Matthew L. Costa

Randomised controlled trials of immediate weight-bearing mobilisation for rupture of the tendo Achillis

We performed two independent, randomised, controlled trials in order to assess the potential benefits of immediate weight-bearing mobilisation after rupture of the tendo Achillis. The first trial, on operatively-treated patients showed an improved functional outcome for patients mobilised fully weight-bearing after surgical repair. Two cases of re-rupture in the treatment group suggested that careful patient selection is required as patients need to follow a structured rehabilitation regimen. The second trial, on conservatively-treated patients, provided no evidence of a functional benefit from immediate weight-bearing mobilisation. However, the practical advantages of immediate weight-bearing did not predispose the patients to a higher complication rate. In particular, there was no evidence of tendon lengthening or a higher re-rupture rate. We would advocate immediate weight-bearing mobilisation for the rehabilitation of all patients with rupture of the tendo Achillis.

The clinical use of platelet-rich plasma in the promotion of bone healing: A systematic review

Platelet-rich plasma has been shown in several in vitro and animal studies to play a role in promoting new bone formation. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify the current relevant evidence base, searching across multiple sources including Medline, Embase and the Cochrane Library, and finding five clinically relevant articles. Only one was a randomised controlled trial, but this was underpowered for the outcome measure defined. Three studies exclusively concerned children, and included those with congenital limb deformities. Two other reports were case series. Early clinical results suggest that the use of platelet-rich plasma is safe and feasible, but that at present there is no clinical evidence of benefit in either acute or delayed fracture healing.

Shock wave therapy for chronic Achilles tendon pain: a randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Shock wave therapy has been used for treatment of several soft tissue disorders that are characterized by chronic pain. We sought to determine if shock wave therapy reduces chronic Achilles tendon pain. Forty-nine patients were enrolled in a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial. Each patient was treated once a month for 3 months. The primary outcome measure was a reduction in Achilles tendon pain during walking. At the end of the trial, we found no difference in pain relief between the shock wave therapy group and the control group. There were two patients (62 years and 65 years) with tendon ruptures in the treatment group, suggesting caution when treating older patients. These results provide no support for the use of shock wave therapy for treatment of patients with chronic Achilles tendon pain. However, the confidence intervals include the potential for a clinically relevant treatment effect. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level I (systematic review of Level I RCTs-and study results were homogenous). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Does teaching style matter? A randomised trial of group discussion versus lectures in orthopaedic undergraduate teaching

Objectives  Educational theory suggests that lectures may not be the best way to impart knowledge to students. The aim of this study was to compare the use of didactic lectures with that of interactive discussion sessions in undergraduate teaching of orthopaedics and trauma.

The Avon patellofemoral joint replacement: Five-year results from an independent centre.

Between May 1998 and May 2007 we carried out 50 Avon patellofemoral joint replacements in 32 patients with isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis. There were no revisions in the first five years, giving a cumulative survival of 100% for those with a minimum follow-up of five years. The mean follow-up was 5.3 years (2.1 to 10.2). The median Oxford knee score was 30.5 (interquartile range 22.25 to 42.25). In patients with bilateral replacements the median Euroqol General health score was 50 which was significantly lower than that of 75 in those with a unilateral replacement (p = 0.047). The main complication was progression of disease, which was identified radiologically in 11 knees (22%). This highlights the need for accurate selection of patients. Our findings suggest that the Avon prosthesis survives well and gives a satisfactory functional outcome in the medium term.

Percutaneous fixation with Kirschner wires versus volar locking plate fixation in adults with dorsally displaced fracture of distal radius: randomised controlled trial

Objectives To compare the clinical effectiveness of Kirschner wire fixation with locking plate fixation for patients with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius. Design A multicentre two arm parallel group assessor blind randomised controlled trial with 1:1 treatment allocation. Setting 18 trauma centres in the United Kingdom. Participants 461 adults with a dorsally displaced fracture of the distal radius within 3 cm of the radiocarpal joint that required surgical fixation. Patients were excluded if the surgeon thought that the surface of the wrist joint was so badly displaced it required open reduction. Interventions Kirschner wire fixation: wires are passed through the skin over the dorsal aspect of the distal radius and into the bone to hold the fracture in the correct anatomical position. Locking plate fixation: a locking plate is applied through an incision over the volar (palm) aspect of the wrist and secured to the bone with fixed angle locking screws. Main outcome measures Primary outcome measure: validated patient rated wrist evaluation (PRWE). This rates wrist function in two (equally weighted) sections concerning the patient’s experience of pain and disability to give a score out of 100. Secondary outcomes: disabilities of arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) score, the EuroQol (EQ-5D), and complications related to the surgery. Results The baseline characteristics of the two groups were well balanced, and over 90% of patients completed follow-up. The wrist function of both groups of patients improved by 12 months. There was no clinically relevant difference in the patient rated wrist score at three, six, or 12 months (difference in favour of the plate group was −1.3, 95% confidence interval −4.5 to 1.8; P=0.40). Nor was there a clinically relevant difference in health related quality of life or the number of complications in each group. Conclusions Contrary to the existing literature, and against the rapidly increasing use of locking plate fixation, this trial found no difference in functional outcome in patients with dorsally displaced fractures of the distal radius treated with Kirschner wires or volar locking plates. Kirschner wire fixation, however, is cheaper and quicker to perform. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISCRTN 31379280. UKCRN 8956.

