A typical pattern of blood loss associated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) is 200 ml intraoperatively and 1.3 l in the first 48 postoperative hours. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is most commonly given as a single preoperative dose only and is often withheld from patients with a history of thromboembolic disease as they are perceived to be “high-risk” with respect to postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). The TRanexamic ACid for 24 hours trial (TRAC-24) aimed to identify if an additional 24-hour postoperative TXA regime could further reduce blood loss beyond a once-only dose at the time of surgery, without excluding these high-risk patients. TRAC-24 was a prospective, phase IV, single centre, open label, parallel group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving patients undergoing primary unilateral elective THA. The primary outcome measure was the indirect calculated blood loss (IBL) at 48 hours. The patients were randomized into three groups. Group 1 received 1 g intravenous (IV) TXA at the time of surgery and an additional oral regime for 24 hours postoperatively, group 2 only received the intraoperative dose, and group 3 did not receive any TXA.Aims
Methods
Orthopaedic infection is a potentially serious complication of elective and emergency trauma and orthopaedic procedures, with a high associated burden of morbidity and cost. Optimization of vitamin D levels has been postulated to be beneficial in the prevention of orthopaedic infection. This study explores the role of vitamin D in orthopaedic infection through a systematic review of available evidence. A comprehensive search was conducted on databases including Medline and Embase, as well as grey literature such as Google Scholar and The World Health Organization Database. Pooled analysis with weighted means was undertaken.Aims
Methods
The aim of the HIPGEN consortium is to develop the first cell therapy product for hip fracture patients using PLacental-eXpanded (PLX-PAD) stromal cells. HIPGEN is a multicentre, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 240 patients aged 60 to 90 years with low-energy femoral neck fractures (FNF) will be allocated to two arms and receive an intramuscular injection of either 150 × 106 PLX-PAD cells or placebo into the medial gluteal muscle after direct lateral implantation of total or hemi hip arthroplasty. Patients will be followed for two years. The primary endpoint is the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) at week 26. Secondary and exploratory endpoints include morphological parameters (lean body mass), functional parameters (abduction and handgrip strength, symmetry in gait, weightbearing), all-cause mortality rate and patient-reported outcome measures (Lower Limb Measure, EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire). Immunological biomarker and in vitro studies will be performed to analyze the PLX-PAD mechanism of action. A sample size of 240 subjects was calculated providing 88% power for the detection of a 1 SPPB point treatment effect for a two-sided test with an α level of 5%.Aims
Methods
In total knee arthroplasty (TKA), blood loss continues internally after surgery is complete. Typically, the total loss over 48 postoperative hours can be around 1,300 ml, with most occurring within the first 24 hours. We hypothesize that the full potential of tranexamic acid (TXA) to decrease TKA blood loss has not yet been harnessed because it is rarely used beyond the intraoperative period, and is usually withheld from ‘high-risk’ patients with a history of thromboembolic, cardiovascular, or cerebrovascular disease, a patient group who would benefit greatly from a reduced blood loss. TRAC-24 was a prospective, phase IV, single-centre, open label, parallel group, randomized controlled trial on patients undergoing TKA, including those labelled as high-risk. The primary outcome was indirect calculated blood loss (IBL) at 48 hours. Group 1 received 1 g intravenous (IV) TXA at the time of surgery and an additional 24-hour postoperative oral regime of four 1 g doses, while Group 2 only received the intraoperative dose and Group 3 did not receive any TXA.Aims
Methods
This is a multicentre, non-inventor, prospective observational study of 503 INFINITY fixed bearing total ankle arthroplasties (TAAs). We report our early experience, complications, and radiological and functional outcomes. Patients were recruited from 11 specialist centres between June 2016 and November 2019. Demographic, radiological, and functional outcome data (Ankle Osteoarthritis Scale, Manchester Oxford Questionnaire, and EuroQol five-dimension five-level score) were collected preoperatively, at six months, one year, and two years. The Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) grading system was used to stratify deformity. Early and late complications and reoperations were recorded as adverse events. Radiographs were assessed for lucencies, cysts, and/or subsidence.Aims
Methods
