Surgical management of clavicle fractures in Australia: an analysis of Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule database from 2001 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: There is no consensus on the optimal management of clavicle fractures, with advocates of both operative and non-operative management. The objective of this study is to assess the trends in the management of clavicle fractures in Australia over the past two decades. METHODS: The incidence of surgical fixation of clavicle fractures from 2001 to 2020 was analysed using the Australian Medicare Benefits Schedule database, reflective of operations performed on privately insured patients, thus excluding public patients and compensable cases. An offset term was utilized with data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics to account for population changes over the study period. RESULTS: A total of 17 089 procedures for the management of clavicle fractures were performed from 2001 to 2020. The incidence of operative intervention increased from 1.87 per 100 000 in 2001 to a peak of 6.63 per 100 000 in 2016. An overall increase was seen in males (310%) and females (347%) over the study period, as well as across all age groups. A greater proportion of operative interventions was performed on males (n = 14 075, 82%) than females (n = 3014, 18%, P < 0.001). The greatest increase in intervention was noted in those aged 65 or older (14% increase per year, 95% CI 11%-17%, P < 0.05). In 2020, the incidence of operative intervention decreased to a level last seen in 2013. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of operative interventions for clavicle fractures has increased in Australia over the 20-year study period. This increase is in keeping with recent evidence suggesting several advantages when displaced mid-shaft clavicle fractures are operatively managed.

Implant Malalignment may be a Risk Factor for Poor Patient-Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs) Following Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA).

BACKGROUND: Implant malalignment may be a risk factor for poor patient-reported outcomes measures (PROMs) following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: Postoperative surveys were administered to assess PROMs regarding satisfaction, pain, and function in 262 patients who underwent surgery at 4 centers in the U.S. and U.K (average age, 67.2) at a mean 5.5 years after primary TKA. Postoperative distal femoral angle (DFA), proximal tibial angle (PTA), and posterior tibial slope angle (PSA) were radiographically measured, and outliers were recorded. PROMs were compared between patients with aligned versus malaligned knees using univariate analysis. RESULTS: Patients with DFA, PTA, and PSA outliers were more likely to experience similar or decreased activity levels postoperatively than patients with no alignment outliers, as were patients with 1 or 2 outliers of any kind (P < .05). Patients with DFA, PTA, and PSA outliers were significantly more likely to be dissatisfied with their ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs), as were patients with 1 or 2 outliers of any kind (P < .05). Patients with DFA and PSA outliers were more likely to be dissatisfied with their degree of pain relief, as were patients with 2 outliers of any kind (P < .05). Finally, patients with DFA and PSA outliers, as well as those with 1 outlier of any kind, were more likely to be dissatisfied with their overall knee function (P < .05). CONCLUSION: DFA, PTA, and PSA outliers represent a significant risk factor for decreased satisfaction with activities of daily living(ADLs), pain relief, and knee function, as well as decreased activity levels. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

