Surgical Treatment of Severe Heterotopic Ossification After Total Hip Arthroplasty Over the Last 25 Years: A Systematic Review of the Literature and a New Case Series.

BACKGROUND: Severe heterotopic ossification (HO) (grades III and IV) after total hip arthroplasty (THA) over the last 25 years requiring excision is very uncommon. We performed a systematic review of the literature and reported a new case series with operative treatment after primary uncemented THA. METHODS: A systematic review identified papers describing patients who had excision of HO after THA performed after 1988. Concepts of hip arthroplasty, HO, and surgical excision were searched in MEDLINE, Embase, and Scopus from database inception to November 2022. The inclusion criteria were articles that included specific patient data on the grade of HO, operative procedure, and prophylaxis. Studies were screened for inclusion by 2 independent reviewers. The extracted data included demographic data, the interval from index surgery to excision, clinical results, and complications. There was one surgeon who performed reoperation for ankylosis of primary THA in 3 men who had severe pain and hip deformity. RESULTS: Data from 7 studies were included. There were 41 patients who had grade III or IV HO who had excision, and in 5 patients, revision of a component was also performed. Perioperative prophylaxis was irradiation alone in 10 patients, irradiation and indomethacin in 10 patients, and indomethacin alone in 21 patients. At a mean follow-up time of 14.8 months, the definition of the results was not uniform, and range of motion was improved, but relief of pain was inconsistent. There was one dislocation after resection without revision, one gastrointestinal complication, and 2 recurrences. Treatment of the 3 new patients, with wide excision of periarticular bone, selective exchange of components, and perioperative irradiation prophylaxis, was successful in improving pain, motion, and deformity. CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient good-quality data on the operative treatment of severe symptomatic HO after THA performed over the last 25 years. Prophylaxis with low-dose irradiation prevented a recurrence. Multicenter studies are needed to determine the optimum timing and prognosis for treatment.

Treating Sleep Disorders After Total Hip and Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Disorders of sleep are common after total hip and knee arthroplasty and may contribute to patient dissatisfaction and poorer outcomes in the early postoperative period. Multiple factors contribute to sleep disorders, including poorly controlled pain, opioid medication, perioperative stress, and anxiety. Both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic methods have been used for perioperative sleep disorders, but there is no consensus on the optimal treatment.

Heterotopic Ossification After Modern Total Hip Arthroplasty: Predisposing Factors, Prophylaxis, and Surgical Treatment.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a common radiographic finding and potentially serious complication after modern total hip arthroplasty. Although historically associated with the posterolateral approach, HO has been noted in 10% to 40% of patients having direct anterior or anterior-based muscle sparing approaches. The available data are uncertain whether robotic arm-assisted procedures are associated with this complication. Current prophylaxis for patients considered high risk of this complication includes postoperative, nonsteroidal, anti-inflammatory medication for several weeks or low-dose perioperative irradiation. The surgical treatment of symptomatic HO associated with severely restricted motion or ankylosis of the hip should be individualized but may include wide excision of bone, acetabular revision to prevent instability, and prophylaxis to prevent recurrence.

Tibial Shaft and Pilon Fractures With Associated Syndesmotic Injury: A Matched Cohort Assessment.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the outcomes of pilon and tibial shaft fractures with syndesmotic injuries compared with similar fractures without syndesmotic injury. DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study. SETTING: Level 1 trauma center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: All patients over a 5-year period (2012-2017) with tibial shaft or pilon fractures with a concomitant syndesmotic injury and a control group without a syndesmotic injury matched for age, OTA/AO fracture classification, and Gustilo-Anderson open fracture classification. INTERVENTION: Preoperative or intraoperative diagnosis of syndesmotic injury with reduction and fixation of both fracture and syndesmosis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: Rates of deep infection, nonunion, unplanned reoperation, and amputation in patients with a combined syndesmotic injury and tibial shaft or pilon fracture versus those without a syndesmotic injury. RESULTS: A total of 30 patients, including 15 tibial shaft and 15 pilon fractures, were found to have associated syndesmotic injuries. The matched control group comprised 60 patients. The incidence of syndesmotic injury in all tibial shaft fractures was 2.3% and in all pilon fractures was 3.4%. The syndesmotic injury group had more neurologic injuries (23.3% vs. 8.3% P = 0.02), more vascular injuries not requiring repair (30% vs. 15%, P = 0.13), and a higher rate compartment syndrome (6.7% vs. 0%, P = 0.063). Segmental fibula fracture was significantly more common in patients with a syndesmotic injury (36.7% vs. 13.3%, P = 0.04). Fifty percent of the syndesmotic injury group underwent an unplanned reoperation with significantly more unplanned reoperations (50% vs. 27.5%, P = 0.04). The syndesmotic group had a significantly higher deep infection rate (26.7% vs. 8.3% P = 0.047) and higher rate of amputation (26.7% vs. 3.3% P = 0.002) while the nonunion rate was similar (17.4% vs. 16.7% P = 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: Although syndesmotic injuries with tibial shaft or pilon fractures are rare, they are a marker of a potentially limb-threatening injury. Limbs with this combined injury are at increased risk of deep infection, unplanned reoperation, and amputation. The presence of a segmental fibula fracture should raise clinical suspicion to evaluate for syndesmotic injury. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The Clamshell Osteotomy for Diaphyseal Malunion in Deformity Correction and Fracture Surgery.

Diaphyseal malunion poses a great challenge for the orthopedic surgeon, and an inundation of morbidity for the patient. Diaphyseal malunion can cause altered gait, adjacent joint osteoarthritis and body dissatisfaction. This problem is fraught with complications without surgical intervention. There is a myriad of options for the management of a diaphyseal malunion. The clamshell osteotomy was engendered to ameliorate the difficulty in managing this issue. This technique is a viable option to correct diaphyseal malunion about the femur and tibia. Recently, the indications of a clamshell osteotomy have been expanded to function as a derotational or shortening osteotomy.

Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty Is Not Associated With Increased Revision Rates in Obese Patients.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy among arthroplasty surgeons in regard to performing unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) in obese patients based on current literature. The aim of this study is to investigate whether UKA is associated with increased complications and revision rates in obese (body mass index [BMI] > 30 kg/m2), morbidly obese (BMI > 40 kg/m2), and super morbid obese (BMI > 50 kg/m2) patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all UKAs performed at our institution from January 2008 to December 2017. A total of 2178 UKA procedures were performed during this period. The patients were categorized based on BMI to include normal weight (BMI = 20-30 kg/m2), obese (BMI ≥ 30.1-40 kg/m2), morbidly obese (BMI ≥ 40.1-50 kg/m2), and super morbid obese (BMI ≥ 50.1 kg/m2) groups. Record review was performed to obtain demographic data, need for revision (timing, type, and etiology), and complication rate and cause. RESULTS: The 2178 UKA cases were eligible for inclusion in this investigation. We performed 2028 medial UKAs and 150 lateral UKAs. The mean clinical follow-up period was 3.7 years, and the mean time from index surgery to revision was 7.2 years. Of the 2178 UKA cases, 1167 had a 3-year minimum follow-up. The overall revision rate in all patients was 2.2%. There was no significant difference (P > .05) in revision rates among normal weight (3.0%), obese (2.7%), morbidly obese (1.9%), and super morbid obese patients (1.8%). Most failures in all groups were secondary to progression of osteoarthritis requiring total knee arthroplasty. CONCLUSIONS: Similar rates of revision were found for UKAs performed on obese, morbidly obese, or super morbid obese patients (≤2.0% revision rate) vs normal BMI (2.7% revision rate) patients. Progressive osteoarthritis was the most common mechanism of UKA failure. Obesity is not a contraindication for UKA despite previous recommendations to the contrary.

Management of Pelvic and Acetabular Fractures in the Obese Patient.

Acetabular and pelvic ring injuries in obese patients are difficult to treat. Obese patients require great attention to detail during the trauma evaluation to prevent medical and anesthetic complications in the perioperative period. Radiographic evaluation is often compromised by modalities available and loss of resolution with plain film imaging. Patient positioning must be meticulous to ensure stability on the bed while allowing access to the operative site, preventing pressure necrosis, and minimizing ventilation pressure. Complications after surgical treatment are common and often due to infection and loss of fixation. Careful technique can mitigate but not prevent these complications.