Impacto Laboral, Económico, y Clínico Funcional en la Artrodesis Lumbar / Labor, economic, and clinical functional impact of lumbar arthrodesis

Introducción: El dolor lumbar, constituye un grave problema de salud, en España ocupa el primer puesto como causa de Incapacidad Temporal (IT). Diversos estudios han intentado responder a la cuestión de si compensa realizar intervenciones más intensivas. El objetivo del proyecto es analizar el gasto sanitario ocasionado, valorando los costes de IT al emplear el tratamiento conservador y con tratamiento quirúrgico. Material y Métodos: Estudio prospectivo comparativo entre pacientes con patología degenerativa lumbar tratados quirúrgicamente, y de manera conservadora. Se recogieron la edad y sexo, hábitos tóxicos, tratamiento farmacológico, actividad laboral, los segmentos afectados, y el número de días en situación de IT, con un seguimiento de 3 años. Resultados: Un total de 94 pacientes fueron incluidos en el estudio (55 pertenecían al grupo control, y 39 al grupo artrodesis). Los pacientes que fueron operados llevaban más días de IT, y entrañaban más costes de IT (p=0,018). Comparando los costes de la intervención quirúrgica para el grupo artrodesis vemos que no existen diferencias entre los pacientes jubilados/ en situación de incapacidad permanente. Después de tres años de seguimiento, el 89,1% del grupo control y el 52,6% del grupo artrodesis recibieron el alta. Conclusión: Los costes de incapacidad transitoria fueron mayores en los pacientes sometidos a tratamiento quirúrgico. Los pacientes que no recibieron el alta supusieron mayores costes de IT. En los pacientes que recibieron el alta no hubo diferencias en los costes, descontando el coste del proceso quirúrgico. (AU)

Introduction: Low back pain is a serious health problem, and in Spain it occupies first place as a cause of Temporary Disability (TD). Several studies have tried to answer the question of whether it is worthwhile to carry out more intensive interventions. The project aims to analyze the health care costs incurred, assessing the costs of TD when conservative treatment and surgical treatment are used. Material and methods: Prospective comparative study between patients with lumbar degenerative pathology treated surgically and conservatively. Age and sex, toxic habits, pharmacological treatment, work activity, affected segments, and the number of days on TI were recorded, with a follow-up of 3 years. Results: A total of 94 patients were included in the study (55 belonged to the control group and 39 to the arthrodesis group). Patients who underwent surgery had more days of TD and more TD costs (p=0.018). Comparing the costs of surgery for the arthrodesis group, we see that there are no differences between retired/permanently disabled patients. After three years of follow-up, 89.1% of the control group and 52.6% of the arthrodesis group were discharged. Conclusion: Transitional disability costs were higher in patients who underwent surgical treatment. Patients who were not discharged had higher TD costs. In patients who were discharged, there were no differences in costs, discounting the cost of the surgical process. (AU)

Lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at admission is associated with a worse outcome in older patients with hip fracture who undergo surgical treatment.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the relationship of estimated glomerular filtration rate values at hospital admission on the outcome of surgically treated older adults who had suffered a hip fracture. METHODS: Prospective study that included patients > 65 years of age, surgically treated for primary hip fracture, with no pathologic or high-energy trauma aetiology admitted to a tertiary teaching hospital between 2018 and 2019. We stratified patients based on their estimated glomerular filtration rate at admission and examined its association to demographic and clinical variables, including 90-day post-discharge mortality. RESULTS: The study included 942 hip fracture patients. Lowered estimated glomerular filtration rate was significantly associated to a worsening of the functional status, higher incidence of medical postoperative complications, higher postoperative renal dysfunction, and greater number of blood transfusions. Mortality displayed a staircase pattern, increasing with decreasing estimated glomerular filtration rate. Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 had significantly higher mortality at 90 days after discharge. In-hospital mortality rate was 10.7% in hip fracture patients with chronic kidney disease who experienced a significant variation in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (>5 mL/min/1.73m2) on admission in comparison to baseline values. CONCLUSION: Older adult patients treated for hip fracture with lower glomerular filtration rate values have poorer functional status and worse prognosis. A significant clinical variation of estimated glomerular filtration rate upon hospital admission for hip fracture may be associated with increased in-hospital mortality of chronic kidney disease patients.

Autologous mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for spinal fusion: 10 years follow-up of a phase I/II clinical trial.

Posterolateral spinal fusion is the standard surgical approach for patients with degenerative disc disease. In our previously published article, we reported a 5-years follow-up of a phase I/II clinical trial in patients undergoing spinal fusion with autologous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) embedded in tricalcium phosphate. In the current manuscript, we have updated the results with a 10-year follow-up, the longest reported to date in this setting. After clinical and radiological evaluation, safety of the procedure was further confirmed in all 11 treated patients, with no evidence of tumor, infection, inflammatory reaction, or heterotopic ossification related to the administration of MSCs. Regarding clinical efficacy, low back pain and radicular pain (both assessed by the visual analogue scale-VAS), and the Owestry Disability Index remained significantly lower compared to pre-intervention. Radiologic evaluation demonstrated spinal fusion in all cases, improving over time. Finally, quality of life improved significantly also during follow-up. In summary, the use of tricalcium phosphate-embedded autologous MSCs with lumbar posterolateral arthrodesis is safe and potentially provides long-term benefits for 10 years.

