Empty can and drop arm tests for cuff rupture : Improved specificity after subacromial injection.

Shoulder disorders are common in the general population : they occur in about 25 of every 1000 patients per year. A rather large majority are caused by cuff disorders. Differentiating between impingement and cuff rupture is essential to adequate treatment. Clinical tests have been developed, but their accuracy is limited. This study was performed to improve clinical accuracy by combining single tests and adding a subacromial injection. We postulated that the empty can and drop arm tests would result in higher sensitivity and specificity after subacromial injection. METHOD: We prospectively assessed 49 patients with the empty can and drop arm tests and used ultrasound to compare the individual and combined results. RESULT: The ultrasound found six cuff ruptures. Specificity improved and sensitivity decreased after subacromial injection. CONCLUSION: Only specificity improved after subacromial injection. Combining the test results led to an increase in both sensitivity and specificity without injection.

[Current guidelines for antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with a joint prosthesis are inadequate]. / Huidige richtlijnen voor antibioticaprofylaxe bij patiënten met een gewrichtsprothese niet volmaakt.

A haematogenous infection of a joint prosthesis is rare, but the consequences can be very serious. For that reason, guidelines issued by medical professional organizations for antibiotic prophylaxis in treatments which involve risk have long existed. On the basis of experience in the United States and the Netherlands, it is clear that successive guidelines sometimes contradict each other and are often not appropriately applied in daily practice. This may be due to insufficient clarity concerning the most important patient risk factors. It remains, for example, unclear when there is a question of reduced immunity in the patient and when the oral region has to be considered to be infected. An appeal is made to follow the existing guidelines better, and, if possible, to achieve a more multidisciplinary revision of the guidelines 'Total hip prosthesis, so that they would be more widely adhered to.

The effectiveness of injections of hyaluronic acid or corticosteroid in patients with subacromial impingement: a three-arm randomised controlled trial.

A total of 159 patients (84 women and 75 men, mean age of 53 (20 to 87)) with subacromial impingement were randomised to treatment with subacromial injections using lidocaine with one of hyaluronic acid (51 patients), corticosteroid (53 patients) or placebo (55 patients). Patients were followed up for 26 weeks. The primary outcome was pain on a visual analogue score (VAS), and secondary outcomes included the Constant Murley score, shoulder pain score, functional mobility score, shoulder disability questionnaire and pain-specific disability score. The different outcome measures showed similar results. After three, six and 12 weeks corticosteroid injections were superior to hyaluronic acid injections and only at six weeks significantly better than placebo injections. The mean short-term reduction in pain on the VAS score at 12 weeks was 7% (SD 2.7; 97.5% confidence interval (CI) 0.207 to 1.55; p = 0.084) in the hyaluronic acid group, 28% (SD 2.8; 97.5% CI 1.86 to 3.65; p < 0.001) in the corticosteroid group and 23% (SD 3.23; 97.5% CI 1.25 to 3.26; p < 0.001) in the placebo group. At 26 weeks there was a reduction in pain in 63% (32 of 51) of patients in the hyaluronic acid group, 72% (38 of 53) of those in the corticosteroid group and 69% (38 of 55) of those in the placebo group. We were not able to show a convincing benefit from hyaluronic acid injections compared with corticosteroid or placebo injections. Corticosteroid injections produced a significant reduction in pain in the short term (three to 12 weeks), but in the long term the placebo injection produced the best results.

Bone graft substitutes in active or suspected infection. Contra-indicated or not?

Treatment of infection in clinical orthopaedic and trauma care is a time consuming and costly endeavour. More than once, it will lead to extraction of implant material and additional surgical interventions. Currently, debridement, implantation of PMMA beads impregnated with antibiotics most often with implant exchange are the gold standard for deep infection treatment. Recently bone graft substitute materials such as calcium phosphate, collagen fleeces and bioglasses have appeared for specific use in infection treatment. Although these materials show great potential, their supporting level of evidence is still limited. This review paper provides an overview of current understanding and therapies for infection treatment and provides concepts for the use of new developed biomaterials in infection treatment. Furthermore, the benefits and risks of using biomaterials in infection treatment are discussed and the level of evidence of a number of new materials is presented.

[Indications for antibiotic prophylaxis in patients with a prosthetic joint]. / Indicaties voor antibiotische profylaxe bij patiënten met een gewrichtsprothese.

Under certain circumstances, patients with a prosthetic joint and a focal infection elsewhere in the body may be at risk of developing bacterial infection of the prosthesis. Patients and physicians should actively prevent infections that can spread systemically. Routine antibiotic prophylaxis is not recommended for all patients with a prosthetic joint and suspected bacteraemia. Antibiotic prophylaxis is warranted in three groups of patients with a prosthetic joint who must undergo an invasive procedure that could cause bacteraemia: patients with a predisposing immunocompromising systemic condition or those receiving immunosuppressive therapy, patients with a dermatological infection, and patients with an obvious focal infection, e.g., urosepsis. If the patient is already receiving antibiotics for the infection, additional prophylaxis is usually unnecessary. For patients undergoing dental procedures who require antibiotic prophylaxis, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid or clindamycin are preferred.

The CatWalk method: a detailed analysis of behavioral changes after acute inflammatory pain in the rat.

