Experimental DVC validation of heterogeneous micro finite element models applied to subchondral trabecular bone of the humeral head.

Subchondral trabecular bone (STB) undergoes adaptive changes during osteoarthritic (OA) disease progression. These changes alter both the mineralization patterns and structure of bone and may contribute to variations in the mechanical properties. Similarly, when images are downsampled - as is often performed in micro finite element model (microFEM) generation - the morphological and mineralization patterns may further alter the mechanical properties due to partial volume effects. MicroFEMs accounting for material heterogeneity can account for these tissue variations, but no studies have validated these with robust full-field testing methods. As such, this study compared homogeneous and heterogeneous microFEMs to experimentally loaded trabecular bone cores from the humeral head combined with digital volume correlation (DVC). These microFEMs were used to compare apparent mechanical properties between normal and OA STB. Morphological and mineralization patterns between groups were also compared. There were no significant differences in tissue or bone mineral density between groups. The only significant differences in morphometric parameters were in trabecular thickness between groups. There were no significant differences in linear regression parameters between normal and OA STB apparent mechanical properties estimated using heterogeneous microFEMs with an element-wise bilinear elastic-plastic constitutive model. Clinical significance: Validated heterogeneous microFEMs applied to STB of the humeral head have the potential to significantly improve our understanding of mechanical variations in the bone that occur during OA progression.

Hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance among adults in southwestern Ontario, Canada: a population-based retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: People with diabetes mellitus commonly experience hypoglycemia, but they may not necessarily present to hospital after severe hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance. We sought to describe the incidence and characteristics of calls for hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance among adults in southwestern Ontario, Canada, and to determine predictors of hospital transport. METHODS: This population-based retrospective cohort study used data extracted from ambulance call reports (ACRs) of 8 paramedic services of the Southwest Ontario Regional Base Hospital Program from January 2008 to June 2014. We described calls in which treatment for hypoglycemia was administered, summarized the incidence of hypoglycemia calls and performed logistic regression to determine predictors of hospital transport. RESULTS: Out of 470 467 ACRs during the study period, 9185 paramedic calls occurred in which hypoglycemia treatment was administered to an adult (mean age 60.2 yr, 56.8% male, 81.1% with documented diabetes). Refusal of hospital transport occurred in 2243 (24.4%) of calls. Documented diabetes diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.82, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.69-0.96), higher capillary blood glucose (adjusted OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.22-0.44) and overnight calls (adjusted OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.72-0.91) were associated with lower odds of hospital transport. Higher-acuity calls (adjusted OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.58-2.66) were associated with higher odds of transport. The estimated annual incidence rate of hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance was 108 per 10 000 people with diabetes per year. INTERPRETATION: Hypoglycemia requiring paramedic assistance in southwestern Ontario is common, and close to 25% of calls do not result in hospital transport. Physicians managing diabetes care may be unaware of patients' hypoglycemia requiring paramedic care, suggesting a potential gap in follow-up care; we suggest that paramedics play an important role in identifying those at high recurrence risk and communicating with their care providers.

Seeking Care for Hyperglycemia in the Emergency Department: Through the Eyes of the Patient.

Health care systems often provide a range of options of care for patients with illnesses who do not require hospital admission. For individuals with diabetes, these options may include primary care providers, specialized diabetes clinics, and urgent care and walk-in clinics. We explored the reasons why patients choose the Emergency Department over other health care settings when seeking care for hyperglycemia.

Do Adult Patients With Type 1 or 2 Diabetes Who Present to the Emergency Department With Hyperglycemia Have Improved Outcomes if They Have Access to Specialized Diabetes Care?