El filtrado glomerular bajo al ingreso se relaciona con un peor pronóstico en pacientes mayores con fractura de cadera tratados quirúrgicamente / Lower estimated glomerular filtration rate at admission is associatedwith a worse outcome in older patients with hip fracture who undergosurgical treatment

Fundamento: Evaluar la influencia de los valores de filtrado glomerular estimado (eFG) al ingreso en el pronóstico de los pacientes mayores con fractura de cadera tratados quirúrgicamente.Métodos: Estudio prospectivo de pacientes >65 años, tratados quirúrgicamente por una fractura de cadera primaria, sin etiología tumoral o traumatismo de alta energía, en un hospital universitario terciario entre 2018 y 2019. Estratificamos a los pacientes según el FG al ingreso y estudiamos su asociación con distintas variables demográficas y clínicas, incluida la mortalidad hasta 90 días después del alta hospitalaria.Resultados: Se incluyeron 942 pacientes. La disminución del eFG se asoció significativamente a peor estado funcional, mayor incidencia de complicaciones médicas postoperatorias, mayor disfunción renal postoperatoria y mayor necesidad de transfusión sanguínea. La mortalidad mostró un patrón en escalera que aumentaba con la disminución del eFG. A los 90 días, la mortalidad fue significativamente mayor en pacientes con eFG <60. Los pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica que sufrían una fractura de cadera y experimentan al ingreso una variación significativa del eFG (>5 mL/min/1,73m2) respecto a los valores basales mostraron una tasa de mortalidad intrahospitalaria del 10,7%.Conclusiones: Los pacientes ancianos tratados quirúrgicamente por fractura de cadera con valores más bajos de tasa de eFG presentan peor estado funcional y peor pronóstico. Una variación clínica significativa del FG (>5) en el momento del ingreso hospitalario tras una fractura de cadera podría asociarse a un aumento de la mortalidad intrahospitalaria de los pacientes con insuficiencia renal crónica.(AU)

Background: We assessed the relationship of estimated glomerular filtration rate values at hospital admission on the outcome of surgically treated older adults who had suffered a hip fracture. Methods: Prospective study that included patients > 65 years of age, surgically treated for primary hip fracture, with no pathologic or high-energy trauma aetiology admitted to a tertiary teaching hospital between 2018 and 2019. We stratified patients based on their estimated glomerular filtration rate at admission and examined its association to demographic and clinical variables, including 90-day post-discharge mortality. Results: The study included 942 hip fracture patients. Lowered estimated glomerular filtration rate was significantly associated to a worsening of the functional status, higher incidence of medical postoperative complications, higher postoperative renal dysfunction, and greater number of blood transfusions. Mortality displayed a staircase pattern, increasing with decreasing estimated glomerular filtration rate. Patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 had significantly higher mortality at 90 days after discharge. In-hospital mortality rate was 10.7% in hip fracture patients with chronic kidney disease who experienced a significant variation in the estimated glomerular filtration rate (>5 mL/min/1.73m2 ) on admission in comparison to baseline values. Conclusion: Older adult patients treated for hip fracture with lower glomerular filtration rate values have poorer functional status and worse prognosis. A significant clinical variation of estimated glomerular filtration rate upon hospital admission for hip fracture may be associated with increased in-hospital mortality of chronic kidney disease patients.(AU)

Long-Term Results of a Phase I/II Clinical Trial of Autologous Mesenchymal Stem Cell Therapy for Femoral Head Osteonecrosis.

(1) Background: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is characterized by impaired vascularization with ischemia resulting in bone cell death, leading to the deterioration of the hip joint. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) are an attractive potential therapeutic approach in this setting. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical improvement in terms of pain and quality of life, as well as the safety of the procedure during the follow-up of patients. (2) Methods: A Phase I-II Open-Label Non-Randomized Prospective clinical trial was conducted. Eight patients with idiopathic ONFH and stage < IIC in the ARCO classification were included. Four weeks before therapy, 40 mL of autologous bone marrow was obtained, and MSCs were expanded under Good-Manufacturing-Practice (GMP) standards. Study medication consisted of a suspension of autologous BM-derived MSCs (suspended in a solution of 5-10 mL of saline and 5% human albumin) in a single dose of 0.5-1 × 106 cells/kg of the patient, administered intraosseously with a trocar and under radioscopic control. Per-protocol monitoring of patients included a postoperative period of 12 months, with a clinical and radiological assessment that included the visual analog scale (VAS), the Harris scale, the SF-36, and the radiological evolution of both hips. In addition, all patients were further followed up for eight years to assess the need for long-term total hip replacement (THR) surgery. (3) Results: Median age of patients included was 48.38 ± 7.38 years, and all patients were men. Autologous MSCs were expanded in all cases. There were no adverse effects related to cell administration. Regarding efficacy, both VAS and ODI scores improved after surgery. Radiologically, 12.5% of patients improved at the end of follow-up, whereas 50% improved clinically. No adverse effects related to the procedure were recorded, and none of the patients needed THR surgery within the first year after MSC therapy. (4) Conclusions: The use of autologous MSCs for patients with ONFH disease is feasible, safe in the long term, and potentially effective.

Total Knee Arthroplasty for the Oldest Old.

The present study describes and compares the early functional results after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) of the oldest-old population (aged over 84 years) and a randomly matched younger septuagenarian cohort so treated. We aimed to evaluate the early functional outcomes after patients' rehabilitation and the yearly requirements for hospital readmission and emergency room visits after TKA. We noted a similar length of hospital stay for octogenarian and septuagenarian patients, and we determined that both groups of patients were improving ROM (both flexion and extension) after the rehabilitation program (p < 0.05, in all cases), but there were no significant differences between octogenarian and septuagenarian improvement of the knee function (p > 0.05, in all cases). Patients from both age groups behaved similarly in terms of mobility before starting rehabilitation and after completion of the rehabilitation program. We noted that older octogenarian patients showed a higher one-year hospital readmission rate than younger septuagenarian patients, but similar early emergency room visits for both age groups. The findings of this study allow us to conclude that advanced age in itself should not be a contraindication for TKA.