We examined the roles of methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer and cementing technique in the formation, and haemodynamic outcome, of pulmonary fat emboli. The preparation of the femoral canal and the cementing technique were studied in four groups of adult dogs as follows: control (no preparation); lavage; cement pressurisation; and cement pressurisation after lavage. We measured the intramedullary pressure, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and bilateral femoral vein levels of triglyceride, cholesterol and MMA monomer at rest and after reaming, lavage, and cementing. Femoral vein triglyceride and cholesterol levels did not vary significantly from resting levels despite significant elevations in intramedullary pressure with reaming, lavage and cementing (p = 0.001). PAP was seen to rise significantly with reaming (p = 0.0038), lavage (p = 0.0031), cementing (p = 0.0024) and cementing after lavage (p = 0.0028) while the pulmonary capillary wedge pressure remained unchanged. MMA monomer was detected in femoral vein samples when cement pressurisation was used. Intramedullary lavage before cementing had no significant effect on the MMA
Intra-articular injections of local anaesthetics (LA), glucocorticoids (GC), or hyaluronic acid (HA) are used to treat osteoarthritis (OA). Contrast agents (CA) are needed to prove successful intra-articular injection or aspiration, or to visualize articular structures dynamically during fluoroscopy. Tranexamic acid (TA) is used to control haemostasis and prevent excessive intra-articular bleeding. Despite their common usage, little is known about the cytotoxicity of common drugs injected into joints. Thus, the aim of our study was to investigate the effects of LA, GC, HA, CA, and TA on the viability of primary human chondrocytes and tenocytes Human chondrocytes and tenocytes were cultured in a medium with three different drug dilutions (1:2; 1:10; 1:100). The following drugs were used to investigate cytotoxicity: lidocaine hydrochloride 1%; bupivacaine 0.5%; triamcinolone acetonide; dexamethasone 21-palmitate; TA; iodine contrast media; HA; and distilled water. Normal saline served as a control. After an incubation period of 24 hours, cell numbers and morphology were assessed.Objectives
Methods
Degenerative disc disease (DDD) and osteoarthritis (OA) are relatively frequent causes of disability amongst the elderly; they constitute serious socioeconomic costs and significantly impair quality of life. Previous studies to date have found that aggrecan variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) contributes both to DDD and OA. However, current data are not consistent across studies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate systematically the relationship between aggrecan VNTR, and DDD and/or OA. This study used a highly sensitive search strategy to identify all published studies related to the relationship between aggrecan VNTR and both DDD and OA in multiple databases from January 1996 to December 2016. All identified studies were systematically evaluated using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Cochrane methodology was also applied to the results of this study.Objectives
Methods
The patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE) and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire are patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) used for clinical and research purposes. Methodological high-quality clinimetric studies that determine the measurement properties of these PROMs when used in patients with a distal radial fracture are lacking. This study aimed to validate the PRWE and DASH in Dutch patients with a displaced distal radial fracture (DRF). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used for test-retest reliability, between PROMs completed twice with a two-week interval at six to eight months after DRF. Internal consistency was determined using Cronbach’s α for the dimensions found in the factor analysis. The measurement error was expressed by the smallest detectable change (SDC). A semi-structured interview was conducted between eight and 12 weeks after DRF to assess the content validity.Objectives
Methods
The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on measurement of muscle strength in patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and other pathologies and to suggest guidelines to standardise protocols for future research in the field. The Cochrane and PubMed libraries were searched for any publications using the terms ‘hip’, ‘muscle’, ‘strength’, and ‘measurement’ in the ‘Title, Abstract, Keywords’ field. A further search was performed using the terms ‘femoroacetabular’ or ‘impingement’. The search was limited to recent literature only.Objectives
Methods
Evidence -based medicine (EBM) is designed to inform clinical decision-making within all medical specialties, including orthopaedic surgery. We recently published a pilot survey of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA) membership and demonstrated that the adoption of EBM principles is variable among Canadian orthopaedic surgeons. The objective of this study was to conduct a broader international survey of orthopaedic surgeons to identify characteristics of research studies perceived as being most influential in informing clinical decision-making. A 29-question electronic survey was distributed to the readership of an established orthopaedic journal with international readership. The survey aimed to analyse the influence of both extrinsic (journal quality, investigator profiles, etc.) and intrinsic characteristics (study design, sample size, etc.) of research studies in relation to their influence on practice patterns.Objectives
Materials and Methods
Despite the fact that research fraud and misconduct are under scrutiny in the field of orthopaedic research, little systematic work has been done to uncover and characterise the underlying reasons for academic retractions in this field. The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of retractions and identify the reasons for retracted publications in the orthopaedic literature. Two reviewers independently searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (1995 to current) using MeSH keyword headings and the ‘retracted’ filter. We also searched an independent website that reports and archives retracted scientific publications (Objectives
Methods
The peer review process for the evaluation of
manuscripts for publication needs to be better understood by the
orthopaedic community. Improving the degree of transparency surrounding
the review process and educating orthopaedic surgeons on how to
improve their manuscripts for submission will help improve both
the review procedure and resultant feedback, with an increase in
the quality of the subsequent publications. This article seeks to clarify
the peer review process and suggest simple ways in which the quality
of submissions can be improved to maximise publication success. Cite this article:
