by the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD). The treatment of distal femoral fractures in this population has not had the same emphasis. This study defines the epidemiology, current practice and outcomes of distal femoral fractures in four English centres.

Successful treatment of periprosthetic joint infection involves surgical intervention and identification of infecting organisms to enable targeted antibiotic therapy. Current guidelines recommend intra-operative culture sampling to include at least 4 tissue samples and for each sample to be taken with a separate instrument.

We aimed to review current revision arthroplasty practice for Greater Glasgow, specifically comparing intra-operative sampling technique for infected revision cases with these guidelines.

We reviewed the clinical notes of all patients undergoing lower limb revision arthroplasty procedures in Greater Glasgow Hospitals (WIG, GRI, SGH) from July 2013 to August 2014. Demographics of all cases were collected. For revision procedures performed for infection we recorded details of intraoperative samples taken (number, type and sampling technique) and time for samples to reach the laboratory. Results of microbiology cultures were reviewed.

Two hundred and fifty five revision arthroplasty procedures (152 hips, 103 knees) were performed in the 12 month study period. Of these 57 (22%) were infected cases (28 hips, 29 knees). These cases were treated by 14 arthroplasty surgeons with a median number of 3 infected cases managed per surgeon (range 1–11). 58% of cases had the recommended number of tissue samples taken. The median number of microbiology samples collected was 4 (range 1–14). Most procedures (91%) had no documentation of whether separate instruments were used for sampling. Number of tissue samples taken (≥4, p=0.01), time to lab (<24 hours, p=0.03) were significantly associated with positive culture results.

In Greater Glasgow, a large number of surgeons manage infected arthroplasty cases with variability in intra-operative sampling techniques. Sample collection adheres to guideline recommendations in 58% cases. Adhering to guideline standards increases the likelihood of positive tissue cultures. Implementation of a standardised approach to intra-operative sampling for infected cases may improve patient management.

A tip-apex distance (TAD) greater than 25 mm is a strong predictor of screw cut-out in patients with intertrochanteric femoral fracture treated with a dynamic hip screw (DHS). We aim to show you a simple and reliable way to check this.

By calculating the sum of the distance from the tip of the screw to the apex of the femoral head on anteroposterior and lateral views the TAD is found. X-rays often have magnification errors and therefore measuring tools in digital x-ray systems will be inaccurate. The original method of calculating the TAD uses the known diameter of the screw to avoid magnification errors.

We found that due to the no-cylindrical shape of the screw shaft there is potential of an inaccurate measurement. By using the distance across the highest points of the thread a more accurate TAD can be calculated.

The distance across the highest points of the threads in all three of the most commonly used DHSs in the UK is 13 mm. If the measured distance from the tip of the screw to the apex of the femoral head in both the anteroposterior and lateral views is less than the measured distance across of the treaded diameter of the screw then the surgeon knows the TAD is less than 26 mm. This method can be used intraoperatively to check the TAD by looking at the fluoroscopy images in these two views.

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a significant cause of osteoarthritis in young active individuals but the pathophysiology remains unclear. Increasing mechanistic studies point toward an inflammatory component in OA. This study aimed to characterise inflammatory cell subtypes in FAI by exploring the phenotype and quantification of inflammatory cells in FAI versus OA samples.

Ten samples of labrum were obtained from patients with FAI (confirmed pathology) during open osteochondroplasty or hip arthroscopy. Control samples of labrum were collected from five patients with osteoarthritis undergoing total hip arthroplasty. Labral biopsies were evaluated immunohistochemically by quantifying the presence of macrophages (CD68 and CD202), T cells (CD3), mast cells (mast cell tryptase) and vascular endothelium (CD34).

Labral biopsies obtained from patients with FAI exhibited significantly greater macrophage, mast cell and vascular endothelium expression compared to control samples. The most significant difference was noted in macrophage expression (p<0.01). Further sub typing of macrophages in FAI using CD202 tissue marker revealed and M2 phenotype suggesting that these cells are involved in a regenerate versus a degenerate process. There was a modest but significant correlation between mast cells and CD34 expression (r=0.4, p<0.05) in FAI samples.

We provide evidence for an inflammatory cell infiltrate in femoroacetabular impingement. In particular, we demonstrate significant infiltration of mast cells and macrophages suggesting a role for innate immune pathways in the events that mediate hip impingement. Further mechanistic studies to evaluate the net contribution and hence therapeutic utility of these cellular lineages and their downstream processes may reveal novel therapeutic approaches to the management of early hip impingement.

Our study has determined the response of C-reactive protein (CRP) after total knee replacement (TKR). The peak level occurs on the second postoperative day and is significantly greater than that after total hip replacement (THR). The level returns to normal at similar times after both procedures. The physiological response to TKR as measured by the area under the CRP/ time curve is significantly greater than that after THR. Rising CRP levels after the third postoperative day may indicate a complication of surgery such as infection.