The Feasibility of Using the Direct Anterior Approach for Total Hip Arthroplasty or Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty to Treat Femoral Neck Fractures among the Elderly.

Purpose: Femoral neck fractures (FNFs) are a significant cause of mortality and disability among the elderly. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is the preferred treatment method in active, cognitively intact patients. In less active or cognitively impaired patients, bipolar hemiarthroplasty (BHA) is the practical option in Japan. Even with the direct anterior approach (DAA), clinical concerns about conducting THA in elderly patients include possible dislocations, critical complications, and medical cost-effectiveness. This study is aimed at rethinking the practical surgical indications for FNFs. Methods: Between April 2019 and March 2021, BHA patients with displaced FNF (n = 21) performed through the DAA were compared with THA patients with displaced FNF (n = 19). The perioperative complications, clinical and radiologic outcomes, and mortality were compared between groups retrospectively at six months. Results: THA patients had an increased average operation time (103.3 min vs. 89.1 min, P < 0.05) and similar amounts of bleeding (183.16 ml. vs. 121.1 ml.). The percentages of patients who received biological transfusion showed no difference, with low rates of perioperative complications (4% vs. 0%) and similar mortality rates compared to BHA patients. One THA patient experienced posterior dislocation during a state of postoperative delirium. Conclusion: THA through the DAA might be a credible and safe option for FNF patients, with excellent functional outcomes and fewer surgery-related complications. Early posterior dislocation might be related to optimized offset distance and not related to leg discrepancy or other radiographic items. Hence, orthopedic surgeons should reconsider their options before conducting BPH for elderly and cognitively intact FNF patients.

A Case of Cementless Impaction Bone Graft in a Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty Requiring Calcar Reconstruction.

INTRODUCTION: In cases of bone deficiency or osteoporosis, and especially in revision cases, there were only two options for treatment until the impaction bone graft procedure was proposed. These were cemented or cementless femoral prosthesis. In the early 1990s, the use of impaction bone graft with a cemented mantle had gained popularity and had proven to be clinically effective. In Germany, a cementless impaction bone graft procedure using Corail® (DePuy Synthes) stems was devised, and functional scores were similar to conventional cemented Impaction bone grafts. Case presentation. A 48-year-old man presented with femur loosening of a reamed bipolar arthroplasty performed in 1990. The patient was treated with a cementless impaction bone graft using a Corail® (DePuy Synthes) stem in the femur in revision THA surgery, and the calcar was reconstructed by allograft. RESULTS: At five years, the calcar allograft united with the host bone, and the femoral component showed no subsidence. CONCLUSION: Calcar reconstruction with a strut allograft, aimed at preventing sinking of the stem was key in this operation. Surgical indication for femoral cementless impaction bone graft should be for loosened femoral prosthesis in a type II Paprosky classification, where only the cortical bone of the isthmus is partially affected, cortical thinning does not exist, and it is mechanically strong enough for the allograft tip impaction. The procedure was safely feasible through the direct anterior approach.

The clinical benefits of denosumab for prophylaxis of steroid-induced osteoporosis in patients with pulmonary disease.

Previous reports demonstrated that bone density decreased rapidly during the initial few months of steroid therapy and continued decreasing at a rate of 2 to 4% annually. Our data indicates that denosumab can also play a role in the treatment of osteoporosis in the steroid-taking population. INTRODUCTION: Respiratory physicians are often faced with the dilemma that long-term steroid use will deteriorate bone mineral density and quality. Previous reports demonstrated that bone density decreased 8 to 12% during the initial few months of steroid therapy then continued decreasing at a rate of 2 to 4% annually. Several prospective trials revealed that denosumab increased bone density in patients with osteoporosis [2-4] and decreased the rate of occurrence of fractures. The long-term efficacy of denosumab for glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, however, has not yet been proven. MATERIALS: This has been an ongoing prospective study since 2014. In our respiratory centre, the first preventative measure used to combat glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis (GIO) is oral bisphosphonates. Thirty-six patients were enlisted, and their treatment courses were changed from oral bisphosphonate, if administered, to the subcutaneous injection of denosumab 60 mg every 6 months, combined with a daily oral intake of DENOTAS® chewable combination tablets. The primary efficacy measures were changes in lumbar spine (LS) bone mineral density (BMD) and femoral BMD from baseline at 4, 8, 12 and 28 months. RESULTS: At the 12-month follow-up, bone mineral density in the lumbar spine area of these patients increased by 3.2%, while bone mineral density in the hip area showed no significant increase. At the 28-month follow-up, 25 patients were still included in this study. Femoral BMD at 28 months increased significantly from the 12-month follow-up (P = 0.0259), though the first 12 months showed no significant increase. LS BMD continued to increase through the 28-month period. CONCLUSIONS: Very little is known regarding the active prevention of GIO. Our data indicates that denosumab can play a promising role in the treatment of GIO.

