No advantage with navigated versus conventional mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty-10 year results of a randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) total knee arthroplasty (TKA) remains a controversial area of surgical practice. The aim of this study is to report the ten-year revision rates and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) of a single-blinded, prospective, randomised controlled trial comparing electromagnetically (EM) navigated and conventional TKA. METHODS: 199 patients were randomised to receive either EM navigated or conventional TKA where the aim of implantation was neutral mechanical alignment in all cases. Ten-year revision rates were collated and compared between the two intervention groups. Longitudinal PROMS data was collected prospectively at various time points up to 10 years post-operatively. RESULTS: Over the ten-year period, there were 23 deaths (22.8%) in the EM navigation cohort and 30 deaths (30.6%) in the conventional cohort. At 10 years post-operatively, there was no statistically significant difference in all cause revision between the EM navigation and conventional cohort (4.0 vs 6.1%, p = 0.429). When analysing causes of revision that might be influenced by utilising EM navigation, there was no statistically significant difference in revisions (3.0% EM navigated vs 4.1% conventional group, p = 0.591). Patients that received navigated TKAs had improved Oxford Knee Society, American Knee Society Score and range of motion at 3 months following surgery compared to conventional TKA (p = 0.002, p = 0.032, and p = 0.05, respectively). However, from 1 to 10 years post-operatively, both interventions had equivalent outcomes. CONCLUSION: There is no difference in revision rates or clinical outcomes comparing EM navigated versus conventional TKA at ten-year follow-up. The expected mortality rate makes it unlikely that a difference in revision rates will reach statistical significance in the future. In the setting of an experienced knee arthroplasty surgeon, it is difficult to justify the additional costs of CAS in TKA surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I.

Outcomes of total hip and knee arthroplasty in special populations: a synopsis and critical appraisal of systematic reviews.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to present and critically appraise the best available evidence investigating associations between some pre-defined patient-related characteristics and perioperative complications or other outcomes in THA and TKA. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched (Medline, EMBASE, Scopus, CENTRAL) for systematic reviews assessing the following pre-defined patient-related characteristics as possible risk factors for worse peri-operative outcomes in THA and TKA: smoking, alcohol excess, rheumatoid arthritis, human immunodeficiency virus infection, hepatitis C virus infection, mental health conditions, and solid organ transplantation. Our primary outcome was periprosthetic joint infection. Results were analysed separately for THA, TKA and THA/TKA (mixed data). RESULTS: Based on at least two systematic reviews being in agreement, the following patient-related characteristics were associated with increased incidence of complications as follows: a) Smoking for all-cause revision in THA, for periprosthetic joint infection in TKA and THA/TKA; b) alcohol excess for periprosthetic joint infection in THA/TKA; c) human immunodeficiency virus for periprosthetic joint infection in THA/TKA; d) hepatitis C virus for overall complications, periprosthetic joint infection and all-cause revision in THA and THA/TKA, and for overall complications in TKA. Our study found conflicting evidence for a) smoking as a risk factor for periprosthetic joint infection and aseptic loosening in THA; b) human immunodeficiency virus as a risk factor for all-cause revision for THA/TKA; c) hepatitis C virus as a risk factor for periprosthetic joint infection and all-cause revision in TKA. No certainty of evidence was assigned to these results as this was not assessed by the authors of the majority of the included systematic reviews. CONCLUSION: We found that smoking, excess alcohol consumption, RA, and infection with HIV and HCV were associated with a higher incidence of periprosthetic joint infection in one or both of THA and TKA or mixed THA/TKA data. All our results should be interpreted and communicated to patients with caution as the quality of the included systematic reviews was generally poor.

Association of Parental Consanguinity With Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma: A Case-Control Study.

CONTEXT: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma. Uncommonly, PTC is associated with multiple genetic alterations and chromosomal abnormalities and displays familial patterns of inheritance. Parental consanguinity increases susceptibility to many genetic disorders. OBJECTIVE: This work aimed to investigate the association of parental consanguinity with PTC. METHODS: This case-control study of PTC patients compared with healthy controls took place in a tertiary referral hospital. We recruited 200 PTC patients who were managed at the endocrinology outpatient clinics of the Jordan University Hospital, and we recruited 515 healthy controls from a nonclinical setting. We interviewed all participants and collected sociodemographic data. We reviewed the family pedigrees of each participant four generations back and excluded any participant who was related. We established whether the parents of each participant were first cousins, first cousins once removed, second cousins, or unrelated. We then used binary logistic regression to assess the association of parental consanguinity with PTC adjusted for age, sex, smoking status, body mass index, and parental education. RESULTS: We recruited 715 participants. The numbers of PTC patients and healthy controls were 200 (28.0%) and 515 (72.0%), respectively. The rate of parental consanguinity was 25.5% in PTC patients and 12.2% in healthy controls. Parental consanguinity was significantly associated with PTC (adjusted odds ratio, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.63-4.17; P < .001). CONCLUSION: Parental consanguinity is a risk factor for PTC. Our findings should be considered during familial risk assessment and genetic counseling, especially in populations with high rates of consanguinity.