The Use of Barbed Sutures in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review on Clinical-Surgical Outcomes, Costs, and Complications.

PURPOSE: Total hip arthroplasty is among the most successful procedures in orthopaedic surgery. As the total number of total hip arthroplasties is constantly rising and it is expected to further increase, efforts oriented to optimise surgical pathways are investigated, aiming to reduce complications and diminish costs. The wound suturing phase is one of the steps that may be addressed. Barbed sutures have proved to reduce surgical times and enhance suture stability, then reducing wound-related complications in many surgical fields. The evidence on the use of this technology in total hip arthroplasty is still sparse, and its effect on patient outcomes and costs must still be clarified. METHODS: A systematic search of studies published from 1 January 2000 to 1 March 2023 was performed. Two authors independently reviewed the literature available in eight electronic databases to identify papers eligible for inclusion. RESULTS: A total of nine studies investigating 6959 procedures on 6959 patients were included in the final analysis. Five studies were randomised controlled trials, and the overall quality of studies ranged from moderate to high. The mean age of patients ranged from 43.8 to 70 years. BMI ranged from 25 to 31.9 kg/m2. The mean follow-up of studies ranged from 3 to 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence included in the systematic review suggested that the use of barbed sutures is associated with lower suturing times, complication rates, and overall costs when compared to the use of traditional suturing techniques. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II, systematic review of level I and II studies.

Bicruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasty: What's new?

Primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a widespread procedure to address end stage osteoarthritis with good results, clinical outcomes, and long-term survivorship. Although it is frequently performed in elderly, an increased demand in young and active people is expected in the next years. However, a considerable dissatisfaction rate has been reported by highly demanding patients due to the intrinsic limitations provided by the TKA. Bicruciate-retaining (BCR) TKA was developed to mimic knee biomechanics, through anterior cruciate ligament preservation. First-generation BCR TKA has not gained popularity due to its being a challenging technique and having poor survival outcomes. Thanks to implant design improvement and surgeon-friendly instrumentation, second-generation BCR TKA has seen renewed interest. This review will focus on surgical indications, kinematical basis, clinical results and latest developments of second-generation BCR TKA.

Metastatic Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Skin: A Comprehensive Literature Review, Including Advances in Molecular Therapeutics.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is the most common type of malignant human tumor. In Europe, the incidence of BCC ranges from 44.6 to 128 cases per 100,000 inhabitants annually, whereas in the United States, the yearly incidence rate ranges between 500 and 1500. The global incidence has been calculated to be as high as 10 million cases of BCC per year. There are 2 main clinical patterns of BCC-the familial BCC in basal cell nevus syndrome and sporadic BCC. The etiology of cutaneous BCC is usually the result of the interaction between solar ultraviolet radiation and genetic factors. Somatic or germline mutations in the effector components of the hedgehog signaling pathway (ie, PTCH1, PTCH2, SMO or SUFU genes) are responsible for ∼90% of the cases of both sporadic and familial BCC, all causing a constitutive activation of the hedgehog pathway. Cutaneous BCC very rarely metastasizes, and diagnosis in metastatic sites can be very difficult. Metastatic BCC has weakly effective therapeutic options with a poor prognosis until few years ago. In 2012, small-molecule therapies, involving inactivation of the hedgehog signaling pathway, and capable of reducing tumor growth and progression have been introduced into clinical practice for advanced (locally advanced or metastatic) BCC. We performed a comprehensive literature review on metastatic BCC and found at least 915 cases reported to date. In addition, we extensively discussed the differential diagnosis of metastatic BCC, and outlined the advances in clinical therapeutics involving these small molecules.

Metastatic Cutaneous Basal Cell Carcinoma: Report of 2 Cases Preceding the Hedgehog Pathway Antagonists Era.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) of the skin is the most common type of malignant human tumor. However, metastatic BCC is a very rare event with weakly effective therapeutic options and a poor prognosis, until a few years ago. In 2012, small-molecule therapies, capable of inactivating the hedgehog signaling pathway and thus reducing tumor growth and progression, were introduced into clinical practice for the treatment of patients with advanced BCC. We present retrospectively 2 personal cases of metastatic BCC of the skin, from the premolecular therapy era, from primary tumors that arose years before in the head and neck area. The former case occurred in a 45-year-old woman with a history of recurrent BCC of the retroauricular skin who eventually died due to diffuse metastatic spread. The latter case concerned a 70-year-old man also with a history of recurrent BCC of the nasal-perinasal skin who developed multiple subcutaneous and lymph node metastases in the neck. In both cases, the diagnoses were based on biopsies of the metastatic sites. The first patient died 5 months after the diagnosis of metastatic disease, while the second was alive and disease-free 2 years after neck lymph node dissection and external radiation therapy, and then lost to follow-up. We extensively discuss several tumor entities with basal or basaloid features that may enter the differential diagnosis with BCC in metastatic sites. In addition, we briefly summarize the advances in clinical therapeutics using small molecules, which are now an integral part of the treatment of such advanced BCC cases.