A new uncemented hydroxyapatite-coated femoral component for the treatment of femoral neck fractures: two-year radiostereometric and bone densitometric evaluation in 50 hips.

Our aim in this pilot study was to evaluate the fixation of, the bone remodelling around, and the clinical outcome after surgery of a new, uncemented, fully hydroxyapatite-coated, collared and tapered femoral component, designed specifically for elderly patients with a fracture of the femoral neck. We enrolled 50 patients, of at least 70 years of age, with an acute displaced fracture of the femoral neck in this prospective single-series study. They received a total hip replacement using the new component and were followed up regularly for two years. Fixation was evaluated by radiostereometric analysis and bone remodelling by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Hip function and the health-related quality of life were assessed using the Harris hip score and the EuroQol-5D. Up to six weeks post-operatively there was a mean subsidence of 0.2 mm (-2.1 to +0.5) and a retroversion of a mean of 1.2° (-8.2° to +1.5°). No component migrated after three months. The patients had a continuous loss of peri-prosthetic bone which amounted to a mean of 16% (-49% to +10%) at two years. The mean Harris hip score was 82 (51 to 100) after two years. The two-year results from this pilot study indicate that this new, uncemented femoral component can be used for elderly patients with osteoporotic fractures of the femoral neck.

Clodronate increases mineralization of callus after Colles' fracture: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective trial in 32 patients.

In a randomized study of 32 postmenopausal women with a Colles' fracture, we studied whether 8 weeks of treatment with clodronate, a bisphosphonate, could prevent posttraumatic osteopenia. The patients were treated with a plaster splint for 4 weeks. The bone mineral density (BMD) of the forearm bones was measured at 2 levels with dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) 2, 6 and 12 months after the fracture. At 2 months, in the clodronate group, there was a median 53% higher BMD in the fracture region of the radius than in the uninjured radius. In the placebo group, we found a 33% higher BMD in the fractured radius at that level than in the uninjured radius. This increase in BMD of the fractured radius, caused by clodronate, was statistically significant. At 12 months, the BMD of the fracture side had been reduced by 17% and 12%, respectively, at that time it was still significantly increased in the clodronate group alone. In the ulna at the same level, we found no significant changes in BMD in either group on either side at any time. At 2 months, at the level between the distal and middle thirds, in the fractured radius, the median BMD was 7% lower in the clodronate group and 6% lower in the placebo group than in the uninjured radius. Although the reduction in BMD at that level was significant, there was no difference between the two treatment groups. At this level, the ulna on the fractured side showed a similar pattern, with a 5% lower BMD in the clodronate group and a 4% lower BMD in the placebo group. This osteopenia showed a small but significant progression on the fractured side after 6 and 12 months.

An evaluation of bone loss after total hip arthroplasty for femoral head necrosis after femoral neck fracture: a quantitative CT study in 16 patients.

This study was conducted to determine if bone and muscle loss is reversible in patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasty (THA) owing to necrosis of the femoral head after osteosynthesis for a displaced femoral neck fracture. The cortical bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume, bone mass, and muscle volume of the thigh and the BMD of the distal femur and proximal tibia were measured by quantitative computed tomography in 16 patients. Both extremities were measured just before reoperation. The measurements were repeated 3 and 6 months later. At reoperation, there was a mean 12% relative loss of bone mass and 23% loss of muscle volume in the middle femur on the fractured side compared with the uninjured side. In the distal femur and proximal tibia, there was a relative loss of BMD of 14% and 21% on the fractured side. Six months after reoperation, we found no change in bone mineral at any location on either side. The muscle of the thigh showed a gain in volume of 20% on the reoperated side but no change on the uninjured side. At the time of reoperation, we noted a marked bone and muscle loss on the fractured side. We failed to note any restoration of bone mineral after THA despite remobilization, which is expressed as an increase in muscle volume on the reoperated side. This study indicates that osteopenic bone has difficulties in adapting to patients' improved mobility after reoperation.

Decrease in bone mineral density and muscle mass after femoral neck fracture. A quantitative computed tomography study in 25 patients.

