To determine if patient ethnicity among patients with a hip fracture influences the type of fracture, surgical care, and outcome. This was an observational cohort study using a linked dataset combining data from the National Hip Fracture Database and Hospital Episode Statistics in England and Wales. Patients’ odds of dying at one year were modelled using logistic regression with adjustment for ethnicity and clinically relevant covariates.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to review the provision of total elbow arthroplasties (TEAs) in England, including the incidence, the characteristics of the patients and the service providers, the types of implant, and the outcomes. We analyzed the primary TEAs recorded in the National Joint Registry (NJR) between April 2012 and December 2022, with mortality data from the Civil Registration of Deaths dataset. Linkage with Hospital Episode Statistics-Admitted Patient Care (HES-APC) data provided further information not collected by the NJR. The incidences were calculated using estimations of the populations from the Office for National Statistics. The annual number of TEAs performed by surgeons and hospitals was analyzed on a national and regional basis.Aims
Methods
To identify unanswered questions about the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation and delivery of care of first-time soft-tissue knee injuries (ligament injuries, patella dislocations, meniscal injuries, and articular cartilage) in children (aged 12 years and older) and adults. The James Lind Alliance (JLA) methodology for Priority Setting Partnerships was followed. An initial survey invited patients and healthcare professionals from the UK to submit any uncertainties regarding soft-tissue knee injury prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation and delivery of care. Over 1,000 questions were received. From these, 74 questions (identifying common concerns) were formulated and checked against the best available evidence. An interim survey was then conducted and 27 questions were taken forward to the final workshop, held in January 2023, where they were discussed, ranked, and scored in multiple rounds of prioritization. This was conducted by healthcare professionals, patients, and carers.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to characterize the influence of social deprivation on the rate of complications, readmissions, and revisions following primary total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), using the Social Deprivation Index (SDI). The SDI is a composite measurement, in percentages, of seven demographic characteristics: living in poverty, with < 12 years of education, single-parent households, living in rented or overcrowded housing, households without a car, and unemployed adults aged < 65 years. Patients aged ≥ 40 years, who underwent primary TSA between 2011 and 2017, were identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9 Clinical Modification and ICD-10 procedure codes for TSA in the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database. Readmission, reoperation, and other complications were analyzed using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression controlling for SDI, age, ethnicity, insurance status, and Charlson Comorbidity Index.Aims
Methods
Hip fracture commonly affects the frailest patients, of whom many are care-dependent, with a disproportionate risk of contracting COVID-19. We examined the impact of COVID-19 infection on hip fracture mortality in England. We conducted a cohort study of patients with hip fracture recorded in the National Hip Fracture Database between 1 February 2019 and 31 October 2020 in England. Data were linked to Hospital Episode Statistics to quantify patient characteristics and comorbidities, Office for National Statistics mortality data, and Public Health England’s SARS-CoV-2 testing results. Multivariable Cox regression examined determinants of 90-day mortality. Excess mortality attributable to COVID-19 was quantified using Quasi-Poisson models.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence and patterns of neuropathic pain over one year in a cohort of patients with chronic post-surgical pain at three months following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Between 2016 and 2019, 363 patients with troublesome pain, defined as a score of ≤ 14 on the Oxford Knee Score pain subscale, three months after TKA from eight UK NHS hospitals, were recruited into the Support and Treatment After Replacement (STAR) clinical trial. Self-reported neuropathic pain and postoperative pain was assessed at three, nine, and 15 months after surgery using the painDETECT and Douleur Neuropathique 4 (DN4) questionnaires collected by postal survey.Aims
Methods
Despite new technologies for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), approximately 20% of patients are dissatisfied. A major reason for dissatisfaction and revision surgery after TKA is persistent pain. The radiological grade of osteoarthritis (OA) preoperatively has been investigated as a predictor of the outcome after TKA, with conflicting results. The aim of this study was to determine if there is a difference in the intensity of pain 12 months after TKA in relation to the preoperative radiological grade of OA alone, and the combination of the intensity of preoperative pain and radiological grade of OA. The preoperative data of 300 patients who underwent primary TKA were collected, including clinical information (age, sex, preoperative pain), psychological variables (depression, anxiety, pain catastrophizing, anticipated pain), and quantitative sensory testing (temporal summation, pressure pain thresholds, conditioned pain modulation). The preoperative radiological severity of OA was graded according to the Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) classification. Persistent pain in the knee was recorded 12 months postoperatively. Generalized linear models explored differences in postoperative pain according to the KL grade, and combined preoperative pain and KL grade. Relative risk models explored which preoperative variables were associated with the high preoperative pain/low KL grade group.