Aims

To assess the cost-effectiveness of a two-layer compression bandage versus a standard wool and crepe bandage following total knee arthroplasty, using patient-level data from the Knee Replacement Bandage Study (KReBS).

Periprosthetic joint infection is a serious complication of primary total hip replacement (THR) with significant associated morbidity. In acute infection, Debridement, Antibiotics and Implant Retention (DAIR) may be considered. Current national guidelines recommend a DAIR should be performed by “an experienced arthroplasty surgeon┕ but do not specify the need for this to be a revision arthroplasty surgeon. We investigated outcomes in our NHS Trust of DAIR procedures performed by revision and non-revision arthroplasty surgeons.

Infection registry data and patient records were analysed for all DAIR procedures of infected primary THRs between 2017 and 2021. Data collected included details of the primary surgery, the presentation with infection, the DAIR procedure and any subsequent complications including return to theatre at any time point. Routinely collected pre- and post-operative patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) were reviewed.

54 periprosthetic joint infections of primary THRs received a DAIR procedure. 41 DAIRs were performed by a revision surgeon and 13 by non-revision surgeons. There was no significant difference in time from primary THR to presentation with infection, time from presentation to DAIR or pre-operative C-reactive protein between the two groups.

In 21 (38.9%) patients the DAIR procedure was classed as a treatment failure; 17 patients (31.5%) returned to theatre for further revision surgery, one (2.4%) died related to infection and three (5.6%) had persistent infection but did not receive further surgery. Treatment failure was significantly higher in the non-revision surgeon group (9/13 (69.2%)) than in the revision surgeon group (12/41 (29.3%)) (p = 0.02). Overall, improvement in PROMs after DAIR was seen at both six and 12 months.

The overall success rate of DAIR was 61.1% and there was a sustained improvement in PROMs after surgery. However, there was a significant difference in failure rates between revision surgeons and non-revision surgeons.

OpenPredictor, a machine learning-enabled clinical decision aid, has been developed to manage backlogs in elective surgeries. It aims to optimise the use of high volume, low complexity surgical pathways by accurately stratifying patient risk, thereby facilitating the allocation of patients to the most suitable surgical sites. The tool augments elective surgical pathways by providing automated secondary opinions for perioperative risk assessments, enhancing decision-making. Its primary application is in elective sites utilising lighter pre-assessment methods, identifying patients with minimal complication risks and those high-risk individuals who may benefit from early pre-assessment.

The Phase 1 clinical evaluation of OpenPredictor entailed a prospective analysis of 156 patient records from elective hip and knee joint replacement surgeries. Using a polynomial logistic regression model, patients were categorised into high, moderate, and low-risk groups. This categorisation incorporated data from various sources, including patient demographics, co-morbidities, blood tests, and overall health status.

In identifying patients at risk of postoperative complications, OpenPredictor demonstrated parity with consultant-led preoperative assessments. It accurately flagged 70% of patients who later experienced complications as moderate or high risk. The tool's efficiency in risk prediction was evidenced by its balanced accuracy (75.6%), sensitivity (70% with a 95% confidence interval of 62.05% to 76.91%), and a high negative predictive value (96.7%).

OpenPredictor presents a scalable and consistent solution for managing elective surgery pathways, comparable in performance to secondary consultant opinions. Its integration into pre-assessment workflows assists in efficient patient categorisation, reduces late surgery cancellations, and optimises resource allocation. The Phase 1 evaluation of OpenPredictor underscores its potential for broader clinical application and highlights the need for ongoing data refinement and system integration to enhance its performance.

This study evaluates the association between consultant and hospital volume and the risk of re-revision and 90-day mortality following first-time revision of primary hip replacement for aseptic loosening.

We conducted a cohort study of first-time, single-stage revision hip replacements (RHR) performed for aseptic loosening and recorded in the National Joint Registry (NJR) data for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man between 2003 and 2019. Patient identifiers were used to link records to national mortality data, and to NJR data to identify subsequent re-revision procedures. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models with restricted cubic splines were used to define associations between volume and outcome.

