Nylon sutures and skin staples are used commonly in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgical wound closure. However, there is no study that compares the wound healing efficacy and patient satisfaction scores of both techniques in the same knee. We randomised 70 patients who underwent primary TKA into two groups. In one group of 34 patients, the skin at the upper half of the wound was closed with skin staples and the lower half of the wound was closed with simple interrupted nylon sutures. In the other group of 36 patients, the skin at the upper half of the wound was closed with nylon stitches and the lower half of the wound was closed with skin staples. We recorded the wound closure time, pain score at the time of stitch removal, wound complication rate, patient satisfaction score, and the Hollander wound evaluation score at the post-operative periods of five days, 14 days, six weeks, three months, and six months. Each half wound was analysed separately.Objectives
Methods
The aim of this study was to compare the pain caused by the application
of a tourniquet after exsanguination of the upper limb with that
occurring after simple elevation. We used 26 healthy volunteers (52 arms), each of whom acted as
their own matched control. The primary outcome measure was the total pain experienced by
each volunteer while the tourniquet was inflated for 20 minutes.
This was calculated as the area under the pain curve for each individual
subject. Secondary outcomes were pain at each time point; the total
pain experienced during the recovery phase; the ability to tolerate the
tourniquet and the time for full recovery after deflation of the
tourniquet. Aims
Patients and Methods
To assess the extent of osteointegration in two designs of shoulder
resurfacing implants. Bony integration to the Copeland cylindrical
central stem design and the Epoca RH conical-crown design were compared. Implants retrieved from six patients in each group were pair-matched.
Mean time to revision surgery of Copeland implants was 37 months
(standard deviation (Aims
Patients and Methods
The objective of this double-blind randomised controlled trial
was to assess whether ultrasound guidance improved the efficacy
of corticosteroid injections for Morton’s neuroma (MN). In all, 50 feet (40 patients) were recruited for this study but
five feet were excluded due to the patients declining further participation.
The mean age of the remaining 36 patients (45 feet) was 57.8 years
(standard deviation (Aims
Patients and Methods
Wound complications are reported in up to 10% hip and knee arthroplasties and there is a proven association between wound complications and deep prosthetic infections. In this randomised controlled trial (RCT) we explore the potential benefits of a portable, single use, incisional negative pressure wound therapy dressing (iNPWTd) on wound exudate, length of stay (LOS), wound complications, dressing changes and cost-effectiveness following total hip and knee arthroplasties. A total of 220 patients undergoing elective primary total hip and knee arthroplasties were recruited into in a non-blinded RCT. For the final analysis there were 102 patients in the study group and 107 in the control group.Objectives
Methods
Aims. The optimal management of intracapsular fractures of the femoral
neck in independently mobile patients remains open to debate. Successful
fixation obviates the limitations of arthroplasty for this group
of patients. However, with fixation failure rates as high as 30%,
the outcome of revision surgery to salvage total hip arthroplasty
(THA) must be considered. We carried out a systematic review to
compare the outcomes of salvage THA and primary THA for intracapsular
fractures of the femoral neck. . Patients and Methods. We performed a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews
and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) compliant systematic review, using the
PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane libraries databases. A meta-analysis
was performed where possible, and a narrative synthesis when a meta-analysis
was not possible. Results. Our analyses revealed a significantly increased risk of complications
including deep infection, early dislocation and peri-prosthetic
fracture with salvage THA when compared with primary THA for an
intracapsular fracture of the femoral neck (overall risk ratio of
3.15). Functional outcomes assessment using EuroQoL (EQ)-5D were
not significantly different (p = 0.3). Conclusion. Salvage THA carries a significantly higher risk of complications
than primary THA for intracapsular fractured neck of femur. Current
literature is still lacking well
Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are often used to evaluate the outcome of treatment in patients with distal radial fractures. Which PROM to select is often based on assessment of measurement properties, such as validity and reliability. Measurement properties are assessed in clinimetric studies, and results are often reviewed without considering the methodological quality of these studies. Our aim was to systematically review the methodological quality of clinimetric studies that evaluated measurement properties of PROMs used in patients with distal radial fractures, and to make recommendations for the selection of PROMs based on the level of evidence of each individual measurement property. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, EMbase, CINAHL and PsycINFO databases to identify relevant clinimetric studies. Two reviewers independently assessed the methodological quality of the studies on measurement properties, using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist. Level of evidence (strong / moderate / limited / lacking) for each measurement property per PROM was determined by combining the methodological quality and the results of the different clinimetric studies.Objectives
Methods
We aimed to assess the comparability of data in joint replacement
registries and identify ways of improving the comparisons between
registries and the overall monitoring of joint replacement surgery. We conducted a review of registries that are full members of
the International Society of Arthroplasty Registries with publicly
available annual reports in English. Of the six registries which
were included, we compared the reporting of: mean age, definitions
for revision and re-operation, reasons for revision, the approach
to analysing revisions, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs)
