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Background: Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are popular among Medicare-eligible patients, but little is known about MA in lower-extremity total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The purpose of this study was to describe trends in MA utilization and analyze differences in patient characteristics and postoperative outcomes between patients undergoing primary TJA using traditional Medicare (TM) or MA plans.Methods: Patients ≥65 years of age who underwent primary total knee or total hip arthroplasty were identified using the Premier Healthcare Database. Patients were categorized into TM and MA cohorts. Data from 2004 to 2020 were used to describe trends in insurance coverage. Data from 2015 to 2020 were used to identify differences in patient characteristics and postoperative complications using ICD-10 codes. Multivariate analyses were performed using 2015 to 2020 data to account for potential confounders.Results: From 2004 to 2020, the proportion of patients with MA increased from 7.9% to 34.4%, while those with TM decreased from 83.7% to 54.0%. Of the 697,317 patients who underwent primary elective TJA from 2015 to 2020, 471,439 (67.6%) had TM coverage and 225,878 (32.4%) had MA coverage. The cohorts were similar in terms of age and sex. However, a higher proportion of Black patients (8.29% compared with 4.62%; p < 0.001) and a lower proportion of White patients (84.0% compared with 89.2%; p < 0.001) were enrolled in MA compared with TM. After controlling for confounders, patients with MA had higher odds of surgical site infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04 to 1.47; p = 0.031), periprosthetic joint infection (aOR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03 to 1.18; p = 0.006), stroke (aOR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.02 to 1.31; p = 0.026), and acute kidney injury (aOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.11; p < 0.001), but lower odds of urinary tract infection (aOR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.90 to 0.98; p = 0.003).Conclusions: From 2004 to 2020, the number of patients utilizing MA increased markedly such that 1 in 3 were covered by MA in 2020. From 2015 to 2020, patients who were non-White were more likely to have MA than TM, and the MA group had a higher rate of several postoperative complications compared with the TM group. As TM claims data inform health-care policy and clinical decisions, this change portends future challenges, including limitations in arthroplasty registry research, an increase in the administrative burden of surgeons, and a potential worsening of social disparities in health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Improvements in orthopaedic surgery go hand in hand with technological advances. The present article outlines the historical and current uses of large databases and registries for the evaluation of new orthopaedic technologies, providing insights for future utilization, with robotic-assisted surgery as the example technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on the importance of databases and registry research in addressing issues in joint arthroplasty and orthopaedics. Other topics include the 2021 symposium/workshop held in Chicago, Illinois that led to the creation of the journal's Supplement on Large Database and Registry Research in Joint Arthroplasty and Orthopaedics, and the large databases in orthopaedics like institutional registries, national registries, and large payor administrative databases.

Background: The efficacy of corticosteroid and hyaluronic acid injections for knee osteoarthritis has been questioned. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) clinical practice guidelines on the use of these injections in the United States and determine if utilization differed by provider specialty.Methods: Patients with knee osteoarthritis were identified within the Humana database from 2007 to 2015, and the percentage of patients receiving a knee injection relative to the number of patients having an encounter for knee osteoarthritis was calculated and was trended for the study period. The impact of each edition of the AAOS clinical practice guidelines on injection use was evaluated with segmented regression analysis. Injection trends were also analyzed relative to the specialty of the provider performing the injection.Results: Of 1,065,175 patients with knee osteoarthritis, 405,101 (38.0%) received a corticosteroid injection and 137,005 (12.9%) received a hyaluronic acid injection. The rate of increase in hyaluronic acid use, per 100 patients with knee osteoarthritis, decreased from 0.15 to 0.07 injection per quarter year (p = 0.02) after the first clinical practice guideline, and the increase changed to a decrease at a rate of -0.12 injection per quarter (p < 0.001) after the second clinical practice guideline. After the first clinical practice guideline, the rate of increase in utilization of corticosteroids, per 100 patients with knee osteoarthritis, significantly lessened to 0.12 injection per quarter (p < 0.001), and after the second clinical practice guideline, corticosteroid injection use plateaued (p = 0.72). The trend in use of hyaluronic acid injections by orthopaedic surgeons and pain specialists decreased with time following the second-edition clinical practice guideline but did not change for primary care physicians or nonoperative musculoskeletal providers.Conclusions: Subtle but significant changes in hyaluronic acid and corticosteroid injections occurred following the publication of both clinical practice guidelines. Although the clinical practice guidelines did impact injection use, given the high costs of these injections and their questionable clinical efficacy, further interventions beyond publishing clinical practice guidelines are needed to encourage higher-value care for patients with knee osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to update the results of a prospective series of 100 primary cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures that were performed between 1983 and 1986 with use of the Porous Coated Anatomic (PCA) system. This is one of the first prospective studies of cementless primary THA with a minimum of 25 years of follow-up. Twenty-one patients (22 hips) of the original series were alive and had clinical and radiographic follow-up at a minimum of 25 years postoperatively. Twenty-three percent (23) of all hips and 50% (11) of the hips among the living cohort had undergone revision for loosening and/or osteolysis of the acetabular component, and 7% (7) of all hips and 4.5% (1) of the hips among the living cohort were revised for loosening and/or osteolysis of the femoral component. Only 4 femoral stems were revised for isolated loosening (without osteolysis). The PCA femoral component proved to be durable at a minimum of 25 years postoperatively, while the acetabular component was less durable.Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of large-scale national databases for observational research in orthopaedic surgery has grown substantially in the last decade, and the data sets can be categorized as either administrative claims or clinical registries. Clinical registries contain secondary data on patients with a specific diagnosis or procedure. The data are typically used for patient outcome surveillance to improve patient safety and health-care quality. Registries used in orthopaedic research exist at the regional, national, and international levels, and many were designed to specifically collect outcomes relevant to orthopaedics, such as short-term surgical complications, longer-term outcomes (implant survival or reoperations), and patient-reported outcomes. Although heterogeneous, clinical registries-in contrast to claims data-typically have a more robust list of variables, with relatively precise prospective data input, management infrastructure, and reporting systems. Some weaknesses of clinical registries include a smaller number of patients, inconstant follow-up duration, and use of sampling methods that may limit generalizability. Within the U.S., national joint registry adoption has lagged international joint registries. Given the changing health-care environment, it is likely that clinical registries will provide valuable information that has the potential to influence clinical practice improvement and health-care policy in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of large-scale national databases for observational research in orthopaedic surgery has grown substantially in the last decade, and the data sets can be grossly categorized as either administrative claims or clinical registries. Administrative claims data comprise the billing records associated with the delivery of health-care services. Orthopaedic researchers have used both government and private claims to describe temporal trends, geographic variation, disparities, complications, outcomes, and resource utilization associated with both musculoskeletal disease and treatment. Medicare claims comprise one of the most robust data sets used to perform orthopaedic research, with >45 million beneficiaries. The U.S. government, through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, often uses these data to drive changes in health policy. Private claims data used in orthopaedic research often comprise more heterogeneous patient demographic samples, but allow longitudinal analysis similar to that offered by Medicare