The purpose of this study was to determine the weightbearing practice of operatively managed fragility fractures in the setting of publically funded health services in the UK and Ireland. The Fragility Fracture Postoperative Mobilisation (FFPOM) multicentre audit included all patients aged 60 years and older undergoing surgery for a fragility fracture of the lower limb between 1 January 2019 and 30 June 2019, and 1 February 2021 and 14 March 2021. Fractures arising from high-energy transfer trauma, patients with multiple injuries, and those associated with metastatic deposits or infection were excluded. We analyzed this patient cohort to determine adherence to the British Orthopaedic Association Standard, “all surgery in the frail patient should be performed to allow full weight-bearing for activities required for daily livingAims
Methods
This study aimed to develop a virtual clinic for the purpose of reducing face-to-face orthopaedic consultations. Anonymized experts (hip and knee arthroplasty patients, surgeons, physiotherapists, radiologists, and arthroplasty practitioners) gave feedback via a Delphi Consensus Technique. This consisted of an iterative sequence of online surveys, during which virtual documents, made up of a patient-reported questionnaire, standardized radiology report, and decision-guiding algorithm, were modified until consensus was achieved. We tested the patient-reported questionnaire on seven patients in orthopaedic clinics using a ‘think-aloud’ process to capture difficulties with its completion.Aims
Patients and Methods
Revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) accounts for approximately 5% to 10% of all TKAs. Although the complexity of these procedures is well recognized, few investigators have evaluated the cost and value-added with the implementation of a dedicated revision arthroplasty service. The aim of the present study is to compare and contrast surgeon productivity in several differing models of activity. All patients that underwent primary or revision TKA from January 2016 to June 2018 were included as the primary source of data. All rTKA patients were categorized by the number of components revised (e.g. liner exchange, two or more components). Three models were used to assess the potential surgical productivity of a dedicated rTKA service : 1) work relative value unit (RVU) Aims
Materials and Methods
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of multimorbidity
on improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) following
total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Using data from a regional joint registry for 14 573 patients,
HRQoL was measured prior and one year following surgery using the
Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and Oxford Knee Score (OKS), and the 12-Item
Short-Form Health Survey Physical and Mental Component Summary scores
(PCS and MCS, respectively). Multimorbidity was defined as the concurrence
of two or more self-reported chronic conditions. A linear mixed-effects
model was used to test the effects of multimorbidity and the number
of chronic conditions on improvements in HRQoL.Aims
Patients and Methods
Continuing professional development (CPD) refers
to the ongoing participation in activities that keep a doctor up
to date and fit to practise once they have completed formal training.
It is something that most will do naturally to serve their patients
and to enable them to run a safe and profitable practice. Increasingly,
regulators are formalising the requirements for evidence of CPD,
often as part of a process of revalidation or relicensing. This paper reviews how orthopaedic journals can be used as part
of the process of continuing professional development. Cite this article:
Advanced MRI cartilage imaging such as T1-rho
(T1ρ) for the diagnosis of early cartilage degradation prior to morpholgic
radiological changes may provide prognostic information in the management
of joint disease. This study aimed first to determine the normal
T1ρ profile of cartilage within the hip, and secondly to identify
any differences in T1ρ profile between the normal and symptomatic
femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) hip. Ten patients with cam-type
FAI (seven male and three female, mean age 35.9 years (28 to 48))
and ten control patients (four male and six female, mean age 30.6
years (22 to 35)) underwent 1.5T T1ρ MRI of a single hip. Mean T1ρ relaxation
times for full thickness and each of the three equal cartilage thickness
layers were calculated and compared between the groups. The mean
T1ρ relaxation times for full cartilage thickness of control and
FAI hips were similar (37.17 ms ( These results suggest that 1.5T T1ρ MRI can detect acetabular
hyaline cartilage changes in patients with FAI.
With the established success of the National
Joint Registry and the emergence of a range of new national initiatives for
the capture of electronic data in the National Health Service, orthopaedic
surgery in the United Kingdom has found itself thrust to the forefront
of an information revolution. In this review we consider the benefits
and threats that this revolution poses, and how orthopaedic surgeons
should marshal their resources to ensure that this is a force for
good.
Given the growing prevalence of obesity around
the world and its association with osteoarthritis of the knee, orthopaedic
surgeons need to be familiar with the management of the obese patient
with degenerative knee pain. The precise mechanism by which obesity
leads to osteoarthritis remains unknown, but is likely to be due
to a combination of mechanical, humoral and genetic factors. Weight loss has clear medical benefits for the obese patient
and seems to be a logical way of relieving joint pain associated
with degenerative arthritis. There are a variety of ways in which
this may be done including diet and exercise, and treatment with
drugs and bariatric surgery. Whether substantial weight loss can
delay or even reverse the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis
remains to be seen. Surgery for osteoarthritis in the obese patient can be technically
more challenging and carries a risk of additional complications.
Substantial weight loss before undertaking total knee replacement
is advisable. More prospective studies that evaluate the effect
of significant weight loss on the evolution of symptomatic osteoarthritis
of the knee are needed so that orthopaedic surgeons can treat this
patient group appropriately.
There have been few reports in the literature of total elbow arthroplasty extending beyond 10 to 15 years. We reviewed 40 patients (41 elbows) with a mean age of 56 years (19 to 83) who had undergone a Coonrad/Coonrad-Morrey elbow arthroplasty by one surgeon for various diagnoses between 1974 and 1994. Surgical selection excluded patients with previous elbow infection or who refused to accept a sedentary level of elbow activity postoperatively. Objective data were collected from charts, radiographs, clinical photographs and supplemented by the referring orthopaedic surgeons’ records and radiographs if health or distance prevented a patient from returning for final review. Subjective outcome was defined by patient satisfaction. Of the 41 elbows, 21 were functional between 10 and 14 years after operation, ten between 15 and 19 years and ten between 20 and 31 years. There were 14 complications and 13 revisions, but no cases of acute infection, or permanent removal of any implant.
We tested prospectively for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in one
A total of 45 tibial shaft fractures, all conservatively treated and with union delayed for more than 16 but less than 32 weeks were entered in a double-blind multi-centre trial. The fractures were selected for their liability to delayed union by the presence of moderate or severe displacement, angulation or comminution or a compound lesion with moderate or severe injury to skin and soft tissues. Treatment was by plaster immobilisation in all, with active electromagnetic stimulation units in 20 patients and dummy control units in 25 patients for 12 weeks. Radiographs were assessed blindly and independently by a radiologist and an orthopaedic surgeon. Statistical analysis showed the treatment groups to be comparable except in their age distribution, but age was not found to affect the outcome and the effect of treatment was consistent for each age group. The radiologist's assessment of the active group showed radiological union in five fractures, progress to union in five but no progress to union in 10. In the control group there was union in one fracture and progress towards union in one but no progress in 23. Using Fisher's exact test, the results were very significantly in favour of the active group (p = 0.002). The