Current American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) guidelines for treating femoral fractures in children aged two to six years recommend early spica casting although some individuals have recommended intramedullary stabilization in this age group. The purpose of this study was to compare the treatment and family burden of care of spica casting and flexible intramedullary nailing in this age group. Patients aged two to six years old with acute, non-pathological femur fractures were prospectively enrolled at one of three tertiary children’s hospitals. Either early closed reduction with spica cast application or flexible intramedullary nailing was accomplished under general anaesthesia. The treatment method was selected after discussion of the options by the surgeon with the family. Data were prospectively collected on patient demographics, fracture characteristics, complications, pain medication, and union. The Impact on Family Scale was obtained at the six-week follow-up visit. In all, 75 patients were included in the study: 39 in the spica group and 36 in the nailing group. The mean age of the spica group was 2.71 (2.0 to 6.9) years and the mean age of the nailing group was 3.16 (2.0 to 6.9) years.Aims
Methods
Radiostereometric analysis (RSA) studies of vitamin E-doped, highly crosslinked polyethylene (VEPE) liners show low head penetration rates in cementless acetabular components. There is, however, currently no data on cemented VEPE acetabular components in total hip arthroplasty (THA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of a new cemented VEPE component, compared with a conventional polyethylene (PE) component regarding migration, head penetration, and clinical results. We enrolled 42 patients (21 male, 21 female) with osteoarthritis and a mean age of 67 years (Aims
Patients and Methods
This study compares the PFC total knee arthroplasty (TKA) system in a prospective randomized control trial (RCT) of the mobile-bearing rotating-platform (RP) TKA against the fixed-bearing (FB) TKA. This is the largest RCT with the longest follow-up where cruciate-retaining PFC total knee arthroplasties are compared in a non-bilateral TKA study. A total of 167 patients (190 knees with 23 bilateral cases), were recruited prospectively and randomly assigned, with 91 knees receiving the RP and 99 knees receiving FB. The mean age was 65.5 years (48 to 82), the mean body mass index (BMI) was 29.7 kg/m2 (20 to 52) and 73 patients were female. The Knee Society Score (KSS), Knee Society Functional Score (KSFS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), and 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey Physical and Mental Component Scores (SF-12 PCS, SF-12 MCS) were gathered and recorded preoperatively, at five-years’ follow-up, and at ten years’ follow-up. Additionally, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS) were collected at five- and ten-year follow-ups. The prevalence of radiolucent lines (RL) on radiographs and implant survival were recorded at five- and ten-year follow-ups.Aims
Patients and Methods
The aim of this study was to assess the influence of obesity on the clinical outcomes and survivorship ten years postoperatively in patients who underwent a fixed-bearing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). We prospectively followed 184 patients who underwent UKA between 2003 and 2007 for a minimum of ten years. A total of 142 patients with preoperative body mass index (BMI) of < 30 kg/m2 were in the control group (32 male, 110 female) and 42 patients with BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2 were in the obese group (five male, 37 female). Pre- and postoperative range of movement (ROM), Knee Society Score (KSS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), and survivorship were analyzed.Aims
Patients and Methods
Although vertebroplasty is very effective for relieving acute pain from an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture, not all patients who undergo vertebroplasty receive the same degree of benefit from the procedure. In order to identify the ideal candidate for vertebroplasty, pre-operative prognostic demographic or clinico-radiological factors need to be identified. The objective of this study was to identify the pre-operative prognostic factors related to the effect of vertebroplasty on acute pain control using a cohort of surgically and non-surgically managed patients. Patients with single-level acute osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture at thoracolumbar junction (T10 to L2) were followed. If the patients were not satisfied with acute pain reduction after a three-week conservative treatment, vertebroplasty was recommended. Pain assessment was carried out at the time of diagnosis, as well as three, four, six, and 12 weeks after the diagnosis. The effect of vertebroplasty, compared with conservative treatment, on back pain (visual analogue score, VAS) was analysed with the use of analysis-of-covariance models that adjusted for pre-operative VAS scores.Objectives
Patients and Methods
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
change in sagittal tibiotalar alignment after total ankle arthroplasty (TAA)
for osteoarthritis and to investigate factors affecting the restoration
of alignment. This retrospective study included 119 patients (120 ankles) who
underwent three component TAA using the Hintegra prosthesis. A total
of 63 ankles had anterior displacement of the talus before surgery
