Less blood loss in supercapsular percutaneously assisted versus posterolateral total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Although excellent clinical outcomes of supercapsular percutaneously assisted total hip arthroplasty (SuperPath) have been reported, the peri-operative blood loss has rarely been reported. The current study determined the blood loss during SuperPath and compared the blood loss with conventional posterolateral total hip arthroplasty (PLTH). METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients who underwent unilateral primary THA between January 2017 and December 2019. The demographic data, diagnoses, affected side, radiographic findings, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, operative time, transfusion requirements, and intra-operative blood loss were recorded. The peri-operative blood loss was calculated using the OSTHEO formula. Blood loss on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th post-operative days was calculated. Hidden blood loss (HBL) was determined by subtracting the intra-operative blood loss from the total blood loss. RESULTS: Two hundred sixty-three patients were included in the study, 85 of whom were in the SuperPath group and 178 in the posterolateral total hip arthroplasty (PLTH) group. Patient demographics, diagnoses, affected side, operative times, and pre-operative hemoglobin concentrations did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Compared to the PLTH group, the SuperPath group had less blood loss, including intra-operative blood loss, 1st, 3rd, and 5th post-operative days blood loss, and HBL (all P < 0.05). Total blood loss and HBL was 790.07 ± 233.37 and 560.67 ± 195.54 mL for the SuperPath group, respectively, and 1141.26 ± 482.52 and 783.45 ± 379.24 mL for the PLTH group. PLTH led to a greater reduction in the post-operative hematocrit than SuperPath (P < 0.001). A much lower transfusion rate (P = 0.028) and transfusion volume (P = 0.019) was also noted in the SuperPath group. CONCLUSION: SuperPath resulted in less perioperative blood loss and a lower transfusion rate than conventional PLTH.

Tendon-to-bone healing after repairing full-thickness rotator cuff tear with a triple-loaded single-row method in young patients.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic repair is recommended for young patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears (RCTs), but the healing rates have raised concerns. The Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI) row method has been developed based on greater than 3 decades of experience with excellent clinical outcomes; however, studies with a focus on the younger patient population are limited in number. The current study assessed the short-term clinical outcome and the initial tendon-to-bone healing in a young cohort after repair of a full-thickness RCT using the SCOI row method. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed. Patients < 55 years of age who had a full-thickness RCT and underwent an arthroscopic repair using the SCOI row method were reviewed. Clinical outcomes were assessed at baseline, and 3 and 6 months post-operatively. The visual analog scale (VAS), University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) scale, and Constant-Murley score were completed to assess pain and function. Active range of motion was also examined, including abduction and flexion of the involved shoulder. A preoperative MRI was obtained to assess the condition of the torn tendon, while 3- and 6-month postoperative MRIs were obtained to assess tendon-to-bone healing. Repeated measurement ANOVA and chi-square tests were used as indicated. RESULTS: Eighty-nine patients (57 males and 32 females) with a mean age of 44.1 ± 8.6 years who met the criteria were included in the study. Compared with baseline, clinical outcomes were significantly improved 3 and 6 months postoperatively based on improvement in the VAS, UCLA score, and Constant-Murley score, as well as range of motion. Greater improvement was also noted at the 6-month postoperative assessment compared to the 3-month postoperative assessment. Three- and six-month postoperative MRIs demonstrated intact repairs in all shoulders and footprint regeneration, which supported satisfactory tendon-to-bone healing. The mean thickness of regeneration tissue was 7.35 ± 0.76 and 7.75 ± 0.79 mm as measured from the 3- and 6-month MRI (P = 0.002). The total satisfactory rate was 93.3 %. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopic primary rotator cuff repair of a full-thickness RCT using the SCOI row method in patients < 55 years of age yields favorable clinical outcomes and early footprint regeneration.

