Trends and benefits of early hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture in China: a national cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Limited studies have examined the benefits of early arthroplasty within 48 h from admission to surgery for femoral neck fractures (FNFs). Using the national inpatient database, the authors aimed to investigate the trends in early arthroplasty within 48 h for FNFs in China and to assess its effect on in-hospital complications and 30-day readmission patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. Patients receiving primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) or hemiarthroplasty (HA) for FNFs in the Hospital Quality Monitoring System between 2013 and 2019 were included. After adjusting for potential confounders with propensity score matching, a logistic regression model was performed to compare the differences in in-hospital complications [i.e. in-hospital death, pulmonary embolism, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), wound infection, and blood transfusion], rates and causes of 30-day readmission between early and delayed arthroplasty. RESULTS: During the study period, the rate of early THA increased from 18.0 to 19.9%, and the rate of early HA increased from 14.7 to 18.4% ( P <0.001). After matching, 11 731 pairs receiving THA and 13 568 pairs receiving HA were included. Compared with delayed THA, early THA was associated with a lower risk of pulmonary embolism [odds ratio (OR) 0.51, 95% CI: 0.30-0.88], DVT (OR 0.59, 95% CI: 0.50-0.70), blood transfusion (OR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.55-0.70), 30-day readmission (OR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.70-0.95), and venous thromboembolism-related readmission (OR 0.50, 95% CI: 0.34-0.74). Similarly, early HA was associated with a lower risk of DVT (OR 0.70, 95% CI: 0.61-0.80) and blood transfusion (OR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.68-0.81) than delayed HA. CONCLUSION: Despite a slight increase, the rate of early arthroplasty remained at a low level in China. Given that early arthroplasty can significantly improve prognosis, more efforts are needed to optimize the procedure and shorten the time to surgery.

Melatonin is a potential novel analgesic agent for osteoarthritis: Evidence from cohort studies in humans and preclinical research in rats.

Melatonin exhibits potential for pain relief and long-term safety profile. We examined the analgesic effects of oral melatonin on osteoarthritis (OA) and investigated the underlying mechanism. Using data from a UK primary care database, we conducted a cohort study in individuals with OA to compare the number of oral analgesic prescriptions and the risk of knee/hip replacement between melatonin initiators and hypnotic benzodiazepines (i.e., active comparator) initiators using quantile regression models and Cox-proportional hazard models, respectively. To elucidate causation, we examined the effects of melatonin on pain behaviors and explored several metabolites that may serve as potential regulatory agents of melatonin in the monoiodoacetate rat model of OA. Using data from another community-based cohort study, that is, the Xiangya OA Study, we verified the association between the key serum metabolite and incident symptomatic knee OA. Compared with the hypnotic benzodiazepines cohort (n = 8135), the melatonin cohort (n = 813) had significantly fewer subsequent prescriptions of oral analgesics (50th percentile: 5 vs. 7, 75th percentile: 19 vs. 29, and 99th percentile: 140 vs. 162) and experienced a lower risk of knee/hip replacement (hazard ratio = 0.47, 95% Cl: 0.30-0.73) during the follow-up period. In rats, oral melatonin alleviated pain behaviors and increased serum levels of glycine. There was an inverse association between baseline serum glycine levels and the risk of incident symptomatic knee OA in humans (n = 760). In conclusion, our findings indicate that oral melatonin shows significant potential to be a novel treatment for OA pain. The potential role of glycine in its analgesic mechanism warrants further investigation.

Phenotypes of osteoarthritis-related knee pain and their transition over time: data from the osteoarthritis initiative.

BACKGROUND: Identification of knee osteoarthritis (OA) pain phenotypes, their transition patterns, and risk factors for worse phenotypes, may guide prognosis and targeted treatment; however, few studies have described them. We aimed to investigate different pain phenotypes, their transition patterns, and potential risk factors for worse pain phenotypes. METHODS: Utilizing data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI), pain severity was assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale. We identified the activity-related pain phenotypes and estimated the transition probabilities of pain phenotypes from baseline to the 24-month using latent transition analysis. We examined the risk factors at baseline with the 24-month pain phenotypes and the transition of pain phenotypes. RESULTS: In 4796 participants, we identified four distinct knee pain phenotypes at both baseline and 24-month follow-up: no pain, mild pain during activity (Mild P-A), mild pain during both rest and activity (Mild P-R-A), and moderate pain during both rest and activity (Mod P-R-A). 82.9% knees with no pain at baseline stayed the same at 24-month follow-up, 17.1% progressed to worse pain phenotypes. Among "Mild P-A" at baseline, 32.0% converted to no-pain, 12.8% progressed to "Mild P-R-A", and 53.2% remained. Approximately 46.1% of "Mild P-R-A" and 54.5% of "Mod P-R-A" at baseline experienced remission by 24-month. Female, non-whites, participants with higher depression score, higher body mass index (BMI), higher Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) grade, and knee injury history were more likely to be in the worse pain phenotypes, while participants aged 65 years or older and with higher education were less likely to be in worse pain phenotypes at 24-month follow-up visit. Risk factors for greater transition probability to worse pain phenotypes at 24-month included being female, non-whites, participants with higher depression score, higher BMI, and higher KL grade. CONCLUSIONS: We identified four distinct knee pain phenotypes. While the pain phenotypes remained stable in the majority of knees over 24 months period, substantial proportion of knees switched to different pain phenotypes. Several socio-demographics as well as radiographic lesions at baseline are associated with worse pain phenotypes at 24-month follow-up visit and transition of pain phenotypes.

Trends, complications, and readmission of allogeneic red blood cell transfusion in primary total hip arthroplasty in china: a national retrospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Decrease in allogenic red blood cell (RBC) transfusion rates following total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been reported in the United States, but whether other countries share the same trend remains unclear. Additionally, the relation of allogenic RBC transfusion to the risk of complications in THA remains controversial. Using the Chinese national inpatient database, the current study aimed to examine trends, complications, charges, and readmission patterns of allogeneic RBC transfusion in THA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing primary THA between 2013 and 2019 were included, and then stratified into the transfusion and the non-transfusion group based on the database transfusion records. A generalized estimating equation model was used to investigate trends in transfusion rates. After propensity-score matching, a logistic regression model was used to compare the complications, rates and causes of 30-day readmission between two groups. RESULTS: A total of 10,270 patients with transfusion and 123,476 patients without transfusion were included. Transfusion rates decreased from 19.11% in 2013 to 9.94% in 2019 (P for trend < 0.001). After matching, no significant differences in the risk of of in-hospital death (odds ratio [OR], 4.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.85-18.83), wound infection (OR 0.72; 95%CI 0.45-1.17), myocardial infarction (OR 1.17; 95%CI 0.62-2.19), deep vein thrombosis (OR 1.25; 95%CI 0.88-1.78), pulmonary embolism (OR 2.25; 95%CI 0.98-5.17), readmission rates (OR 1.07; 95%CI 0.88-1.30) and readmission causes were observed between two groups. However, the transfusion group had higher hospitalization charges than the non-transfusion group (72,239.89 vs 65,649.57 Chinese yuan [CNY], P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study found that allogeneic RBC transfusion in THA was not associated with the increased risk of complications and any-cause readmission. However, the currently restrictive transfusion policy should be continued because excessive blood transfusion may increase the socioeconomic burden.

In-hospital complications and readmission patterns in 13,937 patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip undergoing total hip arthroplasty: Evidence from the Chinese national database.

PURPOSE: Clarifying the prognosis and readmission patterns of patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) following total hip arthroplasty (THA) would provide important references for clinical management for this population. Using the Chinese national inpatient database (i.e., Hospital Quality Monitoring System [HQMS]), we aimed to compare in-hospital complications and readmission patterns following THA in patients with DDH and primary osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Patients undergoing THA for DDH and OA between 2013 and 2019 were identified using the HQMS. Demographics and clinical characteristics were compared between the two groups. After propensity score matching, in-hospital complications and readmission patterns were compared using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: According to the analysis of 13,937 propensity-score matched pairs, there were no significant differences in the incidence of in-hospital death (0.01 % vs 0.04 %, P = 0.142), transfusion (8.09 % vs 7.89 %, P = 0.536), wound infection (0.31 % vs 0.25 %, P = 0.364), deep venous thrombosis (0.45 % vs 0.43 %, P = 0.786), pulmonary embolism (0.03 % vs 0.05 %, P = 0.372) or all-cause readmission (2.87 % vs 3.12 %, P = 0.219) between two groups. However, DDH patients had higher surgical readmission rates than OA patients (1.43 % vs 1.14 %, P = 0.033). When analyzing causes of surgical readmission, DDH patients had increased risk of dislocation (0.37 % vs 0.21 %, P = 0.011) and aseptic loosening (0.17 % vs 0.07 %, P = 0.024) than OA patients. CONCLUSION: DDH patients had an increased risk of surgical readmission following THA, mainly driven by dislocation and aseptic loosening, which should be recognized and appropriately prevented.

Assessment of ultrashort echo time (UTE) T2* mapping at 3T for the whole knee: repeatability, the effects of fat suppression, and knee position.

Background: Knee tissues such as tendon, ligament and meniscus have short T2* relaxation times and tend to show little to no signal in conventional magnetic resonance acquisitions. An ultrashort echo time (UTE) technique offers a unique tool to probe fast-decaying signals in these tissues. Clinically relevant factors should be evaluated to quantify the sensitivity needed to distinguish diseased from control tissues. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (I) quantify the repeatability of UTE-T2* relaxation time values, and (II) evaluate the effects of fat suppression and (III) knee positioning on UTE-T2* relaxation time quantification. Methods: A dual-echo, three-dimensional center-out radially sampling UTE and conventional gradient echo sequences were utilized to image gadolinium phantoms, one ex-vivo specimen, and five in-vivo subjects on a clinical 3T scanner. Scan-rescan images from the phantom and in-vivo experiments were used to evaluate the repeatability of T2* relaxation time values. Fat suppressed and non-suppressed images were acquired for phantoms and the ex-vivo specimen to evaluate the effect of fat suppression on T2* relaxation time quantifications. The effect of knee positioning was evaluated by imaging in-vivo subjects in extended and flexed positions within the knee coil and comparing T2* relaxation times quantified from tissues in each position. Results: Phantom and in-vivo measurements demonstrated repeatable T2* mapping, where the percent difference between T2* relaxation time quantified from scan-rescan images was less than 8% for the phantom and knee tissues. The coefficient of variation across fat suppressed and non-suppressed images was less than 5% for the phantoms and ex-vivo knee tissues, showing that fat suppression had a minimal effect on T2* relaxation time quantification. Knee position introduced variability to T2* quantification of the anterior cruciate ligament, posterior cruciate ligament, and patellar tendon, with percent differences exceeding 20%, but the meniscus showed a percent difference less than 10%. Conclusions: The 3D radial UTE sequence presented in this study could potentially be used to detect clinically relevant changes in mean T2* relaxation time, however, reproducibility of these values is impacted by knee position consistency between scans.

Rural-urban differences in characteristics, postoperative outcomes, and costs for patients undergoing knee arthroplasty: a national retrospective propensity score matched cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The rural-urban disparities in postoperative complications and costs among patients undergoing knee arthroplasty (KA) have not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to determine whether such differences exist in this patient population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted using data from the national Hospital Quality Monitoring System of China. Hospitalized patients undergoing KA from 2013 to 2019 were enrolled. Patient and hospital characteristics were compared between rural and urban patients, and differences in postoperative complications, readmissions, and hospitalization costs were analyzed using propensity score matching. RESULTS: Of the 146 877 KA cases analyzed, 71.4% (104 920) were urban patients and 28.6% (41 957) were rural patients. Rural patients tended to be younger (64.4±7.7 years vs. 68.0±8.0 years; P <0.001) and had fewer comorbidities. In the matched cohort of 36 482 participants per group, rural patients were found to be more likely to experience deep vein thrombosis (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.17-1.46; P <0.001) and require red blood cell (RBC) transfusion (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.31-1.46; P <0.001). However, they had a lower incidence of readmission within 30 days (OR: 0.65, 95% CI: 0.59-0.72; P <0.001) and readmission within 90 days (OR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.57-0.66; P <0.001) than their urban counterparts. In addition, rural patients incurred lower hospitalization costs than urban patients (57 396.2 Chinese Yuan vs. 60 844.3 Chinese Yuan; P <0.001). CONCLUSION: Rural KA patients had different clinical characteristics compared with urban patients. While they had a higher likelihood of deep vein thrombosis and RBC transfusion following KA than urban patients, they had fewer readmissions and lower hospitalization costs. Targeted clinical management strategies are needed for rural patients.

Length of stay and inpatient charges of total knee arthroplasty in China: analysis of a national database.

BACKGROUND: There are limited data on the resource utilization of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in China. This study aimed to examine the length of stay (LOS) and inpatient charges of TKA in China, and to investigate their determinants. METHODS: We included patients undergoing primary TKA in the Hospital Quality Monitoring System in China between 2013 and 2019. LOS and inpatient charges were obtained, and their associated factors were further assessed using multivariable linear regression. RESULTS: A total of 184,363 TKAs were included. The LOS decreased from 10.8 days in 2013 to 9.3 days in 2019. The admission-to-surgery interval decreased from 4.6 to 4.2 days. The mean inpatient charges were 61,208.3 Chinese Yuan. Inpatient charges reached a peak in 2016, after which a gradual decrease was observed. Implant and material charges accounted for a dominating percentage, but they exhibited a downward trend, whereas labor-related charges gradually increased. Single marital status, non-osteoarthritis indication, and comorbidity were associated with longer LOS and higher inpatient charges. Female sex and younger age were associated with higher inpatient charges. There were apparent varieties of LOS and inpatient charges among provincial or non-provincial hospitals, hospitals with various TKA volume, or in different geographic regions. CONCLUSIONS: The LOS following TKA in China appeared to be long, but it was shortened during the time period of 2013 to 2019. The inpatient charges dominated by implant and material charges exhibited a downward trend. However, there were apparent sociodemographic and hospital-related discrepancies of resource utilization. The observed statistics can lead to more efficient resource utilization of TKA in China.

Risk of COVID-19 among unvaccinated and vaccinated patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: a general population study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its related severe sequelae between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and the general population according to COVID-19 vaccination status. METHODS: We performed cohort studies using data from The Health Improvement Network to compare the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe sequelae between patients with SLE and the general population. Individuals aged 18-90 years with no previously documented SARS-CoV-2 infection were included. We estimated the incidence rates and HRs of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe sequelae between patients with SLE and the general population according to COVID-19 vaccination status using exposure score overlap weighted Cox proportional hazards model. RESULTS: We identified 3245 patients with SLE and 1 755 034 non-SLE individuals from the unvaccinated cohort. The rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 hospitalisation, COVID-19 death and combined severe outcomes per 1000 person-months were 10.95, 3.21, 1.16 and 3.86 among patients with SLE, and 8.50, 1.77, 0.53 and 2.18 among general population, respectively. The corresponding adjusted HRs were 1.28 (95% CI: 1.03 to 1.59), 1.82 (95% CI: 1.21 to 2.74), 2.16 (95% CI: 1.00 to 4.79) and 1.78 (95% CI: 1.21 to 2.61). However, no statistically significant differences were observed between vaccinated patients with SLE and vaccinated general population over 9 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: While unvaccinated patients with SLE were at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and its severe sequelae than the general population, no such difference was observed among vaccinated population. The findings indicate that COVID-19 vaccination provides an adequate protection to most patients with SLE from COVID-19 breakthrough infection and its severe sequelae.

Clinical outcomes in dynamic intraligamentary stabilization technique for anterior cruciate ligament tear: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: To compare the clinical outcome between dynamic intraligamentary stabilization (DIS) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in ACL tears. METHODS: PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase databases were searched to identify published articles on clinical studies comparing DIS versus ACL reconstruction. The results of the eligible studies were analyzed in terms of anteroposterior knee laxity translation (ΔATT) between the injured and contralateral knees, and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm score, Tegner score, and ipsilateral ACL failure, implant removal, and ACL revision. RESULTS: Five clinical studies including 429 patients with ACL tears met the inclusion criteria. DIS showed statistically comparable outcomes of ΔATT (P = .12), IKDC (P = .38), Tegner (P = .82), ACL failure (P = .50), ACL revision (P = .29) with ACL reconstruction. A significantly higher rate of implant removal (odds ratio for DIS vs ACL reconstruction, 7.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.72-22.00; P = .0001) but statistically higher Lysholm score (mean difference between DIS and ACL reconstruction, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.24-2.93; P = .02) were found in DIS group. CONCLUSION: Five clinical studies including 429 patients with ACL tears met the inclusion criteria. DIS showed statistically comparable outcomes of ΔATT (P = .12), IKDC (P = .38), Tegner (P = .82), ACL failure (P = .50), ACL revision (P = .29) with ACL reconstruction. A significantly higher rate of implant removal (odds ratio for DIS vs ACL reconstruction, 7.73; 95% CI, 2.72-22.00; P = .0001) but statistically higher Lysholm score (mean difference between DIS and ACL reconstruction, 1.59; 95% CI, 0.24-2.93; P = .02) were found in DIS group.

Deep learning-based automatic pipeline for quantitative assessment of thigh muscle morphology and fatty infiltration.

PURPOSE: Fast and accurate thigh muscle segmentation from MRI is important for quantitative assessment of thigh muscle morphology and composition. A novel deep learning (DL) based thigh muscle and surrounding tissues segmentation model was developed for fully automatic and reproducible cross-sectional area (CSA) and fat fraction (FF) quantification and tested in patients at 10 years after anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions. METHODS: A DL model combining UNet and DenseNet was trained and tested using manually segmented thighs from 16 patients (32 legs). Segmentation accuracy was evaluated using Dice similarity coefficients (DSC) and average symmetric surface distance (ASSD). A UNet model was trained for comparison. These segmentations were used to obtain CSA and FF quantification. Reproducibility of CSA and FF quantification was tested with scan and rescan of six healthy subjects. RESULTS: The proposed UNet and DenseNet had high agreement with manual segmentation (DSC >0.97, ASSD < 0.24) and improved performance compared with UNet. For hamstrings of the operated knee, the automated pipeline had largest absolute difference of 6.01% for CSA and 0.47% for FF as compared to manual segmentation. In reproducibility analysis, the average difference (absolute) in CSA quantification between scan and rescan was better for the automatic method as compared with manual segmentation (2.27% vs. 3.34%), whereas the average difference (absolute) in FF quantification were similar. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method exhibits excellent accuracy and reproducibility in CSA and FF quantification compared with manual segmentation and can be used in large-scale patient studies.

Burden and Characteristics of Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty in China: A National Study Based on Hospitalized Cases.

BACKGROUND: National epidemiological data in China are absent for revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This study aimed to investigate the burden and characteristics of revision TKA in China. METHODS: We reviewed 4,503 revision TKA cases registered in the Hospital Quality Monitoring System in China between 2013 and 2018 using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes. Revision burden was determined by the ratio of the number of revision procedures to the total number of TKA procedures. Demographic characteristics, hospital characteristics, and hospitalization charges were identified. RESULTS: The revision TKA cases accounted for 2.4% of all TKA cases. The revision burden showed an increasing trend from 2013 to 2018 (2.3% to 2.5%) (P for trend = .034). Gradual increases in revision TKA were observed in patients aged > 60 years. The most common causes for revision TKA were infection (33.0%) and mechanical failure (19.5%). More than 70% of the patients were hospitalized in provincial hospitals. A total of 17.6% patients were hospitalized in a hospital outside the province of their residence. The hospitalization charges continued to increase between 2013 and 2015 and remained roughly stable over the next three years. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided epidemiological data for revision TKA in China based on a national database. There was a growing trend of revision burden during the study period. The focalized nature of operations in a few higher volume regions was observed and many patients had to travel to obtain their revision procedure.

Anteromedial Portal Technique, but Not Outside-in Technique, Is Superior to Standard Transtibial Technique in Knee Stability and Functional Recovery After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Network Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To compare the postoperative outcomes of 4 different femoral drilling techniques in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. METHODS: Three databases were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing any 2 or more of the following femoral drilling techniques in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: standard transtibial (sTT), anteromedial portal (AMP), outside-in (OI), or modified transtibial (mTT) technique. A Bayesian network meta-analysis was performed to assess postoperative stability and functional recovery in terms of the side-to-side difference (measured by arthrometry), Lachman test, pivot-shift test, International Knee Documentation Committee subjective and objective scores, Lysholm score, and Tegner score. The Fisher exact probability test and χ2 test were used to compare the incidences of infection and graft rupture, respectively. RESULTS: We included 20 randomized controlled trials involving 1,515 patients. The AMP technique showed a lower side-to-side difference (standardized mean difference, -0.33; 95% credible interval [CrI], -0.53 to -0.12), higher negative rate on the pivot-shift test (odds ratio, 2.19; 95% CrI, 1.38 to 3.44), and higher International Knee Documentation Committee objective score (odds ratio, 3.13; 95% CrI, 1.42 to 7.82) than the sTT technique. However, knee stability and functional outcomes did not differ significantly between the OI and sTT techniques. Safety outcomes of the mTT technique were unavailable. The incidence of graft rupture was 5.20% for the OI technique, 2.27% for the AMP technique, and 1.51% for the sTT technique. The OI technique had a significantly higher incidence of graft rupture than the sTT technique (χ2 = 4.421, P = .035). No significant difference in the incidence of infection was found between the sTT, AMP, and OI techniques (P = .281). CONCLUSIONS: The AMP technique, but not the OI technique, was superior to the sTT technique in knee stability and functional recovery. The OI technique had a higher incidence of graft rupture than the sTT technique. There was no significant difference between the AMP and OI techniques or between the mTT technique and any other femoral drilling technique. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, meta-analysis of Level I and II studies.

Baseline cartilage T1ρ and T2 predicted patellofemoral joint cartilage lesion progression and patient-reported outcomes after ACL reconstruction.

This study aims to determine if baseline T1ρ and T2 will predict cartilage morphological lesion progression in the patellofemoral joint (PFJ) and patient-reported outcomes at 2-year after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR). Thirty-nine ACL-injured patients were studied at baseline and two-year after ACLR. 3 T MR T1ρ and T2 images and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) were acquired at both time points. Voxel-based relaxometry (VBR) technique was used to detect local cartilage abnormalities. Patients were divided into progression and non-progression groups based on changes of the whole-organ magnetic resonance imaging scoring (WORMS) grading of cartilage in PFJ from baseline to 2-year, and into lower (more pain) and higher (less pain) KOOS pain groups based on 2-year KOOS pain scores, separately. Voxel-based analyses of covariance were used to compare T1ρ and T2 values at baseline between the defined groups. Using VBR analysis, the progression group at 2-year showed higher T1ρ and T2 compared with the non-progression group at baseline, with the medial femoral condyle showing the largest areas with significant differences. At two-year, 56% of patients were able to recover with respect to KOOS pain. The lower KOOS pain group at 2-year showed significantly elevated T1ρ and T2 in the patella at baseline compared with the higher KOOS pain group. In conclusion, baseline T1ρ and T2 mapping, combined with VBR analysis, may help identify ACLR patients at high risk of developing progressive PFJ cartilage lesions and worse clinical symptoms 2-year after surgery.

Risk of COVID-19 Among Unvaccinated and Vaccinated Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A General Population Study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at higher risks for SARS-CoV-2 infection and its severe outcomes before and after COVID-19 vaccination. METHODS: Using a UK primary care database, we conducted 2 cohort studies to compare the risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19 between patients with RA and the general population according to their COVID-19 vaccination status. We used exposure score overlap weighting to balance baseline characteristics between 2 comparison cohorts. RESULTS: Among unvaccinated individuals, the weighted incidence rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection (9.21 versus 8.16 of 1,000 person-months), hospitalization (3.46 versus 2.14 of 1,000 person-months), and death (1.19 versus 0.62 of 1,000 person-months) were higher among patients with RA than the general population over 3 months of follow-up; the corresponding adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were 1.10 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.00-1.24), 1.62 (95% CI 1.34-1.96), and 1.88 (95% CI 1.37-2.60), respectively. Among vaccinated individuals, the weighted rates of breakthrough infection (4.17 versus 3.96 of 1,000 person-months; HR 1.10 [95% CI 1.00-1.20]) and hospitalization (0.42 versus 0.32 of 1,000 person-months; HR 1.29 [95% CI 0.96-1.75]) were higher among patients with RA than the general population over 9 months of follow-up; however, no apparent difference in the risk of these outcomes was observed over 3 and 6 months of follow-up between 2 comparison cohorts. CONCLUSION: Patients with RA are still at higher risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 hospitalization than the general population after receiving COVID-19 vaccines. These findings support booster COVID-19 vaccinations and adherence of other preventive strategies among patients with RA.

Gout and Excess Risk of Severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Vaccinated Individuals: A General Population Study.

OBJECTIVE: Gout patients often have multiple comorbidities, making them susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and poor outcomes. This study was undertaken to examine the association between gout and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe outcomes, especially in patients who have received a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. METHODS: We conducted 2 cohort studies using The Health Improvement Network in the UK. Individuals with gout and those without gout from the general population were followed up from December 8, 2020 to October 31, 2021. We estimated the rate difference (RD) and hazard ratio (HR) of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe outcomes (i.e., hospitalization and death within 30 days after SARS-CoV-2 infection) for individuals with gout versus those without gout using a Cox proportional hazards model according to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status. We adjusted for potential confounders by using overlap weighting of exposure scores. RESULTS: Among the vaccinated cohort, 1,955 cases of breakthrough COVID-19 infection occurred in 54,576 individuals with gout (4.68 cases per 1,000 person-months), and 52,468 cases occurred in 1,336,377 individuals without gout (3.76 cases per 1,000 person-months). The partially adjusted RD of breakthrough infection was 0.91 cases per 1,000 person-months (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.62-1.20 cases per 1,000 person-months), and the partially adjusted HR was 1.24 (95% CI 1.19-1.30). Gout was also associated with an increased risk of hospitalization (adjusted HR 1.30 [95% CI 1.10-1.53]) and death (adjusted HR 1.36 [95% CI 0.87-2.13]). Women with gout had an increased risk of hospitalization (adjusted HR 1.55 [95% CI 1.15-2.10]) and death (adjusted HR 2.46 [95% CI 1.12-5.41]). Similar associations with gout were observed in the unvaccinated cohort. CONCLUSION: These general population data suggest that individuals with gout, especially women, have higher risks of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe outcomes, even when vaccinated.

A nationwide comparison of staggered and simultaneous bilateral knee arthroplasty during a single hospitalization: Trends, risks and benefits.

Background: We aimed to: (1) perform a nationwide trend analysis of staggered and simultaneous bilateral knee arthroplasty (KA); (2) investigate patient demographics and hospital characteristics in two groups; and (3) compare the outcomes of two groups with a focus on complications, length of stay (LOS) and hospitalization costs. Methods: Utilizing the Hospital Quality Monitoring System, we included patients who underwent bilateral KA during a single hospitalization between 2013 and 2019. Patient demographics and hospital characteristics were compared between two groups. Outcomes were compared between propensity-score matched groups using logistic and linear regression. Results: During the study period, 6291 staggered bilateral KA and 6284 simultaneous bilateral KA were performed. From 2013 to 2019, the proportion of staggered bilateral KA increased from 32.74% to 59.08%. Patients who were older, were single, had more comorbidities and had a non-osteoarthritis indication for surgery tended to receive staggered bilateral KA. Compared with 3327 propensity-score matched patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral KA, patients undergoing staggered bilateral KA were associated with a significantly lower incidence of wound infection (odds ratio [OR] â€‹= â€‹0.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.07-0.65), and readmission within 30 days (OR â€‹= â€‹0.73; 95%CI, 0.54-0.99) and 90 days (OR â€‹= â€‹0.70; 95%CI, 0.55-0.89). However, staggered bilateral KA had higher odds of blood transfusion (OR â€‹= â€‹1.20; 95%CI, 1.02-1.40) and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) (OR â€‹= â€‹2.62; 95%CI, 1.82-3.98). Moreover, staggered bilateral KA can lead to higher costs (108,316.21 Chinese yuan [CNY] vs 103,367.60 CNY) and longer LOS (17.29 days vs 12.18 days) than simultaneous bilateral KA. Conclusion: Our study indicates that staggered bilateral KA has become more common than simultaneous bilateral KA in China. Compared to simultaneous bilateral KA, staggered bilateral KA was associated with a lower incidence of wound infection and readmission. Staggered bilateral KA may be an alternative for patients who can't tolerate simultaneous surgery.The translational potential of this article: Our study indicates that staggered bilateral KA is a safe and economical option for elderly patients who require bilateral KA but are at high clinical risk. The rising proportion of staggered bilateral KA will be a new trend in bilateral KA.

