The surgical anatomy of the piriformis tendon, with particular reference to total hip replacement: a cadaver study.

The piriformis muscle is an important landmark in the surgical anatomy of the hip, particularly the posterior approach for total hip replacement (THR). Standard orthopaedic teaching dictates that the tendon must be cut in to allow adequate access to the superior part of the acetabulum and the femoral medullary canal. However, in our experience a routine THR can be performed through a posterior approach without sacrificing this tendon. We dissected the proximal femora of 15 cadavers in order to clarify the morphological anatomy of the piriformis tendon. We confirmed that the tendon attaches on the crest of the greater trochanter, in a position superior to the trochanteric fossa, away from the entry point for broaching the intramedullary canal during THR. The tendon attachment site encompassed the summit and medial aspect of the greater trochanter as well as a variable attachment to the fibrous capsule of the hip joint. In addition we dissected seven cadavers resecting all posterior attachments except the piriformis muscle and tendon in order to study their relations to the hip joint, as the joint was flexed. At flexion of 90° the piriformis muscle lay directly posterior to the hip joint. The piriform fossa is a term used by orthopaedic surgeons to refer the trochanteric fossa and normally has no relation to the attachment site of the piriformis tendon. In hip flexion the piriformis lies directly behind the hip joint and might reasonably be considered to contribute to the stability of the joint. We conclude that the anatomy of the piriformis muscle is often inaccurately described in the current surgical literature and terms are used and interchanged inappropriately.

Effect of hydrogen peroxide on human tendon allograft.

Bacterial contamination of tendon allografts at the completion of processing has historically been about 2 %, with tendons that are found to be culture positive being discarded. Treatment of tendon allograft with hydrogen peroxide at the beginning of tissue processing may reduce bacterial contamination, however, the potential side effects of hydrogen peroxide treatment include hydrolysis of the collagen and this may alter the mechanical properties of the graft. Pairs of human tendons were used. One was washed in 3 % hydrogen peroxide for 5 min and the untreated tendon was used as a control. The ultimate tensile strength of the tendons was determined using a material testing machine. A freeze clamp technique was used to hold the tendons securely at the high loads required to cause tendon failure. There was no statistical difference in the ultimate tensile strength between the treated and untreated tendons. Mean strength ranged from Extensor Hallucis Longus at 588 Newtons to Tibialis Posterior at 2,366 Newtons. Hydrogen peroxide washing may reduce bacterial contamination of tendon allograft and does not affect the strength of the tendon.

Clinical and radiological results of the collarless polished tapered stem at 15 years follow-up.

We prospectively followed 191 consecutive collarless polished tapered (CPT) femoral stems, implanted in 175 patients who had a mean age at operation of 64.5 years (21 to 85). At a mean follow-up of 15.9 years (14 to 17.5), 86 patients (95 hips) were still alive. The fate of all original stems is known. The 16-year survivorship with re-operation for any reason was 80.7% (95% confidence interval 72 to 89.4). There was no loss to follow-up, with clinical data available on all 95 hips and radiological assessment performed on 90 hips (95%). At latest follow-up, the mean Harris hip score was 78 (28 to 100) and the mean Oxford hip score was 36 (15 to 48). Stems subsided within the cement mantle, with a mean subsidence of 2.1 mm (0.4 to 19.2). Among the original cohort, only one stem (0.5%) has been revised due to aseptic loosening. In total seven stems were revised for any cause, of which four revisions were required for infection following revision of the acetabular component. A total of 21 patients (11%) required some sort of revision procedure; all except three of these resulted from failure of the acetabular component. Cemented acetabular components had a significantly lower revision burden (three hips, 2.7%) than Harris Galante uncemented components (17 hips, 21.8%) (p < 0.001). The CPT stem continues to provide excellent radiological and clinical outcomes at 15 years following implantation. Its results are consistent with other polished tapered stem designs.

Removal of the well-fixed hip resurfacing acetabular component: a simple, bone preserving technique.

Removal of the acetabular component of a hip resurfacing prosthesis is occasionally necessary for infection, malposition, metal sensitivity, wear, or as a necessary part of a femoral revision. Extraction of a well-fixed acetabular component can be technically demanding as it is often extremely well integrated into host bone and can result in catastrophic bone loss or fracture. We present an undescribed, simple technique that enables use of the Explant system (Zimmer, Warsaw, Ind) to remove the component with minimal bone loss and reduce fracture risk. Bone stock is therefore preserved for subsequent cup reimplantation.

Case-control comparison of laparoscopic and open washout for peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis.

BACKGROUND: Peritonitis is the major complication of peritoneal dialysis (PD). Some 25-40 per cent of patients require surgical intervention, traditionally laparotomy, washout and removal of the PD catheter. The aim was to compare this open procedure with laparoscopic washout and catheter removal. METHODS: In a case-control comparison, 20 patients who had laparoscopic washout for PD-associated peritonitis were matched by age and causative organism with 20 patients who had open washout. RESULTS: The groups were well matched for age, sex, causative organism, preoperative C-reactive protein level, white cell count and presence of bowel wall sclerosis. Laparoscopic surgery was quicker than open operation (mean(s.d.) 49(13) versus 73(30) min; P = 0.006) and postoperative morphine requirements were significantly lower (median 0 versus 27 mg; P < 0.001). Bowel function recovered more quickly in the laparoscopic group, as measured by time to first passage of flatus (mean(s.d.) 2(1) versus 5(4) days; P = 0.004) and resumption of free fluids (median 2 versus 4 days; P = 0.044). Reoperation rates and 30-day mortality were identical in the two groups. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that laparoscopic washout for PD peritonitis is as effective as open washout, but is quicker and less painful with earlier return of bowel function.

Collarless polished tapered stem: clinical and radiological results at a minimum of ten years' follow-up.

We retrospectively reviewed 175 patients (191 hips) who had undergone primary cemented total hip replacement between November 1992 and November 1995 using a collarless polished double-tapered femoral component after a minimum of ten years (mean 11.08; 10 to 12.8). All stems were implanted using contemporary cementing techniques with a distal cement restrictor, pressurised lavage, retrograde cementing with a gun and proximal pressurisation. Clinical outcome was assessed using the Harris Hip score. Radiological analysis was performed on calibrated plain radiographs taken in two planes. Complete radiological data on 110 patients (120 hips) and clinical follow-up on all the surviving 111 patients (122 hips) was available. The fate of all the hips was known. At final follow-up, the mean Harris Hip score was 86 (47 to 100), and 87 of 116 patients (75%) had good or excellent scores. Survival with revision of the stem for aseptic loosening as the endpoint was 100%; and survival with revision of the stem for any reason was 95.9% (95% confidence interval 87.8 to 96.8) at ten years. All the stems subsided vertically at the stem-cement interface in a predictable pattern, at an overall mean rate of 0.18 mm per year (0.02 to 2.16), but with a mean rate of 0.80 mm (0.02 to 2.5) during the first year. The mean total subsidence was 1.95 mm (0.21 to 24). Only three stems loosened at the cement-bone interface. There was excellent preservation of proximal femoral bone stock. There was a high incidence of Brooker III and IV heterotopic ossification affecting 25 patients (22%). The collarless polished tapered stem has an excellent clinical and radiological outcome at a minimum of ten years' follow-up. The pattern and magnitude of subsidence of the stem within the cement mantle occurred in a predictable pattern, consistent with the design philosophy.

Matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation in sheep: objective assessments including confocal arthroscopy.

The assessment of cartilage repair has largely been limited to macroscopic observation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or destructive biopsy. The aims of this study were to establish an ovine model of articular cartilage injury repair and to examine the efficacy of nondestructive techniques for assessing cartilage regeneration by matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI). The development of nondestructive assessment techniques facilitates the monitoring of repair treatments in both experimental animal models and human clinical subjects. Defects (Ø 6 mm) were created on the trochlea and medial femoral condyle of 21 sheep randomized into untreated controls or one of two treatment arms: MACI or collagen-only membrane. Each group was divided into 8-, 10-, and 12-week time points. Repair outcomes were examined using laser scanning confocal arthroscopy (LSCA), MRI, histology, macroscopic ICRS grading, and biomechanical compression analysis. Interobserver analysis of the randomized blinded scoring of LSCA images validated our scoring protocol. Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated the correlation between LSCA, MRI, and ICRS grading. Testing of overall treatment effect independent of time point revealed significant differences between MACI and control groups for all sites and assessment modalities (Asym Sig < 0.05), except condyle histology. Biomechanical analysis suggests that while MACI tissue may resemble native tissue histologically in the early stages of remodeling, the biomechanical properties remain inferior at least in the short term. This study demonstrates the potential of a multisite sheep model of articular cartilage defect repair and its assessment via nondestructive methods.

