Aims. Developmental cervical spinal stenosis (DcSS) is a well-known predisposing factor for degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) but there is a lack of consensus on its definition. This study aims to define DcSS based on MRI, and its
We aimed to compare reoperations following distal radial fractures (DRFs) managed with early fixation versus delayed fixation following initial closed reduction (CR). We used administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, to identify DRF patients aged 18 years or older from 2003 to 2016. We used procedural and fee codes within 30 days to determine which patients underwent early fixation (≤ seven days) or delayed fixation following CR. We grouped patients in the delayed group by their time to definitive fixation (eight to 14 days, 15 to 21 days, and 22 to 30 days). We used intervention and diagnostic codes to identify reoperations within two years. We used multivariable regression to compare the association between early versus delayed fixation and reoperation for all patients and stratified by age (18 to 60 years and > 60 years).Aims
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The aims of this study were to report the outcomes of patients with a complex fracture of the lower limb in the five years after they took part in the Wound Healing in Surgery for Trauma (WHIST) trial. The WHIST trial compared negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) dressings with standard dressings applied at the end of the first operation for patients undergoing internal fixation of a complex fracture of the lower limb. Complex fractures included periarticular fractures and open fractures when the wound could be closed primarily at the end of the first debridement. A total of 1,548 patients aged ≥ 16 years completed the initial follow-up, six months after injury. In this study we report the pre-planned analysis of outcome data up to five years. Patients reported their Disability Rating Index (DRI) (0 to 100, in which 100 = total disability), and health-related quality of life, chronic pain scores and neuropathic pain scores annually, using a self-reported questionnaire. Complications, including further surgery related to the fracture, were also recorded.Aims
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In recent years, the use of a collared cementless femoral prosthesis has risen in popularity. The design intention of collared components is to transfer some load to the resected femoral calcar and prevent implant subsidence within the cancellous bone of the metaphysis. Conversely, the load transfer for a cemented femoral prosthesis depends on the cement-component and cement-bone interface interaction. The aim of our study was to compare the three most commonly used collared cementless components and the three most commonly used tapered polished cemented components in patients aged ≥ 75 years who have undergone a primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) for osteoarthritis (OA). Data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry from 1 September 1999 to 31 December 2022 were analyzed. Collared cementless femoral components and cemented components were identified, and the three most commonly used components in each group were analyzed. We identified a total of 11,278 collared cementless components and 47,835 cemented components. Hazard ratios (HRs) from Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for age and sex, were obtained to compare the revision rates between the groups.Aims
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The aim of this study was to estimate the incremental use of resources, costs, and quality of life outcomes associated with surgical reconstruction compared to rehabilitation for long-standing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in the NHS, and to estimate its cost-effectiveness. A total of 316 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to either surgical reconstruction or rehabilitation (physiotherapy but with subsequent reconstruction permitted if instability persisted after treatment). Healthcare resource use and health-related quality of life data (EuroQol five-dimension five-level health questionnaire) were collected in the trial at six, 12, and 18 months using self-reported questionnaires and medical records. Using intention-to-treat analysis, differences in costs, and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) between treatment arms were estimated adjusting for baseline differences and following multiple imputation of missing data. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated as the difference in costs divided by the difference in QALYs between reconstruction and rehabilitation.Aims
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The aim of this study was to reassess the rate of neurological, psoas-related, and abdominal complications associated with L4-L5 lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) undertaken using a standardized preoperative assessment and surgical technique. This was a multicentre retrospective study involving consecutively enrolled patients who underwent L4-L5 LLIF by seven surgeons at seven institutions in three countries over a five-year period. The demographic details of the patients and the details of the surgery, reoperations and complications, including femoral and non-femoral neuropraxia, thigh pain, weakness of hip flexion, and abdominal complications, were analyzed. Neurological and psoas-related complications attributed to LLIF or posterior instrumentation and persistent symptoms were recorded at one year postoperatively.Aims
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Telehealth has the potential to change the way we approach patient care. From virtual consenting to reducing carbon emissions, costs, and waiting times, it is a powerful tool in our clinical armamentarium. There is mounting evidence that remote diagnostic evaluation and decision-making have reached an acceptable level of accuracy and can safely be adopted in orthopaedic surgery. Furthermore, patients’ and surgeons’ satisfaction with virtual appointments are comparable to in-person consultations. Challenges to the widespread use of telehealth should, however, be acknowledged and include the cost of installation, training, maintenance, and accessibility. It is also vital that clinicians are conscious of the medicolegal and ethical considerations surrounding the medium and adhere strictly to the relevant data protection legislation and storage framework. It remains to be seen how organizations harness the full spectrum of the technology to facilitate effective patient care. Cite this article:
