[Medical and cost efficiency of autologous blood donation in total hip or knee replacement]. / Medizinische und ökonomische Effizienz des Eigenblutverfahrens bei Endoprothesenimplantation des Hüft- oder Kniegelenkes.

AIM: Preoperative autologous blood donation before joint replacement has become standard practice. However, this procedure is discussed controversially regarding medical benefit and cost-effectiveness. METHOD: In a retrospective study the data of 994 patients scheduled for hip (THR) or knee arthroplasty (TKR) between 1/2000 and 9/2002 were analysed. RESULTS: Altogether 612 patients donated autologous blood (61.6 %). 50.2 % of the patients got blood transfusions during surgery or in the course of their hospitalisation. Donors received blood units more often than non-donors (55.2 vs. 41.9 %). On average 1.4 +/- 1.7 blood units were given during or after THR and 0.8 +/- 1.1 units during or after TKR. Clear predispositions for an increased use of blood transfusions were cemented endoprosthesis, old age (> 70 years) as well as exclusive general anaesthesia. Since 57.8 % of the blood units were wasted, the additional expenses (only laboratory and material costs were calculated) for each retransfused autologous blood unit were calculated to be 28.76. CONCLUSION: Besides saving homologous blood, autologous blood donation causes mainly an increased probability of giving transfusions and higher costs. Therefore autologous blood donation should be indicated more critically, especially in younger patients and knee replacements.

[Side effects and complications of injection therapy for degenerative spinal disorders]. / Nebenwirkungen und Komplikationen der Injektionsbehandlung bei degenerativen Erkrankungen der Wirbelsäule.

AIM: The type and frequency of side effects due to treatment of vertebral pain syndromes with local injections were examined. Risks and complications were evaluated and precautions are presented in order to avoid these problems. METHODS: The medical records of 453 patients who had undergone injection therapy in hospital for spinal pain syndromes were investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: Paravertebral injections with cervical and lumbar spinal nerve analgesia, facet joint injections, lumbar epidural-perineural injections, epidural-dorsal and epidural-sacral injections, and injections next to the ileosacral joint were administered, amounting to a total of 7 963 injections. In 25 cases (0.3 %) unfavourable side effects were observed. Epidural-perineural injections led to headache in 10 cases and paravertebral lumbar nerve analgesia in 3 cases. Five times after epidural-perineural injections circulatory dysregulation with vertigo, nausea and decreased blood pressure was observed. One patient fell after an epidural-perineural injection, and one patient developed a sensory block up to the thoracic segment 6. Five patients showed local allergic reactions at the injection site after Mepivacain. All complications could be treated with simple symptomatic measures and had no severe effects. CONCLUSION: Compared to other studies, only few side effects were observed. The injections described above may thus be regarded as low-risk therapy.

[In vitro effects of diclofenac and selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitors on prostaglandin release from inflamed bursa subacromialis tissue in patients with subacromial syndrome]. / Effekte von Diclofenac und selektiven Cyclooxygenase-(COX-)2-Inhibitoren auf die Prostaglandinfreisetzung aus entzündetem Bursa-subacromialis-Gewebe von Patienten mit Subakromialsyndrom in vitro.

BACKGROUND: To compare the in vitro effects of selective COX-2 inhibitors (L-745,337, NS-398 and DFU) and of COX-unspecific diclofenac on release of PGE(2 )and 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) from inflamed bursa subacromialis tissue (IBST) obtained from a total of 35 patients with shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Bursal specimens were incubated in the presence of drugs (0.01-1000 microM) for 20 min and 16 h. RESULTS: After 20 min 10 microM diclofenac significantly inhibited formation of PGE(2) and 6-keto-PGF(1alpha), whereas L-745,337 and NS-398 (10-1000 microM) induced significant inhibition only at concentrations > or =100 microM. In contrast to equimolar diclofenac, DFU (0.01-10 microM) induced no inhibition of bursal PGE(2) release but a dose-dependent, although statistically not significant inhibition after 16 h. The inhibitory potency of diclofenac (0.01-10 microM) was even more increased during long-term incubation showing greater inhibition than DFU at all concentrations studied. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that in IBST in SIS in vitro the majority of PG is generated via the COX-1 pathway.

[Therapy of rheumatoid cubarthritis]. / Therapie der rheumatischen Kubarthritis.

With the progression of rheumatoid arthritis (RA),more than half of the patients develop an affliction of the elbow.Cub arthritis has to be regarded as a part of systemic rheumatoid disease. Thus, the indication for operative treatment depends not only on local changes but is determined by the pattern of all affected joints, the activity of the basic rheumatic disease as well as the effect of physical therapy and medication. The complexity of the rheumatic disease, which typically affects many joints, demands an individual therapeutic plan that can only be developed and accomplished successfully when rheumatologists, rheumatoid surgeons and other specialists cooperate. In cases of recurrent cub arthritis,in spite of adequate medication, synoviorthesis or synovectomy should be performed. This may relieve pain and swelling,however if lesions of the cartilage already exist,progressive joint destruction cannot be prevented. Arthroscopic surgery of the elbow provides all of the known advantages of minimal traumatisation. In RA,it is used mainly when there is ligament laxity in late synovectomies eventually combined with arthroscopically assisted resection of caput radii. In contrast to monoarticular diseases in RA,the adjoining bursa olecrani, neighbouring joints and nerve entrapment syndromes also require treatment. The treatment for advanced cub arthritis is arthroplasty. Due to progress in the development of elbow endoprotheses, the range of indications for resection (interposition) arthroplasty has increased. It is now preferred mainly in younger patients with ankylosing arthritis. Rheumatoid changes in the bone and soft tissue impede the implantation of artificial joints and require time consuming and precise preparation techniques. When choosing either an unconstrained or semi-constrained prosthesis,one has to bear in mind the actual ligament stability and its often unpredictable changes during the course of the disease.Perioperative measures, postoperative care and therapy is made even more difficult due to the involvement of several joints, often extensive permanent medication, secondary lesions such as ldquo;corticoid skin" and in most cases the multimorbidity of patients after many years of chronic disease. When comparing elbow surgery in osteoarthritis and RA,we found that patients with RA clearly required more elaborate surgery and more extensive perioperative and postoperative care.