The clinical and radiological results of 50 consecutive acetabular reconstructions in 48 patients using impaction grafting have been retrospectively reviewed. A 1:1 mixture of frozen, ground irradiated bone graft and Apapore 60, a
Aims. Cementless acetabular components rely on press-fit fixation for initial stability. In certain cases, initial stability is more difficult to obtain (such as during revision). No current study evaluates how a surgeon’s impaction technique (mallet mass, mallet velocity, and number of strikes) may affect component fixation. This study seeks to answer the following research questions: 1) how does impaction technique affect a) bone strain generation and deterioration (and hence implant stability) and b) seating in different density bones?; and 2) can an impaction technique be recommended to minimize risk of implant loosening while ensuring seating of the acetabular component?. Methods. A custom drop tower was used to simulate surgical strikes seating acetabular components into
Objectives. The paradoxical migration of the femoral neck element (FNE) superomedially against gravity, with respect to the intramedullary component of the cephalomedullary device, is a poorly understood phenomenon increasingly seen in the management of pertrochanteric hip fractures with the intramedullary nail. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of bidirectional loading on the medial migration phenomenon, based on unique wear patterns seen on scanning electron microscopy of retrieved implants suggestive of FNE toggling. Methods. A total of 18
Large acetabular bone defects encountered in revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) are challenging to restore. Metal constructs for structural support are combined with bone graft materials for restoration. Autograft is restricted due to limited volume, and allogenic grafts have downsides including cost, availability, and operative processing. Bone graft substitutes (BGS) are an attractive alternative if they can demonstrate positive remodelling. One potential product is a biphasic injectable mixture (Cerament) that combines a fast-resorbing material (calcium sulphate) with the highly osteoconductive material hydroxyapatite. This study reviews the application of this biomaterial in large acetabular defects. We performed a retrospective review at a single institution of patients undergoing revision THA by a single surgeon. We identified 49 consecutive patients with large acetabular defects where the biphasic BGS was applied, with no other products added to the BGS. After placement of metallic acetabular implants, the BGS was injected into the remaining bone defects surrounding the new implants. Patients were followed and monitored for functional outcome scores, implant fixation, radiological graft site remodelling, and revision failures.Aims
Methods
The aim of the study was to investigate whether the primary stability of press-fit acetabular components can be improved by altering the impaction procedure. Three impaction procedures were used to implant acetabular components into human cadaveric acetabula using a powered impaction device. An impaction frequency of 1 Hz until complete component seating served as reference. Overimpaction was simulated by adding ten strokes after complete component seating. High-frequency implantation was performed at 6 Hz. The lever-out moment of the acetabular components was used as measure for primary stability. Permanent bone deformation was assessed by comparison of double micro-CT (µCT) measurements before and after impaction. Acetabular component deformation and impaction forces were recorded, and the extent of bone-implant contact was determined from 3D laser scans.Aims
Methods
Although the Fitmore Hip Stem has been on the market for almost 15 years, it is still not well documented in randomized controlled trials. This study compares the Fitmore stem with the CementLeSs (CLS) in several different clinical and radiological aspects. The hypothesis is that there will be no difference in outcome between stems. In total, 44 patients with bilateral hip osteoarthritis were recruited from the outpatient clinic at a single tertiary orthopaedic centre. The patients were operated with bilateral one-stage total hip arthroplasty. The most painful hip was randomized to either Fitmore or CLS femoral component; the second hip was operated with the femoral component not used on the first side. Patients were evaluated at three and six months and at one, two, and five years postoperatively with patient-reported outcome measures, radiostereometric analysis, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and conventional radiography. A total of 39 patients attended the follow-up visit at two years (primary outcome) and 35 patients at five years. The primary outcome was which hip the patient considered to have the best function at two years.Aims
Methods
