We report a systematic review and meta-analysis
of the peer-reviewed literature focusing on metal sensitivity testing
in patients undergoing total joint replacement (TJR). Our purpose
was to assess the risk of developing metal hypersensitivity post-operatively
and its relationship with outcome and to investigate the advantages
of performing hypersensitivity testing. We undertook a comprehensive search of the citations quoted in
PubMed and EMBASE: 22 articles (comprising 3634 patients) met the
inclusion criteria. The frequency of positive tests increased after
TJR, especially in patients with implant failure or a metal-on-metal
coupling. The probability of developing a metal allergy was higher
post-operatively (odds ratio (OR) 1.52 (95% confidence interval
(CI) 1.06 to 2.31)), and the risk was further increased when failed
implants were compared with stable TJRs (OR 2.76 (95% CI 1.14 to
6.70)). Hypersensitivity testing was not able to discriminate between
stable and failed TJRs, as its predictive value was not statistically
proven. However, it is generally thought that hypersensitivity testing
should be performed in patients with a history of metal allergy
and in failed TJRs, especially with metal-on-metal implants and
when the cause of the loosening is doubtful.
After implementation of a ‘fast-track’ rehabilitation
protocol in our hospital, mean length of hospital stay for primary
total hip arthroplasty decreased from 4.6 to 2.9 nights for unselected
patients. However, despite this reduction there was still a wide
range across the patients’ hospital duration. The purpose of this
study was to identify which specific patient characteristics influence
length of stay after successful implementation of a ‘fast-track’
rehabilitation protocol. A total of 477 patients (317 female and
160 male, mean age 71.0 years; 39.3 to 92.6, mean BMI 27.0 kg/m2;18.8
to 45.2) who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty between 1
February 2011 and 31 January 2013, were included in this retrospective
cohort study. A length of stay greater than the median was considered
as an increased duration. Logistic regression analyses were performed
to identify potential factors associated with increased durations.
Median length of stay was two nights (interquartile range 1), and
the mean length of stay 2.9 nights (1 to 75). In all, 266 patients
had a length of stay ≤ two nights. Age (odds ratio (OR) 2.46; 95%
confidence intervals (CI) 1.72 to 3.51; p <
0.001), living situation
(alone Cite this article:
We systematically reviewed the published literature
on the complications of closing wedge high tibial osteotomy for
the treatment of unicompartmental osteoarthritis of the knee. Publications
were identified using the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE and
CINAHL databases up to February 2012. We assessed randomised (RCTs), controlled
group clinical (CCTs) trials, case series in publications associated
with closing wedge osteotomy of the tibia in patients with osteoarthritis
of the knee and finally a Cochrane review. Many of these trials
included comparative studies (opening wedge
This review examines the future of total hip arthroplasty, aiming to avoid past mistakes
In this paper, we consider wound healing after
total knee arthroplasty.
Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating
complication which can follow a total joint arthroplasty (TJA).
Although rare, this ongoing threat undermines the success of TJA,
a historically reputable procedure. It has haunted the orthopedic
community for decades and several ongoing studies have provided
insights and new approaches to effectively battle this multilayered
problem.
Using general practitioner records and hospital
notes and through direct telephone conversation with patients, we investigated
the accuracy of nine patient-reported complications gathered from
a self-completed questionnaire after elective joint replacement
surgery of the hip and knee. A total of 402 post-discharge complications
were reported after 8546 elective operations that were undertaken
within a three-year period. These were reported by 136 men and 240
women with a mean age of 71.8 years (34 to 93). A total of 319 reported
complications (79.4%; 95% confidence interval 75.4 to 83.3) were
confirmed to be correct. High rates of correct reporting were demonstrated
for infection (94.5%) and the need for further surgery (100%), whereas
the rates of reporting deep-vein thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism,
myocardial infarction and stroke were lower (75% to 84.2%). Dislocation,
peri-prosthetic fractures and nerve palsy had modest rates of correct
reporting (36% to 57.1%). More patients who had knee surgery delivered
incorrect reports of dislocation (p = 0.001) and DVT (p = 0.013). Despite these variations, it appears that post-operative complications
may form part of a larger patient-reported outcome programme after
elective joint replacement surgery.
