Aims. The risk to patients and healthcare workers of resuming elective orthopaedic surgery following the peak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been difficult to quantify. This has prompted governing bodies to adopt a cautious approach that may be impractical and financially unsustainable. The lack of evidence has made it impossible for surgeons to give patients an informed perspective of the consequences of elective surgery in the presence of SARS-CoV-2. This study aims to determine, for the UK population, the probability of a patient being admitted with an undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection and their resulting risk of death; taking into consideration the current disease prevalence, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing, and preassessment pathway. Methods. The probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection with a false negative test was calculated using a lower-end RT-PCR sensitivity of 71%, specificity of 95%, and the UK disease prevalence of 0.24% reported in May 2020. Subsequently, a case fatality rate of 20.5% was applied as a worst-case scenario. Results. The probability of SARS-CoV-2 infection with a false negative preoperative test was 0.07% (around 1 in 1,400). The risk of a patient with an undetected infection being admitted for surgery and subsequently dying from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is estimated at approximately 1 in 7,000. However, if an estimate of the current global infection fatality rate (1.04%) is applied, the risk of death would be around 1 in 140,000, at most. This calculation does not take into account the risk of nosocomial infection. Conversely, it does not factor in that patients will also be clinically assessed and asked to self-isolate prior to surgery. Conclusion. Our estimation suggests that the risk of patients being inadvertently admitted with an undetected SARS-CoV-2 infection for elective orthopaedic surgery is relatively low. Accordingly, the risk of death following elective orthopaedic surgery is low, even when applying the worst-case fatality rate. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(9):1256–1260

Source of the study: University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand and University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand. Outcomes following knee arthroplasty are typically defined as implant survivorship at defined timepoints, or revision incidence over time. These estimates are difficult to conceptualise, and lack context for younger patients with more remaining years of life. We therefore aimed to determine a ‘lifetime’ risk of revision as a more useful metric for total (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). The New Zealand Joint Registry was used to identify 96,497 primary TKAs and 13,481 primary UKAs performed between 1999 and 2019. Patient mortality and revision incidence were also extracted. Estimates of lifetime risk were calculated using an actuarial lifetable method. The estimates were stratified by age and gender. Reasons for revision were categorised using previously published standardised definitions. The lifetime risk of UKA revision was two-fold higher than TKA across all age groups (range 3.7-40.4% UKA, 1.6-22.4% TKA). Revision risk was higher for males with TKA (range 3.4%-25.2% males, 1.1%-20% females), but higher for females with UKA (range 4.3%-43.4% vs. 2.9%-37.4% for males). Revision due to infections were higher for TKA (1.5% males, 0.7% females) compared with UKA (0.4% males, 0.1% females). The increased risk in younger UKA patients was associated with higher incidence of aseptic loosening (UKA 2%, TKA 1%) and ‘unexplained pain’ (UKA 2%, TKA 0.2%). The risk for UKA was two-fold higher than TKA, and this was partially explained by a higher proportion of revisions due to ‘unexplained pain’. For TKA, males had higher risk of revision, in contrast to UKA where females had higher risk; this gender difference was associated with higher incidence of infections with TKA. Younger age, gender and higher ASA status were also associated with increased lifetime risk of UKA revision. Lifetime risk of revision can provide a meaningful measure of arthroplasty outcomes to aid patient counselling

