Metallic wear debris in acetabular osteolysis in a mechanically stable cementless total hip replacement: report of a case.

Wear debris has evolved as the primary etiology of mechanical loosening of cemented as well as uncemented total hip arthroplasty. Osteolysis results from particle formation, and this has been most commonly reported to be secondary to polyethylene wear debris. This article demonstrates that metallic particle debris will also result in significant osteolysis. The two sources in this case are cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) particles from the acetabular component and titanium-alloy (Ti) particles from the Morse taper junction and the Ti-alloy femoral head. However, it is likely that polyethylene debris also contributed to the osteolysis, because a titanium head was used and we know this results in increased poly wear.

Approaches to senior care #1. Hip fracture, depression, and cognitive impairment: a follow-up study.

Hip fractures in the elderly are accompanied by depression and cognitive impairment--two factors that impact on morbidity, mortality, and rehabilitation. This follow-up study assesses 35 elderly patients at three and six months post-hip fracture after earlier evaluations in the immediate post-fracture period. Mortality is increased in subjects with cognitive impairment at the time of fracture. Rehabilitation, as measured by activities of daily living, is slowed in subjects with combined depression and cognitive impairment. The study alerts physicians to the need for careful mental status evaluation at the time of trauma and surgery.

The week-old hip fracture: indication for prophylactic use of a vena cava filter? Report of two cases.

Occasional patients will present a week or more after sustaining a hip fracture. Though these patients are at high risk for asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, anticoagulation may be contraindicated prior to surgery. Two recent cases involving such a situation are reported. In the first, the patient sustained a fatal intraoperative pulmonary embolism. In the second, a transvenous Greenfield vena caval filter was placed prior to surgery. An extremely high suspicion of asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis is necessary when evaluating a patient whose hip fracture has been untreated for a week or more. If studies demonstrate a deep venous thrombosis preoperatively, placement of an inferior vena caval filter may be indicated.

Spontaneous bilateral rupture of the extensor mechanism of the knee in two patients on chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.

Two cases of patients on Chronic Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD) who suffered bilateral, spontaneous rupture of the extensor mechanism of the knee are presented. In neither case was the diagnosis readily apparent. Both patients did well with standard surgical treatment. A review of the literature and consideration of the mechanism of tendon rupture is presented.

Assessment of depression and cognitive impairment after hip fracture.

Fifty patients, over 60 years of age, were evaluated for mental status change at the time of hip fracture. Specifically, demographic and historical data were gathered and patients were given an assessment battery to evaluate depression and cognitive impairment during hospitalization for femoral fracture. Prevalence of depression was 28%, and cognitive impairment was present in 40% of the patients evaluated. Pre-fracture activities of daily living were estimated. These data provide the first systematically accumulated baseline data for patients in the immediate post-hip fracture period. Patients will be reassessed at three-month intervals to quantify mental status change and to evaluate its effects on morbidity, mortality, and rehabilitative success.

Differential bone-scanning in the evaluation of a painful total joint replacement.

In an attempt to differentiate between loose and infected total joint replacements, seventy-nine patients were studied with both technetium-99 pyrophosphate and gallium-67 citrate bone scans. Seventy of these patients had positive technetium scans. Nineteen had positive gallium scans and all nineteen had positive cultures at the time of operation, while one patient had a false-negative gallium scan. Ten other patients who had negative technetium-99 scans and a painful total joint were followed without operative intervention. Of these, only two required operation after their technetium-99 scans became positive. Based on these studies, gallium-67 citrate scans combined with technetium-99 pyrophosphate scans are believed to be useful in differentiating between loose and infected prostheses. A negative technetium scan should weigh heavily against surgical exploration in an attempt to find the source of pain.

Low-dose heparin for prevention of venous thromboembolism in total hip arthroplasty and surgical repair of hip fractures.

Sixty-seven hip-arthroplasty and fifty-two hip-fracture patients participated in a placebo-controlled randomized double-blind study on the effects of low-dose heparin prophylaxis in the prevention of venous thromboembolism. In this study, a positive thromboembolic event meant a positive test by: (1) daily 125I-fibrinogen scanning, (2) contrast venography on the tenth postoperative day, or (3) radionuclide perfusion lung scan in confirmation of suspected clinical pulmonary emboli. Nineteen (59.4 per cent) of thirty-two placebo-treated arthroplasty patients showed evidence of a thromboembolic event in contrast with eight (22.9 per cent) of thirty-five heparin-treated patients (p less than 0.003). Heparin-treated arthroplasty patients required mean blood transfusions of 4.7 units, contrasted with a mean 3.2-unit transfusion requirement for placebo-treated patients (p less than 0.05). The incidence of observed bleeding complications was higher among the heparin-treated patients. Of the twenty-three placebo-treated patients with fracturs, 39.1 per cent had a thromboembolic event, while 41.4 per cent of the twenty-nine who received heparin showed evidence of thromboembolism, demonstrating that low-dose heparin afforded no protection, nor did it affect the incidence of bleeding complications or transfusion requirements in fracture patients.

Differential bone scanning.

This is a preliminary report of eleven patients with painful total joint arthroplasties. In their evaluation the difficulty in the differential diagnosis between the loose and the infected total joint becomes apparent. We have found the use of differential bone scans an accurate method to identify the infected total joint. Further study along these lines is indicated with a larger series and generalization to other types of implants.

Bilateral dorsal dislocations of the metatarsophalangeal joints of the great toes with a loose body in one of the metatarsophalangeal joints.

An unusual bilateral closed dorsal dislocation of the metatarsophalangeal joints of both great toes is described, and surgical treatment and outcome reported. The importance of postreduction X-rays is emphasized.