Total Knee Arthroplasty Performed With Long-Acting Liposomal Bupivacaine Versus Femoral Nerve Catheter.

Inadequate pain management after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can interfere with participation in and progression of physical rehabilitation, and thereby prolong hospital stay, and increase costs and overall dissatisfaction with the procedure. At our institution, TKA traditionally has been performed with femoral nerve catheters (FNCs) for postoperative pain control. We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal, repeated -measures study to compare FNC and long-acting liposomal bupivacaine (LALB) with respect to pain control, range of motion, ability to ambulate, and hospital length of stay. Twenty-three patients underwent separately staged bilateral TKAs, the first with FNC and the second with periarticular injection of LALB. Statistically significant differences favoring LALB over FNC were found for hospital length of stay (P < .01), per-attempt walking distance during hospitalization (P < .01), total range of motion (extension plus flexion) at 3-week follow-up (P = .02), and total morphine-equivalent dose during hospitalization (P = .02). Our results showed that, compared with patients who received FNC, patients who received LALB had comparable pain control, improved knee range of motion, and shorter hospital stays. Additional clinical studies are needed to better determine the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of LALB and other long-acting local anesthetic formulations.

Clinical Outcomes of Tibial Components with Modular Stems Used in Primary TKA.

Due to the known potential for fretting and corrosion at modular junctions in orthopaedic implants, this retrospective study evaluated radiographic and clinical outcomes of 85 primary TKA patients implanted with modular stemmed tibial components and followed up for an average of 82 months. There was low incidence of tibial radiolucent lines, excellent functional outcomes, and no complications associated with stem modularity. The findings were comparable to the historical control study involving 107 TKA with a nonmodular tibial stem design. When using surface cemented tibial components combined with a constrained polyethylene bearing, modular stems appear to be a viable option for primary TKA when adequate fixation and rotational stability are maintained.

Treatment for Wear and Osteolysis in Well-Fixed Uncemented TKR.

Background. Traditionally, osteolysis around total knee replacements (TKRs) is treated with complete revision. In certain subsets, polyethylene insert exchange and bone grafting may be applicable. This study reports the clinical outcomes for selective bone grafting in patients with osteolysis without complete revision of the TKR. Methods. This retrospective study analyzes 10 TKRs (9 patients, 66.5 ± 6.1 years old) presenting with osteolysis and revised after 8.7 ± 1.9 years of in vivo function. At index TKR, all patients were implanted with uncemented prosthesis and modular polyethylene insert with anteroposterior articular constraint (Ultracongruent, Natural Knee II, Sulzer Medica). The surgical technique for treating the osteolysis included removal of necrotic bone tissue using curettage, filling of the defect with bone graft materials, and polyethylene insert exchange. Results. Patients have not exhibited any further complications associated with osteolysis after 5.1 ± 2.4 years of followup. Routine radiographic exams show total incorporation of the graft material into the previously lytic regions in all patients. Conclusion. In some TKRs with osteolysis and firmly fixed components, the removal of lytic tissue and subsequent defect filling with bone graft materials can be a viable solution. This case series shows complete resolution of osteolysis in all patients with no complications.

Orthopedic surgery postgraduate year 1 intern curriculum improves initial orthopedic in-training examination performance.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy of an educational curriculum designed for orthopedic surgery postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) interns to improve initial Orthopedic In-Training Examination (OITE) performance. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed that evaluated the PGY-1 intern OITE performance of one residency training program (n = 55) during 7-year periods before (1996-2002) and after structured curriculum implementation (2003-2009). RESULTS: Linear regression analysis revealed insignificant changes in median PGY-1 intern OITE percentile rank during the precurriculum period (R = 0.08, P = 0.53). Postcurriculum period comparisons revealed significantly improving PGY-1 intern OITE percentile rank (R = 0.46, P = 0.048). Pre- and postcurriculum median US Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step I scores did not display statistically significant differences (218.2 ± 6.6 vs 229.1 ± 13.8, Mann-Whitney U test, z = -1.5, P = 0.10). Spearman rho correlations revealed a moderate relation (r = 0.61) between postcurriculum PGY-1 intern OITE percentile rank and USMLE Step I score, but not during the precurriculum period. A moderate relation (r = 0.50) also was observed between postcurriculum USMLE Step I score and average OITE percentile rank during the 5-year residency program, but not during the precurriculum period. CONCLUSIONS: PGY-1 intern OITE percentile rank improved significantly with the addition of a specially designed educational curriculum. The stronger USMLE Step I score and PGY-1 intern OITE percentile rank relation observed during the postcurriculum period suggests that interns who participated in the educational curriculum were better prepared to translate general medical and patient care knowledge into orthopedic surgery knowledge.

Inflation osteoplasty: in vitro evaluation of a new technique for reducing depressed intra-articular fractures of the tibial plateau and distal radius.

BACKGROUND: Anatomic reduction of intra-articular fractures of the tibial plateau and distal radius can be difficult to achieve. Treatment goals are centered on restoring the native anatomy and articular congruency. Several surgeons in the USA have begun using an inflatable bone tamp to reduce these fracture patterns. The concept is built on the success of the tamp in kyphoplasty of the spine, but it has yet to be tested in the lab for use in the extremities. We performed an investigation into the safety and efficacy of using an inflatable bone tamp for intra-articular fracture reduction of the tibial plateau and distal radius. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Paired cadaveric specimens were obtained for a total of six proximal tibias and six distal radii. Intra-articular depression-type fractures were created in all specimens. The inflatable bone tamp was then used to reduce the depression. For comparison, the tibias were fractured on the medial and lateral side and a conventional metal tamp was used on the contralateral side of the balloon. Fine-cut micro-computed tomography (CT) scans were performed on all intact specimens, which were then fractured, and again after fracture reduction. CT data was used to measure the amount of restoration of the normal anatomy and to compare the effectiveness of the balloon to conventional methods. RESULTS: The inflatable bone tamp was equivalent to conventional methods in large, minimally displaced fracture fragments and proved superior when comminution was present at the articular surface. No instances of overreduction or penetration into the joint were encountered with the balloon, whereas this was a common occurrence with conventional metal tamps. The inflatable tamp was successful in reducing all distal radius fractures without complication. CONCLUSION: Anatomic reduction of impacted articular fractures should be the goal of any treating surgeon. In our cadaveric models, we have shown the inflatable bone tamp to be safe and effective in reducing depressed articular fractures around the tibial plateau and distal radius. The balloon offers the advantage of being minimally invasive and creating a symmetric, contained defect to hold bone filler for subchondral support.