Experimental pain research is often complicated by the absence of an objective and detailed method to analyze behavioral changes. In the present study, acute pain was induced into the right knee of the rat (n=15) through the injection of 2mg carrageenan (CAR) in saline. A control group received vehicle injection into the knee (n=15). With the use of an automated quantitative gait analysis system, the CatWalk, it was possible to quantitatively analyze behavioral changes at post-injection time 2.5, 4, 24 and 48h. The CatWalk analysis of individual paw parameters like the intensity of the paw print or the time contact with the floor showed a significant effect after CAR injection into the knee. These CatWalk parameters were highly correlated with von Frey data and thus representative for the development of mechanical allodynia. Furthermore, detailed CatWalk analysis of the gait (i.e. coordinated interaction between left and right hindlimb) showed very fine, accurate and significant coordination changes in the experimental rats from 4h post-injection. In conclusion, the CatWalk method allows an objective and detailed detection of both pain-induced gait adaptations as well as the development of mechanical allodynia in an acute inflammatory pain model.

The effects of insole configurations on forefoot plantar pressure and walking convenience in diabetic patients with neuropathic feet.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of insole configurations on plantar pressures and on walking convenience in patients with diabetic neuropathy. METHODS: Twelve different insole configurations were constructed for each of 20 patients with diabetic neuropathy. For this, different combinations of a metatarsal dome, varus and valgus wedges and arch supports with different heights were added on a fitted basic insole. Foot orthoses were evaluated while patients walked on a treadmill. Plantar pressure was measured with a Pedar Insole-system. Walking convenience was scored on a 10-point scale. FINDINGS: For the central and medial regions, plantar pressure reductions (up to 36% and 39%, respectively) were found when using a dome, standard and extra supports. The largest reductions were achieved with combination of a dome and extra support. There were no statistically significant pressure reducing effects of the insole configurations in the big toe and lateral regions, except for the effect of the combination extra support/varus wedge (21%), and for a dome (10%), respectively. The basic insole and a standard support received the best ratings for walking convenience and gradually worsened by adding extra support, a varus wedge and a dome. INTERPRETATION: A dome and the supports reduce plantar pressure in the central and medial forefoot. The combination of a dome and extra support seems to be the best choice for the construction of insoles. The results of this study are a step towards developing an evidence-based algorithm for the construction of optimal orthoses in therapeutic shoe design.

Random effect modelling of patient-related risk factors in orthopaedic procedures: results from the Dutch nosocomial infection surveillance network 'PREZIES'.

In the Dutch surveillance for surgical site infections (SSIs), data from 70277 orthopaedic procedures with 1895 SSIs were collected between 1996 and 2003. The aims of this study were: (1) to analyse the trends in SSIs associated with Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; (2) to estimate patient-related risk factors for deep and superficial SSIs after all orthopaedic procedures, with special attention to primary total hip arthroplasty (THA); and (3) to analyse inherent differences in infection risk between hospitals. A random effect model was used to estimate the odds ratios of patient-related risk factors for developing an SSI, and to describe the distribution of the most widespread bacterial species responsible for SSIs among hospitals. Gram-positive organisms, mainly staphylococci, were the main cause of both deep (84.0%) and superficial SSIs (69.1%) after orthopaedic procedures. The percentage of SSIs after THA caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci decreased over the surveillance period, while the contribution of Staphylococcus aureus increased. Temporary elevations in the incidence of the most widespread pathogen species were observed within hospitals. Patient-related factors such as the National Nosocomial Infections Surveillance System risk index or age had little effect on the predictive power of the random effect models. This study underlines the usefulness of a random effect model, which adjusts risk estimates for random variation between hospitals, in a multicentre study on risk factors for SSIs.

[Surgical removal of debilitating neurogenic heterotopic ossifications of the hip]. / Chirurgisch verwijderen van invaliderende neurogene heterotope ossificaties van de heup.

Two men, aged 24 and 52 years, developed neurogenic heterotopic ossifications of the hip, the first following a cervical spinal-cord injury and the second after prolonged artificial ventilation following bowel surgery. The stiffness caused problems when sitting and when performing general daily activities; the second patient who was ambulatory, also had problems walking. CT investigation clearly showed the localisation of the ossifications. After surgical removal of the ossifications both patients were able to sit for longer periods without low-back pain and the ambulatory function of the second patient was much improved. Indomethacin was given postoperatively and no recurrence of the ossification was seen. A number of per- and postoperative complications are associated with the surgical removal of neurogenic heterotopic ossifications of the hip. These include damage to surrounding structures and infection. However taking into account the improved range of movement and increased independence of the patient, it is a useful intervention for this debilitating condition.

[Antibiotic prophylaxis in cases of closed fractures and prostheses]. / Antibiotikaprophylaxe bei geschlossenen Frakturen und Prothesen.

Antibiotic prophylaxis can be administered systemically or locally when bone cement is used for the implantation of prosthesis. In closed fracture surgery parenteral broad spectrum antibiotics are advised with 1 dose (in case of a long halflife) or for at least 12 hours when an antibiotic with a shorter half life is used. With such a prophylaxis a reduction of the infection rate to about 3% can be achieved, and also an important reduction of the postoperative nosocomial infections. Such a prophylaxis is highly cost effective. In primary prosthesis implantation, a 24 hours prophylaxis is needed. The use of antibiotic loaded bone cement, used as prophylaxis in primary prostheses is effective too, and this kind of cement should be used in combination with systemic antibiotics. In prosthesis an infection rate of 0.2% should be achieved.