Laser scanning confocal arthroscopy of a fresh cadaveric knee joint.

OBJECTIVE: Osteoarthritis (OA) inflicts an enormous burden upon sufferers and healthcare systems worldwide. Continuing efforts to elucidate the aetiology of OA have indicated the need for non-destructive methods of in vivo microstructural assessment of articular cartilage (AC). In this study, we describe the first use of a recently developed laser scanning confocal arthroscope (LSCA) to image the cartilage of a fresh frozen cadaveric knee from a patient with OA. DESIGN: Using an adaptation of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) joint mapping protocol, the joint was divided into three discrete regions (femoral condyle, patella and tibial plateau) for grading according to the ICRS (Outerbridge) system. The LSCA was used to generate images from each area within the three regions. Following imaging, the joint was sectioned and histology was performed on the corresponding sites with histological grading (modified-Mankin). RESULTS: Quantitative results of ICRS, LSCA and histological OA assessment were compared using intraclass correlation (ICC) and Pearson correlation analysis. The LSCA enabled visualisation of chondrocyte morphology and cell density, with classical OA changes such as chondrocyte clustering, surface fibrillation and fissure formation evident. Obvious qualitative similarities between LSCA images and histology were observed, with fair to moderate agreement (P<0.05) demonstrated between modalities. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we have shown the viability of the LSCA for non-destructive imaging of the microstructure of OA knee cartilage. LSCA technology is potentially a valuable research and clinical tool for the non-destructive assessment of AC microstructure in early to late OA.

The aetiology and pathogenesis of chronic allograft nephropathy.

Renal transplantation is the ultimate form of renal replacement therapy, and is the treatment of choice for many patients with end-stage renal failure. The advent of calcineurin inhibitor based immunosuppression resulted in the 1-year renal allograft failure rate dropping from around 50% twenty years ago to less than 10% in more recent times. Despite a massive improvement in renal allograft survival in the first year following transplantation 10-year graft survival can be as low as 50%. Chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) is recognised as the main cause of renal allograft failure following the first year after transplantation. The diagnosis of CAN can only be made histologically. Typically biopsy specimens in grafts with CAN demonstrate an overall fibrotic appearance effecting the vascular endothelium, renal tubules, interstitium, and glomerulus. The risk factors for CAN are divided into alloimmune and alloimmune independent. Alloimmune dependent factors include acute cellular rejection, severity of rejection, subclinical rejection and HLA mismatch. Alloimmune independent factors such as delayed graft function, donor age, Cytomegalovirus infection, donor/recipient co-morbidity and of course calcineurin inhibitor toxicity are important in the development of CAN. The pathogenesis of CAN is complex, multifactorial, and unfortunately incompletely understood. There are a number of pivotal steps in the initiation and propagation of the fibrosis seen in biopsy specimens from kidneys with CAN. Endothelial activation in response to one or more of the aforementioned risk factors stimulates leukocyte activation and recruitment. Recruited leukocytes subsequently infiltrate through the endothelium and induce key effector cells to secrete excessive and abnormal extracellular matrix (ECM). Enhanced deposition of ECM is a histological hallmark of CAN. This paper aims to present a concise yet accurate and up-to-date review of the literature concerning the aetiological factors and pathological processes which are present in the generation of CAN.

The Exeter Universal stem: a minimum ten-year review from an independent centre.

We reviewed 142 consecutive primary total hip replacements implanted into 123 patients between 1988 and 1993 using the Exeter Universal femoral stem. A total of 74 patients (88 hips) had survived for ten years or more and were reviewed at a mean of 12.7 years (10 to 17). There was no loss to follow-up. The rate of revision of the femoral component for aseptic loosening and osteolysis was 1.1% (1 stem), that for revision for any cause was 2.2% (2 stems), and for re-operation for any cause was 21.6% (19 hips). Re-operation was because of failure of the acetabular component in all but two hips. All but one femoral component subsided within the cement mantle to a mean of 1.52 mm (0 to 8.3) at the final follow-up. One further stem had subsided excessively (8 mm) and had lucent lines at the cement-stem and cement-bone interfaces. This was classified as a radiological failure and is awaiting revision. One stem was revised for deep infection and one for excessive peri-articular osteolysis. Defects of the cement mantle (Barrack grade C and D) were found in 28% of stems (25 hips), associated with increased subsidence (p = 0.01), but were not associated with endosteal lysis or failure. Peri-articular osteolysis was significantly related to the degree of polyethylene wear (p < 0.001), which was in turn associated with a younger age (p = 0.01) and male gender (p < 0.001). The use of the Exeter metal-backed acetabular component was a notable failure with 12 of 32 hips (37.5%) revised for loosening. The Harris-Galante components failed with excessive wear, osteolysis and dislocation with 15% revised (5 of 33 hips). Only one of 23 hips with a cemented Elite component (4%) was revised for loosening and osteolysis. Our findings show that the Exeter Universal stem implanted outside the originating centre has excellent medium-term results.