We performed a prospective, longitudinal, quantitative computed tomography (QCT) study of bone mineral density (BMD), cortical bone volume, bone mass and muscle volume in 25 patients who were operated on with osteosynthesis because of a displaced femoral neck fracture. Both legs were scanned within 3 days after the fracture, and 3 and 6 months after the operation. The measurements were performed by a computer tomograph equipped for bone mineral densitometry. We found some side differences among the patients at the time of fracture, but none of the differences was statistically significant. After 6 months, we found reductions in BMD in the distal femur and proximal tibia on the fractured side of 11% and 19%, respectively, as well as a reduction in BMD of 7% in the proximal tibia on the uninjured side. We found no changes in cortical bone mass, either on the fractured femur or on the uninjured femur. The muscles of the thigh showed a loss of 9% on the fractured side, but a gain of 12% on the uninjured side. The findings of a bone loss in the distal femur and proximal tibia of the fractured leg and in the proximal tibia of the healthy leg, but no cortical bone loss in the middle femur on any side 6 months after the fracture, indicate that the cancellous bone is more sensitive to osteopenia. Moreover, this bone loss is interpreted as mainly a posttraumatic effect, since we also found a decrease in bone mineral on the uninjured side, despite a gain in muscle volume on that side, an overuse which was not sufficient to counteract the posttraumatic effect on the bone of the uninjured side.

Burn management. Psychosocial interventions: pharmacologic and psychologic modalities.

The devastating nature of a thermal injury drastically alters both the physical and psychologic elements of the survivor. Understanding the physiologic and psychologic processes of burn patients in all phases of recovery enables the caregiver to provide optimal holistic treatment to the patient. The pain of burns can be treated best with analgesic medication in conjunction with therapeutic psychologic interventions. Care of thermally injured patients requires dedicated and well-trained staff members who can effectively assist the patient in coping with the situation and working toward recovery.

Femoral cortical remodeling after uncemented total hip arthroplasty. A prospective radiologic study of 26 hips followed for 2 to 4 years.

Twenty-six consecutive, hydroxyapatite-coated Bi-Metric femoral stem prostheses (Biomet, Warsaw, IN) were studied in 20 patients. The follow-up period averaged 37 months (range, 24-48 months). Clinical rating (Harris score) was determined and radiography were taken at regular intervals. Digital imaging and computer-assisted videodensitometry were used to quantify the cortical remodeling. The anteroposterior radiographs of the femur were scanned and digitized, and the pictures were analyzed by a digital image processing software program. The periosteal diameter, the cortices of the femur, and the total endosteal diameter in five regions were determined. The mean preoperative Harris score was 50 and improved to 97 at the latest follow-up evaluation. After surgery, there was hypertrophy of the periprosthetic cortical bone and an increase in the periosteal diameter. The medullary canal of the operated femur did not change.

Bone and muscle mass after femoral neck fracture. A controlled quantitative computed tomography study of osteosynthesis versus primary total hip arthroplasty.

The cortical bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume, bone mass and muscle volume of the thigh, and the BMD of the distal femur and proximal tibia were measured quantified by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) after an operation for a displaced femoral neck fracture. Twenty patients were randomized to osteosynthesis or total hip arthroplasty (THA). Both legs were scanned after 18 months, and the operated side was compared with the healthy side. Clinical assessment was performed with a Harris hip score. A reference group of 9 patients, who had undergone THA because of arthrosis, was chosen. In the fracture patients, we found a 9% decrease in bone mass and muscle volume of the middle femur. The BMD of the distal femur and proximal tibia showed a more marked osteopenia. There was no difference in these parameters between the two groups. In the reference group of operated arthrosis patients, we did not find any differences between sides postoperatively. After the operation, the fracture patients had a lower Harris score than the arthrosis patients, and this was most pronounced among those who had undergone osteosynthesis. The finding of a marked osteopenia after a femoral neck fracture, irrespective of treatment, but no bone loss after THA because of arthrosis, implies that patients with a femoral neck fracture are more sensitive to osteopenia, and that the bone loss is not proportional to the operative trauma.

Vertebral bone density after hip rearthroplasty assessed by quantitative computed tomography.

An investigation of the bone mineral density of lumbar vertebrae L1 to L3 with quantitative computed tomography was undertaken in 12 patients who had undergone hip rearthroplasty because of aseptic prosthetic loosening. The same measurements were carried out in a control group of 13 patients who had undergone hip arthroplasty, but not rearthroplasty. A good correlation was found between the cancellous bone mineral density in lumbar vertebrae L1 to L3 in each patient. In contrast to earlier findings of a post-traumatic effect on the appendicular skeleton after rearthroplasty, no significant difference was found in vertebral bone mineral density after the rearthroplasty.

