Risk factors associated with breakage of tibio-fibular syndesmotic screws.

PURPOSE: This retrospective study aimed to investigate the factors associated with the breakage of tibio-fibular syndesmotic screws (SS). METHODS: 69 patients with unstable AO-Weber Type 44-B ankle fractures who underwent three cortex SS (3.5 mm ø) fixation were included. Patients were followed for at least one year (mean, 18.3 ± 7.6 months). At the final follow-up, patients with broken (Group I) and intact (Group II) SS were compared regarding age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, fracture type, SS length, location, and orientation. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the independent risk factors associated with SS breakage. The sensitivity, specificity, cut-off value, and area under the ROC curve were analyzed. RESULTS: A stepwise backward logistic regression analysis revealed that age was the only independent predictor for SS breakage (OR = 0.938, 95% CI = 0.904-0.973, R2 = 0.270). ROC curve analysis demonstrated that patients younger than 36 years were associated with seven times increased risk of SS breakage [Odds ratio (95% CI), 7.042 (2.251-22.031)]. CONCLUSION: Age under 36 years was the only significant risk factor for SS breakage. The higher incidence of breakage of the syndesmotic screw can be informed to patients younger than 36.

Comparison of single and double incision leg fasciotomy in disaster settings-Experience from 2023 Türkiye earthquakes.

INTRODUCTION: Although there are studies comparing methods for leg fasciotomy in compartment syndrome after fractures, choice of single or double fasciotomies in disasters was not investigated. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of single and double incision leg fasciotomy in the setting of disaster. METHODS: Patients that have undergone fasciotomy after 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquakes were retrospectively analyzed. The cases were separated into two groups as single incision and double incision according to the method of the first fasciotomy. The number of debridements after each fasciotomy, muscle group excisions, completion time of treatment, presence of amputation, the method of closure (primary closure or graft/flap) and positive results of wound cultures were analyzed and compared between two groups. RESULTS: 62 legs of 52 patients (22 females, 30 males, age 36.9 ± 11.2 years) with compartment syndrome that have undergone fasciotomy after 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquakes were included in the study. Single-incision group included 27 legs and double incision group included 35 legs. Amputation was needed in 15 patients (%24.2), six in single incision group and nine in double incision group. (p = 0.75). Compartment excision (eight patients in single incision, nine patients in double incision groups, p = 0.81), number of debridements (median 4 in both groups, p = 0.55), wound closure time (median 17 days in single incision, 22 days in double incision groups, p = 0.52), graft or flap requirement (11 patients in single incision, 16 patients in double incision groups, p = 0.53), positive culture results (15 patients in single incision, 16 patients in double incision groups, p = 0.44) were not different statistically between two groups. CONCLUSION: Single and double incision fasciotomy methods are equally effective and safe in treatment of compartment syndrome of the leg in disaster situations. To our knowledge, this is the first study comparing outcomes of single and double incision fasciotomy in disaster settings.

Do all short stem types restore biomechanical parameters of the hip? Comparison according to femoral neck osteotomy levels.

PURPOSE: There is no consensus on ideal short femoral stem design. A classification system proposed by Feyen and Shimmin divides short stems in two types according to femoral neck osteotomy levels: subcapital (IIIA) and standard (IIIB). The study aims to determine which design type is more successful in restoring native biomechanical parameters and whether stem type has an impact on clinical results. METHODS: In this retrospective comparative study, patients that have undergone short stem hip arthroplasty were evaluated according to stem types: type IIIA (n = 52, 66.7%) (Mathys Optimys) and IIIB (n = 26, 33.3%) (Implantcast Aida and Smith & Nephew SMF). Pelvis X-rays were assessed in terms of femoral neck length, horizontal and vertical hip centres of rotation, horizontal and vertical femoral offsets, abductor lever arm lengths, leg lengths, and stem-shaft angles. Improvement in Harris hip scores, differences between post-operative and pre-operative measurements, and stem-shaft angles were evaluated and compared between two groups. RESULTS: Mean femoral neck resection (8.27 ± 6.68 mm in IIIA and 15 ± 6.33 mm in IIIB) was significantly different between both groups (p < 0.001). Harris hip scores were increased at post-operative six months in both groups with no difference (84.4 ± 6.4 and 84.6 ± 5.5, p = 0.4). The absolute values of differences between pre-operative and post-operative horizontal centres of rotation (p = 0.63), vertical centers of rotation (p = 0.75), horizontal femoral offsets (p = 0.78), vertical femoral offsets (p = 0.83), abductor lever arm distances (p = 0.63), and leg length (p = 0.21) measurements were not different between both groups. Stem positions were both varus with no statistically significant difference between groups (p = 0.14). CONCLUSION: We found no difference regarding restoration of biomechanical parameters between short stem designs with different levels of neck osteotomy. Additionally, short stem can mostly result in varus component positioning regardless of the level of neck osteotomy.

Use of tranexamic acid may reduce the need for routine tourniquet use in total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of tranexamic acid (TXA) administration on bleeding control and to compare its utilization with and without simultaneous use of conventional pneumatic tourniquets during total knee arthroplasty (TKA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2017 and December 2017, a total of 204 patients (23 males, 181 females; mean age: 66±6.9 years; range, 45 to 86 years) who underwent TKA for Stage 4 gonarthrosis were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups as those with (n=110) and without (n=94) pneumatic tourniquet use. Tranexamic acid (1 g) was administered intravenously to all patients in both study groups. Intra- and postoperative blood loss were calculated, and postoperative pain was evaluated by a Visual Analog Scale. Demographic and clinical data were compared between the study groups. RESULTS: The amount of total blood loss and postoperative blood loss were significantly higher in the tourniquet group than that in the no-tourniquet group (589.4±69.5 mL vs. 490.8±55.2 mL and 326±56 mL vs. 164±35.5 mL, respectively; p<0.001 for both). Intraoperative blood loss was significantly higher in the no-tourniquet group (326.9±42.9 mL vs. 263.5±53.8 mL, respectively; p<0.001). The pain score at 24 h was significantly higher in the tourniquet group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Total blood loss and postoperative pain were significantly higher among patients in whom a tourniquet was used during TKA. Therefore, the routine use of tourniquets with TXA should be reconsidered.

Does the COVID-19 pandemic period itself increases early mortality rates of elderly patients with hip fractures in Turkey?

ABSTRACT: Hip fractures are common in elderly patients and prone to serious morbidity and mortality particularly when the treatment is delayed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect Coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the early mortality rates of geriatric patients with hip fractures.281 patients who were followed and operated on with the diagnosis of proximal femur fracture were included in this retrospective study. Patients were divided into 2 groups, that is, 180 patients presenting between March and June 2018 to 2019 (prepandemic period) and 101 patients presenting between March and June 2020 (pandemic period). Age, sex, type of fracture, time from fracture to presentation to hospital, comorbidities, time from admission to operation, length of intensive care unit stay, length of hospital stay, and mortality rates were retrieved from hospital records and evaluated.While there was no significant difference in terms of age, sex, type of fracture, in-hospital mortality, 30-day mortality, time to surgery, Charlson comorbidity index and length of intensive care unit stay through pandemic and prepandemic period (P > .05), significant differences were observed in terms of length of hospital stay, time to admission, refusal of hospitalization and attending outpatient visits regularly (P < .05). Attending outpatient visits and the length of hospital stay were the main significant differences in multivariate analysis.The early mortality rates in patients with hip fractures were similar during the pandemic period to before in Turkey. However, the length of hospital stay was prolonged and more patients refused the treatment and fewer of them attended regular outpatient controls in the pandemic.

Which knee replacement do the patients forget? Unicondylar or total knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine which type of knee arthroplasty is easier to forget by comparing levels of joint awareness evaluated with the Forgotten Joint Score (FJS-12) after unicondylar versus total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Patients who underwent either unicondylar or total knee arthroplasty due to primary gonarthrosis were retrospectively identified and then divided into 2 groups: the TKA group (218 patients; mean age = 68.93 ± 7.14 years) and the UKA group (131 patients; mean age = 60.39 ± 7.03 years). The status of joint awareness after knee replacement surgery was assessed using the Turkish version of the FJS-12 at the final follow-up by telephone interview. Also, The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and The EuroQol five-dimensional (EQ-5D) scores were obtained to assess the clinical status of the patients. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 2.8 years (range = 24-49 months) in the TKA group and 3.2 years (range = 24-50 months) in the UKA group. The FJS-12 was significantly higher in the UKA group (73.60 ± 9.95) than in the TKA group (64.88 ± 9.47) (P = .001). The WOMAC score was significantly better in the UKA group (81.39 ± 9.84) than in the TKA group (74.92 ± 9.99) (P = .001). No significant difference in EQ-5D existed between the groups (0.76 ± 0.14 for the TKA group, 0.79 ± 0.17 for the UKA group; P = .441). In terms of gender, the FJS-12 showed no differences between the groups; however, more favorable scores were recorded in younger patients with UKA. CONCLUSION: The results of this study have demonstrated that UKA may be better than TKA in terms of the patient perception of pain, stiffness, and physical functioning. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Therapeutic Study.

Rear drop: a new radiographic landmark for estimation of pelvic tilt on pelvis AP radiographs.

Estimation of pelvic tilt on anteroposterior (AP) pelvis radiograph is often done by indirect methods based on the midline pelvic landmarks. The purpose of this cadaveric study is to describe a new radiographic landmark and reference measurements to estimate the coronal tilt of the pelvis, independent of the midline references. The new radiologic reference is called 'rear drop', and its anatomic location is described with the cadaveric pelvis AP radiographs in various pelvic inclination. The parameters derived from the new reference were used to assess the pelvic tilt, and the results were compared with the previously established method using 'sacrococcygeal joint to symphysis distance' (SCSD). The shape of the new figure is used to determine the position of the pelvis, and its relationship with the previously described acetabular retroversion indicators was statistically analyzed. The new reference figure corresponds to the posteroinferior edge of the horseshoe shape of the acetabular margin. The newly derived reference parameters, rear to tear distance and rear to tear angle, changes with pelvic tilt and are strongly correlated with SCSD. The shape of the rear drop changes with the changing pelvic tilt and correlates statistically with the previously described acetabular retroversion indicators. Rear drop and its derivative measurements can be used as a reliable and reproducible indicator to estimate the coronal pelvic tilt, free of midline reference points. This new reference will be a base for future clinical studies on pelvic tilt, rotation and their application in intraoperative hip fluoroscopy.

Self-reported metal hypersensitivity in patients undergoing unicondylar knee arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVES: There is ongoing discussion about arthroplasty surgery of patients with metal hypersensitivity. The aim of this study was to compare the functional outcomes and eosinophil counts of unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) patients with and without a history of metal hypersensitivity. METHODS: A retrospective review was made of the medical records of 148 extremities of 140 consecutive patients who underwent primary UKA between January 2016 and December 2017. The patients who met the inclusion criteria were screened for history of metal hypersensitivity using a questionnaire. The functional outcomes of patients and eosinophil levels were evaluated immediately before and at 6 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 37 months (range, 18-48 months). Of the total 128 patients, 13 (10.2%) reported a history of metal hypersensitivity before the operation. There was no statistically significant difference between patients with or without a history of metal hypersensitivity in respect of the functional outcomes or eosinophil counts (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that the functional outcomes of patients who underwent UKA using a standard alloy did not change between the groups who reported having or not having a history of metal hypersensitivity. Although the study also showed that the eosinophil counts decreased after surgery compared to the preoperative counts, there was no statistical relationship between the eosinophil count and functional outcomes or metal hypersensitivity history.

Effects of Preoperative Pregabalin On Postoperative Pain Control in Total Knee Arthroplasty Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Pain management is a major component of postoperative patient care. Pain management following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) provides patient comfort and early mobilization and prevents serious complications. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of preoperative administration of oral pregabalin on postoperative pain control in patients undergoing TKA. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-six patients undergoing TKA were retrospectively included, of whom 65 (51.6%) received 150 mg pregabalin 2 hours before the operation and 61 (48.4%) did not. All patients received the same postoperative pain management protocol. Resting pain was recorded using a visual analog scale (VAS) at the postoperative 4th, 12th, and 48th hours. Findings including headache, dizziness, nausea-vomiting, constipation, dry mouth, pruritus, urinary retention, and sleepiness were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age of 126 patients (84.1% female) was 65.5 ± 4.5 years (range, 55-72 years). No significant differences were found in age, sex, ASA score, and operation duration between the groups. VAS scores at the postoperative 4th, 12th, and 48th hours, frequency of pushing the button of PCA system, and the total tramadol dose were significantly lower in the pregabalin group. The percent decrease in the postoperative VAS scores from the 4th hour to the 48th hour was significant in the pregabalin group. Nausea was the most frequent side effect followed by urinary retention, constipation, and pruritus. CONCLUSION: Preoperative pregabalin administration provided a favorable contribution to the postoperative pain management in the patients undergoing TKA. Preoperative pregabalin administration could reduce opioid drug usage and opioid related side effects.

