The effect of Nickel hypersensitivity on the outcome of total knee arthroplasty and the value of skin patch testing: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: To assess the Nickel sensitizing potential of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), explore the relationship between hypersensitivity and clinical outcomes, and evaluate the utility of skin patch testing pre- and/or postoperatively. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was performed through EMBASE, Medline and PubMed databases. Articles were screened independently by two investigators. The level of evidence of studies was assessed using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine Criteria and the quality evaluated using the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies and Cochrane risk-of-bias tools. RESULTS: Twenty studies met the eligibility criteria, reporting on 1354 knee arthroplasties. Studies included patients undergoing primary or revision TKA, pre- and/or postoperatively, and used patch testing to identify Nickel hypersensitivity. Prevalence of Nickel hypersensitivity ranged from 0% to 87.5%. One study compared the prevalence of Nickel hypersensitivity in the same patient group before and after surgery and noted newly positive patch test reactions in three patients (4.2%). Three studies reported lower prevalence of Nickel hypersensitivity in postoperative patients compared to preoperative ones. Seven studies suggested that hypersensitivity might cause adverse clinical outcomes, but six did not support any relationship. Seven studies recommended preoperative patch testing in patients with history of metal allergy, and nine concluded that testing may be valuable postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing TKA with no prior history of metal hypersensitivity do not seem to be at an increased risk of developing Nickel hypersensitivity, and there is conflicting evidence that patients with pre-existing hypersensitivity are more likely to experience adverse outcomes. Patch testing remains the most commonly used method for diagnosing hypersensitivity, and evidence suggests preoperative testing in patients with history of metal allergy to aid prosthesis selection, and postoperatively in patients with suspected hypersensitivity once common causes of implant failure have been excluded, since revision with hypoallergenic implants may alleviate symptoms.

The Oxford Knee Score is a reliable predictor of patients in a health state worse than death and awaiting total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The health-related quality of life of patients awaiting a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) deteriorates with increasing time to surgery and identification of those with the worst quality of life may help to prioritize patients. The aims were to identify and validate independent variable(s) associated with a health state worse than death (WTD) in patients awaiting a TKA and whether these variables influenced patients-reported outcome measures. METHODS: A retrospective cohort of 5857 patients undergoing a primary TKA was identified from an established arthroplasty database. Patient demographics, body mass index (BMI), index of multiple deprivation, Oxford Knee Score (OKS), EuroQoL five dimension (EQ-5D) 3 level, and visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) were collected preoperatively and one year postoperatively. An EQ-5D utility of less than zero was defined as WTD. A randomly selected subset of patients (n = 3076) was used to validate the variable that was most predictive of a state WTD and to assess the influence on patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS: There were 771 (13.2%) patients with a health state WTD. Increasing social deprivation (P = 0.050), worse preoperative OKS (P < 0.001), or EQ-VAS (P < 0.001) were independently associated with a health state WTD. The OKS was the most reliable predictor (area under curve 88.9%, 95% CI 87.8 to 90.1, P < 0.001) of a health state WTD. A threshold value of 16 or less, 80% sensitive and specific, was validated and confirmed to have a negative predictive value of 97.5%. Patients with an OKS of 16 or less had a significantly greater improvement in their OKS (difference 6.9, P < 0.001) and EQ-5D score (difference 0.257, P < 0.001). When adjusting for confounding factors, a health status WTD was not associated with worse postoperative OKS (difference -0.6, 95% CI -1.4 to 0.3, P = 0.177), EQ-5D (difference -0.016, 95% CI -0.036 to 0.003, P = 0.097) or patient satisfaction (difference -1.8, 95% CI -4.3 to 0.7, P = 0.162). CONCLUSION: A threshold score 16 or less in OKS was a reliable predictor of a health status WTD and was associated with a greater improvement in knee-specific and health-related quality of life following TKA.

Spontaneous vacuum phenomenon in the lateral compartment of the knee associated with a lateral tibial plateau fracture.

A case of spontaneous vacuum phenomenon in the lateral compartment of the knee is presented in an 83-year-old woman who attended the Accident and Emergency department two weeks after a twisting injury to the left knee. At the time of examination she still had a marked effusion in the knee with lateral joint line tenderness. X-rays showed a lateral tibial plateau fracture involving the entire lateral condyle and extending into the opposite compartment beneath the intercondylar eminence. The X-rays also demonstrated the presence of gas in the lateral joint line. This is the first reported case of vacuum phenomenon occurring on the same side as a lateral tibial plateau fracture. It is also demonstrated that the phenomenon may occur in the presence of an effusion.

Long-term results of total hip replacement in young patients who had ankylosing spondylitis. Eighteen to thirty-year results with survivorship analysis.

We determined the long-term results of total hip replacement in a series of young patients who had ankylosing spondylitis. Between 1966 and 1978, forty-three Charnley low-friction arthroplasties were performed in twenty-four patients who had an average age of 28.8 years (range, nineteen to thirty-nine years) at the time of the operation. There were seventeen men and seven women. The average duration of follow-up for the series was 22.7 years (range, one month [a perioperative death] to 30.3 years). Four patients (seven hips) had died an average of 12.6 years (range, one month to 18.7 years) after the operation. The twenty surviving patients had clinical and radiographic follow-up until the time of writing or until both of the original components had been revised. All patients had substantial relief of pain and improvement of function and the range of motion of the joint. Twenty-one patients (88 per cent; thirty-nine hips) were completely free of pain (6 points, according to the scale of Merle d'Aubigne and Postel), and the remainder had only slight discomfort (5 points). Ten acetabular components and one femoral component were revised because of aseptic loosening, and one patient had a revision of both components because of late deep infection. Three additional femoral components were revised during a revision operation for a loose acetabular component. Although the femoral components were not loose, they had been in place for more than ten years and it was thought likely that the bearing surface was damaged. The average time to revision was 13.3 years (range, 4.0 to 20.3 years). At an average of 22.7 years, thirty-eight (88 per cent) of the original femoral components and thirty-two (74 per cent) of the original acetabular components remained in situ. The average annual rate of acetabular wear was 0.12 millimeter for the entire series. Only six hips (14 per cent) had minor heterotopic ossification, and none of the hips had clinically important ossification (class III or IV according to the system of Brooker et al.). To our knowledge, the present report describes the largest series of total hip arthroplasties, with the longest duration of follow-up, in young patients who had ankylosing spondylitis. Survivorship analysis with use of the Kaplan-Meier method revealed that the probability of survival of the femoral component (with 95 per cent confidence intervals) was 91 per cent (83 to 99 per cent) at twenty years and 83 per cent (72 to 94 per cent) at thirty years. The probability of survival of the acetabular components was 73 per cent (61 to 84 per cent) at twenty years and 70 per cent (57 to 83 per cent) at thirty years. The probability that both components would survive was 91 per cent (82 to 100 per cent) at ten years, 73 per cent (61 to 84 per cent) at twenty years, and 70 per cent (57 to 83 per cent) at thirty years. The Charnley low-friction arthroplasty provided consistently good long-term results, with a low rate of complications and revisions, in this group of young patients.

The long-term results of Charnley low-friction arthroplasty in young patients who have congenital dislocation, degenerative osteoarthrosis, or rheumatoid arthritis.

We present the long-term results of 226 Charnley low-friction arthroplasties that were performed with use of cement in 161 patients between 1966 and 1978. Forty-four patients (sixty hips) had congenital dislocation of the hip, fifty-four patients (sixty-six hips) had degenerative osteoarthrosis, and sixty-three patients (100 hips) had rheumatoid arthritis. There were 114 female patients and forty-seven male patients. The average age of the patients at the time of the operation was 31.7 years (range, seventeen to thirty-nine years). Sixty-five patients (40 per cent) had a bilateral hip replacement. Thirty-eight patients (24 per cent; fifty-five hips), twenty-seven of whom had juvenile-onset chronic rheumatoid arthritis, died during the follow-up period. The average duration of follow-up for the entire series until the time of death, revision of both components, or the latest evaluation was 236 months (19.7 years; range, twenty-four to 361 months). Survivorship analysis was performed with the Kaplan-Meier method. At twenty-five years, the survival of the femoral component (with 95 per cent confidence intervals) was 89 per cent (80 to 98 per cent) in the patients who had congenital dislocation of the hip, 85 per cent (77 to 93 per cent) in the patients who had rheumatoid arthritis, and 74 per cent (61 to 87 per cent) in the patients who had degenerative osteoarthrosis. The rate of survival of the acetabular component was lower: at twenty-five years, it was 58 per cent (42 to 74 per cent) in the patients who had congenital dislocation, 79 per cent (70 to 88 per cent) in the patients who had rheumatoid arthritis, and 59 per cent (41 to 77 per cent) in the patients who had degenerative osteoarthrosis. The forty-four patients (sixty hips) who had congenital dislocation had the highest rates of aseptic loosening (twenty-two hips; 37 per cent), migration (seventeen hips; 28 per cent), and revision (twenty-two hips; 37 per cent) of the acetabular component. The fifty-four patients (sixty-six hips) who had degenerative osteoarthrosis had the highest rates of aseptic loosening (seventeen hips; 26 per cent) and revision (eighteen hips; 27 per cent) of the femoral component as well as the highest rate of femoral endosteal lysis (thirteen hips; 20 per cent). The sixty-three patients (100 hips) who had rheumatoid arthritis had the lowest prevalences of loosening and revision of the acetabular component but the highest rates of trochanteric non-union (fifteen hips; 15 per cent) and mortality (twenty-seven patients; 43 per cent). The average rate of wear of the acetabular component for the entire series was 0.11 millimeter per year; the average rate for the revised components (0.19 millimeter per year) was higher than that for the surviving components (0.09 millimeter per year). This was a consistent finding in each of the three diagnostic groups, and an increased annual rate of wear was found to be significantly associated with increased rates of migration and revision of the acetabular component (p < 0.01 for both). The femoral component proved to be durable: the twenty-five-year rate of survival for the entire series was 81 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 76 to 87 per cent). The major factors that limited the longevity of the cemented total hip implants in the present study were wear, loosening, and revision of the acetabular component, for which the twenty-five-year probability of survival was 68 per cent (95 per cent confidence interval, 61 to 75 per cent).

The relationship of foot and ankle movements to venous return in the lower limb.

We have studied the relationship between movements of the foot and ankle and venous blood flow from the lower limb using colourflow Duplex ultrasound to determine the optimum type of exercise for promoting venous return. Studies of both active and passive movements were carried out on 40 limbs in 20 subjects (18 men; 2 women), with a median age of 27 years (20 to 54). We assessed ankle dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, subtalar inversion and eversion, and a combination of all movements. There was no difference in venous flow when comparing opposite limbs in a single subject (p > 0.5), but active exercises produced higher peak and mean velocities of blood flow than passive ones. The active combined movement produced the highest velocities with an increase of 38% in mean and of 58% in peak flow velocities, which were significantly greater than the peak and mean flow rates produced by passive movements. The active combined exercise would therefore be the most effective in eliminating stasis and could contribute to the prevention of deep-vein thrombosis.

Comparison of the Wrightington FC hip with the Charnley low-friction arthroplasty. 10- to 15-year results and survival analysis.

