Four uncemented Symax hip stems were extracted at three weeks and nine, 13 and 32 months, respectively, for reasons other than loosening. The reasons for implant removal were infection in two cases, recurrent dislocation in one and acetabular fracture in one. They were analysed to assess the effect and behaviour of an electrochemically deposited, completely resorbable biomimetic BONIT-hydroxyapatite (HA) coating (proximal part) and a DOTIZE surface treatment (distal part) using qualitative histology, quantitative histomorphometry and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Early and direct bone-implant bonding with signs of active remodelling of bone and the HA coating were demonstrated by histology and SEM. No loose BONIT-HA particles or delamination of the coating were observed, and there was no inflammation or fibrous interposition at the interface. Histomorphometry showed bone-implant contact varying between 26.5% at three weeks and 83.5% at 13 months at the HA-coated implant surface. The bone density in the area of investigation was between 24.6% at three weeks and 41.1% at 32 months. The DOTIZE surface treatment of the distal part of the stem completely prevented tissue and bone apposition in all cases, thereby optimising proximal stress transfer. The overall features of this implant, in terms of geometry and surface texture, suggest a mechanically stable design with a highly active biomimetic coating, resulting in rapid and extensive osseo-integration, exclusively in the metaphyseal part of the stem. Early remodelling of the HA coating does not seem to have a detrimental effect on short-term bone-implant coupling. There were no adverse effects identified from either the BONIT-HA coating or the DOTIZE surface treatment.
The operative treatment of displaced fractures of the tibial plateau is challenging. Recent developments in the techniques of internal fixation, including the development of locked plating and minimal invasive techniques have changed the treatment of these fractures. We review current surgical approaches and techniques, improved devices for internal fixation and the clinical outcome after utilisation of new methods for locked plating.
We report a prospective single-blind controlled
study of the incidence of early wound infection after internal fixation for
trauma in 609 patients, of whom 132 were HIV-positive. Wounds were
assessed for healing using the ASEPSIS score. There was no significant
difference in the rate of infection between HIV-positive and HIV-negative
patients undergoing clean surgery (4.2% We conclude that clean implant surgery in HIV-positive patients
is safe, with no need for additional prophylaxis.
This is the second of a series of reviews of registries. This review looks specifically at worldwide registry data that have been collected on knee arthroplasty, what we have learned from their reports, and what the limitations are as to what we currently know.
The purpose of this prospective, randomised study
was to evaluate the clinical and radiological results comparing the
identical cemented or cementless NexGen total knee prostheses implanted
bilaterally in the same patient. Sequential simultaneous bilateral
total knee replacements were performed in 50 patients (100 knees).
There were 39 women and 11 men with a mean age of 58.4 years (51
to 67) who received a cemented prosthesis in one knee and a cementless
prosthesis in the other. The mean follow-up was 13.6 years (13 to
14). At final review, the mean Knee Society scores (96.2 (82 to
100)
We reviewed 59 bone graft substitutes marketed
by 17 companies currently available for implantation in the United Kingdom,
with the aim of assessing the peer-reviewed literature to facilitate
informed decision-making regarding their use in clinical practice.
After critical analysis of the literature, only 22 products (37%)
had any clinical data. Norian SRS (Synthes), Vitoss (Orthovita),
Cortoss (Orthovita) and Alpha-BSM (Etex) had Level I evidence. We question
the need for so many different products, especially with limited
published clinical evidence for their efficacy, and conclude that
there is a considerable need for further prospective randomised
trials to facilitate informed decision-making with regard to the
use of current and future bone graft substitutes in clinical practice. Cite this article:
We reviewed the outcome of patients who had been
treated operatively for symptomatic peri-acetabular metastases and
present an algorithm to guide treatment. The records of 81 patients who had been treated operatively for
symptomatic peri-acetabular metastases between 1987 and 2010 were
identified. There were 27 men and 54 women with a mean age of 61
years (15 to 87). The diagnosis, size of lesion, degree of pelvic
continuity, type of reconstruction, World Health Organization performance
status, survival time, pain, mobility and complications including
implant failure were recorded in each case. The overall patient survivorship at five years was 5%. The longest
lived patient survived 16 years from the date of diagnosis. The
mean survival was 23 months (<
1 to 16 years) and the median
was 15 months. At follow-up 14 patients remained alive. Two cementoplasties
failed because of local disease progression. Three Harrington rods broke:
one patient needed a subsequent Girdlestone procedure. One ‘ice-cream
cone’ prosthesis dislocated and was subsequently revised without
further problems. We recommend the ‘ice-cream cone’ for pelvic discontinuity
and Harrington rod reconstruction for severe bone loss. Smaller
defects can be safely managed using standard revision hip techniques. Cite this article:
Total knee replacement (TKR) is one of the most
common operations in orthopaedic surgery worldwide. Despite its
scientific reputation as mainly successful, only 81% to 89% of patients
are satisfied with the final result. Our understanding of this discordance
between patient and surgeon satisfaction is limited. In our experience,
focus on five major factors can improve patient satisfaction rates:
correct patient selection, setting of appropriate expectations,
avoiding preventable complications, knowledge of the finer points
of the operation, and the use of both pre- and post-operative pathways.
Awareness of the existence, as well as the identification of predictors
of patient–surgeon discordance should potentially help with enhancing
patient outcomes. Cite this article:
We reviewed the outcome of 69 uncemented, custom-made,
distal femoral endoprosthetic replacements performed in 69 patients
between 1994 and 2006. There were 31 women and 38 men with a mean
age at implantation of 16.5 years (5 to 37). All procedures were
performed for primary malignant bone tumours of the distal femur.
At a mean follow-up of 124.2 months (4 to 212), 53 patients were
alive, with one patient lost to follow-up. All nine implants (13.0%)
were revised due to aseptic loosening at a mean of 52 months (8
to 91); three implants (4.3%) were revised due to fracture of the
shaft of the prosthesis and three patients (4.3%) had a peri-prosthetic
fracture. Bone remodelling associated with periosteal cortical thinning
adjacent to the uncemented intramedullary stem was seen in 24 patients
but this did not predispose to failure. All aseptically loose implants
in this series were diagnosed to be loose within the first five
years. The results from this study suggest that custom-made uncemented
distal femur replacements have a higher rate of aseptic loosening
compared to published results for this design when used with cemented
fixation. Loosening of uncemented replacements occurs early indicating
that initial fixation of the implant is crucial. Cite this article:
Since the introduction of the National Institute
for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines on thromboprophylaxis
and the use of extended thromboprophylaxis with new oral agents,
there have been reports of complications arising as a result of
their use. We have looked at the incidence of wound complications
after the introduction of dabigatran for thromboprophylaxis in our
unit. We investigated the rate of venous thromboembolism and wound
leakage in 1728 patients undergoing primary joint replacement, both
before and after the introduction of dabigatran, and following its
subsequent withdrawal from our unit. We found that the use of dabigatran led to a significant increase
in post-operative wound leakage (20% with dabigatran, 5% with a
multimodal regimen; p <
0.001), which also resulted in an increased
duration of hospital stay. The rate of thromboembolism in patients
receiving dabigatran was higher (1.3%) than in those receiving the multimodal
thromboprophylaxis regimen, including low molecular weight heparin
as an inpatient and the extended use of aspirin (0.3%, p = 0.047).
We have ceased the use of dabigatran for thromboprophylaxis in these
patients. Cite this article:
The rate of peri-prosthetic infection following
total joint replacement continues to rise, and attempts to curb
this trend have included the use of antibiotic-loaded bone cement
at the time of primary surgery. We have investigated the clinical-
and cost-effectiveness of the use of antibiotic-loaded cement for
primary total knee replacement (TKR) by comparing the rate of infection
in 3048 TKRs performed without loaded cement over a three-year period The absolute rate of infection increased when antibiotic-loaded
cement was used in TKR. However, this rate of increase was less
than the rate of increase in infection following uncemented THR
during the same period. If the rise in the rate of infection observed
in THR were extrapolated to the TKR cohort, 18 additional cases
of infection would have been expected to occur in the cohort receiving
antibiotic-loaded cement, compared with the number observed. Depending
on the type of antibiotic-loaded cement that is used, its cost in
all primary TKRs ranges between USD $2112.72 and USD $112 606.67
per case of infection that is prevented. Cite this article:
Tapered, fluted, modular, titanium stems are
increasingly popular in the operative management of Vancouver B2 and
selected B3 peri-prosthetic femoral fractures. We have reviewed
the results at our institution looking at stem survival and clinical
outcomes and compared this with reported outcomes in the literature.
Stem survival at a mean of 54 months was 96% in our series and 97%
for combined published cases. Review of radiology showed maintenance
or improvement of bone stock in 89% of cases with high rates of
femoral union. Favourable clinical outcome scores have reported
by several authors. No difference in survival or clinical scores
was observed between B2 and B3 fractures. Tapered stems are a useful
option in revision for femoral fracture across the spectrum of femoral
bone deficiency. Cite this article:
Surface hip replacement (SHR) is generally used
in younger, active patients as an alternative conventional total
hip replacement in part because of the ability to preserve femoral
bone. This major benefit of surface replacement will only hold true
if revision procedures of SHRs are found to provide good clinical
results. A retrospective review of SHR revisions between 2007 and 2012
was presented, and the type of revision and aetiologies were recorded.
There were 55 SHR revisions, of which 27 were in women. At a mean
follow-up of 2.3 years (0.72 to 6.4), the mean post-operative Harris
hip score (HHS) was 94.8 (66 to 100). Overall 23 were revised for mechanical
reasons, nine for impingement, 13 for metallosis, nine for unexplained
pain and one for sepsis. Of the type of revision surgery performed,
14 were femoral-only revisions; four were acetabular-only revisions,
and 37 were complete revisions. We did not find that clinical scores were significantly different
between gender or different types of revisions. However, the mean
post-operative HHS was significantly lower in patients revised for
unexplained pain compared with patients revised for mechanical reasons
(86.9 (66 to 100) Based on the overall clinical results, we believe that revision
of SHR can have good or excellent results and warrants a continued
use of the procedure in selected patients. Close monitoring of these
patients facilitates early intervention, as we believe that tissue
damage may be related to the duration of an ongoing problem. There
should be a low threshold to revise a surface replacement if there
is component malposition, rising metal ion levels, or evidence of
soft-tissue abnormalities. Cite this article:
We report our experience of staged revision surgery
for the treatment of infected total elbow arthroplasty (TEA). Between
1998 and 2010 a consecutive series of 33 patients (34 TEAs) underwent
a first-stage procedure with the intention to proceed to second-stage
procedure when the infection had been controlled. A single first-stage procedure
with removal of the components and cement was undertaken for 29
TEAs (85%), followed by the insertion of antibiotic-impregnated
cement beads, and five (15%) required two or more first-stage procedures.
The most common organism isolated was coagulase-negative A second-stage procedure was performed for 26 TEAs (76%); seven
patients (seven TEAs, 21%) had a functional resection arthroplasty
with antibiotic beads There were three recurrent infections (11.5%) in those patients
who underwent a second-stage procedure. The infection presented
at a mean of eight months (5 to 10) post-operatively. The mean Mayo
Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) in those who underwent a second stage
revision without recurrent infection was 81.1 (65 to 95). Staged revision surgery is successful in the treatment of patients
with an infected TEA and is associated with a low rate of recurrent
infection. However, when infection does occur, this study would
suggest that it becomes apparent within ten months of the second
stage procedure. Cite this article:
The December 2013 Hip &
Pelvis Roundup360 looks at: Enhanced recovery works; Acetabular placement; Exercise better than rest in osteoarthritis patients; if Birmingham hip resurfacing is immune from pseudotumour; HIV and arthroplasty; Labral tears revisited; Prophylactic surgery for FAI; and Ceramics and impaction grafting
We performed a randomised controlled trial comparing
computer-assisted surgery (CAS) with conventional surgery (CONV)
in total knee replacement (TKR). Between 2009 and 2011 a total of
192 patients with a mean age of 68 years (55 to 85) with osteoarthritis
or arthritic disease of the knee were recruited from four Norwegian
hospitals. At three months follow-up, functional results were marginally
better for the CAS group. Mean differences (MD) in favour of CAS
were found for the Knee Society function score (MD: 5.9, 95% confidence
interval (CI) 0.3 to 11.4, p = 0.039), the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis
Outcome Score (KOOS) subscales for ‘pain’ (MD: 7.7, 95% CI 1.7 to
13.6, p = 0.012), ‘sports’ (MD: 13.5, 95% CI 5.6 to 21.4, p = 0.001)
and ‘quality of life’ (MD: 7.2, 95% CI 0.1 to 14.3, p = 0.046).
At one-year follow-up, differences favouring CAS were found for
KOOS ‘sports’ (MD: 11.0, 95% CI 3.0 to 19.0, p = 0.007) and KOOS
‘symptoms’ (MD: 6.7, 95% CI 0.5 to 13.0, p = 0.035). The use of
CAS resulted in fewer outliers in frontal alignment (>
3° malalignment),
both for the entire TKR (37.9% Cite this article:
Bicondylar tibial plateau fractures result from
high-energy injuries. Fractures of the tibial plateau can involve
the tibial tubercle, which represents a disruption to the extensor
mechanism and logically must be stabilised. The purpose of this
study was to identify the incidence of an independent tibial tubercle
fracture in bicondylar tibial plateau fractures, and to report management
strategies and potential complications. We retrospectively reviewed
a prospectively collected orthopaedic trauma database for the period
January 2003 to December 2008, and identified 392 bicondylar fractures
of the tibial plateau, in which 85 tibial tubercle fractures (21.6%)
were identified in 84 patients. There were 60 men and 24 women in
our study group, with a mean age of 45.4 years (18 to 71). In 84 fractures
open reduction and internal fixation was undertaken, either with
screws alone (23 patients) or with a plate and screws (61 patients).
The remaining patient was treated non-operatively. In all, 52 fractures
were available for clinical and radiological assessment at a mean
follow-up of 58.5 weeks (24 to 94). All fractures of the tibial
tubercle united, but 24 of 54 fractures (46%) required a secondary
procedure for their tibial plateau fracture. Four patients reported
pain arising from prominent tubercle plates and screws, which in
one patient required removal. Tibial tubercle fractures occurred
in over one-fifth of the bicondylar tibial plateau fractures in
our series. Fixation is necessary and can be reliably performed
with screws alone or with a screw and plate, which restores the
extensor mechanism and facilitates early knee flexion. Cite this article:
The best method of reconstruction after resection of malignant tumours of the tibial diaphysis is unknown. In the absence of any long-term studies analysing the results of intercalary endoprosthetic replacement, we present a retrospective review of 18 patients who underwent limb salvage using a tibial diaphyseal endoprosthetic replacement following excision of a malignant bone tumour. There were ten men and eight women with a mean age of 42.5 years (16 to 76). Mean follow-up was 58.5 months (20 to 141) for all patients and 69.3 months (20 to 141) for the 12 patients still alive. Cumulative patient survival was 59% (95% confidence interval (CI) 32 to 84) at five years. Implant survival was 63% (95% CI 35 to 90) at ten years. Four patients required revision to a proximal tibial replacement at a mean follow-up of 29 months (10 to 54). Complications included metastases in five patients, aseptic loosening in four, peri-prosthetic fracture in two, infection in one and local recurrence in one. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score and the mean Toronto Extremity Salvage Score were 23 (17 to 28) and 74% (53 to 91), respectively. Although rates of complication and revision were high, custom-made tibial diaphyseal replacement following resection of malignant bone tumours enables early return to function and provides an attractive alternative to other surgical options, without apparent compromise of patient survival.
We reviewed 25 patients who had undergone resection of a primary bone sarcoma which extended to within 5 cm of the knee with reconstruction by a combination of a free vascularised fibular graft and a massive allograft bone shell. The distal femur was affected in four patients and the proximal tibia in 21. Their mean age at the time of operation was 19.7 years (5 to 52) and the mean follow-up period 140 months (28 to 213). Three vascularised transfers failed. The mean time to union of the fibula was 5.6 months (3 to 10) and of the allograft 19.6 months (10 to 34). Full weight-bearing was allowed at a mean of 21.4 months (14 to 36). The mean functional score at final follow-up was 27.4 (18 to 30) using a modfied 30-point Musculoskeletal Tumour Society rating system. The overall limb-salvage rate was 88%. The results of our study suggest that the combined use of a vascularised fibular graft and allograft is of value as a limb-salvage procedure for intercalary reconstruction after resection of bone tumours around the knee, especially in skeletally immature patients.
Impaction bone grafting for the reconstitution
of bone stock in revision hip surgery has been used for nearly 30 years.
Between 1995 and 2001 we used this technique in acetabular reconstruction,
in combination with a cemented component, in 304 hips in 292 patients
revised for aseptic loosening. The only additional supports used
were stainless steel meshes placed against the medial wall or laterally
around the acetabular rim to contain the graft. All Paprosky grades
of defect were included. Clinical and radiographic outcomes were
collected in surviving patients at a minimum of ten years after
the index operation. Mean follow-up was 12.4 years ( Cite this article: