Second hip fracture in older adults: incidence and risk factors.

PURPOSE: A second hip fracture can occur in older adults who have already suffered an initial hip fracture. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, mortality and risk factors for second hip fractures in older adults with hip fractures. METHODS: Between 2009 and 2019, 2013 patients (mean age: mean age 76.5 ± 5.4 SD) who were admitted to a tertiary care hospital for a hip fracture surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups: those with a second hip fracture and those without a second hip fracture within the following two years after the initial fracture. RESULTS: 321 patients (15.9%, mean age: 85.3 ± 4.9 SD) sustained a second contralateral hip fracture, the first two years after the initial hip fracture whereas 136 patients (6.8%) sustained a contralateral hip fracture within 12 months. In total 274 (13.6%) died in the first two years after the initial hip fracture; among these, 139 patients (43.3%) had a contralateral second hip fracture. The mean time from the first hip fracture to second hip fracture was 13.2 ± 7.6 months. The advance age, female gender, living alone, dementia, chest and urinary tract infection, chronic heart failure, peripheral vascular disease were identified as risk factors for a second contralateral hip fracture. CONCLUSIONS: Identifying risk factors for a second contralateral hip fracture can be particularly helpful in providing focused medical assistance.

The effect of drugs on implant osseointegration- A narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: This narrative review aims to investigate the effects of drugs on implant osseointegration, analyzing their potential positive or negative impact on the direct structural and functional connection between bone and load-carrying implants. BACKGROUND: The review seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of osseointegration, which refers to the successful integration of an implant with living bone, resulting in no progressive relative movement between them. Exploring the effects of drugs on implant osseointegration is crucial for optimizing outcomes and enhancing patient care in orthopedic implant procedures. METHODS: Relevant studies on the effects of drugs on implant osseointegration were identified through a literature search. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar, were utilized, employing appropriate keywords and MeSH terms related to osseointegration, implants, and drug interventions. The search was limited to English studies. DISCUSSION: This overview presents a detailed analysis of the effects of drugs on implant osseointegration. It explores drugs such as bisphosphonates, teriparatide, statins, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockers, nitrites, and thiazide diuretics as promoters of osseointegration. Conversely, loop diuretics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids, cyclosporine A, cisplatin, methotrexate, antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antiepileptics, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and anticoagulants are discussed as inhibitors of the process. The role of vitamin D3 remains uncertain. The complex relationship between drugs and the biology of implant osseointegration is emphasized, underscoring the need for further in vitro and in vivo studies to validate their effects CONCLUSION: This narrative review contributes to the literature by providing an overview of the effects of drugs on implant osseointegration. It highlights the complexity of the subject and emphasizes the necessity for more extensive and sophisticated studies in the future. Based on the synthesis of the reviewed literature, certain drugs, such as bisphosphonates and teriparatide, show potential for promoting implant osseointegration, while others, including loop diuretics and certain antibiotics, may impede the process. However, additional research is required to solidify these conclusions and effectively inform clinical practice.

Comparative Analysis on the Effect of Sarcopenia in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis before and after Total Knee Arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Primary sarcopenia is an age-related disease that occurs mainly in older adults, while its possibility of appearance increases with age. Secondary sarcopenia is related to the presence of a disease. At times, studies have implied a connection between various diseases and the appearance of sarcopenia. Due to pain, patients with knee osteoarthritis limit their everyday activities, leading to a decrease in muscle mass and physical function. PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the coexistence of sarcopenia and osteoarthritis on patients' rehabilitation and symptoms, such as pain, after total knee arthroplasty, compared with patients with osteoarthritis without sarcopenia. METHODOLOGY: This cross-sectional study material consisted of 20 patients with osteoarthritis, who were hospitalized at Papageorgiou Hospital of Thessaloniki for total knee arthroplasty from November 2021 to April 2022. The patients were evaluated for sarcopenia according to the FNIH criteria. The two groups were asked to complete the KOOS score questionnaire in order to evaluate the condition of their knee in two phases, before surgery and 3 months after surgery. RESULTS: The two groups, 5 sarcopenic patients and 15 non-sarcopenic, did not show a statistically significant difference in muscle strength measurements. However, the lean mass indices, ALM (15.18 ± 3.98 versus 19.96 ± 3.65, respectively; p = 0.023) and ALM/height2 (5.53 ± 1.40 versus 6.98 ± 0.75, respectively; p = 0.007) had significant differences, since the sarcopenic group showed a reduced lean mass, especially in patients with a comorbidity of cancer. Sarcopenic patients showed a smaller increase in KOOS score compared to non-sarcopenic patients before (0.38 ± 0.09 vs. 0.35 ± 0.09, respectively; p = 0.312) and after surgery (0.54 ± 0.08 vs. 0.59 ± 0.10, respectively; p = 0.909), but without a statistically significant difference. The score increased for both groups, with the time factor playing a greater role than the group. CONCLUSIONS: Both the sarcopenic group and the control group did not show significant differences in their scores for the assessment of the affected limb in any of the two phases while completing the questionnaire. However, there was an improvement in their osteoarthritis symptoms before and after arthroplasty in both groups. Further research with a larger sample and longer recovery time is needed to draw more accurate conclusions and confirm the present results.