The Impact of Surgeon Volume and Training Status on Implant Alignment in Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Implant malalignment may predispose patients to prosthetic failure following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A more thorough understanding of the surgeon-specific factors that contribute to implant malalignment following TKA may uncover actionable strategies for improving implant survival. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of surgeon volume and training status on malalignment. METHODS: In this retrospective multicenter study, we performed a radiographic analysis of 1,570 primary TKAs performed at 4 private academic and state-funded centers in the U.S. and U.K. Surgeons were categorized as high-volume (≥50 TKAs/year) or low-volume (<50 TKAs/year), and as a trainee (fellow/resident under the supervision of an attending surgeon) or a non-trainee (attending surgeon). On the basis of these designations, 3 groups were defined: high-volume non-trainee, low-volume non-trainee, and trainee. The postoperative medial distal femoral angle (DFA), medial proximal tibial angle (PTA), and posterior tibial slope angle (PSA) were radiographically measured. Outlier measurements were defined as follows: DFA, outside of 5° ± 3° of valgus; PTA, >±3° deviation from the neutral axis; and PSA, <0° or >7° of flexion for cruciate-retaining or <0° or >5° of flexion for posterior-stabilized TKAs. "Far outliers" were defined as measurements falling >± 2° outside of these ranges. The proportions of outliers were compared between the groups using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: When comparing the high and low-volume non-trainee groups using univariate analysis, the proportions of knees with outlier measurements for the PTA (5.3% versus 17.4%) and PSA (17.4% versus 28.3%) and the proportion of total outliers (11.8% versus 20.7%) were significantly lower in the high-volume group (all p < 0.001). The proportions of DFA (1.9% versus 6.5%), PTA (1.8% versus 5.7%), PSA (5.5% versus 12.6%), and total far outliers (3.1% versus 8.3%) were also significantly lower in the high-volume non-trainee group (all p < 0.001). Compared with the trainee group, the high-volume non-trainee group had significantly lower proportions of DFA (12.6% versus 21.6%), PTA (5.3% versus 12.0%), PSA (17.4% versus 33.3%), and total outliers (11.8% versus 22.3%) (all p < 0.001) as well as DFA (1.9% versus 3.9%; p = 0.027), PSA (5.5% versus 12.6%; p < 0.001), and total far outliers (3.1% versus 6.4%; p = 0.004). No significant differences were identified when comparing the low-volume non-trainee group and the trainee group, with the exception of PTA outliers (17.4% versus 12.0%; p = 0.041) and PTA far outliers (5.7% versus 2.6%; p = 0.033). Findings from multivariate analysis accounting for the effects of patient age, body mass index, and individual surgeon demonstrated similar results. CONCLUSIONS: Low surgical volume and trainee status were risk factors for outlier and far-outlier malalignment in primary TKA, even when accounting for differences in individual surgeon and patient characteristics. Trainee surgeons performed similarly, and certainly not inferiorly, to low-volume non-trainee surgeons. Even among high-volume non-trainees, the best-performing cohort in our study, the proportion of TKA alignment outliers was still high. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Treatment of limb length discrepancy following total hip arthroplasty.

Limb length discrepancy is the leading cause of patient dissatisfaction following total hip arthroplasty and the most common reason for litigation in the field of orthopaedics. This article provides a systematic, stepwise approach for identifying the aetiology of limb length discrepancy following total hip arthroplasty and provides guidance on the treatment of this complication to optimize postoperative clinical and functional outcomes. This review discusses postoperative history taking, clinical examination, radiographic assessment, conservative treatment, and surgical intervention for the management of patients with established limb length discrepancy following total hip arthroplasty. A comprehensive understanding of the multifactorial nature and methods of managing postoperative limb length discrepancy is essential for optimizing patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes and long-term function following total hip arthroplasty.

Contamination of the Surgical Field with Propionibacterium acnes in Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Propionibacterium acnes is a common pathogen identified in postoperative shoulder infection. It has been shown to be present in culture specimens during primary shoulder arthroplasty; however, recent work has suggested that it is most likely to be a contaminant. Our aim was to identify the potential sources of contamination in shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS: Tissue swabs were obtained for microbiological analysis from consecutive patients undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty. Routine surgical technique was maintained, and 5 specimens were taken from different sites: (1) the subdermal layer, (2) the tip of the surgeon's glove, (3) the inside scalpel blade (used for deeper incision), (4) the forceps, and (5) the outside scalpel blade (used for the skin incision). RESULTS: Forty patients (25 female patients and 15 male patients) were included. Thirteen (33%) of the 40 patients had at least 1 culture specimen positive for P. acnes. Two (8%) of the 25 female patients and 11 (73%) of the 15 male patients had ≥1 culture specimen positive for P. acnes. The most common site of growth of P. acnes was the subdermal layer (12 positive samples), followed by the forceps (7 positive samples), the tip of the surgeon's glove (7 positive samples), the outside scalpel blade (4 positive samples), and the inside scalpel blade (1 positive sample). There were 27 of 75 swabs that were positive on culture for P. acnes in male patients compared with 4 of 125 swabs in female patients. Male patients had 66 times (95% confidence interval, 6 to 680 times) higher odds of having a positive culture indicating subdermal colonization compared with female patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: P. acnes is a common contaminant of the surgical field in primary shoulder arthroplasty. The subdermal layer may be the source of this contamination, and the prevalence of P. acnes in the surgical wound may be due to the surgeon's manipulation with gloves and instruments. Our findings are consistent with those regarding the increased rates of P. acnes bacterial load and intraoperative growth in male patients compared with female patients. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: P. acnes is likely to be spread throughout the surgical field from the subdermal layer via soft-tissue handling by the surgeon and instruments. Strategies need to be utilized to minimize this contact and to reduce the chance of colonization.