Safeness of Simplex-tobramycin bone cement in patients with renal dysfunction undergoing total hip replacement.

PURPOSE: To compare the pharmacokinetic profile of tobramycin in blood, urine, and at the operative site following the use of Simplex-tobramycin bone cement in primary total hip replacement between patients with and without renal dysfunction. METHODS: Six patients with renal dysfunction underwent cemented primary total hip replacement for osteoarthritis. The elution characteristics of Simplex-tobramycin bone cement in the 6 patients with renal dysfunction were compared with 9 patients who had normal renal function. Blood, urine, and drainage fluid specimens were collected for 72 hours postoperatively. RESULTS: Very high concentrations of tobramycin were seen in the drainage fluid of the 2 groups. Mean serum tobramycin levels peaked at postoperative 3 hours, and declined rapidly to negligible levels at 72 hours in both groups. Mean urinary tobramycin concentrations peaked at postoperative 12 hours and declined rapidly until 48 hours in both groups. Urinary tobramycin was excreted significantly more slowly in renal dysfunction group in the first 12 hours, but not thereafter. Although serum creatinine levels of the renal dysfunction group were higher throughout the study period, the difference was not significant. Both groups achieved excellent local delivery of the antibiotic with minimal systemic concentrations. CONCLUSION: Simplex-tobramycin bone cement appears to be an effective and safe means to deliver antibiotic for patients with renal dysfunction who undergo total hip replacement.

Chronic occupational repetitive strain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To review common repetitive strain injuries (RSIs) that occur in the workplace, emphasizing diagnosis, treatment, and etiology of these conditions. QUALITY OF EVIDENCE: A MEDLINE search from January 1966 to June 1999 focused on articles published since 1990 because RSIs are relatively new diagnoses. MeSH headings that were explored using the thesaurus included "cumulative trauma disorder," "overuse injury," and "repetitive strain injury." The search was limited to English articles only, and preference was given to randomized controlled trials. MAIN MESSAGE: Repetitive strain injuries result from repeated stress to the body's soft tissue structures including muscles, tendons, and nerves. They often occur in patients who perform repetitive movements either in their jobs or in extracurricular activities. Common RSIs include tendon-related disorders, such as rotator cuff tendonitis, and peripheral nerve entrapment disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome. A careful history and physical examination often lead to the diagnosis, but newer imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound, can help in refractory cases. Conservative management with medication, physiotherapy, or bracing is the mainstay of treatment. Surgery is reserved for cases that do not respond to treatment. CONCLUSION: Repetitive strain injury is common; primary care physicians must establish a diagnosis and, more importantly, its relationship to occupation. Treatment can be offered by family physicians who refer to specialists for cases refractory to conservative management.

Unicondylar knee arthroplasty: a cementless perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the results of cementless unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) with those already reported in a similar study on cemented UKA. DESIGN: A case-series cross-sectional study. SETTING: The Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax. PATIENTS: Fifty-one patients who underwent a total of 57 UKAs between May 1989 and May 1997. Inclusion criteria were osteoarthritis involving the predominantly the medial compartment of the knee, relative sparing of the other compartments, less than 15 degrees of varus, minimal knee instability, and attendance at the postoperative clinical visit. INTERVENTION: Cementless UKA. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical parameters that included pain, range of motion and the Knee Society Clinical Knee Score. Roentgenographic parameters that included alpha, beta, gamma and sigma angles and the presence of periprosthetic radiolucency or loose beads. RESULTS: Age, weight, gender and follow-up interval did not significantly affect the clinical results in terms of pain, range of motion or knee score. Knees with more than 1 mm of radiolucency had significantly lower knee scores than those with no radiolucency. Knees that radiologically had loose beads also had significantly lower knee scores. The clinical outcomes of cementless UKA were comparable to those already reported on cemented UKA. Cementless femurs had less radiolucency than the cemented femurs, whereas cementless tibias had more radiolucency than their cemented counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Cementless UKA seems to be as efficacious as cemented UKA. However, there is some concern about the amount of radiolucency in the cementless tibial components. A randomized clinical trial comparing both cementless and cemented tibial components with a cementless femur (hybrid knee) is needed to further assess this controversial issue in UKA.