This work aimed at answering the following research questions: 1) What is the rate of mechanical complications, nonunion and infection for head/neck femoral fractures, intertrochanteric fractures, and subtrochanteric fractures in the elderly USA population? and 2) Which factors influence adverse outcomes? Proximal femoral fractures occurred between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2019 were identified from the Medicare Physician Service Records Data Base. The Kaplan-Meier method with Fine and Gray sub-distribution adaptation was used to determine rates for nonunion, infection, and mechanical complications. Semiparametric Cox regression model was applied incorporating 23 measures as covariates to identify risk factors.Aims
Methods
Acetabular retroversion is a recognized cause of hip impingement and can be influenced by pelvic tilt (PT), which changes in different functional positions. Positional changes in PT have not previously been studied in patients with acetabular retroversion. Supine and standing anteroposterior (AP) pelvic radiographs were retrospectively analyzed in 69 patients treated for symptomatic acetabular retroversion. Measurements were made for acetabular index (AI), lateral centre-edge angle (LCEA), crossover index, ischial spine sign, and posterior wall sign. The change in the angle of PT was measured both by the sacro-femoral-pubic (SFP) angle and the pubic symphysis to sacroiliac (PS-SI) index.Aims
Methods
This study uses prospective registry data to compare early patient outcomes following arthroscopic repair or debridement of the acetabular labrum. Data on adult patients who underwent arthroscopic labral debridement or repair between 1 January 2012 and 31 July 2019 were extracted from the UK Non-Arthroplasty Hip Registry. Patients who underwent microfracture, osteophyte excision, or a concurrent extra-articular procedure were excluded. The EuroQol five-dimension (EQ-5D) and International Hip Outcome Tool 12 (iHOT-12) questionnaires were collected preoperatively and at six and 12 months post-operatively. Due to concerns over differential questionnaire non-response between the two groups, a combination of random sampling, propensity score matching, and pooled multivariable linear regression models were employed to compare iHOT-12 improvement.Aims
Methods
To develop and externally validate a parsimonious statistical prediction model of 90-day mortality after elective total hip arthroplasty (THA), and to provide a web calculator for clinical usage. We included 53,099 patients with cemented THA due to osteoarthritis from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Registry for model derivation and internal validation, as well as 125,428 patients from England and Wales recorded in the National Joint Register for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man, and the States of Guernsey (NJR) for external model validation. A model was developed using a bootstrap ranking procedure with a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic regression model combined with piecewise linear regression. Discriminative ability was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Calibration belt plots were used to assess model calibration.Aims
Methods
Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been shown to reduce blood loss and transfusion requirements in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. There remains a lack of prospective evidence for the use of TXA in patients undergoing periacetabular osteotomy (PAO). The purpose of this study was to determine if intravenous (IV) TXA is effective in reducing calculated blood loss and transfusions after PAO. This was a single-centre prospective double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial of 81 patients aged 12 to 45 years undergoing elective PAO by a single surgeon. The intervention group (n = 40) received two doses of IV TXA of a maximum 1 g in each dose; the control group (n = 41) received two doses of 50 ml 0.9% saline IV. The primary outcome was perioperative calculated blood loss. Secondary outcomes included allogenic transfusions and six-week postoperative complications.Aims
Methods
Arthroplasty skills need to be acquired safely during training, yet operative experience is increasingly hard to acquire by trainees. Virtual reality (VR) training using headsets and motion-tracked controllers can simulate complex open procedures in a fully immersive operating theatre. The present study aimed to determine if trainees trained using VR perform better than those using conventional preparation for performing total hip arthroplasty (THA). A total of 24 surgical trainees (seven female, 17 male; mean age 29 years (28 to 31)) volunteered to participate in this observer-blinded 1:1 randomized controlled trial. They had no prior experience of anterior approach THA. Of these 24 trainees, 12 completed a six-week VR training programme in a simulation laboratory, while the other 12 received only conventional preparatory materials for learning THA. All trainees then performed a cadaveric THA, assessed independently by two hip surgeons. The primary outcome was technical and non-technical surgical performance measured by a THA-specific procedure-based assessment (PBA). Secondary outcomes were step completion measured by a task-specific checklist, error in acetabular component orientation, and procedure duration.Aims