Among 12,676 RHR there were 513 re-revisions within two years, and 95 deaths within 90 days of surgery. The risk of re-revision was highest for a consultant's first RHR (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1·58 (95%CI 1·16 to 2·15)) and remained significantly elevated for their first 26 cases (HR 1·26 (95%CI 1·00 to 1·58)). Annual consultant volumes of five/year were associated with an almost 30% greater risk of re-revision (HR 1·28 (95%CI 1·00 to 1·64)) and 80% greater risk of 90-day mortality (HR 1·81 (95%CI 1·02 to 3·21)) compared to volumes of 20/year. RHR performed at hospitals which had cumulatively undertaken fewer than 168 RHR were at up to 70% greater risk of re-revision (HR 1·70 (95% CI 1·12 to 2·60)), and those having undertaken fewer than 309 RHR were at up to three times greater risk of 90-day mortality (HR 3·06 (95% CI 1·19 to 7·86)).

This study found a significantly higher risk of re-revision and early postoperative mortality following first-time single-stage RHR for aseptic loosening when performed by lower-volume consultants and at lower-volume institutions, supporting the move towards the centralisation of such cases towards higher-volume units and surgeons.

Aims

This study describes the variation in the annual volumes of revision hip arthroplasty (RHA) undertaken by consultant surgeons nationally, and the rate of accrual of RHA and corresponding primary hip arthroplasty (PHA) volume for new consultants entering practice.

Aims

The rate of day-case total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in the UK is currently approximately 0.5%. Reducing length of stay allows orthopaedic providers to improve efficiency, increase operative throughput, and tackle the rising demand for joint arthroplasty surgery and the COVID-19-related backlog. Here, we report safe delivery of day-case TKA in an NHS trust via inpatient wards with no additional resources.

Abstract

Abstract

In metal-on-metal (MoM) hip replacements or resurfacings, mechanical induced corrosion can lead to a local inflammatory response, pseudo tumours and elevated serum metal ions, requiring revision surgery.

The size and diametral clearance of Anatomic (ADM) and Modular (MDM) Dual Mobility bearings matches that of certain MOM components. Presenting the opportunity for revision with exchange of the metal head for ADM/MDM bearings without removal of the acetabular component if it is well-fixed and appropriately positioned.

Between 2012 and 2020, across two centres, 94 patients underwent revision of a MoM hip replacement or resurfacing. The mean age was 65.5 (33–87) years. In 53 patients (56.4%), the acetabular component was retained, and dual mobility bearings were used (DM); in 41 (43.6%) the acetabulum was revised (AR). DM was only considered where the acetabular component was satisfactorily positioned and well-integrated into bone, with no surface damage. Patients underwent clinical and radiographic follow-up to at least one-year (mean 42.4 (12–96) months).

One (1.1%) patient died before one-year, for reasons unrelated to the surgery. In the DM group, two (3.8%) patients underwent further surgery; one (1.9%) for dislocation and one (1.9%) for infection. In the AR group, four (12.2%) underwent further procedures; two (4.9%) for loosening of the acetabular component and two (4.9%) following dislocations. There were no other dislocations in either group. In the DM group, operative time (68.4 v 101.5 mins, p<0.001), postoperative drop in haemoglobin (16.6 v 27.8 g/L, p<0.001), and length of stay (1.8 v 2.4 days, p<0.001) were significantly lower. There was a significant reduction in serum metal ions postoperatively in both groups (p<0.001 both Cobalt and Chromium) although there was no difference between groups for this reduction (p=0.674 Cobalt; p=0.186 Chromium).

In selected patients with MoM hip arthroplasty, where the acetabular component is well-fixed, in a satisfactory position and there is no surface damage, the metal head can be exchanged for ADM/MDM bearings with retention of the acetabular prosthesis. Presenting significant benefits through a less invasive procedure, and a low risk of complications, including dislocation.

This trial aims to assess the effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives as a technique to introduce large-scale change and improve outcomes for patients undergoing primary elective total hip or total knee arthroplasty.

41 NHS Trusts that did not have; a preoperative anaemia screening and optimisation pathways, or a methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) decolonisation pathway, in place were randomised to one of two parallel collaboratives in a two arm, cluster randomised controlled trial. Each collaborative focussed on implementing one of these two preoperative pathways. Collaboratives took place from May 2018 to November 2019. 27 Trusts completed the trial. Outcome data were collected for procedures between November 2018 and November 2019.

Co-primary outcomes were perioperative blood transfusion (within 7 days of surgery) and deep surgical site infections (SSI) caused by MSSA (within 90 days) for the anaemia and MSSA arms respectively. Secondary outcomes include deep and superficial SSIs (any organism), length of stay, critical care admissions, and readmissions. Process measures include the proportion of patients receiving each preoperative initiative.

19,254 procedures from 27 Trusts are included. Process measures show both preoperative pathways were implemented to a high degree (75.3% compliance in MSSA arm; 61.2% anaemia arm), indicating that QICs can facilitate change in the NHS. However, there were no improvements in blood transfusions (2.9% v 2.3% adjusted-OR 1.20, 95% CI 0.52–2.75, p=0.67), MSSA deep SSIs (0.13% v 0.14% adjusted-OR 1.01, 95%CI 0.42–2.46, p=0.98), or any secondary outcome.

Whilst no significant improvement in patient outcomes were seen, this trial shows quality improvement collaboratives can successfully support the implementation of new preoperative pathways in planned surgery in the NHS.

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) causes significant morbidity. Methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA) is the most frequent organism, and the majority are endogenous. Nasal MSSA colonisation is a proven risk factor for S. aureus infection. Decolonisation reduces PJIs but there is a paucity of evidence comparing treatments. Aims; compare 3 nasal decolonisation treatments at (1) achieving MSSA decolonisation, (2) preventing PJI.

Our hospital trust introduced MSSA screening and decolonisation prior to hip and knee arthroplasty in 2010. Data was prospectively collected since 2013, including all MSSA carriers, decolonisation treatment received, MSSA status at time of surgery and all PJIs. Prior to 2017 MSSA carriers received nasal mupirocin or neomycin, from August 2017 until August 2019 nasal octenidine was used.

During the study period 15,958 primary hip and knee replacements were performed. 3,200 (20.1%) were MSSA positive at preoperative screening and received decolonisation treatment, 698 mupirocin, 1,210 neomycin and 1,221 octenidine. Mupirocin (89.1%) and neomycin (90.9%) were more effective at decolonisation than octenidine (50.0%, P<0.0001). There was no difference in S. aureus PJI rates (P=0.452). Of those negative at original screening 9.1% were positive on the day of surgery (1,164/12,758).

MSSA decolonisation is an effective method to decrease PJI rates but there is little research into the best treatment. Both mupirocin and neomycin are more effective than octenidine at achieving MSSA decolonisation. There was poor correlation between the MSSA status after treatment and PJI rates. There is debate if treatment should be targeted by screening or if all patients she be treated without screening. Global decolonisation without screening is supported by the 26.7% of carriers that were negative at original screening in our study.

Further research is needed comparing decolonisation treatments to reduce PJI rates and avoid the risk of drug resistance.

Modular femoral stems offer surgeons great flexibility in biomechanical configuration during total hip replacement (THR) however introduce a taper-trunnion articulation known to be a source of additional wear debris through crevice, fretting and galvanic corrosion with mixed material combinations. This study aimed to investigate the influence of the trunnion bearing surface combination on the revision rate following primary total hip replacement (THR).

All patients who underwent THR using an Exeter V40 cemented stainless steel stem and monobloc cemented polyethylene acetabular component (uncemented cups excluded to standardise the acetabular bearing surface and fixation) between January 2003 and December 2019 were extracted from the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man. The primary exposure was the head substrate used corresponding to the trunnion bearing.

