A randomised controlled trial assessing the effect of tranexamic acid on post-operative blood transfusions in patient with intra-capsular hip fractures treated with hemi- or total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous tranexamic acid (TA) has proven efficacy in reducing blood loss and incidence of transfusion of blood products in elective total joint arthroplasty. However, evidence of efficacy in the setting of intracapsular hip fractures needing hip hemiarthroplasty (HA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) are scarce. This study aimed to assess post-operative transfusion incidence in this clinical setting. METHODS: Over a five-year period 250 patients with intracapsular neck of femur fractures requiring arthroplasty were randomised to two groups. The treatment group received three-dose intravenous TA protocol and the control group received usual treatment without administration of TA. Blood loss was estimated from the change in Hb levels on day 1, 3 and 5 after surgery compared to preoperative levels. Transfusions of blood products were recorded when they were triggered by an a priori protocol. Post-operative complications were recorded during patient hospital admission. RESULTS: The intervention group showed significantly lower transfusion incidence of packed red blood cells (PRBC) (6 vs. 15, p = 0.04, OR = 0.37, 95%CI OR = 0.14 to 0.99) and in the group of patients who received a blood transfusion, a trend was observed for patients who received TA to have lesser number of units of PRBC (mean = 1.3 vs. 1.6, p = 0.51). A significant difference was noted in post-operative Hb levels of day 1,3 and 5. Backward stepwise multivariable regression analysis showed the use of TA was the most significant factor for reduction in postoperative blood transfusion (p = 0.047, OR = 0.37, 95% CI OR = 0.14 to 0.99). Assessment of the strength of the correlation showed modest correlation (Pearson correlation - 0.13 p = 0.04, 95% CI correlation= -0.25 to -0.01). There was no increase in adverse events in patients who received TA. CONCLUSION: The use of TA in setting of intracapsular hip fractures requiring arthroplasty reduces blood loss, the need for transfusion of blood products and may reduce surgical site complications without increasing the risk of VTE.

Less improvement in knee function and higher rates of dissatisfaction in the short-term following total knee arthroplasty in people with mild radiographic arthritis.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to assess if severity of radiographic changes of knee arthritis was associated with patient improvement after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We hypothesised that patients with mild arthritis were more likely to report lower satisfaction, improvement in knee function and Oxford knee score (OKS) compared to patients with moderate or severe arthritis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Secondary analysis of prospectively collected data from TKA patients of two arthroplasty centres with knee radiographs available for assessment of disease severity. Patients completed the Oxford knee score (OKS) and were asked to rate the global improvement in knee condition and their satisfaction at 6 months post-TKA. Bivariable analysis and multivariable regression models were used to test the association between disease severity and each outcome. RESULTS: 2226 patients underwent primary TKA and 3.6% had mild arthritis. Mean OKS improved from 17.0 (SD 18.0) to 38.0 (SD 8.1) 6 months after TKA. Two hundred and twenty-two patients (10%) reported 'Poor' or 'Fair' satisfaction, and 173 (8%) reported knee function was 'Much worse', 'A little worse' or 'About the same' 6 months post-TKA. Patients with mild arthritis showed improvement in OKS [mean improvement in OKS = 19 (SD 15)], but were significantly more likely to report dissatisfaction (OR = 3.10, 95% CI 1.62 to 5.91, p = 0.006), lack of improvement (OR = 4.49, 95% CI 2.38 to 8.47, p < 0.001) and lower OKS scores (- 3 points, 95% CI - 5.39 to - 0.85, p = 0.008) compared to patients with moderate to severe arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: While patients with mild radiographic arthritic changes improve after TKA, they were significantly more likely to report higher rates of dissatisfaction, less improvement in knee function and OKS compared to patients with moderate-severe grades of arthritis.

Transcatheter Fontan completion using novel balloon and stent system.

Despite advances in percutaneous interventions, transcatheter Fontan completion remains experimental and performed only in select cases. Non-surgical Fontan completion requires surgical preconditioning at an earlier stage of palliation. We describe transcatheter Fontan completion in a 15-year-old male with previously failed surgical Fontan palliation without surgical preconditioning.

Aortopulmonary Collaterals in Single Ventricle Physiology: Variation in Understanding Occlusion Practice Among Interventional Cardiologists.

Although aortopulmonary collaterals (APCs) frequently develop in patients with single ventricle palliation, there is a lack of understanding of pathophysiology, natural history, and outcomes with no universal guidelines for management and interventional practice. We conducted a study to assess the views held by interventional congenital cardiologists regarding the hemodynamic impact of APCs in patients with single ventricle palliation, and their embolization practice. An electronic survey using the Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Symposium (PICS) mailing list was conducted between February and March 2019 with one reminder sent 2 weeks after initial invitation for participation. Of the 142 interventional cardiologist respondents, 95 (66.9%) reside in North America and 47 (33.1%) worldwide. We elected to exclude the data from interventionalists outside North America in this analysis as it was not representative of worldwide practice. Hypoxemia was considered to be the most common trigger for development of APCs by 56 (58.9%) respondents. After completion of total cavopulmonary connection, 30 (31.6%) respondents reported the APC burden stays the same while 31 (32.6%) feel it decreases. In evaluating the burden of APC flow, only 4 (4.2%) reported measuring oxygen saturation at different pulmonary artery segments, 21 (22.1%) perform segmental aortic angiograms, and 18 (19%) perform selective bilateral subclavian artery angiograms. A majority of respondents, 71 (74.7%), occlude the feeder vessel at different locations, while 10 (10.5%) occlude only the origin of the vessel. Our study demonstrates significant variation in the understanding of the cause and prognosis of APCs in patients with single ventricle palliation. Furthermore, there is variation in the approach for diagnosis and management among interventional cardiologists. Further studies are required to improve understanding of APCs and develop universal management guidelines.

Hybrid Approach to Right Ventricle Decompression in Muscular Pulmonary Atresia with Intact Ventricular Septum.

Muscular pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA/IVS) in neonates is traditionally managed by surgery. We describe hybrid approach to decompress the right ventricle (RV) and establish RV to pulmonary artery connection in a neonate avoiding cardiopulmonary bypass. A 21-gauge access needle was used to perforate the atretic pulmonary valve via periventricular approach followed by stent placement. This case is an example of how patients with congenital heart disease can be palliated in creative ways through thoughtful collaboration between surgical and interventional cardiology teams.

Patient satisfaction and perception of success after total knee arthroplasty are more strongly associated with patient factors and complications than surgical or anaesthetic factors.

PURPOSE: A proportion of TKA recipients following TKA are dissatisfied with their outcome. Our hypothesis is that patient satisfaction with TKA and perception of success of surgery are associated with patient comorbidities and overall health status, surgical and anaesthetic techniques as well as processes of post-operative care after TKA. The aims were to (i) measure the incidence of patient unfavourable outcomes-defined as dissatisfaction with the surgery or lack of joint-specific global improvement-1 year after TKA, and to explore the differences between these two outcomes of interest; (ii) assess the relationship between the development of these unfavourable outcomes and patient-reported knee function and overall quality of life; (iii) explore the associations between pre- and peri-operative variables and the development of these unfavourable outcomes 1 year after TKA. METHODS: This study includes analysis of data from a prospective cohort of 1017 TKA recipients. Pre-operative patient variables, surgical and acute-care data were collected. The Oxford knee score and the global perception of improvement were used to assess satisfaction and success 365 days post-surgery. RESULTS: From 1017 patients (56% female), mean age 68 years and BMI 32, 68 pts (7%) were dissatisfied with the outcome of surgery, 141 pts (14%) believed surgery was unsuccessful 1 year after TKA. A negative outcome was noted in 151 (15%) patients for either satisfaction or success, and 58 (6%) of patients reported neither good satisfaction nor success after surgery. Dissatisfied patients reported worse mean OKS (26.4 [SD 8.03] vs 42.3 [SD 5.21], p < 0.001) and mean EQ VAS (64.9 [SD 19.49] vs 81.8 [SD 14.38], p < 0.001) than satisfied patients. Patients who reported unsuccessful surgery also showed significantly lower mean OKS (30.9 [SD 9.29] vs 42.9 [SD 4.39], p < 0.001) and mean EQ VAS (68.2 [SD 18.61] vs 82.7 [SD 13.77], p < 0.001). Univariate analysis of predictors of unfavourable outcome post-TKA showed that financial status, obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), ASA class > 2 and not resurfacing the patella were factors associated with the development of dissatisfaction with TKA and with patient perceived unsuccessful results of TKA. Multivariable logistic regression of patient satisfaction and success of TKA showed that compensation cases (OR 26.91, p < 0.001 for dissatisfaction and OR 11.49, p = 0.001 for unsuccessful TKA), obstructive sleep apnoea (OR 2.18, p = 0.04 for dissatisfaction and OR 1.82, p = 0.04 for unsuccessful TKA), ASA grade > 2 (OR 1.83, p = 0.04 for dissatisfaction and OR 1.57, p = 0.03 for unsuccessful TKA)and the development of a complication after TKA (OR 3.4, p < 0.001 for dissatisfaction and OR 2.39, p < 0.001 for unsuccessful TKA) were associated with the development of a negative outcome in both groups. Patella preservation (OR 1.96, p = 0.03) was associated with dissatisfaction, whereas the use of cruciate retaining femoral prosthesis was associated with less successful results of TKA (OR 1.78, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: An unfavourable outcome occurs in approximately 7-15% of patients following TKA. The incidence varies with how an unfavourable result is defined and many factors are associated with this outcome though prosthetic design or patella resurfacing do not appear to be important.