Several different designs of hemiarthroplasty are used to treat intracapsular fractures of the proximal femur, with large variations in costs. No clinical benefit of modular over monoblock designs has been reported in the literature. Long-term data are lacking. The aim of this study was to report the ten-year implant survival of commonly used designs of hemiarthroplasty. Patients recorded by the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) between 1 September 1999 and 31 December 2020 who underwent hemiarthroplasty for the treatment of a hip fracture with the following implants were included: a cemented monoblock Exeter Trauma Stem (ETS), cemented Exeter V40 with a bipolar head, a monoblock Thompsons prosthesis (Cobalt/Chromium or Titanium), and an Exeter V40 with a Unitrax head. Overall and age-defined cumulative revision rates were compared over the ten years following surgery.Aims
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Patients with differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs) have a favourable long-term survival. Spinal metastases (SMs) cause a decline in performance status (PS), directly affecting mortality and indirectly preventing the use of systemic therapies. Metastasectomy is indicated, if feasible, as it yields the best local tumour control. Our study aimed to examine the long-term clinical outcomes of metastasectomy for SMs of thyroid carcinomas. We collected data on 22 patients with DTC (16 follicular and six papillary carcinomas) and one patient with medullary carcinoma who underwent complete surgical resection of SMs at our institution between July 1992 and July 2017, with a minimum postoperative follow-up of five years. The cancer-specific survival (CSS) from the first spinal metastasectomy to death or the last follow-up was determined using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Potential factors associated with survival were evaluated using the log-rank test. We analyzed the clinical parameters and outcome data, including pre- and postoperative disability (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group PS 3), lung and non-spinal bone metastases, and history of radioiodine and kinase inhibitor therapies.Aims
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It has been well documented in the arthroplasty literature that lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD) contributes to abnormal spinopelvic motion. However, the relationship between the severity or pattern of hip osteoarthritis (OA) as measured on an anteroposterior (AP) pelvic view and spinopelvic biomechanics has not been well investigated. Therefore, the aim of the study is to examine the association between the severity and pattern of hip OA and spinopelvic motion. A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). Plain AP pelvic radiographs were reviewed to document the morphological characteristic of osteoarthritic hips. Lateral spine-pelvis-hip sitting and standing plain radiographs were used to measure sacral slope (SS) and pelvic femoral angle (PFA) in each position. Lumbar disc spaces were measured to determine the presence of DDD. The difference between sitting and standing SS and PFA were calculated to quantify spinopelvic motion (ΔSS) and hip motion (ΔPFA), respectively. Univariate analysis and Pearson correlation were used to identify morphological hip characteristics associated with changes in spinopelvic motion.Aims
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The optimal procedure for the treatment of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to compare the outcome of anterior cervical ossified posterior longitudinal ligament en bloc resection (ACOE) with posterior laminectomy and fusion with bone graft and internal fixation (PTLF) for the surgical management of patients with this condition. Between July 2017 and July 2019, 40 patients with cervical OPLL were equally randomized to undergo surgery with an ACOE or a PTLF. The clinical and radiological results were compared between the two groups.Aims
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The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence and characteristics of instrumentation failure (IF) after total en bloc spondylectomy (TES), and to analyze risk factors for IF. The medical records from 136 patients (65 male, 71 female) with a mean age of 52.7 years (14 to 80) who underwent TES were retrospectively reviewed. The mean follow-up period was 101 months (36 to 232). Analyzed factors included incidence of IF, age, sex, BMI, history of chemotherapy or radiotherapy, tumour histology (primary or metastasis; benign or malignant), surgical approach (posterior or combined), tumour location (thoracic or lumbar; junctional or non-junctional), number of resected vertebrae (single or multilevel), anterior resection line (disc-to-disc or intravertebra), type of bone graft (autograft or frozen autograft), cage subsidence (CS), and local alignment (LA). A survival analysis of the instrumentation was performed, and relationships between IF and other factors were investigated using the Cox regression model.Aims
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Aims. This study aimed to describe practice variation in the use of total hip arthroplasty (THA) for older patients with femoral neck fracture and to determine the association between patient, surgeon, and institution factors and treatment with THA. Methods. We performed a cross-sectional analysis of 49,597 patients aged 60 years and older from Ontario, Canada, who underwent hemiarthroplasty or THA for femoral neck fracture between 2002 and 2017. This population-based study used routinely collected healthcare databases linked through ICES (formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences).