for primary and revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) and hip resurfacing
arthroplasty (HRA).Aims
Materials and Methods
While use of large national clinical databases for orthopaedic
trauma research has increased dramatically, there has been little
study of the differences in populations contained therein. In this
study we aimed to compare populations of patients with femoral shaft
fractures across three commonly used national databases, specifically
with regard to age and comorbidities. Patients were identified in the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS),
National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) and National
Trauma Data Bank (NTDB). Aims
Patients and Methods
The October 2015 Wrist &
Hand Roundup360 looks at: Base of thumb arthritis – steroids not a waste of time; De Quervain’s tenosynovitis and steroids; Use your therapy time wisely!; Excision osteotomy for the carpometacarpal joint?; CORDLESS at five years?; Arthroscopy again of no benefit?; Distal radius stirring up trouble again!; Scaphoid arthroscopy under the spotlight
In a multicentre, randomised study of adolescents undergoing
posterior spinal fusion for idiopathic scoliosis, we investigated
the effect of adding gelatine matrix with human thrombin to the
standard surgical methods of controlling blood loss. Patients in the intervention group (n = 30) were randomised to
receive a minimum of two and a maximum of four units of gelatine
matrix with thrombin in addition to conventional surgical methods
of achieving haemostasis. Only conventional surgical methods were
used in the control group (n = 30). We measured the intra-operative
and total blood loss (intra-operative blood loss plus post-operative
drain output).Aims
Patients and Methods
There is conflicting evidence about the benefit
of using corticosteroid in periarticular injections for pain relief
after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We carried out a double-blinded,
randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of using corticosteroid
in a periarticular injection to control pain after TKA. A total of 77 patients, 67 women and ten men, with a mean age
of 74 years (47 to 88) who were about to undergo unilateral TKA
were randomly assigned to have a periarticular injection with or
without corticosteroid. The primary outcome was post-operative pain
at rest during the first 24 hours after surgery, measured every
two hours using a visual analogue pain scale score. The cumulative
pain score was quantified using the area under the curve. The corticosteroid group had a significantly lower cumulative
pain score than the no-corticosteroid group during the first 24
hours after surgery (mean area under the curve 139, 0 to 560, and
264, 0 to 1460; p = 0.024). The rate of complications, including
surgical site infection, was not significantly different between
the two groups up to one year post-operatively. The addition of corticosteroid to the periarticular injection
significantly decreased early post-operative pain. Further studies
are needed to confirm the safety of corticosteroid in periarticular
injection.
Cite this article:
The aim of this study was to determine whether
obesity affects pain, surgical and functional outcomes following lumbar
spinal fusion for low back pain (LBP). A systematic literature review and meta-analysis was made of
those studies that compared the outcome of lumbar spinal fusion
for LBP in obese and non-obese patients. A total of 17 studies were
included in the meta-analysis. There was no difference in the pain
and functional outcomes. Lumbar spinal fusion in the obese patient resulted
in a statistically significantly greater intra-operative blood loss
(weighted mean difference: 54.04 ml; 95% confidence interval (CI)
15.08 to 93.00; n = 112; p = 0.007) more complications (odds ratio:
1.91; 95% CI 1.68 to 2.18; n = 43858; p <
0.001) and longer duration
of surgery (25.75 mins; 95% CI 15.61 to 35.90; n = 258; p <
0.001). Obese
patients have greater intra-operative blood loss, more complications
and longer duration of surgery but pain and functional outcome are
similar to non-obese patients. Based on these results, obesity is
not a contraindication to lumbar spinal fusion. Cite this article:
T-cells are considered to play an important role in the inflammatory response causing arthroplasty failure. The study objectives were to investigate the composition and distribution of CD4+ T-cell phenotypes in the peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) of patients undergoing revision surgery for failed metal-on-metal (MoM) and metal-on-polyethylene (MoP) hip arthroplasties, and in patients awaiting total hip arthroplasty. In this prospective case-control study, PB and SF were obtained from 22 patients (23 hips) undergoing revision of MoM (n = 14) and MoP (n = 9) hip arthroplasties, with eight controls provided from primary hip osteoarthritis cases awaiting arthroplasty. Lymphocyte subtypes in samples were analysed using flow cytometry.Objectives
Methods
The August 2015 Hip &
Pelvis Roundup360 looks at: The well-fixed acetabular revision; Predicting complications in revision arthroplasty; Is infection associated with fixation?; Front or back? An enduring question in hip surgery; Muscle-sparing approaches?; Gabapentin as a post-operative analgesic adjunct; An Indian take on AVN of the hip; Weight loss and arthroplasty
Current studies on the additional benefit of using computed tomography
(CT) in order to evaluate the surgeons’ agreement on treatment plans
for fracture are inconsistent. This inconsistency can be explained
by a methodological phenomenon called ‘spectrum bias’, defined as
the bias inherent when investigators choose a population lacking
therapeutic uncertainty for evaluation. The aim of the study is
to determine the influence of spectrum bias on the intra-observer
agreement of treatment plans for fractures of the distal radius. Four surgeons evaluated 51 patients with displaced fractures
of the distal radius at four time points: T1 and T2: conventional
radiographs; T3 and T4: radiographs and additional CT scan (radiograph
and CT). Choice of treatment plan (operative or non-operative) and
therapeutic certainty (five-point scale: very uncertain to very
certain) were rated. To determine the influence of spectrum bias,
the intra-observer agreement was analysed, using Kappa statistics,
for each degree of therapeutic certainty. Objectives
Methods