Incidence, patterns and risk factors for readmission following knee arthroplasty in China: A national retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Limited data exist on readmission following knee arthroplasty (KA) in countries without well-established referral or extended care systems. This study aimed to investigate the incidence, patterns and risk factors for readmission following KA in China. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this national retrospective cohort study, we reviewed 167,265 primary KAs registered in the Hospital Quality Monitoring System in China between 2013 and 2018. Readmissions after KA within 30 and 90 days were evaluated. The causes for readmission were identified and classified as surgical or medical. The potential risk factors of readmission were assessed using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: 4017 (2.4%) patients readmitted within 30 days, and 7258 (4.3%) patients readmitted within 90 days. The readmission rate exhibited a downward trend during the period from 2013 to 2018 (2.7%-2.3% for 30-day readmission; 4.5%-4.2% for 90-day readmission). Surgical causes contributed to 54.3% readmissions within 30 days and 47.3% readmissions within 90 days. Wound infection/complication, joint pain, and thromboembolism were the most frequently reported reasons for surgical readmission. Older age, male sex, single marital status, non-osteoarthritis indication, a high comorbidity index, non-provincial hospitals, low hospital volume, and longer length of stay were associated with an increased risk of readmission. The geographic regions of hospitals contributed greatly to the variety of readmissions. CONCLUSION: The readmission rate following KA decreased from 2013 to 2018. Surgery-related causes, especially wound infection/complication and pain, accounted for a large proportion. Both patient and hospital factors were associated with readmissions. Improved primary care and targeted measures are needed to help further prevent readmissions and optimize resource utilization.

Risk of gout flares after COVID-19 vaccination: A case-crossover study.

OBJECTIVE: Routine vaccinations are associated with an increased risk of gout flares. We examined the association between COVID-19 vaccination, an immunization program implemented to a large proportion of population, and the risk of gout flares. METHODS: We conducted a time-stratified case-crossover study among patients with gout who experienced gout flares between December 2020 and September 2021, using data from The Health Improvement Network. We compared the risk of gout flares on each of the seven days on and after the day of COVID-19 vaccination vs. no vaccination during that period using conditional logistic regression. In addition, we performed subgroup analyses stratified by different COVID-19 vaccines (i.e., BNT162b2, hereafter referred to as BNT, and ChAdOx1 nCov-19, hereafter referred to as ChAd). RESULTS: Among 5,904 patients with gout (mean age: 63·1 years; 85·5% male) who experienced gout flares within one month, the risk of gout flares slightly increased on the second day after COVID-19 vaccination (odds ratio: 1·44; 95% CI: 1·02 to 2·07). The risk of gout flares also slightly increased after receiving COVID-19 vaccine on other remaining days (ORs ranged from 1·03 to 1·22); however, none of them was statistically significant. An increased risk of gout flares on the second day after vaccination was mainly observed for the ChAd vaccine (odds ratio: 1·44; 95% CI: 1·00 to 2·05), but not for BNT vaccine (odds ratio: 1·18; 95% CI: 0·67 to 2·02). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 vaccination, mainly ChAd vaccination, slightly increases the risk of gout flares on the second day after vaccination. This finding reassures the safety of COVID-19 vaccination for patients with gout.

Peptic Ulcer Disease and Risk of Hip Fracture: A General Population-based Cohort Study.

AIMS: Previous studies reported proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use may increase the risk of fracture; however, the findings may be susceptible to indication bias because peptic ulcer disease (PUD), 1 major indication for PPIs, may affect skeletal health. Determining whether PUD would increase hip fracture risk may help identify high-risk populations and explore risk factors. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using data from The Health Improvement Network (THIN) in the United Kingdom. THIN contains patient information such as disease diagnosis and medicine prescriptions. Up to 5 non-PUD individuals (n = 138 265) were matched to each case of incident PUD (n = 27 653) by age, sex, and body mass index. We examined the association between PUD and hip fracture by a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model. We repeated the same analysis among individuals with incident PUD and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) (n = 27 160), another disease with similar indication for PPIs, as a positive control exposure. RESULTS: Over a mean of 5.6 years of follow-up, hip fracture occurred in 589 individuals with PUD and 2015 individuals without PUD (3.8 vs 2.6/1000 person-years), with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR) being 1.44 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-1.58). The association persisted among subgroups stratified by sex and age. In positive control exposure analysis, the hip fracture risk was also higher in PUD than GERD (3.8 vs 2.4/1000 person-years; multivariable-adjusted HR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.45-1.7). CONCLUSIONS: This general population-based cohort study suggests, after controlling for acid-lowering medication and other potential risk factors, PUD is independently associated with an increased risk of hip fracture.