Endoprosthetic reconstruction of massive bone defects has become the reconstruction method of choice after limb-sparing resection of primary malignant tumors of the long bones. Given the improved ...survival rates of patients with extremity bone sarcomas, an increasing number of patients survive but have prosthetic complications over time. Several studies have reported on the outcome of first endoprosthetic complications. However, no comprehensive data, to our knowledge, are available on the likelihood of an additional complication and the associated risk factors, despite the impact of this issue on the affected patients.
(1) What are the types and timing of complications and the implant survivorship free from revision after the first complication? (2) Does survivorship free from repeat revision for a second complication differ by anatomic sites? (3) Is the type of first complication associated with the risk or the type of a second complication? (4) Are patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors associated with a higher likelihood of repeat revision?
Between 1993 and 2015, 817 patients underwent megaprosthetic reconstruction after resection of a tumor in the long bones with a single design of a megaprosthetic system. No other prosthetic system was used during the study period. Of those, 75% (616 of 817) had a bone sarcoma. Seventeen patients (3%) had a follow-up of less than 6 months, 4.5% (27 of 599) died with the implant intact before 6 months and 43% (260 of 599 patients) underwent revision. Forty-three percent of patients (260 of 599) experienced a first prosthetic complication during the follow-up period. Ten percent of patients (26 of 260) underwent amputation after the first complication and were excluded from further analysis. Second complications were classified using the classification of Henderson et al. to categorize surgical results. Briefly, this system categorizes complications as wound dehiscence (Type 1); aseptic loosening (Type 2); implant fractures or breakage and periprosthetic fracture (Type 3); infection (Type 4); and tumor progression (Type 5). Implant survival curves were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated with their respective 95% CIs in multivariate Cox regression models.
A second complication occurred in 49% of patients (115 of 234) after a median of 17 months (interquartile range IQR 5 to 48) after the surgery for the first complication. The time to complication did not differ between the first (median 16 months; IQR 5 to 57) and second complication (median 17 months; IQR 5 to 48; p = 0.976). The implant survivorship free from revision surgery for a second complication was 69% (95% CI 63 to 76) at 2 years and 46% (95% CI 38 to 53) at 5 years. The most common mode of second complication was infection 39% (45 of 115), followed by structural complications with 35% (40 of 115). Total bone and total knee reconstructions had a reduced survivorship free from revision surgery for a second complication at 5 years (HR 2.072 95% CI 1.066 to 3.856; p = 0.031) compared with single joint replacements. With the numbers we had, we could not show a difference between the survivorship free of revision for a second complication based on the type of the first complication (HR 0.74 95% CI 0.215 to 2.546; p = 0.535). We did not detect an association between total reconstruction length, patient BMI, and patient age and survivorship free from revision for a second complication. Patients had a higher risk of second complications after postoperative radiotherapy (HR 1.849 95% CI 1.092 to 3.132; p = 0.022) but not after preoperative radiotherapy (HR 1.174 95% CI 0.505 to 2.728; p = 0.709). Patients with diabetes at the time of initial surgery had a reduced survivorship free from revision for a second complication (HR 4.868 95% CI 1.497 to 15.823; p = 0.009).
Patients who undergo revision to treat a first megaprosthetic complication must be counseled regarding the high risk of future complications. With second complications occurring relatively soon after the first revision, regular orthopaedic follow-up visits are advised. Preoperative rather than postoperative radiotherapy should be performed when possible. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches in treating complications considering implant survivorship free of revision for a second complication.
Level III, therapeutic study.
Endoprosthetic reconstruction of massive bone defects has become the reconstruction method of choice after limb-sparing resection of primary malignant tumors of the long bones. Given the improved ...survival rates of patients with extremity bone sarcomas, an increasing number of patients survive but have prosthetic complications over time. Several studies have reported on the outcome of first endoprosthetic complications. However, no comprehensive data, to our knowledge, are available on the likelihood of an additional complication and the associated risk factors, despite the impact of this issue on the affected patients.
(1) What are the types and timing of complications and the implant survivorship free from revision after the first complication? (2) Does survivorship free from repeat revision for a second complication differ by anatomic sites? (3) Is the type of first complication associated with the risk or the type of a second complication? (4) Are patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors associated with a higher likelihood of repeat revision?
Between 1993 and 2015, 817 patients underwent megaprosthetic reconstruction after resection of a tumor in the long bones with a single design of a megaprosthetic system. No other prosthetic system was used during the study period. Of those, 75% (616 of 817) had a bone sarcoma. Seventeen patients (3%) had a follow-up of less than 6 months, 4.5% (27 of 599) died with the implant intact before 6 months and 43% (260 of 599 patients) underwent revision. Forty-three percent of patients (260 of 599) experienced a first prosthetic complication during the follow-up period. Ten percent of patients (26 of 260) underwent amputation after the first complication and were excluded from further analysis. Second complications were classified using the classification of Henderson et al. to categorize surgical results. Briefly, this system categorizes complications as wound dehiscence (Type 1); aseptic loosening (Type 2); implant fractures or breakage and periprosthetic fracture (Type 3); infection (Type 4); and tumor progression (Type 5). Implant survival curves were calculated with the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated with their respective 95% CIs in multivariate Cox regression models.
A second complication occurred in 49% of patients (115 of 234) after a median of 17 months (interquartile range IQR 5 to 48) after the surgery for the first complication. The time to complication did not differ between the first (median 16 months; IQR 5 to 57) and second complication (median 17 months; IQR 5 to 48; p = 0.976). The implant survivorship free from revision surgery for a second complication was 69% (95% CI 63 to 76) at 2 years and 46% (95% CI 38 to 53) at 5 years. The most common mode of second complication was infection 39% (45 of 115), followed by structural complications with 35% (40 of 115). Total bone and total knee reconstructions had a reduced survivorship free from revision surgery for a second complication at 5 years (HR 2.072 95% CI 1.066 to 3.856; p = 0.031) compared with single joint replacements. With the numbers we had, we could not show a difference between the survivorship free of revision for a second complication based on the type of the first complication (HR 0.74 95% CI 0.215 to 2.546; p = 0.535). We did not detect an association between total reconstruction length, patient BMI, and patient age and survivorship free from revision for a second complication. Patients had a higher risk of second complications after postoperative radiotherapy (HR 1.849 95% CI 1.092 to 3.132; p = 0.022) but not after preoperative radiotherapy (HR 1.174 95% CI 0.505 to 2.728; p = 0.709). Patients with diabetes at the time of initial surgery had a reduced survivorship free from revision for a second complication (HR 4.868 95% CI 1.497 to 15.823; p = 0.009).
Patients who undergo revision to treat a first megaprosthetic complication must be counseled regarding the high risk of future complications. With second complications occurring relatively soon after the first revision, regular orthopaedic follow-up visits are advised. Preoperative rather than postoperative radiotherapy should be performed when possible. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of different approaches in treating complications considering implant survivorship free of revision for a second complication.
Level III, therapeutic study.
Background
With the novel coronavirus-induced disease (COVID-19), there is the fear of nosocomial infections and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmissions to ...healthcare workers (HCW). We report the case of a 64-year-old male patient who underwent explantation of a shoulder prosthesis due to a periprosthetic infection. He was tested SARS-CoV-2 positive 7 days after admission to the orthopaedic department following strict infection control measures, routinely including screening all patients for multi-drug-resistant organism (MDRO) colonization upon admission. Aim of our study is to report on the spreading potential of SARS-CoV-2 in a healthcare setting if standard contact precautions and infection control measures have been established.
Methods
All HCW with exposure to the patient from day of admission until confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 were identified and underwent oropharyngeal swab testing for SARS‐CoV‐2 by real-time RT-PCR.
Results
Sixty-six HCW were identified: nine orthopaedic surgeons, four anaesthesiologists, 25 orthopaedic nurses, five nurse anesthetists, eight scrub nurses, five nursing students, two medical assistants and seven service employees. Fourteen HCW (21%) showed clinical symptoms compatible with a SARS-CoV-2 infection: cough (
n
= 4), sore throat (
n
= 3), nasal congestion (
n
= 3), dyspnea (
n
= 2), fever (
n
= 1), headache and myalgia (
n
= 1). SARS-CoV-2 was not detected in any of the 66 HCW.
Conclusion
Hygienic measures and contact precautions, aimed at preventing the spread of MRDO, may have helped to prevent a SARS-CoV-2 transmission to HCW—despite high-risk exposure during intubation, surgical treatment and general care.
Level of evidence
IV, case series.
Purpose
Open reduction and internal fixation with a locking plate are performed frequently to treat fractures of the proximal humerus. Avascular necrosis and non-union or malunion are potential ...complications of this procedure, which lead to specific fracture sequelae. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and radiological results of patients treated by removal of a failed locking plate of the proximal humerus and simultaneous implantation of a reverse total shoulder prosthesis.
Methods
Twenty-one patients (
f
= 17,
m
= 4; mean age 70 years) out of 29 patients were available for follow-up after a mean period of 45 (30–65) months. At follow-up, all patients were assessed with the constant score and the ASES score as well as plain radiographs.
Results
In comparison with the preoperative values, abduction (31° vs. 115°;
p
< 0.001) and forward flexion (34° vs. 121°;
p
< 0.001) improved until follow-up, while the pain score on a visual analog scale decreased (6.7 vs. 0.9;
p
< 0.001). At follow-up, the mean ASES score rated 73 and the constant score rated 62. The radiologic findings included scapular notching (
n
= 7; 33%), radiolucency (
n
= 4; 19%), heterotopic ossifications (
n
= 3; 14%), and stress shielding (
n
= 4; 19%).
Conclusion
Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty is a useful instrument for the treatment of failed locking plate osteosynthesis of the proximal humerus in elderly patients. The patients benefit from both pain relief and improved shoulder function. The rate of radiologic changes like scapular notching, radiolucency, stress-shielding and heterotopic ossifications at follow-up is notable.
Purpose
This study compares the clinical results of the Whipple, empty-can, and full-can tests to detect supraspinatus tendon tears. We determined the sensitivities, specificities, and positive and ...negative predictive values of each test with respect to the intraoperative supraspinatus tendon lesion confirmation.
Methods
We examined 61 patients (26 women, 35 men) presenting for arthroscopic surgery with functional disability or persisting shoulder pain. All the patients underwent Whipple, empty-can, and full-can testing. We correlated the clinical results of the tests with the confirmation of a supraspinatus tendon lesion by direct arthroscopic visualization.
Results
We examined 34 right and 27 left shoulders. For full and partial supraspinatus tendon tears, the Whipple test showed a sensitivity of 88.6% and a specificity of 29.4%, whereas the empty-can test and the full-can test had sensitivities of 88.6% and 75.0%, and specificities of 58.8% and 47.1%, respectively.
Conclusions
Compared with the empty-can test and the full-can test, the Whipple test was less specific, while its sensitivity was equal to that of the empty-can test and higher than that for the full-can test. Because of its low specificity, the Whipple test has a high risk of false-positive results in comparison with the other tests.
Although many findings on occupational musculoskeletal complaints are available from American and European dentists, the corresponding data from Germany are still scarce. Therefore, the aim of this ...study was to provide additional information on the prevalence of and risk factors for musculoskeletal disorders of the upper extremity, particularly the shoulder in this specific population.
A written survey was carried out among 600 dentists in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Questionnaire items included physical and psychosocial workload, general health, and the occurrence of musculoskeletal symptoms during the previous 12 months that led to sick leave and medical care according to a modified version of the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ). Regression analysis was used to evaluate relevant risk factors for severe musculoskeletal disorders.
A total of 229 dentists were participated in the study (response rate 38%). Overall, 92.6% of the participants had already suffered from musculoskeletal symptoms in at least one body region. Symptoms were mostly reported in the neck (65.1%) and in the shoulder (58.1%). Limitations in daily activities were experienced by 15.9% due to neck pain and by 15.4% due to shoulder pain. Medical care was sought by 23.7% because of neck pain and by 21.1% due to shoulder pain. Risk factors for symptoms in the upper extremity regions were gender (female), increased physical load, and numerous comorbidities.
There is a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among dentists. Suitable interventions are therefore needed to prevent musculoskeletal diseases and pain among dental professionals, with particular attention to female dentists.
Background Obstructive jaundice is a common presenting symptom among patients with pancreatic cancer. While benefits of preoperative biliary drainage have been suggested by previous studies, recent ...evidence has shown no significant improvements of preoperative biliary drainage on the postoperative outcome but rather an increase of complications. There is no clear consensus on whether to treat malignant obstructive jaundice with preoperative biliary drainage prior to operative intervention or to proceed directly to resection. Thus, our aim was to elucidate the impact of preoperative biliary drainage of obstructive jaundice due to malignant pancreatic head tumors on postoperative morbidity and mortality. Methods We conducted a meta-analysis in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and carried out a systematic search of medical databases. The results were analyzed according to predefined criteria. We pooled the incidence of overall complications, wound infection, pancreatic fistula, intra-abdominal abscess, and death within the perioperative time period. Results We initially identified 1,816 studies, and 25 of these (22 retrospective studies, 3 randomized controlled trials) were finally included in the analysis with a total number of 6,214 patients. Analysis revealed an increased incidence of overall complications (odds ratio: 1.40; 95% confidence interval: 1.14–1.72; P = .002) and wound infections (odds ratio: 1.94; 95% confidence interval: 1.48–2.53; P < .00001) in patients receiving preoperative biliary drainage compared to operative intervention first. Mortality, incidence of pancreatic fistula, or intra-abdominal abscess formation were not affected by preoperative biliary drainage. Conclusion Preoperative biliary drainage does not have a beneficial effect on postoperative outcome. The increase of postoperative overall complications and wound infections urges for precise indications for preoperative biliary drainage and against routine preoperative biliary decompression.
Many disability claims are based on the subjective symptom of fatigue, which can be caused by a wide spectrum of diagnoses including fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome and cardiopulmonary ...diseases. Chronic pain is very often a compounding problem. It is vital for every insurer to have fair and objective criteria to distinguish between invalid claims and those with merit. This review article proposes objective tools and parameters to achieve this goal.
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