Is kyphoplasty necessary?

We describe four cases of delayed union in female patients with severe osteoporotic vertebral fractures, which were treated in a similar but less costly method to kyphoplasty. Due to domestic regulations, inflatable tamps for kyphoplasty are not available to every clinical orthopedists in Japan. In our clinical experience of four cases of delayed lumbar spine union between 2009 and 2010, we performed vertebroplasty using a reduction and spreading prod (Oyamada prod) for fracture reduction and a pediatric uromatic balloon (Medicon Co. Ltd.) to enlarge the pre-existing cavity. Our clinical results were comparable to those of kyphoplasty procedures performed in the USA. Our procedure could be used to overcome the shortage of medical supplies in developing countries or in countries such as Japan, which often prioritize financial concerns over providing optimal health care. Our method could serve as a useful compromise for moribund patients considering its cost efficiency.

Delayed diagnosis of cauda eqina syndrome with perineural cyst after combined spinal-epidural anesthesia in hemodialysis patient.

Symptomatic Tarlov (perineural cysts) are uncommon. In the following hemodialysis case, cauda equina syndrome was not detected after combined spinal-epidural anesthesia untilthe patient reported a lack of sensation in the perianal area 14 days postoperatively. She had normal motor function of her extremities. A laminectomy and cyst irrigation was performed. After the operation, her sphincter disturbance subsided gradually and her symptoms had disappeared.

Day zero ambulation under modified femoral nerve block after minimally invasive surgery for total knee arthroplasty: preliminary report.

Ambulation in the early postoperative period of total knee arthroplasty is crucial, in order to avoid complications and obtain preferable outcomes. Although a femoral nerve block can provide enough postoperative analgesia after total knee arthroplasty, falling, or other accidents due to motor paresis, are potentially adverse events in patients who have received a conventional femoral nerve block. We devised a modified femoral nerve block to spare voluntary knee extension ability, and clinically applied it to patients who received total knee arthroplasty under minimally invasive surgery. In our new-approach nerve blockade technique, the main targets of the sensory nerves are the saphenous nerves which branch out from the femoral nerve trunk. All the patients rated pain at bed rest between 0 and 3 on a numerical rating scale 3 h after the operation. In addition, the rectus femoris muscle was not affected at all, and the surgically invaded vastus medialis oblique muscle was completely anesthetized. Patients were able to not only actively raise their extremities with their knee in extension, but also to flex the knee in the air without pain or aggravation. On day 0, the patients were able to walk around, with the leg that had been operated upon not giving way. Our anesthetic approach can provide better pain relief than a conventional femoral nerve block, while the patients achieve ambulation on the day of the procedure, following minimally invasive knee surgery.

Technical communication: anatomy and clinical implications of ultrasound-guided selective femoral nerve block.