(group A), 49 had alignment in the normal range (group B), and eight
had posterior displacement of the talus (group C). Ankles in group
A were further sub-divided into those in whom normal alignment was
restored following TAA (41 ankles) and those with persistent displacement
(22 ankles). Radiographic and clinical results were assessed. Pre-operatively, the alignment in group A was significantly more
varus than that in group B, and the posterior slope of the tibial
plafond was greater (p <
0.01 in both cases). The posterior slope
of the tibial component was strongly associated with restoration
of alignment: ankles in which the alignment was restored had significantly
less posterior slope (p <
0.001). An anteriorly translated talus was restored to a normal position
after TAA in most patients. We suggest that surgeons performing
TAA using the Hintegra prosthesis should aim to insert the tibial
component at close to 90° relative to the axis of the tibia, hence
reducing posterior soft-tissue tension and allowing restoration
of normal tibiotalar alignment following surgery. Cite this article:
Early evidence has emerged suggesting that ceramic-on-ceramic
articulations induce a different tissue reaction to ceramic-on-polyethylene
and metal-on-metal bearings. Therefore, the aim of this study was
to investigate the tissue reaction and cellular response to ceramic
total hip arthroplasty (THA) materials We investigated tissue collected at revision surgery from nine
ceramic-on-ceramic articulations. we compared our findings with
tissue obtained from five metal-on-metal THA revisions, four ceramic-on-polyethylene
THAs, and four primary osteoarthritis synovial membranes. The latter
were analyzed to assess the amount of tissue fibrosis that might
have been present at the time of implantation to enable evaluation,
in relation to implantation time, of any subsequent response in
the tissues.Aims
Patients and Methods
There is little information about the optimum number of implants
to be used in the surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. Retrospective
analysis of prospectively collected data from the Swedish spine
register was undertaken to discover whether more implants per operated
vertebra (implant density) leads to a better outcome in the treatment of
idiopathic scoliosis. The hypothesis was that implant density is
not associated with patient-reported outcomes, the correction of
the curve or the rate of reoperation. A total of 328 patients with idiopathic scoliosis, aged between
ten and 20 years at the time of surgery, were identified in the
Swedish spine register (Swespine) and had patient reported outcomes
including the Scoliosis Research Society 22r instrument (SRS-22r)
score, EuroQol 5 dimensions quality of life, 3 level (EQ-5D-3L)
score and a Viual Analogue Score (VAS) for back pain, at a mean
follow-up of 3.1 years and reoperation data at a mean follow-up
of 5.5 years. Implant data and the correction of the curve were
assessed from radiographs, preoperatively and a mean of 1.9 years
postoperatively. The patients were divided into tertiles based on
implant density. Data were analyzed with analysis of variance, logistic
regression or log-rank test. Some analyses were adjusted for gender,
age at the time of surgery, the flexibility of the major curve and
follow-up.Aims
Patients and Methods
The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of
sarcopenia and to examine its impact on patients with degenerative
lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS). This case-control study included two groups: one group consisting
of patients with DLSS and a second group of control subjects without
low back or neck pain and related leg pain. Five control cases were
randomly selected and matched by age and gender (n = 77 cases and
n = 385 controls) for each DLSS case. Appendicular muscle mass,
hand-grip strength, sit-to-stand test, timed up and go (TUG) test,
and clinical outcomes, including the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)
scores and the EuroQol EQ-5D were compared between the two groups.Aims
Patients and Methods
The primary aim of this independent prospective randomised trial
was to compare serum metal ion levels for ceramic-on-metal (CoM)
and metal-on-metal (MoM) bearing surfaces in total hip arthroplasty
(THA). Our one-year results demonstrated elevation in metal ion
levels above baseline with no significant difference between the
CoM and MoM groups. This paper reviews the five-year data. The implants used in each patient differed only in respect to
the type of femoral head (ceramic or metal). At five-year follow-up
of the 83 enrolled patients, data from 67 (36 CoM, 31 MoM) was available
for comparison.Aims
Patients and Methods
The interaction between surgical lighting and laminar airflow
is poorly understood. We undertook an experiment to identify any
effect contemporary surgical lights have on laminar flow and recommend
practical strategies to limit any negative effects. Neutrally buoyant bubbles were introduced into the surgical field
of a simulated setup for a routine total knee arthroplasty in a
laminar flow theatre. Patterns of airflow were observed and the
number of bubbles remaining above the surgical field over time identified.
Five different lighting configurations were assessed. Data were analysed
using simple linear regression after logarithmic transformation.Aims
Materials and Methods
We compared peri-prosthetic bone mineral density between identical cemented and cementless LCS rotating platform total knee arthroplasties. Two matched cohorts had dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans two years post-operatively using a modified validated densitometric analysis protocol, to assess peri-prosthetic bone mineral density. The knee that was not operated on was also scanned to enable the calculation of a relative bone mineral density difference. Oxford Knee and American Knee Society scores were comparable in the two cohorts. Statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in absolute, or relative peri-prosthetic bone mineral density with respect to the method of fixation. However, the femoral peri-prosthetic bone mineral density and relative bone mineral density difference were significantly decreased, irrespective of the method of fixation, particularly in the anterior distal portion of the femur, with a mean reduction in relative bone mineral density difference of 27%. There was no difference in clinical outcome between the cemented and cementless LCS total knee arthroplasty. However, both produce stress-shielding around the femoral implants. This leads us to question the use of more expensive cementless total knee components.
To quantify and compare peri-acetabular bone mineral density
(BMD) between a monoblock acetabular component using a metal-on-metal
(MoM) bearing and a modular titanium shell with a polyethylene (PE)
insert. The secondary outcome was to measure patient-reported clinical
function. A total of 50 patients (25 per group) were randomised to MoM
or metal-on-polyethlene (MoP). There were 27 women (11 MoM) and
23 men (14 MoM) with a mean age of 61.6 years (47.7 to 73.2). Measurements
of peri-prosthetic acetabular and contralateral hip (covariate)
BMD were performed at baseline and at one and two years’ follow-up.
The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index
(WOMAC), University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score,
Harris hip score, and RAND-36 were also completed at these intervals.Objectives
Methods
In a double-blinded randomised controlled trial,
83 patients with primary osteoarthritis of the hip received either
a ceramic-on-metal (CoM) or metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip replacement
(THR). The implants differed only in the bearing surfaces used.
The serum levels of cobalt and chromium and functional outcome scores
were compared pre-operatively and at six and 12 months post-operatively. Data were available for 41 CoM and 36 MoM THRs (four patients
were lost to follow-up, two received incorrect implants). The baseline
characteristics of both cohorts were similar. Femoral head size
measured 36 mm in all but two patients who had 28 mm heads. The
mean serum cobalt and chromium levels increased in both groups,
with no difference noted between groups at six months (cobalt p
= 0.67, chromium p = 0.87) and 12 months (cobalt p = 0.76, chromium
p = 0.76) post-operatively. Similarly, the mean Oxford hip scores,
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis index and
University of California, Los Angeles activity scores showed comparable improvement
at 12 months. Our findings indicate that CoM and MoM couplings are associated
with an equivalent increase in serum cobalt and chromium levels,
and comparable functional outcome scores at six and 12-months follow-up.
We undertook clinical and ultrasonographic examination of the shoulders of 420 asymptomatic volunteers aged between 50 and 79 years. MRI was performed in selected cases. Full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff were detected in 32 subjects (7.6%). The prevalence increased with age as follows: 50 to 59 years, 2.1%; 60 to 69 years, 5.7%; and 70 to 79 years, 15%. The mean size of the tear was less than 3 cm and tear localisation was limited to the supraspinatus tendon in most cases (78%). The strength of flexion was reduced significantly in the group with tears (p = 0.01). Asymptomatic tears of the rotator cuff should be regarded as part of the normal ageing process in the elderly but may be less common than hitherto believed.
