Rotator cuff tears are common in middle-aged and elderly patients. Despite advances in the surgical repair of rotator cuff tears, the rates of recurrent tear remain high. This may be due to the complexity of the tendons of the rotator cuff, which contributes to an inherently hostile healing environment. During the past 20 years, there has been an increased interest in the use of biologics to complement the healing environment in the shoulder, in order to improve rotator cuff healing and reduce the rate of recurrent tears. The aim of this review is to provide a summary of the current evidence for the use of forms of biological augmentation when repairing rotator cuff tears. Cite this article:
The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of
intravenous tranexamic acid on the reduction of blood loss, transfusion
rate, and early post-operative clinical outcome in total shoulder
arthroplasty. A randomised, placebo-controlled trial which included 54 patients
undergoing unilateral primary stemless anatomical or stemmed reverse
total shoulder arthroplasty was undertaken. Patients received either
100 ml saline (placebo, n = 27), or 100 ml saline together with
1000 mg of tranexamic acid (TXA, n = 27) intravenously prior to
skin incision and during wound closure. Peri-operative blood loss
via an intra-articular drain was recorded and total blood loss was
calculated. The post-operative transfusion rate was documented.
Assessment of early clinical parameters included the visual analogue
scale for pain (VAS), documentation of haematoma formation and adverse events.Aims
Patients and Methods
We describe the use of a protocol of irrigation and debridement
(I&
D) with retention of the implant for the treatment of periprosthetic
infection of a total elbow arthroplasty (TEA). This may be an attractive
alternative to staged re-implantation. Between 1990 and 2010, 23 consecutive patients were treated in
this way. Three were lost to follow-up leaving 20 patients (21 TEAs)
in the study. There were six men and 14 women. Their mean age was
58 years (23 to 76). The protocol involved: component unlinking,
irrigation and debridement (I&
D), and the introduction of antibiotic
laden cement beads; organism-specific intravenous antibiotics; repeat
I&
D and re-linkage of the implant if appropriate; long-term
oral antibiotic therapy. Aims
Patients and Methods
The treatment of septic arthritis of the shoulder is challenging.
The infection frequently recurs and the clinical outcome can be
very poor. We aimed to review the outcomes following the use of
continuous negative pressure after open debridement with a large
diameter drain in patients with septic arthritis of the shoulder. A total of 68 consecutive patients with septic arthritis of the
shoulder underwent arthrotomy, irrigation and debridement. A small
diameter suction drain was placed in the glenohumeral joint and
a large diameter drain was placed in the subacromial space with
continuous negative pressure of 15 cm H2O. All patients
received a standardised protocol of antibiotics for a mean of 5.1
weeks (two to 11.1).Aims
Patients and Methods
Currently, there is little information about the need for peri-operative
blood transfusion in patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty. The purpose of this study was to identify the rate of transfusion
and its predisposing factors, and to establish a blood conservation
strategy. We identified all patients who had undergone shoulder arthroplasty
at our hospital between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2013. The
rate of transfusion was determined from the patient’s records. While
there were exceptions, patients typically underwent transfusion
if they had a level of haemoglobin of <
7.5 g/dl if asymptomatic,
<
9.0 g/dl if they had a significant cardiac history or symptoms
of dizziness or light headedness. Multivariable regression analysis was undertaken to identify
predictors of transfusion. High- and low-risk cohorts for transfusion
were identified from a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Aims
Methods