Insertional Achilles tendinopathy management : a systematic review

Background: Achilles tendinopathy is a common problem and its management remains controversial. However, many clinicians consider that the sub-group of patients with insertional Achilles tendinopathy are even more difficult to manage. The aim of this systematic review was to review evidence for interventions specific to insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Materials & Methods: Medline and the Cochrane library were searched using a pre-defined search strategy. All study designs were included except case studies, narrative reviews, technical notes and letters/personal opinion. The results were evaluated independently by two reviewers and assessed against the inclusion/exclusion criteria. All included articles were assessed for methodological quality and study characteristics were extracted into a table. Results: One hundred eighteen articles were identified through the search strategy, of which 11 met the eligibility criteria. Six studies evaluated operative techniques following failed conservative management and five evaluated conservative interventions only. The overall level of evidence was limited to case series evaluations and one randomized controlled trial. Conclusion: There is a consensus that conservative methods should be used before operative interventions. Current evidence for conservative treatment favors eccentric loading and shock wave therapy, although there is limited evidence by which to judge their effectiveness. Evaluation of operative interventions has been mostly retrospective and remains inconclusive. Level of Evidence: III, Systematic Review of Level III and IV Studies

Outcome assessment after hip fracture: is EQ-5D the answer?

Objectives To study the measurement properties of a joint specific patient reported outcome measure, a measure of capability and a general health-related quality of life (HRQOL) tool in a large cohort of patients with a hip fracture. Methods Responsiveness and associations between the Oxford Hip Score (a hip specific measure: OHS), ICEpop CAPability (a measure of capability in older people: ICECAP-O) and EuroQol EQ-5D (general health-related quality of life measure: EQ-5D) were assessed using data available from two large prospective studies. The three outcome measures were assessed concurrently at a number of fixed follow-up time-points in a consecutive sequence of patients, allowing direct assessment of change from baseline, inter-measure associations and validity using a range of statistical methods. Results ICECAP-O was not responsive to change. EQ-5D was responsive to change from baseline, with an estimated standardised effect size for the two datasets of 0.676 and 0.644 at six weeks and four weeks respectively; this was almost as responsive to change as OHS (1.14 at four weeks). EQ-5D correlated strongly with OHS; Pearson correlation coefficients were 0.74, 0.77 and 0.70 at baseline, four weeks and four months. EQ-5D is a moderately good predictor of death at 12 months following hip fracture. Furthermore, EQ-5D reported by proxies (relatives and carers) behaves similarly to self-reported scores. Conclusions Our findings suggest that a general HRQOL tool such as EQ-5D could be used to measure outcome for patients recovering from hip fracture, including those with cognitive impairment. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2014;3:69–75.

The role of electromagnetic stimulation in the management of established non-union of long bone fractures: what is the evidence?

BACKGROUND Non-union following long bone fractures is a cause of significant morbidity to the patient. The management of this condition has proved difficult for the orthopaedic surgeon. Much research has been carried out on the use of electromagnetic stimulation in the healing of non-union. OBJECTIVES The objective of this review is to determine what evidence exists to support electromagnetic stimulation in the management of established non-union of long bone fractures. METHODS A systematic search was carried out of the peer-reviewed English language literature to identify all studies investigating electromagnetic stimulation in the treatment of non-union of fractures of long bones. RESULTS Three of the articles reviewed were randomised clinical trials. Forty-six other studies were also included in the review. CONCLUSIONS There is a consensus that electromagnetic stimulation is an effective adjunct to conventional therapy when used in the management of non-union of long bone fractures.

A systematic review of patient-reported outcome measures used to assess Achilles tendon rupture management: What's being used and should we be using it?

Background Currently, there is no consensus regarding the optimal management for patients following an Achilles tendon rupture. To allow comparisons between different treatments, a universally accepted outcome measure is required. However, there are currently a range of these reported within the literature. Objective To recommend the most suitable patient-reported outcome measure for the assessment of patients following an Achilles tendon rupture, based on a systematic review of first what is currently used and second evidence of validity. Methods The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and AMED were searched up to September 2010. Predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to identify what outcome measures are reported in the literature. Aspects of validity were defined and a checklist used to determine which aspects have been evaluated. Results Twenty-one outcome measures in 50 research papers were identified. The most commonly used was the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society hind-foot score. Of the 21 outcome measures, only 4 cited independent validation data. Of these four, only the ‘Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score’ reported evidence to support multiple facets of validity, as defined by a predetermined criteria checklist. Conclusions The Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score was identified as the only outcome measure which has demonstrated multiple facets of validity for use in this patient group. However, even this tool has limitations. Researchers should be aware of the limitations of the available outcome measurement tools and check on their validity before use in clinical research.