OBJECTIVES: Few studies have examined the effect of specialized care on patients with diabetes who present to the emergency department (ED) visits for acute hyperglycemia. The objective of this study was to characterize ED patients presenting with hyperglycemia and compare the 30-day outcomes of those followed by specialized diabetes clinics with those not followed. We hypothesized that patients followed by specialized clinics would have improved clinical outcomes compared with those who had no specialized follow up. METHODS: We conducted this single-centre retrospective cohort study of adults (≥18 years) with an ED visit for hyperglycemia over 1 year (January to December 2014). Data from ED visits were linked to specialized diabetes clinic records, which contained diabetes-specific clinical data not available in ED visit records. Descriptive statistics were summarized and comparisons between groups were performed, when appropriate. RESULTS: There were 456 patients (55.0% men; mean age, 47.7 years; 46.3% with type 1 diabetes) with 250 followed by the specialized diabetes clinics. The 206 patients who were not followed by the diabetes clinics (45%) were more likely to have a recurrent hyperglycemia ED visit (32.5% vs 9.6%, p<0.001) and to require hospitalization for hyperglycemia (14.1% vs 5.2%, p=0.001) within 30 days of initial presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Patients followed by specialized diabetes clinics had fewer recurrent ED visits and hospital admissions for hyperglycemia at 30 days compared with those not followed, suggesting that greater continuity of care between endocrinology and emergency medicine may help reduce these adverse outcomes for patients with diabetes.

Revision shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review and comparison of North American vs. European outcomes and complications.

BACKGROUND: Joint registries provide invaluable data on primary arthroplasties with revision as the endpoint; however, the revision outcomes are often excluded. Therefore, a PROSPERO registered review (CRD42015032531) of all revision studies in North America and Europe was conducted to evaluate demographics, etiologies and indications, implant manufacturer, and complications by geographic region. METHODS: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases were searched for revision arthroplasty clinical studies with a minimum mean 24-month follow-up. There were no language exclusions. Articles published in German, French, and Italian were reviewed by research personnel proficient in each language. RESULTS: The mean age at revision was 66 ± 5 years (male = 759, female = 1123). The male-female ratio in North American and Europeans studies was 43:57 and 34:66, respectively. The most common etiology for primary surgery in both regions was osteoarthritis or glenoid arthrosis (38%). The most common revision indication overall was rotator cuff tear, deficiency, or arthropathy (26%). The most common implant type used in revisions was a reverse shoulder arthroplasty (54%). The complication rate for all revisions was 17%. There were a total of 465 complications, and of those, 74% lead to a reoperation. CONCLUSION: Generally, shoulder arthroplasties are designed to last 10-15 years; however, revisions are being performed at a mean 3.9 years from the primary procedure, based on the published studies included in this systematic review. Additionally, of the complications, a large number (74%) went on to a reoperation. Further insight into the reasons for early revisions and standardized reporting metrics and data collection on revisions is needed.

Morphological and Apparent-Level Stiffness Variations Between Normal and Osteoarthritic Bone in the Humeral Head.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by morphological changes that alter bone structure and mechanical properties. This study compared bone morphometric parameters and apparent modulus between humeral heads excised from end-stage OA patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (n = 28) and non-pathologic normal cadavers (n = 28). Morphometric parameters were determined in central cores, with regional variations compared in four medial to lateral regions. Linear regression compared apparent modulus, morphometric parameters, and age. Micro finite element models estimated trabecular apparent modulus and derived density-modulus relationships. Significant differences were found for bone volume fraction (p < 0.001) and trabecular thickness (p < 0.001) in the most medial regions. No significant differences occurred between morphometric parameters and apparent modulus or age, except in slope between groups for apparent modulus versus trabecular number (p = 0.021), and in intercept for trabecular thickness versus age (p = 0.040). Significant differences occurred in both slope and intercept between density-modulus regression fits for each group (p ≤ 0.001). The normal group showed high correlations in the power-fit (r2 = 0.87), with a lower correlation (r2 = 0.61) and a more linear relationship, in the OA group. This study suggests that alterations in structure and apparent modulus persist mainly in subchondral regions of end-stage OA bone. As such, if pathologic regions are removed during joint replacement, computational models that utilize modeling parameters from non-pathologic normal bone may be applied to end-stage OA bone. An improved understanding of humeral trabecular bone variations has potential to improve the surgical management of end-stage OA patients. © 2019 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 38:503-509, 2020.

Hyperglycemia in Young Adults With Types 1 and 2 Diabetes Seen in the Emergency Department: A Health Records Review.

