Efficacy of dexmedetomidine and ketamine addition to bupivacaine 0.25% by epidural method in reducing postoperative pain in patients undergoing femur fracture surgery.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: One of the most complex medical problems is pain, that due to inappropriate management of patients after surgery could cause various side effects on the psychological, physiological, and metabolic state of the patients. The natural duration of analgesia can be increased by adding new efficient adjuvant. The present study is mainly aimed to investigate the differences between the epidural dexmedetomidine and ketamine effectiveness when administered as an adjuvant to epidural 0.25% bupivacaine for improving the postoperative analgesia duration. METHODS: In the present double-blind clinical study, 105 patients of the age range of 40-85 years were selected for elective femoral surgery and then was divided into three of ketamine, dexmedetomidine, and control randomly. The scores of postoperative pain were evaluated in accordance with the visual Analogue Scale (VAS) criteria and the duration of analgesia and the amount of analgesics consumption were recorded. RESULTS: The mean pain VAS score during the first day after the surgery and recovery of patients in the dexmedetomidine group was significantly lower in comparison with two other groups (p = 0.01). However, no significant difference was found in the mean VAS score of Paine during 12 and 24 hours after the operation (P ≥ 0.05). Comparisons among these groups demonstrated that the mean on opioid administration during the operation and 24 hours after that was significantly higher in both groups of ketamine and control in comparison with the dexmedetomidine group (P = 0.001 and P = 0.01). Besides, analgesia duration among patients belonged to the dexmedetomidine group was notably lower in comparison with two other groups (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In epidural anesthesia cases adding ketamine and dexmedetomidine as adjuvants to the solution of bupivacaine 0.25%, could increase the duration of analgesia and reduce the consumption of analgesics, which is more in the dexmedetomidine group when compared with ketamine.

Investigation of the outcome of patients with hip fractures using vitamin D3.

Hip fracture is one of the important health problems of human societies. The aim of this study was to investigate the outcome of patients with this fracture using vitamin D3. This double-blind clinical trial was performed on 100 patients with hip fractures who referred to Valiasr Hospital. All specimens were evaluated for vitamin D3. Group A have had vitamin D3 in the normal range and received a dose of 50,000 vitamin D3 as blouse. Group B included individuals with hip fractures that did not have normal vitamin D3 levels. In this group, individuals received a dose of 50,000 units vitamin D3 in the form of muscular blouse, and then 50,000 units of vitamin D3 were given orally each week up to 12 weeks after surgery. After surgery, both groups were examined clinically and radiologically for ulcer and fracture healing. Moreover, mortality was checked 2 weeks after surgery and each month until healing. There was no significant difference in radiographic examination in the two groups in the term of adhesion and fracture union (P <0.05). The formation of the union in the clinical examination 4 and 8 weeks after treatment in two groups showed significant difference. The formation of union in clinical presentation 4 weeks and 8 weeks after treatment in two groups showed significant difference (P = 0.005; P = 0.036). The results showed that a group with low vitamin D, but with supplementation, had more fracture union after 4 and 8 weeks after starting treatment. Vitamin D supplementation could improve patients' condition 4 and 8 weeks after treatment.

Conversion of fused knee following distal femur tumor surgery to total knee arthroplasty.

Conversion of knee arthrodesis to total knee arthroplasty is a difficult procedure accompanied by many complications due to soft tissue and extensor mechanism contracture and bone defects. We report two cases of distal femur osteosarcoma that had been undergone wide resection arthrodesis initially. Arthrodesis was converted to total knee arthroplasty with hinged prosthesis after many years. We describe patients' history and outline their surgical therapy and prognosis. To the best of the authors' knowledge, few cases have been previously reported in the literature.