Patients and Methods
Short, bone-conserving femoral components are increasingly used in total hip arthroplasty (THA). They are expected to allow tissue-conserving implantation and to render future revision surgery more straightforward but the long-term data on such components is limited. One such component is the global tissue-sparing (GTS) stem. Following the model for stepwise introduction of new orthopaedic implants, we evaluated early implant fixation and clinical outcome of this novel short-stem THA and compared it to that of a component with established good long-term clinical outcome. In total, 50 consecutive patients ≤ 70 years old with end-stage symptomatic osteo-arthritis were randomized to receive THA with the GTS stem or the conventional Taperloc stem using the anterior supine intermuscular approach by two experienced hip surgeons in two hospitals in the Netherlands. Primary outcome was implant migration. Patients were followed using routine clinical examination, patient reported outcome using Harris Hip Score (HHS), Hip Disability And Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ5D), and Roentgen Stereophotogrammetric Analysis (RSA) at three, six, 12, and 24 months. This study evaluated the two-year follow-up results.Aims
Methods
Custom flange acetabular components (CFACs) are a patient-specific option for addressing large acetabular defects at revision total hip arthroplasty (THA), but patient and implant characteristics that affect survivorship remain unknown. This study aimed to identify patient and design factors related to survivorship. A retrospective review of 91 patients who underwent revision THA using 96 CFACs was undertaken, comparing features between radiologically failed and successful cases. Patient characteristics (demographic, clinical, and radiological) and implant features (design characteristics and intraoperative features) were collected. There were 74 women and 22 men; their mean age was 62 years (31 to 85). The mean follow-up was 24.9 months (Aims
Patients and Methods
Cementless primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) is associated with risks of bleeding and thromboembolism. Anticoagulants are effective as venous thromboprophylaxis, but with an increased risk of bleeding. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is an efficient antifibrinolytic agent, but the mode and timing of its administration remain controversial. This study aimed to determine whether two intravenous (IV) TXA regimens (a three-hour two-dose (short-TXA) and 11-hour four-dose (long-TXA)) were more effective than placebo in reducing perioperative real blood loss (RBL, between baseline and day 3 postoperatively) in patients undergoing THA who receive rivaroxaban as thromboprophylaxis. The secondary aim was to assess the non-inferiority of the reduction of blood loss of the short protocol A multicentre, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken involving 229 patients undergoing primary cementless THA using a posterior approach, whose extended rivaroxaban thromboprophylaxis started on the day of surgery. There were 98 male and 131 female patients, with a mean age of 65.5 years (32 to 91). The primary outcome, perioperative RBL, was evaluated at 72 hours postoperatively. The efficacy of short- and long-TXA protocols in the reduction of perioperative RBL was compared with a placebo group.Aims
Patients and Methods
Cementless femoral stems must be correctly sized and well-seated to obtain satisfactory biological fixation. The change in sound that occurs during impaction of the femoral broach is said to indicate good fit, but this has not been widely studied. We set out to find whether the presence or absence of these sound changes could predict correct sizing. We recorded the sound generated during femoral broaching for 105 cementless total hip arthroplasties using the Corail stem. Four cases were excluded, leaving 101 recordings for analysis. There were 36 male patients and 65 female patients, with a mean age of 69.9 years (Aims
Patients and Methods
For this retrospective cohort study, patients aged ≤ 30 years
(very young) who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) were compared
with patients aged ≥ 60 years (elderly) to evaluate the rate of
revision arthroplasty, implant survival, the indications for revision,
the complications, and the patient-reported outcomes. We retrospectively reviewed all patients who underwent primary
THA between January 2000 and May 2015 from our institutional database.
A total of 145 very young and 1359 elderly patients were reviewed.
