Evidence-based review of safe theatre practice during the COVID-19 pandemic beyond personal protective equipment.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 remains a threat for a fear of a second pandemic. Emergency orthopaedic operations are still among the most commonly performed procedures with increased risk of transmission of SARS CoV-2 to the patients and the healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to present the evidence available into best practices limiting the spread of COVID-19 in healthcare setting during current and future pandemics. METHODS: A review of the literature was performed in multiple databases (PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control), using 'COVID-19' with other relevant keywords in different combinations. Owing to the limited and heterogenous evidence available, data were presented in a narrative manner. FINDINGS: From the evidence gathered it was noted that a multimodal approach to minimising pathogen transmission is required. This primarily comprises the wider engineering and administrative controls to reduce the concentration of the pathogen and to separate staff and patients from it. Theatre isolation and traffic control bundling, theatre flow and logistics, ventilation and waste management form a pivotal role in the environmental/engineering controls. Administrative measures include policies for both patients and staff. For patients, isolation and preoperative screening are of utmost value. For staff, testing for COVID-19, risk assessment, redeployment and provision of persona; protective equipment, together with the necessary training are important administrative controls. CONCLUSION: We believe these measures are likely to improve the sustainability of resources and can be carried to elective settings in order to return to some form of normality and help to mitigate the effects of future pandemics.

Hip fracture patients admitted to hospital on weekends are not at increased risk of 30-day mortality as compared with weekdays.

BACKGROUND: Hip fractures remain a major health concern owing to the increasing elderly population and their association with significant morbidity and mortality. The effects of weekend admission on mortality have been studied since the late 1970s. Despite most studies showing that mortality rates are higher for patients admitted on a weekend, the characteristics of the admitted patients have remained unclear. We aim to investigate this 'weekend effect' at our hospital in patients presenting with a hip fracture. METHODS: Patients undergoing acute hip fracture surgery were identified from the local National Hip Fracture Database. Patient demographics, fracture type, co-morbidities and admission blood parameters were examined. The outcome analysed was 30-day mortality. The data were analysed with regard to day of admission, i.e. weekday (Monday to Friday) or weekend (Saturday and Sunday). RESULTS: A total of 894 patients were included. Results demonstrated that 30-day mortality was similar on the weekend compared with the weekday (6.96% versus 10.39%, OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.36-1.14, p = 0.128) for patients who sustained an acute hip fracture. The total number of deaths within 30 days was 85 (69 weekday versus 16 weekend). This remained non-significant after adjusting for several variables: age and sex only (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.37-1.16, p = 0.146), age, sex, and care variables (OR = 0.59, 95% CI 0.33-1.06, p = 0.080), age, sex, and blood test results (OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.35-1.12, p = 0.111), and all covariates (OR = 0.69, 95% CI 0.29-1.62, p = 0.392). In the fully adjusted model, the following variables were independent predictors of mortality: sex (male) (OR = 1.93, 95% CI 1.11-3.35, p = 0.019) and ASA > 2 (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.11-6.11, p = 0.028) and age (1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.13, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The evidence for a 'weekend effect' in patients with a hip fracture is absent in this study. However, we have shown other factors that are associated with increased mortality such as increased age, male sex and higher ASA grade. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

The assessment of outcome after total knee arthroplasty: are we there yet?

The routine use of patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in evaluating the outcome after arthroplasty by healthcare organisations reflects a growing recognition of the importance of patients' perspectives in improving treatment. Although widely embraced in the NHS, there are concerns that PROMs are being used beyond their means due to a poor understanding of their limitations. This paper reviews some of the current challenges in using PROMs to evaluate total knee arthroplasty. It highlights alternative methods that have been used to improve the assessment of outcome.

Does the DVR(®) plate restore bony anatomy following distal radius fractures?

INTRODUCTION: Fractures of the distal radius are common. Malreduced fractures are associated with residual functional deficiency. There has been a trend over the last few years for using fixed angle volar locking plates to surgically stabilise this injury. Our unit uses the DVR(®) plate (DePuy, Warsaw, IN, US). Nevertheless, it is unknown whether the normal bony anatomy is recreated or merely restored to acceptable limits with its usage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reduction achieved compared with an uninjured population and pre-existing quoted 'normal' values. Furthermore, we wanted to identify the percentage of cases that were reduced to acceptable limits, and determine whether the grade of the surgeon and fracture type was a confounding influence on this reduction. METHODS: A retrospective review of the 3-month postoperative radiography of 48 eligible patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation of a distal radius fracture with a DVR(®) plate was undertaken. RESULTS: Volar tilt, radial length and inclination were different to quoted normal values (p<0.01). Despite this, these parameters fell within acceptable limits in 46 cases; this was not influenced by fracture type or grade of operating surgeon. CONCLUSIONS: The DVR(®) plate restores the bony anatomy to within acceptable limits in the majority of patients who have sustained a fracture of the distal radius although of all parameters investigated, the widest variability is seen in volar tilt.

