Bjørg-Tilde Svanes Fevang

257 ankle arthroplasties performed in Norway between 1994 and 2005

Background and purpose There have been few reports on the long-term outcome of ankle replacements. The Norwegian Arthroplasty Register has been registering ankle replacements since 1994, but no analysis of these data has been published to date. Here we report data on the use of total ankle replacements and the revision rate in the Norwegian population over a 12-year period. Methods We used the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register to find ankle arthroplasties performed between 1994 and 2005. Patient demographics, diagnoses, brands of prosthesis, revisions, and time trends were investigated. Results There were 257 primary ankle replacements, 32 of which were cemented TPR prostheses and 212 of which were cementless STAR prostheses. The overall 5- year and 10-year survival was 89% and 76%, respectively. Prosthesis survival was the same for the cementless STAR prosthesis and the cemented TPR prosthesis. There was no significant influence of age, sex, type of prosthesis, diagnosis, or year of operation on the risk of revision. The incidence of ankle replacements due to osteoarthritis, but not due to inflammatory arthritis, increased over the years. Interpretation The revision rate was acceptable compared to other studies of ankle arthroplasties, but high compared to total knee and hip arthroplasties. The overall incidence of ankle replacements increased during the study period.

Long-term Prognosis After Operation for Adhesive Small Bowel Obstruction

Aim of Study:The objective of this study was to determine the pattern of recurrence after one or more episodes of adhesive small bowel obstruction (ASBO) during a follow-up period of up to 40 years. Furthermore, we wanted to analyze possible factors with an influence on the recurrence rate and to study the magnitude of “everyday” abdominal pain among these patients. Patients and Methods:Hospital records of 500 patients operated on for adhesive obstruction at Haukeland University Hospital from 1961 to 1995 were studied. The patients were followed until death, loss to follow-up, or end of study (February 2002), with a median follow-up of 10 years and a maximum follow-up time of 40 years. A questionnaire was sent to all living patients to obtain information on recurrences and abdominal complaints. Results:The cumulative recurrence rate for patients operated once for ASBO was 18% after 10 years and 29% at 30 years. For patients admitted several times for ASBO, the relative risk of recurrent ASBO increased with increasing number of prior ASBO episodes. The cumulative recurrence rate reached 81% for patients with 4 or more ASBO admissions. Other factors influencing the recurrence rate were the method of treatment of the last previous ASBO episode (conservative versus surgical) and the number of abdominal operations prior to the initial ASBO operation. Compared to results from the general populations, more ASBO patients suffer from abdominal pain at home. Women and patients having matted adhesions have significantly more complaints about abdominal pain than men and patients with band adhesions. Conclusion:The risk of recurrence increased with increasing number of ASBO episodes. Most recurrent ASBO episodes occur within 5 years after the previous one, but a considerable risk is still present 10 to 20 years after an ASBO episode. Surgical treatment decreased the risk of future admissions for ASBO, but the risk of new surgically treated ASBO episodes was the same regardless of the method of treatment. People treated for ASBO seem to be more prone to experiencing abdominal pain than the normal population, especially those having matted adhesions.

Risk of revision for infection in primary total hip and knee arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis compared with osteoarthritis: A prospective, population-based study on 108,786 hip and knee joint arthroplasties from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register

To compare differences in the risk of revision for infection and changes in risk over time and in time from primary surgery to revision for infection after total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) patients.

Results after 562 total elbow replacements: A report from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to give results of elbow arthroplasty for a relatively large population and compare different prosthesis brands and different patient subgroups. METHODS Between 1994 and 2006, 562 total elbow replacement operations were reported to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register. Revisions of prostheses were shown using Kaplan-Meier failure curves, and risk of revision was calculated using Cox regression analysis. RESULTS The overall 5- and 10-year failure rates were 8% and 15%, respectively. There were only minor differences between the different implants. Patients who developed traumatic arthritis after fracture had the worst prognosis compared with inflammatory arthritis (P = .005). Risk of revision was also increased when the ulnar component was inserted without cement (P = .02.) CONCLUSIONS Good results in terms of prosthesis survival were obtained with total elbow arthroplasty, although results were worse than for knee- and hip arthroplasties. The best results were achieved in patients with inflammatory arthritis.

Risk factors for revision after shoulder arthroplasty: 1,825 shoulder arthroplasties from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register

Background and purpose Previous studies on shoulder arthroplasty have usually described small patient populations, and few articles have addressed the survival of shoulder implants. We describe the results of shoulder replacement in the Norwegian population (of 4.7 million) during a 12-year period. Trends in the use of shoulder arthroplasty during the study period were also investigated. Patients and methods 1,531 hemiprostheses (HPs), 69 total shoulder replacements (Neer type TSR), and 225 reversed total shoulder replacement (reversed TSR) operations were reported to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register between 1994 and 2005. Kaplan-Meier failure curves were drawn up for particular subgroups of patients, and revision rates were calculated using Cox regression analysis. Results The 5- and 10-year failure rates of hemiprostheses were 6% (95% CI: 5–7) and 8% (95% CI: 6–10), and for reversed total shoulder replacements they were 10% (95% CI: 5–15) and 22% (95% CI: 10–33), respectively. For hemiprostheses, the risk of revision for patients who were 70 years or older was half that of those who were younger (RR = 0.47, CI: 0.28–0.77), while the risk of revision was highest for patients with sequelae after fracture compared to those with acute fractures (RR = 3.3, CI: 1.5–7.2). No differences in prosthesis survival were found between the different hemiprosthesis brands. The main reasons for revision of hemiprostheses were pain and luxation. For reversed total prostheses, the risk of revision was less for women than for men (RR = 0.26, CI: 0.11–0.63), and the main cause of revision was aseptic loosening of the glenoid component. During the study period, the incidence of shoulder arthroplasty increased for all diagnostic groups except inflammatory arthritis, for which a decrease was seen. Interpretation We found good results in terms of 5-year prosthesis failure rate, with the use of hemiarthroplasty for patients with inflammatory arthritis, osteoarthritis, and acute fractures. Reversed total shoulder replacement was associated with a rather poor prognosis.

Improved results of primary total hip replacement: Results from the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register, 1987–2007

Background and purpose Over the past 20 years, several changes in treatment policy and treatment options have taken place regarding hip replacement. For this reason, we wanted to investigate the results after hip replacement in terms of revision rate, during a 21-year period among hip replacements reported to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register. Methods 110,882 primary total hip replacements were reported to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register from 1987 through 2007. Risk of revision during the time periods 1993–1997, 1998–2002, and 2003–2007 was compared to that of the reference period 1987–1992. Adjusted Cox regression analyses were performed to compare the risk of revision in different time periods and extended analyses were done to investigate revision within the first postoperative year and after the first year. Results There was an overall reduced risk of revision in the time periods 1993–1997, 1998–2002, and 2003–2007 compared to the reference period: RR = 0.81 (95% CI 0.77–0.86), 0.51 (CI 0.47–0.55), and 0.77 (CI 0.68–0.85), respectively. The improved results were due to a marked reduction in aseptic loosening of the femoral and acetabular components in all time periods and in all subgroups of prostheses. A change in the timing of revision took place, with more early revisions and fewer late revisions in the later time periods. Revision due to dislocation and infection increased over time. Interpretation The risk of revision decreased during the study period, due to fewer cases of aseptic loosening of prosthetic components. The best results were obtained with the use of cemented prostheses. Prevention of dislocation and infection should be a major goal in the future, as revision due to these causes increased during the study period.

A review of national shoulder and elbow joint replacement registries.

BACKGROUND The aim was to review the funding, organization, data handling, outcome measurements, and findings from existing national shoulder and elbow joint replacement registries; to consider the possibility of pooling data between registries; and to consider wether a pan european registry might be feasible. MATERIALS AND METHODS Web sites, annual reports, and publications from ongoing national registries were searched using Google, PubMed, and links from other registries. Representatives from each registry were contacted. RESULTS Between 1994 and 2004, 6 shoulder registries and 5 elbow registries were established, and by the end of 2009, the shoulder registries included between 2498 and 7113 replacements and the elbow registries between 267 and 1457 replacements. The registries were initiated by orthopedic societies and funded by the government or by levies on implant manufacturers. In some countries, data reporting and patient consent are required. Completeness is assessed by comparing data with the national health authority. All registries use implant survival as the primary outcome. Some registries use patient-reported outcomes as a secondary outcome. CONCLUSIONS A registry offers many advantages; however, adequate long-term funding and completeness remain a challenge. It is unlikely that large-scale international registries can be implemented, but more countries should be encouraged to establish registries and, by adopting compatible processes, data could be pooled between national registries, adding considerably to their power and usefulness.

Improved survival for anatomic total shoulder prostheses: Results of 4,173 shoulder arthroplasties reported to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register from 1994 through 2012

Background and purpose — Previously, implant survival of total shoulder prostheses was reported to be inferior to that of hemiprostheses. However, the use of total prostheses has increased in Norway due to reported good functional results. On this background, we wanted to study implant survival of 4 major shoulder prosthesis types in Norway between 1994 and 2012. Patients and methods — The study population comprised 4,173 patients with shoulder replacements reported to the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register, including 2,447 hemiprostheses (HPs), 444 anatomic total prostheses (ATPs), 454 resurfacing prostheses (RPs), and 828 reversed total prostheses (RTPs). Three time periods were compared: 1994–1999, 2000–2005, and 2006–2012. Kaplan-Meier failure curves were used to compare implant failure rates for subgroups of patients, and adjusted risks of revision were calculated using Cox regression analysis. Results — For prostheses inserted from 2006 through 2012, the 5-year survival rates were 95% for HPs (as opposed to 94% in 1994–1999), 95% for ATPs (75% in 1994–1999), 87% for RPs (96% in 1994–1999), and 93% for RTPs (91% in 1994–1999). During the study period, the implant survival improved significantly for ATPs (p < 0.001). A tendency of better results with acute fracture and worse results in sequelae after previous fractures was seen in all time periods. Interpretation — The 5-year implant survival rates were good with all prosthesis types, and markedly improved for anatomic total prostheses in the last 2 study periods. The better functional results with total shoulder prostheses than with hemiprostheses support the trend towards increased use of total shoulder prostheses.

Good function after shoulder arthroplasty.

Background and purpose Different results after shoulder arthroplasty have been found for different diagnostic groups. We evaluated function, pain, and quality of life after shoulder arthroplasty in 4 diagnostic groups. Patients and methods Patients with shoulder arthroplasties registered in the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register from 1994 through 2008 were posted a questionnaire in 2010. 1,107 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA), acute fracture (AF), or fracture sequela (FS) returned completed forms (65% response rate). The primary outcome measure was the Oxford shoulder score (OSS), which assesses symptoms and function experienced by the patient on a scale from 0 to 48. A secondary outcome measure was the EQ-5D, which assesses life quality. The patients completed a questionnaire concerning symptoms 1 month before surgery, and another concerning the month before they received the questionnaire. Results Patients with RA and OA had the best results with a mean improvement in OSS of 16 units, as opposed to 11 for FS patients. Both shoulder pain and function had improved substantially. The change in OSS for patients with AF was negative (–11), but similar end results were obtained for AF patients as for RA and OA patients. Quality of life had improved in patients with RA, OA, and FS. Interpretation Good results in terms of pain relief and improved level of function were obtained after shoulder arthroplasty for patients with RA, OA, and—to a lesser degree—FS. A shoulder arthropathy had a major effect on quality of life, and treatment with shoulder replacement substantially improved it.

Increased risk of revision for infection in rheumatoid arthritis patients with total hip replacements

Background and purpose — Medical treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has changed dramatically over the last 15 years, including immune modulation. We investigated the risk of revision for infection after primary total hip replacement (THR) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis over a 16-year period, and compared it with that in THR patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Patients and methods — We identified 13,384 THRs in RA patients and 377,287 THRs in OA patients from 1995 through 2010 in a dataset from the Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association (NARA). Kaplan-Meier survival curves, with revision for infection as the endpoint, were constructed. Cox regression analyses were performed to calculate the relative risk (RR) of revision for infection adjusted for age, sex, fixation technique, and year of primary surgery. Results — RA patients had a 1.3 times (95% CI 1.0–1.6) higher risk of revision for infection. After 2001, this risk increased more for RA patients than for OA patients. During the first 3 months and from 8 years postoperatively, the risk of revision for infection was higher in RA patients with THRs fixated with antibiotic-loaded cement than in corresponding OA patients. Interpretation — We found a slightly higher overall risk of revision for infection in RA patients than in OA patients, but this difference was only present after 2001. In THRs with antibiotic-loaded cement, the risk of very early and late infections leading to revision was higher in RA patients than in OA patients.