Arthroscopic Suprapectoral Biceps Tenodesis for Isolated Biceps Tendinopathy: Results From 23 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Pathology affecting the long head of the biceps tendon (LHB) is a common cause of shoulder pain. When conservative treatment fails to resolve symptoms, surgical treatment is the modality of choice. The literature describes many arthroscopic and open techniques using different implants. However, no consensus exists on which procedure yields the greatest improvement. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of arthroscopic suprapectoral biceps tenodesis for treating isolated LHB pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present a case series of 23 patients with isolated LHB pathology who were treated with arthroscopic suprapectoral tenodesis between 2016 and 2022. All surgeries were performed by the same senior surgeon, and patients were assessed preoperatively and one year after the procedure, using the simple shoulder test (SST), Constant score (CS), and visual analog scale (VAS) by the senior surgeon. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, with significance defined as p < 0.05. RESULTS: The CS improved from 68.52 (SD = 1.59) to 98 (SD = 7.1; p < 0.001), the SST improved from 8.78 (SD = 0.998) to 11.21 (SD = 0.42; p < 0.001), and the VAS improved from 8.26 (SD = 0.54) to 0 (SD = 0; p < 0.001) at one-year follow-up. No complications were reported postoperatively or during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic suprapectoral biceps tenodesis significantly improved outcomes at one-year follow-up and can be considered an effective and safe choice when treating LHB pathology.

Proximal Femoral Nail Mechanical Failure: A Case Report and Biomechanical Study.

Intramedullary nailing is an established method for treating pertrochanteric fractures. However, the widespread use of this technique comes along with a variety of complications. We present a case of a 50-year-old female who presented to the emergency department suffering a left pertrochanteric fracture. She was treated with proximal femoral nailing and discharged home. Nine months later, she presented again to the emergency department with pain and an inability to bear weight. Imaging revealed the mechanical failure of the hip screw and loss of fracture fixation. Revision surgery included extraction of the broken hardware and a left hip hemiarthroplasty. The removed implant was sent for further evaluation. Fractographic analysis showed acute breakage due to bending and torsion forces acting on the screw with no relevant signs of metal fatigue. This biomechanical method is of great value for the surgeon and the implant manufacturer in order to understand the failure pattern and optimize future implants and fixation techniques. Improved implant biomechanical properties together with meticulous surgical technique constitute the cornerstones for optimal results.

Optimizing Intraoperative Blood Management for One-Stage Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Effective blood management strategies are a major determinant of successful outcomes after one-stage bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA). Proper patient selection with preoperative optimization and intra- and postoperative interventions can reduce transfusion risk and associated morbidity in these patients. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate intraoperative blood management modalities based on three keystone questions: (1) What is the role of the anesthesiologist?, (2) Which are the surgeon-dependent strategies?, and (3) Is there any place for pharmacologic interventions? METHODS: We searched the established electronic literature database MEDLINE. After critical appraisal, 94 studies were deemed eligible from which to draw documented evidence. RESULTS: A number of blood-conserving methods are currently implemented in patients undergoing one-stage BTKA. Among them, regional anesthesia, tourniquet use, and tourniquet deflation after wound closure, femoral canal sparing or femoral canal plugging, avoidance of drains, and tranexamic acid use were the intraoperative strategies with documented efficacy in blood conservation. CONCLUSION: Combined proper intraoperative anesthesiologic, surgical, and pharmacologic interventions reduce blood loss and need for transfusion in BTKA patients. However, contemporary relevant literature is lacking evidence-based guidelines.

Does blood transfusion type affect complication and length of stay following same-day bilateral total knee arthroplasty?

Same-day Bilateral Total Knee Arthroplasty (BTKA) safety is still controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the association of blood transfusion type (pure autologous, pure allogeneic, and combined) with complication and prolonged length of stay (PLOS) following same-day BTKA. 649 consecutive patients were retrospectively identified over a two-year period. Pure allogeneic transfusions were associated with increased odds of minor complication when compared to patients who had pure autologous transfusions. No association was found between blood transfusion type and major complication or PLOS. Our results suggest that blood transfusion type may be influential in minor complication after BTKA.

