Despite increasing scientific investigation, the best method for preventing post-operative deep-vein thrombosis remains unclear. In the wake of the publication of the Pulmonary Embolism Prevention trial and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) on the prevention of thromboembolism, we felt that it was timely to survey current thromboprophylactic practices. Questionnaires were sent to all consultants on the register of the British Orthopaedic Association. The rate of response was 62%. The survey showed a dramatic change in practice towards the use of chemoprophylaxis since the review by Morris and Mitchell in 1976. We found that there was a greater uniformity of opinion and prescribing practices in Scotland, consistent with the SIGN guidelines, than in the rest of the UK. We argue in favour of the use of such documents which are based on a qualitative review of current scientific literature.
We report on the outcome of the Exeter Contemporary flanged cemented
all-polyethylene acetabular component with a mean follow-up of 12
years (10 to 13.9). This study reviewed 203 hips in 194 patients.
129 hips in 122 patients are still A retrospective review was undertaken of a consecutive series
of 203 routine primary cemented total hip arthroplasties (THA) in
194 patients.Aims
Patients and Methods
An extensive review of the spinal and arthroplasty
literature was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of local
antibiotic irrigation during surgery. The efficacy of antibiotic
irrigation for the prevention of acute post-operative infection
after total joint arthroplasty was evaluated retrospectively in
2293 arthroplasties (1990 patients) between January 2004 and December
2013. The mean follow-up was 73 months (20 to 139). One surgeon
performed all the procedures with minimal post-operative infection. The intra-operative protocol included an irrigation solution
of normal saline with vancomycin 1000 mg/l and polymyxin 250 000
units/l at the rate of 2 l per hour. No patient required re-admission
for primary infection or further antibiotic treatment. Two morbidly obese
patients (two total hip arthroplasties) developed subcutaneous fat
necrosis requiring debridement and one was revised because the deep
capsular sutures were contaminated by the draining subcutaneous
haematoma. One patient who had undergone total knee arthroplasty
had unrecognised damage to the lateral superior geniculate artery
and developed a haematoma that became infected secondarily four
months after the surgery and underwent revision. The use of antibiotic irrigation during arthroplasty surgery
has been highly effective for the prevention of infection in the
author’s practice. However, it should be understood that any routine
prophylactic use of antibiotics may result in resistant organisms,
and the wise stewardship of the use of antibiotics is an important
part of surgical practice. Cite this article:
This study investigated whether the use of tranexamic acid (TXA)
decreased blood loss and transfusion related cost following surface
replacement arthroplasty (SRA). A retrospective review of patients treated with TXA during a
SRA, who did not receive autologous blood (TXA group) was performed.
Two comparison groups were established; the first group comprised
of patients who donated their own blood pre-operatively (auto group)
and the second of patients who did not donate blood pre-operatively
(control). Outcomes included transfusions, post-operative haemoglobin
(Hgb), complications, and length of post-operative stay. Aims
Methods
We describe our technique and rationale using
hybrid fixation for primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) at the Hospital
for Special Surgery. Modern uncemented acetabular components have
few screw holes, or no holes, polished inner surfaces, improved
locking mechanisms, and maximised thickness and shell-liner conformity. Uncemented
sockets can be combined with highly cross-linked polyethylene liners,
which have demonstrated very low wear and osteolysis rates after
ten to 15 years of implantation. The results of cement fixation
with a smooth or polished surface finished stem have been excellent,
virtually eliminating complications seen with cementless fixation
like peri-operative femoral fractures and thigh pain. Although mid-term
results of modern cementless stems are encouraging, the long-term
data do not show reduced revision rates for cementless stems compared
with cemented smooth stems. In this paper we review the conduct
of a hybrid THA, with emphasis on pre-operative planning, surgical
technique, hypotensive epidural anaesthesia, and intra-operative
physiology. Cite this article:
Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a major orthopaedic
intervention. The length of a patient's stay has been progressively
reduced with the introduction of enhanced recovery protocols: day-case
surgery has become the ultimate challenge. This narrative review shows the potential limitations of day-case
TKA. These constraints may be social, linked to patient’s comorbidities,
or due to surgery-related adverse events (e.g. pain, post-operative
nausea and vomiting, etc.). Using patient stratification, tailored surgical techniques and
multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia, day-case TKA might be achievable
in a limited group of patients. The younger, male patient without
comorbidities and with an excellent social network around him might
be a candidate. Demographic changes, effective recovery programmes and less invasive
surgical techniques such as unicondylar knee arthroplasty, may increase
the size of the group of potential day-case patients. The cost reduction achieved by day-case TKA needs to be balanced
against any increase in morbidity and mortality and the cost of
advanced follow-up at a distance with new technology. These factors
need to be evaluated before adopting this ultimate ‘fast-track’
approach. Cite this article:
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) produces recommendations on appropriate treatment within the National Health Service (NHS) in England and Wales. The NICE guidelines on prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism in orthopaedic surgery recommend that all patients be offered a low molecular weight heparin (LMWH). The linked hospital episode statistics of 219 602 patients were examined to determine the rates of complications following lower limb arthroplasty for the 12-month periods prior to and following the publication of these guidelines. These were compared with data from the National Joint Registry (England and Wales) regarding the use of LMWH during the same periods. There was a significant increase in the reported use of LMWH (59.5% to 67.6%, p <
0.001) following the publication of the guidelines. However, the 90-day venous thromboembolism events actually increased slightly following total hip replacement (THR, 1.69% to 1.84%, p = 0.06) and remained unchanged following total knee replacement (TKR, 1.99% to 2.04%). Return to theatre in the first 30 days for infection did not show significant changes. There was an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, which was significant following THR (0.11% to 0.16%, p = 0.04). The recommendations from NICE are based on predicted reductions in venous thromboembolism events, reducing morbidity, mortality and costs to the NHS. The early results in orthopaedic patients do not support these predictions, but do show an increase in complications.