A performance based patient outcome score for active patients following total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to develop and validate a user friendly performance based knee outcome score for use in active patients undergoing TKA surgery. DESIGN: We prospectively studied a cohort of 50 subjects without any knee symptoms, and 50 patients who underwent TKA for osteoarthritis (OA). The patients were assessed pre- and postoperatively. SF-36 and WOMAC were concurrently administered for comparison. Patients completed seven physical tasks of the finalised outcome instrument which were objectively assessed and scored. RESULTS: The mean functional score was 31.7 in the normal subjects. The mean functional score improved postoperatively from 10.0 to 17.7 (P < 0.001) in the TKA group. Our results confirm that the performance based score has a high test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.89), internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.84) and construct validity showing expected correlations with relevant components of the WOMAC and SF-36 scores. The responsiveness as measured by the effect size compared favourably with the same relevant components of the SF-36 and WOMAC. CONCLUSIONS: Our performance based knee function score is a reliable dimension specific tool to detect change in musculoskeletal function after TKA. It complements existing self-reported outcome tools in facilitating a comprehensive assessment of patients following TKA.

The radiological assessment of total and unicompartmental knee replacements.

Radiological assessment of total and unicompartmental knee replacement remains an essential part of routine care and follow-up. Appreciation of the various measurements that can be identified radiologically is important. It is likely that routine plain radiographs will continue to be used, although there has been a trend towards using newer technologies such as CT, especially in a failing knee, where it provides more detailed information, albeit with a higher radiation exposure. The purpose of this paper is to outline the radiological parameters used to evaluate knee replacements, describe how these are measured or classified, and review the current literature to determine their efficacy where possible.

Causes and predictors of early re-admission after surgery for a fracture of the hip.

The aim of this study was to examine the rates and potential risk factors for 28-day re-admission following a fracture of the hip at a high-volume tertiary care hospital. We retrospectively reviewed 467 consecutive patients with a fracture of the hip treated in the course of one year. Causes and risk factors for unplanned 28-day re-admissions were examined using univariate and multivariate analysis, including the difference in one-year mortality. A total of 55 patients (11.8%) were re-admitted within 28 days of discharge. The most common causes were pneumonia in 15 patients (27.3%), dehydration and renal dysfunction in ten (18.2%) and deteriorating mobility in ten (18.2%). A moderate correlation was found between chest infection during the initial admission and subsequent re-admission with pneumonia (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). A significantly higher mortality rate at one year was seen in the re-admission group (41.8% (23 of 55) vs. 18.7% (77 of 412), p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis identified advancing age, admission source, and the comorbidities of diabetes and neurological disorders as the strongest predictors for re-admission. Early re-admission following hip fracture surgery is predominantly due to medical causes and is associated with higher one-year mortality. The risk factors for re-admission can have implications for performance-based pay initiatives in the NHS. Multidisciplinary management in reducing post-operative active clinical problems may reduce early re-admission.

A prospective study of hip revision surgery using the Exeter long-stem prosthesis: function, subsidence, and complications for 57 patients.

BACKGROUND: The long-stem Exeter femoral component is commonly used in revision hip surgery. Subsidence of the femoral stem in primary hip arthroplasty has been studied extensively, but much less is known about its significance in revision surgery. This prospective study examined the relationship between radiological subsidence, Western Ontario and McMaster (WOMAC) osteoarthritis index pain score, patient satisfaction and complication rates for the long-stem Exeter hip prosthesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data was prospectively collected for a single-surgeon series of 96 patients undergoing revision surgery with a mean follow-up period of 36 months. Pre- and post-operative clinical evaluation was carried out using the validated WOMAC osteoarthritis index. Radiographic evaluation was carried out on magnification-adjusted digital radiographic images. RESULTS: Data from 57 patients were analysed. The mean rate of subsidence recorded was 0.43 mm/year, with a mean total subsidence of 0.79 mm [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57-1.01] at 36.3 months. There was no correlation between subsidence and post-operative WOMAC score, complication rate or patient satisfaction. There was a statistically significant reduction between pre-operative and post-operative WOMAC scores, with means of 33.5 and 10.7, respectively (P < 0.001), and high patient satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Our subsidence rates for long-stem revision femoral components are lower than the published data but demonstrate the same plateau. Radiographic subsidence does not appear to relate to functional outcome or complication rates in our data.