The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centre
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently published guidelines
for the prevention of surgical site infection. The WHO guidelines,
if implemented worldwide, could have an immense impact on our practices
and those of the CDC have implications for healthcare policy in
the United States. Our aim was to review the strategies for prevention of periprosthetic
joint infection in light of these and other recent guidelines. Cite this article:
Flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer is a well-recognized
technique in the treatment of the neglected tendo Achillis (TA)
rupture. We report a retrospective review of 20/32 patients who had undergone
transtendinous FHL transfer between 2003 and 2011 for chronic TA
rupture. Their mean age at the time of surgery was 53 years (22
to 83). The mean time from rupture to surgery was seven months (1
to 36). The mean postoperative follow-up was 73 months (29 to 120).
Six patients experienced postoperative wound complications.Aims
Patients and Methods
The aim of this study was to evaluate antegrade autologous bone
grafting with the preservation of articular cartilage in the treatment
of symptomatic osteochondral lesions of the talus with subchondral
cysts. The study involved seven men and five women; their mean age was
35.9 years (14 to 70). All lesions included full-thickness articular
cartilage extending through subchondral bone and were associated
with subchondral cysts. Medial lesions were exposed through an oblique
medial malleolar osteotomy, and one lateral lesion was exposed by
expanding an anterolateral arthroscopic portal. After refreshing
the subchondral cyst, it was grafted with autologous cancellous
bone from the distal tibial metaphysis. The fragments of cartilage
were fixed with 5-0 nylon sutures to the surrounding cartilage.
Function was assessed at a mean follow-up of 25.3 months (15 to
50), using the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS)
ankle-hindfoot outcome score. The radiological outcome was assessed
using MRI and CT scans.Aims
Patients and Methods
The aim of this study was to present a series of patients with
aseptic failure of a total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) who were treated
with fusion of the hindfoot using a nail. A total of 23 TAAs, in 22 patients, were revised for aseptic
loosening and balloon osteolysis to a hindfoot fusion by a single
surgeon (NH) between January 2012 and August 2014. The procedure
was carried out without bone graft using the Phoenix, Biomet Hindfoot
Arthrodesis Nail. Preoperative investigations included full blood
count, CRP and ESR, and radiological investigations including plain
radiographs and CT scans. Postoperative plain radiographs were assessed
for fusion. When there was any doubt, CT scans were performed.Aims
Patients and Methods
The primary aim of this study was to determine the morbidity
of a tibial strut autograft and characterize the rate of bony union
following its use. We retrospectively assessed a series of 104 patients from a single
centre who were treated with a tibial strut autograft of > 5 cm
in length. A total of 30 had a segmental reconstruction with continuity
of bone, 27 had a segmental reconstruction without continuity of
bone, 29 had an arthrodesis and 18 had a nonunion. Donor-site morbidity
was defined as any event that required a modification of the postoperative
management. Union was assessed clinically and radiologically at
a median of 36 months (IQR, 14 to 74).Aims
Patients and Methods
Arthroscopically controlled fracture reduction in combination
with percutaneous screw fixation may be an alternative approach
to open surgery to treat talar neck fractures. The purpose of this
study was thus to present preliminary results on arthroscopically
reduced talar neck fractures. A total of seven consecutive patients (four women and three men,
mean age 39 years (19 to 61)) underwent attempted surgical treatment
of a closed Hawkins type II talar neck fracture using arthroscopically
assisted reduction and percutaneous screw fixation. Functional and
radiological outcome were assessed using plain radiographs, as well
as weight-bearing and non-weight-bearing CT scans as tolerated.
Patient satisfaction and pain sensation were also recorded.Aims
Patients and Methods
The aim of this study was to compare the biomechanical stability and clinical outcome of external fixator combined with limited internal fixation (EFLIF) and open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) in treating Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures. Two types of fixation systems were selected for finite element analysis and a dual cohort study. Two fixation systems were simulated to fix the fracture in a finite element model. The relative displacement and stress distribution were analysed and compared. A total of 71 consecutive patients with closed Sanders type 2 calcaneal fractures were enrolled and divided into two groups according to the treatment to which they chose: the EFLIF group and the ORIF group. The radiological and clinical outcomes were evaluated and compared.Objectives
Methods
Hindfoot arthrodesis with retrograde intramedullary nailing has
been described as a surgical strategy to reconstruct deformities
of the ankle and hindfoot in patients with Charcot arthropathy.