Biomechanical comparison between single-row with triple-loaded suture anchor and suture-bridge double-row rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND: Numerous biomechanical and clinical studies comparing different techniques for rotator cuff repair have been reported, yet universal consensus regarding the superior technique has not achieved. A medially-based single-row with triple-loaded suture anchor (also referred to as the Southern California Orthopedic Institute [SCOI] row) and a suture-bridge double-row (SB-DR) with Push-Locks have been shown to result in comparable improvement in treating rotator cuff tear, yet the biomechanical difference is unknown. The purpose of the current study was to determine whether a SCOI row repair had comparable initial biomechanical properties to a SB-DR repair. METHODS: Six matched pairs of fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders with full-thickness supraspinatus tendon tears we created were included. Two different repairs were performed for each pair (SCOI row and SB-DR methods). Specimens were mounted on a material testing machine to undergo cyclic loading, which was cycled from 10 to 100 N at 1 Hz for 500 cycles. Construct gap formation was recorded at an interval of 50 cycles. Samples were then loaded to failure and modes of failure were recorded. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and pair-t test were used for statistical analyses. RESULTS: The construct gap formation did not differ between SCOI row and SB-DR repairs (P = 0.056). The last gap displacement was 1.93 ± 0.37 mm for SCOI row repair, and 1.49 ± 0.55 mm for SB-DR repair. The tensile load for 5 mm of elongation and ultimate failure were higher for SCOI row repair compared to SB-DR repair (P = 0.011 and 0.028, respectively). The ultimate failure load was 326.34 ± 11.52 N in the SCOI row group, and 299.82 ± 27.27 N in the SB-DR group. Rotator cuff repair with the SCOI row method failed primarily at the suture- tendon interface, whereas pullout of the lateral row anchors was the primary mechanism of failure for repair with the SB-DR method. CONCLUSION: Rotator cuff repair with the SCOI row method has superior biomechanical properties when compared with the SB-DR method. Therefore, SCOI row repair using a medially-based single-row technique with triple-loaded suture anchor is recommended to improve the initial strength in treating full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Active ankylosing spondylitis increases blood loss during total hip arthroplasty for a stiff hip joint.

BACKGROUND: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) has been highlighted as the best treatment option for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients with advanced hip involvement. The huge blood loss associated with THA is a common concern of postoperative complications. Disease activity is a specific reflection of systematic inflammation of AS. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of disease activity on blood loss during THA in patients with AS. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with AS who underwent unilateral THAs were retrospectively studied. Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) was employed to evaluate the disease activity. Orthopedic Surgery Transfusion Hemoglobin European Overview (OSTHEO) formula was used to assess the surgical blood loss. The patients were divided into active group (ASDAS≥1.3; n = 32) and stable groups (ASDAS< 1.3; n = 17) based on the ASDAS. Peri-operative laboratory values, plain radiographs, intra-operative data, transfusion volume, and use of hemostatic agents were recorded and statistically analyzed. RESULTS: The ASDAS, pre-operative C-reactive protein level, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and fibrinogen concentration in the active group were higher than the stable group (all P < 0.05); however, the pre-operative hemoglobin concentration and albumin level were higher in the stable group (both P < 0.05). The total blood loss during THA in stable patients was 1415.31 mL and 2035.04 mL in active patients (P = 0.006). The difference between the two groups was shown to be consistent after excluding the gender difference (P = 0.030). A high transfusion rate existed in both groups (stable group, 76.47% with an average of 1.53 units; active group, 84.37% with an average of 2.31 units), but there was no significant difference between the two groups (both P > 0.05). Compensated blood loss, corresponding to transfusion, was noted significantly more in the active group compared to the stable group (P = 0.027). There was no significant difference with regard to functional recovery (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Active AS patients are at high risk for increased blood loss during THA compared to stable patients. The underlying mechanism includes disorders of the coagulation and fibrinolytic systems, poor nutrition status, osteoporosis, imbalance of oxidative-antioxidative status and local inflammatory reaction. It is strongly recommended to perform THA in AS patients with stable disease.