Megaprosthesis use in Paprosky III/IV femoral defects in non-oncological patients: analysis of survival, clinical, and functional outcomes after an average follow-up of five years.

PURPOSE: To determine the survival and patient-reported outcomes in non-oncological patients treated with proximal femoral resection (PFR) using MEG for femoral reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 16 patients. Demographic variables and complications developed were analyzed. Clinical-functional outcomes were measured using the modified Harris score (mHSS), numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score. MEG survival was estimated using a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: Average follow-up was 5 years (range, 1-9). The 75% of patients were overweight and women with an average age of 74.2 ± 5.9-years (BMI of 28.5 ± 4.2 kg/m2). The main cause of MEG was periprosthetic infection (43.7%). The 50% of patients had post-surgical complications regarding with MEG, being the most frequent seromas and MEG dislocation. Implant survival was 93.4% and 80.9% at 3 and 7 years of follow-up, respectively. The functional results at the end of the follow-up with respect to the pre-surgical state improved from 9.5 ± 2.6 to 3 ± 0.9 mean NPRS and 26.5 ± 6.8 to 69.5 ± 13.5 mean mHHS, p < 0.001, respectively. The mean MSTS score was 68.1% that these results were considered excellent. CONCLUSIONS: The MEG for reconstruct III-IV femoral defects is a good therapeutic option that offers an acceptable clinical-functional result. Short-term and medium-term survival was greater than 80%. The most frequent complications are seromas and MEG dislocation. The use of constrained liner and abductor system reconstruction is essential to prevent the dislocation.

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasties: does the type of tibial component selected influence implant survival?

INTRODUCTION: Few information has been published on the survival of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and fixed-bearing tibial components. The aim of this study is to analyze if UKA survival varies according to UKA model used and to analyze the possible risk factors for UKA revision. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective study analyzing 301 UKAs (ACCURIS, all-polyethylene tibial component, 152; Triathlon PKR, metal-backed tibial component, 149) was performed. Demographic parameters as well as implant survival and cause of prosthetic revision were analyzed. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the log-rank test and the Cox multiple regression were used for the analysis. RESULTS: Average follow-up was 8.1 ± 3.08-years. Average age was 68.1 ± 8.6-years; 70.4% of subjects were women. The ACCURIS UKA group had a UKA revision rate higher compared to the Triathlon PKR group (16/152, 10.6% vs 5/149, 3.4%, respectively; p < 0.001). The main cause of prosthetic revision was aseptic loosening (5/21, 23.8%). All aseptic loosening cases and tibial component collapse were reported with the ACCURIS UKA group. Overall UKA survival was 98.01% (95% CI 95.62-99.1) at 1-year, 94.27% (95% CI 90.95-96.4) at 5-years and 92.38% (95% CI 88.48-94.99) at 10-years' follow-up. There were no differences in the Kaplan-Meier survival curves regarding operated side or affected tibiofemoral compartment (log-rank test = 0.614 and 0.763, respectively). However, Kaplan-Meier survival curve according to UKA model used was different (log-rank test = 0.033). The metal-backed component appeared to be a protector factor for UKA revision when adjusted for age, sex, operated side, and affected tibiofemoral compartment (Hazard Ratio 0.32, p = 0.031). CONCLUSION: Fixed-bearing UKAs showed excellent mid- and long-term survival rates. Aseptic loosening is the main cause of implant failure. PKR group (metal-backed component) seem to be a protector factor to UKA revision when it was compared with ACCURIS UKA group (all-polyethylene tibial component).

Short neck-preserving femoral stem for total hip arthroplasty: medium-term results of a 68-case series.