Patients with diabetes who are in emerging adulthood, defined as the life stage between 18 and 29 years of age, have unique challenges in managing their illness and are at risk for acute complications and loss to follow up. This study's objective was to describe emergency department (ED) utilization because of hyperglycemia in emerging adults with diabetes and to characterize 30-day outcomes, including return visits and admission for hyperglycemia. This was a health-records review of emerging adults presenting over a 1-year period to 4 tertiary care EDs; the patients had known histories of diabetes and final diagnoses of hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis or hyperosmolar hyperglycemia. Research personnel collected data concerning patients' characteristics, treatments and dispositions and determined whether the patients returned to the ED because of hyperglycemia within 30 days. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data where appropriate. There were 160 ED encounters for hyperglycemia, representing 91 unique emerging-adult patients. Mean (SD) age was 23 (3.6) years, and 52.7% were female; 80 (87.9%) had known type 1 diabetes, and 11 (12.1%) had type 2 diabetes. Of 160 visits, 84 (52.5%) resulted in hospital admission; 54 (33.8%) returned to the ED because of hyperglycemia within 30 days of their initial encounters and 20 (12.5%) were admitted on the subsequent visit. We characterized ED use and 30-day outcomes of emerging adults with diabetes and hyperglycemia. Future research should focus on earlier identification of those at higher risk for recurrent ED visits or admission and on the efficacy of interventions to prevent these adverse outcomes.

Sentinel visits in emergency department patients with diabetes mellitus as a warning sign for hyperglycemic emergencies.

OBJECTIVES: Patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus may have a sentinel emergency department (ED) visit for a precipitating condition prior to presenting for a hyperglycemic emergency, such as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state (HHS). This study's objective was to describe the epidemiology and outcomes of patients with a sentinel ED visit prior to their hyperglycemic emergency visit. METHODS: This was a 1-year health records review of patients≥18 years old presenting to one of four tertiary care EDs with a discharge diagnosis of hyperglycemia, DKA, or HHS. Trained research personnel collected data on patient characteristics, management, disposition, and determined whether patients came to the ED within the 14 days prior to their hyperglycemia visit. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. RESULTS: Of 833 visits for hyperglycemia, 142 (17.0%; 95% CI: 14.5% to 19.6%) had a sentinel ED presentation within the preceding 14 days. Mean (SD) age was 50.5 (19.0) years and 54.4% were male; 104 (73.2%) were discharged from this initial visit, and 98/104 (94.2%) were discharged either without their glucose checked or with an elevated blood glucose (>11.0 mmol/L). Of the sentinel visits, 93 (65.5%) were for hyperglycemia and 22 (15.5%) for infection. Upon returning to the ED, 61/142 (43.0%) were admitted for severe hyperglycemia, DKA, or HHS. CONCLUSION: In this unique ED-based study, diabetic patients with a sentinel ED visit often returned and required subsequent admission for hyperglycemia. Clinicians should be vigilant in checking blood glucose and provide clear discharge instructions for follow-up and glucose management to prevent further hyperglycemic emergencies from occurring.

Risk factors for recurrent emergency department visits for hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus may present repeatedly to the emergency department (ED) for management and treatment of hyperglycemic episodes, including diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors that predict unplanned recurrent ED visits for hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes within 30 days of initial presentation. METHODS: We conducted a 1-year health records review of patients ≥18 years presenting to one of four tertiary care EDs with a discharge diagnosis of hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis, or hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state. Trained research personnel collected data on patient characteristics and determined if patients had an unplanned recurrent ED visit for hyperglycemia within 30 days of their initial presentation. Multivariate logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations to account for patients with multiple visits determined predictor variables independently associated with recurrent ED visits for hyperglycemia within 30 days. RESULTS: There were 833 ED visits for hyperglycemia in the 1-year period. 54.6% were male and mean (SD) age was 48.8 (19.5). Of all visitors, 156 (18.7%) had a recurrent ED visit for hyperglycemia within 30 days. Factors independently associated with recurrent hyperglycemia visits included a previous hyperglycemia visit in the past month (odds ratio [OR] 3.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-5.8), age <25 years (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.5-4.7), glucose >20 mmol/L (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3-3.7), having a family physician (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.0-4.6), and being on insulin (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.1-3.1). Having a systolic blood pressure between 90-150 mmHg (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.30-0.93) and heart rate >110 bpm (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.23-0.72) were protective factors independently associated with not having a recurrent hyperglycemia visit. CONCLUSIONS: This unique ED-based study reports five risk factors and two protective factors associated with recurrent ED visits for hyperglycemia within 30 days in patients with diabetes. These risk factors should be considered by clinicians when making management, prognostic, and disposition decisions for diabetic patients who present with hyperglycemia.