The mean follow-up was 5.3 years (1 to 18). Logistic generalized
estimating equations were used to compare characteristics and the revision
rate. Survival was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier curves and hazard
rates were created using Cox regression.Aims
Patients and Methods
In order to address acetabular defects, porous metal revision acetabular components and augments have been developed, which require fixation to each other. The fixation technique that results in the smallest relative movement between the components, as well as its influence on the primary stability with the host bone, have not previously been determined. A total of 18 composite hemipelvises with a Paprosky IIB defect were implanted using a porous titanium 56 mm multihole acetabular component and 1 cm augment. Each acetabular component and augment was affixed to the bone using two screws, while the method of fixation between the acetabular component and augment varied for the three groups of six hemipelvises: group S, screw fixation only; group SC, screw plus cement fixation; group C, cement fixation only. The implanted hemipelvises were cyclically loaded to three different loading maxima (0.5 kN, 0.9 kN, and 1.8 kN).Objectives
Methods
This study compared the primary stability of two commercially
available acetabular components from the same manufacturer, which
differ only in geometry; a hemispherical and a peripherally enhanced
design (peripheral self-locking (PSL)). The objective was to determine
whether altered geometry resulted in better primary stability. Acetabular components were seated with 0.8 mm to 2 mm interference
fits in reamed polyethylene bone substrate of two different densities
(0.22 g/cm3 and 0.45 g/cm3). The primary stability
of each component design was investigated by measuring the peak
failure load during uniaxial pull-out and tangential lever-out tests.Objective
Methods
A common situation presenting to the orthopaedic
surgeon today is a worn acetabular liner with substantial acetabular
and pelvic osteolysis. The surgeon has many options for dealing
with osteolytic defects. These include allograft, calcium based
substitutes, demineralised bone matrix, or combinations of these
options with or without addition of platelet rich plasma. To date
there are no clinical studies to determine the efficacy of using
bone-stimulating materials in osteolytic defects at the time of
revision surgery and there are surprisingly few studies demonstrating
the clinical efficacy of these treatment options. Even when radiographs
appear to demonstrate incorporation of graft material CT studies
have shown that incorporation is incomplete. The surgeon, in choosing
a graft material for a surgical procedure must take into account
the efficacy, safety, cost and convenience of that material. Cite this article:
Periprosthetic fracture (PF) after primary total hip arthroplasty
(THA) is an uncommon but potentially devastating complication. This
study aims to investigate the influence of cemented stem designs
on the risk of needing a revision for a PF. We analysed data on 257 202 primary THAs with cemented stems
and 390 linked first revisions for PF recorded in the National Joint
Registry (NJR) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland to determine
if a cemented femoral stem brand was associated with the risk of
having revision for a PF after primary THA. All cemented femoral
stem brands with more than 10 000 primary operations recorded in
the NJR were identified. The four most commonly used cemented femoral
stems were the Exeter V40 (n = 146 409), CPT (n = 24 300), C-Stem
(n = 15 113) and Charnley (n = 20 182). We compared the revision risk ratios due to PF amongst the stems
using a Poisson regression model adjusting for patient factors.
Compared with the Exeter V40, the age, gender and ASA grade adjusted
revision rate ratio was 3.89 for the cemented CPT stem (95% confidence
interval (CI) 3.07 to 4.93), 0.89 for the C-Stem (95% CI 0.57 to
1.41) and 0.41 for the Charnley stem (95% CI 0.24 to 0.70).Aims
Patients and Methods
The increasing need for total hip replacement
(THR) in an ageing population will inevitably generate a larger number
of revision procedures. The difficulties encountered in dealing
with the bone deficient acetabulum are amongst the greatest challenges
in hip surgery. The failed acetabular component requires reconstruction
to restore the hip centre and improve joint biomechanics. Impaction
bone grafting is successful in achieving acetabular reconstruction
using both cemented and cementless techniques. Bone graft incorporation
restores bone stock whilst providing good component stability. We
provide a summary of the evidence and current literature regarding impaction
bone grafting using both cemented and cementless techniques in revision
THR. Cite this article:
We have investigated the effect of using tranexamic
acid (TXA) during peri-acetabular osteotomy (PAO) on peri-operative
blood loss and blood transfusion requirements. In addition we analysed
whether the use of TXA was associated with an increased risk of
venous thromboembolism (VTE) following this procedure. A consecutive series of 96 PAOs, performed by a single surgeon,
were reviewed. A total of 48 patients received TXA and 48 did not.