INTRODUCTION: Short stems seem to be a good alternative for young patients as they offer promising results, rapid recovery and preservation of metaphyseal bone stock. This is one of the few studies in the literature to report medium-term clinical-radiological results for short hip stems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective study evaluated 68 short femoral stems in 63 patients treated with total hip replacement. Clinical, functional and quality-of-life outcomes were measured at 6 and 12 months, and annually thereafter until the end of follow-up. The radiological analysis included measurements of potential leg length discrepancies, stem alignment and signs compatible with stress shielding. RESULTS: Fifty-four males (59 hips) and nine females (9 hips) of an average age of 44.3 years (range, 25-68) were studied. The most common diagnosis was osteoarthritis (51.5%). Mean overall follow-up was 7.8 years (range, 5.8-9.8). The overall survival rate was 97.1% (95% CI 88.7-99.7%). Surgery resulted in an increase of 42.3 ± 1.1 points in the modified Harris Hip Score and 21.9 ± 0.6 points in the Oxford Hip Score (p < 0.001, respectively). Moreover, the pain score as measured on a numerical rating scale (NRS) improved from 95.8 to 36.3. As regards function, an improvement was observed from 3.2 ± 0.8 points to 6.8 ± 1.14 points on the University of California at Los Angeles activity score (p < 0.001, respectively). The radiological analysis showed an absence of radiolucencies or stress-shielding throughout the series. The complications rate at the end of follow-up was 5.7%. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ultra-short cylindrical stems with complete anchorage in the femoral neck was shown to offer promising medium-term results. Such stems appear to be a good option for young patients, who are likely to require several revisions over their lifetime.

["Working without patients": a new strategy to improve the glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Avoiding therapeutic inertia.] / "Trabajando sin pacientes": una nueva estrategia para mejorar el control glucémico en pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 evitando la inercia terapéutica.

OBJECTIVE: Inertia has been described as one of the causes of persistent poor glycemic control. The aim of this study was to evaluate, after one year of implementation in a health area, the effect of an intervention to improve the degree of glycemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes (DM2). METHODS: A pre-post intervention study was carried out in one health department during 2018. Health department with 222,767 inhabitants, 111 primary care physicians and 14,154 patients with DM2. Each primary care physician reviewed, outside consultation hours ("working without patients"), the electronic health record to identify patients with DM2 and with poor glycemic control, and they cited them for review. The glycemic control for the month of December 2017 and 2018 were compared, defined as the percentage of patients who reach the control objective of glycosylate hemoglobin (HbA1c). RESULTS: The proportion of patients with good glycemic control was 44.8% in 2017 and 50.1% in 2018, being the department that obtained the greatest improvement in the indicator in 2018 in the Valencian Community. The proportion of primary care physicians that had at least half of their patients with good glycemic control increased from 39% to 51% after the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The strategy "working without patients" was associated with an improvement in the degree of glycemic control of patients with DM2.

OBJETIVO: La inercia se ha descrito como una de las causas de la persistencia del mal control glucémico. El objetivo del este estudio fue evaluar, tras un año de implantación en un área de salud, el efecto de una intervención para mejorar el grado de control glucémico de los pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 (DM2). METODOS: Estudio de intervención antes-después en un departamento de salud (área de salud) con 222.767 habitantes, 111 médicos de atención primaria y 14.154 pacientes con DM2. Cada médico de atención primaria revisó, fuera del horario de consulta ("trabajando sin pacientes"), la historia de salud electrónica para identificar pacientes con DM2 y con mal control glucémico, y los citaron para revisión. Se comparó el control glucémico del mes de diciembre de 2017 y 2018 definido como porcentaje de pacientes que alcanza objetivo de control de hemoglobina glicosilada (HbA1c). RESULTADOS: La proporción de pacientes con buen control glucémico fue de 44,8% en 2017 y 50,1% en 2018, siendo el departamento que obtuvo la mayor mejora del indicador en 2018 en la Comunidad Valenciana. La proporción de médicos de atención primaria que tenían al menos la mitad de sus pacientes con buen control glucémico pasó del 39% al 51% tras la intervención. CONCLUSIONES: La estrategia "trabajando sin pacientes" se asoció a una mejora del grado de control glucémico de los pacientes con DM2.

Effects of electrical stimulation in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to examine whether the use of an internal electrostimulator could improve the results obtained with core decompression alone in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 41 patients (55 hips) treated for osteonecrosis of the femoral head between 2005 and 2014. Mean follow-up time was 56 (12-108) months. We recorded 3 parameters: time to recurrence of pain, time to conversion to arthroplasty and time to radiographic failure. Survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The equality of the survival distributions was determined by the Log rank test. RESULTS: Implanted electrostimulator was a factor that increased the survival of hips in a pre-op Steinberg stage of II or below, while it remained unchanged if the stage was III or higher. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of an internal electrostimulator provides increased survival compared to core decompression alone at stages below III.