Over the past 30 years there have been many improvements
in implant fixation, correction of deformity, improved polyethylene
wear, and survival after knee replacement. The work over the last
decade has focused on less invasive surgical techniques, multimodal
pain management protocols, more rapid functional recovery and reduced
length of stay, aiming to minimise the side effects of treatment
while maintaining function and implant durability. When combined
and standardised these pre-, intra- and post-operative factors have
now facilitated outpatient knee replacement procedures for unicompartmental
replacement, patella femoral arthroplasty and total knee replacement
(TKR). We have found liposomal bupivacaine, with potential for longer
therapeutic action, to be a helpful adjunct and describe our current
pain management program. The next step in our multimodal program
is to improve the duration of patient satisfaction and reduce cost
and length of stay after TKR. Cite this article:
Following the publication in 2007 of the guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE) for patients undergoing surgery, concerns were raised by British orthopaedic surgeons as to the appropriateness of the recommendations for their clinical practice. In order to address these concerns NICE and the British Orthopaedic Association agreed to engage a representative panel of orthopaedic surgeons in the process of developing expanded VTE guidelines applicable to all patients admitted to hospital. The functions of this panel were to review the evidence and to consider the applicability and implications in orthopaedic practice in order to advise the main Guideline Development Group in framing recommendations. The panel considered both direct and indirect evidence of the safety and efficacy, the cost-effectiveness of prophylaxis and its implication in clinical practice for orthopaedic patients. We describe the process of selection of the orthopaedic panel, the evidence considered and the contribution of the panel to the latest guidelines from NICE on the prophylaxis against VTE, published in January 2010.
We prospectively randomised 78 patients into two groups, ‘drains’ or ‘no drains’ to assess the effectiveness of suction drains in reducing haematoma and effusion in the joint and its effect on wound healing after total knee replacement. Ultrasound was used to measure the formation of haematoma and effusion on the fourth post-operative day. This was a semi-quantitative assessment of volume estimation. There was no difference in the mean effusion between the groups (5.91 mm in the drain group versus 6.08 mm in the no-drain, p = 0.82). The mean amount of haematoma in the no-drain group was greater (11.07 mm versus 8.41 mm, p = 0.03). However, this was not clinically significant judged by the lack of difference in the mean reduction in the post-operative haemoglobin between the groups (drain group 3.4 g/dl; no-drain group 3.0 g/dl, p = 0.38). There were no cases of wound infection or problems with wound healing at six weeks in any patient. Our findings indicate that drains do not reduce joint effusion but do reduce haematoma formation. They have no effect on wound healing.
Post-operative complications after total hip
or knee replacement can delay recovery, prolong hospitalisation, increase
rates of re-admission and, in the most severe cases, lead to long-term
disability or even death. In this analysis of pooled data from four
large, randomised, phase III clinical trials that compared the oral,
direct Factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban with subcutaneous enoxaparin
for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after total hip or
knee replacement (n = 12 729), the incidence of complications, including
bleeding and adverse events related to surgery (such as wound infection,
wound dehiscence and haemarthrosis) are reported. Interventions
and procedures relating to surgery are also compared between the
groups. Bleeding events, including excessive wound haematoma and
surgical-site bleeding, occurred at similar rates in the rivaroxaban
and enoxaparin groups. Over the total study duration, adverse surgical
events occurred at a similar rate in the rivaroxaban group compared
with the enoxaparin group after total knee replacement (2.26% This analysis shows that the incidence of adverse surgical events
with rivaroxaban was similar to enoxaparin.