Aim. Prosthetic joint replacement is more commonly done in the elderly group of patients due to an increase pathology related to joint degeneration that comes with age. In this age group is also more frequent having underling condition that may predispose to a prosthetic joint infection. Also, the pharmacological intervention in those patients may play an important role as a risk factor for infection after joint replacement surgery. The use of oral anticoagulants seems to be particularly increased in elderly patients but there aren't enough data published to support an association between prosthetic joint infection and the use of oral anticoagulants. Identifying risk factors in elderly patients age >75 years old with a special focus on the oral anticoagulation therapy is the aim of the study. Methods. In a retrospective study from 2011 till 2018 all the patients >75 years old with knee and hip replacement surgery have been review looking for acute prosthetic infection and risk factors that may be predispose to it. Patients with previous surgery or any other mechanical complication that needed intervention on the same area have been excluded. Results. A total of 1220 patients have been included (801 knee replacement surgery and 419 hip replacement surgery). The mean age was 79.5 ± 3.44 years and most of the patients were women (72,6%). The infection rate was 2,5%. Several factors have been identified to be associated with acute infection. (Table.1.). The patients receiving oral anticoagulants had an increased risk of infection (OR 3.63 (1.60–7.74), p=0.002). Conclusions. Even all the risk factors associated with risk infection have been described previously, the relevant aspect is the increased risk of prosthetic joint infection in patients receiving oral anticoagulants

Arthrofibrosis is a less common complication following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and there are concerns that undergoing early surgery may be associated with arthrofibrosis. The aim of this study was to identify the patient and surgical risk factors for arthrofibrosis following primary ACL reconstruction. Primary ACL reconstructions prospectively recorded in the New Zealand ACL Registry between April 2014 and December 2019 were analyzed. The Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) database was used to identify patients who underwent a subsequent reoperation with review of operation notes to identify those who had a reoperation for “arthrofibrosis” or “stiffness”. Univariate Chi-Square test and multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed. Hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were computed to identify the risk factors for arthrofibrosis. 9617 primary ACL reconstructions were analyzed, of which 215 patients underwent a subsequent reoperation for arthrofibrosis (2.2%). A higher risk of arthrofibrosis was observed in female patients (adjusted HR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.22 – 2.27, p = 0.001), patients with a history of previous knee surgery (adjusted HR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.11 – 3.50, p = 0.021) and when a transtibial femoral tunnel drilling technique was used (adjusted HR = 1.55, 95% CI 1.06 – 2.28, p = 0.024). Patients who underwent early ACL reconstruction within 6 weeks of their injury did not have a higher risk of arthrofibrosis when compared to patients who underwent surgery more than 6 weeks after their injury (3.5% versus 2.1%, adjusted HR = 1.56, 95% CI 0.97 – 2.50, p = 0.07). Age, graft type and concomitant meniscal injury did not influence the rate of arthrofibrosis. Female sex, a history of previous knee surgery and a transtibial femoral tunnel drilling technique are risk factors for arthrofibrosis following primary ACL reconstruction

Aim. Ankle fracture surgery comes with a risk of fracture-related infection (FRI). Identifying risk factors are important in preoperative planning, in management of patients, and for information to the individual patient about their risk of complications. In addition, modifiable factors can be addressed prior to surgery. The aim of the current paper was to identify risk factors for FRI in patients operated for ankle fractures. Method. A cohort of 1004 patients surgically treated for ankle fractures at Haukeland University hospital in the period of 2015–2019 was studied retrospectively. Patient charts and radiographs were assessed for the diagnosis of FRI. Binary logistic regression was used in analyses of risk factors. Regression coefficients were used to calculate the probability for FRI based on the patients’ age and presence of one or more risk factors. Results. FRI was confirmed in 87 (9%) of 1004 patients. Higher age at operation (p < 0.001), congestive heart failure (CHF), p = 0.006), peripheral artery disease (PAD, p = 0.001), and current smoking (p = .006) were identified as risk factors for FRI. PAD and CHF were the risk factors displaying the strongest association with FRI with an adjusted odds ratio of 4.2 (95% CI 1.8–10.1) and 4.7 (95% CI 1.6–14.1) respectively. Conclusions. The prevalence of FRI was 9% after surgical treatment of ankle fractures. The combination of risk factors found in this study demonstrate the need for a thorough, multidisciplinary, and careful approach when faced with an elderly or frail patient with an ankle fracture. The results of this study help the treating surgeons to inform their patients of the risk of FRI prior to ankle fracture surgery