Rate and Risk Factors for Periprosthetic Joint Infection Among 36,494 Primary Total Hip Arthroplasties.

BACKGROUND: As periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) can have tremendous health and socioeconomic implications, recognizing patients at risk before surgery is of great importance. Therefore, we sought to determine the rate of and risk factors for deep PJI in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty (THA). METHODS: Clinical characteristics of patients treated with primary THA between January 1999 and December 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. These included patient demographics, comorbidities (including the Charlson/Deyo comorbidity index), length of stay, primary diagnosis, total/allogeneic transfusion rate, and in-hospital complications, which were grouped into local and systemic (minor and major). We determined the overall deep PJI rate, as well as the rates for early-onset (occurring within 2 years after index surgery) and late-onset PJI (occurring more than 2 years after surgery). A Cox proportional hazards regression model was constructed to identify risk factors for developing deep PJI. Significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS: A deep PJI developed in 154 of 36,494 primary THAs (0.4%) during the study period. Early onset PJI was found in 122 patients (0.3%), whereas late PJI occurred in 32 patients (0.1%). Obesity, coronary artery disease, and pulmonary hypertension were identified as independent risk factors for deep PJI after primary THA. CONCLUSION: The rate of deep PJIs of the hip is relatively low, with the majority occurring within 2 years after THA. If the optimization of modifiable risk factors before THA can reduce the rate of this complication remains unknown, but should be attempted as part of good practice.

Efficacy of intramuscular moxifloxacin in the treatment of experimental osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Fluoroquinolones have been well studied in the treatment of chronic osteomyelitis due to their beneficial pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic profiles. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of intramuscular (IM) moxifloxacin administration in the treatment of experimental osteomyelitis by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Following an experimental osteomyelitis animal model described previously, three groups of rabbits (A = control; B = IM moxifloxacin administration; C = PK study of moxifloxacin penetration into bone) were evaluated. Three weeks after bacterial inoculation, surgical debridement was performed in all animals and IM treatment commenced for Groups B and C. Sacrifice was performed in an A:B group animal ratio of 1:2 at weekly intervals from 7th to 42nd day post debridement and from 21st to 56th day post debridement for Groups A and B, respectively (including 2-week interval without antibiotics for Group B). Cancellous bone was harvested for microbiological and histopathological analyses at re-operation and sacrifice for Groups A and B. Cortical bone moxifloxacin levels were measured in Group C following 7, 14, 35 and 42 days of treatment. In Group A, bacterial growth after surgical debridement was significant, whereas high eradication rates were observed in Group B. Radiological abnormalities and histopathological findings were evaluated. Moxifloxacin bone levels, observed in Group C, were approximately 43 times higher than the minimum inhibitory concentration, with no difference found between infected and healthy tibial bone. The therapeutic protocol was very effective in this model of experimental osteomyelitis. However, further evaluation of these results in clinical studies is crucial.

Implant retention after acute and hematogenous periprosthetic hip and knee infections: Whom, when and how?

Periprosthetic joint infections (PJI) of the hip and the knee are grossly classified as early post-operative, acute hematogenous and late chronic infections. Whereas two-stage exchange arthroplasty is the standard of care in North America for treating chronic infections, irrigation and debridement (I and D) with retention of implants has been used in an attempt to treat the other two types of PJIs. The rationale of this approach is that a PJI may be eradicated without the need of explanting the prostheses, as long as it has not transitioned into a chronic state. With the present paper, we review current evidence regarding the role of I and D with implant retention for treating PJIs of the hip and the knee. While a very wide range of success rates is reported in different studies, a short period of time between initiation of symptoms and intervention seems to play a prominent role with regards to a successful outcome. Moreover, pathogens of higher virulence and resistance to antibiotics are associated with a poorer result. Specific comorbidities have been also correlated with a less favorable outcome. Finally, one should proceed with serial I and Ds only under the condition that a predefined, aggressive protocol is applied. In conclusion, when treating a PJI of the hip or the knee, all the above factors should be considered in order to decide whether the patient is likely to benefit from this approach.