Symptomatic and asymptomatic deep-vein thrombosis
(DVT) is a common complication of knee replacement, with an incidence
of up to 85% in the absence of prophylaxis. National guidelines
for thromboprophylaxis in knee replacement are derived from total
knee replacement (TKR) data. No guidelines exist specific to unicompartmental knee
replacement (UKR). We investigated whether the type of knee arthroplasty
(TKR or UKR) was related to the incidence of DVT and discuss the
applicability of existing national guidelines for prophylaxis following
UKR. Data were collected prospectively on 3449 knee replacements,
including procedure type, tourniquet time, surgeon, patient age,
use of drains and gender. These variables were related to the incidence
of symptomatic DVT. The overall DVT rate was 1.6%. The only variable that had an
association with DVT was operation type, with TKR having a higher
incidence than UKR (2.2% TKR and UKR patients have different risk profiles for symptomatic
DVT. The risk-benefit ratio for TKR that has been used to produce
national guidelines may not be applicable to UKR. Further research
is required to establish the most appropriate form of prophylaxis
for UKR.
The June 2014 Foot &
Ankle Roundup360 looks at: peroneal tendon tears associated with calcaneal fractures; syndesmosis procedure for first ray deformities; thromboprophylaxis not necessary in elective Ilizarov surgery; ankle replacement gaining traction in academic centres; some evidence for PRP and; fusion nailing and osteotomy an effective treatment for symptomatic tibial malunion
The October 2014 Research Roundup360 looks at: unpicking syndesmotic injuries: CT scans evaluated; surgical scrub suits and sterility in theatre; continuous passive motion and knee injuries; whether pain at night is melatonin related;
We analysed which pre-operative factors could be used to predict the length of in-patient stay following unilateral primary total hip replacement undertaken for osteoarthritis. Data were collected prospectively from 2302 patients undergoing primary total hip replacement over a nine-year period. The relationships between the various pre-operative factors and length of stay were studied separately using either Student’s t-test or Pearson’s correlation, and then subjected to multiple linear regression analysis. The mean length of stay was 8.1 days (median 7; 3 to 58). After adjusting for the effects of other pre-operative factors, younger age, male gender, higher combined Harris hip function and activity score, higher general health perception dimension of the Short-Form 36 score, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use were all found to be significantly associated with a reduced length of stay.
The April 2014 Research Roundup360 looks at: scientific writing needed in orthopaedic papers; antiseptics and osteoblasts; thromboembolic management in orthopaedic patients; nicotine and obesity in post-operative complications; defining the “Patient Acceptable Symptom State”; and cheap and nasty implants of poor quality.
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis
of randomised controlled trials evaluating the effect of tranexamic
acid (TXA) upon blood loss and transfusion in primary total knee
replacement. The review used the generic evaluation tool designed
by the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group. A total of
19 trials were eligible: 18 used intravenous administration, one
also evaluated oral dosing and one trial evaluated topical use.
TXA led to a significant reduction in the proportion of patients
requiring blood transfusion (risk ratio (RR) 2.56, 95% confidence
interval (CI) 2.1 to 3.1, p <
0.001; heterogeneity I2 =
75%; 14 trials, 824 patients). Using TXA also reduced total blood
loss by a mean of 591 ml (95% CI 536 to 647, p <
0.001; I2 =
78%; nine trials, 763 patients). The clinical interpretation of
these findings is limited by substantial heterogeneity. However,
subgroup analysis of high-dose (>
4 g) TXA showed a plausible consistent
reduction in blood transfusion requirements (RR 5.33; 95% CI 2.44
to 11.65, p <
0.001; I2 = 0%), a finding that should
be confirmed by a further well-designed trial. The current evidence
from trials does not support an increased risk of deep-vein thrombosis
(13 trials, 801 patients) or pulmonary embolism (18 trials, 971
patients) due to TXA administration.
Back pain is a common symptom in children and
adolescents. Here we review the important causes, of which defects
and stress reactions of the pars interarticularis are the most common
identifiable problems. More serious pathology, including malignancy
and infection, needs to be excluded when there is associated systemic
illness. Clinical evaluation and management may be difficult and
always requires a thorough history and physical examination. Diagnostic
imaging is obtained when symptoms are persistent or severe. Imaging
is used to reassure the patient, relatives and carers, and to guide
management. Cite this article:
Total hip replacement (THR) still is a rare intervention
in many African countries. In Burkina Faso it is not performed on
a regular basis. A visiting programme for THR was started in a district
hospital with no previous relevant experience. In this paper we
present an analysis of the surgical technical problems and peri-operative
complications of 152 THRs in 136 patients and three bipolar hemiarthroplasties
in three patients undertaken in this new programme with limited
orthopaedic equipment. There were 86 male and 53 female patients
with a mean age of 49 years (21 to 78). We identified 77 intra-operative
technical problems in 51 operations. There were 24 peri-operative complications
in 21 patients, 17 of which were bony in nature. So far, ten revision
THRs have been performed in nine patients. Regular analysis of the technical problems and complications
was used to improve quality, and we identified patient selection
adapted to the local circumstances as important to avoid complications.
Our reflections on the problems encountered in initiating such a
programme may be of help to other teams planning similar projects. Cite this article: