Big hopes for the children of the world: a review of the Millennium Development Goals.

The Millennium Development Goals are a set of eight goals drafted by the United Nations in 2000 with the aim of improving the health and welfare of people worldwide. The goals provide specific targets to be met by 2015, using the 1990 basis as a standard. This review presents these goals as they relate to children, discussing progress and future aims. Although not all eight goals specifically address children, each has its own impact on global child health. Thus far, much progress has been made, but increased rates of improvement must be achieved in order to meet the goals by 2015 and improve the health of children worldwide.

Metal-backed acetabular cups in total hip arthroplasty.

Metal backing for the acetabular component of a total hip replacement, initially designed to allow replacement of the polyethylene liner, has since been universally accepted as a means of decreasing peak stresses at the interfaces of bone and cement. We studied the results of 238 total hip replacements that had been performed between 1980 and 1983 and that differed only in that 138 of the acetabular components had a metal backing and 100 were made of polyethylene only. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, with three different modes of failure (radiolucency, loosening, and revision), showed a significant increase in the rate of failure of the metal-backed acetabular cup compared with the all-polyethylene cup: radiolucency, 39 compared with 23 per cent (p less than 0.0001); loosening, 4 compared with 2 per cent (p less than 0.0001); and revision, 6 compared with 2 per cent (p less than 0.0034). It was concluded that metal backing cannot be recommended for a cemented acetabular component of a total hip-replacement system.

Structures at risk from medially placed acetabular screws.

The anatomical structures adjacent to fourteen acetabula were studied to identify structures that are at risk from acetabular screws. There were six embalmed acetabula, four acetabula from two fresh autopsy specimens, and four acetabula that were studied during two gynecological operations. Models were constructed to show where these screws can penetrate. Medially placed screws either penetrated or came dangerously close to the external iliac vein; the obturator artery, nerve, and vein; and tributaries of the internal iliac vein. To avoid injury to the medial vascular structures, screws should not be placed in the anterosuperior quadrant of the acetabulum.

Closed wound drainage in total hip or total knee replacement. A prospective, randomized study.

We prospectively randomized 415 total joint replacements for either a closed wound-drainage system or no postoperative drainage. Drainage was not used in 200 total joint replacements, of which 138 were total knee replacements and sixty-two, total hip replacements. Drainage was used in 215 total joint replacements, of which 137 were total knee replacements and seventy-eight, total hip replacements. All patients were evaluated for the presence of excessive postoperative drainage that necessitated cessation of the range-of-motion exercises, the amount of transfused blood (homologous and autologous), and the preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels. The range of motion was assessed daily in the patients who had a total knee replacement. No statistical difference was found in the number of patients who had excessive postoperative drainage from a drained or non-drained wound. There was also no statistical difference with respect to the amount of transfused blood and the preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin levels. Furthermore, in the patients who had a total knee replacement, there were no statistical differences between drained and non-drained wounds with respect to the daily range of motion during the first seven days postoperatively. The mean amount of blood transfused was 157 milliliters in the total knee replacements with drains, 160 milliliters in the total knee replacements without drains, 188 milliliters in the total hip replacements with drains, and ninety-three milliliters in the total hip replacements without drains.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Total knee arthroplasty after high tibial osteotomy. A comparison study in patients who had bilateral total knee replacement.

BACKGROUND: The outcome of total knee replacement after high tibial osteotomy remains uncertain. We hypothesized that the results of total knee replacement with or without a previous high tibial osteotomy are similar. METHODS: The results of a consecutive series of thirty-nine bilateral total knee arthroplasties performed with cement at an average of 8.7 years after unilateral high tibial osteotomy were reviewed. There were twenty-seven men and twelve women. Preoperatively, the knee scores according to the system of the Knee Society were similar for all of the knees; however, valgus alignment and patella infera were more common in the knees with a previous high tibial osteotomy. Bilateral total knee replacement was staged in seven patients and was simultaneous in thirty-two patients. The results of the total knee arthroplasties were retrospectively reviewed with respect to the knee and function scores according to the system of the Knee Society, the radiographic findings, and the complications. RESULTS: Intraoperatively, no notable differences were identified in the number of medial, lateral, or lateral patellar releases required. However, less lateral tibial bone was resected in the group with a previous high tibial osteotomy (average, 3.3 millimeters) than in the group without a high tibial osteotomy (average, 7.5 millimeters). The average duration of follow-up was 7.5 years (range, three to sixteen years) in the group with a previous high tibial osteotomy and 6.8 years (range, two to ten years) in the group without a high tibial osteotomy. At the time of the final follow-up, the knee and function scores were similar for the two groups (89.0 and 81.0 points, respectively, for the group with a previous high tibial osteotomy, and 89.6 and 83.9 points, respectively, for the group without a high tibial osteotomy). Although more knees were free of pain in the group without a previous high tibial osteotomy (thirty-six) than in the group with a previous osteotomy (thirty-three), this difference was not found to be significant with the numbers available (p = 0.4810). Knee alignment and stability, femoral and tibial component alignment, and range of motion also were similar in both groups postoperatively. One allpolyethylene tibial component was revised in the high tibial osteotomy group. Two knees in each group required manipulation. There were no deep infections. CONCLUSIONS: While patients with a previous high tibial osteotomy may have important differences preoperatively, including valgus alignment, patella infera, and decreased bone stock in the proximal part of the tibia, the present study suggests that the clinical and radiographic results of primary total knee arthroplasty in knees with and without a previous high tibial osteotomy are not substantially different. In our relatively small group of patients, the previous high tibial osteotomy had no adverse effect on the outcome of the subsequent total knee replacement.

Unwashed filtered shed blood collected after knee and hip arthroplasties. A source of autologous red blood cells.

We evaluated the results of twelve hematological and plasma protein determinations in 450 to 500-milliliter volumes of shed blood that had been collected with or without acid-citrate-dextrose anticoagulant (National Institutes of Health Formula A) from knees and hips during the first twelve hours after arthroplasty. We also evaluated the effects on the recipients when the blood was used for reinfusion. The findings in the units that had been obtained in less than four hours, in between four and six hours, and in more than six hours after the arthroplasty were similar whether or not the acid-citrate-dextrose anticoagulant had been used. The mean values for the collected units were: in the blood, a concentration of hemoglobin of 115 grams per liter, a hematocrit of 0.34, a white blood-cell count of 4.8 x 10(9) per liter, and a red blood-cell count of 3.7 x 10(12) per liter, and, in the plasma, a level of hemoglobin of 160 grams per liter, a level of fibrinogen of less than 0.2 gram per liter, a level of factor-V clotting protein of less than 10 per cent of normal, a level of factor-VIII clotting protein that was 45 per cent of normal, a level of antithrombin III that was 45 per cent of normal, a level of plasminogen that was 55 per cent of normal, a level of protein C that was 100 per cent of normal, and a level of fibrin-degradation products of 1000 micrograms per milliliter of plasma. The clinical response of the patient was assessed after the reinfusion of a total of 205 units of unwashed shed blood into 153 patients. In addition, in 126 of the 153 patients, hematological and plasma-protein measurements were analyzed before the autotransfusion and one and twenty-four hours afterward. Each of these patients had received one to four units of shed blood that had been filtered but not washed. Only two (2 per cent) of the ninety-nine patients who received shed blood that had been collected six hours or less after the operation had a febrile reaction, whereas twelve (22 per cent) of the fifty-four patients who received blood that had been collected six to twelve hours after the operation had such a reaction.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Impaction bone-grafting before insertion of a femoral stem with cement in revision total hip arthroplasty. A minimum two-year follow-up study.

Impaction bone-grafting was performed before insertion of a collarless, polished, tapered femoral stem with cement in thirty-four revision total hip arthroplasties (thirty-four patients) that were done because of aseptic loosening. The average duration of follow-up was thirty months (range, twenty-four to forty-two months). The operation was the initial revision in twenty-eight patients (82 per cent). Twenty-two patients (65 per cent) also had revision of the acetabular component. Complications included four intraoperative and two postoperative fractures of the femur as well as one dislocation (at one month). Two patients (6 per cent) needed a repeat revision of the femoral stem because of aseptic loosening at twenty-six and thirty-six months postoperatively. Both of these patients had an associated fracture of the femur (one was intraoperative, and the other was postoperative). Subsidence was common (thirteen patients; 38 per cent) and averaged 10.1 millimeters (range, four to thirty-one millimeters). Although the study group was relatively small, with the numbers available subsidence was not found to be associated with the preoperative or postoperative hip score, segmental or cavitary femoral defects, femoral ectasia, intraoperative fracture of the femur, strut-grafting, trochanteric osteotomy, or varus position of the femoral component. Incorporation of the allograft into the trabecular bone and secondary remodeling were noted radiographically in thirty-two (94 per cent) and fourteen (41 per cent) of the patients, respectively, often within one year. Although the duration of follow-up was relatively short, no localized resorption of the allograft occurred and cortical repair was noted in one patient at three years. At the most recent follow-up evaluation, the Harris hip scores had improved from a preoperative average of 51 points (range, 32 to 90 points) to an average of 87 points (range, 65 to 100 points) and twenty-eight patients (82 per cent) had no or only slight pain. Despite the satisfactory early clinical results, we remain concerned about the high rate of fracture of the femur and the rate and extent of subsidence of the femoral component. On the basis of the worrisome findings after this two-year period, we recommend that impaction bone-grafting be used only when proximal femoral osteopenia is so severe that stability cannot be obtained with insertion of a long-stemmed femoral component without cement. In that setting, impaction bone-grafting may be considered instead of implantation of a massive proximal femoral allograft in combination with insertion of a femoral component with cement.

Radiolucency at the bone-cement interface in total knee replacement. The effects of bone-surface preparation and cement technique.

Three hundred and sixty-three knees (221 patients) that had been treated with total arthroplasty between 1975 and 1985 were divided into three groups on the basis of the preparation of the surface of the bone and the technique of the cement application. Group 1 (155 knees) was treated with irrigation of the bone surfaces with a syringe and manual packing of the bone cement. Group 2 (sixty-one knees) had high-volume, high-pressure lavage of the bone surfaces and manual packing of the cement. Group 3 (147 knees) had high-volume, high-pressure lavage and pressure injection of low-viscosity methylmethacrylate cement. Radiolucency was evaluated at each follow-up interval, and the findings were subjected to chi-square analysis and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Chi-square analysis of the data at one and three years indicated a significantly higher frequency of lines at the bone-cement interface in the femur and tibia in Group-1 knees compared with those in Groups 2 and 3. The survival curves showed increasing rates of radiolucency adjacent to the tibial components of the knees that had been prepared with lavage that was not high-volume and high-pressure and that had been prepared with finger-packing of cement (Group 1). This may partially explain the clinical problem of loosening of tibial components despite acceptable alignment. This study demonstrates that proper preparation of the cancellous bone and pressurization of the cement reduce the initial occurrence of a radiolucent line, which may have a positive effect on the ultimate failure of at least the tibial component.

Polyethylene wear in cemented metal-backed acetabular cups.

We examined radiographic polyethylene wear in 233 cemented total hip arthroplasties (201 patients) with either a metal-backed or a non-metal-backed acetabular cup. All patients had identical cemented one-piece titanium femoral stems with a femoral head diameter of 28 mm. The mean linear wear rate was 0.11 mm/yr in metal-backed sockets and 0.08 mm/yr in non-metal-backed sockets (p = 0.0002). The mean volumetric wear rate was 66.2 mm3/yr in the metal-backed sockets and 48.2 mm3/yr in the polyethylene sockets (p = 0.0002). The addition of metal backing to a cemented acetabular cup therefore resulted in a 37% increase in mean polyethylene wear rates which may partially explain the higher failure rate of cemented metal-backed cups. Linear regression analysis also implicated increased follow-up time (log), gross acetabular migration, metal backing and male gender in increasing polyethylene wear. We advocate the use of an all-polyethylene cup in cemented total hip arthroplasty. The increased polyethylene wear must also cause concern about the wear rate of uncemented metal-backed acetabular sockets.

Polyethylene wear in uncemented acetabular components.

We measured polyethylene wear in 231 porous-coated uncemented acetabular cups. We divided the hips into two groups according to the fixation of the femoral component, by cementing (n = 97) or press-fit (n = 134). Follow-up was from three to five years. The patients in two sub-groups were matched for weight, diagnosis, sex, age and length of follow-up. The linear wear rate of cups articulated with uncemented femoral components (0.22 mm/year) was significantly higher than the wear rate (0.15 mm/year) of cups articulated within cemented femoral components (p < 0.05). These results can be compared with previously reported wear rates of 0.08 mm/year for cemented all-polyethylene cups and 0.11 mm/year for cemented metal-backed cups. The higher wear rates of uncemented arthroplasties could jeopardize the long-term results of this type of hip replacement.

Trochanteric fixation by cable grip in hip replacement.

We used the stainless steel cable grip system described by Dall and Miles in 1983 to fix trochanters in 40 hips after total arthroplasty with trochanteric osteotomy. The cable broke in 32.5% of the hips; the trochanter failed to unite in 37.5%. Significantly more cables broke when placed inside the femoral canal than when the cable was placed round the femoral shaft (58% as against 9.5%, difference p less than 0.01). The high incidence of breakage may have resulted from contact between the stainless steel cable and the titanium prosthesis, from the acute angulation, or because of the lower fatigue strength of stainless steel. Better results have been obtained using cables with a higher fatigue strength, passed outside the proximal femur.

Intra-articular morphine and/or bupivacaine after total knee replacement.

The postoperative analgesic effects of intra-articular injections of bupivacaine and/or morphine were examined prospectively in 437 patients who had total knee replacement for osteoarthritis. They were divided randomly into four groups. Group I received 10 mg of morphine (1 ml) and 9 ml of saline, group II received 10 ml of bupivacaine (2.5 mg/ml), group III received 10 ml of saline, and group IV received 10 mg of morphine (1 ml) and 9 ml of bupivacaine (2.5 mg/ml). All analgesics administered in the first 24 hours after operation were recorded. The patients rated their pain on the McGill-Melzack scale at 1, 6, 12 and 24 hours. No significant differences were found between any of the groups in the use of Demoral and/or Toradol in 24 hours, the length of stay in hospital or the pain rating at 1, 6, 12 or 24 hours. Patients in groups I and IV, whose injections included morphine, used significantly more morphine in the first 24 postoperative hours than did groups II or III.

Radiological factors influencing femoral and acetabular failure in cemented Charnley total hip arthroplasties.

We have made a retrospective review of 185 cemented Charnley total hip arthroplasties performed between 1970 and 1974 to determine the relationships between radiological variables and failure of the femoral and acetabular components. We measured the acetabular wear, the orientation of the cup, the thickness and consistency of acetabular and femoral cement mantles, radiolucency and femoral alignment. The mean follow-up was for 11.7 years. Femoral loosening was demonstrable radiologically in 15 hips (8.1%), ten (5.4%) of which were revised during the period of follow-up. Only when the first postoperative radiograph showed a thin cement mantle in Gruen zone 5 was there a significant association with failure of the femoral component. There were 12 loose acetabular components (6.5%), nine (4.8%) of which were revised. When the initial radiograph after operation showed radiolucency in DeLee and Charnley zone 1, the incidence of acetabular loosening was 28.21%. If such radiolucency was not present, the incidence of acetabular loosening was only 0.69%. Our findings emphasise the importance of careful cementing.

Maximizing cost-effectiveness while minimizing complications in total hip replacement.

Between July 1989 and June 1994, a consecutive series of 651 cemented total hip arthroplasties were performed in 577 patients using relatively inexpensive implants and standardized surgical and postoperative protocols. We set out to determine what effect these cost-saving measures have on the overall success and complication rate after total hip replacement surgery. Surgical results remained excellent, and perioperative, early, and late complications, including infection, loosening, and revision hip surgery, remained minimal, indeed, below usual complication rates. We concluded that cost-effective measures can be implemented while maintaining the overall excellent results of hip replacement surgery without the risk of increasing complication rates.

Assessment of postoperative vigor in patients undergoing elective total joint arthroplasty: a concise patient- and caregiver-based instrument.

Assessment of early postoperative recuperative power (i.e., vigor and functional ability) in surgery patients is considered to be important for optimizing patient rehabilitation, discharge planning, and health system resource utilization. However, no broadly accepted method of patient assessment has been available to measure these parameters. Therefore, a panel of experts was assembled to design an instrument to assess recuperative power in the total joint arthroplasty setting. The instrument consists of both subjective, patient-based, preoperative and postoperative, fixed-ended questions and objective, caregiver-based measures of patient function (i.e., muscle strength and hematocrit [HCT]). The prototype instrument employed the vitality subscale of the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the activities of daily living items from the Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC-ADL), as well as three novel scales: Well-being, Ready to resume activities, and Ready to leave the hospital. The instrument was tested in 65 patients at two medical centers. The reliability and validity of the three novel psychometric scales were tested by measuring internal consistency and validity by comparison with the standard scales. Postoperative patient Well-being and Ready scales correlated strongly with muscle strength (P < .01), while postoperative HCT correlated with muscle strength (r = 0.4) and Ready scale (P < .01). This analysis suggested that patient well-being and readiness to resume normal activities may be the best surrogates of patient vigor and that these parametric assessments correlate well with functional and laboratory measures of vigor (i.e., muscle strength and HCT). Based on these findings, the final instrument (Version 4.2) consists of a patient questionnaire that can be completed within approximately 5 minutes (12 preoperative and 14 postoperative questions), and a caregiver questionnaire that includes two objective functional tests: muscle strength and HCT. In conclusion, postoperative vigor may be able to be assessed with a concise, patient-based instrument and may provide valuable information for rehabilitation and discharge planning. The utility of this instrument is currently being assessed in a prospective clinical study.

Urinary tract catheterization protocols following total joint arthroplasty.

Six hundred one consecutive total joint arthroplasty patients were divided into three groups using three different catheterization protocols. Each group was evaluated for preoperative and postoperative urinary tract infections, number of catheterizations, and number of subsequent urinary tract manipulations. Group 1 (165 patients) was treated with "as needed" intermittent catheterization. One hundred six of these patients (64%) required a minimum of one catheterization with a total of 265 (mean 2.4 per patient) catheterizations. One post-operative urinary tract infection was recorded. Group 2 (295 patients) was treated with in-and-out catheterization on one occasion followed by anchoring of a closed drainage system if needed. One hundred eighty-one patients (61%) required catheterization, 124 (69%) of these patients required anchoring of a closed system. Two (0.69%) of these patients developed postoperative urinary tract infections. Group 3 (140 patients) were treated with intraoperative sterile anchoring of a closed drainage system which was maintained for 48 hours or less. Ten patients required in-and-out catheterizations (maximum one per patient) after system discontinuance. No urinary tract infections developed. Using Fisher's Exact test, no statistical difference in infection rates was found between the three groups. The group 3 protocol was felt to offer several patient conveniences.

A new radiographic evaluation of primary osteoarthritis.

Two thousand five hip radiographs, both AP and lateral, were evaluated for osteoarthritis. We excluded all cases of traumatic osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, avascular necrosis, and congenital deformities. This left 1578 hips in 1309 patients, which were sub-divided into three categories: medial osteoarthritis (405 hips, 20% of which were bilateral, 68% women, 32% men); superior lateral osteoarthritis (934 hips, 19% of which were bilateral, 49% men, 51% women); and global osteoarthritis (239 hips, 23% bilateral, 53% men, 47% women). These categories may have significance in operative technique and survival of acetabular cups after total hip arthroplasty.

Orthopedic research: an overview of data entry, database management, and statistical analysis.

An orthopedic practitioner can facilitate clinical research and analyze quality assurance data with a minor investment in a personal computer, an optical scanner, and two software packages, namely a database manager and a statistics program. One of the most time-consuming stages in the research process includes entering patient chart data, editing and manipulating the data (database management), and analyzing the data (statistical analysis). This can be automated to a large extent with the above mentioned equipment. This article focuses on the steps involved in organizing an orthopedic office for research. The steps include choosing a method of data entry, choosing and implementing a database package, and choosing and implementing a statistics package. This discussion is followed by a practical review of basic statistics applicable to orthopedic research. Several simple and advanced tests are described and examples are given for each.

Survivorship analysis of acetabular revision in medial, lateral, and global primary osteoarthritis.

Acetabular revision rates after cemented total hip arthroplasty vary from series to series in the literature. Little attention has been paid to the type of primary osteoarthritis in these previous series. We studied 782 cemented total hips in 671 patients with an average follow up of 7.5 years. Acetabular revision rates were analyzed in medial, lateral, and global primary osteoarthritis using survivorship analysis. Medial osteoarthritis was associated with a higher acetabular revision rate when compared to lateral osteoarthritis (P = .015). No differences were noted in acetabular revision rates when the preoperative diagnosis was medial vs global or lateral vs global primary osteoarthritis (P = .18 and P = .45, respectively). According to this study, a preoperative diagnosis of medial primary osteoarthritis should be added to a list of several factors associated with increased cemented acetabular failure, especially in the Charnley prosthesis.

Femoral head size: variation among manufacturers.

Nine manufacturers were contacted for their specific femoral head diameters of the 22 mm, 28 mm, and 32 mm femoral components. The 22 mm heads averaged .869 in. (+/- .005) and 100% were within 1 standard deviation; however, the standard deviation was large. The 28 mm heads averaged 1.101 in. (+/- .002), and 89% were within 1 standard deviation. The 32 mm heads averaged 1.258 in. (+/- .002), and 78% were within 1 standard deviation. It seems that when a 28 mm or 32 mm femoral head is used, different femoral and acetabular components by different manufacturers can be intermixed. However, when changing a 22 mm femoral head, the manufacturer should possibly be notified and an attempt to use the same manufacturer is preferable.