The aim of this study was to compare a bicruciate-retaining (BCR) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with a posterior cruciate-retaining (CR) TKA design in terms of kinematics, measured using fluoroscopy and stability as micromotion using radiostereometric analysis (RSA). A total of 40 patients with end-stage osteoarthritis were included in this randomized controlled trial. All patients performed a step-up and lunge task in front of a monoplane fluoroscope one year postoperatively. Femorotibial contact point (CP) locations were determined at every flexion angle and compared between the groups. RSA images were taken at baseline, six weeks, three, six, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. Clinical and functional outcomes were compared postoperatively for two years.Aims
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The aim of this study was to examine perioperative blood transfusion practice, and associations with clinical outcomes, in a national cohort of hip fracture patients. A retrospective cohort study was undertaken using linked data from the Scottish Hip Fracture Audit and the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service between May 2016 and December 2020. All patients aged ≥ 50 years admitted to a Scottish hospital with a hip fracture were included. Assessment of the factors independently associated with red blood cell transfusion (RBCT) during admission was performed, alongside determination of the association between RBCT and hip fracture outcomes.Aims
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The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the rate of conversion to surgical release after a steroid injection in patients with a trigger finger, and to analyze which patient- and trigger finger-related factors affect the outcome of an injection. The medical records of 500 patients (754 fingers) treated for one or more trigger fingers with a steroid injection or with surgical release, between 1 January 2016 and 1 April 2020 with a follow-up of 12 months, were analyzed. Conversion to surgical release was recorded as an unsuccessful treatment after an injection. The effect of patient- and trigger finger-related characteristics on the outcome of an injection was assessed using stepwise manual backward multivariate logistic regression analysis.Aims
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The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of revision for distal femoral arthroplasty (DFA) performed as a primary procedure for native knee fractures using data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Arthroplasty Registry (AOANJRR). Data from the AOANJRR were obtained for DFA performed as primary procedures for native knee fractures from 1 September 1999 to 31 December 2020. Pathological fractures and revision for failed internal fixation were excluded. The five prostheses identified were the Global Modular Arthroplasty System, the Modular Arthroplasty System, the Modular Universal Tumour And Revision System, the Orthopaedic Salvage System, and the Segmental System. Patient demographic data (age, sex, and American Society of Anesthesiologists grade) were obtained, where available. Kaplan-Meier estimates of survival were used to determine the rate of revision, and the reasons for revision and mortality data were examined.Aims
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Aims. The aim of this study was to conduct a cross-sectional, observational cohort study of patients presenting for revision of a total hip, or total or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, to understand current routes to revision surgery and explore differences in symptoms, healthcare use, reason for revision, and the revision surgery (surgical time, components, length of stay) between patients having regular follow-up and those without. Methods. Data were collected from participants and medical records for the 12 months prior to revision. Patients with previous revision, metal-on-metal articulations, or hip hemiarthroplasty were excluded. Participants were retrospectively classified as ‘Planned’ or ‘Unplanned’ revision.
The aim of this study was to determine the impact of hospital-level service characteristics on hip fracture outcomes and quality of care processes measures. This was a retrospective analysis of publicly available audit data obtained from the National Hip Fracture Database (NHFD) 2018 benchmark summary and Facilities Survey. Data extraction was performed using a dedicated proforma to identify relevant hospital-level care process and outcome variables for inclusion. The primary outcome measure was adjusted 30-day mortality rate. A random forest-based multivariate imputation by chained equation (MICE) algorithm was used for missing value imputation. Univariable analysis for each hospital level factor was performed using a combination of Tobit regression, Siegal non-parametric linear regression, and Mann-Whitney U test analyses, dependent on the data type. In all analyses, a p-value < 0.05 denoted statistical significance.Aims
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A typical pattern of blood loss associated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) is 200 ml intraoperatively and 1.3 l in the first 48 postoperative hours. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is most commonly given as a single preoperative dose only and is often withheld from patients with a history of thromboembolic disease as they are perceived to be “high-risk” with respect to postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). The TRanexamic ACid for 24 hours trial (TRAC-24) aimed to identify if an additional 24-hour postoperative TXA regime could further reduce blood loss beyond a once-only dose at the time of surgery, without excluding these high-risk patients. TRAC-24 was a prospective, phase IV, single centre, open label, parallel group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving patients undergoing primary unilateral elective THA. The primary outcome measure was the indirect calculated blood loss (IBL) at 48 hours. The patients were randomized into three groups. Group 1 received 1 g intravenous (IV) TXA at the time of surgery and an additional oral regime for 24 hours postoperatively, group 2 only received the intraoperative dose, and group 3 did not receive any TXA.Aims
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