Time-to-event was determined by duration of implantation from primary surgery to revision with cases censored at death or end of available follow-up. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to identify predictors of all cause revision, adjusted for age, sex, American Association of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) grade, body mass index, surgical indication (osteoarthritis or other), and femoral head size.

229,870 THR were identified (66% female, mean age 73.4 years (SD 9.1) with the majority (91%) performed for osteoarthritis of which 4,598 were revised. Mean time from primary to revision or censoring was 6.8 years (SD 4.0).

Multivariable modelling showed CoCr/SS trunnions were associated with a significantly higher risk of revision (hazard ratio (HR) 1.31 (95%CI 1.15 to 1.48, p<0.0001) as compared to SS/SS (reference). Both Alumina/SS (HR 0.74 (0.65 to 0.84), p<0.0001) and Zirconia/SS (HR 0.61 (0.49 to 0.74), p<0.0001) were associated with a significantly lower risk of revision

Ceramic heads on an Exeter stem were associated with significantly improved survivorship compared to metal heads in primary THR. CoCr/SS trunnion articulations had the poorest survivorship which may be contributed to by trunnionosis.

Total hip replacements (THRs) are performed by surgeons at various stages in their training, with varying levels of senior supervision. There is a balance between protecting training opportunities for the next generation of surgeons, while limiting the exposure of patients to unnecessary risk during the training process. The aim of this study was to examine the association between surgeon grade, the senior supervision of trainees, and the risk of revision following THR.

We included 603 474 primary THRs recorded in the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man (NJR) between 2003 and 2016 for an indication of osteoarthritis. Exposures were the grade of the surgeon (consultant or trainee), and whether trainees were supervised by a scrubbed consultant or not. Outcomes were all-cause revision, the indication for revision, and the temporal variation in risk of revision (all up to 10 years). Net failure was calculated using Kaplan-Meier analysis and adjusted analyses used Cox regression and flexible parametric survival analysis (adjusted for patient, operative, and unit level factors).

There was no association between surgeon grade and all-cause revision up to 10 years (crude hazard ratio (HR) 0·999, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.936–1.065; p=0.966); a finding which persisted with adjusted analysis. Adjusted analysis demonstrated an association between trainees operating without supervision by a scrubbed consultant and an increase in all-cause revision (HR 1.100, 95% CI 1.002–1.207; p=0.045). There was an association between the trainee-performed THRs and revision due to instability (crude HR 1.143, 95% CI, 1.007–1.298; p=0.039). However, this was not observed in fully adjusted models, or when trainees were supervised by a scrubbed consultant.

Within the current training system in the United Kingdom, trainees achieve comparable outcomes to consultant surgeons when supervised by a scrubbed consultant. Revision rates are higher when trainees are not supervised by a scrubbed consultant but remain within internationally recognised acceptable limits.

Femoral cement-in-cement revision is a well described technique to reduce morbidity and complications in hip revision surgery. Traditional techniques for septic revision necessitate removal of all bone cement from the femur. In our two institutions, we have been using a cement-in-cement technique, leaving the distal femoral cement in selected cases for septic hip revision surgery.

Between February 2010 and September 2019, 89 patients with prosthetic hip infection underwent first or single stage procedures leaving the distal femoral cement in situ and performing a cement-in-cement revision. The mean patient age was 72.0 years (24–92). The median time from the last arthroplasty procedure was 29.0 months (1–294).

81 patients underwent revision using a cemented Exeter stem, 7 patients received an articulating spacer, and one patient underwent excision arthroplasty with the distal cement left in situ. Patients received clinical and radiographic follow-up with a mean of 42.8 months (range 11.0–120.1 months). Oxford hip scores were collected from each institution's existing databases.

9 patients (10.1%) died within one year of surgery. No deaths were directly related to joint infection or the surgery. One patient was lost to follow up before one year.

