Ankle fusion in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

BACKGROUND: It appears that both the incidence and survival of patients infected with hepatitis C have recently demonstrated a significant increase. The goal of this investigation was to determine the associated perioperative risks associated with ankle arthrodesis in this growing population. METHODS: The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases identified patients with chronic hepatitis C infection who underwent ankle arthrodesis between January 2009 and December 2013. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes were used to define the primary composite outcome of death or postoperative complication. Logistic models with frequency weights were used to compare propensity matched groups. RESULTS: 7339 patients met inclusion criteria. Of these, 157 patients had a history of chronic Hepatitis C infection. After performing a propensity score match, the final analytic cohort was 157 in the Hepatitis C group and 386 in the non-Hepatitis C group. There was no statistically significant differences in complications between patients with chronic Hepatitis C undergoing ankle fusion and those without Hepatitis C at any post-operative time point (inpatient, 30 days, or 90 days). DISCUSSION: Patients with chronic hepatitis C infection undergoing ankle arthrodesis are not at an elevated risk of inpatient, thirty, and ninety day postoperative complications compared to patients without chronic HCV infections. Patients with chronic hepatitis C did not have an increased risk of surgical site infection or mortality at any time point. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III.

Increasing Public Interest in Stem Cell Injections for Osteoarthritis of the Hip and Knee: A Google Trends Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Stem cell injections are being offered to patients as a nonoperative treatment for osteoarthritis of the hip and knee. To our knowledge, no peer-reviewed data exist to document the usage frequency of these injections nor to quantify the public interest in these injections. We sought to use Google Trends to provide a quantitative analysis of interest in hip and knee stem cell injections at the population level. METHODS: Google Trends search parameters were set to obtain query data from January 2010 through December 2017. 'Arthritis,' 'osteoarthritis,' 'stem cell,' 'injection,' 'knee,' and 'hip' were entered in various combinations to obtain the highest yield search volume. Trend analyses were performed. RESULTS: Six linear models were generated to show trends in the volume of searches for the United States and the World. Model fit was good, and regression analysis showed significant trends over time for all searches. Use of search terms increased significantly over time (all models P < .001). Adjusted R-square values ranged from 54.4% to 78.1%. All trends showed an upward trajectory for the entirety of the study time period. CONCLUSION: There has been a marked and statistically significant rise in search query volume related to stem cells and osteoarthritis of the hip and knee since 2010. Online interest in stem cell injections may suggest increased utilization of these procedures. Well-designed clinical studies are required to keep pace with the rising popularity and public interest in this intervention for hip and knee arthritis.

Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Is Associated With Increased Risks of Postoperative Complications Following Total Knee and Total Hip Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) has not been studied as a potential risk factor for postoperative complications after primary total knee (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: Nearly 2000 patients with a diagnosis of NPH who underwent TKA or THA from 2005 to 2014 were identified in a national insurance database and compared to 10:1 matched controls using a logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: NPH was associated with an increased risk of hospital readmission, emergency room visit, and infection following TKA (odds ratio 1.48-2.70, all P < .01). NPH was associated with an increased risk of hospital readmission, emergency room visit, and dislocation following THA (odds ratio 2.40-2.50, all P < .01). NPH was also associated with significantly higher costs and hospital length of stay following both procedures. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of NPH is associated with an elevated risk of postoperative complications and increased resource utilization following TKA and THA.

Shoulder Arthroplasty in Transplant Recipients: Complications and Mortality.

Given the increase in the incidence and survivability of those with solid organ transplantations in the United States, the purpose of this study was to identify inpatient, 30-day, and 90-day outcomes following primary shoulder arthroplasty in transplant recipients. The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Inpatient Databases identified patients who underwent shoulder arthroplasty after solid organ transplantation between January 2007 and December 2013. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes were used to define the primary composite outcome of death or postoperative complication. Logistic models with frequency weights were used to compare propensity-matched groups. Patients undergoing primary shoulder arthroplasty following solid organ transplant are at elevated risk of inpatient and 30-day and 90-day postoperative complications (respiratory, hemorrhage) and have longer length of stays compared with nontransplant patients. Transplant patients did not have an increased risk of surgical site infection or mortality at any time point (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 28(1):41-47, 2019).

Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma: A survival analysis of 159 cases from the SEER database (2001-2011).