The TXA group received a continuous infusion of TXA at a rate of
10 mg/kg/h. The primary outcome measure was the requirement for
blood transfusion. Secondary outcomes included total blood loss,
the decrease in the level of haemoglobin in the blood, the length
of hospital stay, and the complications of this treatment. The mean rate of transfusion was significantly lower in the TXA
group (62.5% The use of TXA reduced the blood loss and the rate of transfusion
after PAO significantly, without adverse effects such as an increased
rate of VTE. 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
Hip and groin injuries are common in athletes
who take part in high level sports. Adductor muscle tendon injuries represent
a small but important number of these injuries. Avulsion of the
tendons attached to the symphysis pubis has previously been described:
these can be managed both operatively and non-operatively. We describe
an uncommon variant of this injury, namely complete avulsion of
the adductor sleeve complex: this includes adductor longus, pectineus
and rectus abdominis. We go on to describe a surgical technique
which promotes a full return to the pre-injury level of sporting
activity. Over a period of ten years, 15 high-level athletes with an MRI-confirmed
acute adductor complex avulsion injury (six to 34 days old) underwent
surgical repair. The operative procedure consisted of anatomical
re-attachment of the avulsed tissues in each case and mesh reinforcement
of the posterior inguinal wall in seven patients. All underwent a
standardised rehabilitation programme, which was then individualised
to be sport-specific. One patient developed a superficial wound infection, which was
successfully treated with antibiotics. Of the 15 patients, four
complained of transient local numbness which resolved in all cases.
All patients (including seven elite athletes) returned to their
previous level of participation in sport. Cite this article:
Vascular injuries during total hip arthroplasty
(THA) are rare but when they occur, have serious consequences. These have
traditionally been managed with open exploration and repair, but
more recently there has been a trend towards percutaneous endovascular
management. We performed a systematic review of the literature to assess
if this change in trend has led to an improvement in the overall
reported rates of morbidity and mortality during the last 22 years
in comparison with the reviews of the literature published previously. We found a total of 61 articles describing 138 vascular injuries
in 124 patients. Injuries because of a laceration were the most
prevalent (n = 51, 44%) and the most common presenting feature,
when recorded, was bleeding (n = 41, 53.3%). Delay in diagnosis
was associated with the type of vascular lesion (p <
0.001) and
the clinical presentation (p = 0.002). Open exploration and repair was the most common form of management,
however percutaneous endovascular intervention was used in one third
of the injuries and more constantly during the last 13 years. The main overall reported complications included death (n = 9,
7.3%), amputation (n = 2, 1.6%), and persistent ischaemia (n = 9,
7.3%). When compared with previous reviews there was a similar rate
of mortality but lower rates of amputation and permanent disability,
especially in patients managed by endovascular strategies. Cite this article:
The interaction between the lumbosacral spine
and the pelvis is dynamically related to positional change, and
may be complicated by co-existing pathology. This review summarises
the current literature examining the effect of sagittal spinal deformity
on pelvic and acetabular orientation during total hip arthroplasty
(THA) and provides recommendations to aid in placement of the acetabular
component for patients with co-existing spinal pathology or long
spinal fusions. Pre-operatively, patients can be divided into four
categories based on the flexibility and sagittal balance of the
spine. Using this information as a guide, placement of the acetabular
component can be optimal based on the type and significance of co-existing
spinal deformity. Cite this article:
We biomechanically investigated whether the standard dynamic hip screw (DHS) or the DHS blade achieves better fixation in bone with regard to resistance to pushout, pullout and torsional stability. The experiments were undertaken in an artificial bone substrate in the form of polyurethane foam blocks with predefined mechanical properties. Pushout tests were also repeated in cadaveric femoral heads. The results showed that the DHS blade outperformed the DHS with regard to the two most important characteristics of implant fixation, namely resistance to pushout and rotational stability. We concluded that the DHS blade was the superior implant in this study.
It is probable that both genetic and environmental
factors play some part in the aetiology of most cases of degenerative
hip disease. Geneticists have identified some single gene disorders
of the hip, but have had difficulty in identifying the genetics
of many of the common causes of degenerative hip disease. The heterogeneity
of the phenotypes studied is part of the problem. A detailed classification
of phenotypes is proposed. This study is based on careful documentation
of 2003 consecutive total hip replacements performed by a single
surgeon between 1972 and 2000. The concept that developmental problems
may initiate degenerative hip disease is supported. The influences
of gender, age and body mass index are outlined. Biomechanical explanations
for some of the radiological appearances encountered are suggested.
The body weight lever, which is larger than the abductor lever, causes
the abductor power to be more important than body weight. The possibility
that a deficiency in joint lubrication is a cause of degenerative
hip disease is discussed. Identifying the phenotypes may help geneticists
to identify genes responsible for degenerative hip disease, and
eventually lead to a definitive classification.