Comparison of techniques of vascular control in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: The leicester experience.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of three different methods to secure the renal vessels during laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN). METHODS: Vessel lengths and intraoperative vascular complications were compared in a prospective series of 106 LDNs in which the vessels had been secured using a stapling device, metal clips, or polymer clips. RESULTS: One hundred six patients underwent LDN (right = 25, left = 81). Renal vein lengths were not significantly different after stapling or using polymer clips (36 +/- 10 vs 37 +/- 9 mm; P = .463). Renal arterial length was shorter after stapling (30 +/- 7 mm) compared with both endoclips (34 +/- 10 mm; P = .030) and polymer clips (34 +/- 8 mm; P = .030). There was one major arterial bleed in the endoclip group, one episode of stapler malfunction, but no adverse events with polymer clips. CONCLUSION: Polymer clips are safe and yield greater vessel lengths during LDN.

Iontophoresed segmental allografts in revision arthroplasty for infection.

Revision arthroplasty after infection can often be complicated by both extensive bone loss and a relatively high rate of re-infection. Using allograft to address the bone loss in such patients is controversial because of the perceived risk of bacterial infection from the use of avascular graft material. We describe 12 two-stage revisions for infection in which segmental allografts were loaded with antibiotics using iontophoresis, a technique using an electrical potential to drive ionised antibiotics into cortical bone. Iontophoresis produced high levels of antibiotic in the allograft, which eluted into the surrounding tissues. We postulate that this offers protection from infection in the high-risk peri-operative period. None of the 12 patients who had two-stage revision with iontophoresed allografts had further infection after a mean period of 47 months (14 to 78).

Iontophoresis of antibiotics into segmental allografts.

Iontophoresis is a novel technique which may be used to facilitate the movement of antibiotics into the substance of bone using an electrical potential applied externally. We have examined the rate of early infection in allografts following application of this technique in clinical practice. A total of 31 patients undergoing revision arthroplasty or surgery for limb salvage received 34 iontophoresed sequential allografts, of which 26 survived for a minimum of two years. The mean serum antibiotic levels after operation were low (gentamicin 0.37 mg/l (0.2 to 0.5); flucloxacillin 1 mg/l (0 to 1) and the levels in the drains were high (gentamicin 40 mg/l (2.5 to 131); flucloxacillin 17 mg/l (1 to 43). There were no early deep infections. Two late infections were presumed to be haemotogenous; 28 of the 34 allografts were retained. In 12 patients with pre-existing proven infection further infection has not occurred at a mean follow-up of 51 months (24 to 82).

In vitro development of resistance to human immunodeficiency virus protease inhibitor GW640385.

Development of in vitro resistance to GW640385, a new human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease inhibitor, was studied. Variants characterized included one with <4-fold resistance and amino acid substitutions Q58E/A71V (protease) and P452K (Gag) and one with >50-fold resistance and amino acid substitutions L10F/G16E/E21K/A28S/M46I/F53L/A71V (protease) and L449F/P453T (Gag). The A28S substitution substantially reduced replication capacity.

An epidemiological study of head injuries in a UK population attending an emergency department.

