Cut-off values with highest sensitivity and specificity
for the synovial fluid white cell and differential count will facilitate
the accurate diagnosis of
We analysed the serum C-reactive protein level, synovial fluid obtained by joint aspiration and five synovial biopsies from 145 knee replacements prior to revision to assess the value of these parameters in diagnosing late peri-prosthetic
Our aim was to determine if the detection rate of
This review summarises the opinions and conclusions
reached from a symposium on infected total knee replacement (TKR)
held at the British Association of Surgery of the Knee (BASK) annual
meeting in 2011. The National Joint Registry for England and Wales
reported 5082 revision TKRs in 2010, of which 1157 (23%) were caused
by
The aim of this study was to report the pattern
of severe open diaphyseal tibial fractures sustained by military personnel,
and their orthopaedic–plastic surgical management.The
United Kingdom Military Trauma Registry was searched for all such
fractures sustained between 2006 and 2010. Data were gathered on
demographics, injury, management and preliminary outcome, with 49
patients with 57 severe open tibial fractures identified for in-depth study.
The median total number of orthopaedic and plastic surgical procedures
per limb was three (2 to 8). Follow-up for 12 months was complete
in 52 tibiae (91%), and half the fractures (n = 26) either had united
or in the opinion of the treating surgeon were progressing towards
union. The relationship between healing without further intervention
was examined for multiple variables. Neither the New Injury Severity
Score, the method of internal fixation, the requirement for vascularised
soft-tissue cover nor the degree of bone loss was associated with
poor bony healing.
We report the long-term results of the management
of neglected chronically infected total knee replacements with a
two-stage re-implantation protocol. In 18 of 34 patients (53%) a
resistant organism was isolated. All cases were treated by the same
surgical team in a specialist centre and had a mean follow-up of
12.1 years (10 to 14). They were evaluated clinically and radiologically
using the Knee Society Score (KSS) and the American Knee Society Roentgenographic
scoring system, respectively. One patient died after eight years
from an unrelated cause and two were lost to follow-up. Three patients
(8.8%) developed a recurrent
Patient warming significantly decreases the risk
of surgical site
The aims of this study were to compare the mean duration of antibiotic release and the mean zone of inhibition between vancomycin-loaded porous tantalum cylinders and antibiotic-loaded bone cement at intervals, and to evaluate potential intrinsic antimicrobial properties of tantalum in an Ten porous tantalum cylinders and ten cylinders of cement were used. The tantalum cylinders were impregnated with vancomycin, which was also added during preparation of the cylinders of cement. The cylinders were then placed on agar plates inoculated with MSSA. The diameter of the inhibition zone was measured each day, and the cylinders were transferred to a new inoculated plate. Inhibition zones were measured with a Vernier caliper and using an automated computed evaluation, and the intra- and interobserver reproducibility were measured. The mean inhibition zones between the two groups were compared with Wilcoxon’s test.Aims
Materials and Methods
We investigated the incidence of cephalosporin-resistant bacteria in infected hip arthroplasties. Of 740 patients having hip replacement or related procedures performed over three years, 30 had positive bacteriological cultures from tissue removed at the time of surgery. In 18 of the 30 cultures Staphylococcus epidermidis was grown and 12 of these were methicillin-resistant. A prospective study of skin swabs taken from 100 consecutive patients at the time of admission for THR showed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis in 25. This cephalosporin-resistant organism was shown to be the commonest proven cause of
We treated 50 consecutive patients with infected total hip arthroplasties according to a standard protocol. Previous surgery to eradicate the
The pathology of pulp space
The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic utility of histological analysis in spinal biopsies for spondylodiscitis (SD). Clinical features, radiology, results of microbiology, histology, and laboratory investigations in 50 suspected SD patients were evaluated. In 29 patients, the final (i.e. treatment-based) diagnosis was pyogenic SD; in seven patients, the final diagnosis was mycobacterial SD. In pyogenic SD, the neutrophil polymorph (NP) infiltrate was scored semi-quantitatively by determining the mean number of NPs per (×400) high-power field (HPF).Aims
Patients and Methods
This study aimed to assess the performance of an automated multiplex polymerase chain reaction (mPCR) technique for rapid diagnosis of native joint septic arthritis Consecutive patients with suspected septic arthritis undergoing aseptic diagnostic joint aspiration were included. The aspirate was used for analysis by mPCR and conventional microbiological analysis. A joint was classed as septic according to modified Newman criteria. Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) values of the mPCR and the synovial fluid culture were compared using the z-test. A total of 72 out of 76 consecutive patients (33 women, 39 men; mean age 64 years (22 to 92)) with suspected septic arthritis were included in this study.Aims
Patients and Methods
High-intensity narrow-spectrum (HINS) light is
a novel violet-blue light inactivation technology which kills bacteria through
a photodynamic process, and has been shown to have bactericidal
activity against a wide range of species. Specimens from patients
with infected hip and knee arthroplasties were collected over a
one-year period (1 May 2009 to 30 April 2010). A range of these
microbial isolates were tested for sensitivity to HINS-light. During
testing, suspensions of the pathogens were exposed to increasing
doses of HINS-light (of 123mW/cm. 2. irradiance). Non-light exposed
control samples were also used. The samples were then plated onto
agar plates and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours before enumeration.