Between 1981 and 1986 two groups of patients received either Charnley low-friction arthroplasties or the Wrightington Frusto-Conical hip replacement with otherwise identical management before and after operation. There were 260 consecutive replacements in 215 patients in the first group and 260 consecutive procedures in 211 patients in the second. Both components of each design were cemented and featured a 22.25 mm femoral head, but the geometry of the stems differed. Of the patients lost to follow-up, 16 (18 hips) were in the Wrightington series and 24 (36 hips) in the Charnley series, and of those who have died 20 (23 hips) were Wrightington and 14 (16 hips) were Charnley. All surviving patients have been followed up clinically and radiologically or until revision was necessary. The mean length of follow-up for original surviving components in both series was 140 months (120 to 180). Pain, function and movement were measured by the grading system of Merle D'Aubigné and Postel and showed a marked improvement in both groups. There was little or no pain in 98% of patients in the Wrightington series and 96% in the Charnley series, while 93% and 85%, respectively, were entirely painfree. Trochanteric osteotomy was used in 292 cases overall, with a complication rate of 13% due to wire breakage, trochanteric bursitis or trochanteric detachment, requiring a further operation in 5.8% (17 hips). Heterotopic ossification was seen in 40% of cases in which trochanteric osteotomy had been performed (117 hips) but only 3% (10 hips) had clinically significant changes. After the direct lateral approach heterotopic ossification was seen in 24% (42 hips) with only 2% in class 3 or 4 (4 hips). Femoral osteolysis was more common in the Charnley series, occurring in 7.6% of cases (17 hips) as opposed to 2.1% (5 hips) in the Wrightington series. Ten acetabular and seven femoral components have been revised in the Wrightington series and 16 acetabular and 11 femoral implants in the Charnley series. Survivorship based on revision for aseptic loosening using the Kaplan-Meier technique showed survival of the femoral implant at 5, 10 and 15 years of 100%, 99% and 98%, respectively in the Wrightington and 100%, 99% and 87% in the Charnley series. The survival of the acetabular component at 10, 12 and 15 years respectively, was 100%, 99% and 95% for the Wrightington, and 99%, 98% and 84% for the Charnley. The survival of both the acetabular and femoral components of the Wrightington system at a mean of 11.7 years was better than that of the Charnley system, with a lower incidence of radiological loosening of unrevised components.

A simple external fixator for use in metacarpal and phalangeal fractures: a technique paper.

We report the use of a simple and inexpensive external fixator for the treatment of unstable, displaced metacarpal and phalangeal fractures in a series of 12 patients. The fixator was well tolerated and the clinical and radiological results were excellent in all cases.

Improving the results of ganglion aspiration by the use of hyaluronidase.

We present the results of a prospective randomized trial comparing the treatment of ganglia by aspiration under local anaesthetic and either instillation of steroid alone or with the prior use of hyaluronidase. Thirty-five patients were treated in each group and followed up for 2 years. The cure rate with the combined use of hyaluronidase and methylprednisolone was 89%, compared to 57% when treated by aspiration and instillation of methylprednisolone alone.

Carpal tunnel decompression under local anaesthetic and tourniquet control.

A postal survey within the North West Region (UK) revealed that 66% of the consultant orthopaedic surgeons did not use local anaesthesia routinely for carpal tunnel decompression. This prospective study was set up to assess the effectiveness, safety and patient tolerance of performing this procedure using local anaesthesia and upper arm tourniquet control. Eight-six carpal tunnel decompressions were performed on 75 consecutive and unselected patients with confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome over a 6-month period. Completed questionnaires were obtained before discharge. None or only slight discomfort was experienced for all aspects of the operation in at least 94%. None of the patients reported severe and unbearable discomfort. At review, 3 months postoperatively, all patients with the exception of two reported complete resolution of preoperative symptoms. The use of local anaesthesia and a tourniquet is safe, effective and well-tolerated in carpal tunnel decompressions.

Biaxial wrist replacement. Initial results in the rheumatoid patient.