We aimed to identify the attendance rate for all head injuries, and for moderate to severe head injury (MSHI), in an emergency department (ED), and related risk factors for MSHI, including age, sex, area of residence, and socioeconomic status (SES). This was a retrospective descriptive epidemiological study of an ED database of head injury attendances over 6 years, carried out in an ED that serves both urban and mixed rural and urban areas, with a wide socioeconomic range, and a total population of 344,600. The main outcome measure was rates of attendance for head injury. Head injury presentations accounted for 3.4% of all attendances per year. An overall rate of 453 per 100,000 was found for all head injuries, of which 40 per 100,000 were moderate to severe (10.9%). Urban residents had significantly greater risk of presenting with MSHI compared with residents of mixed/rural areas. Males were more at risk than females, and children and adolescents had higher risk of MSHI. A high attendance rate of MSHI was found in the <5 year old age group in urban areas for both sexes. A gradient, with higher attendance in groups with lower SES, was observed for children in urban areas, while the gradient was reversed in mixed/rural areas. Head injuries are a relatively common cause of attendance at ED. There is significant variation in attendance with MSHI with regard to sex, age, socioeconomic factors, and type of area of residence. The planning and delivery of preventative and management services may be improved by such analyses.

Diagnostic methods applied to analysis of an outbreak of equine influenza in a riding school in which vaccine failure occurred.

An outbreak of equine influenza H3N8 in a riding school is described retrospectively with emphasis on diagnosis and putative vaccine failure. In March 1995 an outbreak of equine influenza occurred among 11 horses in a riding school, where most horses had received basic primary immunizations and several booster vaccinations against influenza. Six of the 11 diseased horses had received their last booster vaccination within 5 months of the outbreak. Nevertheless, the influenza infection spread rapidly and clinical manifestations were prominent with frequent, harsh, dry coughing often accompanied by high fever. Nasal swabs were taken from 11 diseased horses. Influenza A virus of the equine H3N8 (equi-2) subtype was isolated from five nasal swab extracts. Stored nasal swab extracts were also retrospectively investigated in two different enzyme immunoassays designed to detect the type-specific conserved nucleoprotein of influenza A viruses, and in a single-tube reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) using a set of primers based on highly conserved regions of the matrix gene of influenza A viruses. Five nasal swab extracts were found positive in a DAS-ELISA and seven in the Directigen((R)) Flu A (DFA) assay, respectively. Two nasal swab extracts from which virus was isolated did not give a positive result in the DAS-ELISA, and one of these also did not give a positive result in the DFA assay. Nine nasal swab extracts were found positive by RT-PCR. Moreover, all virus isolation and/or ELISA positive nasal swab extracts were confirmed by RT-PCR. Three nasal swab extracts were negative by virus isolation, PCR and ELISA. A significant rise in HI titre against influenza A/eq/Miami/63 (H3N8) virus was detected in seven of the nine paired sera available. In acute phase serum samples from 10 horses, SRH antibody levels varied widely. However, some horses with high, or at least putatively clinically protective SRH antibody levels, showed clinical signs and infection was confirmed. Antigenic analysis of two isolates showed that A/eq/Holland/1/95 (H3N8) and A/eq/Holland/2/95 (H3N8) cluster with the UK isolate Osgodsby/92, the Swedish isolate Borlänge/91 and some other European isolates, with H/2/95 identical in reactivity to Borlänge/91 and H/1/95 more similar in reactivity to Osgodsby/92 than H/2/95. Nucleotide and deduced amino-acid sequences showed large differences of both isolates as compared with Miami/63, Fontainebleau/79 and Kentucky/81, the influenza A H3N8 subtype strains incorporated in the vaccines used in this riding school. The role of antigenic drift in vaccine breakdown is discussed in the light of evidence for vaccine breakdown in the UK in 1989, Sweden in 1991 and in the USA since 1991.

Equine influenza in the United Kingdom in 1998.

In 1998, equine influenza was diagnosed by serology and nucleoprotein enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as the cause of acute respiratory disease in vaccinated and unvaccinated horses in the UK. The signs were generally milder in vaccinated horses and completely susceptible animals showed the most severe signs, including pyrexia, inappetence, coughing, mucopurulent nasal discharge and secondary bacterial pneumonia. In a detailed investigation of an outbreak among 52 vaccinated thoroughbreds in a flat racing yard, more than 60 per cent of the horses seroconverted on the evidence of paired serum samples tested by single radial haemolysis (SRH). Preliminary sequencing and characterisation of an isolate from this outbreak indicated that it was an 'American-like' strain. In addition, in this outbreak there was a larger proportion of horses with preinfection SRH titres greater than 140 mm2 that subsequently seroconverted than in other recent outbreaks from which 'European-like' strains have been isolated. This result suggested that the cross-protectivity between circulating 'American-like' strains and the 'European-like' strains of A/equine-2 viruses present in current vaccines may be decreasing.