Surgeons must explain the risk of complications to prospective patients and get informed consent. If a complication that occurred was omitted in the process or given the wrong risk level, culpability of the surgeon is judged in court against what a “reasonable patient” would like to know to give or refuse consent. ObjectivesThe concept “reasonable patient” is widely used, no attempt has been made to define it objectively. We assessed insight of patients, presumed “reasonable”, about risks of certain complications after they underwent one of five orthopaedic procedures. Questionnaire was administered with procedures: femur IMN, tibia IMN, ankle ORIF, distal radius ORIF and hip arthroplasty. Four common/serious complications were chosen per procedure, and matched against life events with documented risk levels. There were 230 participants 163 males and 67 females. We found 19.1% of patients above age 40 and 33.3% with tertiary education wouldn't accept nerve injury as reported in literature. With infection risk, 18.1% above 40 and 52.9% with pre-tertiary education would not accept. All patients below 40 and 7.4% pre-tertiary education wouldn't accept the risk of death as reported. However, 37.1% above 40 and 76.9% with pre-tertiary education would accept that risk at a higher level. It is hard to predict what risk of complication a patient may accept. This study highlights that some patients will not accept risks as reported in literature, even though they need the procedure. Therefore, surgeons need to explain complications fully, so that patients knowingly accepts or refuses consent. The subset of patients who are not willing to accept any level of risk, should be the subject of another study

Abstract. Introduction. The risk of Covid-19 community and hospital acquired infection (HAI) on patient outcomes in trauma is still relevant. Patient's should be routinely consented for this risk to ensure informed consent for perioperative contraction. Method. A prospective audit was completed from December-March 2022 examining a consecutive series of patient admissions with capacity to consent. The standards for compliance was RCOS Toolkit 5#3 stating the importance of enhanced consent for risk of contraction, in operating and changes to care pathways. The target was 95% compliance. 2/2 contingency tables were generated to determine odds ratio for compliance versus Covid+ rate. Results. This audit generated 80 consecutive patients from which 28 were excluded as non-operative or lacking capacity. It was found that 25% (13/52) had been specifically consented for risks of Covid-19. The rate of PCR-positive results was 15% (8/52) with a mortality of 25%. Approximately 2% of patients in this series were informed of the risk and had a positive Covid-PCR. An odds ratio of 0.38 indicates that being informed of the risk is not associated with rate of infection e.g by adopting enhanced personal protective measures. Conclusions. The pandemic recovery has not removed this substantial community and nosocomial risk. Our results demonstrate poor compliance with RCS guidance despite ongoing relevance to care. Consent includes the counselling of a patient to specific Covid-related risks including thrombosis & death. Dissemination of these results will be followed by completion of the audit cycle to look for improvements in compliance

Meniscal repairs are commonly performed during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for meniscal repair failure following concurrent primary ACL reconstruction. Primary ACL reconstructions with a concurrent repair of a meniscal tear recorded in the New Zealand ACL Registry between April 2014 and December 2018 were analyzed. Meniscal repair failure was defined as a patient who underwent subsequent meniscectomy, and was identified after cross-referencing data from the ACL Registry with the national database of the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC). Multivariate Cox regression was performed to produce hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) to identify the patient and surgical risk factors for meniscal repair failure. 2041 meniscal repairs were analyzed (medial = 1235 and lateral = 806). The overall failure rate was 9.4% (n = 192). Failure occurred in 11.1% of medial (137/1235) and 6.8% of lateral (55/806) meniscal repairs. The risk of medial failure was higher with hamstring tendon autografts (adjusted HR = 2.00, 95% CI 1.23 – 3.26, p = 0.006) and in patients with cartilage injury in the medial compartment (adjusted HR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.09 – 2.23, p = 0.015). The risk of lateral failure was higher when the procedure was performed by a surgeon with an annual case volume of less than 30 ACL reconstructions (adjusted HR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.10 – 3.33, p = 0.021). Age, gender, time from injury-to-surgery and femoral tunnel drilling technique did not influence the risk of meniscal repair failure. When repairing a meniscal tear during ACL reconstruction, the use of a hamstring tendon autograft or the presence of cartilage injury in the medial compartment increases the risk of medial meniscal repair failure. Lower surgeon case volume increases the risk of lateral meniscal repair failure