Changes in femoral cortical dimensions after uncemented revision hip arthroplasty. Radiological results with the porous-coated bi-metric femoral stem prosthesis in 15 asymptomatic cases.

The radiographic results of 15 uncemented femoral revisions after a minimum follow-up period of 2 years are reported. Digital imaging was used to quantify the remodeling of the cortical bone. A method using computer-assisted video densitometry was developed and radiographs were scanned and digitized by a computer. The femoral cortex in five regions, as well as the endosteal diameter, was determined. After rearthroplasty, there was a significant loss in cortical bone with widening of the medullary canal. The periosteal diameter did not change. This endosteal resorption could contribute to further aseptic loosening. In addition, it could be an explanation of the primary prosthetic failure; one mode of failure could be an accelerated rate of endosteal expansion in a subgroup of the general population after hip arthroplasty.

Intrapelvic penetration of Olmed cervical hip fracture screws. A report of 7 cases.

During a 5-year period 1,307 patients with cervical hip fractures were operated on with Olmed screws. In 7 patients one or both screws migrated into the pelvis. 6 patients underwent a total hip arthroplasty without complications, 1 patient had a Girdlestone procedure.

Endosteal femoral bone loss after hip rearthroplasty. A controlled computed tomography study of 12 patients.

The cortical bone area of the middle femur was investigated with computed tomography in 12 patients after hip rearthroplasty due to aseptic prosthetic loosening. The patients had undergone their original arthroplasty because of unilateral arthrosis 11 years before these measurements. Both legs were scanned, and the reoperated side was compared with the healthy side. A control group was chosen of 13 patients with unilateral hip arthroplasty because of unilateral arthrosis, but without subsequent rearthroplasty. In the patients who had undergone rearthroplasty, there was an 11% loss in endosteal bone area of the middle femur compared with the contralateral side. In the control group (non-reoperated patients), only a loss of 6% was found compared with the contralateral side. The periosteal bone area of the reoperated femur and the non-reoperated femur showed no significant change compared with the corresponding healthy side. The larger endosteal resorption noted among patients in the rearthroplasty group could be ascribed to the primary prosthetic failure and could also contribute to further aseptic prosthetic loosening.

Decrease in vertebral bone density after hip arthroplasty. A quantitative computed tomography study in 18 arthrosis cases.

We investigated the bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar vertebrae L1-3 with quantitative computed tomography (QCT) in 18 patients who had been operated on with hip arthroplasty because of unilateral arthrosis. In an earlier prospective study, we did not find any bone mineral changes in the femur or tibia after hip arthroplasty in spite of a large increase of the thigh muscle mass as a sign of a remobilization after the operation. The median BMD had decreased 5.3-8.4 percent in all the measured vertebrae after 6 months postoperatively. Because of the patients' improved walking ability after the operation, this decrease in cancellous vertebral BMD is interpreted as a sign of a post-traumatic osteopenia.

Cruciate ligament prosthesis vs. augmentation. A randomized, prospective 5-year follow-up of 41 cases.

In a prospective study, 18 patients were randomized to a prosthesis and 23 patients to the Kennedy Ligament Augmentation Device (LAD) because of functional instability due to old anterior cruciate ligament injuries. The operations were performed with use of a modified over-the-top technique. At the last follow-up (5 years), postoperative improvements in scores were maintained for both groups, but LAD-reconstructed patients had better Lysholm and activity scores than the Goretex group. The achieved postoperative improvement in anterior stability (KT-1000) did not deteriorate for either of the groups during the 5-year follow-up. The Goretex patients had more effusion and pain and more secondary operations.

Bone and muscle mass after hip rearthroplasty. Controlled CT study of 12 patients.

The cortical bone mineral density (BMD), bone volume, bone mass and muscle volume of the thigh and the cancellous BMD of the distal femur and proximal tibia were quantified by computed tomography (QCT) in 12 patients after hip rearthroplasty due to prosthetic loosening following arthroplasty for arthrosis. Both legs were scanned and the operated side was compared with the healthy side. A control group, 12 patients, had had unilateral hip arthroplasty without subsequent rearthroplasty. There was a 19 percent decrease in bone mass and 13 percent decrease in muscle volume in the middle femur, compared to the contralateral side, in the patients who had undergone rearthroplasty, and a reduction of 9 percent for the same variables in the control group. There was also a more marked osteopenia in the reoperated extremity in the distal femur and proximal tibia compared to the unoperated side.