Different targets of mechanical alignment do not improve knee outcomes after TKA.

BACKGROUND: Accurate alignment is a basic principle of TKA surgery, but achieving alignment within this target may not translate into superior outcomes after surgery. PURPOSE: To assess if neutral TKA mechanical alignment was associated with superior knee outcomes and to examine the effect of various aspects of pre-operative and post-operative alignment on knee function. METHODS: Analysis of a database of 444 TKA patients between June 2009 and October 2016. Knee outcomes (WOMAC, AKSS and knee range of motion) were collected before surgery and during follow-up at a minimum of six months. RESULTS: Analysis included 444 TKA patients (62% female, mean age 66 years, mean follow-up 23 months). Deformity varied from 21° varus (mean = 7.9, SD = 2.8) to 17° valgus deformity (mean = 7.7, SD = 2.8). Pre-operatively, 101 (23%) knees were in native neutral mechanical alignment, while 278 (63%) were in varus and 65 (15%) were in valgus. Post-operatively, a group of 365 (82%) TKA were found to be in neutral mechanical alignment and a group of 79 (18%) TKA were noted to be 'Outliers' (17 [4%] TKA > 3° varus and 62 [14%] TKA > 3° valgus alignment). Restoration of the target of alignment of 0 ±â€¯3° or 0 ±â€¯1°, did not have better functional outcomes scores, range of motion or prosthesis longevity than those in the outlier range. CONCLUSION: Neutral TKA alignment did not appear to be a significant contributing factor to the improvement in knee function in short-medium term follow-up.

Psychological Traits in Patients Waiting for Total Knee Arthroplasty. A Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: To determine the prevalence of psychiatric distress in an Australian patient population waiting for total knee arthroplasty and to assess the associations between psychological distress and other baseline characteristics. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study of prospectively collected data from patients with knee arthritis participating in the New South Wales Osteoarthritis Chronic Care Program. Participants were divided into 2 groups based on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Score. The prevalence of psychological distress was compared to reported prevalence in the Australian community. Between-group comparisons of a number of variables were made, including demographic and socioeconomic data, health and psychiatric data, patient-reported knee and quality-of-life scores, and measured function. RESULTS: Data from 3103 patients were available and 2809 patients were eligible for inclusion, with 1740 (62%) females. Mean patient age was 68 years, and mean body mass index was 33.8. We found 753 (26.8%, standard deviation: 0.44) of participants reported psychological distress. Those reporting distress were more likely to be female (P = .025), younger (66.6 vs 68.8 years, P < .001), with a higher body mass index (34.5 vs 32.7, P < .001), and had more comorbidities (3.4 vs 2.8, P < .001). The distressed group had significantly worse knee pain (visual analog scale: 7.1 vs 6.2, P < .001; Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Score pain component: 28.9 vs 41.2, P < .001), knee function, and general quality-of-health scores (P < .001). CONCLUSION: Psychological health is an important and often overlooked predictor of severity of symptoms and dysfunction in patients with knee arthritis. As it can affect the outcome for surgery, psychological health should be better assessed and treated before surgery to help reduce preoperative dysfunction and improve postoperative outcomes of total knee arthroplasty.