We welcome letters to the Editor concerning articles
that have recently been published. Such letters will be subject
to the usual stages of selection and editing; where appropriate the
authors of the original article will be offered the opportunity
to reply.
In this paper we make the case for the use of
single-stage revision for infected knee arthroplasty.
Metaphyseal bone loss is common with revision
total knee replacement (RTKR). Using the Anderson Orthopaedic Research
Institute (AORI) classification, type 2-B and type 3 defects usually
require large metal blocks, bulk structural allograft or highly
porous metal cones. Tibial and femoral trabecular metal metaphyseal
cones are a unique solution for large bone defects. These cones
substitute for bone loss, improve metaphyseal fixation, help correct
malalignment, restore the joint line and may permit use of a shorter
stem. The technique for insertion involves sculpturing of the remaining
bone with a high speed burr and rasp, followed by press-fit of the
cone into the metaphysis. The fixation and osteoconductive properties
of the porous cone outer surface allow ingrowth and encourage long-term
biological fixation. The revision knee component is then cemented
into the porous cone inner surface, which provides superior fixation
compared with cementing into native but deficient metaphyseal bone.
The advantages of the cone compared with allograft include: technical
ease, biological fixation, no resorption, and possibly a lower risk
of infection. The disadvantages include: difficult extraction and
relatively short-term follow-up. Several studies using cones report
promising short-term results for the reconstruction of large bone
defects in RTKR. Cite this article:
The common recommended treatment for infected
total hip replacement is two-staged exchange including removal of
all components. However, removal of well-fixed femoral stems can
result in structural bone damage. We recently reported on an alternative
treatment of partial two-stage exchange used in selected cases,
in which a well-fixed femoral stem was left and only the acetabular
component removed, the joint space was debrided thoroughly, an antibiotic-laden
polymethylmethacrylate spacer was moulded using a bulb-type syringe
and placed in the acetabulum, intravenous antibiotics were administered
during the interval, and delayed re-implantation was performed.
In 19 patients treated with this technique from January 2000 to
January 2011, 89% were free of infection at a mean follow-up of
four years (2 to 11). Since then, disposable silicone moulds have
become available to fabricate spacers in separate femoral and head
units. The head spacer mould, which incorporates various neck taper adapter
options, greatly facilitates the technique of partial two-stage
exchange. We report our early experience using disposable silicone
head spacer moulds for partial two-stage exchange in seven patients
with infected primary hip replacements. Cite this article:
There has been an in increase in the availability
of effective biological agents for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis
as well as a shift towards early diagnosis and management of the
inflammatory process. This article explores the impact this may
have on the place of orthopaedic surgery in the management of patients
with rheumatoid arthritis. Cite this article:
We retrospectively reviewed 30 two-stage revision
procedures in 28 patients performed for fungal peri-prosthetic joint
infection (PJI) after a primary total knee replacement. Patients were
followed for at least two years or until the infection recurred.
The mean follow-up for patients who remained free of infection was
4.3 years (2.3 to 6.1). Overall, 17 patients were assessed as American
Society of Anesthesiologists grade 3 or 4. The surgical protocol included
removal of the infected implant, vigorous debridement and insertion
of an articulating cement spacer. This was followed by at least
six weeks of antimicrobial treatment and delayed reimplantation
in all patients. The mean interval between removal of the prosthesis
and reimplantation was 9.5 weeks (6 to 24). After reimplantation,
patients took antifungal agents orally for a maximum of six months. Fungal PJIs can be treated successfully by removal of all infected
material, appropriate antimicrobial treatment and delayed reimplantation.
Given the growing prevalence of obesity around
the world and its association with osteoarthritis of the knee, orthopaedic
surgeons need to be familiar with the management of the obese patient
with degenerative knee pain. The precise mechanism by which obesity
leads to osteoarthritis remains unknown, but is likely to be due
to a combination of mechanical, humoral and genetic factors. Weight loss has clear medical benefits for the obese patient
and seems to be a logical way of relieving joint pain associated
with degenerative arthritis. There are a variety of ways in which
this may be done including diet and exercise, and treatment with
drugs and bariatric surgery. Whether substantial weight loss can
delay or even reverse the symptoms associated with osteoarthritis
remains to be seen. Surgery for osteoarthritis in the obese patient can be technically
more challenging and carries a risk of additional complications.