Bone and muscle mass after hip arthroplasty. A quantitative computed tomography study in 20 arthrosis cases.

We performed a prospective, quantitative computed tomography (QCT) study of bone mineral density (BMD), cortical bone volume, bone mass and muscle volume in 20 patients who were operated on with cemented total hip arthroplasty because of unilateral arthrosis. Both extremities were measured preoperatively, 3 and 6 months after the operation by a single-energy computer tomograph equipped for bone mineral densitometry. Preoperatively, we found a 25 percent decrease in muscle volume of the thigh on the arthrosis side compared to the contralateral side, but only a 6 percent decrease in bone mass, mainly of the cortical bone volume in the middle femur. In the cancellous bone of distal femur and proximal tibia there was a reduction in BMD of 11 and 14 percent, respectively, compared to the contralateral side. After 6 months, we found no changes in cortical bone mass, either on the operated femur or on the contralateral, control femur. The BMD of cancellous bone in distal femur and proximal tibia had not changed. However, the thigh muscle on the operated side showed a strong recovery; 6 months after the operation there was a 19 percent gain on the operated side.

No effects of piroxicam on osteopenia and recovery after Colles' fracture. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prospective trial.

In a randomized double-blind study involving 42 postmenopausal women with a displaced Colles' fracture, we investigated whether piroxicam, a nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drug, can reduce posttraumatic osteopenia and improve the rate of recovery. In an earlier study [3] we found a bone-sparing effect caused by piroxicam after external fixation of the rabbit hindleg. The patients were treated with a below-elbow paster slab for 4 weeks after the reduction. The bone mineral content of the forearm bones was measured with a single-photon absorptiometer 8 weeks after the fracture. There was a mean 7% bone mineral decrease in the radius and 5% in the ulna among the patients treated with piroxicam versus 10% in the radius and 7% in the ulna in the placebo group. However, this difference was not significant. Piroxicam did not decrease the rate of fracture healing. The patients who received piroxicam had significantly less pain during plaster treatment, but there was no difference in the rate of functional recovery between the groups.

Computer-assisted prediction of the instability of Colles' fractures.

Many Colles' fractures are unstable and have a tendency to redisplace when immobilised in plaster. In an earlier study, we found a high correlation between several parameters from the initial radiographs in 267 patients and the anatomical end results. The predictive power of a new computer programme designed from the data of these patients was investigated in a further group of 107 Colles' fractures. Prediction of the final radiological position was good, especially in the least and moderately displaced fractures. We have found that the initial radial shortening, the type of fracture according to Lidström's classification, and the age of the patients have the greatest value in predicting whether a Colles' fracture will displace to an unacceptable degree.

Traumatic rupture of the quadriceps tendon in a 16-year-old girl. A case report.

Traumatic rupture of the quadriceps tendon is well known to occur in middle-aged men in patients on hemodialysis for renal failure and in patients with diabetes, but only very rarely in young and healthy women. We report a case of traumatic rupture of the quadriceps tendon of a girl without any of the predisposing factors listed.

Piroxicam-induced reduction in osteopenia after external fixation of rabbit tibia.

Twelve rabbits were treated with a unilateral external fixator in one tibia for 12 weeks, while the other tibia served as an intact control. Half of the animals were also treated with 10 mg/kg/day of piroxicam, given in two daily oral doses. Changes in bone mineral content were determined using single photon absorptiometry. After 12 weeks, we found a 3 percent decrease in the bone mineral content in the tibia of the animals treated with piroxicam versus 9 percent in the nonpiroxicam group (P = 0.04). In the femurs, there was an insignificant decrease in bone mineral, 2 percent (piroxicam) and 1 percent (nonpiroxicam) respectively. The results indicate that piroxicam may reduce the osteopenia caused by external fixation.

Bone mineral loss after Colles' fracture. Plaster case and external fixation equivalent.

The bone mineral content of the radius and ulna was analyzed in 31 postmenopausal women with displaced Colles' fractures. Sixteen fractures were treated with a below-the-elbow plaster case and 15 with primary external fixation. The bone mineral content of the forearm bones was measured with a photon absorptiometer 9 (6-24) months later. There was a mean 15 percent mineral decrease in the radius, but no difference between the two treatment groups. The decrease did not correlate with the age of the patient, nor was there any correlation with grip strength or range of wrist motion. The more severe fractures, according to the Frykman classification, had a more pronounced mineral loss than the simpler fractures.