Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating
complication for patients and results in greatly increased costs
of care for both healthcare providers and patients. More than 15
500 revision hip and knee procedures were recorded in England, Wales
and Northern Ireland in 2013, with infection accounting for 13%
of revision hip and 23% of revision knee procedures. We report our experience of using antibiotic eluting absorbable
calcium sulphate beads in 15 patients (eight men and seven women
with a mean age of 64.8 years; 41 to 83) as part of a treatment
protocol for PJI in revision arthroplasty. The mean follow-up was 16 months (12 to 22). We report the outcomes
and complications, highlighting the risk of hypercalcaemia which
occurred in three patients. We recommend that serum levels of calcium be routinely sought
following the implantation of absorbable calcium sulphate beads
in orthopaedic surgery. Cite this article:
The August 2015 Spine Roundup360 looks at: Steroids may be useful in avoiding dysphagia in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF); Perhaps X-Stop ought to stop?; Is cervical plexus block in ACDF the gateway to day case spinal surgery?; Epidural past its heyday?; Steroids in lumbar back pain; Lumbar disc replacement improving; Post-discectomy arthritis
The August 2014 Knee Roundup360 looks at: re-admission following total knee replacement; out with the old and in with the new? computer navigation revisited; approach less important in knee replacement; is obesity driving a rise in knee replacements?; knee replacement isn’t cheap in the obese; cruciate substitution doesn’t increase knee flexion; and sonication useful diagnostic aid in two-stage revision.
This review explores recent advances in fixator design and used in contemporary orthopaedic practice including the management of bone loss, complex deformity and severe isolated limb injury.
The August 2014 Foot &
Ankle Roundup360 looks at: calcaneotibial nail in ankle fractures; reamer irrigator aspirator for ankle fusion; periprosthetic bone infection; infection in ankle fixation; cheap and cheerful OK in MTP fusion plates; sliding fibular graft for peroneal tendon pathology and fusion for failed ankle replacement.
We undertook a retrospective study investigating
the accuracy and safety of percutaneous pedicle screws placed under
fluoroscopic guidance in the lumbosacral junction and lumbar spine.
The CT scans of patients were chosen from two centres: European
patients from University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Germany,
and Asian patients from the University of Malaya, Malaysia. Screw
perforations were classified into grades 0, 1, 2 and 3. A total
of 880 percutaneous pedicle screws from 203 patients were analysed:
614 screws from 144 European patients and 266 screws from 59 Asian
patients. The mean age of the patients was 58.8 years (16 to 91)
and there were 103 men and 100 women. The total rate of perforation
was 9.9% (87 screws) with 7.4% grade 1, 2.0% grade 2 and 0.5% grade
3 perforations. The rate of perforation in Europeans was 10.4% and
in Asians was 8.6%, with no significant difference between the two
(p = 0.42). The rate of perforation was the highest in S1 (19.4%)
followed by L5 (14.9%). The accuracy and safety of percutaneous
pedicle screw placement are comparable to those cited in the literature
for the open method of pedicle screw placement. Greater caution
must be taken during the insertion of L5 and S1 percutaneous pedicle
screws owing to their more angulated pedicles, the anatomical variations
in their vertebral bodies and the morphology of the spinal canal
at this location. Cite this article:
The June 2015 Foot &
Ankle Roundup360 looks at: Syndesmosis and outcomes in ankle fracture; Ankle arthrodesis or arthroplasty: a complications-based analysis; Crosslinked polyethylene and ankle arthroplasty; Reducing screw removal in calcaneal osteotomies; Revisiting infection control policies; Chevron osteotomy: proximal or distal?; Ankle distraction for osteoarthritis
Patients from a randomised trial on resurfacing
hip arthroplasty (RHA) (n = 36, 19 males; median age 57 years, 24
to 65) comparing a conventional 28 mm metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty
(MoM THA) (n = 28, 17 males; median age 59 years, 37 to 65) and
a matched control group of asymptomatic patients with a 32 mm ceramic-on-polyethylene
(CoP) THA (n = 33, 18 males; median age 63 years, 38 to 71) were
cross-sectionally screened with metal artefact reducing sequence-MRI
(MARS-MRI) for pseudotumour formation at a median of 55 months (23
to 72) post-operatively. MRIs were scored by consensus according
to three different classification systems for pseudotumour formation. Clinical scores were available for all patients and metal ion
levels for MoM bearing patients. Periprosthetic lesions with a median volume of 16 mL (1.5 to
35.9) were diagnosed in six patients in the RHA group (17%), one
in the MoM THA group (4%) and six in the CoP group (18%). The classification
systems revealed no clear differences between the groups. Solid
lesions (n = 3) were exclusively encountered in the RHA group. Two patients
in the RHA group and one in the MoM THA group underwent a revision
for pseudotumour formation. There was no statistically significant
relationship between clinical scoring, metal ion levels and periprosthetic
lesions in any of the groups. Periprosthetic fluid collections are seen on MARS-MRI after conventional
CoP THA and RHA and may reflect a soft-tissue collection or effusion. Currently available MRI classification systems seem to score
these collections as pseudotumours, causing an-overestimatation
of the incidence of pseudotumours. Cite this article:
Continuing professional development (CPD) refers
to the ongoing participation in activities that keep a doctor up
to date and fit to practise once they have completed formal training.
