This study sought to estimate the clinical outcomes and describe the nationwide variation in practice, as part of the feasibility workup for a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended randomized clinical trial to determine the optimal treatment of torus fractures of the distal radius in children. Prospective data collection on torus fractures presenting to our emergency department. Patient consent and study information, including a copy of the Wong-Baker Faces pain score, was issued at the first patient contact. An automated text message service recorded pain scores at days 0, 3, 7, 21, and 42 postinjury. A cross-sectional survey of current accident and emergency practice in the UK was also undertaken to gauge current practice following the publication of NICE guidance.Aims
Methods
Induction heating is a noninvasive, nonantibiotic treatment modality that can potentially be used to cause thermal damage to the bacterial biofilm on the metal implant surface. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of induction heating on killing
Aims
Methods
The aim of this study was to explore whether time to surgery affects functional outcome in displaced proximal humeral fractures A total of 250 patients presenting within three weeks of sustaining a displaced proximal humeral fracture involving the surgical neck were recruited at 32 acute NHS hospitals in the United Kingdom between September 2008 and April 2011. Of the 125 participants, 109 received surgery (fracture fixation or humeral head replacement) as per randomization. Data were included for 101 and 67 participants at six-month and five-year follow-up, respectively. Oxford Shoulder Scores (OSS) collected at six, 12, and 24 months and at three, four, and five years following randomization was plotted against time to surgery. Long-term recovery was explored by plotting six-month scores against five-year scores and agreement was illustrated with a Bland-Altman plot.Aims
Methods
In 2013, we introduced a specialized, centralized, and interdisciplinary team in our institution that applied a standardized diagnostic and treatment algorithm for the management of prosthetic joint infections (PJIs). The hypothesis for this study was that the outcome of treatment would be improved using this approach. In a retrospective analysis with a standard postoperative follow-up, 95 patients with a PJI of the hip and knee who were treated with a two-stage exchange between 2013 and 2017 formed the study group. A historical cohort of 86 patients treated between 2009 and 2011 not according to the standardized protocol served as a control group. The success of treatment was defined according to the Delphi criteria in a two-year follow-up.Aims
Patients and Methods
The primary aim of this retrospective study was to identify the
incidence of heterotopic ossification (HO) following elective and
trauma elbow arthroplasty. The secondary aim was to determine clinical
outcomes with respect to the formation of heterotopic ossification. A total of 55 total elbow arthroplasties (TEAs) (52 patients)
performed between June 2007 and December 2015 were eligible for
inclusion in the study (29 TEAs for primary elective arthroplasty
and 26 TEAs for trauma). At review, 15 patients (17 total elbow
arthroplasties) had died from unrelated causes. There were 14 men
and 38 women with a mean age of 70 years (42 to 90). The median
clinical follow-up was 3.6 years (1.2 to 6) and the median radiological follow-up
was 3.1 years (0.5 to 7.5).Aim
Patients and Methods
Deep infection was identified as a serious complication in the earliest days of total hip arthroplasty. It was identified that airborne contamination in conventional operating theatres was the major contributing factor. As progress was made in improving the engineering of operating theatres, airborne contamination was reduced. Detailed studies were carried out relating airborne contamination to deep infection rates. In a trial conducted by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council (MRC), it was found that the use of ultra-clean air (UCA) operating theatres was associated with a significant reduction in deep infection rates. Deep infection rates were further reduced by the use of a body exhaust system. The MRC trial also included a detailed microbiology study, which confirmed the relationship between airborne contamination and deep infection rates. Recent observational evidence from joint registries has shown that in contemporary practice, infection rates remain a problem, and may be getting worse. Registry observations have also called into question the value of “laminar flow” operating theatres. Observational evidence from joint registries provides very limited evidence on the efficacy of UCA operating theatres. Although there have been some changes in surgical practice in recent years, the conclusions of the MRC trial remain valid, and the use of UCA is essential in preventing deep infection. There is evidence that if UCA operating theatres are not used correctly, they may have poor microbiological performance. Current UCA operating theatres have limitations, and further research is required to update them and improve their microbiological performance in contemporary practice. Cite this article:
Prophylactic antibiotics can decrease the risk
of wound infection and have been routinely employed in orthopaedic surgery
for decades. Despite their widespread use, questions still surround
the selection of antibiotics for prophylaxis, timing and duration
of administration. The health economic costs associated with wound
infections are significant, and the judicious but appropriate use
of antibiotics can reduce this risk. This review examines the evidence behind commonly debated topics
in antibiotic prophylaxis and highlights the uses and advantages
of some commonly used antibiotics. Cite this article:
Thermal stability is a key property in determining the suitability of an antibiotic agent for local application in the treatment of orthopaedic infections. Despite the fact that long-term therapy is a stated goal of novel local delivery carriers, data describing thermal stability over a long period are scarce, and studies that avoid interference from specific carrier materials are absent from the orthopaedic literature. In this study, a total of 38 frequently used antibiotic agents were maintained at 37°C in saline solution, and degradation and antibacterial activity assessed over six weeks. The impact of an initial supplementary heat exposure mimicking exothermically curing bone cement was also tested as this material is commonly used as a local delivery vehicle. Antibiotic degradation was assessed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, or by immunoassays, as appropriate. Antibacterial activity over time was determined by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion assay.Objectives
Methods
Calcium sulphate (CaSO4) is a resorbable material
that can be used simultaneously as filler of a dead space and as
a carrier for the local application of antibiotics. Our aim was
to describe the systemic exposure and the wound fluid concentrations
of vancomycin in patients treated with vancomycin-loaded CaSO4 as
an adjunct to the routine therapy of bone and joint infections. A total of 680 post-operative blood and 233 wound fluid samples
were available for analysis from 94 implantations performed in 87
patients for various infective indications. Up to 6 g of vancomycin
were used. Non-compartmental pharmacokinetic analysis was performed
on the data from 37 patients treated for an infection of the hip.Aims
Patients and Methods
Surgical site infection can be a devastating complication of
hemiarthroplasty of the hip, when performed in elderly patients
with a displaced fracture of the femoral neck. It results in a prolonged
stay in hospital, a poor outcome and increased costs. Many studies
have identified risk and prognostic factors for deep infection.
However, most have combined the rates of infection following total
hip arthroplasty and internal fixation as well as hemiarthroplasty, despite
the fact that they are different entities. The aim of this study
was to clarify the risk and prognostic factors causing deep infection
after hemiarthroplasty alone. Data were extracted from a prospective hip fracture database
and completed by retrospective review of the hospital records. A
total of 916 patients undergoing a hemiarthroplasty in two level
II trauma teaching hospitals between 01 January 2011 and
01 May 2016 were included. We analysed the potential peri-operative
risk factors with univariable and multivariable logistic regression
analysis.Aims
Patients and Methods
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:
The best time for definitive orthopaedic care is often unclear
in patients with multiple injuries. The objective of this study
was make a prospective assessment of the safety of our early appropriate
care (EAC) strategy and to evaluate the potential benefit of additional
laboratory data to determine readiness for surgery. A cohort of 335 patients with fractures of the pelvis, acetabulum,
femur, or spine were included. Patients underwent definitive fixation
within 36 hours if one of the following three parameters were met:
lactate <
4.0 mmol/L; pH ≥ 7.25; or base excess (BE) ≥ -5.5 mmol/L.
If all three parameters were met, resuscitation was designated full
protocol resuscitation (FPR). If less than all three parameters
were met, it was designated an incomplete protocol resuscitation
(IPR). Complications were assessed by an independent adjudication
committee and included infection; sepsis; PE/DVT; organ failure;
pneumonia, and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Aims
Patients and Methods
Patellar instability most frequently presents
during adolescence. Congenital and infantile dislocation of the
patella is a distinct entity from adolescent instability and measurable
abnormalities may be present at birth. In the normal patellofemoral
joint an increase in quadriceps angle and patellar height are matched
by an increase in trochlear depth as the joint matures. Adolescent
instability may herald a lifelong condition leading to chronic disability
and arthritis. Restoring normal anatomy by trochleoplasty, tibial tubercle transfer
or medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction in the young
adult prevents further instability. Although these techniques are
proven in the young adult, they may cause growth arrest and deformity
where the physis is open. A vigorous non-operative strategy may
permit delay of surgery until growth is complete. Where non-operative
treatment has failed a modified MPFL reconstruction may be performed
to maintain stability until physeal closure permits anatomical reconstruction.
If significant growth remains an extraosseous reconstruction of
the MPFL may impart the lowest risk to the physis. If minor growth
remains image intensifier guided placement of femoral intraosseous
fixation may impart a small, but acceptable, risk to the physis. This paper presents and discusses the literature relating to
adolescent instability and provides a framework for management of
these patients. Cite this article:
