The Gamma nail was introduced for the treatment of peritrochanteric fractures with the theoretical advantage of a load-sharing femoral component which could be implanted by a closed procedure. We report a randomised prospective study of 186 fractures treated by either the Gamma nail or a dynamic hip screw. Gamma nails were implanted with significantly shorter
This study aimed to uncover the hub long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) differentially expressed in osteoarthritis (OA) cartilage using an integrated analysis of the competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and co-expression network. Expression profiles data of ten OA and ten normal tissues of human knee cartilage were obtained from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database (GSE114007). The differentially expressed messenger RNAs (DEmRNAs) and lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were identified using the edgeR package. We integrated human microRNA (miRNA)-lncRNA/mRNA interactions with DElncRNA/DEmRNA expression profiles to construct a ceRNA network. Likewise, lncRNA and mRNA expression profiles were used to build a co-expression network with the WGCNA package. Potential hub lncRNAs were identified based on an integrated analysis of the ceRNA network and co-expression network. StarBase and Multi Experiment Matrix databases were used to verify the lncRNAs.Aims
Methods
As the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic passes, the challenge shifts to safe resumption of routine medical services, including elective orthopaedic surgery. Protocols including pre-operative self-isolation, COVID-19 testing, and surgery at a non-COVID-19 site have been developed to minimize risk of transmission. Despite this, it is likely that many patients will want to delay surgery for fear of contracting COVID-19. The aim of this study is to identify the number of patients who still want to proceed with planned elective orthopaedic surgery in this current environment. This is a prospective, single surgeon study of 102 patients who were on the waiting list for an elective hip or knee procedure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Baseline characteristics including age, ASA grade, COVID-19 risk, procedure type, surgical priority, and admission type were recorded. The primary outcome was patient consent to continue with planned surgical care after resumption of elective orthopaedic services. Subgroup analysis was also performed to determine if any specific patient factors influenced the decision to proceed with surgery.Aims
Methods
The hips of 1000 newborn babies were examined clinically and by ultrasonography. The ultrasound assessment was based on measurements of the coverage of the femoral head by the bony acetabular roof, and this parameter was called the Bony Rim Percentage (BRP). The mean BRP was 55.3% in girls and 57.2% in boys, a significant difference. Clinical instability occurred in 0.7% of the newborn babies, and all of the unstable hips had a BRP below the lower limit of normal. All infants with normal clinical findings and suspected abnormal hips based on ultrasound were followed up; in all but two the hips became normal spontaneously. We conclude that ultrasonography, using the measurements of femoral head coverage, is appropriate for
Patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are known to be at increased risk of postoperative complications, but it is unclear whether MetS is also associated with complications after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Here, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis linking MetS to postoperative complications in THA and TKA. The PubMed, OVID, and ScienceDirect databases were comprehensively searched and studies were selected and analyzed according to the guidelines of the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE). We assessed the methodological quality of each study using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), and we evaluated the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Data were extracted and meta-analyzed or qualitatively synthesized for several outcomes.Aims
Methods
Dislocation is the most common indication for further surgery following total hip arthroplasty (THA) when undertaken in patients with a femoral neck fracture. This study aimed to assess the complication rates of THA with dual mobility components (THA-DMC) following a femoral neck fracture and to compare outcomes between THA-DMC, conventional THA, and hemiarthroplasty (HA). We performed a systematic review of all English language articles on THA-DMC published between 2010 and 2019 in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. After the application of rigorous inclusion and exclusion criteria, 23 studies dealing with patients who underwent treatment for a femoral neck fracture using THA-DMC were analyzed for the rate of dislocation. Secondary outcomes included reoperation, periprosthetic fracture, infection, mortality, and functional outcome. The review included 7,189 patients with a mean age of 77.8 years (66.4 to 87.6) and a mean follow-up of 30.9 months (9.0 to 68.0).Aims
Methods
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is an autosomal recessive inherited condition that presents with a number of clinical manifestations that include musculoskeletal manifestations (MM). MM may present differently in different individuals and settings and the predictors are not well known. Herein, we aimed at determining the predictors of MM in patients with SCD at the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. An unmatched case-control study was conducted between January and May 2019 in children below the age of 16 years. In all, 57 cases and 114 controls were obtained by systematic sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The different MM were identified, staged, and classified according to the Standard Orthopaedic Classification Systems using radiological and laboratory investigations. The data was entered in Epidata version 3.1 and exported to STATA 15 for analysis. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine predictors and predictive margins were used to determine the probability of MM.Aims
Methods
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the relationship between height, weight, and sex with implant size in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using a multivariate linear regression model and a Bayesian model. A retrospective review of an institutional registry was performed of primary TKAs performed between January 2005 and December 2016. Patient demographics including patient age, sex, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were obtained from registry and medical record review. In total, 8,100 primary TKAs were included. The mean age was 67.3 years (SD 9.5) with a mean BMI of 30.4 kg/m2 (SD 6.3). The TKAs were randomly split into a training cohort (n = 4,022) and a testing cohort (n = 4,078). A multivariate linear regression model was created on the training cohort and then applied to the testing cohort . A Bayesian model was created based on the frequencies of implant sizes in the training cohort. The model was then applied to the testing cohort to determine the accuracy of the model at 1%, 5%, and 10% tolerance of inaccuracy.Aims
Methods
The mobile bearing Oxford unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (OUKA) is recommended to be performed with the leg in the hanging leg (HL) position, and the thigh placed in a stirrup. This comparative cadaveric study assesses implant positioning and intraoperative kinematics of OUKA implanted either in the HL position or in the supine leg (SL) position. A total of 16 fresh-frozen knees in eight human cadavers, without macroscopic anatomical defects, were selected. The knees from each cadaver were randomized to have the OUKA implanted in the HL or SL position.Aims
Methods
Metabolic profiling is a top-down method of analysis looking at metabolites, which are the intermediate or end products of various cellular pathways. Our primary objective was to perform a systematic review of the published literature to identify metabolites in human synovial fluid (HSF), which have been categorized by metabolic profiling techniques. A secondary objective was to identify any metabolites that may represent potential biomarkers of orthopaedic disease processes. A systematic review was conducted in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines using the MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane databases. Studies included were case series, case control series, and cohort studies looking specifically at HSF.Aims
Methods
Torus fractures are the most common childhood fracture, accounting for 500,000 UK emergency attendances per year. UK treatment varies widely due to lack of scientific evidence. This is the protocol for a randomized controlled equivalence trial of ‘the offer of a soft bandage and immediate discharge’ versus ‘rigid immobilization and follow-up as per the protocol of the treating centre’ in the treatment of torus fractures . Children aged four to 15-years-old inclusive who have sustained a torus/buckle fracture of the distal radius with/without an injury to the ulna are eligible to take part. Baseline pain as measured by the Wong Baker FACES pain scale, function using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) upper limb, and quality of life (QoL) assessed with the EuroQol EQ-5D-Y will be collected. Each patient will be randomly allocated (1:1, stratified by centre and age group (four to seven years and ≥ eight years) to either a regimen of the offer of a soft bandage and immediate discharge or rigid immobilization and follow-up as per the protocol of the treating centre.Aims
Methods
The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of paediatric patients with orthopaedic conditions and spinal deformity is important, but existing generic tools have their shortcomings. We aim to evaluate the use of Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 generic core scales in the paediatric population with specific comparisons between those with spinal and limb pathologies, and to explore the feasibility of using PedsQL for studying scoliosis patients’ HRQoL. Paediatric patients attending a speciality outpatient clinic were recruited through consecutive sampling. Two groups of patients were included: idiopathic scoliosis, and paediatric orthopaedic upper and lower limb condition without scoliosis. Patients were asked to complete PedsQL 4.0 generic core scales, Youth version of 5-level EuroQol-5-dimension questionnaire, and Refined Scoliosis Research Society 22-item (SRS-22r) questionnaire. Statistical analyses included scores comparison between scoliosis and limb pathology patients using independent-samples Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical and radiological outcomes after intramedullary nailing of displaced fractures of the fifth metacarpal neck using a single thick Kirschner wire (K-wire) are noninferior to those of technically more demanding fixation with two thinner dual wires. This was a multicentre, parallel group, randomized controlled noninferiority trial conducted at 12 tertiary trauma centres in Germany. A total of 290 patients with acute displaced fractures of the fifth metacarpal neck were randomized to either intramedullary single-wire (n = 146) or dual-wire fixation (n = 144). The primary outcome was the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire six months after surgery, with a third of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) used as the noninferiority threshold. Secondary outcomes were pain, health-related quality of life (EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D)), radiological measures, functional deficits, and complications.Aims
Patients and Methods
From November 1994 to March 1997, we harvested 137 grafts of the femoral head from 125 patients for donation during total hip arthroplasty according to the guidelines of the American Associations of Tissue Banks (AATB) and the European Association of Musculo-Skeletal transplantation (EAMST). In addition to the standards recommended by these authorities, we performed histopathological examination of a core biopsy of the retrieved bone allograft and of the synovium. Of the 137 allografts, 48 (35.0%) fulfilled all criteria and were free for donation; 31 (22.6%) were not regarded as suitable for transplantation because the serological retests at six months were not yet complete and 58 (42.3%) were discarded because of incomplete data. Of those discarded, five showed abnormal histopathological findings; three were highly suspicious of low-grade B-cell lymphoma, one of monoclonal plasmacytosis and the other of non-specific inflammation of bone marrow. However, according to the standards of the AATB or EAMST they all met the criteria and were eligible for transplantation. Our findings indicate that the incidence of abnormal histopathology in these retrieved allografts was 3.6%. Since it is essential to confirm the quality of donor bones in bone banking, we advise that histopathological
The COVID-19 pandemic presents an unprecedented burden on global healthcare systems, and existing infrastructures must adapt and evolve to meet the challenge. With health systems reliant on the health of their workforce, the importance of protection against disease transmission in healthcare workers (HCWs) is clear. This study collated responses from several countries, provided by clinicians familiar with practice in each location, to identify areas of best practice and policy so as to build consensus of those measures that might reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 to HCWs at work. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was designed with ten open and closed questions and sent to a representative sample. The sample was selected on a convenience basis of 27 senior surgeons, members of an international surgical society, who were all frontline workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was reported according to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR) checklist.Aims
Methods
To identify a suite of the key physical, emotional, and social outcomes to be employed in clinical practice and research concerning Perthes' disease in children. The study follows the guidelines of the COMET-Initiative (Core Outcome Measures in Effectiveness Trials). A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify a list of outcomes reported in previous studies, which was supplemented by a qualitative study exploring the experiences of families affected by Perthes’ disease. Collectively, these outcomes formed the basis of a Delphi survey (two rounds), where 18 patients with Perthes’ disease, 46 parents, and 36 orthopaedic surgeons rated each outcome for importance. The International Perthes Study Group (IPSG) (Dallas, Texas, USA (October 2018)) discussed outcomes that failed to reach any consensus (either ‘in’ or ‘out’) before a final consensus meeting with representatives of surgeons, patients, and parents.Aims
Methods
The Ankle Injury Management (AIM) trial was a pragmatic equivalence randomized controlled trial conducted at 24 hospitals in the United Kingdom that recruited 620 patients aged more than 60 years with an unstable ankle fracture. The trial compared the usual care pathway of early management with open reduction and internal fixation with initially attempting non-surgical management using close contact casting (CCC). CCC is a minimally padded cast applied by an orthopaedic surgeon after closed reduction in the operating theatre. The intervention groups had equivalent functional outcomes at six months and longer-term follow-up. However, potential barriers to using CCC as an initial form of treatment for these patients have been identified. In this report, the results of the AIM trial are summarized and the key issues are discussed in order to further the debate about the role of CCC. Evidence from the AIM trial supports surgeons considering conservative management by CCC as a treatment option for these patients. The longer-term follow-up emphasized that patients treated with CCC need careful monitoring in the weeks after its application to monitor maintenance of reduction. Cite this article:
