Are psychosocial variables, sleep characteristics or central pain processing prognostic factors for outcome following rotator cuff repair? A protocol for a prospective longitudinal cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: Prognosis following surgical rotator cuff repair (RCR) is often established through the assessment of non-modifiable biomedical factors such as tear size. This understates the complex nature of recovery following RCR. There is a need to identify modifiable psychosocial and sleep-related variables, and to find out whether changes in central pain processing influence prognosis after RCR. This will improve our knowledge on how to optimise recovery, using a holistic rehabilitation approach. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This longitudinal study will analyse 141 participants undergoing usual care for first time RCR. Data will be collected 1-21 days preoperatively (T1), then 11-14 weeks (T2) and 12-14 months (T3) postoperatively. We will use mixed-effects linear regression to assess relationships between potential prognostic factors and our primary and secondary outcome measures-the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index; the Constant-Murley Score; the Subjective Shoulder Value; Maximal Pain (Numeric Rating Scale); and Quality of Life (European Quality of Life, 5 dimensions, 5 levels). Potential prognostic factors include: four psychosocial variables; pain catastrophising, perceived stress, injury perceptions and patients' expectations for RCR; sleep; and four factors related to central pain processing (central sensitisation inventory, temporal summation, cold hyperalgesia and pressure pain threshold). Intercorrelations will be assessed to determine the strength of relationships between all potential prognostic indicators.Our aim is to explore whether modifiable psychosocial factors, sleep-related variables and altered central pain processing are associated with outcomes pre-RCR and post-RCR and to identify them as potential prognostic factors. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The results of the study will be disseminated at conferences such as the European Pain Congress. One or more manuscripts will be published in a peer-reviewed SCI-ranked journal. Findings will be reported in accordance with the STROBE statement and PROGRESS framework. Ethical approval is granted by the Ethical commission of Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, No: ID_2018-02089 TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04946149.

Effect of a flow chart on use of blood transfusions in primary total hip and knee replacement: prospective before and after study.

PROBLEM: A suspected high proportion of unnecessary blood transfusions occur in patients undergoing total joint replacement. DESIGN: Prospective before and after study evaluating the impact of a one page flow chart aimed at reducing the use of blood transfusions. SETTING: Orthopaedic tertiary care centre in Winterthur, Switzerland. 208 patients underwent primary total joint replacement of hips or knees during the control period (October 1998 to September 1999) and 217 during the intervention period (October 1999 to September 2000). KEY MEASURES FOR IMPROVEMENT: Proportion of patients receiving allogeneic blood transfusions. STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE: A simple one page flow chart, which summarised graphically the perioperative decision pathways for anaemic patients, was placed in all charts of patients undergoing total joint replacement and handed out to medical staff from 4 October 1999 onwards. The implementation of the flow chart focused on its endorsement by chief physicians and the development of a sense of "ownership" among physicians and nurses. EFFECTS OF CHANGE: The proportion of patients receiving allogeneic blood decreased from 35.0% to 19.8% (absolute difference -15.2%, 95% confidence interval -23.3 to -7.0%). The percentage of patients donating and receiving autologous blood also decreased. This led to overall savings of about 23,000 pounds sterling (42,470 dollars; 34,441 euros) (103.50 pounds sterlingper patient undergoing total joint replacement). Differences became more pronounced after adjustment for confounding factors. LESSONS LEARNT: Allogeneic blood transfusions in primary hip and knee replacement surgery may be reduced cost effectively by implementing a one page flow chart. Five key elements may have contributed: simplicity; wide distribution; no requirement for major changes; endorsement by local opinion leaders; and development of a sense of ownership. These elements may be used in other contexts to achieve sustained change of clinical practice.

Autologous blood donation in total knee arthroplasties is not necessary.

BACKGROUND: This study intends to prove the hypothesis that preoperative autologous blood donation in total knee arthroplasties (TKA) is dispensable. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study comprises a prospective analysis of 81 consecutive TKA without preoperative autologous blood donation (AB-donation). Guidelines for blood retransfusion were used. Surgery, as well as the pre- and postoperative procedures were identical for each patient. In the analysis of the data, the consecutive TKAs were divided into patients who were eligible for preoperative autologous blood donation (group 1, n = 46) and those with relevant risk factors not permitting preoperative autologous blood donation (group 2, n = 35). RESULTS: None of the patients in group 1 needed a blood transfusion. 14 of 35 patients in group 2 needed an allogenic blood transfusion. INTERPRETATION: Total knee arthroplasty can be managed without preoperative AB-donation if it is performed using a tourniquet, if a postoperative collection and direct retransfusion system is used for the wound blood, and if the transfusion algorithm is defined according to compulsory and practical guidelines.

Ganz reinforcement ring for reconstruction of acetabular defects in revision total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: In revision total hip arthroplasty, bone loss due to loosening and migration of the acetabular component makes fixation of a new implant difficult. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of the use of the Ganz reinforcement ring with nonstructural allograft in the reconstruction of acetabular defects. METHODS: Sixty-one acetabular revisions performed with use of the Ganz reinforcement ring and nonstructural allograft, between 1989 and 1992, in fifty-seven patients with aseptic loosening met our selection criteria. Eleven hips in eleven patients were lost to follow-up, leaving fifty hips available for evaluation five years or more following surgery. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons classification, twenty-four acetabular defects were Type II, twenty-four were Type III, and two were Type IV. Clinical and radiographic evaluations were carried out at a mean of six and nine years after surgery. Twelve more patients were lost to follow-up before the most recent evaluation. RESULTS: The mean Merle d'Aubigné composite score increased significantly compared with the preoperative score (p < 0.001). There were seven failures: six cases of aseptic loosening and one case of septic arthritis. Graft incorporation and bone remodeling occurred in all hips but three in which the ring fixation had been inadequate at the time of surgery. The Kaplan-Meier survivorship rate, with use of revision or loosening of the component as the criterion of failure, was 81% at ten years. Inadequate fixation of the implant at the time of surgery was the only multivariate predictor of failure (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Patients treated with acetabular revision with a Ganz reinforcement ring had reconstitution of periacetabular bone stock as well as good clinical and radiographic results, provided that the ring had been fixed adequately at the time of surgery. This procedure may not be the preferred approach for reconstructing segmental defects of the medial wall or pelvic discontinuity.