The use of the wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet technique in foot and ankle injuries.

PURPOSE: Although the wide-awake anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) technique has demonstrated high efficacy, safety, patient satisfaction, and cost-effectiveness in hand surgery, there are limited data on its use in foot and ankle surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the WALANT technique in selected foot and ankle injuries in terms of intra- and post-operative characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients with foot and ankle injuries who underwent surgery with the WALANT technique were evaluated in this retrospective study. A total of 31 patients (22 male/9 female) with a mean age of 40 ± 16 years were evaluated for the type of injury, underlying comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesiologists Classification (ASA) score, intraoperative visual analog pain (VAS) and anxiety (VAS-A) scores, duration of operation, complications, need for intensive care and duration of hospitalization. RESULTS: There were 15 patients with medial malleolus fracture, 5 with lateral malleolus fracture, 5 with Achilles tendon ruptures, 2 with proximal phalangeal fracture, and 1 with Lisfranc injury, medial malleolus + syndesmotic injury, deltoid ligament + syndesmotic injury and fifth metatarsal fracture. ASA I-II score was determined in 27 patients and ASA III score in 4. The mean operation time was 36.6 ± 7 min, and the mean length of hospital stay was 8.3 ± 6.1 h. The median VAS pain score was 1 (range, 0-4), the median VAS-A score was 1 (range, 0-3) and no patient needed further anesthetics during the operation. No patient needed intensive care unit stay and no complications were observed in any patient. CONCLUSION: The WALANT technique was seen to provide satisfactory anxiety and pain scores, acceptable complications, and a short length of hospital stay in patients with foot and ankle injuries. Simple foot and ankle injuries can be managed successfully with this technique through adequate hemostasis without a tourniquet. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Turkish Version of the International Hip Outcome Tool - 12.

OBJECTIVES: The present study aims to conduct a translation and transcultural adaptation of the International Hip Outcome Tool - 12 (IHOT-12) into Turkish and evaluate the psychometric characteristics of the Turkish version of IHOT-12 (IHOT-12-TR) for validity and reliability in Turkish patients with hip joint disorders. METHODS: Following the translation and transcultural adaptation procedures, 109 patients completed the IHOT-12-TR and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scale. The retest was completed by 40 patients approximately one week after the initial assessments. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were tested. RESULTS: Cronbach's alpha of 0.927 revealed the internal consistency to be highly satisfactory. The overall Interclass coefficient (ICC) between test and retest was 0.927 (p<0.001). The correlation between IHOT-12-TR and WOMAC scores was strong and statistically significant (r=0.815, p<0.001). The explanatory factor analyses revealed that IHOT-12-TR had a single factor structure, explaining 61.9% of the total variance. There was no floor or ceiling effect on the items and overall scale scores. CONCLUSION: The results of the analyses in this study demonstrated that the Turkish version of the IHOT- 12 scale, the IHOT-12-TR, is a valid and reliable tool to evaluate the functionality of patients with hip pathologies.