Tibial rotation kinematics subsequent to knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The use of computer assisted joint replacement has facilitated precise intraoperative measurement of knee kinematics. The changes in "screw home mechanism" (SHM) resulting from Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) with different prostheses and constraints has not yet been accurately described. METHODS: A pilot study was first completed. Intraoperative kinematic data was collected two groups of 15 patients receiving different prostheses. RESULTS: On average, patients lost 5.3° of ER (SD = 6.1°). There was no significant difference between the prostheses or different prosthetic constraints. CONCLUSIONS: There significant loss of SHM after TKA. Further research is required to understand its impact on patient function.

Do Psychological Factors Predict Poor Outcome in Patients Undergoing TKA? A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: A subgroup of patients undergoing TKA is unhappy with the outcome of surgery and preoperative psychological factors may play a role in their dissatisfaction. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked whether (1) psychological factors, as measured by preoperative self-reported questionnaires, predicted poor outcome after TKA, and (2) whether certain psychological factors examined predicted poor outcome better than others. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies published in MEDLINE, CINAHL®, EMBASE™, and PsycINFO® databases from their date of inception to October 2013, augmented with a manual search of bibliographies. Study eligibility was performed according to an a priori protocol. Included studies were assessed for quality according to the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Two reviewers independently performed the search, identified eligible studies, assessed their methodologic quality, and extracted data. Outcomes of interest included postoperative dissatisfaction, pain, or limited function of the patients. RESULTS: A total of 19 studies (17 cohort studies and two cross-sectional surveys) containing data on 9046 TKAs performed in 8704 adult patients were included in the review. Mean patient age was 68 years and followup ranged from 6 to 60 months (mean study followup, 14 months). Clinical and methodologic heterogeneity in study design prevented the statistical pooling of data and subsequent meta-analysis. Dissatisfaction rates with TKA ranged from 7.5% to 28.3%. Psychological health was deemed a significant predictor of satisfaction, pain, or function at a minimum of 6 months after TKA in 16 studies. The remaining three studies did not find this relationship. Baseline mental health factors may affect patient satisfaction, their long-term perception of pain, and their motivation to return to the desired level of function. We were unable to determine the most relevant psychological states or the most appropriate way to assess them with our systematic review. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative psychological state of a patient may affect the outcome after a TKA. A comprehensive psychological assessment of patients is required to examine the long-term effect of such psychological factors on the eventual outcomes of TKA once the recovery phase is complete and to assess the effect that treatment for these psychological conditions may have on decreasing the dissatisfaction rate with TKA in this population.

Prevention strategies to reduce falls in psychiatric settings.

A Fall Committee was developed in response to an increase in the rate of falls by patients at a primarily behavioral health, urban teaching hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. The Fall Committee identified interventions to potentially lessen the number of patient falls and areas where documentation could be improved to better describe an incident in the medical record. The Fall Committee developed paperwork to be completed after each patient fall and made changes to the low fall risk and high fall risk treatment plans. This article describes the recommendations submitted by the Fall Committee and its subsequent implementation. Although not causational, the fall rate decreased after the recommendations of the Fall Committee were implemented; however, a recent rise in the fall rate was noted and attributed to higher patient acuity on the unit. The committee investigation into this issue highlighted the paucity of research in this field and the need for a streamlined, easy-to-use, behavioral health fall scale to more accurately judge the fall risk of patients in this specialized subset.

Transcatheter closure of acquired left ventricle-to-right atrium shunt: first case report in an infant and review of the literature.

Gerbode defect, a left ventricle to right atrium (LV-RA) communication, is usually congenital. Acquired LV-RA communications are rare and only few case reports of successful trans-catheter closure have been published though none of them were on infants. We hereby report a rare case of LV to RA shunt acquired following surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). The defect was successfully closed percutaneously with an Amplatzer duct occluder. This is the first reported case of device closure of an acquired Gerbode defect in an infant.