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to compare the longer-term outcomes of operatively and nonoperatively managed patients treated with a removable brace (fixed-angle removable orthosis) or a plaster cast immobilization for an acute ankle fracture. This is a secondary analysis of a multicentre randomized controlled trial comparing adults with an acute ankle fracture, initially managed either by operative or nonoperative care. Patients were randomly allocated to receive either a cast immobilization or a fixed-angle removable orthosis (removable brace). Data were collected on baseline characteristics, ankle function, quality of life, and complications. The Olerud-Molander Ankle Score (OMAS) was the primary outcome which was used to measure the participant’s ankle function. The primary endpoint was at 16 weeks, with longer-term follow-up at 24 weeks and two years.Aims
Methods
Modular dual-mobility (DM) articulations are increasingly used during total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, concerns remain regarding the metal liner modularity. This study aims to correlate metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS)-MRI abnormalities with serum metal ion levels in patients with DM articulations. A total of 45 patients (50 hips) with a modular DM articulation were included with mean follow-up of 3.7 years (SD 1.2). Enrolled patients with an asymptomatic, primary THA and DM articulation with over two years’ follow-up underwent MARS-MRI. Each patient had serum cobalt, chromium, and titanium levels drawn. Patient satisfaction, Oxford Hip Score, and Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) were collected. Each MARS-MRI was independently reviewed by fellowship-trained musculoskeletal radiologists blinded to serum ion levels.Aims
Methods
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
Methods
Periprosthetic fractures (PPFs) around the knee are challenging injuries. This study aims to describe the characteristics of knee PPFs and the impact of patient demographics, fracture types, and management modalities on in-hospital mortality. Using a multicentre study design, independent of registry data, we included adult patients sustaining a PPF around a knee arthroplasty between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2019. Univariate, then multivariable, logistic regression analyses were performed to study the impact of patient, fracture, and treatment on mortality.Aims
Methods
The purpose of this study was to determine the association between prior sleeve gastrectomy in patients undergoing primary total hip and knee arthroplasty, and 90-day complications, incidence of revision arthroplasty, and patient-reported outcome scores at final follow-up. This is a retrospective, single-centre analysis. Patients undergoing primary hip or knee arthroplasty with a prior sleeve gastrectomy were eligible for inclusion (n = 80 patients). A morbidly obese control group was established from the same institutional registry using a 1:2 match, for cases:controls with arthroplasty based on propensity score using age, sex, pre-sleeve gastrectomy BMI, Current Procedural Terminology code to identify anatomical location, and presurgical haemoglobin A1C. Outcomes included 90-day complications, incidence of revision arthroplasty, and patient-reported outcome scores at final follow-up. Multivariable logistic regressions evaluated associations of underlying preoperative demographic and treatment characteristics with outcomes.Aims
Methods
Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potential complication of foot and ankle surgery. There is a lack of agreement on contributing risk factors and chemical prophylaxis requirements. The primary outcome of this study was to analyze the 90-day incidence of symptomatic VTE and VTE-related mortality in patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery and Achilles tendon (TA) rupture. Secondary aims were to assess the variation in the provision of chemical prophylaxis and risk factors for VTE. This was a multicentre, prospective national collaborative audit with data collection over nine months for all patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery in an operating theatre or TA rupture treatment, within participating UK hospitals. The association between VTE and thromboprophylaxis was assessed with a univariable logistic regression model. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify key predictors for the risk of VTE.Aims
Methods
This study aims to assess the relationship between history of pseudotumour formation secondary to metal-on-metal (MoM) implants and periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) rate, as well as establish ESR and CRP thresholds that are suggestive of infection in these patients. We hypothesized that patients with a pseudotumour were at increased risk of infection. A total of 1,171 total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients with MoM articulations from August 2000 to March 2014 were retrospectively identified. Of those, 328 patients underwent metal artefact reduction sequence MRI and had minimum two years’ clinical follow-up, and met our inclusion criteria. Data collected included demographic details, surgical indication, laterality, implants used, history of pseudotumour, and their corresponding preoperative ESR (mm/hr) and CRP (mg/dl) levels. Multivariate logistic regression modelling was used to evaluate PJI and history of pseudotumour, and receiver operating characteristic curves were created to assess the diagnostic capabilities of ESR and CRP to determine the presence of infection in patients undergoing revision surgery.Aims