Is there any change in surgeon's attitude to the management of ankle fractures accompanying syndesmotic injury? A nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to investigate the attitudes of orthopedic surgeons to the management of ankle fractures accompanied by syndesmotic injury with a nationwide survey. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In the first step of this descriptive study, an electronic survey was prepared in Google drive and a survey link was sent to the Turk-Ortopedi e-mail group between 09 and 19 January 2019. The orthopedic surgeons and residents were requested to complete the questionnaire. A total of 320 orthopedic surgeons (77%) and residents (23%) participated in the survey. The responses were analyzed statistically. To evaluate the changing attitudes, our results were compared with the surgeon survey studies key worded "syndesmotic injury" in PubMed. RESULTS: The majority of the participants stated that they used the hook test, external rotation stress test, and fluoroscopy together (47.2%) for the diagnosis of syndesmotic injury during the operation. Of the participants, the majority (93%) reported to use metallic syndesmotic screws, and 59% reported to remove the syndesmotic screw routinely. Young surgeons with 5 to 10 years of experience preferred intraoperative diagnosis methods compared to surgeons with more than 20 years of experience. Foot and ankle surgeons and sports surgeons reported to allow weight bearing before removal of the screw much more than other unspecified branches. CONCLUSION: The preferences of the surgeon vary in syndesmotic injuries and there is still no consensus regarding diagnosis and rehabilitation. Compared to the past decade, fewer surgeons prefer to remove the screws today.

The Hip Restoration Algorithm.

BACKGROUND: Despite the rapid advancement of imaging and arthroscopic techniques about the hip joint, missed diagnoses are still common. As a deep joint and compared to the shoulder and knee joints, localization of hip symptoms is difficult. Hip pathology is not easily isolated and is often related to intra and extra-articular abnormalities. In light of these diagnostic challenges, we recommend an algorithmic approach to effectively diagnoses and treat hip pain. METHODS: In this review, hip pain is evaluated from diagnosis to treatment in a clear decision model. First we discuss emergency hip situations followed by the differentiation of intra and extra-articular causes of the hip pain. We differentiate the intra-articular hip as arthritic and non-arthritic and extra-articular pain as surrounding or remote tissue generated. Further, extra-articular hip pain is evaluated according to pain location. Finally we summarize the surgical treatment approach with an algorithmic diagram. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of hip pathology is difficult because the etiologies of pain may be various. An algorithmic approach to hip restoration from diagnosis to rehabilitation is crucial to successfully identify and manage hip pathologies. Level of evidence: V.

Correlation between body mass index and quadrupled hamstring tendon autograft size in ACL reconstruction.

PURPOSE: the aim of this study was to assess the relationship of patient weight, height and body mass index (BMI) with the size of the quadrupled hamstring tendon used in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: from patient records, we retrospectively assessed the weight, height, BMI and graft sizes of 126 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction using a quadrupled hamstring tendon autograft between January 2010 and January 2013 at our institution. The data obtained from perioperative measurements were studied using correlation analysis. RESULTS: statistically significant relationships were found between patient height and graft diameter (p = 0.033, r = 0.19) and between patient weight and graft diameter (p < 0.0001, r = 0.33). No statistically significant relationships were found between graft diameter and BMI or between graft length and patient height, weight and BMI (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: patient height and weight were found to be related to quadrupled hamstring graft diameter in our patient population. BMI was not related to the quadrupled hamstring graft size. The exact size of the graft cannot be predicted preoperatively on the basis of these variables. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Comparison of probe disinfection procedures in routine ultrasonography: hot water versus antiseptic wiping.

OBJECTIVE: It is commonly known that ultrasonography (US) transducers function as both a reservoir and means of transfer for hospital infections. The current study aimed to compare the antimicrobial effectiveness of using >80 °C water versus antiseptic wipes to disinfect US transducers. METHODS: Subsequent to abdominal inspections in three groups of 20 patients, a swab culture was taken from the transducer in each case. Neither a mechanical nor chemical disinfection was applied to the transducer in the first group. As for the second group, the transducer was placed in >80 °C hot water for five minutes. In the third group, the transducer was wiped clean using antiseptic wipes. RESULTS: Of the 60 swab samples collected, 40 did not produce any growth. The number of samples exhibiting growth in the first group involved 18 cases of coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS), as well as 15 cases of Listeria spp., one case of Corynebacterium spp. and one case of Bacillus spp., while only one case of CNS was observed in the second and third groups, respectively. The culture growth and colony forming units rate were significantly higher in the samples obtained from the first group than in those obtained from the other groups (p<0.01). As for the second and third groups, no significant differences were found in terms of the amount of colonization and growth (p=1.00). CONCLUSION: Being a practical and a simple method for particular use in developing and underdeveloped countries, where it is hard to access relatively costly transducer disinfection materials, such as antiseptic wipes, hot water disinfection may play an active role in fighting hospital infections.