Individualized approach to the surgical treatment of tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia.

BACKGROUND: Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia is a heterogeneous group of defects, characterised by diverse sources of flow of blood to the lungs, which often include multiple systemic-to-pulmonary collateral arteries. Controversy surrounds the optimal method to achieve a biventricular repair with the fewest operations while basing flow to the lungs on the native intrapericardial pulmonary arterial circulation whenever possible. We describe an individualized approach to this group of patients that optimizes these variables. METHODS: Over a consecutive 10-year period, we treated 66 patients presenting with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia according to the source of the pulmonary arterial flow. Patients were grouped according to whether the flow of blood to the lungs was derived exclusively from the intrapericardial pulmonary arteries, as seen in 29 patients, exclusively from systemic-to-pulmonary collateral arteries, as in 5 patients, or from both the intrapericardial pulmonary and collateral arteries, as in the remaining 32 patients. We divided the latter group into 9 patients deemed simple, and 23 considered complex, according to whether the pulmonary arterial index was greater than or less than 90 millimetres squared per metre squared, and whether the number of collateral arteries was less than or greater than 2, respectively. RESULTS: We achieved complete biventricular repair in 58 patients (88%), with an overall mortality of 3%. Repair was accomplished in a single stage in all patients without systemic-to-pulmonary collateral arteries, but was staged, with unifocalization, in the patients lacking intrapericardial pulmonary arteries. Complete repair without unifocalization was achieved in all patients with the simple variant of the mixed morphology, and in 56% of patients with the complex variant. The average number of procedures per patient to achieve complete repair was 1, 2.2, 3.8, and 2.6 in patients with exclusively native intrapericardial, simple and mixed, complex and mixed and exclusively collateral pulmonary arterial flow, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: An individualized approach based on the morphology of the pulmonary arterial supply permits achievement of a high rate of complete intracardiac repairs, basing pulmonary arterial flow on the intrapericardial pulmonary arteries in the great majority of cases, and has a low rate of reoperation and mortality.

Restore orthobiologic implant: not recommended for augmentation of rotator cuff repairs.

BACKGROUND: Following repairs of large-to-massive tears of the rotator cuff, the rates of tendon retears are high and often involve tissue deficiency. Animal studies of the Restore Orthobiologic Implant, a collagen-based material derived from the small intestine mucosa of pigs, have indicated that it might be used to help overcome such problems. We carried out a study to determine whether patients who received this xenograft to augment a rotator cuff repair exhibited greater shoulder strength, shoulder function, and/or resistance to retearing. METHODS: We compared data from a group of patients who had undergone conventional rotator cuff repair with xenograft augmentation (the xenograft group) with data from a group in whom a repair had been done by the same surgeon without augmentation (the controls). The groups were matched for gender, mean age, and mean size of the rotator cuff tear. All subjects completed a pain and function questionnaire and were given a systematic clinical shoulder examination preoperatively and at three, six, and twenty-four months postoperatively. The twenty-four-month visit included magnetic resonance imaging to determine whether a retear had occurred. RESULTS: Four patients who had received a xenograft had a severe postoperative reaction requiring surgical treatment. At two years after the surgery, six of the ten tendons repaired with a xenograft and seven of the twelve control tendons had retorn, as documented by magnetic resonance imaging. The patients with a xenograft had significantly less lift-off strength, as measured with a dynamometer, and significantly less strength in internal rotation and adduction than the controls at two years after the surgery (all p < 0.05). Also, the xenograft group had significantly more impingement in external rotation, a slower rate of resolution of pain during activities, more difficulty with hand-behind-the-back activities, and less sports participation (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Two years after surgical repair of a large rotator cuff defect supplemented with a xenograft, patients had several persisting deficits and no recognizable benefit as compared with the results in a control group. In view of these findings, together with the unsatisfactorily high proportion of patients with a severe inflammatory reaction to the xenograft, we do not recommend use of the Restore Orthobiologic Implant in its present form. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.