Mediterranean Diet and Sarcopenia Features in Apparently Healthy Adults over 65 Years: A Systematic Review.

Low muscle mass combined with changes in physical function and muscle quality is defined as sarcopenia. In people > 60 years, sarcopenia reaches 10% and tends to increase with age. Individual nutrients, such as protein, may have a protective role against sarcopenia, but recent evidence suggests that protein alone has been ineffective in increasing muscle strength. Dietary patterns, instead, with a high "anti-inflammatory" potential, such as the Mediterranean dietary pattern, have been considered as an emerging dietary remedy against sarcopenia. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the evidence of the role of Mediterranean diet in sarcopenia prevention and/or improvement, including recent data, in healthy elders. We searched published studies about sarcopenia and the Mediterranean diet until December 2022 in Pubmed, Cochrane, Scopus search engine and grey literature. In total, ten articles were identified as relevant: four cross-sectional studies and six prospective. No clinical trial was identified. Only three studies assessed sarcopenia presence and four measured muscle mass, which is an essential criterion in sarcopenia diagnosis. Mediterranean diet adherence had, in general, a positive role in muscle mass and muscle function, while the results were less clear with regard to muscle strength. Additionally, there was no evidence of a positive effect of the Mediterranean diet on sarcopenia. There is a need for conduction of clinical trials in order to reach cause-effects conclusions regarding the importance of the Mediterranean diet in sarcopenia prevention and management in Mediterranean and non-Mediterranean populations.

Sarcopenia and Sarcopenic Obesity and Osteoarthritis: A Discussion among Muscles, Fat, Bones, and Aging.

Aging is a physical procedure for people and nature. Our aging world is expanding because of the life span extension. Aging has a crucial relationship with our body composition (muscles, bones, and adipose tissue), which is characterized by an increase in fat mass and a gradual decrease in muscle mass and strength and bone density. These alterations affect physical performance and impact quality of life enhancing the risk for non-communicable diseases, immobilization, and disability. As far we know, osteoarthritis of lower limbs, sarcopenic obesity, and muscle mass and/or strength loss are treated separately. However, bones, muscles, adipose tissue, and aging appear to have an interconnection through a dialogue as they talk to each other. Health disorders are coming into the surface when this relationship is disrupted. The aim of our study is to search deeper into this interconnection, so that when adipose tissue increases, we have to take a look into the condition of muscle mass, bone, and connective tissue and vice versa, through the assessment of physical performance. Consequently, the triad muscle-bone-adipose tissue disorders by aging should be treated as a single entity.

The Superiority of Zoledronic Acid Over Risedronate for Paget's Disease: A 16-Year Experience at a Single Institution.

Introduction Bisphosphonates are considered to be the treatment of choice for patients with active Paget's disease. The aim of this study was to record and assess the therapeutic effect in response to a single intravenous infusion of 5mg zoledronic acid or oral risedronate. Methods A retrospective observational study was conducted of 89 patients in Greek patients with active Paget's disease from a tertiary hospital in North Greece. Patients were treated with either a single intravenous infusion of 5mg zoledronic acid (1st group, n=46) or 30mg of risedronate per day for 60 days (2nd group, n=43). All patients received 1000mg of calcium and 400-800IU of calciferol daily. The primary outcome measure was to record the therapeutic response defined as the control of patients' symptoms and normalization of the biochemical markers of bone metabolism. The secondary outcome measures included the patient's quality of life which was evaluated by the questionnaire SF-36 and adverse events. Results Forty patients from the zoledronic acid group and 38 patients from the risedronate group, who reported pain at the beginning of the study, showed a significant degree of clinical improvement. All the patients in our study showed a therapeutic response at six months while the remission was persistent at 36 months. There was a statistically significant difference between pre-treatment basal results and values at the sixth and 36th months of treatment (p<0.001) between the two groups. Conclusion The study demonstrated the superiority of zoledronic acid over risedronate in patients with active Paget's disease.

The prevalence of polypharmacy and fall-risk-increasing drugs after hospital discharge for hip fracture: A retrospective study.