This study presents case series of Charcot arthropathy patients
treated with two different retrograde intramedullary straight compression
nails in order to reconstruct the hindfoot and assess the results
over a mid-term follow-up. We performed a retrospective analysis of 18 consecutive patients
and 19 operated feet with Charcot arthropathy who underwent a hindfoot
arthrodesis using a retrograde intramedullary compression nail.
Patients were ten men and eight women with a mean age of 63.43 years
(38.5 to 79.8). We report the rate of limb salvage, complications requiring
additional surgery, and fusion rate in both groups. The mean duration
of follow-up was 46.36 months (37 to 70).Aims
Patients and Methods
The aim of this study was to determine the optimal regimen for
the management of pain following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) by
comparing the outcomes and cost-effectiveness of different protocols
implemented at a large, urban, academic medical centre. Between September 2013 and September 2015, we used a series of
modifications to our standard regimen for the management of pain
after TKA. In May 2014, there was a department-wide transition from
protocols focused on femoral nerve blocks (FNB) to periarticular
injections of liposomal bupivacaine. In February 2015, patient-controlled analgesia
(PCA) was removed from the protocol while continuing liposomal bupivacaine
injections. Quality measures and hospital costs were compared between
the three protocols.Aims
Patients and Methods
During the last ten years, greater attention
has been given to the management of peri-operative blood loss after
total knee arthroplasty (TKA), as it is a modifiable outcome that has
a significant effect on the rate of complications, the recovery,
and the economic burden. Blood loss after TKA has been greatly reduced
during this time, thereby dramatically reducing the rates of allogeneic
transfusion. This has significantly reduced the complications associated
with transfusion, such as fluid overload, infection, and increased length
of stay. The greatest advent in lowering peri-operative blood loss after
TKA has been the introduction of tranexamic acid, which reduces
blood loss without increasing the risk of thromboembolic events. This paper discusses the ways of reducing blood loss after TKA,
for which a multimodal algorithm, with pre-, intra- and post-operative
measures, has been adopted at our institution. Cite this article:
Our aim was to examine the clinical and radiographic outcomes
in 257 consecutive Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasties (OUKAs)
(238 patients), five years post-operatively. A retrospective evaluation was undertaken of patients treated
between April 2008 and October 2010 in a regional centre by two
non-designing surgeons with no previous experience of UKAs. The
Oxford Knee Scores (OKSs) were recorded and fluoroscopically aligned
radiographs were assessed post-operatively at one and five years.Aims
Patients and Methods
Wrist block has been used to provide pain relief
for many procedures on the hand and wrist but its role in arthroscopy
of the wrist remains unexplored. Chondrotoxicity has been a concern
with the intra-articular infiltration of local anaesthetic. We aimed
to evaluate and compare the analgesic effect of portal and wrist
joint infiltration with a wrist block on the pain experienced by
patients after arthroscopy of the wrist. A prospective, randomised, double-blind trial was designed and
patients undergoing arthroscopy of the wrist under general anaesthesia
as a day case were recruited for the study. Levo-bupivacaine was
used for both techniques. The effects were evaluated using a ten-point
visual analogue scale, and the use of analgesic agents was also
compared. The primary outcomes for statistical analyses were the
mean pain scores and the use of analgesia post-operatively. A total of 34 patients (63% females) were recruited to the portal
and joint infiltration group and 32 patients (59% males) to the
wrist block group. Mean age was 40.8 years in the first group and
39.7 years in the second group (p >
0.05). Both techniques provided
effective pain relief in the first hour and 24 hours post-operatively
but wrist block gave better pain scores at bedtime on the day of
surgery (p = 0.007) and at 24 hours post-operatively (p = 0.006). Wrist block provides better and more reliable analgesia in patients
undergoing arthroscopy of the wrist without exposing patients to
the risk of chondrotoxicity. Cite this article:
Prophylactic antibiotics can decrease the risk
of wound infection and have been routinely employed in orthopaedic surgery
for decades. Despite their widespread use, questions still surround
the selection of antibiotics for prophylaxis, timing and duration
