The effects of irrigation volume to the heat generation during implant surgery.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the effects of the amount of irrigation on heat generated during implant site preparation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ten freshly dissected sheep mandibles were sectioned into 30 equal bone blocks and transferred into a heat-controlled water tank. Implant socket preparations were performed with four consecutive drills. Temperature measurements were performed with a thermocouple inserted into the bone immediately before the preparation and after the drilling using three different physiologic saline irrigation set-ups: 1- No irrigation, 2- 12 ml/min and 3- 30 ml/min irrigation volume. The temperature differences between three different irrigation set-ups for implant drills 1, 2, 3 and 4, and the temperature differences between the drills for three different irrigation set-ups were separately compared. RESULTS: The temperature difference of no irrigation group was significantly higher than 12 ml/min and 30 ml/min groups for all four drills (p<0.05), whereas no statistically significant difference was found between 12 ml/min and 30 ml/min irrigation groups. (p>0.05) The temperature difference of drill 1 is significantly higher than drills 2, 3 and 4 for no irrigation group. (p<0.05) The temperature differences of drill 1, 2 and 3 were significantly higher than the temperature difference of drill 4 for 12 ml/min irrigation group. (p<0.05) Conclusions: The heat generated during drilling is not directly proportional to the coolant volume. Given that certain amount of irrigation is applied, implant sites can be prepared safely without the need for additional irrigation, which may result in reduced visibility of the surgical site and therefore a suboptimal surgery.

Patient-centered quality of life measures after alloplastic temporomandibular joint replacement surgery.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate patient-reported outcome measures of quality of life (QoL) for patients with end-stage temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disease who have undergone TMJ prosthetic replacement. The records of 36 patients who had undergone alloplastic total joint replacement procedures were analyzed. Patients were treated using either TMJ Concepts or Biomet/Lorenz prosthetics. Patients were asked to complete a 12-item TMJ-S-QoL survey, which encompassed questions pertaining to pain, speech, chewing function, and various aspects of social life and mental health. The questions were answered on a 5-point scale. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Among the 36 patients (six male and 30 female), 18 responded to the survey. Markers of QoL after surgery were compared to the preoperative period. Significant improvements were reported for pain (94.4% of patients), chewing (83.3% of patients), speech (55.6% of patients), anxiety (72.2% of patients), activity (66.7% of patients), recreation (61.1% of patients), and mood (66.7% of patients) (all P<0.05). TMJ prosthetic replacement significantly enhanced QoL among patients suffering from chronic pain, limited range of motion, anxiety, impaired speech, and chewing due to end-stage TMJ disease in this sample of surgical patients.

Do additional intramedullary elastic nails improve the results of definitive treatment with external fixation of open tibia fractures? A prospective comparative study.

PURPOSE: External fixation has been associated with a high incidence of complications and poor outcomes due to the instability and difficulty in treating open tibia fractures. We use intramedullary (IM) elastic nails to supplement the external fixator. We compared the results of fractures treated by external fixation with and without IM-elastic nail. HYPOTHESIS: The combination of external fixation with IM-elastic nails may be used as an alternative to solve problems due to the external fixators alone in open tibia fractures. METHODS: Group 1 included prospectively 26 cases (15 males and 11 females, mean age 37.5 ± 12.4 years) treated with external fixation and IM-elastic nails, whereas group 2 consisted of 28 cases (23 males and five females, mean age 30.7 ± 14.0 years) treated with standard external fixation. Functional and bone results were made using the criteria proposed by ASAMI. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 3.96 ± 2.0 years in group 1 and 3.32 ± 2.1 years in group 2. The mean duration to external fixation and mean time to union were significantly lower in group 1 (P<0.001). In addition, bone and functional results were significantly higher in group 1 (P<0.01), however, pin track infections were lower in group 1 (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results showed the improvement in outcomes with IM-elastic nails: decreased duration of external fixation need and decreased bone healing delay. Therefore, this method may be a superior alternative for preventing complications related to external fixation in open tibia fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III: prospective comparative study.

Comparison of intracompartmental pressures in a rabbit model of open and closed tibial fractures: an experimental study.