In this study we evaluated the anatomic basis and clinical findings of ultrasound-guided femoral nerve block performed close to the distal apex of the femoral triangle. Cadaver studies were conducted in 9 thighs of fresh bodies within 24 hours postmortem. In all cases, during injection of 10 mL of blue dye, the skin proximal to the injection site was compressed to prevent the proximal flow. In the first thigh, from the area just distal to the inguinal ligament, an epidural catheter was advanced distally beneath the fascia iliaca over the femoral nerve. In the remaining cases, 10 mL of blue dye was injected into the femoral nerve at the level of the proximal adductor canal and dye spread was evaluated after local dissection. The clinical study was conducted in 20 patients with severe varus deformities. Ten milliliters of 0.75% ropivacaine was injected as in the cadaveric series. The femoral nerve was successfully dyed in all cases of the cadaver study, whereas the muscular branch to the sartorius muscle and quadriceps muscle, with the exception of the vastus medialis muscle, evaded dyeing. All 20 patients with varus knee deformities reported analgesia; none of them experienced motor block. We conclude that local anesthetic injection at the site where the superficial femoral artery has passed beneath the medial border of the sartorius muscle (8 to 12 cm distal to the inguinal crease), combined with efforts taken to prevent proximal flow may anesthetize the sensation of the anterior-to medial aspect of the knee and motor branch of the vastus medialis muscle, without blocking the sartorius or quadriceps muscles.

Successful Bone Union Following Calcium Phosphate Cement-Assisted Percutaneous Transpedicular Balloon Kyphoplasty of a Large Interbody Cleft on Long-term Hemodialysis Patient.

A 68-year-old diabetic man, who had been on dialysis for 3 years, suffered a five week history of severe back pain that was unresponsive to bed rest, analgesics, and bracing. The vertebral cleft formed by an injury gradually increased in size on sequential plain films. Hence, he underwent calcium phosphate cement-assisted percutaneous transpedicular balloon kyphoplasty to treat a painful interbody vacuum cleft. Immediate pain relief and firm bone union were obtained.

An infantile large and extensive intramedullary mature spinal teratoma.

A 5-month-old boy presented with a rare case of intramedullary teratoma extending from T1 to S5 and associated with a lumbosacral lipoma. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the tumor extended over the lipoma. Since the tumor could not be clearly demarcated from the spinal cord, surgery was performed under a preoperative diagnosis of spinal glioma. The lack of demarcation made safe resection of the tumor difficult to perform, so that the tumor was only partially removed by decompressing the spinal cord. The histological diagnosis was mature teratoma. This case was likely the result of some dysembryogenetic mechanism and the tumor was not neoplastic. The long-term outcome cannot yet be determined, but no recurrence of the symptoms has been observed for 3 years. Spinal intramedullary teratoma is rare and tends to be located in the lumbosacral region. Surgical intervention is crucial and total removal may be achievable, but is likely to be partial with tight adhesion to the spinal cord, so that aggressive approaches should be avoided in such cases.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty for osteoporotic compression fractures using calcium phosphate cement.

PURPOSE: To compare percutaneous transpedicular vertebroplasty using calcium phosphate cement (CPC) versus conservative treatment for osteoporotic vertebral fractures. METHODS: Eight men and 28 women aged 61 to 99 (mean, 80) years with osteoporotic vertebral fractures underwent percutaneous transpedicular vertebroplasty using CPC. During the same period, 6 men and 32 women aged 53 to 93 (mean, 77) years underwent conservative treatment. The indication for vertebroplasty was a painful unstable fracture, with mobility of the vertebral body shown on flexion and extension lateral radiographs. Fractures without mobility despite deformity were treated conservatively. RESULTS: In the vertebroplasty group, all patients benefited from reduced back pain immediately after surgery, and pain relief was maintained at the latest follow-up. However, correction loss continued until one month after the operation. The mean visual analogue score for pain decreased significantly from preoperation to one day after surgery (9.3 vs. 6.2, p=0.02), and further decreased to 2.8 (p = 0.04) on day 3 or 4 when ambulation began, and to 1.5 at the one month follow-up and 1.4 at the final follow-up (mean, 14 months). The mean duration of analgesic treatment was significantly shorter in the vertebroplasty than conservatively treated group (10.2 vs. 63.5 days). All patients in the vertebroplasty group achieved bone union, with no adjacent vertebral fractures. However, in patients having conservative treatment, there were 2 adjacent vertebral fractures and 4 pseudarthroses, and the collapse continued for several months. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous transpedicular vertebroplasty using CPC achieves immediate pain relief and reduces the risk of vertebral body collapse and pseudarthrosis among elderly patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.

