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Background: Current decisions on cellular therapies for osteoarthritis are based primarily on clinical experience or on assumptions about preferred cell sourcing. They have not been informed by rigorous standardized measurements of the chondrogenic connective-tissue progenitors (CTP-Cs) or their intrinsic diversity of chondrogenic potential. The goal of this study was to quantitatively define the CTP-Cs resident in cartilage of different grades of osteoarthritis and to compare their concentration, prevalence, and biological potential.Methods: Twenty-three patients who had varus malalignment of the knee and were scheduled to undergo elective total knee arthroplasty for idiopathic osteoarthritis and who had grade 1-2 osteoarthritis on the lateral femoral condyle and grade 3-4 osteoarthritis on the medial femoral condyle were recruited for study of the cartilage removed during surgery. CTP-Cs were assayed by a standardized colony-forming-unit assay using automated image-analysis software based on ASTM standard test method F2944-12.Results: Cell concentration was significantly greater (p < 0.001) in grade 3-4 cartilage than in grade 1-2 cartilage. The prevalence of CTP-Cs varied widely, but it trended lower in grade 3-4 cartilage than in grade 1-2 samples (p = 0.078). The biological performance of CTP-Cs from grade 1-2 and grade 3-4 cartilage was comparable. Increased cell concentration was a significant predictor of decreased CTP-C prevalence (p = 0.002).Conclusions: Although grade 3-4 cartilage showed fewer CTP-Cs than grade 1-2 cartilage, the range of biological performance was comparable, which suggests that either may be used as a source for potent CTP-Cs. However, the biological reason for the heterogeneity of CTP-Cs in cartilage and the biological implications of that heterogeneity are not well understood and require further study.Clinical Relevance: In order to improve the efficacy of cartilage cell therapy procedures, it is key to characterize the quality and quantity of the cells and progenitors being administered. Additionally, understanding the heterogeneity in order to select appropriate subsets of populations will improve the rigor of decisions concerning cell sourcing and targeting for pharmacological and cellular therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Registration of adverse events following orthopedic surgery has a critical role in patient safety and has received increasing attention. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of postoperative complications in the department of orthopedic unit in a tertiary hospital. Methods: A retrospective review from the postoperative complication registry of a cohort of consecutive patients operated in the department of orthopedic surgery from May 2015 to June 2016 was performed. Short-term complications (3 months after surgery), age gender, types of surgery (elective, scheduled urgency, non-scheduled urgency, and emergency), operative time, surgical start time (morning, afternoon or evening), American Society of Anesthesiologists score and surgeon's experience were assessed. Complications were classified based on their severity according to Dindo-Clavien system: Grade I complications do not require alterations in the postoperative course or additional treatment; Grade II complications require pharmacological treatment; Grade III require surgical, endoscopic, or radiological interventions without (IIIa) or with (IIIb) general anesthesia; Grade IV are life-threatening with single (IVa) or multi-organ (IVb) dysfunction(s), and require ICU management; and Grade V result in death of the patient. Complications were further classified in minor (Dindo I, II, IIIa) and major (Dindo IIIb, IVa, IVb and V), according to clinical severity. Results: 1960 surgeries were performed. The overall 90-day complication rate was 12.7% (249/1960). Twenty-three complications (9.2 %) were type I, 159 (63.8%) type II, 9 (3.6%) type IIIa, 42 (16.8%) type IIIb, 7 (2.8%) type IVa and 9 (3.6%) were grade V according to Dindo-Clavien classification (DCC). The most frequent complication was anemia that required blood transfusion (27%) followed by wound infection (15.6%) and urinary tract infection (6%). Discussion: The overall complication rate after orthopedic surgery in our department was 12.7%. The implementation of the DCC following orthopedic surgery was an important tool to measure the standard of care.

Background: Studies evaluating the results of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for the treatment of rotator cuff tendinopathy have demonstrated conflicting results and have been confounded by small patient samples, the absence of a control group, the combined analysis of isolated tendinopathies and rotator cuff tears, and insufficient reporting of PRP preparations. The purpose of this study was to perform a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing PRP with standard corticosteroid injections in providing pain relief and improved function in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy., Methods: This was a double-blind RCT at a single center. We evaluated patients between 18 and 50 years old who had both a clinical and magnetic resonance imaging diagnosis of supraspinatus tendinopathy refractory to conservative treatment. A total of 50 patients received PRP treatment, whereas 50 patients received a corticosteroid, as a control group. Patients completed patient-reported outcome assessments at baseline and at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after injection. The primary outcome was improvement in the visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain. Secondary outcomes included changes in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Treatment failure was defined as persistent pain at 3 months that required a subsequent injection., Results: The mean age was 27.7 years (±7.4). All the patients completed 12 months of clinical follow-up. At 12 months, patients in the PRP group showed a significantly greater improvement in the VAS score than patients in the corticosteroid group: 1.68 (0.6) vs. 2.3 (1.0) (P < .001). As well, at the 12-month follow-up, the 3 scores evaluated were significantly higher in patients treated with PRP than in patients treated with corticosteroid: ASES, 89.8 (6.3) vs. 78.0 (8.6) (P < .001); SANE, 89.2 (6.3) vs. 80.5 (9.6) (P < .001); and PSQI, 2.72 (0.6) vs. 4.02 (1.7) (P < .001). The overall failure rate was significantly higher in the corticosteroid group (30%) than in the PRP group (12%) (P < .01)., Conclusion: One subacromial PRP injection in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy showed significantly superior and sustained pain-relieving and functional improvements compared with one corticosteroid subacromial injection assessed by 4 patient-reported outcome scales at the 12-month follow-up. Moreover, the overall failure rate was significantly higher in the corticosteroid group than in the PRP group., (Copyright © 2024 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The use of orthobiologics such as platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow aspirate, and stem cells has been proposed as a biologic augmentation for treatment of various conditions of cartilage, tendon, and bone. Although the published evidence is not conclusive, the safety of these treatments and benefits in improving the biologic condition of treated tissues have been confirmed. Osteoarthritis, rotator cuff injuries, and osteonecrosis of the femoral head are three common musculoskeletal conditions associated with the use of orthobiologics in patients with cartilage, tendon, and bone injuries. When reviewing the use of platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow aspirate, and mesenchymal stem cells in patients with these conditions, there is evidence of high safety and positive, but variable, efficacy. Recent studies have shown promising results and have paved the way for research being conducted at many specialized centers around the world.

Purpose: To compare the effect of subacromial leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in patients with isolated rotator cuff tendinopathy (RCT) and those with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PTRCTs) based on functional outcomes, pain improvement, sleep disturbances, and return to sports., Methods: Between November 2019 and March 2021, 150 patients underwent PRP injections at our institution for refractory rotator cuff tendinopathy and partial rotator cuff tears (105 RCTs and 45 PTRCTs). The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) and The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were evaluated at 2-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Return to sports was also evaluated. An ultrasound examination was performed to evaluate structural outcomes 12 months after the injection., Results: The mean age was 36.6 years (±9.08). Overall, the ASES, VAS, SANE, and Pittsburgh scores showed statistical improvement after the injection (P < .01). Specifically, the improvement in the ASES score, which was the primary outcome measure was significantly greater in the group without tears than in the group with PTRCTs at all follow-up times. Moreover, 94% of the patients in the isolated RCT group and 49% in the PTRCTs group achieved a substantial clinical benefit at 12 months follow-up. Ten out of the 50 patients (20%) who received PRP injections due to a partial RC tear underwent surgery due to the lack of clinical improvement., Conclusions: Subacromial PRP injections produced a significant improvement in shoulder function, pain, and sleep disturbances in most patients with RCT refractory to conservative treatment that was maintained at the 12-month follow-up. Moreover, most patients returned to sports at the same level prior to injury. However, improvement in symptoms and functional outcomes was significantly worse in patients who had a PTRCT compared with patients who had an isolated tendinopathy., Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective cohort study., (Copyright © 2023 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Case: A 58-year-old woman presented with swelling, stiffness, and pain of the right knee 28 years after rotating-hinge distal femoral replacement after osteosarcoma resection. She underwent revision. There was wear through the entire thickness of the polyethylene tibial sleeve bushing, and the implant was well-fixed. The knee was reassembled with new bushings, sleeves, yoke, axle, poly, and a locking pin., Conclusion: This is the first described case of tibial sleeve bushing wear. It highlights the importance of early detection of potential complications and implant surveillance because it can enable surgeons to intervene with minor procedures, avoiding eventual catastrophic failure., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSCC/C199)., (Copyright © 2023 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Background: Knee osteonecrosis (ON) is rare, with an estimated incidence of 0.01-0.17 per 1,000 person years. Our study aimed to do the following: 1) quantify total operative procedures with rates normalized to the United States population; 2) compare arthroplasty versus joint-preserving procedural trends; and 3) determine rates of specific operative techniques/demographics in patients aged <50 versus >50 years., Methods: Using a nationwide database, 8,269 patients diagnosed with knee ON underwent surgical treatment from 2010 to 2020. Documented surgical procedures included total knee arthroplasty (TKA), unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA), and core decompression. Primary outcomes included procedural utilization with subanalyses comparing arthroplasty versus joint-preserving procedures, and age-stratified by under/over 50 years. Linear regressions were evaluated for trends in procedural volumes over time., Results: From 2010 to 2014, 0.54% of all knee procedures were to treat ON compared to 0.71% from 2015 to 2020 (P < .001). Overall rates of TKA (85.4%) and UKA (10.3%) far exceeded rates of joint preserving procedures (4.3%). Comparing 2010-2014 with 2015-2019, joint-preserving procedures proportionally increased (0.7 to 5.0%, P < .001). Patients <50 years had significantly more joint-preserving procedures (19.5 versus 2.7%). Overall, TKA was the most common procedure (7,062; 85.40%), following by UKA 853; 10.32%) and core decompression (354; 4.28%)., Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize surgical trends in management of knee ON. Overall surgical volume for knee ON has continued to increase, outpacing population growth. Patients who have knee ON are most commonly managed with arthroplasty procedures, specifically TKA. Younger aged patients (<50 years) are more likely to undergo joint-preserving procedures, namely core decompression., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication requiring surgical intervention and prolonged antimicrobial treatment. The prevalence of PJI is on the rise, with an average incidence of 60,000 cases per year and a projected annual cost of $1.85 billion in the US. The underlying pathogenesis of PJI involves the formation of bacterial biofilms that protect the pathogen from the host immune response and antibiotics, making it difficult to eradicate such infections. Biofilms on implants are also resistant to mechanical brushing/scrubbing methods of removal. Since the removal of biofilms is currently only achievable by the replacement of the prosthesis, therapies aimed at eradicating biofilms while enabling retention of implants will revolutionize the management of PJIs. To address severe complications associated with biofilm-related infections on implants, we have developed a combination treatment that is based on a hydrogel nanocomposite system, containing d-amino acids (d-AAs) and gold nanorods, which can be delivered and transforms from a solution to a gel state at physiological temperature for sustained release of d-AAs and light-activated thermal treatment of infected sites. Using this two-step approach to utilize a near-infrared light-activated hydrogel nanocomposite system for thermal treatment, following initial disruption with d-AAs, we were able to successfully demonstrate in vitro the total eradication of mature Staphylococcus aureus biofilms grown on three-dimensional printed Ti-6Al-4V alloy implants. Using a combination of cell assays, computer-aided scanning electron microscopy analyses, and confocal microscopy imaging of the biofilm matrix, we could show 100% eradication of the biofilms using our combination treatment. In contrast, we were only able to see 25% eradication of the biofilms using the debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention method. Moreover, our hydrogel nanocomposite-based treatment approach is adaptable in the clinical setting and capable of combating chronic infections brought about by biofilms on medical implants.

Background: Although aspirin has been adopted as an effective and safe prophylaxis against venous thromboembolism (VTE) by the arthroplasty community, the role of aspirin in the prevention of VTE in the setting of arthroplasty for trauma remains insufficiently known. Therefore, the present multicenter study investigated the efficacy of aspirin as VTE prophylaxis for patients with femoral neck fracture undergoing total hip arthroplasty or hemiarthroplasty., Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 1,141 patients with femoral neck fracture who underwent total hip arthroplasty or hemiarthroplasty from 2008 to 2018 at 3 different institutions. Data on patient demographic characteristics, body mass index, history of VTE, and comorbidities were obtained from an electronic chart query and were confirmed by reviewing the medical records manually. Patients were allocated to cohorts based on the type of prophylaxis administered: aspirin (n = 454) and other anticoagulants (n = 687). Patients were then propensity score-matched on the basis of the risk score calculated using a previously validated tool and the remaining confounding variables. The primary outcome was the development of symptomatic VTE, namely deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE) confirmed by appropriate imaging, within 90 days after the surgical procedure. A bivariable analysis was performed., Results: The overall VTE rate was 1.98% for patients who received aspirin compared with 6.7% for patients who received other anticoagulants (p < 0.001). After propensity score matching and regression modeling, aspirin was found to be noninferior to more potent anticoagulation in preventing VTE after both total hip arthroplasty and hemiarthroplasty., Conclusions: Aspirin is an effective option for VTE prophylaxis in patients with femoral neck fracture who undergo hip arthroplasty. Based on the patient management benefits of aspirin for elective arthroplasty and the present study, we suggest its use in standard-risk ambulatory patients., Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article ( http://links.lww.com/JBJS/G884 )., (Copyright © 2022 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been reported as an effective method for quadriceps strengthening which could attenuate muscle loss in the early total knee arthroplasty (TKA) postoperative recovery period. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to test whether postoperative use of NMES on TKA patients results in increased quadriceps strength and ultimately improved functional outcomes. This randomized controlled clinical trial of 66 primary TKA patients was conducted at a large academic medical center. Patients were randomized 2:1 into treatment (NMES use, n  = 44) or control arm (no NMES, n  = 22). Patients who used the device for an average of 200 minutes/week or more (starting 1 week postoperative and continuing through week 12) were considered compliant. Baseline measurements and outcomes were recorded at 3, 6, and 12 weeks postoperatively, and included quadriceps strength, range of motion (ROM), resting pain, functional timed up and go (TUG), stair climb test, and knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) and veterans rand 12-item health survey (VR-12) scores. Patients in the treatment arm (NMES use) experienced quadriceps strength gains over baseline at 3, 6, and 12 weeks following surgery, which were statistically significant compared with controls with quadriceps strength losses at 3 ( p  = 0.050) and 6 weeks ( p  = 0.015). The TUG improvements for patients treated with NMES showed significant improvements at 6 ( p  = 0.018) and 12 weeks ( p  = 0.003) postoperatively. Use of a home-based application-controlled NMES therapy system added to standard of care treatment showed statistically significant improvements in quadriceps strength and TUG following TKA, supporting a quicker return to function., Competing Interests: A.K.K. reports grants from Cymedica Orthopaedics, during the conduct of the study.C.A.H. reports grants from Cymedica, during the conduct of the study; grants and personal fees from Zimmer, grants from Stryker, other from PSI, grants from Orthofix, Inc., grants from OREF, grants and personal fees from KCI, grants from CD Diagnostics, grants from Ferring Pharmaceuticals, grants from Orthogenics, outside the submitted work; and American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons; Board or committee member of American Journal of Orthopedics; Editorial or governing board of Journal of Hip Surgery; Editorial or governing board member of The Journal of Knee Surgery; Editorial or governing board member of American Orthopaedic Association; Board or committee member of Musculoskeletal Infection Society.W.K.B. reports grants from Cymedica Orthopaedics, during the conduct of the study; grants from DJO, grants from Orthosensor, grants from Zimmer, and grants from Stryker, outside the submitted work., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Evaluation of collagen orientation and arrangement in articular cartilage can improve our understanding of primary osteoarthritis (OA) progression and targeted therapies. Our goal was to determine if polarized light microscopy (PLM) for collagen organization is useful in identifying early primary OA features in comparison to current standard histopathological methods., Design: Osteochondral specimens from 90 total knee arthroplasty patients with relatively preserved lateral femoral condyle were scored using (1) histological-histochemical grading system (HHGS); (2) Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); (3) PLM-Changoor system for repair cartilage, scores ranging between 0 (totally disorganized cartilage) and 5 (healthy adult cartilage); and (4) new PLM system for primary OA cartilage with superficial zone PLM (PLM-SZ) and deep zone PLM (PLM-DZ) scores, each ranging between 0 (healthy adult SZ and DZ collagen organization) and 4 (total loss of collagen organization). Serial sections were stained for collagen I and II antibodies. Spearman correlation coefficients ( r s ) were determined., Results: The associations between: (1) PLM-Changoor and HHGS or OARSI were weak ( r s = -0.36) or moderate ( r s = -0.56); (2) PLM-SZ and HHGS or OARSI were moderate ( r s = 0.46 or r s = 0.53); and (3) PLM-DZ and HHGS or OARSI were poor ( r s = 0.31 or r s = 0.21), respectively. Specimens exhibiting early and mild OA (HHGS < 5 and OARSI < 8.6) had PLM-SZ and PLM-DZ scores between 0 and 4 and between 0 and 3, respectively, and indicated new histopathological features not currently considered by HHGS/OARSI., Conclusions: PLM was effective at identifying early SZ and DZ collagen alterations that were not evident in the traditional scoring systems. Incorporating PLM scores and/or additional HHGS/OARSI features can help improve characterization of early primary OA cartilage.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of subacromial platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in patients with refractory rotator cuff tendinopathies based on pain improvement, functional outcomes, sleep disturbances, and return to sports to the same level as before the injury., Methods: Between March 2019 and October 2019, 50 patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy refractory to conservative treatment were treated with one subacromial PRP injection in our institution. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in all patients to confirm diagnosis. The visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate pain. Range of motion, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and the Constant score were used to assess functional outcomes. Eighty percent of the patients (40 of 50 patients) and 86% of the patients (43 of 50 patients) achieved a clinically significant improvement that exceeded the substantial clinical benefit for the ASES and Constant scores, respectively. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was used to assess sleep disorders. Return to sports was also evaluated. The mean follow-up was 12 months, and the mean (SD) age was 37.3 (9.3) years., Results: All mobility parameters evaluated improved significantly after treatment. The VAS, ASES, and Constant scores showed statistical improvement after the injection (P < .001). Sleep disturbances were resolved in 86% of the patients. Of the 32 patients who practiced sports before the injury, 84% returned to sports and 78% returned to the same level. There were no complications associated with the procedure., Conclusions: In most patients with refractory rotator cuff tendinopathy, subacromial injections of leukocyte-rich PRP significantly decreased pain, improved functional outcomes, and resolved sleep disturbances. Moreover, most of the athletes returned to sports at the same level they had before the injury., Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective cohort study., (Copyright © 2021 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Postoperative complications (PCs) constitute any deviation from the normal postoperative course. Reporting of PCs remains a challenge, multiple classification systems have been proposed, however these have not been validated across surgical specialties. Clavien and Dindo (DCCS) developed a system for General Surgery and has been adopted in different fields. Nonetheless, this classification has not been adapted to Orthopedics. The objective of this study was to adapt the Clavien-Dindo classification to orthopedic scenarios and to determine the intra and interobserver reliability., Methods: The designer team adapted the Clavien Dindo classification to orthopedic scenarios. Ten orthopedic observers with different degrees of training and experience were selected to evaluate the classification. 48 simulated clinical scenarios of complications and another negative outcomes such as failure to cure and sequelae were sent by electronic format independently. A second round of scoring was performed 30 days later to assess the intraobserver concordance., Results: We found a high interobserver and intraobserver reliability for both the first and second evaluation (Kappa 0.88 and 0.91, respectively). In addition, the intraobserver analysis showed a very good correlation (Kappa 0.93)., Discussion: The DCCS classification has been developed for general surgery and has been widely applied in the different surgical subspecialties. In Orthopedics, this classification was validated to hip and pediatric surgery. Therefore, our study involved an adaptation of the classification to general and specific orthopedic scenarios of the different orthopedic subspecialties. This classification may be a useful tool for documenting complications in orthopedic surgery., (Universidad Nacional de Córdoba)

Orthopaedic surgery has increasingly emerged as one of the most popular and competitive of all medical specialties. The selection of the best applicants has become a more difficult process because the number of qualified medical students has concomitantly grown. Although there are standardized guidelines in residency selection, there are several intangible factors that determine an applicant's fit into a program. Personality assessments, such as the Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Personality Inventory and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, are proficiencies that have garnered significant interest to help fill this void. Understanding and measuring empirically supported measures of personality traits and styles of medical students and residents may be valuable to medical educators and program directors in a variety of applications such as residency selection, mentoring, and education. Similar to personality identification, emotional intelligence assessments, such as the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, can prove to be pivotal tools in residency education and training. Emotional intelligence has shown to align with current Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education residency standardized core competencies that emphasize aptitude in noncognitive characteristics.

With the establishment of state-based health insurance marketplaces, how U.S. health insurers are responding to market pressures and influencing premiums have represented important questions. We made novel use of the Standard and Poor's (S&P) Financial, a Wall Street financial dataset platform, to analyze trends in market capitalization and total direct written premiums (DWPs) from 2001 to 2016 of the top 5, 10, and 25 health insurance companies. Our results indicate that the market concentration of publicly traded companies has remained relatively stable over the past decade. The top 5, 10, and 25 health insurance companies were 43.5%, 57.5%, and 78.6% of the total market share in 2001 and 39.4%, 52.9%, and 72.8% in 2016, respectively. DWPs have grown nearly four-fold from $177 billion to $631 billion at a compounded annual rate of 8.8%, consistent with overall healthcare sector growth. Aggregating state-specific data, the overall U.S. health insurance market has become slightly less consolidated over recent years, as measured using the population-weighted Herfindahl-Hirschman index, a measure for market concentration, falling from 3,817 to 2,174 during this time period. As health insurance costs place a growing burden on American families, additional efforts are needed to study the impact on choice, quality, access, cost, and value to patients and providers from evolving health insurance markets., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2020, Ng et al.)

Various definitions and biomarkers have been developed in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain a "gold standard" for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis. The development of the 2011 Musculoskeletal Infection Society criteria facilitated further research and advances by allowing the use of a consistent PJI definition across studies. The newly proposed 2018 criteria do not rely at all on expert opinions/consensus. In this review, we describe the most relevant definitions developed throughout recent time, their rationale, characteristics, and supportive evidence for their clinical implementation. In the opinion of the authors, the orthopedic community should consider a probability and likelihood paradigm to create a PJI diagnostic definition. Probably not a single definition might be suited for all situations; the inclusion of serological findings could be the next step moving forward., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Competing Interests: Conflict of interest statement: Michael A. Mont, MD, AAOS has served as or received: a board or committee member for the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons and Cymedica; paid consultant for DJ Orthopaedics; research support for Flexion Therapeutics; paid consultant for Johnson & Johnson; research support for the Journal of Arthroplasty; editorial or governing board member for the Journal of Knee Surgery; editorial or governing board member for the Knee Society; board or committee member for Medicus Works LLC; publishing royalties, financial or material support from Microport; IP royalties from the National Institutes of Health (NIAMS & NICHD); research support for Ongoing Care Solutions; paid consultant for Research Support Orthopedics; editorial or governing board member for Orthosensor; paid consultant and research support for Pacira; paid consultant for Peerwell; paid consultant, stock or stock options from Performance Dynamics; paid consultant for Pfizer; paid consultant for Skye Biologics; paid consultant for Stryker; IP royalties, paid consultant, and research support from Surgical Techniques International; editorial or governing board member for Tissue Gene; paid consultant for Tissue Gene; research support from Up-to Date: Publishing; royalties, financial, or material support from USMI; stock or stock options from Wolters Kluwer Health; and Publishing royalties, financial, or material support from Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Background: Elective total hip arthroplasties (THAs) entail a more extensive pre-operative planning process compared to non-elective THAs and this may contribute to a disparity in outcomes. However, the differences in peri- and post-operative outcomes between elective and non-elective THAs remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to: (I) determine nationwide trends in operative times and (II) evaluate the association between surgery type, elective or non-elective with respect to (I) operative times; (II) hospital lengths-of-stay (LOS); (III) discharge disposition; (IV) 30-day post-operative complications; (V) reoperations; and (VI) readmissions., Methods: The NSQIP database was queried for all primary THAs (CPT code 27130) performed between 2011 and 2016. This yielded 130,261 cases, which were then stratified into elective (n=125,293) and non-elective (n=4,968) cases. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the associations between operative times and surgery year. Univariate analyses of surgery type with the following outcomes of interest were also performed: operative times, LOS, and discharge disposition as well as 30-day complication, reoperation, and readmission rates. A multiple linear regression model was used to evaluate the relationships of operative times and LOS with surgery types after adjusting for surgery year and patient factors [age, sex, body mass index (BMI), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score]. A log-transformed dependent variable was used to calculate the percentage difference in mean operative times and LOS. Multivariate logistic regression models adjusted for patient factors and year of surgery were used to evaluate associations of surgery type with complication, reoperation, and readmission rates., Results: Over the 6-year period, mean operative times (93 vs. 103 minutes, P<0.001) and LOS (3 vs. 6 days, P<0.001) were significantly shorter in elective cases compared to non-elective cases. The relationships between operative times or LOS and surgery type remained significant even after adjusting for age, sex, BMI, ASA, and year of surgery (P<0.001). Compared to the non-elective cohort, patients in the elective cohort were more likely to be discharged home (74% vs. 69%, P<0.001). Elective patients had lower rates of several 30-day complications including deep SSI (P<0.001), transfusions (P<0.001), sepsis (P<0.001), and readmission (P<0.005) compared to non-elective patients. These associations remained significant after accounting for potential confounders with multivariate logistic regression., Conclusions: Findings from this study showed that elective THAs, in which there is more potential for pre-operative planning, were associated with shorter operative times and LOS, as well as fewer complication and readmission rates. These results likely reflect the development of more efficient surgical techniques and improved pre- and intra-operative planning guides., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: MA Mont: AAOS, Cymedica, DJ Orthopaedics, Johnson & Johnson, Journal of Arthroplasty, Journal of Knee Surgery, Microport, National Institutes of Health (NIAMS & NICHD), Ongoing Care Solutions, Orthopedics, Orthosensor, Pacira, Peerwell, Performance Dynamics Inc, Sage, Stryker: IP royalties, Surgical Technologies International, Kolon TissueGene. The other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Despite the well-established success of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), iatrogenic ligamentous and soft tissue injuries are infrequent, but potential complications that can have devastating impact on clinical outcomes. These injuries are often related to technical errors and excessive soft tissue manipulation, particularly during bony resections. Recently, robotic-arm assisted TKA was introduced and demonstrated promising results with potential technical advantages over manual surgery in implant positioning and mechanical accuracy. Furthermore, soft tissue protection is an additional potential advantage offered by these systems that can reduce inadvertent human technical errors encountered during standard manual resections. Therefore, due to the relative paucity of literature, we attempted to answer the following questions: 1) does robotic-arm assisted TKA offer a technical advantage that allows enhanced soft tissue protection? 2) What is the available evidence about soft tissue protection? Recently introduced models of robotic-arm assisted TKA systems with advanced technology showed promising clinical outcomes and soft tissue protection in the short- and mid-term follow-up with results comparable or superior to manual TKA. In this review, we attempted to explore this dimension of robotics in TKA and investigate the soft tissue related complications currently reported in the literature.

Objective: The two main objectives of the study include (1) Test the hypothesis that the lateral femoral condyle (LFC) in patients with primary OA and varus knees undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can be used as a model to better characterize varying histological features of human OA, (2) Correlate characteristic OA features using the established histopathological scoring systems (HHGS and OARSI) to understand potential histopathological patterns of OA initiation., Design: Two osteochondral specimens (4×4×8mm) were collected from fifty patient's LFC at the time of TKA (total 100 specimens), who presented preserved lateral knee compartment with joint space width>2mm. Three independent readers graded the sections on three different occasions using HHGS and OARSI systems. The correlation between individual parameters of the two scoring systems and their inter- and intra-reader variability, reliability and reproducibility were estimated., Results: All samples in this cohort showed abnormal histopathological features. Total histopathological scores of the LFC ranged from HHGS median=4.6 (range=0 to 11), and OARSI median=5.2 (range=0 to 19.5). The four individual sub-items of HHGS scoring system (structure, cells, safraninO staining, tidemark) were weakly correlated, with the correlation between structure and cellularity being the strongest (r=0.40). Both the scoring systems had similar repeatability and reproducibility coefficients of<21%., Conclusions: OA changes in the LFC are not confined to any one region, and maybe seen in different regions of cartilage, tidemark, subchondral bone, and/or the marrow space vascularity. These variations may point to the possibility of several potential patterns of initiation in OA., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.)

Patients suffering from quadriceps muscle weakness secondary to osteoarthritis or after surgeries, such as total knee arthroplasty, appear to benefit from the use of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), which can improve muscle strength and function, range of motion, exercise capacity, and quality of life. Several modalities exist that deliver this therapy. However, with the ever-increasing demand to improve clinical efficiency and costs, digitalize healthcare, optimize data collection, improve care coordination, and increase patient compliance and engagement, newer devices incorporating technologies that facilitate these demands are emerging. One of these devices, an app-controlled home-based NMES therapy system that allows patients to self-manage their condition and potentially increase adherence to the treatment, incorporates a smartphone-based application which allows a cloud-based portal that feeds real-time patient monitoring to physicians, allowing patients to be supported remotely and given feedback. This device is a step forward in improving both patient care and physician efficiency, as well as decreasing resource utilization, which potentially may reduce healthcare costs.

Background: Recent healthcare reform has spurred important changes to provider reimbursement. With the implementation of the Value Based Purchasing program, significant weight is placed on patient experience of care. The Press Ganey (PG) survey is currently used by over 10,000 hospitals, as it serves to help optimize patient satisfaction. However, confounding factors, such as clinical depression, are not screened against by PG. Thus, arthroplasty surgeons performing lower extremity total joint arthroplasty (TJA) may have difficulty optimizing patient satisfaction while caring for patients with clinical depression. Therefore, we asked: 1) What Press Ganey elements affect the overall hospital rating in patients who suffer from clinical depression? and 2) Are survey responses different between patients who do and do not have clinical depression?, Materials and Methods: We queried our institutional PG database for patients who underwent a TJA from November 2009 to January 2015. Our search yielded 1,454 patients, of which 204 suffered from depression and 1,250 did not. Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the influence (b weight) of selected PG survey domains on overall hospital rating. The weighted mean for domain was also calculated., Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that overall hospital ratings were significantly influenced by communication with nurses (b-weight = 0.881, p< 0.001) in post-TJA patients with depression. The remaining domains were not statistically significant. There were no significant differences in individual PG elements for patients who did and did not have depression., Conclusion: Overall patient satisfaction among patients with depression was greatly influenced by communication with nurses. Understanding these challenges may encourage care coordination across disciplines for the management of patients with depression before and after surgery. As a result, this could optimize orthopedic surgery outcomes, but, more importantly, patient health and satisfaction, while reducing costs of care.