A method is proposed to assess risk parameters of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury using human pose estimation (HPE) and a single stereo depth camera. Detectron2 is used to identify key points of a subject performing a single leg jump test. This allows dynamic pivot of the knee to be assessed during landing using four risk parameters: knee valgus, knee translation in the coronal plane, pelvic tilt, and head-ankle alignment (body sway). Results show the model has an accuracy of 7° in angular measurements and 38 mm in linear measurements. Compared to previous studies, which only consider front-on analysis, this method has partially reduced accuracy in linear measurements and half the accuracy in angular measurements. Despite this, coupling information from multiple risk parameters reduces the accuracy required on any one parameter and the use of a single depth camera enables reliable analysis at a subject orientation of ±45° relative to the camera. These factors create a novel solution, proposing the ability for broad evaluation of ACL risk parameters in environments outside a testing laboratory, which has not been done before

There is growing interest in the peri-operative management of patients with indications for hip and knee arthroplasty in the setting of modifiable risk factors such as morbid obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and smoking. A recent survey of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) found that 95% of respondents address modifiable risk factors prior to surgery. The aim of this study was to poll Australian arthroplasty surgeons regarding their approach to patients with modifiable risk factors. The survey tool used in the AAHKS study was adapted for use in the Australian context and distributed to the membership of the Arthroplasty Society of Australia via Survey Monkey. Seventy-seven survey responses were received, representing a response rate of 64%. The majority of respondents were experienced, high volume arthroplasty surgeons. Overall, 91% of respondents restricted access to arthroplasty for patients with modifiable risk factors. Seventy-two percent of surgeons restricted access for excessive body mass index, 85% for poor diabetic control, and 46% for smoking. Most respondents made decisions based on personal experience or literature review rather than hospital or departmental pressures. Despite differences in healthcare systems, our findings were similar to those of the AAHKS survey, although their responses were more restrictive in all domains. Differences were noted in responses concerning financial considerations for potentially underprivileged populations. The survey is currently being administered by arthroplasty societies in six other countries, allowing comparison of orthopaedic practice across different healthcare systems around the world. In conclusion, over 90% of Australian arthroplasty surgeons who responded to the survey address modifiable risk factors prior to surgery

Aim. There is controversy regarding the use of Antibiotic-loaded cement (ALBC) as compared to non-antibiotic-loaded cement (NALBC) to reduce the overall infection rate without affecting implant survival or adding additional risks on fixation for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Method. To conduct the analysis, we utilized the Catalan Arthroplasty Registry (RACat) for the TKAs implanted between 2005 and 2017. The primary variable recorded was the use of cement with or without antibiotics. Other recorded variables included were age, sex, diabetes mellitus, obesity, Charlson index and type of hospital. We analyzed the effect of ALBC vs. NALBC in reducing the risk of prosthetic infection at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months as well as prosthetic survival due to mechanical causes at 1, 5, and 10 years. Univariate and multivariable analyses of risk factors were conducted. Thereby, an interactive predictive model that determines the risk of prosthetic infection based on each patient's characteristics was created. Results. A total of 28,287 TKAs from the RACat were analyzed. In that total, there were 19,788 NALBC and 8,499 ALBC. The infection rates for TKAs with NALBC vs. those with ALBC at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months were respectively: 1.69% vs. 1.39% (p=0.132); 1.81% vs. 1.56% (p=0.147); 2.14% vs. 1.73% (p=0.030); 2.51% vs. 1.86% (p=0.001). A statistically significant reduction in periprosthetic infection rate was observed in the ALBC group at 12 and 24 months. No differences were observed between the two groups in terms of prosthetic mechanical survival. Being younger, male and having had previous knee surgery or having a high comorbidity index all led to a higher risk of prosthetic revision due to infection. Conclusions. The use of ALBC as a fixation method for TKA leads to a reduction in the risk of prosthetic infection without altering the mechanical survival of the implant. The creation of a predictive model helps determine the individualized risk of prosthetic infection based on the patient's characteristics

Acromial morphology has been implicated as a risk factor for unidirectional posterior shoulder instability. Studies utilising plain film radiographic landmarks have identified an increased risk of posterior shoulder dislocation in patients with higher acromion positioning. The aims of this study were to develop a reproducible method of measuring this relationship on cross sectional imaging and to evaluate acromial morphology in patients with and without unidirectional posterior shoulder instability. We analysed 24 patients with unidirectional posterior instability. These were sex and age matched with 61 patients with unidirectional anterior instability, as well as a control group of 76 patients with no instability. Sagittal T1 weighted MRI sequences were used to measure posterior acromial height relative to the scapular body axis (SBA) and long head of triceps insertion axis (LTI). Two observers measured each method for inter-observer reliability, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) calculated. LTI method showed good inter-observer reliability with an ICC of 0.79. The SBA method was not reproducible due suboptimal MRI sequences. Mean posterior acromial height was significantly greater in the posterior instability group (14.2mm) compared to the anterior instability group (7.7mm, p=0.0002) as well when compared with the control group (7.0mm, p<0.0001). A threshold of 7.5mm demonstrated a significant increase in the incidence of posterior shoulder instability (RR = 9.4). We conclude that increased posterior acromial height is significantly associated with posterior shoulder instability. This suggests that the acromion has a role as an osseous restraint to posterior shoulder instability

Aims. This study aimed to investigate the risk of postoperative complications in COVID-19-positive patients undergoing common orthopaedic procedures. Methods. Using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Programme (NSQIP) database, patients who underwent common orthopaedic surgery procedures from 1 January to 31 December 2021 were extracted. Patient preoperative COVID-19 status, demographics, comorbidities, type of surgery, and postoperative complications were analyzed. Propensity score matching was conducted between COVID-19-positive and -negative patients. Multivariable regression was then performed to identify both patient and provider risk factors independently associated with the occurrence of 30-day postoperative adverse events. Results. Of 194,121 included patients, 740 (0.38%) were identified to be COVID-19-positive. Comparison of comorbidities demonstrated that COVID-19-positive patients had higher rates of diabetes, heart failure, and pulmonary disease. After propensity matching and controlling for all preoperative variables, multivariable analysis found that COVID-19-positive patients were at increased risk of several postoperative complications, including: any adverse event, major adverse event, minor adverse event, death, venous thromboembolism, and pneumonia. COVID-19-positive patients undergoing hip/knee arthroplasty and trauma surgery were at increased risk of 30-day adverse events. Conclusion. COVID-19-positive patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery had increased odds of many 30-day postoperative complications, with hip/knee arthroplasty and trauma surgery being the most high-risk procedures. These data reinforce prior literature demonstrating increased risk of venous thromboembolic events in the acute postoperative period. Clinicians caring for patients undergoing orthopaedic procedures should be mindful of these increased risks, and attempt to improve patient care during the ongoing global pandemic. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(9):704–712

Obesity is a known risk factor for hip osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to compare the incidence of obesity in Australians undergoing hip replacements (HR) for osteoarthritis to the general population. A cohort study was conducted comparing data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics and the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) from 2017-18. Body mass index (BMI) data for patients undergoing primary total hip replacement and resurfacing for osteoarthritis were obtained from the AOANJRR. The distribution of HR patients by BMI category was compared to the general population, in age and sex sub-groups. During the study period, 32,495 primary HR were performed for osteoarthritis in Australia. Compared to the general population, there was a higher incidence of Class I, II, and III obesity in patients undergoing HR in both sexes aged 35 to 74 years old. Class III obese females and males undergoing HR were on average 6 to 7 years younger than their normal weight counterparts. Class III obese females and males aged 55-64 years old were 2.9 and 1.7 times more likely to undergo HR, respectively (p<0.001). There is a strong association between increased BMI and relative risk of undergoing HR. Similar findings have been noted in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Sweden and Spain. A New Zealand Registry study and recent meta-analysis have also found a concerning trend of Class III obese patients undergoing HR at a younger age. Obese Australians are at increased risk of undergoing HR at a younger age. A national approach to address the prevalence of obesity is needed

Iliopsoas impingement occurs in between 5–30% of patients after hip arthroplasty and has been thought to only be caused by an oversized cup, cup malpositioning, or the depth of the psoas valley. However, no study has associated the relationship between preoperative measurements with the risk of impingement. This study sought to assess impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular cup using a novel validated model to determine the risk factors for iliopsoas impingement. 413 patients received lower limb CT scans and lateral x-rays that were segmented, landmarked, and measured using a validated preoperative planning protocol. Implants were positioned according to the preference of ten experienced surgeons. The segmented bones were transformed to the standing reference frame and simulated with a novel computational model that detects impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular cup. Definitions of patients at-risk and not at-risk of impingement were defined from a previous validation study of the simulation. At-risk patients were propensity score matched to not at-risk patients. 21% of patients were assessed as being at-risk of iliopsoas impingement. Significant differences between at-risk patients and not at-risk patients were observed in standing pelvic tilt (p << 0.01), standing femoral internal rotation (p << 0.01), medio-lateral centre-of-rotation (COR) change (p << 0.01), supine cup anteversion (p << 0.01), pre- to postoperative cup offset change (p << 0.001), postoperative gross offset (p = 0.009), and supero-inferior COR change (p = 0.02). Impingement between the iliopsoas and acetabular cup is under-studied and may be more common than is published in the literature. Previously it has been thought to only be related to cup size or positioning. However, we have observed significant differences between at-risk and not at-risk patients in additional measurements. This indicates that its occurrence is more complex than simply being related to cup position

The optimal timing of when to perform manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) for stiffness following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is unclear. This study aimed to identify the risk factors for MUA following primary TKA and whether performing an “early” MUA within 3 months results in a greater improvement in range of motion. Primary TKAs performed between January 2013 and December 2018 at three tertiary New Zealand hospitals were reviewed. International Classification of Diseases discharge coding was used to identify patients who underwent an MUA. Multivariate Cox regression was performed to identify patient and surgical risk factors for MUA. Pre- and post-MUA knee flexion angles were identified through manual review of operation notes. Multivariate linear regression was performed to compare the mean flexion angles pre- and post-MUA, as well as the mean gain in flexion, between patients undergoing “early” (<3 months) versus “late” MUA (>3 months). 7386 primary TKAs were analyzed in which 131 underwent subsequent MUA (1.8%). Patients aged <65 years were two times more likely to undergo MUA compared to patients aged ≥65 years (2.5% versus 1.3%, adjusted hazard ratio = 2.1, p<0.001). Gender, body mass index, patient comorbidities or a history of cancer were not associated with the risk of MUA. There was no difference in the final post-MUA flexion angle between patients who underwent early versus late MUA (104.7 versus 104.1 degrees, p = 0.819). However, patients who underwent early MUA had poorer pre-MUA flexion (72.3 versus 79.6 degrees, p = 0.012), and subsequently had a greater overall gain in flexion compared to patients who underwent late MUA (mean gain 33.1 versus 24.3 degrees, p<0.001). Younger age was the only patient risk factor for MUA. A greater overall gain in flexion was achieved in patients who underwent early MUA within 3 months

Aim. Previous publications have suggested that the incidence of revisions due to infection after THA is increasing. We performed updated time-trend analyses of risk and timing of revision due to infection after primary THAs in the Nordic countries during the period 2004–2018. Methods. 569,463 primary THAs reported to the Nordic Arthroplasty Register Association from 2004 through 2018 were studied. We estimated adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) with 95% confidence interval by Cox regression with the first revision due to infection after primary THA as endpoint. The risk of revision was investigated. In addition, we explored changes in the time span from primary THA to revision due to infection. Results. 5,653 (1.0%) were revised due to infection. The risk of revision due to infection increased through the study period. Compared to the period 2004–2008, the aHRs were 1.4 (95%CI 1.3–1.5) for 2009–2013, and 1.9 (1.7–2.0) for 2014–2018. We found an increased risk in all four Nordic countries. Compared to 2004–2008, the aHR due to infection 0–30 days after THA was 2.5 (2.1–2.9) for 2009–2013 and 3.4 (3.0–3.9) for 2013–2018. The aHR of revision due to infection 31–90 days after THA was 1.5 (1.3–1.9) for 2009–2013 and 2.5 (2.1–3.0) for 2013–2018, compared to 2004–2008. Beyond 91 days after THA, the risk of revision due to infection was stable over the whole study period. Interpretation. The risk of revision due to deep infection after THA nearly doubled throughout the period 2004–2018. This increase was mainly due to an increased risk of early revisions. The cause for these changes may be multifactorial (patient selection, diagnostics, revision strategy, completeness of reporting, etc.), are not possible to disclose in the present study, and warrants further research

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence, annual trend, perioperative outcomes, and identify risk factors of early-onset (≤ 90 days) deep surgical site infection (SSI) following primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteoarthritis. Risk factors for early-onset deep SSI were assessed. We performed a retrospective population-based cohort study using prospectively collected patient-level data from several provincial administrative data repositories between January 2013, and March 2020. The diagnosis of early-onset deep SSI was based on published Centre for Disease Control/National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC/NHSN) definitions. The Mann-Kendall Trend Test was used to detect monotonic trends in early-onset deep SSI rates over time. The effects of various patient and surgical risk factors for early-onset deep SSI were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. Secondary outcomes were 90-day mortality and 90-day readmission. A total of 20,580 patients underwent primary TKA for osteoarthritis. Forty patients had a confirmed deep SSI within 90-days of surgery representing a cumulative incidence of 0.19%. The annual infection rate did not change over the 7-year study period (p = 0.879). Risk factors associated with early-onset deep SSI included blood transfusions (OR, 3.93 [95% CI 1.34-9.20]; p=0.004), drug or alcohol abuse (OR, 4.91 [95% CI 1.85-10.93]; p<0.001), and surgeon volume less than 30 TKA per year (OR, 4.45 [1.07-12.43]; p=0.013). Early-onset deep SSI was not associated with 90-days mortality (OR, 11.68 [0.09-90-58]; p=0.217), but was associated with an increased chance of 90-day readmission (OR, 50.78 [26.47-102.02]; p<0.001). This study establishes a reliable baseline infection rate for early-onset deep SSI after TKA for osteoarthritis through the use of a robust methodological process. Several risk factors for early-onset deep SSI are potentially modifiable or can be optimized prior to surgery and be effective in reducing the incidence of early-onset SSI. This could guide the formulation of provincial screening programs and identify patients at high risk for SSI