of administration. The health economic costs associated with wound
infections are significant, and the judicious but appropriate use
of antibiotics can reduce this risk. This review examines the evidence behind commonly debated topics
in antibiotic prophylaxis and highlights the uses and advantages
of some commonly used antibiotics. Cite this article:
The aims of this study were to compare the efficacy of two agents,
aspirin and warfarin, for the prevention of venous thromboembolism
(VTE) after simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (SBTKA),
and to elucidate the risk of VTE conferred by this procedure compared
with unilateral TKA (UTKA). A retrospective, multi-institutional study was conducted on 18
951 patients, 3685 who underwent SBTKA and 15 266 who underwent
UTKA, using aspirin or warfarin as VTE prophylaxis. Each patient
was assigned an individualised baseline VTE risk score based on
a system using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Symptomatic VTE,
including pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT),
were identified in the first 90 days post-operatively. Statistical
analyses were performed with logistic regression accounting for
baseline VTE risk.Aims
Patients and Methods
Calcium sulphate (CaSO4) is a resorbable material
that can be used simultaneously as filler of a dead space and as
a carrier for the local application of antibiotics. Our aim was
to describe the systemic exposure and the wound fluid concentrations
of vancomycin in patients treated with vancomycin-loaded CaSO4 as
an adjunct to the routine therapy of bone and joint infections. A total of 680 post-operative blood and 233 wound fluid samples
were available for analysis from 94 implantations performed in 87
patients for various infective indications. Up to 6 g of vancomycin
were used. Non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed
on the data from 37 patients treated for an infection of the hip.Aims
Patients and Methods
The optimal method of tibial component fixation remains uncertain
in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Hydroxyapatite coatings have been
applied to improve bone ingrowth in uncemented designs, but may
only coat the directly accessible surface. As peri-apatite (PA)
is solution deposited, this may increase the coverage of the implant
surface and thereby fixation. We assessed the tibial component fixation
of uncemented PA-coated TKAs Patients were randomised to PA-coated or cemented TKAs. In 60
patients (30 in each group), radiostereometric analysis of tibial
component migration was evaluated as the primary outcome at baseline,
three months post-operatively and at one, two and five years. A
linear mixed-effects model was used to analyse the repeated measurements.Aims
Patients and Methods
The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical and radiographic
outcomes of total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) in patients with pre-operatively
moderate and severe arthritic varus ankles to those achieved for
patients with neutral ankles. A total of 105 patients (105 ankles), matched for age, gender,
body mass index, and follow-up duration, were divided into three
groups by pre-operative coronal plane tibiotalar angle; neutral
(<
5°), moderate (5° to 15°) and severe (>
15°) varus deformity.
American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot
score, a visual analogue scale (VAS), and Short Form (SF)-36 score
were used to compare the clinical outcomes after a mean follow-up period
of 51 months (24 to 147).Aims
Patients and Methods
The April 2015 Wrist &
Hand Roundup360 looks at: Non-operative hand fracture management; From the sublime to the ridiculous?; A novel approach to carpal tunnel decompression; Osteoporosis and functional scores in the distal radius; Ulnar variance and force distribution; Tourniquets in carpal tunnel under the spotlight; Scaphoid fractures reclassified; Osteoporosis and distal radial fracture fixation; PROMISing results in the upper limb
We have increased the dose of tranexamic acid (TXA) in our enhanced total joint recovery protocol at our institution from 15 mg/kg to 30 mg/kg (maximum 2.5 g) as a single, intravenous (IV) dose. We report the clinical effect of this dosage change. We retrospectively compared two cohorts of consecutive patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgery in our unit between 2008 and 2013. One group received IV TXA 15 mg/kg, maximum 1.2 g, and the other 30 mg/kg, maximum 2.5 g as a single pre-operative dose. The primary outcome for this study was the requirement for blood transfusion within 30 days of surgery. Secondary measures included length of hospital stay, critical care requirements, re-admission rate, medical complications and mortality rates.Objectives
Methods