Methods
The Open-Fracture Patient Evaluation Nationwide (OPEN) study was performed to provide clarity in open fracture management previously skewed by small, specialist centre studies and large, unfocused registry investigations. We report the current management metrics of open fractures across the UK. Patients admitted to hospital with an open fracture (excluding phalanges or isolated hand injuries) between 1 June 2021 and 30 September 2021 were included. Institutional information governance approval was obtained at the lead site and all data entered using Research Electronic Data Capture software. All domains of the British Orthopaedic Association Standard for Open Fracture Management were recorded.Aims
Method
A recent report from France suggested an association between the use of cobalt-chrome (CoCr) femoral heads in total hip arthroplasties (THAs) and an increased risk of dilated cardiomyopathy and heart failure. CoCr is a commonly used material in orthopaedic implants. If the reported association is causal, the consequences would be significant given the millions of joint arthroplasties and other orthopaedic procedures in which CoCr is used annually. We examined whether CoCr-containing THAs were associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality, heart outcomes, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders in a large national database. Data from the National Joint Registry was linked to NHS English hospital inpatient episodes for 374,359 primary THAs with up to 14.5 years' follow-up. We excluded any patients with bilateral THAs, knee arthroplasties, indications other than osteoarthritis, aged under 55 years, and diagnosis of one or more outcome of interest before THA. Implants were grouped as either containing CoCr or not containing CoCr. The association between implant construct and the risk of all-cause mortality and incident heart failure, cancer, and neurodegenerative disorders was examined.Aims
Methods
Many patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have severe osteoarthritis (OA) in both knees and may consider either simultaneous or staged bilateral TKA. The implications of simultaneous versus staged bilateral TKA for return to work are not well understood. We hypothesized that employed patients who underwent simultaneous bilateral TKA would have significantly fewer days missed from work compared with the sum of days missed from each operation for patients who underwent staged bilateral TKA. The prospective arthroplasty registry at the Hospital for Special Surgery was used. Baseline characteristics and patient-reported outcome scores were evaluated. We used a linear regression model, adjusting for potential confounding variables including age, sex, preoperative BMI, and type of work (sedentary, moderate, high activity, or strenuous), to analyze time lost from work after simultaneous compared with staged bilateral TKA.Aims
Methods
Osteonecrosis (ON) can cause considerable morbidity in young people who undergo treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The aims of this study were to determine the operations undertaken for ON in this population in the UK, along with the timing of these operations and any sequential procedures that are used in different joints. We also explored the outcomes of those patients treated by core decompression (CD), and compared this with conservative management, in both the pre- or post-collapse stages of ON. UK treatment centres were contacted to obtain details regarding surgical interventions and long-term outcomes for patients who were treated for ALL and who developed ON in UKALL 2003 (the national leukaemia study which recruited patients aged 1 to 24 years at diagnosis of ALL between 2003 and 2011). Imaging of patients with ON affecting the femoral head was requested and was used to score all lesions, with subsequent imaging used to determine the final grade. Kaplan-Meier failure time plots were used to compare the use of CD with non surgical management.Aims
Methods
Pin-site infection remains a significant problem for patients treated by external fixation. A randomized trial was undertaken to compare the weekly use of alcoholic chlorhexidine (CHX) for pin-site care with an emollient skin preparation in patients with a tibial fracture treated with a circular frame. Patients were randomized to use either 0.5% CHX or Dermol (DML) 500 emollient pin-site care. A skin biopsy was taken from the tibia during surgery to measure the dermal and epidermal thickness and capillary, macrophage, and T-cell counts per high-powered field. The pH and hydration of the skin were measured preoperatively, at follow-up, and if pin-site infection occurred. Pin-site infection was defined using a validated clinical system.Aims
Methods
The aim of this study to compare 30-day survival and recovery of mobility between patients mobilized early (on the day of, or day after surgery for a hip fracture) and patients mobilized late (two days or more after surgery), and to determine whether the presence of dementia influences the association between the timing of mobilization, 30-day survival, and recovery. Analysis of the National Hip Fracture Database and hospital records for 126,897 patients aged ≥ 60 years who underwent surgery for a hip fracture in England and Wales between 2014 and 2016. Using logistic regression, we adjusted for covariates with a propensity score to estimate the association between the timing of mobilization, survival, and recovery of walking ability.Aims
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