Of the remainder, 7 patients (8.9%) required further procedures for infection and were therefore considered to be treatment failures. 6 patients (7.6%) underwent planned second stage procedures with no recurrence of infection. 7 patients (8.9%) had further surgery for non-infective reasons. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of infection free survival at one year was 93.7% (95% CI 88.4 to 99.0%).

No patients underwent revision for stem loosening. Oxford hip scores were available at over one year postoperatively for 51 patients with a mean score of 30.6, and a mean gain of 11.9.

In our combined cohort of patients, cement-in-cement revision had an infection eradication rate of 91.1%. Patient selection is crucial, and the procedure can only be performed when there is a well-fixed cement mantle. However, when strict criteria are followed, this technique offers potential significant benefits to surgeons performing this challenging surgery, and more importantly the patients undergoing them.

Aims

Patients receiving cemented hemiarthroplasties after hip fracture have a significant risk of deep surgical site infection (SSI). Standard UK practice to minimize the risk of SSI includes the use of antibiotic-loaded bone cement with no consensus regarding type, dose, or antibiotic content of the cement. This is the protocol for a randomized clinical trial to investigate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of high dose dual antibiotic-loaded cement in comparison to low dose single antibiotic-loaded cement in patients 60 years and over receiving a cemented hemiarthroplasty for an intracapsular hip fracture.

Prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are a devastating consequence in total hip arthroplasties (THA) with both significant morbidity and sometimes mortality, posing a significant health economic burden. Studies, both clinical and in-vitro have suggested possible reduction in PJI with the use of ceramic bearings.

We have investigated the relationship of ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC), ceramic-on-polyethylene (CoP) or metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) bearing surface in affecting outcome of revision surgery after primary THA using data collected from National Joint Registry for England and Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man between 2002 and 2016. We used a competing risk regression model to investigate predictors of each revision outcome, such as infection, dislocation, aseptic revision and all cause revisions. The results were adjusted for age, gender, ASA grade, BMI, indication for surgery, intraoperative complications and implant data.

We identified 456,457 THA (228,786 MoP, 128,403 CoC and 99,268 CoP). In a multivariable model, the adjusted risk of revision for PJI was lower with CoC (OR-0.748, p<0.001) and CoP (OR-0.775, p<0.001) when compared to MoP bearing. Additionally there was also a significant reduction in the risk of all cause revision for CoC (OR-0.918, p=0.002) and CoP (0.806, p<0.001), bearings as compared with MoP. The protective effect of ceramic bearing was predominantly seen after two years of implantation with a significant (p<0.0001) reduction of revision for PJI in both CoC (by 42.8%) and CoP (by 41.3%) group. Similarly significant effect was seen for aseptic revision beyond two years and overall all cause revision rate beyond two years reduced by 21.6% for CoC and 27.1% for CoP (p<0.001).

Within the limits of registry analysis, this study has demonstrated an association between the use of ceramic bearing and lower rates of revision for all cause revisions especially infection and aseptic loosening. This finding supports the use of ceramic bearings in THA.

Background

Total hip replacement (THR) is clinically and cost-effective. The surgical approach influences outcomes, however there is little generalisable and robust evidence to guide practice. We assessed the effect of surgical approach on THR outcomes.

Aims

Antibiotic-loaded bone cements (ALBCs) may offer early protection against the formation of bacterial biofilm after joint arthroplasty. Use in hip arthroplasty is widely accepted, but there is a lack of evidence in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of ALBC in a large population of TKA patients.

Introduction

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is indicated in independently mobile patients sustaining displaced intracapsular hip fractures. Studies presently suggest that the anterolateral approach is preferable to the posterior approach due to a perceived reduced risk of reoperations and dislocations. However, these observations come from small studies with short follow-up. We assessed whether surgical approach in THA performed for hip fractures effects outcomes.

Aim

To evaluate a panel of peripheral blood and synovial fluid biomarkers for the identification of periprosthetic joint infection PJI.