claims. Discharge databases, such as the U.S. National Inpatient Sample, provide a wide national sampling of inpatient hospital stays from all payers and allow analysis of associated adverse events and resource utilization. Administrative claims data benefit from the high patient numbers obtained through a majority of hospitals. Using claims, it is possible to follow patients longitudinally throughout encounters irrespective of the location of the institution delivering health care. Some disadvantages include lack of precision of ICD-9 (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision) coding schemes. Much of these data are expensive to purchase, complicated to organize, and labor-intensive to manipulate-often requiring trained specialists for analysis. Given the changing health-care environment, it is likely that databases will provide valuable information that has the potential to influence clinical practice improvement and health policy for years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Total joint arthroplasty is the most frequently performed orthopaedic procedure in the United States. The purpose of the present study was to identify differences in thirty-day morbidity and mortality following primary total hip and total knee arthroplasty according to smoking status and pack-year history of smoking. Methods: We queried the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database to identify patients who had undergone primary total hip or total knee arthroplasty between 2006 and 2012. Patients were stratified by smoking status and pack-year history of smoking. Thirty-day rates of mortality, wound complications, and total complications were compared with use of univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: We identified 78,191 patients who had undergone primary total hip or total knee arthroplasty. Of these, 81.8% (63,971) were nonsmokers, 7.9% (6158) were former smokers, and 10.3% (8062) were current smokers. Current smokers had a higher rate of wound complications (1.8%) compared with former smokers and nonsmokers (1.3% and 1.1%, respectively; p < 0.001). Former smokers had a higher rate of total complications (6.9%) compared with current smokers and nonsmokers (5.9% and 5.4%, respectively; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified current smokers as being at increased risk of wound complications (odds ratio [OR], 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 1.78), particularly deep wound infection, while both current smokers (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.06 to 1.31) and former smokers (OR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.08 to 1.34) were at increased total complication risk. Increasing pack-year history of smoking resulted in increasing total complication risk. Conclusions: On the basis of our findings, current smokers have an increased risk of wound complications and both current and former smokers have an increased total complication risk following total hip or total knee arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the updated results for a previously described cohort of patients who were less than fifty years old at the time of the index Charnley total hip arthroplasty with cement. The original cohort consisted of ninety-three consecutive hips in sixty-nine patients. The patients were followed for a minimum of thirty-five years after surgery or until death. At the latest follow-up evaluation, there were forty-one total hip replacements (44%) in thirty-two living patients. Thirty-four (37%) of the ninety-three total hip replacements in the original cohort had been revised or removed. Twenty acetabular (22%) and seven femoral (8%) components had been revised for aseptic loosening. Since the twenty-five-year follow-up, the average six-minute-walk distance decreased from 395 m to 171 m, and this decrease correlated with increasing comorbidity. This study demonstrates the durability of cemented total hip replacements in a young patient population. Although 63% (fifty-nine) of the ninety-three original hip replacements were functioning at the latest follow-up or at the time of death, a significant decrease in activity level was seen over time (p < 0.001). Of the forty-one original implants in the patients who were alive at the time of the thirty-five-year follow-up, only 46% (nineteen) were retained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the trends in operative management of femoral neck fractures by orthopaedic surgeons applying for board certification. Methods: We queried the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery database to identify all femoral neck fractures that had been treated and reported by candidates taking Part II of the licensing examination from 1999 to 2011 to determine the utilization of internal fixation, hemiarthroplasty, and total hip arthroplasty. The longitudinal trends were then stratified by patient age (younger than sixty-five, sixty-five to seventy-nine, eighty and older) and the declared subspecialty of the candidate. Results: There were 19,541 femoral neck fractures that had been treated by 4450 board certification candidates. The use of total hip arthroplasty increased over time (0.7% of fractures in 1999, 7.7% in 2011, p < 0.001); use of hemiarthroplasty (67.1% in 1999, 63.1% in 2011, p = 0.020) and internal fixation (32.2% in 1999, 29.2% in 2011, p = 0.064) declined slightly. All geographic regions showed an increase in utilization of total hip arthroplasty, with substantial variation between locations. The proportion of patients younger than age sixty-five who were managed with total hip arthroplasty increased from 1.4% to 13.1% (p < 0.001). Candidates with a declared subspecialty of ‘‘adult reconstruction’’ showed a strong trend toward the use of total hip arthroplasty (4.3% from 1999 to 2002, 21.1% from 2009 to 2011, p < 0.001), while ‘‘trauma’’ subspecialty candidates demonstrated decreasing utilization of internal fixation (40.9% from 1999 to 2002, 32.9% from 2009 to 2011, p = 0.012). The percentage of candidates treating at least one femoral neck fracture decreased from 54.8% from 1999 to 2002 to 46.3% from 2009 to 2011 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The most substantial changes in treatment of femoral neck fractures were seen in the younger group of patients. Currently, a smaller percentage of board certification candidates are treating femoral neck fractures than those in the past, possibly reflecting a trend toward specialty care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knee arthroplasty has emerged as an effective treatment for end-stage gonarthrosis. Although total knee arthroplasty remains the gold standard, unicompartmental knee arthroplasty is an appropriate alternative for select patients. We sought to use a large, heterogeneous national database to identify differences in thirty-day complication rates between unicompartmental and total knee arthroplasty as well as to identify risk factors for complications.Methods: Patients in the ACS NSQIP (American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program) database who had undergone total or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty from 2005 to 2011 were identified. CPT (Current Procedural Terminology) codes were used to select cases of elective primary knee arthroplasty. Statistical models employing univariate and multivariate logistic regression identified risk factors associated with the thirty-day incidence of morbidity and mortality after total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Propensity score matching addressed demographic differences between the total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty cohorts.Results: A total of 29,333 patients were identified; 27,745 (94.6%) underwent total knee arthroplasty and 1588 (5.41%) underwent unicompartmental knee arthroplasty. Prior to matching, the total knee arthroplasty cohort was 63.7% female and had a mean BMI of 32.8 ± 7.3 kg/m(2), whereas the values for the unicompartmental cohort were 55.3% and 31.5 ± 6.5 kg/m(2) (p < 0.0001). The mean ages of these cohorts were 67.2 ± 10.1 and 64.0 ± 10.7 years, respectively (p < 0.0001). A previously developed and implemented propensity score matching algorithm was used to address the demographic differences. Following matching, the total complication rate did not differ significantly between the total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty cohorts (5.29% compared with 4.16%, p = 0.35), whereas the rate of deep venous thrombosis (1.50% compared with 0.50%, p = 0.02) and the duration of hospital stay (3.4 compared with 2.2 days, p < 0.0001) were significantly higher in the total knee arthroplasty cohort.Conclusions: Comparison of total and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty revealed no differences in overall short-term (thirty-day) morbidity and mortality. Although this study does not address long-term subjective outcomes or implant survival, these findings should provide helpful information for surgeons counseling patients considering total and/or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty.Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spinal anesthesia has been associated with lower postoperative rates of deep-vein thrombosis, a shorter operative time, and less blood loss when compared with general anesthesia. The purpose of the present study was to identify differences in thirty-day perioperative morbidity and mortality between anesthesia choices among patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) database was searched to identify patients who underwent primary total knee arthroplasty between 2005 and 2010. Complications that occurred within thirty days after the procedure in patients who had been managed with either general or spinal anesthesia were identified. Patient characteristics, thirty-day complication rates, and mortality were compared. Multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of thirty-daymorbidity, and stratified propensity scores were used to adjust for selection bias. Results: The database search identified 14,052 cases of primary total knee arthroplasty; 6030 (42.9%) were performed with the patient under spinal anesthesia and 8022 (57.1%) were performed with the patient under general anesthesia. The spinal anesthesia group had a lower unadjusted frequency of superficial wound infections (0.68% versus 0.92%; p = 0.0003), blood transfusions (5.02% versus 6.07%; p = 0.0086), and overall complications (10.72% versus 12.34%; p = 0.0032). The length of surgery (ninety-six versus 100 minutes; p < 0.0001) and the length of hospital stay (3.45 versus 3.77 days; p < 0.0001) were shorter in the spinal anesthesia group. After adjustment for potential confounders, the overall likelihood of complications was significantly higher in association with general anesthesia (odds ratio, 1.129; 95% confidence interval, 1.004 to 1.269). Patients with the highest number of preoperative comorbidities, as defined by propensity score-matched quintiles, demonstrated a significant difference between the groups with regard to the short-term complication rate (11.63% versus 15.28%; p = 0.0152). Age, female sex, black race, elevated creatinine, American Society of Anesthesiologists class, operative time, and anesthetic choice were all independent risk factors of short-term complication after total knee arthroplasty. Conclusions: Patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty who were managed with general anesthesia had a small but significant increase in the risk of complications as compared with patients who were managed with spinal anesthesia; the difference was greatest for patients with multiple comorbidities. Surgeons who perform knee arthroplasty may consider spinal anesthesia for patients with comorbidities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The durability of total hip arthroplasty in younger patients has been reported to be less than that in older patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of cementless total hip arthroplasty performed in a consecutive series of patients fifty years of age or younger who were followed for a minimum of ten years. Methods: We prospectively followed 100 consecutive patients (115 hips) who were fifty years of age or younger when they were treated with primary cementless total hip arthroplasty with use of a second-generation, extensively porous- coated femoral stem and a cementless acetabular component. The patients were followed for a minimum often years, and the results were compared with our patients in the same age group who had total hip arthroplasty with cement. Evaluation included the need for revision, activity questionnaires, six-minute walks, activity level monitoring with an accelercmeter, and radiographic evaluation for evidence of loosening, wear, and osteolysis. Results: Seventy-three patients (eighty-two hips) were available for follow-up at ten years (mean, twelve years). Seven- teen patients (twenty-three hips) had died, and ten patients (ten hips) were lost to follow-up. The average age at the time of surgery was 40.1 years. Three femoral stems were revised for periprosthetic fracture. No acetabular shell or femoral stem was revised for loosening, and none were loose on radiographs made at the time of a minimum ten-year follow-up. This compares favorably with the cemented cohort, which had poorer survivorship of the implant with regard to revision for aseptic loosening and radiographic loosening. Reoperation for any reason was similar between the two cohorts at ten years, primarily because of the relatively large numbers of revisions for polyethylene wear in the cementless group. Conclusions: Cementless total hip arthroplasty with use of a second-generation, extensively porous-coated stem demonstrated durable fixation in an active, younger population at a minimum follow-up of ten years and had better survivorship with respect to fixation compared with our previously reported cemented cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the longer-term results for a previously reported cohort of patients who were managed with cementless acetabular fixation at the time of revision arthroplasty. Sixty-one consecutive revision total hip arthroplasties were performed in fifty-five patients with use of a cementless acetabular component and screw-augmented fixation. This series was evaluated at minimum of twenty years. Twelve patients (fourteen hips) were living at twenty years. In this group of sixty-one arthroplasties, there were nineteen revisions in fourteen hips (22.9%) during the follow-up period, but no revisions were performed because of loosening of the acetabular component and no additional cups had loosened since the time of the last report ata minimum often years. Two components had previously been reported as loose and had migrated, but neither had been revised at the time of the latest follow-up. The minimum twenty-year follow-up of these cementless acetabular components demonstrated durable long-term fixation. The survival rate was 100% with revision of the shell because of aseptic loosening as the end point and 97.7% (95% confidence in-terval, ±8.8%) with radiographic evidence of loosening as the end point. The authors continue to use cementless acetabular fixation with screw augmentation for most revision total hip arthroplasty procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlabelled: The purpose of the present study was to analyze the longer-term results for a previously reported cohort of patients who were managed with cementless acetabular fixation at the time of revision arthroplasty. Sixty-one consecutive revision total hip arthroplasties were performed in fifty-five patients with use of a cementless acetabular component and screw-augmented fixation. This series was evaluated at minimum of twenty years. Twelve patients (fourteen hips) were living at twenty years. In this group of sixty-one arthroplasties, there were nineteen revisions in fourteen hips (22.9%) during the follow-up period, but no revisions were performed because of loosening of the acetabular component and no additional cups had loosened since the time of the last report at a minimum of ten years. Two components had previously been reported as loose and had migrated, but neither had been revised at the time of the latest follow-up. The minimum twenty-year follow-up of these cementless acetabular components demonstrated durable long-term fixation. The survival rate was 100% with revision of the shell because of aseptic loosening as the end point and 97.7% (95% confidence interval, ± 8.8%) with radiographic evidence of loosening as the end point. The authors continue to use cementless acetabular fixation with screw augmentation for most revision total hip arthroplasty procedures.Level Of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the longer-term results for a previously reported cohort of patients with cementless acetabular fixation and to compare the results with those for historical controls with cement fixation and a comparable follow-up period. One hundred and twenty consecutive nonselected total hip arthroplasties were performed in 108 patients with use of a cementless acetabular component. This series was evaluated at a minimum of twenty years of follow-up and was compared with 330 consecutive hip arthroplasties that had been performed by the same surgeon with use of cemented acetabular components and had been followed for a comparable period of time. Thirty-nine patients (forty-two hips) in the cementless fixation group were living at twenty years of follow-up. In the group of 120 hips with cementless acetabular fixation, twenty-two hips (18.3%) were revised during the follow-up period, but only one hip (0.8%) was revised because of loosening of the acetabular component, with no additional cup loosening since the previous report at thirteen to fifteen years of follow-up. In the group with cemented acetabular fixation with comparable follow-up, thirty-two hips (10%) were revised overall and eighteen hips (6%) were revised because of acetabular loosening. An additional twenty-five hips (8%) had acetabular cups that were loose on radiographs but had not undergone revision. At a minimum of twenty years of follow-up, cementless acetabular components provided superior long-term fixation compared with cemented components but the overall rates of acetabular revision for mechanical reasons were comparable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Significant controversy exists regarding the causes of premature, natural hip-joint failure. Identification of these causes may guide future investigations targeting prevention of this disorder. The aims of this study were to: (1) determine and characterize structural abnormalities associated with premature, natural hip-joint failure, and (2) analyze disease progression in the contralateral hips of patients with femoroacetabular impingement deformities. Methods: We analyzed 604 patients (710 hips) from three different medical centers who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty at or before fifty years of age (average age, forty years). Three hundred fourteen patients (52%) were male, and 290 patients (48%) were female. Results: The diagnoses associated with premature hip failure varied, but osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis were most common. Radiographic abnormalities associated with developmental hip dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement were associated with the majority of osteoarthritic hips. Hips with femoroacetabular impingement deformities demonstrated distinct structural anatomy relative to asymptomatic hips, with a high prevalence of bilateral deformities. In a subgroup of seventy patients with femoroacetabular impingement deformities, contralateral radiographic disease progression or the need for total hip arthroplasty was observed in 73% of hips. Conclusions: Osteoarthritis and osteonecrosis are the major causes of premature hip-joint failure in young patients. Femoroacetabular impingement abnormalities are usually bilateral and are commonly associated with progression of the disease to the contralateral hip. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously evaluated 119 consecutive total knee arthroplasties performed by a single surgeon in eighty-six patients with use of the cemented LCS (low contact stress) mobile-bearing, rotating-platform system and an all-polyethylene patellar component. The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was seventy years. The patients were contacted as part of their routine follow-up and were asked to participate in this study. The purpose of the present study was to report the updated results at a minimum follow-up of twenty years. Twenty patients (twenty-six knees) were living, and one was lost to follow-up. Three knees required a reoperation (two for periprosthetic fractures and one for infection). No component was revised as a part of the reoperations. No knee required revision since the fifteen-year follow-up evaluation. Osteolysis was present in six knees compared with only three knees at the time of the fifteen-year follow-up. One knee had radiographic signs of femoral component loosening, which was associated with osteolysis. It occurred after the fifteen-year follow-up study. The average range of motion was from 1° of extension to 105° of flexion. The average clinical and functional Knee Society scores were 43 and 49 points, respectively, at the preoperative evaluation and 89 and 67 points at the time of the final follow-up. We concluded that the cemented LCS rotating-platform knee performed well, with durable clinical and radiographic results at a minimum follow-up of twenty years. However, the prevalence of osteolysis continues to increase with a longer duration of follow-up in these patients. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to update the results, at a minimum of thirty-five years, in a single-surgeon series of primary Charnley total hip arthroplasties performed with cement. Twelve patients (fifteen hips) were alive, 249 patients (314 hips) had died, and one patient (one hip) had been lost to follow-up. Seven of the hips in the living patients had required at least one revision; 290 (88%) of the original group of total hip prostheses either continued to function or were in patients who had died. Since the time of a thirty-year study of this cohort, one hip that had previously been revised because of acetabular loosening required an additional revision because of acetabular loosening and two additional hips had evidence of radiographic loosening (of one acetabular and one femoral component). The survival rate with revision for any reason as the end point was 78%. This end result study should provide a benchmark for subsequent procedures and designs with the caveat that patient life expectancy will likely continue to increase and modern-design implants are being used in younger patients. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Third-body wear can adversely affect the outcome of total hip arthroplasty by causing increased polyethylene wear, osteolysis, and component loosening. We hypothesized that there would be greater generation and migration of metal debris to the bearing surfaces in hips in which cobalt-chromium cables were used to reattach the osteotomized greater trochanter when compared with hips in which stainless steel wires were used. Methods: Between June 1981 and December 1983, 196 consecutive total hip arthroplasties were performed with use of an Iowa stem and a titanium-backed cemented acetabular component, with cobalt-chromium cable trochanteric re-attachment. After nineteen to twenty years of follow-up, the patients were evaluated with regard to the depth of head penetration into the polyethylene (as a surrogate for wear), osteolysis, loosening, and the need for revision. The results were compared with those for a series of 304 total hip arthroplasties that were performed by the same surgeon from January 1984 to December 1985 with use of the same components and the same surgical technique, but with stainless steel wire trochanteric reattachment. The two groups had a comparable nineteen to twenty-year follow-up. All living patients (fifty-nine hips in the cable group and ninety-two hips in the wire group) had minimum ten-year follow-up radiographs. Results: The polyethylene wear rate was 0.101 mm/yr for the cable group and 0.082 mm/yr for the wire group (p = 0.039). For the living patients, the rate of revision of the acetabular component because of aseptic loosening was 37.3% (twenty-two hips) for the cable group and 20.7% (nineteen hips) for the wire group (p = 0.025). The rate of acetabular osteolysis was 44% (twenty-six hips) for the cable group and 26% (twenty-four hips) for the wire group (p = 0.022). Kaplan- Meier analysis with revision of the acetabular component because of aseptic loosening as the end point demonstrated survival rates of 73.7% ± 9% and 83% ± 7% for the cable and wire groups, respectively, at twenty years (p = 0.03). Conclusions: Because cable trochanteric attachment led to significantly greater polyethylene wear, osteolysis, acetabular loosening, and acetabular revision, presumably due to third-body metallic debris generation in this cemented total hip replacement construct, surgeons should be aware of the deleterious effects of third-body debris and avoid the use of potential debris generators in the total hip arthroplasty construct. If cable is used and fretting is recognized, especially with intra-articular migration of metallic material or nonunion of the greater trochanter, consideration should be given to cable removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the mid- to late 1970s, on the basis of laboratory and finite element data, many surgeons in the United States began using collared matte-finish femoral components and metal-backed acetabular components in their total hip arthroplasties. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of the use of one such construct in arthroplasties performed by a single surgeon in a consecutive nonselected patient cohort. Methods: Between January 1984 and December 1985, 273 patients underwent a total of 304 consecutive nonselected total hip arthroplasties with cement and use of the Iowa femoral component (which is collared, has a proximal cobra shape, and has a matte finish) and a metal-backed TiBac acetabular component performed by a single surgeon. At nineteen to twenty years postoperatively, only two patients (two hips) were lost to follow-up. For clinical evaluation, we attempted to interview all living patients and the families of the patients who had died to verify the status of the hip prosthesis or any revisions. Radiographic evaluation consisted of analysis for loosening and osteolysis as well as wear of the acetabular component. Results: At the time of the nineteen to twenty-year follow-up, the rate of revision of the arthroplasty for any reason was 10.5% (thirty-two hips) for all patients and 25% (twenty-three hips) for living patients. The rate of revision due to aseptic femoral loosening was 2.6% (eight hips). There was radiographic evidence of loosening of the femoral component in fifteen hips (4.9%), including those that were revised, and femoral osteolysis was seen distal .to the trochanters in twenty-two hips (7.2%). The rate of revision due to aseptic loosening of the acetabular component was 7.9% (twenty-four hips), and there was radiographic evidence of acetabular loosening in forty-two hips (13.8%), including those that were revised. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the durability of a cemented matte-finish collared femoral component at twenty years postoperatively, with a rate of revision due to aseptic loosening of 2.6%. The metal-backed acetabular component also performed well in many patients, with a 7.9% rate of revision due to aseptic loosening. However, in the living patients, the rate of loosening of the acetabular component, including cases revised because of aseptic loosening, was 30.4%. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article talks about the certification process of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) for individuals who have completed training in a residency program accredited by the Residency Review Committee for Orthopaedic Surgery. A brief background on the history of ABOS and its certifying examination is offered. The examinations undertaken and the educational requirements for the certification are discussed.

Background: Recent studies have suggested that cemented femoral components with a polished surface may pro- vide superior long-term fixation when compared with femoral components with a roughened surface. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of total hip arthroplasty with a cemented femoral component with a polished surface finish and compare them with the results of total hip arthroplasty performed with a similar design of cemented femoral component with a rougher surface finish. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive group of 132 patients (149 hips) in whom primary total hip arthroplasty had been performed by one surgeon using a cemented collared femoral component with a polished (0.1-µm Ra) surface finish and a cementless acetabular component. Ninety-eight patients (115 hips) were followed for a minimum of ten years. We compared the survivorship of this prosthesis with that of a femoral component of similar design but with rougher surfaces (matte or grit-blasted). Results: No polished stems were revised because of aseptic loosening or demonstrated radiographic evidence of loosening; however, eight hips (5.4%) with a polished stem demonstrated osteolysis distal to the greater or lesser trochanter. In contrast, six stems (2.0%) with a matte surface finish of 0.8-µm Ra were revised because of aseptic loosening, and an additional five stems were seen to be loose radiographically. Eleven stems (9.2%) with a grit-blasted surface finish of 2.1-µm Ra were revised because of aseptic loosening, and an additional four stems were seen to be loose radiographically. The difference in the prevalence of revision due to aseptic loosening between the group with the 0.1-µm Ra surface and the group with the 2.1-µm Ra surface was significant (p = 0.001), as was the difference between the prevalence of revision due to aseptic loosening between the group with the 0.8-µm Ra surface and the group with the 2.1-µm Ra surface (p = 0.001). No cups were revised because of aseptic loosening, and one hip had radiographic signs of acetabular loosening. Conclusions: This study demonstrated excellent durability of a prosthesis consisting of a cemented, collared, polished femoral component and a cementless acetabular component. While no hips were revised because of aseptic loosening, distal femoral osteolysis was observed in eight hips (5.4%), a higher prevalence than has been reported by others after similar durations of follow-up of tapered, collarless, polished femoral components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was performed to determine the status, at a minimum of twenty-five years, of a prospective, single-surgeon series of patients treated with primary Charnley total hip arthroplasty with a contemporary femoral cementing technique that included use of a distal cement plug and a retrograde cement-delivery system. Since our review at a minimum of twenty years postoperatively, two primary total hip prostheses were revised (one because of acetabular loosening, and one because of femoral loosening). Of the original cohort of 357 hips (320 patients), ten (2.8%) had revision of the femoral stem because of aseptic loosening. Forty-nine patients (fifty-two hips, 14.6%) who had been in the initial study group were still living at the time of the present review. Five hips (10%) in living patients had required a femoral revision because of aseptic loosening. Including those that were revised, eight femoral components (17%) in living patients were seen to be loose radiographically. Although this study demonstrates the remarkable durability of the femoral fixation obtained with the polished flatback Charnley prosthesis and the contemporary cementing technique, there was some deterioration of the results with time. These results provide a standard for comparison with cementless fixation after hips treated with that technique have been followed for a similar duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We previously evaluated 119 consecutive total knee arthroplasties that were performed in eighty-six patients with use of the cemented LCS (low contact stress) rotating-platform system with an all-polyethylene patellar component. The average age of the patients at the time of surgery was seventy years (range, thirty-seven to eighty-eight years). The purpose of this study was to report the updated results at a minimum follow-up of fifteen years. Thirty-seven patients (fifty-three knees) were living, and no patient was lost to follow-up. No knee was revised because of loosening, osteolysis, or wear. Three knees required a reoperation (two for periprosthetic fractures and one for infection). No component was revised as a part of the reoperations. Osteolysis was present in three knees. No knee had radiographic signs of component loosening, and there were no dislocated bearings. The average range of motion was from 1 ° of extension to 105 ° of flexion. The average clinical and functional Knee Society scores were 43 and 49, respectively, at the preoperative evaluation and 85 and 58 at the time of the final follow-up. We concluded that the cemented LCS rotating-platform knee performed well, with durable clinical and radiographic results at a minimum follow-up of fifteen years. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Explores how new technology should be introduced into orthopedic practice. in the U.S. Investment of the orthopedic industry into new surgical technologies; Role of the Food and Drug Administration in the regulation of orthopedic devices; Impact of direct-to-consumer marketing of health care products on doctor-patient relationship.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the types and prevalence of complications associated with bilateral total knee replacement performed four to seven days apart during a single hospitalization and to compare them with those associated with bilateral knee replacement performed sequentially under the same anesthetic session or staged unilateral replacements performed during separate hospitalizations. Methods: Using a computerized database and medical records, we retrospectively evaluated 332 consecutive patients who underwent bilateral total knee replacement performed by two surgeons. A total of 241 patients underwent staggered bilateral knee replacement with the procedures performed four to seven days apart during one hospitalization, twenty-six underwent sequential bilateral total knee replacement, and sixty-five underwent staged bilateral knee replacement performed during two separate hospitalizations. The data on major complications, including death, return to operating room, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism, and on minor complications, including atrial fibrillation, deep-vein thrombosis, and urinary tract infection, were evaluated. Results: Patients undergoing sequential bilateral total knee replacement and staged bilateral knee replacement had an overall rate of complications that was 2.5 times higher than that of the staggered group. Major complications were rare in all groups, but they occurred most often in the staged bilateral replacement group. The overall rate of complications for the patients who had staggered bilateral knee replacement (13%) was significantly less (p = 0.0009) than that for the patients who had sequential bilateral knee replacement (35%) or staged bilateral knee replacement (31%). The length of inpatient stay for those with staggered total knee arthroplasty was four days longer than that for the sequential arthroplasty group (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: Staggered bilateral total knee replacement, with the procedures performed four to seven days apart in a single hospitalization, is a safe and practical method for performing bilateral total knee replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We previously reported the results at a mean of five years following the use of a tripolar constrained acetabular component to treat recurrently dislocating total hip prostheses. In this study, we report the results after longer follow-up, with emphasis on the prevalence of implant loosening, osteolysis, and later recurrent instability. Fifty-five patients treated with a total of fifty-six constrained acetabular components because of recurrent dislocations of a total hip prosthesis (average, six dislocations; range, two to twenty dislocations) were followed for an average of 10.2 years (range, 7.0 to 13.2 years) or until death. Four (7%) of the fifty-six hips had a subsequent dislocation or failure of the device. Three femoral components (5%) and two acetabular components (4%) were revised because of aseptic loosening. One hip was revised because of osteolysis. We concluded that this constrained acetabular component provides durable protection against additional dislocations without substantial deleterious effects on component fixation. We use this device to treat recurrent dislocation when other modalities are unlikely to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Constrained acetabular components have been used to treat hips with recurrent instability following total hip arthroplasty and hips that demonstrate instability during revision surgery. In such hips, when a secure cementless acetabular shell is present, the surgeon can cement a constrained liner into the existing shell. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcome of this technique with use of a tripolar constrained liner that was cemented into a well-fixed cementless acetabular shell. Methods: Between 1988 and 2000, constrained liners were cemented into thirty-one well-fixed cementless acetabular shells at three centers. The average age of the patients at the time of the index surgery was 72.1 years, and the indications for the procedure were recurrent hip instability in sixteen hips and intraoperative instability in fifteen hips. The patients were evaluated with respect to the clinical outcome and radiographic evidence of shell loosening and osteolysis. Results: At an average duration of follow-up of 3.9 years, twenty-nine liners (94%) were securely fixed in the cement- less shells and two constrained liners had failed. One liner failed because it separated from the cement, and one failed because of fracture of the capturing mechanism. Both hips were successfully revised with another cemented tripolar constrained liner. No acetabular component demonstrated radiographic evidence of progressive loosening or osteolysis. Conclusions: A constrained tripolar liner cemented into a secure, well-positioned cementless acetabular shell provides stability and durability at short-term follow-up. Careful attention to the preparation of the liner, the sizing of the component, and the cementing technique are likely to reduce the failure of this construct, which can be used for difficult cases of total hip instability. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the current study was to update the results of a prospective, single-surgeon series of primary Charnley total hip arthroplasties performed with cement. This investigation is one of the first studies in which hips treated with total hip arthroplasty with cement were followed for a minimum of thirty years. Twenty-seven patients (thirty-four [10.3%] of the hips in the initial study group) were alive at a minimum of thirty years postoperatively. These patients served as the focus of the present study. Revision because of aseptic loosening of the acetabular component was performed in 7.3% (twenty-three) of the hips from the original study group (excluding those revised because of infection or dislocation) and 26% (eight) of the hips in the living cohort. Revision because of aseptic loosening of the femoral component was performed in 3.2% (ten) of the hips from the original study group (excluding those revised because of infection or dislocation) and 10% (three) of the hips in the living patients. Since the twenty-five-year review, three hips were revised (one because of acetabular loosening, one because of femoral loosening, and one because of instability). This end-result study demonstrated the remarkable durability of cemented Charnley total hip replacements over a span of three decades, with 88% of the original prostheses intact at the time of the final follow-up or at the patient's death. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic study, &dLevel IVline; (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hip replacement with use of small incisions has been practiced selectively by a few practitioners for many years, but only in the last several years has so called minimally invasive hip replacement been widely introduced to the majority of orthopaedic surgeons. Minimally invasive hip replacement, in fact, is not a single type of surgery but rather is a family of operations designed to allow total hip replacement to be done through smaller incisions, potentially with less soft-tissue disruption. Minimally invasive total hip arthroplasty has created much controversy among orthopaedic surgeons and a great deal of publicity in the popular press. Advocates emphasize the potential for these methods to reduce softtissue trauma and thereby reduce operative blood loss, postoperative pain; speed the postoperative recovery and improve the cosmetic appearance of the surgical scar.

Focuses on six cases of pubic ramus insufficiency fractures following total hip arthroplasty. Symptoms exhibited by patients; Effect of treatments provided to each patient; Evidence revealed by radiography of all patients.

We report the updated results for a previously evaluated cohort of patients who were less than fifty years old when they underwent Charnley total hip arthroplasty with cement. The original cohort consisted of ninety-three total hip arthroplasties performed in sixty-nine patients. The patients were followed for a minimum of twenty-five years after surgery or until death. The present report describes the findings of the radiographic and functional follow-up, which was performed for forty-two of the forty-three living patients. At the time of the latest follow-up, twenty-nine (31%) of the ninety-three total hip replacements had been revised or removed. Eighteen acetabular and five femoral components were revised secondary to aseptic loosening. The combined prevalence of radiographic failure or revision because of aseptic loosening was 13% for the femoral components and 34% for the acetabular components. Comorbid medical conditions significantly hindered results on each functional sub-scale (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates the durability of cemented total hip replacements in a young patient population. Sixty-nine percent of the original hip replacements were functioning well at the latest follow-up examination or at the time of death, and only 5% required more than one revision arthroplasty. Level of Evidence:Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A common clinical scenario encountered by an orthopaedic surgeon is a patient with a secure cementless acetabular shell and a failed polyethylene liner. One treatment option is to cement a new liner into the fixed shell. The purpose of this study was to evaluate technical variables to improve the mechanical strength of such cemented liner constructs. Methods: The contributions of shell texturing, liner texturing, and cement mantle thickness (between the liner and the shell) were evaluated by comparing torsional strength (among nine groups of constructs) and lever-out strength (among eight groups of constructs). Results: Failure almost always occurred at the cement-liner interface. The two exceptions (failure at the shell-cement interface) occurred with a polished, untextured shell with no screw-holes. This finding indicates that if a shell has existing texturing (such as holes), further intraoperative scoring of the shell is unnecessary, but some sort of texturing is necessary to avoid construct failure at the shell-cement interface. Textured liners had significantly (α = 0.05) greater torsional and lever-out strength than untextured liners. The greatest construct strength occurred when liner grooves were oriented so as to oppose the applied loading. A 4-mm-thick cement mantle resulted in slightly greater torsional strength than a 2-mm-thick cement mantle, and a 2-mm-thick cement mantle resulted in considerably greater lever-out strength than a 4-mm-thick cement mantle, but these differences were not significant. Conclusions: When cementing a liner into a well-fixed shell, a surgeon should ensure that both the shell and the liner are textured, as interdigitation of the cement with the shell and the liner is crucial to the mechanical strength of this construct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to update the results of a prospective series of primary cementless total hip arthroplasties after a minimum of fifteen years of follow-up. It is one of the first studies of cementless total hip arthroplasties followed for a minimum of fifteen years. One hundred consecutive Porous Coated Anatomic (PCA) total hip replacements were implanted between October 1983 and January 1986. Fifty-five patients (sixty-four hips) that were alive at a minimum of fifteen years postoperatively are the focus of the present study. At this time of follow-up, at an average of 15.6 years (range, fifteen to seventeen years) after the total hip arthroplasty, 17% (seventeen hips) of the entire cohort and 23% (fifteen hips) of the living cohort had undergone revision because of loosening of the acetabular component or osteolysis. Seven percent (seven hips) of the entire cohort and 6% (four hips) of the living cohort had undergone revision for loosening of the femoral component or osteolysis. Only four femoral stems had been revised for isolated loosening (without osteolysis). The PCA femoral component proved to be durable at a minimum of fifteen years postoperatively, while the acetabular component was less durable. Level of Evidence:Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series [no, or historical, control group]). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most intermediate and long-term studies of cemented posterior-cruciate-substituting total knee prostheses were performed with nonmodular tibial components. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intermediate-term results of posterior-cruciate-substituting total knee arthroplasties in which a cemented modular tibial component had been used, with a particular focus on evaluating the prevalence of radiographic osteolysis. Methods: Between 1992 and 1995, 176 consecutive primary total knee arthroplasties with use of the Insall-Burstein II system were performed in 134 patients at our institution. A modular metal-backed tibial component was inserted in 145 knees, and an all-polyethylene tibial component of the same design was inserted in thirty-one. Standard-terminology questionnaires were completed or Knee Society and The Hospital for Special Surgery scores were determined preoperatively and at the time of final follow-up, at an average of 6.4 years (range, 5.0 to 7.9 years). Initial postoperative radiographs were compared with those made at the time of final follow-up to assess component position, wear, radiolucent lines, and osteolysis. Results: Ninety-two patients (128 knees) treated with the modular tibial component were alive at the time of final follow-up. No patient was lost to follow-up. Radiographs were available for 105 knees (82%). Three knees had been revised because of instability or infection; none had been revised because of loosening or osteolysis. The mean Knee Society clinical and functional scores were 85 points (range, 41 to 100 points) and 79 points (range, 30 to 100 points), respectively, at the time of final follow-up. According to The Hospital for Special Surgery score, 94% of the knees had a good or excellent result. Knee flexion averaged 113° (range, 90° to 130°) at the time of final follow-up. Osteolysis was present in seventeen (16%) of the knees with radiographic follow-up. Osteolysis did not develop in any... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proposes various etiologic associations with osteonecrosis in the U.S. Difficulty of separating the effects of corticosteroid on bone from underlying diseases; Uncertainty of the dose of corticosteroid necessary to induce osteonecrosis; Prevalence of alcohol-associated osteonecrosis.

Determines whether the cementing technique of using a distal cement plug and retrograde filling of the femoral canal with cement versus hand-packed technique provided better long-term fixation. Calculation of the prevalence of revision of the original prosthesis; Complications; Patient satisfaction; Radiographic results.

Background: Although cementless acetabular components are routinely used in revision hip surgery, few investigators have evaluated the retention and efficacy of these components in the long term. In the current study, the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a series of arthroplasties performed by one surgeon with a cementless acetabular component were assessed at a minimum of ten years. Methods: From 1986 through 1988, sixty-one consecutive revision total hip arthroplasties were performed in fiftyfive patients because of aseptic failure of one or both components of a prosthesis in which both components had been cemented. Twenty-eight patients (thirty-two hips) were alive at a mean of 12.9 years (range, 11.5 to 14.3 years) after the operation. In all of the patients, the acetabular component was revised to a porous-coated Harris-Galante component inserted without cement, and the femoral component was revised to an Iowa component affixed with contemporary cementing techniques. The hips were evaluated clinically and radiographically at a minimum of ten years subsequent to the index revision. No hips were lost to follow-up. Results: None of the acetabular components required revision because of aseptic loosening. Two hips (3%) demonstrated radiographic evidence of aseptic loosening of the acetabular component. The polyethylene liner was exchanged during the follow-up period in eight hips. Conclusion: After a minimum of ten years of follow-up, cementless acetabular fixation in revision hip arthroplasty had produced durable results that were markedly better than those reported for acetabular fixation with cement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Polyethylene wear debris, and the resulting inflammatory response leading to osteolysis and loosening, is the primary mode of failure limiting the longevity of total hip replacements. Alternative bearing surfaces, including ceramic-on-polyethylene, have been investigated in an effort to decrease the amount of polyethylene wear debris. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the seventeen to twenty-one-year results of the use of ceramicon-polyethylene total hip prostheses. Methods: Sixty-four total hip prostheses were implanted with cement, by one surgeon, in fifty-six patients from 1978 to 1981. The average age at the index arthroplasty was sixty-nine years (range, fifty-one to eighty-four years). The components consisted of a cemented Charnley-Müller stem with a 32-mm modular alumina femoral head and a cemented all-polyethylene acetabular component. All patients who retained the index prosthesis were assessed clinically with use of Harris hip scores and were evaluated radiographically at the time of the latest follow-up. Results: At the time of this latest follow-up, of the original sixty-four implants, eighteen (28%) were still in place and five (8%) had been revised. The remaining forty-one implants were in patients who had died and were functioning well until the patient's death. No patient was lost to follow-up. Of the eighteen hips with an intact prosthesis in the surviving patients, seven had an excellent clinical result; nine, a good result; and two, a fair result. One asymptomatic hip had definite radiographic evidence of femoral loosening. No hip had definite signs of acetabular loosening or evidence of osteolysis. Survivorship analysis revealed that the probability of survival of the prostheses without revision was 95% at five years, 95% at ten years, 89% at fifteen years, and 79% at twenty years. The mean linear and volumetric polyethylene wear rates were 0.034 mm/yr and 28 mm³/yr, respectively. There were no fractures of the... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with aplastic anemia are now living longer and therefore are at increased risk for the development of osteonecrosis of the hip. However, studies on the results of arthroplasty for the treatment of osteoarthritis of the hip in patients with aplastic anemia are lacking. Methods: Twenty-six primary hip prostheses (one bipolar prosthesis fixed with cement, two bipolar prostheses fixed without cement, three hybrid total hip prostheses, and twenty total hip prostheses fixed without cement) were implanted, between March 1990 and May 1992, in nineteen patients who had been diagnosed with aplastic anemia. A specific prospective protocol was followed for the perioperative transfusion of plate!ets and blood. Twenty-five hips were replaced because of osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and one was replaced because of a femoral neck fracture. The patients were followed prospectively, with preoperative and serial postoperative Harris hip ratings as well as radiographs, for a minimum of six years or until death. Results: No patient had excessive perioperative bleeding or a postoperative infection. After a mean duration of follow-up of seventy-nine months (range, seventy-two to ninety-five months), two patients had died with the original implant in place. No patients were lost to follow-up. The mean Harris hip score was 55 points (range, 42 to 68 points) preoperatively and 87 points (range, 56 to 95 points) at the time of the latest follow-up. At the time of this writing, no hip had been revised. One patient with a bipolar prosthesis had radiographic evidence of femoral loosening and will probably require revision. A second patient had some medial protrusion of a bipolar prosthesis, with mild symptoms. All of the acetabular components that had been fixed without cement and all of the other femoral components appeared to be stable on radiographs after a minimum of seventy-two months of follow-up. Conclusions: Total hip arthroplasty can be performed safely in... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses key issues relevant to mobile-bearing total knee replacement. Reasons behind the clinical interest in mobile-bearing knees; Advantages of mobile-bearing knees over fixed-bearing total knee replacement; Theoretical significance to bone and joint surgery.

Background: Although the LCS (low contact stress) rotating-platform mobile-bearing knee replacement has been used extensively, there have been few intermediate or long-term clinical and radiographic follow-up studies evaluating the device. The purpose of this study was to report the nine to twelve-year results of a consecutive series of patients who had a primary total knee replacement performed with this device. Methods: Between November 1985 and November 1988, the senior author (R. C. J.) performed 119 consecutive total knee arthroplasties in eighty-six patients with LCS rotating-platform femoral and tibial components and a Townley all-polyethylene dome patellar component. All components were fixed with cement. The average age of the patients at the time of the operation was seventy years (range, thirty-seven to eightyeight years). Fifty-two patients (seventy-six knees) were female, and thirty-four patients (forty-three knees) were male. The patients were evaluated with clinical knee ratings and radiographic analysis nine to twelve years following the knee replacement. Results: At the time of the nine to twelve-year follow-up, sixty-four patients (eighty-six knees) were alive, eighteen patients (twenty-eight knees) had died, and four patients (five knees) had been lost to followup. Of the 114 knees in the eighty-two patients for whom the final outcome was known, none required a reoperation and none had a dislocation of the mobilebearing prosthesis. For the forty-five patients (sixty-six knees) who returned for final clinical and radiographic follow-up examinations at nine to twelve years, the average clinical and functional Knee Society ratings were 30 points (range, 2 to 70 points) and 44 points (range, 0 to 80 points) preoperatively and 90 points (range, 63 to 102 points) and 75 points (range, 30 to 100 points) at the final follow-up evaluation. The average Hospital for Special Surgery knee rating was 57 points (range, 28 to 80 points) preoperatively and 84... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This report presents the results of the senior author's initial twenty-five-year experience with the use of Charnley total hip arthroplasty with cement. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the longterm results of total hip arthroplasty. Methods: Between July 1970 and April 1972, the senior author (R. C. J.) performed 330 Charnley total hip replacements with cement using a hand-packing cement technique in 262 patients. Fifty-one patients (sixty-two hips) who were alive at least twenty-five years postoperatively were evaluated from a clinical standpoint with use of a standard-terminology questionnaire. The average age of this group at the time of surgery was fifty-six years (range, thirty-five to seventy-one years) compared with sixty-five years (range, twenty-one to eighty-nine years) for the entire group. All patients were evaluated for radiographic changes at the time of their most recent follow-up. Of the fifty-one patients (sixty-two hips) who were alive at least twenty-five years postoperatively, thirty-one (thirty-six hips) had a follow-up radiograph made at a minimum of twentyfive years after the surgery. The average duration of radiographic follow-up for the fifty-one patients was 22.7 years (range, two to twenty-seven years). Results: Of the sixty-two hips in the fifty-one patients who were alive at least twenty-five years postoperatively, fourteen (23 percent) had been revised. Three (5 percent) had the revision because of loosening with infection; eleven (18 percent), because of aseptic loosening; and none, because of dislocation. The prevalence of revision due to aseptic loosening of the acetabular component in all 316 hips (excluding those that were lost to follow-up or that were revised for infection or dislocation) was 6 percent (eighteen hips), whereas the prevalence in the fifty-nine hips (excluding the three revised for infection) in the patients who were alive at least twenty-five years after the arthroplasty was 15 percent... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Oral Direct Thrombin Inhibitor Ximelagatran Compared With Warfarin for the Prevention of Venous Thromboembolism After Total Knee Arthroplasty," by Clifford Colwell and colleagues in the 2005 issue.

The article provides information on the Part-II oral examination for the board certification of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). The candidates who are eligible for the Part-II examination may select their specific subspecialty area for testing after fellowship training. Subspecialties include hand, spine, pediatrics, sports, adult reconstruction, trauma, oncology, and foot and ankle. It discusses about spine as specialty and offers information on the history of spine education.

Focuses on the debate surrounding the scarcity of basic scientific investigations in the field of biomedical science. History of how scientist came to believe that dietary deficiencies cause a variety of diseases; Increasing public attention on the effectiveness of oral glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate to relieve pain in patients with osteoarthritis.

Total hip replacement has been performed in the United States for over three decades and in Europe for more than four decades. It is one of the most, if not the most, studied surgical procedure ever in medicine. Its efficacy in relieving the pain and functional limitations from end-stage arthritis of the hip has been documented. From both an economic perspective, as well as from the perspective of the patient requiring a total hip arthroplasty, the need for additional surgery following the index procedure is of paramount concern. If a treatment does prove to be an improvement, it should not be limited to a select group of surgeons. These premises are the basis for the respect that the public holds for the medical profession today.

Background: Total hip arthroplasty is a common surgical procedure, but little is known about longitudinal trends in asso-ciated adverse outcomes. Our objective was to describe long-term trends in demographics, comorbidities, and adverse outcomes for older patients who undenwent primary and revision total hip arthroplasty. Methods: We identified a retrospective, observational cohort of 1,405,379 Medicare beneficiaries who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty and 337,874 who undenwent revision total hip arthroplasty between 1991 and 2008. The primary outcome was a composite representing the occurrence of one or more of the following adverse outcomes during the index admission or during readmission within ninety days after discharge: death, hemorrhage, infection, pulmonary embolism, sepsis, deep venous thrombosis, and myocardial infarction. Secondary outcomes included each of these outcomes assessed individually. Results: Between 1991 and 2008, the mean age and the mean comorbidity burden increased for all total hip arthroplasty patients. The length of hospital stay after primary and revision total hip arthroplasty declined by approximately 50% over the study period. However, the rate of readmission for any cause has recently increased and has surpassed 10% for primary total hip arthroplasty and 20% for revision total hip arthroplasty. The composite rate of adverse outcomes after primary total hip arthroplasty declined from 4% to 3.4% over the study period, whereas the composite adverse outcome rate after revision total hip arthroplasty slowly increased from 7% to 10.9%. We observed a steady decline in the rates of most individual adverse outcomes after primary total hip arthroplasty over the majority of the study period. Many of these rates stabilized or began to increase slightly near the end of the study period. In contrast, an increase in the rates of many adverse outcomes was observed in the revision total hip arthroplasty population even after accounting for changes in patient complexity. Postoperative hemorrhage has gradually increased after both primary and revision total hip arthroplasty. Conclusions: Patients undergoing primary and revision total hip arthroplasty are becoming more complex. Despite this increasing complexity, patient outcomes for primary total hip arthroplasty improved markedly before stabilizing in recent years. In contrast, patient outcomes after revision total hip arthroplasty have gradually worsened, likely reflecting the increase in the medical comorbidities and surgical complexity of these patients. Length of hospital stay has demonstrated a substantial decline, which has recently been coupled with an increased readmission rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]