A typical pattern of blood loss associated with total hip arthroplasty (THA) is 200 ml intraoperatively and 1.3 l in the first 48 postoperative hours. Tranexamic acid (TXA) is most commonly given as a single preoperative dose only and is often withheld from patients with a history of thromboembolic disease as they are perceived to be “high-risk” with respect to postoperative venous thromboembolism (VTE). The TRanexamic ACid for 24 hours trial (TRAC-24) aimed to identify if an additional 24-hour postoperative TXA regime could further reduce blood loss beyond a once-only dose at the time of surgery, without excluding these high-risk patients. TRAC-24 was a prospective, phase IV, single centre, open label, parallel group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving patients undergoing primary unilateral elective THA. The primary outcome measure was the indirect calculated blood loss (IBL) at 48 hours. The patients were randomized into three groups. Group 1 received 1 g intravenous (IV) TXA at the time of surgery and an additional oral regime for 24 hours postoperatively, group 2 only received the intraoperative dose, and group 3 did not receive any TXA.Aims
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For many designs of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) it remains unclear whether cemented or uncemented fixation provides optimal long-term survival. The main limitation in most studies is a retrospective or non-comparative study design. The same is true for comparative trials looking only at the survival rate as extensive sample sizes are needed to detect true differences in fixation and durability. Studies using radiostereometric analysis (RSA) techniques have shown to be highly predictive in detecting late occurring aseptic loosening at an early stage. To investigate the difference in predicted long-term survival between cemented, uncemented, and hybrid fixation of TKA, we performed a randomized controlled trial using RSA. A total of 105 patients were randomized into three groups (cemented, uncemented, and hybrid fixation of the ACS Mobile Bearing (ACS MB) knee system, implantcast). RSA examinations were performed on the first day after surgery and at scheduled follow-up visits at three months, six months, one year, and two years postoperatively. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were obtained preoperatively and after two years follow-up. Patients and follow-up investigators were blinded for the result of randomization.Aims
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Hip reconstruction after resection of a periacetabular chondrosarcoma is complex and associated with a high rate of complications. Previous reports have compared no reconstruction with historical techniques that are no longer used. The aim of this study was to compare the results of tantalum acetabular reconstruction to both historical techniques and no reconstruction. We reviewed 66 patients (45 males and 21 females) with a mean age of 53 years (24 to 81) who had undergone acetabular resection for chondrosarcoma. A total of 36 patients (54%) underwent acetabular reconstruction, most commonly with a saddle prosthesis (n = 13; 36%) or a tantalum total hip arthroplasty (THA) (n = 10; 28%). Mean follow-up was nine years (SD 4).Aims
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Open tibial fractures are limb-threatening injuries. While limb loss is rare in children, deep infection and nonunion rates of up to 15% and 8% are reported, respectively. We manage these injuries in a similar manner to those in adults, with a combined orthoplastic approach, often involving the use of vascularised free flaps. We report the orthopaedic and plastic surgical outcomes of a consecutive series of patients over a five-year period, which includes the largest cohort of free flaps for trauma in children to date. Data were extracted from medical records and databases for patients with an open tibial fracture aged < 16 years who presented between 1 May 2014 and 30 April 2019. Patients who were transferred from elsewhere were excluded, yielding 44 open fractures in 43 patients, with a minimum follow-up of one year. Management was reviewed from the time of injury to discharge. Primary outcome measures were the rate of deep infection, time to union, and the Modified Enneking score.Aims
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The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes of robotic arm-assisted bi-unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (bi-UKA) with conventional mechanically aligned total knee arthroplasty (TKA) during the first six weeks and at one year postoperatively. A per protocol analysis of 76 patients, 43 of whom underwent TKA and 34 of whom underwent bi-UKA, was performed from a prospective, single-centre, randomized controlled trial. Diaries kept by the patients recorded pain, function, and the use of analgesics daily throughout the first week and weekly between the second and sixth weeks. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were compared preoperatively, and at three months and one year postoperatively. Data were also compared longitudinally and a subgroup analysis was conducted, stratified by preoperative PROM status.Aims
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Non-coding microRNA (miRNA) in extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may promote neuronal repair after spinal cord injury (SCI). In this paper we report on the effects of MSC-EV-microRNA-381 (miR-381) in a rodent model of SCI. In the current study, the luciferase assay confirmed a binding site of bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) and Wnt family member 5A (WNT5A). Then we detected expression of miR-381, BRD4, and WNT5A in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) cells treated with MSC-isolated EVs and measured neuron apoptosis in culture by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining. A rat model of SCI was established to detect the in vivo effect of miR-381 and MSC-EVs on SCI.Aims
