Mortality after major lower extremity amputation and association with index level: a cohort study based on 11,205 first-time amputations from nationwide Danish databases.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Mortality after major lower extremity amputations is high and may depend on amputation level. We aimed to examine the mortality risk in the first year after major lower extremity amputation divided into transtibial and transfemoral amputations. METHODS: This observational cohort study used data from the Danish Nationwide Health registers. 11,205 first-time major lower extremity amputations were included from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2021, comprising 3,921 transtibial amputations and 7,284 transfemoral amputations. RESULTS: The 30-day mortality after transtibial amputation was overall 11%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 10-12 (440/3,921) during the study period, but declined from 10%, CI 7-13 (37/381) in 2010 to 7%, CI 4-11 (15/220) in 2021. The 1-year mortality was 29% overall, CI 28-30 (1,140 /3,921), with a decline from 31%, CI 21-36 (117/381) to 20%, CI 15-26 (45/220) during the study period. For initial transfemoral amputation, the 30-day mortality was overall 23%, CI 22-23 (1,673/7,284) and declined from 27%, CI 23-31 (138/509) to 22%, CI 19-25 (148/683) during the study period. The 1-year mortality was 48% overall, CI 46-49 (3,466/7,284) and declined from 55%, CI 50-59 (279/509) to 46%, CI 42-50 (315/638). CONCLUSION: The mortality after major lower extremity amputation declined in the 12-year study period; however, the 1-year mortality remained high after both transtibial and transfemoral amputations (20% and 46% in 2021). Hence, major lower extremity amputation patients constitute one of the most fragile orthopedic patient groups, emphasizing an increased need for attention in the pre-, peri-, and postoperative setting.

Major lower extremity amputations - risk of re-amputation, time to re-amputation, and risk factors: a nationwide cohort study from Denmark.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Re-amputation after lower extremity amputation is frequent. The primary aim of our study was to investigate cumulative re-amputation risk after transtibial amputation (TTA), knee disarticulation (KD), and transfemoral amputation (TFA) and secondarily to investigate time to re-amputation, and risk factors. METHODS: This observational cohort study was based on data from the Danish Nationwide Health registers. The population included first-time major lower extremity amputations (MLEA) performed in patients ≥ 50 years between 2010 and 2021. Both left and right sided MLEA from the same patient were included as index procedures. RESULTS: 11,743 index MLEAs on 10,052 patients were included. The overall cumulative risks for re-amputation were 29% (95% confidence interval [CI] 27-30), 30% (CI 26-35), and 11% (CI 10-12) for TTA, KD, and TFA, respectively. 58% of re-amputations were performed within 30 days after index MLEA. Risk factors for re-amputation within 30 days were dyslipidemia (hazard ratio [HR] 1.2, CI 1.0-1.3), renal insufficiency (HR 1.2, CI 1.1-1.4), and prior vascular surgery (HR 1.3, CI 1.2-1.5). CONCLUSION: The risk of re-amputation was more than twice as high after TTA (29%) and KD (30%) compared with TFA (11%). Most re-amputations were conducted within 30 days of the index MLEA. Dyslipidemia, renal insufficiency, and prior vascular surgery were associated with higher risk of re-amputation.

Pneumatic tourniquet versus no tourniquet in transfemoral amputation - a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Lower extremity amputation patients represent a frail group with extensive comorbidity. Transfemoral amputation is a high-risk procedure with 37-50% risk of mortality in the first year. Substantial blood loss during surgery increases the risk of anemic complications and death for these already weakened patients. The use of tourniquet during surgery may reduce blood loss, the need for blood transfusions, the related complications as well as the length of the surgery. However the use of tourniquet may be related to impaired wound healing and hence the use should be investigated in a randomized controlled trial. The primary aim of this study is to investigate the total blood loss and secondary to investigate differences in complications after transfemoral amputation between patients operated with or without tourniquet. METHODS: The total blood loss is calculated using Nadlers approach. Based on data from a pilot series, the sample size was calculated to 124, allocated 1:1 in two groups of 62 participants to ensure detection of at least 200 mL difference in the total blood loss. The primary outcome is the total blood loss. Secondary outcomes are blood transfusions, duration of surgery, length of hospital stay and risk of complications within 90 days (re-admissions, re-operations and mortality). Explorative outcomes are 1 year mortality and re-operation risk. Further explorative outcomes are postoperative quality of life (questionnaire EQ-5D-5L) and evaluation of number of prosthesis users including evaluation of prosthesis-specific function measured 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively. DISCUSSION: The possibility to enhance patient safety is highly relevant and this trial will provide data for evidence based recommendations of best practice in amputation surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov with ID: NCT05550623. Initial release: 13/09 2022.

Follow-up after initial surgical treatment of soft tissue sarcomas in the extremities and trunk wall.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of our surveillance program for soft tissue sarcomas (STS) and borderline tumors (BT) for identification of local recurrence and lung metastases the first 2 years postoperatively. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the medical files of all patients (n = 232) with STS and BT of the extremities and trunk wall who underwent surgery from 2010 to 2013. Two-hundred-and-thirty-two patients were included in the local recurrence study and 116 patients in the lung metastasis study. We extracted information on how local recurrence and lung metastases were detected. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and 2 × 2-contingency table with Chi-square test were used. Local recurrence and lung metastases were analyzed separately. RESULTS: Twenty-five of 232 patients experienced local recurrence and 19 of 116 patients experienced lung metastases. Compared to clinical examination, local imaging led to a larger amount of local recurrence suspicions (37/560 vs. 8/706). Suspicions occurring on local imaging were more accurate than on clinical examination (17/37 vs. 0/8 affirmed). Local imaging identified a larger amount of local recurrence than clinical examination (17/560 vs. 0/706). Thirty-three patients suspected local recurrence themselves, 8 were affirmed. Compared to x-ray, computerized tomography (CT) led to a larger amount of lung metastasis suspicions (22/284 vs. 6/276). Suspicions occurring on CT seemed more accurate than on x-ray (15/22 vs. 2/6 affirmed). CT found a larger amount of lung metastases than x-ray (15/284 vs. 2/276). Three patients suspected lung metastases themselves, 1 was affirmed. CONCLUSION: Bi-annual local imaging and CT the first 2 years after surgery of STS detect local recurrence and lung metastases better than clinical examination and x-ray. Clinical examination and x-ray between these examinations is unnecessary. Patients' own suspicion of local recurrence and lung metastases is still important.

Factors associated with reduced functional outcome and quality of life in patients having limb-sparing surgery for soft tissue sarcomas - a national multicenter study of 128 patients.

BACKGROUND: Limb-sparing surgery for sarcomas has become possible in most cases. However, the impact of the procedure on the functional outcome has only been investigated in a few studies. The aim of this study has been to identify tumor- and patient-related factors associated with reduced functional outcome and quality of life after limb-sparing surgery in soft tissue sarcoma patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 128 patients (mean age = 58, female/male = 54/74) who were treated with limb-sparing surgery without bone resection for soft tissue sarcomas in Denmark during the period 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2011 were included. Patients were asked to participate at least one year after surgery, and patients who had experienced local recurrence or metastatic disease were excluded. The Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) measured functional disability, while the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society Score (MSTS) measured functional impairment. European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 measured quality of life. Tumor- and patient-related factors (age, gender, tumor depth, tumor size, malignancy, comorbidity, location, and radiotherapy) were extracted from the Danish National Sarcoma Database. Wilcoxon rank-sum test and Kruskal-Wallis were used for univariable analysis. Adjusted odds ratios were estimated by using multiple logistic regression models. RESULTS: In the multiple regression analysis, it was found that female gender (p = 0.03), lower extremity tumors (p < 0.01) and radiotherapy (p = 0.02) resulted in an increased risk of a lower TESS score. Initial reduced postoperative function was found to be associated with a lower functional outcome. Patients with reduced functional outcome have increased risk for reduced quality of life (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that patient- and tumor-related factors have an important role in the functional outcome.

Iodine-impregnated incision drape and bacterial recolonization in simulated total knee arthroplasty.

Background and purpose - Iodine-impregnated incision drapes (IIIDs) are used to prevent surgical site infection (SSI). However, there is some evidence to suggest a potential increase in SSI risk as a result of IIID use, possibly from promotion of skin recolonization. A greater number of viable bacteria in the surgical field of an arthroplasty, and surgery in general, may increase the infection risk. We investigated whether IIID use increases bacterial recolonization compared to no drape use under conditions of simulated total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methods - 20 patients scheduled for TKA were recruited. Each patient had 1 knee randomized for draping with IIID, while the contralateral knee was left bare. The patients thus served as their own control. The operating room conditions and perioperative procedures of a TKA were simulated. Cylinder samples were collected from the skin of each knee prior to disinfection, and again on 2 occasions after skin preparation-75 min apart. Quantities of bacteria were estimated using a spread plate technique under aerobic conditions. Results - We found similar quantities of bacteria on the intervention and control knees immediately after skin disinfection and after 75 min of simulated surgery. These quantities had not increased at the end of surgery when compared to baseline, so no recolonization was detected on the draped knees or on the bare knees. Interpretation - The use of IIIDs did not increase bacterial recolonization in simulated TKA. This study does not support the hypothesis that IIIDs promote bacterial recolonization and postoperative infection risk.

Hip fracture in a pregnant woman.

In this case report a 37-year-old women, 38 weeks and four days pregnant, presented with an occult hip fracture. Before surgery, it was important to investigate the nature of the fracture as the treatment differed accordingly. The patient was investigated with MRI and following acute caesarean section a PET-CT scan was performed with no proof of malignancy. An undetectable low level of vitamin D and the pathology report determined the cause of the fracture to be transient osteoporosis of pregnancy. The patient received a total hip arthroplasty and was referred to further treatment at a department of endocrinology.

Exposure to antiepileptic drugs and the risk of hip fracture: a case-control study.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) increases the risk of hip fracture. METHODS: We performed a case-control study using data from the Funen County (population 2004: 475,000) hip fracture register. Cases (n = 7,557) were all patients admitted to county hospitals with a hip fracture during the period 1996-2004. Controls (n = 27,575) were frequency matched by age and gender. Information on use of AEDs, other drugs, and hospital contacts was available from local registers. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for hip fracture were estimated by unconditional logistic regression. RESULTS: Fracture risk was increased with ever use of any AED (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.16-1.48). The risk was also increased with use of only enzyme inducing (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.14-1.51), but not with use of only noninducing AEDs (OR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.77-1.37). Current (OR: 1.92; 95% CI: 1.58-2.33) and recent use, as well as high daily (OR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.24-1.82) and cumulative dose increased fracture risk, but long treatment duration or previous use did not. The risk was modified by the presence of an epilepsy diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Use of AEDs modestly increases the risk of hip fracture. The risk increase is probably associated to a higher degree with a dose dependent effect on CNS with current and recent use, than with an effect on bone tissue.

The impact of comorbidity on mortality in Danish sarcoma patients from 2000-2013: A nationwide population-based multicentre study.

INTRODUCTION: Sarcoma is a rare type of cancer. The incidence increases with age and elderly patients may have comorbidity that affects the prognosis. The aim of this study was to describe the type and prevalence of comorbidity in a nationwide population-based study in Denmark from 2000-2013 and to analyse the impact of the different comorbidities on mortality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The Danish Sarcoma Registry is a national clinical database containing all patients with sarcoma in the extremities or trunk wall from 2000 and onwards. By linking data to other registries, we were able to get patient information on an individual level including date and cause of death as well as the comorbidity type up to 10 years prior to the sarcoma diagnosis. Based on diseases in the Charlson Comorbidity Index, we pooled the patients into six categories: no comorbidity, cardiopulmonary disease, gastrointestinal disease, neurovascular disease, malignant neoplasms, and miscellaneous (diabetes, renal and connective tissue diseases). 2167 patients were included. RESULTS: The prevalence of comorbidity was 20%. For patients with localized disease, comorbidity increased the disease-specific mortality significantly (HR 1.70 (95% CI 1.36-2.13)). For patients with metastatic disease at the time of diagnosis, comorbidity did not affect the disease-specific mortality (HR 1.05 (95% CI 0.78-1.42)). The presence of another cancer diagnosis within 10 years prior to the sarcoma diagnosis was the only significant independent prognostic factor of disease-specific mortality with an increase of 66% in mortality rate compared to patients with no comorbidity (HR 1,66 (95% CI 1.22-2.25)). CONCLUSION: Comorbidity is a strong independent prognostic factor of mortality in patients with localized disease. This study emphasizes the need for optimizing the general health of comorbid patients in order to achieve a survival benefit from treatment of patients with localized disease, as this is potentially modifiable.

Stewart-Treves Syndrome on the Lower Extremity Associated to Idiopathic Chronic Lymphedema Visualized on FDG PET/CT.