The widely used Fracture Risk Assessment Tool (FRAX) estimates a 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fracture (MOF) using age, sex, body mass index, and seven clinical risk factors, including prior history of fracture. Prior fracture is a binary variable in FRAX, although it is now clear that prior fractures affect future MOF risk differently depending on their recency and site. Risk of MOF is highest in the first two years following a fracture and then progressively decreases with time – this is defined as imminent risk. Therefore, the FRAX tool may underestimate true fracture risk and result in missed opportunities for earlier osteoporosis management in individuals with recent MOF. To address this, multipliers based on age, sex, and fracture type may be applied to baseline FRAX scores for patients with recent fractures, producing a more accurate prediction of both short- and long-term fracture risk. Adjusted FRAX estimates may enable earlier pharmacologic treatment and other risk reduction strategies. This study aimed to report the effect of multipliers on conventional FRAX scores in a clinical cohort of patients with recent non-hip fragility fractures. After obtaining Research Ethics Board approval, FRAX scores were calculated both before and after multiplier adjustment, for patients included in our outpatient Fracture Liaison Service who had experienced a non-hip fragility fracture between June 2020 and November 2021. Patients age 50 years or older, with recent (within 3 months) forearm (radius and/or ulna) or humerus fractures were included. Exclusion criteria consisted of patients under the age of 50 years or those with a hip fracture. Age- and sex-based FRAX multipliers for recent forearm and humerus fractures described by McCloskey et al. (2021) were used to adjust the conventional FRAX score. Low, intermediate and high-risk of MOF was defined as less than 10%, 10-20%, and greater than 20%, respectively. Data are reported as mean and standard deviation of the mean for continuous variables and as proportions for categorical variables. A total of 91 patients with an average age of 64 years (range = 50-97) were included. The majority of patients were female (91.0%), with 73.6% sustaining forearm fractures and 26.4% sustaining humerus fractures. In the forearm group, the average MOF risk pre- and post-multiplier was 16.0 and 18.8, respectively. Sixteen percent of patients (n = 11) in the forearm group moved from intermediate to high 10-year fracture risk after multiplier adjustment. Average FRAX scores before and after adjustment in the humerus group were 15.7 and 22.7, respectively, with 25% (n = 6) of patients moving from an intermediate risk to a high-risk score. This study demonstrates the clinically significant impact of multipliers on conventional FRAX scores in patients with recent non-hip fractures. Twenty-five percent of patients with humerus fractures and 16% of patients with forearm fractures moved from intermediate to high-risk of MOF after application of the multiplier. Consequently, patients who were previously ineligible for pharmacologic management, now met criteria. Multiplier-adjusted FRAX scores after a recent fracture may more accurately identify patients with imminent fracture risk, facilitating earlier risk reduction interventions

Aims. Despite numerous studies on periprosthetic joint infections (PJI), there are no robust data on the risk factors and timing of metachronous infections. This study was performed to answer the following questions: 1) Is there any difference of manifestation time of metachronous PJIs between different localizations of multiple artificial joints? 2) Can we identify any specific risk factor for metachronous PJIs for different localizations of multiple artificial joints?. Methods. Between January 2010 and December 2018, 661 patients with more than one prosthetic joint at the time of PJI surgical treatment were recruited. Seventy-one developed metachronous PJI after a mean time interval of 101.4 months (range 37.5 to 161.5 months). The remaining patients were chosen as control group. The diagnosis of the PJI, including the metachronous PJI, was made according to the Muscoloskeletal Infection Society (MSIS) criteria. The metachronous infections were divided in group 1: metachronous infections in the same extremity (e.g. right hip and right knee); group 2: metachronous infections of the other extremity (e.g. right knee and left hip); group 3: metachronous infections of the lower extremity and upper extremity (e.g. right knee and left shoulder). Results. We identified 32 PJI cases in group 1, 38 in group 2 and 1 in group 3. Diabetes mellitus was found higher in the metachronous infections (p<0.05). Rate of same side infection was significantly higher compared to contralateral and upper and lower infection (p<0.05). Time interval of metachrononous infection development was faster in same-side infections. Same bacteria sample rate between primary PJI and metachronous PJI in same side infections (21/32) was significantly higher than in the contralateral PJI group (13/38, p<0.05). Conclusions. The current study underlined that the risk of metachronous infections are relatively high, particularly in the cases of prostheses on the same side