We report a short term review of 26 patients after Biaxial total wrist replacement. The mean follow up was 33.6 months (range, 24-62). All except one patient with psoriatic arthropathy had either seropositive or negative rheumatoid arthritis. A significant improvement in the range of motion was obtained; however, only 14 of 26 achieved a "functional" range. Eighteen obtained an excellent or good result when graded using the Hospital for Special Surgery score. Two radial and three carpal components showed radiolucent lines. Follow-up, however, was too short to determine whether this indicates progressive loosening.

Role of ultrasound assessment and harness treatment in the management of developmental dysplasia of the hip.

The effect of the introduction of a programme combining clinical hip screening supplemented by limited targeted ultrasound assessment on splintage for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) was evaluated over a 3-year period. The use of ultrasound is of both diagnostic and therapeutic value as it allows monitoring of the effects of splintage and decreases the total treatment time required. In all, 82 dysplastic hips were identified in 65 infants and the period of splintage averaged 6.3 weeks (range 3-12 weeks). The overall splintage rate can also be reduced as hips with only minor dysplasia can be assessed by serial scans until resolution or progression occurs rather than automatic treatment of all abnormal hips and in this series the rate was 6 per 1000 (0.6%). The Wheaton-Pavlik harness is a dynamic light-weight splint which is user friendly, easy to apply and adjust, and with no major complications being encountered in this series. Unnecessary exposure to radiation was reduced as plain radiographs were not performed before ossification of the capital epiphysis; prolonged splintage was prevented and a weaning period from the brace was not used. All children remained under follow-up for 1 year after the hips were confirmed to be clinically and radiologically normal and there were no cases of late re-dislocation or subluxation. There were no cases of avascular necrosis and a markedly reduced need for diagnostic arthrograms, with only two being performed during the 3 years. This regimen has resulted in a low rate of late presenting DDH requiring surgery of 0.28/1000, as well as a low splintage rate of 6/1000 (0.6%). Most of the improvement in the results can be attributed to the more accurate evaluation of DDH by ultrasound, but the absence of avascular necrosis and other complications is likely to be due to the shorter period of time spent in a dynamic splint without the use of excessive abduction.

Expect the best, prepare for the worst: surgeon and patient expectation of the outcome of primary total hip and knee replacement.

A cross-sectional study of 100 surgeons and 370 patients awaiting primary total hip or knee replacement was carried out. Oxford hip or knee score questionnaires were sent to the surgeons and patients. They were asked to predict the level of symptoms expected 6 months following surgery. The Oxford scores derive a value of 12-60, with a greater score indicating worsening symptoms. The mean pre-operative score was 45.12 for the hip patients and 42.96 for the knee patients, and the patients expected this to drop to 23.70 and 25.66, respectively, 6 months' postoperatively. This was a significant difference for both groups. The surgeons expected the patients to have a mean postoperative score of 20.91 for the hip group and 22.19 for the knee group. The surgeons' scores were significantly lower than those from the patients. There was a significant difference between the patients' and surgeons' expectations of the results of total knee and hip replacement surgery. The surgeons expected better results than the patients. We believe that this is the first study that directly compares surgeon and patient expectations of lower limb arthroplasty.

Cross-match protocols for femoral neck fractures--finding one that can work.

BACKGROUND: Cross-match practice for patients with femoral neck fractures continues to cause concern due to a failure of compliance to the existing protocols. To address this issue, a number of studies were conducted over a 3-year period. METHODS: First, the existing cross-match practice for patients admitted with femoral neck fractures was reviewed to demonstrate the deficiencies within the system. Second, the opinion of anaesthetic and orthopaedic trainees was assessed regarding blood requirements for different femoral neck fractures following surgery and the justification of their perceptions. RESULTS: A summation of the studies is reported which demonstrates the reasons for the poor compliance to previous protocols. CONCLUSIONS: A simple and effective protocol is provided that has helped reduce pre-operative cross-matching of femoral neck fractures from 71% to 16.7% when assessed 2 years after its introduction.