Background: The reimbursement for medical services by Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has recently changed from fee-for-service to quality-based payments. This is being implemented through the use of patient administered surveys, most commonly Press Ganey. With a recent strive for fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA), it is important to ascertain whether length-of-stay (LOS) in post-THA patients influences the Press Ganey scores and overall hospital ratings. Therefore, we looked at: 1) Which Press Ganey survey factors affect overall hospital rating in patients who have a short (=2) or longer (>2) length of stay; and 2) whether hospital satisfaction is different between patients who have varied lengths of stay., Materials and Methods: A query of the Press Ganey database at our institution was performed between November 2009 and January 2015. We identified 692 patients who had a mean age of 62 years (range, 15 to 91 years). These patients were stratified into two cohorts based on LOS (=two days, n=403; >two days, n=289). Multiple regression analyses were performed using weighted means of each Press Ganey question category to identify their influence ( b) on hospital ratings. We assessed differences in demographics and survey responses between the two cohorts using x2 tests for categorical data and t-tests for continuous data., Results: There was no statistically significant difference found between our two cohorts in hospital rating after adjusting for gender and ASA score. In patients who had short lengths-of-stay (LOS= two days), the overall hospital rating was most influenced by communication with nurses ( b=0.335, p= 0.004), followed by responsiveness of hospital staff ( b=0.313, p=0.006), and communication with doctors ( b=0.208, p=0.049) after adjusting for gender and ASA score. For patients who stayed longer (LOS>two days), the most important factor in hospital ratings was communication with nurses ( b=0.332, p= 0.007), followed by hospital environment ( b=0.312, p=0.002), communication with doctors ( b=0.233, p=0.013), and staff responsiveness (b=0.223 p=0.042)., Conclusion: Short (LOS=2) and long (>two days) lengths of stay did not affect overall hospital rating. However, amongst both cohorts, communication with nurses, staff responsiveness, and communication with doctors were positively correlated with hospital ratings. Hospital environment also played a significant role in overall hospital ratings for patients who had an LOS >two days. More studies should be conducted to assess if the use of minimally invasive THA affects overall hospital ratings.

Randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs) in orthopaedics, similar to all medical fields, provide the highest level of clinical data and constitute the cornerstone for evidence-based therapeutic advances. Orthopaedic clinical trials face the same challenges as in other medical fields, such as insufficient recruitment, unforeseen adverse events, and futility. In this article, we highlight the reasons for early termination of clinical trials and provide examples of each type.

Background: Calcified rotator cuff tendinitis is a common cause of chronic shoulder pain that leads to significant pain and functional limitations. Although most patients respond well to conservative treatment, some eventually require surgical treatment., Purpose: To evaluate the clinical outcome with arthroscopic removal of calcific deposit and rotator cuff repair without acromioplasty for the treatment of calcific tendinitis of the supraspinatus tendon., Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4., Methods: This study retrospectively evaluated 30 consecutive patients with a mean age of 49.2 years. The mean follow-up was 35 months (range, 24-88 months). Pre- and postoperative functional assessment was performed using the Constant score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH). Pain was assessed by visual analog scale (VAS). Radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed to evaluate the recurrence of calcifications and the indemnity of the supraspinatus tendon repair., Results: Significant improvement was obtained for pain (mean VAS, 8.7 before surgery to 0.8 after; P < .001). The mean Constant score increased from 23.9 preoperatively to 85.3 postoperatively (P < .001), the mean Quick DASH score decreased from 47.3 preoperatively to 8.97 postoperatively (P < .001), and the UCLA score increased from 15.8 preoperatively to 32.2 postoperatively (P < .001). MRI examination at last follow-up (70% of patients) showed no tendon tears, and 96.2% of patients were satisfied with their results., Conclusion: Arthroscopic removal and rotator cuff repair without acromioplasty can lead to good results in patients with symptomatic calcifying tendonitis of the supraspinatus tendon.

We present a potential indication of a short-stemmed femoral component in a patient with multiple comorbidities presenting with hip posttraumatic osteoarthritis and a long dynamic condylar screw osteosynthesis plate. Removal of the plate and implantation of a long stem would have been related to a much longer operative time and potential local or systemic complications.