Substantial weight loss before undertaking total knee replacement
is advisable. More prospective studies that evaluate the effect
of significant weight loss on the evolution of symptomatic osteoarthritis
of the knee are needed so that orthopaedic surgeons can treat this
patient group appropriately.
This study compared the outcome of total knee
replacement (TKR) in adult patients with fixed- and mobile-bearing prostheses
during the first post-operative year and at five years’ follow-up,
using gait parameters as a new objective measure. This double-blind
randomised controlled clinical trial included 55 patients with mobile-bearing (n
= 26) and fixed-bearing (n = 29) prostheses of the same design,
evaluated pre-operatively and post-operatively at six weeks, three
months, six months, one year and five years. Each participant undertook
two walking trials of 30 m and completed the EuroQol questionnaire,
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index,
Knee Society score, and visual analogue scales for pain and stiffness.
Gait analysis was performed using five miniature angular rate sensors
mounted on the trunk (sacrum), each thigh and calf. The study population
was divided into two groups according to age (≤ 70 years Improvements in most gait parameters at five years’ follow-up
were greater for fixed-bearing TKRs in older patients (>
70 years),
and greater for mobile-bearing TKRs in younger patients (≤ 70 years).
These findings should be confirmed by an extended age controlled
study, as the ideal choice of prosthesis might depend on the age
of the patient at the time of surgery.
We prospectively followed 171 patients who underwent
bilateral unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) over a period
of two years. Of these, 124 (72.5%) underwent a simultaneous bilateral
procedure and 47 (27.5%) underwent a staged procedure. The mean
cumulative operating time and length of hospital stay were both
shorter in the simultaneous group, by 22.5 minutes (p <
0.001)
and three days (p <
0.001), respectively. The mean reduction
in haemoglobin level post-operatively was greater by 0.15 g/dl in
the simultaneous group (p = 0.023), but this did not translate into
a significant increase in the number of patients requiring blood
transfusion (p = 1.000). The mean hospital cost was lower by $8892
in the simultaneous group (p <
0.001). There was no significant
difference in the rate of complications between the groups, and
at two-year follow-up there was no difference in the outcomes between
the two groups. We conclude that simultaneous bilateral UKR can be recommended
as an appropriate treatment for patients with bilateral medial compartment
osteoarthritis of the knee. Cite this article:
Non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection
of the musculoskeletal tissue is a rare disease. An early and accurate diagnosis
is often difficult because of the indolent clinical course and difficulty
of isolating pathogens. Our goal was to determine the clinical features
of musculoskeletal NTM infection and to present the treatment outcomes.
A total of 29 patients (nine females, 20 males between 34 and 85
years old, mean age 61.7 years; 34 to 85) with NTM infection of the
musculoskeletal system between 1998 to 2011 were identified and
their treatment retrospectively analysed. Microbiological studies
demonstrated NTM in 29 patients: the isolates were Cite this article:
Correct positioning and alignment of components during primary total knee replacement (TKR) is widely accepted to be an important predictor of patient satisfaction and implant durability. This retrospective study reports the effect of the post-operative mechanical axis of the lower limb in the coronal plane on implant survival following primary TKR. A total of 501 TKRs in 396 patients were divided into an aligned group with a neutral mechanical axis (± 3°) and a malaligned group where the mechanical axis deviated from neutral by >
3°. At 15 years’ follow-up, 33 of 458 (7.2%) TKRs were revised for aseptic loosening. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a weak tendency towards improved survival with restoration of a neutral mechanical axis, but this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.47). We found that the relationship between survival of a primary TKR and mechanical axis alignment is weaker than that described in a number of previous reports.
The December 2013 Research Roundup360 looks at: Inflammation implicated in FAI; Ponseti and effective teaching; Unicompartmental knee design and tibial strain; Bisphosphonates and fracture healing; Antibiosis in cement; Zoledronic acid improves primary stability in revision?; Osteoporotic fractures revisited; and electroarthrography for monitoring of cartilage degeneration