Angiosarcomas are highly malignant and rare tumors of vascular or lymphatic endothelial cell origin with a poor prognosis. Lymphangiosarcoma associated with chronic lymphedema is known as Stewart-Treves syndrome. Stewart-Treves syndrome is primarily described in patients with lymphedema of an upper extremity occurring after breast cancer surgery including radical axillary lymph node dissection and subsequent radiotherapy. It is rarely described in the presence of idiopathic chronic lymphedema of the lower extremities. We present a case of lymphangiosarcoma visualized on F-FDG PET/CT, where Stewart-Treves syndrome is secondary to probably a combination of idiopathic chronic lymphedema of the lower extremities and systemic immunosuppressive treatment.

[Haematogenous osteomyelitis as a differential diagnosis for knee pain in a ten-year-old girl].

Knee pain is a frequent symptom facing the general practitioner. Some of the more severe differential diagnoses include bone infections and malignancy. We present a case report of a ten-year-old sports active and otherwise healthy girl with knee pain, which turned out to be haematogenous osteomyelitis.

[Diagnosis and procedure coding in relation to the DRG system]. / Diagnose- og procedurekodning i relation til DRG-systemet på en ortopaedkirurgisk afdeling.

INTRODUCTION: The aim was to investigate the consequences of missing or wrong diagnoses and procedure codes in relation to the DRG system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients admitted to the orthopaedic department during the course of one week, 155 patients, were consecutively entered. Former diagnoses were registered from interviews with all the patients, former case notes, and present hospital records. They were then compared to the department case notes, including diagnosis and procedure codes. All codes were then compared in Visual DRG (version 97) for grouping. RESULTS: The coding was correct in 103 of 155 cases (65%). In 52 cases (35%) the coding was incorrect or insufficient, in 18 of the 52 cases (12% overall) it lead to a decrease in the DRG value, which extrapolated on a yearly base, would lead to a loss of DDK 23 million. In total, coding was incorrect or insufficient in one third of the records. DISCUSSION: Irrespective of whether the DRG system is implemented or not, it is important that departments register the correct diagnoses and procedures, not only those relevant to the department. There is a continued need to teach and inform the staff about the correct coding procedures.

The association between use of serotonergic antidepressants and perioperative bleeding during total hip arthroplasty--a cohort study.

In vitro studies have shown that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors inhibit platelet aggregation. It is well documented that SSRIs cause serious gastrointestinal bleeding, but studies on other bleeding manifestations have been equivocal. Our objective was to determine a possible association between use of serotonergic antidepressants (SA) and perioperative bleeding during hip replacements. We conducted a retrospective study between 1 January 2007 and 30 June 2012 among patients that underwent a primary unilateral uncemented total hip arthroplasty (THA). Information was collected on the observed blood loss and the need for blood transfusions among this group. We compared the blood loss between users of SA, users of non-serotonergic antidepressants (NSA) and non-users, while adjusting for potential confounders using multivariate linear regression. We indentified 1318 patients that underwent a THA in the study period. The average volume of surgical bleeding was 350 ml. The adjusted incremental blood loss associated with use of SA and NSA was 93, 95% confidence interval (38-147) ml and -50 (-125 to 25) ml compared with non-use. Only 48 subjects (3.6%) had transfusions. Use of SA was associated with an increased blood loss compared with non-users. The hypothesis that SA impairs haemostasis is supported by these results.

Decreasing incidence of hip fracture in the Funen County, Denmark.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture incidence rates are high, and increase with increasing age. Previous studies have predicted a continued increase in both crude and age-standardized rates. METHOD: We estimated incidence rates, based on a complete and validated register containing verified and individually sequenced hip fractures from 1996-2003, for a population of 500,000 people in Funen County, Denmark. RESULTS: The verified number of the first hip fractures was 6,676, with 520 subsequent fractures. Between 1996 and 2003, the incidence rate of first hip fracture fell by 2.4% per year for males (p = 0.02) and by 1.8% per year for females (p = 0.004). The highest decrease of 3.4% per year (p = 0.02) was seen in 80-84-year-old women. INTERPRETATION: The incidence rate of the first hip fracture has fallen in both sexes. In most age groups, the actual number of fractures has also decreased. The findings emphasize the need for valid projection studies which should include both demographic projections and modeling of the effects of different levels of prevention.