Clinical and radiological results of calcium phosphate cement-assisted balloon osteoplasty for Colles' fractures in osteoporotic senile female patients.

BACKGROUND: Distal radius fractures in osteoporotic senile female patients often used to be complicated with residual deformity, stiffness, and pain. Recently, however, adequate usage of a palmar locking plate or external fixation has led to fewer subsequent complications. The method proposed here deserves consideration because it is less invasive and more cost-effective. METHODS: A total of 11 Colles' type fractures (AO type A2) in 11 patients (all female; mean age 78 years) were treated. After a closed reduction, the fractures were fixed by percutaneous pinning, as Kapandji previously described. Through a 5-mm longitudinal skin incision on the dorsoulnar aspect of the fracture site, the barrel of a disposable 1-ml syringe was inserted into the fracture site as a port. Next, a pediatric uromatic balloon was introduced into the fracture site and inflated by contrast medium. The balloon inflation enlarged the void of the fracture site. A compression bandage around the fracture site was applied before calcium phosphate cement injection with a cement gun through the port under an image intensifier. The functional and radiological results were evaluated. The mean follow-up period was 16 months (range 12-25 months). RESULTS: All results were graded as good or excellent within 3 months, and all were graded as excellent at the final follow-up. The average duration of immobilization was 4 weeks with a short forearm cast. The overall postoperative correction loss in ulnar variance was 1.7 mm. Radial inclination and volar tilt showed no postoperative correction loss. The final volar tilt, radial inclination, and ulnar variance were comparable to those of the nonaffected side. CONCLUSIONS: Calcium phosphate cement-assisted balloon osteoplasty is a less invasive procedure and can be clinically justified as a therapeutic option for a Colles' fracture in osteoporotic senile female patients.

Calcium phosphate cement-assisted balloon osteoplasty for a Colles' fracture on arteriovenous fistula forearm of a maintenance hemodialysis patient.

We report a case of a Colles' fracture on the arteriovenous fistula forearm of a maintenance hemodialysis patient treated with percutaneous pinning with the aid of Chinese finger trap reduction combined with cavity creation using a pediatric uromatic balloon with calcium phosphate cement augmentation. Five months after surgery, the arteriovenous fistula was patent, and the range of motion, grip strength, and radiographic findings were comparable with a non-arteriovenous fistula forearm. Wrist x-rays showed a complete union of the distal radius with progressive absorption of the calcium phosphate cement.

Prediction of hyperperfusion after carotid endarterectomy by brain SPECT analysis with semiquantitative statistical mapping method.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hyperperfusion syndrome is a rare but disastrous complication after carotid endarterectomy (CEA). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between preoperative cerebral blood flow (CBF) abnormalities and postoperative hyperperfusion through the use of statistical brain mapping analysis. METHODS: For 41 patients with unilateral carotid stenosis >or=70%, CBF and cerebral vasoreactivity (CVR) were investigated with resting and acetazolamide-challenge single photon emission CT before CEA. CBF 1 day after CEA was also measured. Three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection (3D-SSP) analysis of CBF changes was performed by use of a control database of 20 subjects. RESULTS: Patients with reduced CVR (CVR <10%, n=15) were categorized into 2 groups based on the severity of CBF reduction relative to the control database by 3D-SSP analysis without normalization: type I (ipsilateral CBF decrease <20%, n=8) and type II (ipsilateral CBF decrease >or=20%, n=7). With thalamic normalization, the patients were also categorized into 2 groups: type A (ipsilateral Z score 2, n=5). Severe CBF reduction (>or=20% or Z score >2) was significantly associated with postoperative hyperperfusion (CBF increase >or=100%). However, 3D-SSP with thalamic normalization (Z score) demonstrated a higher predictive value (80%) and specificity (91%) for hyperperfusion than 3D-SSP without normalization (percent reduction) (57% and 73%, respectively). No patients with normal CVR (CVR >or=10%, n=26) demonstrated postoperative hyperperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: Objective evaluation of abnormalities of CBF and CVR with 3D-SSP could identify patients at risk for postoperative hyperperfusion.