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is a rare malignancy with reported 5-year overall survival rates ranging from 7% to 24%. The purpose of this investigation is to determine the overall survival of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma in a modern patient series and how it is impacted by patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and surgical treatment factors. METHODS: This is a retrospective review of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 2001 to 2011. Kaplan Meier analyses were used for overall and disease-specific survival. Univariable and multivariable cox regression models were used to identify prognostic factors. RESULTS: Five year overall- and disease-specific survival was 18% (95% CI: 12-26%) and 28% (95% CI: 18-37%), respectively. Individuals with extremity tumors had a worse prognosis than individuals with a primary tumor in the chest wall or axial skeleton (HR 0.20, 95% CI: 0.07-0.56; P = 0.002 and HR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.36-0.99; P = 0.04, respectively). Patients with AJCC stage III or IV disease (HR 2.51, 95% CI: 1.50-4.20; P = 0.001), tumors larger than 8 cm (HR 2.17, 95% CI: 1.11-4.27; P = 0.046), metastatic disease at diagnosis (HR 3.25, 95% CI: 1.98-5.33; P < 0.001), and those treated without surgical resection (amputation: HR 0.43, 95% CI 0.23-0.80; P = 0.01; limb salvage/non-amputation resection: HR 0.41, 95% CI: 0.24-0.69; P = 0.001) had a significant increase in risk of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The overall prognosis of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is poor with a 5-year overall survival of 18%. Patients with a primary tumor located in the chest wall had a better prognosis. Tumors larger than 8 cm, presence of metastases at diagnosis, and treatment without surgical resection were significant predictors of mortality.

No consensus on implant choice for oligometastatic disease of the femoral head and neck.

OBJECTIVES: Metastatic disease involving the femoral head and neck is often treated with a hemiarthroplasty or total hip arthroplasty (THA) to prevent pathologic fracture but there are no outcome studies demonstrating superiority of one option over the other. METHODS: This investigation was designed as a survey of the current members of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS). The survey contained seven clinical vignettes with identical imaging of a pathologic lesion of the femoral head and neck. The primary outcome measured was decision to treat the lesion with hemiarthroplasty or THA. Secondary outcomes included method of fixation of the femoral/acetabular components and head type utilized. RESULTS: A total of 93 members (30.0%) of the MSTS completed the survey. Across all clinical vignettes, 73.3% (p < 0.001) of the responses were in favor of hemiarthroplasty; however, there was no significant difference between hemiarthroplasty and THA in Cases 1 & 2 (p = 0.08, p = 0.6, respectively); the cases representing younger patients with a more favorable histologic diagnosis. When THA was selected the majority of respondents preferred hybrid or cementless fixation construct (56.1% and 27.0%, respectively, p < 0.001). When hemiarthroplasty was selected respondents selected a cemented, bipolar construct (86.4% and 64.2%, respectively, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: When treating metastatic lesions of the femoral head and neck orthopaedic oncologists do not agree on reconstructing with THA versus hemiarthroplasty for patients with younger age and favorable histology. This investigation highlights the controversy of this clinical decision and indicates the need for a collaborative prospective trial among this specific patient population in order to determine the optimal treatment method.

Any Cortical Bridging Predicts Healing of Supracondylar Femur Fractures After Treatment With Locked Plating.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the accuracy and reliability of radiographic cortical bridging criteria in predicting the final healing of supracondylar femur fractures after treatment with locked plating. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Two Level 1 trauma centers. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients who presented with supracondylar femur fractures (OTA/AO 33A, C) and were treated with locking plate fixation between January 1, 2004, and January 1, 2011. The final study population included 82 fractures after excluding patients with open physes (n = 4), nondisplaced fractures (n = 4), early revision for technical failure (n = 4), or inadequate follow-up (n = 42). INTERVENTION: Distal femur locking plate fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Postoperative radiographs until final follow-up were assessed for cortical bridging at each cortex on anterior-posterior and lateral views. Images were analyzed independently by 3 orthopaedic traumatologists to allow for assessment of reliability. Final determination of union required both radiographic and clinical confirmation. RESULTS: Assessment for any cortical bridging was the earliest accurate predictor of final union (95.1% accuracy at 4 months postoperatively), compared with criteria requiring bicortical bridging (93.9% accuracy at 6 months) and tricortical bridging (78% accuracy at 21 months). Any cortical bridging demonstrated a higher interobserver reliability (kappa = 0.73) relative to bicortical (kappa = 0.27) or tricortical bridging (kappa = 0.5). CONCLUSIONS: Our results for plate fixation of supracondylar distal femur fractures mirror those previously described for intramedullary nailing of tibia shaft fractures. Any radiographic cortical bridging by 4 months postoperatively is an accurate and reliable predictor of final healing outcome after locking plate fixation of supracondylar femur fractures. Assessment for bicortical or tricortical bridging is less reliable and inaccurate during the first postoperative year. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.