Septic Arthritis of the Shoulder: A Comparison of Treatment Methods.

INTRODUCTION: In-hospital outcomes were compared among patients with shoulder septic arthritis treated with arthrocentesis, open irrigation and débridement, or arthroscopic irrigation and débridement. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried for all cases of native shoulder septic arthritis between 2002 and 2011. Patient demographics, comorbidities, and hospitalization complications were compared for the shoulder arthrocentesis (nonsurgical) and open or arthroscopic irrigation and débridement (surgical) groups. RESULTS: Data for 7,145 patients were analyzed. Medical comorbidities and complications were more common in the nonsurgical group than in the open surgical group (septicemia, 36.7% versus 23.6%, P < 0.001; death, 6.5% versus 2.5%, P < 0.001; pneumonia, 11.3% versus 6.2%, P < 0.001; septic shock, 4% versus 2.2%, P < 0.001; and urinary tract infection, 15.5% versus 10.2%, P < 0.001). The mean length of stay was longer in the nonsurgical group compared with the open surgical group (11.5 days versus 10.5 days, respectively; P = 0.002) and the percentage of patients discharged to home was lower (55.1% versus 64.0%, respectively; P < 0.001). Compared with the open surgical group, the arthroscopic surgical group had higher incidences of perioperative septicemia and urinary tract infection and similar average length of stay, hospital charges, and blood transfusion rates, but a lower incidence of osteomyelitis (P < 0.001). In a subgroup of patients with septicemia, Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently cultured causative organism. DISCUSSION: Septic arthritis in the shoulder is challenging to manage, and patients often have medical comorbidities and complications. In this study, the nonsurgically treated patients had substantially more preexisting comorbidities and in-hospital complications than the surgically treated patients had, which likely contributed to the longer average length of stay and lower discharge percentage in the nonsurgical group. CONCLUSION: Patients with septic arthritis of the shoulder frequently experience substantial systemic complications regardless of the treatment method. Septicemia was a common complication among all treatment groups, with cultures most frequently indicating Staphylococcus aureus as the causative organism. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic level III.

Comparative biomechanical performances of 4-strand core suture repairs for zone II flexor tendon lacerations.

To compare the biomechanical performances of six 4-strand flexor tendon repairs at zone II, we used an in situ testing model in 54 cadaver profundus tendons. The techniques studied were the modified Becker, modified double Tsuge, Lee, locked cruciate, Robertson, and Strickland. Prerepair and postrepair comparisons for work of flexion to a 3.9-N pulp pinch (equal to 12.6 N tendon force) showed the greatest interference to gliding in the modified Becker repair and the least in the modified double Tsuge repair. Mean gaps after 1,000 load-unload cycles to a 3.9-N pulp pinch did not approach the clinically important limit of 3 mm in all groups. Ultimate tensile strength was highest in the modified Becker (69.4 +/- 8.2 N) but not significantly higher than the modified double Tsuge (60.3 +/-15.3 N) and locked cruciate (64.1 +/- 16.2 N). In all repair groups the mean pulp pinch forces upon failure were well above values recommended for active mobilization protocols that use external load guides. The locked cruciate, modified double Tsuge, and modified Becker repairs were strong enough for an early active motion protocol after surgery. Locked cruciate and modified double Tsuge were easier to perform and provided less interference to tendon gliding than the modified Becker repair.