We compared the intracompartmental pressures (ICPs) of open and closed tibial fractures with the same injury pattern in a rabbit model. In all, 20 six-month-old New Zealand White male rabbits were used. They were randomised into two equal groups of ten rabbits; an open fracture group (group 1) and a closed fracture group (group 2). Each anaesthetised rabbit was subjected to a standardised fracture of the proximal half of the right tibia using a custom-made device. In order to create a grade II open fracture in group 1, a 10 mm segment of fascia and periosteum was excised. The ICP in the anterior compartment was monitored at six-hourly intervals for 48 hours. Although there was a statistically significant difference in ICP values within each group (both p < 0.001), there was no significant difference between the groups for all measurements (all p ≥ 0.089). In addition, in both groups there was a statistically significant increase in ICP within the first 24 hours, whereas there was a statistically significant decrease within the second 24 hours (p < 0.001 for both groups). We conclude that open tibial fractures should be monitored for the development of acute compartment syndrome to the same extent as closed fractures.

Patellar denervation in total knee arthroplasty without patellar resurfacing: a prospective, randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Anterior knee pain is still a major problem in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Although the most widely accepted opinion is that anterior knee pain is often associated with a patellofemoral etiology, there is no clear consensus as to etiology or treatment. Disabling pain receptors by electrocautery could theoretically achieve denervation of the anterior knee region. The present prospective randomized controlled study aimed to evaluate results after patellar denervation with electrocautery in TKA at a minimum follow-up of 2 years. HYPOTHESIS: Patellar denervation provides some benefit in terms of pain and clinical outcomes after TKA without patellar resurfacing. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Clinical and radiological results for 35 patients with single-stage bilateral TKA (70 knees; 26 women, nine men; mean age, 68 years [range, 58 to 77 years]) were reviewed. In addition to removal of all osteophytes, patellar denervation by electrocautery was performed on one patella; and debridement alone, removing all osteophytes, was performed on the contralateral patella, as a control. KSS score and a visual analog scale (VAS) were used to assess pre- and postoperative anterior knee pain. RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 36 months (24 to 60 months). No revisions or re-operations were performed. There were no patellar fractures. On all parameters (KSS score, range of motion and VAS), there was a statistically significant pre- to postoperative difference in favor of the denervation group. DISCUSSION: Patellar denervation with electrocautery can reduce anterior knee pain, with satisfactory clinical and radiological outcome, in TKA without patellar resurfacing. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II: low-powered prospective randomized trial.

De Quervain's disease treatment using partial resection of the extensor retinaculum: A short-term results survey.

BACKGROUND: Several operative methods have been described for de Quervain's disease, but no definite consensus has emerged in the literature. Sometimes simple release of the extensor retinaculum can cause incomplete relief, whereas re-adhesion and excessive excision of the extensor retinaculum can cause volar subluxation of the abductor pollicis longus and extensor pollicis brevis tendons. In this prospective study, we evaluated the early results of operative treatment with one-quarter partial resection of the extensor retinaculum when conservative methods have failed. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that partial removal of the extensor retinaculum may be used as an alternative to solve problems such as incomplete release or re-adhesion and volar subluxation of the tendons. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-four patients (36 hands; 30 females and four males; mean age: 48.2 years; range: 20 to 75 years) with de Quervain's disease were surgically treated. The surgical procedure was performed under local infiltration anesthesia. One-quarter partial resection of the extensor retinaculum on the dorsal side of the wrist was performed. During the clinical follow-up period, treatment results, a patient-based scoring system and visual analogue scale were used. The mean follow-up duration was 23.7 months (range: 12 to 71 months). RESULTS: Two patients with wound infections were treated with adapted antibiotics. All patients were relieved of their symptoms; no triggering, recurrence or volar subluxation of the tendons of abductor pollicis longus or extensor pollicis brevis occurred. With this partial resection technique and according to a treatment scoring system described by Sawaizumi et al., 23 hands had excellent results, 11 hands had good results, and two hands had fair results; no hand exhibited a poor result. The mean visual analogue scale score was 1.8 (range: 0-6). DISCUSSION: Our results showed that one-quarter partial resection of the extensor retinaculum on the dorsal side of the wrist can be safely used for the operative treatment of de Quervain's disease with satisfactory short-term clinical results and no serious complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV: low-power prospective study.