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The aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that three grades of sagittal compensation for standing posture (normal, compensated, and decompensated) correlate with health-related quality of life measurements (HRQOL). A total of 50 healthy volunteers (normal), 100 patients with single-level lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis (LDS), and 70 patients with adult to elderly spinal deformity (deformity) were enrolled. Following collection of demographic data and HRQOL measured by the Scoliosis Research Society-22r (SRS-22r), radiological measurement by the biplanar slot-scanning full body stereoradiography (EOS) system was performed simultaneously with force-plate measurements to obtain whole body sagittal alignment parameters. These parameters included the offset between the centre of the acoustic meatus and the gravity line (CAM-GL), saggital vertical axis (SVA), T1 pelvic angle (TPA), McGregor slope, C2-7 lordosis, thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), pelvic incidence (PI), PI-LL, sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), and knee flexion. Whole spine MRI examination was also performed. Cluster analysis of the SRS-22r scores in the pooled data was performed to classify the subjects into three groups according to the HRQOL, and alignment parameters were then compared among the three cluster groups.Aims
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Current treatments of prosthetic joint infection (PJI) are minimally effective against The ability of PlySs2 and vancomycin to kill biofilm and colony-forming units (CFUs) on orthopaedic implants were compared using in vitro models. An in vivo murine PJI model of DAIR was used to assess the efficacy of a combination of PlySs2 and vancomycin on periprosthetic bacterial load.Aims
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This study aimed to describe preoperative waiting times for surgery in hip fracture patients in Norway, and analyze factors affecting waiting time and potential negative consequences of prolonged waiting time. Overall, 37,708 hip fractures in the Norwegian Hip Fracture Register from January 2014 to December 2018 were linked with data in the Norwegian Patient Registry. Hospitals treating hip fractures were characterized according to their hip fracture care. Waiting time (hours from admission to start of surgery), surgery within regular working hours, and surgery on the day of or on the day after admission, i.e. ‘expedited surgery’ were estimated.Aims
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is prevalent among the elderly and incurable. Intra-articular parathyroid hormone (PTH) ameliorated OA in papain-induced and anterior cruciate ligament transection-induced OA models; therefore, we hypothesized that PTH improved OA in a preclinical age-related OA model. Guinea pigs aged between six and seven months of age were randomized into control or treatment groups. Three- or four-month-old guinea pigs served as the young control group. The knees were administered 40 μl intra-articular injections of 10 nM PTH or vehicle once a week for three months. Their endurance as determined from time on the treadmill was evaluated before kill. Their tibial plateaus were analyzed using microcalculated tomography (μCT) and histological studies.Aims
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To assess if older symptomatic children with club foot deformity differ in perceived disability and foot function during gait, depending on initial treatment with Ponseti or surgery, compared to a control group. Second aim was to investigate correlations between foot function during gait and perceived disability in this population. In all, 73 children with idiopathic club foot were included: 31 children treated with the Ponseti method (mean age 8.3 years; 24 male; 20 bilaterally affected, 13 left and 18 right sides analyzed), and 42 treated with primary surgical correction (mean age 11.6 years; 28 male; 23 bilaterally affected, 18 left and 24 right sides analyzed). Foot function data was collected during walking gait and included Oxford Foot Model kinematics (Foot Profile Score and the range of movement and average position of each part of the foot) and plantar pressure (peak pressure in five areas of the foot). Oxford Ankle Foot Questionnaire, Disease Specific Index for club foot, Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 were also collected. The gait data were compared between the two club foot groups and compared to control data. The gait data were also correlated with the data extracted from the questionnaires.Aims
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Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disabling joint disorder and mechanical loading is an important pathogenesis. This study aims to investigate the benefits of less mechanical loading created by intermittent tail suspension for knee OA. A post-traumatic OA model was established in 20 rats (12 weeks old, male). Ten rats were treated with less mechanical loading through intermittent tail suspension, while another ten rats were treated with normal mechanical loading. Cartilage damage was determined by gross appearance, Safranin O/Fast Green staining, and immunohistochemistry examinations. Subchondral bone changes were analyzed by micro-CT and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining, and serum inflammatory cytokines were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Aims
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In orthopaedic and trauma surgery, implant-associated infections are increasingly treated with local application of antibiotics, which allows a high local drug concentration to be reached without eliciting systematic adverse effects. While ceftriaxone is a widely used antibiotic agent that has been shown to be effective against musculoskeletal infections, high local concentrations may harm the surrounding tissue. This study investigates the acute and subacute cytotoxicity of increasing ceftriaxone concentrations as well as their influence on the osteogenic differentiation of human bone progenitor cells. Human preosteoblasts were cultured in presence of different concentrations of ceftriaxone for up to 28 days and potential cytotoxic effects, cell death, metabolic activity, cell proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation were studied.Aims
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The processes linking long-term bisphosphonate treatment to atypical fracture remain elusive. To establish a means of exploring this link, we have examined how long-term bisphosphonate treatment with prior ovariectomy modifies femur fracture behaviour and tibia mass and shape in murine bones. Three groups (seven per group) of 12-week-old mice were: 1) ovariectomized and 20 weeks thereafter treated weekly for 24 weeks with 100 μm/kg subcutaneous ibandronate (OVX+IBN); 2) ovariectomized (OVX); or 3) sham-operated (SHAM). Quantitative fracture analysis generated biomechanical properties for the femoral neck. Tibiae were microCT scanned and trabecular (proximal metaphysis) and cortical parameters along almost its whole length measured.Aims
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Fixation of osteoporotic proximal humerus fractures remains challenging even with state-of-the-art locking plates. Despite the demonstrated biomechanical benefit of screw tip augmentation with bone cement, the clinical findings have remained unclear, potentially as the optimal augmentation combinations are unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the biomechanical benefits of the augmentation options in a humeral locking plate using finite element analysis (FEA). A total of 64 cement augmentation configurations were analyzed using six screws of a locking plate to virtually fix unstable three-part fractures in 24 low-density proximal humerus models under three physiological loading cases (4,608 simulations). The biomechanical benefit of augmentation was evaluated through an established FEA methodology using the average peri-screw bone strain as a validated predictor of cyclic cut-out failure.Aims
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The objective of this study is to assess the use of ultrasound (US) as a radiation-free imaging modality to reconstruct 3D anatomy of the knee for use in preoperative templating in knee arthroplasty. Using an US system, which is fitted with an electromagnetic (EM) tracker that is integrated into the US probe, allows 3D tracking of the probe, femur, and tibia. The raw US radiofrequency (RF) signals are acquired and, using real-time signal processing, bone boundaries are extracted. Bone boundaries and the tracking information are fused in a 3D point cloud for the femur and tibia. Using a statistical shaping model, the patient-specific surface is reconstructed by optimizing bone geometry to match the point clouds. An accuracy analysis was conducted for 17 cadavers by comparing the 3D US models with those created using CT. US scans from 15 users were compared in order to examine the effect of operator variability on the output.Aims
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In the context of tendon degenerative disorders, the need for innovative conservative treatments that can improve the intrinsic healing potential of tendon tissue is progressively increasing. In this study, the role of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) in improving the tendon healing process was evaluated in a rat model of collagenase-induced Achilles tendinopathy. A total of 68 Sprague Dawley rats received a single injection of type I collagenase in Achilles tendons to induce the tendinopathy and then were daily exposed to PEMFs (1.5 mT and 75 Hz) for up to 14 days - starting 1, 7, or 15 days after the injection - to identify the best treatment option with respect to the phase of the disease. Then, 7 and 14 days of PEMF exposure were compared to identify the most effective protocol.Aims
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Biofilm formation is one of the primary reasons for the difficulty in treating implant-related infections (IRIs). Focused high-energy extracorporeal shockwave therapy (fhESWT), which is a treatment modality for fracture nonunions, has been shown to have a direct antibacterial effect on planktonic bacteria. The goal of the present study was to investigate the effect of fhESWT on
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Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are among the most devastating complications after joint arthroplasty. There is limited evidence on the efficacy of different antiseptic solutions on reducing biofilm burden. The purpose of the present study was to test the efficacy of different antiseptic solutions against clinically relevant microorganisms in biofilm. We conducted an in vitro study examining the efficacy of several antiseptic solutions against clinically relevant microorganisms. We tested antiseptic irrigants against nascent (four-hour) and mature (three-day) single-species biofilm created in vitro using a drip-flow reactor model.Aims
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To characterize the intracellular penetration of osteoblasts and osteoclasts by methicillin-resistant Time-lapse confocal microscopy was used to analyze the interaction of MRSA strain USA300 with primary murine osteoblasts and osteoclasts. The effects of early and delayed antibiotic treatments on intracellular and extracellular bacterial colony formation and cell death were quantified. We tested the effects of cefazolin, gentamicin, vancomycin, tetracycline, rifampicin, and ampicillin, as well as agents used in surgical preparation and irrigation.Aims
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