Between 1976 and 2004, 38 revision arthroplasties (35 patients) were performed for aseptic loosening of the humeral component. The mean interval from primary arthroplasty to revision was 7.1 years (0.4 to 16.6). A total of 35 shoulders (32 patients) were available for review at a mean follow-up of seven years (2 to 19.3).

Pre-operatively, 34 patients (97%) had moderate or severe pain; at final follow-up, 29 (83%) had no or only mild pain (p < 0.0001). The mean active abduction improved from 88° to 107° (p < 0.01); and the mean external rotation from 37° to 46° (p = 0.27). Excellent or satisfactory results were achieved in 25 patients (71%) according to the modified Neer rating system. Humeral components were cemented in 29, with ingrowth implants used in nine cases. There were 19 of standard length and 17 were longer (two were custom replacements and are not included). Bone grafting was required for defects in 11 humeri. Only two glenoid components were left unrevised. Intra-operative complications included cement extrusion in eight cases, fracture of the shaft of the humerus is two and of the tuberosity in four. There were four re-operations, one for recurrent humeral loosening, with 89% survival free of re-operations at ten years.

Revision surgery for aseptic loosening of the humeral component provides reliable pain relief and modest improvement of movement, although there is a substantial risk of intra-operative complications. Revision to a total shoulder replacement gives better results than to a hemiarthroplasty.

Although mechanical stabilisation has been a hallmark of orthopaedic surgical management, orthobiologics are now playing an increasing role. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a volume of plasma fraction of autologous blood having platelet concentrations above baseline. The platelet α granules are rich in growth factors that play an essential role in tissue healing, such as transforming growth factor-β, vascular endothelial growth factor, and platelet-derived growth factor. PRP is used in various surgical fields to enhance bone and soft-tissue healing by placing supraphysiological concentrations of autologous platelets at the site of tissue damage. The easily obtainable PRP and its possible beneficial outcome hold promise for new regenerative treatment approaches.

The aim of this literature review was to describe the bioactivities of PRP, to elucidate the different techniques for PRP preparation, to review animal and human studies, to evaluate the evidence regarding the use of PRP in trauma and orthopaedic surgery, to clarify risks, and to provide guidance for future research.

Failure of fixation is a common problem in the treatment of osteoporotic fractures around the hip. The reinforcement of bone stock or of fixation of the implant may be a solution. Our study assesses the existing evidence for the use of bone substitutes in the management of these fractures in osteoporotic patients. Relevant publications were retrieved through Medline research and further scrutinised. Of 411 studies identified, 22 met the inclusion criteria, comprising 12 experimental and ten clinical reports. The clinical studies were evaluated with regard to their level of evidence. Only four were prospective and randomised.

Polymethylmethacrylate and calcium-phosphate cements increased the primary stability of the implant-bone construct in all experimental and clinical studies, although there was considerable variation in the design of the studies. In randomised, controlled studies, augmentation of intracapsular fractures of the neck of the femur with calcium-phosphate cement was associated with poor long-term results. There was a lack of data on the long-term outcome for trochanteric fractures. Because there were only a few, randomised, controlled studies, there is currently poor evidence for the use of bone cement in the treatment of fractures of the hip.

The pathophysiology of intervertebral disc degeneration has been extensively studied. Various factors have been suggested as influencing its aetiology, including mechanical factors, such as compressive loading, shear stress and vibration, as well as ageing, genetic, systemic and toxic factors, which can lead to degeneration of the disc through biochemical reactions. How are these factors linked? What is their individual importance? There is no clear evidence indicating whether ageing in the presence of repetitive injury or repetitive injury in the absence of ageing plays a greater role in the degenerative process. Mechanical factors can trigger biochemical reactions which, in turn, may promote the normal biological changes of ageing, which can also be accelerated by genetic factors. Degradation of the molecular structure of the disc during ageing renders it more susceptible to superimposed mechanical injuries.

This review supports the theory that degeneration of the disc has a complex multifactorial aetiology. Which factors initiate the events in the degenerative cascade is a question that remains unanswered, but most evidence points to an age-related process influenced primarily by mechanical and genetic factors.

We report a case of peri-prosthetic tuberculous infection nine years after total hip arthroplasty in a patient with no history of tuberculosis before the procedure. Further investigation revealed active pulmonary tuberculosis which was thought to have spread haematogeneously to the arthroplasty. The infection did not respond to standard antituberculous drugs. Removal of the prosthesis and insertion of an antibiotic spacer were required.

The use of a navigation system in musculoskeletal tumour surgery enables the integration of pre-operative CT and MRI images to generate a precise three-dimensional anatomical model of the site and the extent of the tumour.

We carried out six consecutive resections of musculoskeletal tumour in five patients using an existing commercial computer navigation system. There were three women and two men with a mean age of 41 years (24 to 47). Reconstruction was performed using a tumour prosthesis in three lesions and a vascularised fibular graft in one. No reconstruction was needed in two cases. The mean follow-up was 6.9 months (3.5 to 10). The mean duration of surgery was 28 minutes (13 to 50). Examination of the resected specimens showed clear margins in all the tumour lesions and a resection that was exactly as planned.

Kienböck’s disease is a form of osteonecrosis affecting the lunate. Its aetiology remains unknown. Morphological variations, such as negative ulnar variance, high uncovering of the lunate, abnormal radial inclination and/or a trapezoidal shape of the lunate and the particular pattern of its vascularity may be predisposing factors. A history of trauma is common. The diagnosis is made on plain radiographs, but MRI can be helpful early in the disease. A CT scan is useful to demonstrate fracture or fragmentation of the lunate. Lichtman classified Kienböck disease into five stages. The natural history of the condition is not well known, and the symptoms do not correlate well with the changes in shape of the lunate and the degree of carpal collapse. There is no strong evidence to support any particular form of treatment. Many patients are improved by temporary immobilisation of the wrist, which does not stop the progression of carpal collapse. Radial shortening may be the treatment of choice in young symptomatic patients presenting with stages I to III-A of Kienböck’s disease and negative ulnar variance. Many other forms of surgical treatment have been described.

This study investigated the quality and quantity of healing of a bone defect following intramedullary reaming undertaken by two fundamentally different systems; conventional, using non-irrigated, multiple passes; or suction/irrigation, using one pass. The result of a measured re-implantation of the product of reaming was examined in one additional group. We used 24 Swiss mountain sheep with a mean tibial medullary canal diameter between 8 mm and 9 mm. An 8 mm ‘napkin ring’ defect was created at the mid-diaphysis. The wound was either surgically closed or occluded. The medullary cavity was then reamed to 11 mm. The Reamer/Irrigator/Aspirator (RIA) System was used for the reaming procedure in groups A (RIA and autofilling) and B (RIA, collected reamings filled up), whereas reaming in group C (Synream and autofilling) was performed with the Synream System. The defect was allowed to auto-fill with reamings in groups A and C, but in group B, the defect was surgically filled with collected reamings. The tibia was then stabilised with a solid locking Unreamed Humerus Nail (UHN), 9.5 mm in diameter. The animals were killed after six weeks. After the implants were removed, measurements were taken to assess the stiffness, strength and callus formation at the site of the defect.

There was no significant difference between healing after conventional reaming or suction/irrigation reaming. A significant improvement in the quality of the callus was demonstrated by surgically placing captured reamings into the defect using a graft harvesting system attached to the aspirator device. This was confirmed by biomechanical testing of stiffness and strength. This study suggests it could be beneficial to fill cortical defects with reaming particles in clinical practice, if feasible.

Transtrochanteric curved varus osteotomy was designed to avoid some of the disadvantages of varus wedge osteotomy, such as post-operative leg-length discrepancy. In this retrospective study we investigated the leg-length discrepancy and clinical outcome after transtrochanteric curved varus osteotomy undertaken in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head. Between January 1993 and March 2004, this osteotomy was performed in 42 hips of 36 patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head. There were 15 males and 21 females with a mean age at surgery of 34 years (15 to 68). The mean follow-up was 5.9 years (2.0 to 12.5). The mean pre-operative Harris hip score was 64.0 (43 to 85) points, which improved to a mean of 88.7 (58 to 100) points at final follow-up. The mean varus angulation post-operatively was 25° (12° to 38°) and the post-operative mean leg-length discrepancy was 13 mm (4 to 25). The post-operative leg-length discrepancy showed a strong correlation with varus angulation (Pearson’s correlation coefficient; r = 0.9530, p < 0.0001), which may be useful for predicting the leg-length discrepancy which can occur even after transtrochanteric curved varus osteotomy.

Osteomyelitis is one of the oldest diseases known. It took many years before the acute infection could be brought under control with antibiotics and chronic osteomyelitis remains difficult to manage. The modern history of the disease is reflected in the pages of the

We have studied the effects of bupivacaine on human and bovine articular chondrocytes in vitro. Time-lapse confocal microscopy of human articular chondrocytes showed > 95% cellular death after exposure to 0.5% bupivacaine for 30 minutes. Human and bovine chondrocytes exposed to 0.25% bupivacaine had a time-dependent reduction in viability, with longer exposure times resulting in higher cytotoxicity. Cellular death continued even after removal of 0.25% bupivacaine. After exposure to 0.25% bupivacaine for 15 minutes, flow cytometry showed bovine chondrocyte viability to be 41% of saline control after seven days. After exposure to 0.125% bupivacaine for up to 60 minutes, the viability of both bovine and human chondrocytes was similar to that of control groups.

These data show that prolonged exposure 0.5% and 0.25% bupivacaine solutions are potentially chondrotoxic.

Nanometre-sized particles of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene have been identified in the lubricants retrieved from hip simulators. Tissue samples were taken from seven failed Charnley total hip replacements, digested using strong alkali and analysed using high-resolution field emission gun-scanning electron microscopy to determine whether nanometre-sized particles of polyethylene debris were generated in vivo. A randomised method of analysis was used to quantify and characterise all the polyethylene particles isolated.

We isolated nanometre-sized particles from the retrieved tissue samples. The smallest identified was 30 nm and the majority were in the 0.1 μm to 0.99 μm size range. Particles in the 1.0 μm to 9.99 μm size range represented the highest proportion of the wear volume of the tissue samples, with 35% to 98% of the total wear volume comprised of particles of this size. The number of nanometre-sized particles isolated from the tissues accounted for only a small proportion of the total wear volume. Further work is required to assess the biological response to nanometre-sized polyethylene particles.

Anterior debridement, grafting of the defect and posterior instrumentation as a single-stage procedure is a controversial method of managing pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis. Between 1994 and 2005, 37 patients underwent this procedure at our hospital, of which two died and three had inadequate follow-up. The remaining 32 were reviewed for a mean of 36 months (12 to 66). Their mean age was 48 years (17 to 68). A significant pre-operative neurological deficit was present in 13 patients (41%). The mean duration of surgery was 285 minutes (240 to 360) and the mean blood loss was 900 ml (300 to 1600). Pyogenic organisms were isolated in 21 patients (66%). All patients began to mobilise on the second post-operative day. The mean hospital stay was 13.6 days (10 to 20). Appropriate antibiotics were administered for 10 to 12 weeks. Early wound infection occurred in four patients (12.5%), and late infection in two (6.3%).

At final follow-up, the infection had resolved in all patients, neurological recovery was seen in ten of 13 (76.9%) and interbody fusion had occurred in 30 (94%). The clinical outcome was excellent or good in 30 patients according to Macnab’s criteria.

This surgical protocol can be used to good effect in patients with pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis when combined with appropriate antibiotic therapy.

This study reviewed the results of a cementless anatomical femoral component to give immediate post-operative stability, and with a narrow distal section in order not to contact the femoral cortex in the diaphysis, ensuring exclusively metaphyseal loading.

A total of 471 patients (601 hips) who had a total hip replacement between March 1995 and February 2002 were included in the study. There were 297 men and 174 women. The mean age at the time of operation was 52.7 years (28 to 63). Clinical and radiological evaluation were performed at each follow-up. Bone densitometry was carried out on all patients two weeks after operation and at the final follow-up examination. The mean follow-up was 8.8 years (5 to 12).

The mean pre-operative Harris hip score was 41 points (16 to 54), which improved to a mean of 96 (68 to 100) at the final follow-up. No patient complained of thigh pain at any stage. No acetabular or femoral osteolysis was observed and no hip required revision for aseptic loosening of either component. Deep infection occurred in two hips (0.3%) which required revision. One hip (0.2%) required revision of the acetabular component for recurrent dislocation. Bone mineral densitometry revealed a minimal bone loss in the proximal femur.

This cementless anatomical femoral component with metaphyseal loading but without distal fixation produced satisfactory fixation and encourages proximal femoral loading.

As metal-on-metal arthroplasty becomes more widespread, concerns are being raised about the potential dangers of metal particulate debris. We present the case of a benign psoas mass secondary to the presence of such particles. The mass was excised and the hip resurfacing subsequently revised to a total hip replacement.

We compared the performance of uncemented trabecular metal tibial components in total knee replacement with that of cemented tibial components in patients younger than 60 years over two years using radiostereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA). A total of 22 consecutive patients (mean age 53 years, 33 to 59, 26 knees) received an uncemented NexGen trabecular metal cruciate-retaining monobloc tibial component and 19 (mean 53 years, 44 to 59, 21 knees) a cemented NexGen Option cruciate-retaining modular tibial component.

All the trabecular metal components migrated during the initial three months and then stabilised. The exception was external rotation, which did not stabilise until 12 months. Unlike conventional metal-backed implants which displayed a tilting migration comprising subsidence and lift-off from the tibial tray, most of the trabecular metal components showed subsidence only, probably due to the elasticity of the implant.

This pattern of subsidence is regarded as being beneficial for uncemented fixation.