It is something that most will do naturally to serve their patients
and to enable them to run a safe and profitable practice. Increasingly,
regulators are formalising the requirements for evidence of CPD,
often as part of a process of revalidation or relicensing. This paper reviews how orthopaedic journals can be used as part
of the process of continuing professional development. Cite this article:
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
expression of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) in the capsule and synovial
fluid of patients with frozen shoulder. Capsular tissue and synovial
fluid were obtained from 18 patients with idiopathic frozen shoulder
(FS group) and 18 patients with instability of the shoulder (control
group). The expressions of ASIC1, ASIC2, and ASIC3 in the capsule
were determined using the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain
reaction, immunoblot analysis, and immunohistochemistry (IHC). The
concentrations in synovial fluid were evaluated using an enzyme-linked
immunosorbent assay. The mRNA expression of ASIC1, ASIC2 and ASIC3 in the capsule
were significantly increased in the FS group compared with the control
group. The protein levels of these three ASICs were also increased.
The increased expressions were confirmed by IHC. Of the ASICs, ASIC3
showed the greatest increase in both mRNA and levels of expression
compared with the control group. The levels of ASIC1 and ASIC3 in
synovial fluid were significantly increased in the FS group. This study suggests that ASICs may play a role as mediators of
inflammatory pain and be involved in the pathogenesis of frozen
shoulder. Cite this article:
We performed A total of 12 cadaveric lower limbs were tested with a commercial
image-free navigation system using trackers secured by bone screws.
We then tested a non-invasive fabric-strap system. The lower limb
was secured at 10° intervals from 0° to 60° of knee flexion and
100 N of force was applied perpendicular to the tibia. Acceptable
coefficient of repeatability (CR) and limits of agreement (LOA)
of 3 mm were set based on diagnostic criteria for anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL) insufficiency.Objectives
Methods
Worldwide rates of primary and revision total
knee arthroplasty (TKA) are rising due to increased longevity of
the population and the burden of osteoarthritis. Revision TKA is a technically demanding procedure generating
outcomes which are reported to be inferior to those of primary knee
arthroplasty, and with a higher risk of complication. Overall, the
rate of revision after primary arthroplasty is low, but the number
of patients currently living with a TKA suggests a large potential
revision healthcare burden. Many patients are now outliving their prosthesis, and consideration
must be given to how we are to provide the necessary capacity to
meet the rising demand for revision surgery and how to maximise
patient outcomes. The purpose of this review was to examine the epidemiology of,
and risk factors for, revision knee arthroplasty, and to discuss
factors that may enhance patient outcomes. Cite this article:
The April 2014 Shoulder &
Elbow Roundup360 looks at: arthroscopic capsular release successful after six months; MCIC in cuff surgery; analgesia following arthroscopic cuff repair; platelet-rich fibrin; and cuff tear and suprascapular nerve neuropathy?
Nanotechnology is the study, production and controlled
manipulation of materials with a grain size <
100 nm. At this
level, the laws of classical mechanics fall away and those of quantum
mechanics take over, resulting in unique behaviour of matter in
terms of melting point, conductivity and reactivity. Additionally,
and likely more significant, as grain size decreases, the ratio
of surface area to volume drastically increases, allowing for greater interaction
between implants and the surrounding cellular environment. This
favourable increase in surface area plays an important role in mesenchymal
cell differentiation and ultimately bone–implant interactions. Basic science and translational research have revealed important
potential applications for nanotechnology in orthopaedic surgery,
particularly with regard to improving the interaction between implants
and host bone. Nanophase materials more closely match the architecture
of native trabecular bone, thereby greatly improving the osseo-integration
of orthopaedic implants. Nanophase-coated prostheses can also reduce
bacterial adhesion more than conventionally surfaced prostheses.
Nanophase selenium has shown great promise when used for tumour
reconstructions, as has nanophase silver in the management of traumatic
wounds. Nanophase silver may significantly improve healing of peripheral
nerve injuries, and nanophase gold has powerful anti-inflammatory
effects on tendon inflammation. Considerable advances must be made in our understanding of the
potential health risks of production, implantation and wear patterns
of nanophase devices before they are approved for clinical use.
Their potential, however, is considerable, and is likely to benefit
us all in the future. Cite this article: