Lincoln Paiva Costa

Reducing the length of hospital stay after total knee arthroplasty: influence of femoral and sciatic nerve block

OBJECTIVE the aim of this study is to evaluate the change in length of hospital stay postoperatively for Total Knee Arthroplasty after using femoral and sciatic nerve block. MATERIALS AND METHODS the medical records of 287 patients were evaluated, taking into account the number of hours of admission, the percentage and the reason for re-hospitalization within 30 days, as well as associated complications. All patients were divided into two groups according or not to whether they were admitted to ICU or not. During the years 2009 and 2010, isolated spinal anesthesia was the method used in the procedure. From 2011 on, femoral and sciatic nerve blocking was introduced. RESULTS between the years 2009 and 2012, the average length of stay ranged from 74 hours in 2009 to 75.2 hours in 2010. The average length of stay in 2011 was 56.52 hours and 53.72 hours in 2012, all in the group of patients who did not remain in the ICU postoperatively. In the same period, among those in the group that needed ICU admission, the average length of stay was 138.7 hours in 2009, 90.25 hours in 2010, 79.8 hours in 2011, and 52.91 hours in 2012. During 2009 and 2010, the rate of re-hospitalization was 0%, while in 2011 and 2012, were 3.44% and 1%, respectively. CONCLUSION according to this study, the use of femoral and sciatic nerve blocking after total knee arthroplasty allowed significant reduction in hospital stay.

Femoral roll back in total knee arthroplasty: comparison between prostheses that preserve and sacrifice the posterior cruciate ligament

To compare the rollback of the contact point between the femoral component and the tibial polyethylene as the knee is flexed, in two types of total knee arthroplasty: one that sacrifices and the other that preserves the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Methods: Under fluoroscopy, 36 knees from 32 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were evaluated. Using lateral images, the contact points between the femur and the tibial polyethylene with the knee in complete extension and at 90° of flexion were measured, thereby measuring the percentage rollback of the femur in arthroplasties in which the PCL was sacrificed and in those in which it was preserved. Results: The mean percentage rollback of the femur was 13.24% in the cases in which the PCL was sacrificed and 5.75% in the cases in which it was preserved. The difference between these measurements was statistically significant (p = 0.026615). Conclusion: In total knee arthroplasty, sacrificing the PCL increased the rollback of the contact point between the femur and tibia as the knee was flexed up to 90°.

Atypical femoral fracture due to chronic use of bisphosphonates: case report ☆

The causal relationship between chronic use of bisphosphonates and occurrences of atypical femoral fractures has not yet been established. Nonetheless, it is known that their chronic use is more related to fractures with a pattern differing from that of classical osteoporotic fractures. Atypical fractures are still rare events and the benefit from using bisphosphonates remains greater for prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. There are few studies guiding the diagnosis and management of these fractures, thus making it difficult to achieve better results. In this report, we present the case of an elderly patient with an atypical femoral fracture that was managed in accordance with guidance from the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PATELLAR HEIGHT AND RANGE OF MOTION AFTER TOTAL KNEE ARTHROPLASTY.

To evaluate whether, after total knee arthroplasty, there is any correlation between patellar height and range of motion (ROM) achieved by patients six months after the operation. Methods: Forty-five patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were assessed at least 12 months after the operation (total of 54 knees). The maximum and minimum ROM of all the knees was recorded under fluoroscopy, along with patellar height according to the Blackburne and Peel ratio. Two possible correlations were evaluated: patellar height and ROM; and patellar height and ROM variation from before to after the operation. Results: A correlation was found between patellar height and postoperative ROM (p = 0.04). There was no correlation between patellar height and ROM variation (p = 0.182). Conclusion: After total knee arthroplasty, the lower the patella is, the worse the ROM is.

Relação entre altura da patela e amplitude de movimentos após a artroplastia total do joelho

OBJETIVO: Avaliar se apos a artroplastia total do joelho existe correlacao entre a altura da patela e a amplitude de movimento (ADM) alcancada pelo paciente apos seis meses de pos-operatorio. METODOS: Foram avaliados 45 pacientes submetidos a artroplastia total do joelho, todos com, no minimo, 12 meses de pos-operatorio, totalizando 54 joelhos. Sob fluoroscopia, todos os joelhos tiveram suas amplitudes de movimentos (ADM) maximas e minimas registradas, bem como a altura da patela pelo indice de Blackburne e Peel. Foram avaliadas as duas correlacoes possiveis: relacao entre altura da patela e ADM e altura da patela e a variacao de ADM entre o pre e o pos-operatorio. RESULTADOS: Foi observada correlacao entre altura da patela e ADM no pos-operatorio (p = 0,04). Nao foi observada correlacao entre altura da patela e variacao de ADM (p = 0,182). CONCLUSAO: No pos-operatorio da artroplastia total do joelho, quanto mais baixa a patela, pior a ADM.

Rolamento posterior do fêmur na artroplastia total do joelho: comparação entre as próteses com preservação e com sacrifício do ligamento cruzado posterior

OBJECTIVE: To compare the rollback of the contact point between the femoral component and the tibial polyethylene as the knee is flexed, in two types of total knee arthroplasty: one that sacrifices and the other that preserves the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). METHODS: Under fluoroscopy, 36 knees from 32 patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were evaluated. Using lateral images, the contact points between the femur and the tibial polyethylene with the knee in complete extension and at 90° of flexion were measured, thereby measuring the percentage rollback of the femur in arthroplasties in which the PCL was sacrificed and in those in which it was preserved. RESULTS: The mean percentage rollback of the femur was 13.24% in the cases in which the PCL was sacrificed and 5.75% in the cases in which it was preserved. The difference between these measurements was statistically significant (p = 0.026615). CONCLUSION: In total knee arthroplasty, sacrificing the PCL increased the rollback of the contact point between the femur and tibia as the knee was flexed up to 90°.

Confiabilidade das classificações artroscópicas das lesões condrais do quadril

Objective  To evaluate the inter- and intraobserver reliability of the Outerbridge, Beck, and Haddad classifications for acetabular joint cartilage lesions through the arthroscopic procedure. Methods  A total of 60 hip arthroscopy videos were evaluated twice by 4 surgeons at 2 different times to assess the inter- and intraobserver reproducibility of the classifications, and the data was analyzed by means of the weighted Cohen Kappa index. Results  The mean weighted Kappa values in the interobserver assessment of the Outerbridge, Beck, and Haddad classifications were, respectively, 0.72, 0.78, and 0.68. The three classifications were considered as presenting good interobserver agreement. Regarding the intraobserver assessment of the Outerbridge, Beck, and Haddad classifications, the weighted Kappa values were, respectively, 0.9, 0.9, and 0.93. The three classifications were considered as presenting excellent intraobserver agreement. Conclusion  In the present series, the Outerbridge, Beck, and Haddad classifications presented good interobserver reproducibility and excellent intraobserver reproducibility when evaluating acetabular chondral lesions by the arthroscopic approach.

Clinical outcomes of arthroscopic repair of acetabular labral tears

Purpose To evaluate the primary clinical outcomes of arthroscopic labral repair. Methods All patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of the acetabular labrum performed by a senior surgeon between October 2010 and December 2013 were invited to participate in this prospective study. Patients included were those who had a preoperative diagnosis of labral tears, a lateral centre edge greater than 25° and a labral tear believed to be suturable during the intraoperative evaluation. Patients with Tönnis grade 2 or grade 3 hip osteoarthritis and those who had undergone a previous hip surgery were excluded. All patients were evaluated using the modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS) during the final appointment before surgery, 4 months after surgery and at the final evaluation. Interviews were conducted by the senior surgeon. Results Eighty-four patients (90 hips) underwent arthroscopic repair. The mean age was 44.2 years and the mean follow-up period was 43.0 months (minimum of 25 months and maximum of 59 months). The mean mHHS was 80.4 preoperatively, 95.0 at 4 months postoperatively and 96.6 at final evaluation. A statistically significant difference existed among these scores (p<0.001). Conclusion Arthroscopic labral repair was associated with a clinically significant improvement in mHHS after short-term (4 months) and medium-term (43 months) follow-up. Level of evidence Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Efficacy evaluation of a protocol for safe hip surgery (total hip arthroplasty)

Objective To propose a multidisciplinary protocol to standardize the care of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) and evaluate it effectiveness after implementation. Methods Retrospective evaluation of 95 consecutive patients undergoing THA divided into two groups, one group of 47 patients operated before the protocol implementation and 48 after. Results Assessing the re-admission rate, among 47 patients evaluated prior to implementation of the protocol, seven (14.9%) were re-admitted, and when observing the 48 patients evaluated after implementation, one (2.1%) was re-admitted, showing statistical significance (p < 0.05). The chance of re-admission before the protocol was eight times the chance of hospitalization after implementation (95% CI: 1.01 to 377.7). By comparing the clinical complications among the groups, it was observed that there was a lower rate of complications following implementation of the protocol (p = 0.006). Conclusion The introduction of a multidisciplinary protocol to standardize the management of patients undergoing THA decreased the rates of rehospitalization and clinical complications after the procedure.

Effectiveness of Chitosan Films Impregnated With Ciprofloxacin for the Prophylaxis of Osteomyelitis in Open Fractures: An Experimental Study in Rats

Background The systemic antimicrobial prophylaxis is the standard treatment in the prevention of osteomyelitis after open fractures, with topical application of antimicrobials as an alternative due to their high concentrations at the site of the fracture, low systemic concentrations and fewer side effects. Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of prophylaxis of osteomyelitis through experimental model of open fractures with the use of chitosan films, whether or not impregnated with ciprofloxacin. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, 24 Holtzman rats were distributed into 4 groups of 6 rats each. The CT (control of treatment) group: an open fracture model treated with systemic antimicrobial; the IC (infection control) group: an open fracture untreated model; the C (chitosan) group: an open fracture model treated using a chitosan film; and the CA (chitosan with antimicrobial) group: an open fracture model treated using a chitosan film impregnated with antimicrobial. After 3 weeks the animals were killed by an overdose of anesthetic, and a fragment osseous was removed for histological and microbiological analysis. The comparisons between the groups considered significant values of P ≤ 0.05. Results In cultures of the CT group, there was less bacterial growth compared to the results of the cultures of the IC (P = 0.005), C (P = 0.005) and CA (P = 0.009) groups. The inflammation was lower in the CT group compared to the IC (P = 0.014), C (P = 0.001) and CA (P = 0.007) groups. Conclusions In this experimental model of open fracture, the chitosan film pure or impregnated with ciprofloxacin was not effective in the prophylaxis of osteomyelitis.