Objectives: To evaluate the incidence of polypharmacy and the use of fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs) in patients >65 years of age. Methods: 478 patients >65 years old, discharged from an Orthopaedic Department because of hip-fracture surgery, capable of walking before surgery, were included. The baseline characteristics of the patients and the total numbers of drugs and FRIDs were recorded from the electronic hospital registration system. Polypharmacy was defined as the average daily use of five or more drugs. The gender differences in drug prescriptions were calculated. Results: All the patients took medications except for eight (1.7%); 46% of the patients were taking <5 medications, while 386 (80.8%) were taking ≤3 FRIDs. The female patients were taking more drugs (5±2.7) and FRIDs (2.4±1.3) than the male ones (4.5±3 and 1.9±1.3) (both p<0.01). The average numbers of drugs and FRIDs prescribed at discharge were 4.9±2.8 and 2.3±1.3, respectively. The Barthel Index was higher for patients taking <5 drugs, while the length of hospital stay was greater for patients taking ≥5 medications. Increased age was associated with taking ≥5 medications (p<0.05). Conclusions: Polypharmacy and FRID use are prevalent among patients over 65 years old who have been hospitalized and surgically treated because of hip fractures.

The Relationship Between Vitamin D Status and the Clinical Severity of COVID-19 Infection: A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis.

Background and objective Some studies have suggested a potential protective role of vitamin D in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients, and this has led to a debate on the topic in the medical community. However, the reported data on the number of hospitalized patients who were vitamin D-deficient is not convincing. In light of this, the aim of the present study was to explore if vitamin D deficiency is correlated with severity and mortality rates of COVID-19 infection in hospitalized COVID-19 patients at a tertiary care hospital in Greece. Methods We conducted a single-center retrospective study involving 71 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 from August to October 2020. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level was assessed in all patients within 48 hours of hospital admission. Serum 25(OH)D level ≤20 ng/ml was defined as a deficiency, while that >20 ng/ml as repletion. The primary outcomes of the infection were classified as partial/complete recovery and mortality during hospitalization. The secondary outcomes were blood markers of inflammation and thrombosis. Results Among the 71 COVID-19-positive patients [mean age: 63 years, range: 20-97; male (n=47; 66.2%): female (n=24; 33.8%)] who were enrolled in the study, 46 (64.8%) patients had 25(OH)D levels ≤20 ng/ml and 25 (35.2%) had a level >20 ng/ml. According to the patients' medical history, 55 patients (77.5%) had comorbidities. It appears that vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml) significantly correlated with elevated biochemical markers such as procalcitonin and troponin (p<0.001). Moreover, male gender, advanced age (>60 years), and comorbidities were positively associated with more severe COVID-19 infection (elevated inflammation markers, radiographic findings on X-rays, and increased length of hospital stay). Conclusion These preliminary findings show that vitamin D status among the patients was not related to the severity of COVID-19 infection.

Associations between Disability in Activities of Daily Living and Social Capital aspects among older adults: a scoping review.

Social capital aspects are playing an important role in activities of daily living (ADL) performance, thus on independent living. This paper was aimed to present an overview of the associations and adverse effects between social capital aspects and disability in ADL and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in an older population aged 65 years old and over. Α scoping review was designed following the guidelines of PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and the review was conducted by 3 authors. A total of 185 primary studies were extracted and, finally, 40 studies did meet the inclusion criteria and critically appraised in two main categories; Category 1(29 studies) 'social capital and disability in ADL' deducing that as greater a social capital as better ADL performance and Category 2 (11 studies) 'Social capital and HRQoL' concluding that people 65 years old and over with lower social capital were presented with a poor HRQoL. Study synthesis highlights the impact of social capital suggesting that nurses caring for older people must focus on their engagement in terms of social diversity and trust in the community.

Percutaneous Harlow Wood needle biopsy of the spine: a retrospective analysis of 238 spine lesions.

This retrospective study assessed the diagnostic accuracy and clinical usefulness of the Harlow Wood needle biopsy for spinal lesions. The medical records of 238 patients (138 men and 100 women) who underwent closed spine biopsy from 1987 through 1997 were reviewed. Patient age ranged from 21 to 83 years. Lesions involved the thoracic vertebrae in 127 patients, the lumbar vertebrae in 99 patients, and the sacrum in 12 patients. Cultures of the biopsy specimens were examined histopathologically and cytologically. One hundred twenty-four patients were diagnosed with a spinal infection, and 68 patients were diagnosed with a tumor. In the remaining 46 patients, the biopsy specimens were negative for infection or neoplasia in 20 patients and not diagnostic in 26 (10.9%) patients. There were no major complications. The Harlow Wood needle biopsy is a simple, repeatable procedure with satisfactory diagnostic accuracy (89.1%) and can be performed on an outpatient basis.