In revision total hip replacement, bone loss can be managed by impacting porous bone chips. In order to guarantee sufficient mechanical strength, the bone chips have to be compacted. The aim of this study was to determine in an We found that the pneumatic method reached higher values of impaction hardness, contact stiffness and bulk density suggesting an increase in stability of the implant. No significant differences were found between the two different methods concerning the penetration resistance. The pneumatic method might reduce the risk of fracture
We undertook a randomised controlled trial to
compare the piriformis-sparing approach with the standard posterior approach
used for total hip replacement (THR). We recruited 100 patients
awaiting THR and randomly allocated them to either the piriformis-sparing
approach or the standard posterior approach. Pre- and post-operative
care programmes and rehabilitation regimes were identical for both
groups. Observers were blinded to the allocation throughout; patients
were blinded until the two-week assessment. Follow-up was at six
weeks, three months, one year and two years. In all 11 patients
died or were lost to follow-up. There was no significant difference between groups for any of
the functional outcomes. However, for patients in the piriformis-sparing
group there was a trend towards a better six-minute walk test at
two weeks and greater patient satisfaction at six weeks. The acetabular
components were less anteverted (p = 0.005) and had a lower mean
inclination angle (p = 0.02) in the piriformis-sparing group. However,
in both groups the mean component positions were within Lewinnek’s
safe zone. Surgeons perceived the piriformis-sparing approach to
be significantly more difficult than the standard approach (p =
0.03), particularly in obese patients. In conclusion, performing THR through a shorter incision involving
sparing piriformis is more difficult and only provides short-term
benefits compared with the standard posterior approach.
We have investigated the accuracy of placement of the femoral component using imageless navigation in 100 consecutive Birmingham Hip Resurfacings. Pre-operative templating determined the native neck-shaft angle and planned stem-shaft angle of the implant. The latter were verified post-operatively using digital anteroposterior unilateral radiographs of the hip. The mean neck-shaft angle determined before operation was 132.7° (118° to 160°). The mean planned stem-shaft angle was a relative valgus alignment of 9.7° ( Navigation in hip resurfacing may afford the surgeon a reliable and accurate method of placement of the femoral component.
Deficiencies of acetabular bone stock at revision hip replacement were reconstructed with two different types of allograft using impaction bone grafting and a Burch-Schneider reinforcement ring. We compared a standard frozen non-irradiated bone bank allograft (group A) with a freeze-dried irradiated bone allograft, vitalised with autologous marrow (group B). We studied 78 patients (79 hips), of whom 87% (69 hips) had type III acetabular defects according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons classification at a mean of 31.4 months (14 to 51) after surgery. At the latest follow-up, the mean Harris hip score was 69.9 points (13.5 to 97.1) in group A and 71.0 points (11.5 to 96.5) in group B. Each hip showed evidence of trabeculation and incorporation of the allograft with no acetabular loosening. These results suggest that the use of an acetabular reinforcement ring and a living composite of sterile allograft and autologous marrow appears to be a method of reconstructing acetabular deficiencies which gives comparable results to current forms of treatment.
Little is known about the efficacy of graduated compression stockings in preventing venous thromboembolism after hip surgery. We conducted a prospective, randomised single-blind study to determine whether the addition of compression stockings to fondaparinux conferred any additional benefit. The study included 874 patients, of whom 795 could be evaluated (400 in the fondaparinux group and 395 in the fondaparinux plus compression stocking group). Fondaparinux was given post-operatively for five to nine days, either alone or combined with wearing stockings, which were worn for a mean 42 days (35 to 49). The study outcomes were venous thromboembolism, or sudden death before day 42. Duplex ultrasonography was scheduled within a week of day 42. Safety outcomes were bleeding and death from venous thromboembolism. The prevalence of deep-vein thrombosis was similar in the two groups 5.5% (22 of 400) in the fondaparinux group and 4.8 (19 of 395) in the fondaparinux plus stocking group (odds ratio 0.88, 95% confidence interval 0.46 to 1.65, p = 0.69). Major bleeding occurred in only one patient. The addition of graduated compression stockings to fondaparinux appears to offer no additional benefit over the use of fondaparinux alone.
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.