Complete inactivation (greater than 4-log. 10. reduction)
was achieved for all of the isolates. The typical inactivation curve
showed a slow initial reaction followed by a rapid period of inactivation.
The doses of HINS-light required ranged between 118 and 2214 J/cm. 2.
Gram-positive bacteria were generally found to be more susceptible
than Gram-negative. As HINS-light uses visible wavelengths, it can be safely used
in the presence of patients and staff. This unique feature could
lead to its possible use in the prevention of
Any operation involving the implantation of a foreign body increases the risk of
We report two cases of fungal
A total of seven patients (six men and one woman)
with a defect in the Achilles tendon and overlying soft tissue underwent
reconstruction using either a composite radial forearm flap (n =
3) or an anterolateral thigh flap (n = 4). The Achilles tendons
were reconstructed using chimeric palmaris longus (n = 2) or tensor
fascia lata (n = 2) flaps or transfer of the flexor hallucis longus
tendon (n = 3). Surgical parameters such as the rate of complications
and the time between the initial repair and flap surgery were analysed.
Function was measured objectively by recording the circumference
of the calf, the isometric strength of the plantar flexors and the
range of movement of the ankle. The Achilles tendon Total Rupture
Score (ATRS) questionnaire was used as a patient-reported outcome
measure. Most patients had undergone several previous operations
to the Achilles tendon prior to flap surgery. The mean time to flap
surgery was 14.3 months (2.1 to 40.7). At a mean follow-up of 32.3 months (12.1 to 59.6) the circumference
of the calf on the operated lower limb was reduced by a mean of
1.9 cm (. sd. 0.74) compared with the contralateral limb (p
= 0.042). The mean strength of the plantar flexors on the operated
lower limb was reduced to 88.9% of that of the contralateral limb
(p = 0.043). There was no significant difference in the range of
movement between the two sides (p = 0.317). The mean ATRS score was
72 points (. sd. 20.0). One patient who had an initial successful
reconstruction developed a skin defect of the composite flap 12
months after free flap surgery and this resulted in recurrent
The treatment of chronic osteomyelitis often
includes surgical debridement and filling the resultant void with antibiotic-loaded
polymethylmethacrylate cement, bone grafts or bone substitutes.
Recently, the use of bioactive glass to treat bone defects in infections
has been reported in a limited series of patients. However, no direct comparison
between this biomaterial and antibiotic-loaded bone substitute has
been performed. . In this retrospective study, we compared the safety and efficacy
of surgical debridement and local application of the bioactive glass
S53P4 in a series of 27 patients affected by chronic osteomyelitis
of the long bones (Group A) with two other series, treated respectively
with an antibiotic-loaded hydroxyapatite and calcium sulphate compound
(Group B; n = 27) or a mixture of tricalcium phosphate and an antibiotic-loaded
demineralised bone matrix (Group C; n = 22). Systemic antibiotics
were also used in all groups. After comparable periods of follow-up, the control of infection
was similar in the three groups. In particular, 25 out of 27 (92.6%)
patients of Group A, 24 out of 27 (88.9%) in Group B and 19 out
of 22 (86.3%) in Group C showed no