Aims

Medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (mUKA) is an advised treatment for anteromedial knee osteoarthritis. While long-term survival after mUKA is well described, reported incidences of short-term surgical complications vary and the effect of surgical usage on complications is less established. We aimed to describe the overall occurrence and treatment of surgical complications within 90 days of mUKA, as well as occurrence in high-usage centres compared to low-usage centres.

Aims

The aim of this prospective multicentre study was to describe trends in length of stay and early complications and readmissions following unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) performed at eight different centres in Denmark using a fast-track protocol and to compare the length of stay between centres with high and low utilization of UKA.

Aims

The purpose of this study was to assess early physical function after total hip or knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA), and the correlation between patient-reported outcome measures, physical performance and actual physical activity (measured by actigraphy).

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a major orthopaedic intervention. The length of a patient's stay has been progressively reduced with the introduction of enhanced recovery protocols: day-case surgery has become the ultimate challenge.

This narrative review shows the potential limitations of day-case TKA. These constraints may be social, linked to patient’s comorbidities, or due to surgery-related adverse events (e.g. pain, post-operative nausea and vomiting, etc.).

Using patient stratification, tailored surgical techniques and multimodal opioid-sparing analgesia, day-case TKA might be achievable in a limited group of patients. The younger, male patient without comorbidities and with an excellent social network around him might be a candidate.

Demographic changes, effective recovery programmes and less invasive surgical techniques such as unicondylar knee arthroplasty, may increase the size of the group of potential day-case patients.

The cost reduction achieved by day-case TKA needs to be balanced against any increase in morbidity and mortality and the cost of advanced follow-up at a distance with new technology. These factors need to be evaluated before adopting this ultimate ‘fast-track’ approach.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B(10 Suppl A):40–4.

We present detailed information about early morbidity after aseptic revision knee replacement from a nationwide study. All aseptic revision knee replacements undertaken between 1st October 2009 and 30th September 2011 were analysed using the Danish National Patient Registry with additional information from the Danish Knee Arthroplasty Registry. The 1218 revisions involving 1165 patients were subdivided into total revisions, large partial revisions, partial revisions and revisions of unicondylar replacements (UKR revisions). The mean age was 65.0 years (27 to 94) and the median length of hospital stay was four days (interquartile range: 3 to 5), with a 90 days re-admission rate of 9.9%, re-operation rate of 3.5% and mortality rate of 0.2%. The age ranges of 51 to 55 years (p = 0.018), 76 to 80 years (p < 0.001) and ≥ 81 years (p < 0.001) were related to an increased risk of re-admission. The age ranges of 76 to 80 years (p = 0.018) and the large partial revision subgroup (p = 0.073) were related to an increased risk of re-operation. The ages from 76 to 80 years (p < 0.001), age ≥ 81 years (p < 0.001) and surgical time > 120 min (p <  0.001) were related to increased length of hospital stay, whereas the use of a tourniquet (p = 0.008) and surgery in a low volume centre (p = 0.013) were related to shorter length of stay.

In conclusion, we found a similar incidence of early post-operative morbidity after aseptic knee revisions as has been reported after primary procedures. This suggests that a length of hospital stay ≤ four days and discharge home at that time is safe following aseptic knee revision surgery in Denmark.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1649–56.

Data on early morbidity and complications after revision total hip replacement (THR) are limited. The aim of this nationwide study was to describe and quantify early morbidity after aseptic revision THR and relate the morbidity to the extent of the revision surgical procedure. We analysed all aseptic revision THRs from 1st October 2009 to 30th September 2011 using the Danish National Patient Registry, with additional information from the Danish Hip Arthroplasty Registry. There were 1553 procedures (1490 patients) performed in 40 centres and we divided them into total revisions, acetabular component revisions, femoral stem revisions and partial revisions. The mean age of the patients was 70.4 years (25 to 98) and the median hospital stay was five days (interquartile range 3 to 7). Within 90 days of surgery, the readmission rate was 18.3%, mortality rate 1.4%, re-operation rate 6.1%, dislocation rate 7.0% and infection rate 3.0%. There were no differences in these outcomes between high- and low-volume centres. Of all readmissions, 255 (63.9%) were due to ‘surgical’ complications versus 144 (36.1%) ‘medical’ complications. Importantly, we found no differences in early morbidity across the surgical subgroups, despite major differences in the extent and complexity of operations. However, dislocations and the resulting morbidity represent the major challenge for improvement in aseptic revision THR.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014; 96-B:1464–71.

Purpose

Clinicians need knowledge about early and valid predictors of short-term outcome of patients with hip fracture, to adjust and plan rehabilitation. The concept of multimodal rehabilitation has proven effective. Still, some patients do not regain basic mobility independency in the acute orthopaedic setting. The aim was to examine the predictive value of age, sex, prefracture functional level, mental and health status, and fracture type of in-hospital basic mobility outcome, and discharge destination after hip fracture surgery.

Introduction

We implemented an exhaustive operative and supervision algorithm for surgical treatment of hip fractures primarily based on own previously published literature. The purpose was to improve supervision and reduce the rate of reoperations.

Bilateral simultaneous total knee replacement (TKR) has been considered by some to be associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Our study analysed the outcome of 150 consecutive, but selected, bilateral simultaneous TKRs and compared them with that of 271 unilateral TKRs in a standardised fast-track setting. The procedures were performed between 2003 and 2009.

Apart from staying longer in hospital (mean 4.7 days (2 to 16) versus 3.3 days (1 to 25)) and requiring more blood transfusions, the outcome at three months and two years was similar or better in the bilateral simultaneous TKR group in regard to morbidity, mortality, satisfaction, the range of movement, pain, the use of a walking aid and the ability to return to work and to perform activities of daily living. Bilateral simultaneous TKR can therefore be performed as a fast-track procedure with excellent results.

Background and Purpose: The New Mobility Score (NMS)(score from 0–9)(1) is being used to evaluate the prefracture functional level and to predict for example mortality in hip fracture patients. Previous studies have found or used a cut-off point of the NMS at 5, but reliability data of the NMS score is currently missing. Reliability refers to the consistency of a test or measurement and it can be quantified as either relative or absolute reliability. Relative reliability is often expressed by the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), which indicate the relationship between 2 or more measures of the same score. Absolute reliability is often expressed by the standard error of measurement (SEM). SEM quantifies the precision of individual scores on a test and gives the clinician a result in the same unit as the measurement. The aim of the study was to assess the inter-tester reliability of the NMS in acute hip fracture patients, when obtained by physicians and physiotherapists.

Subjects: Forty eight consecutive hip fracture patients at a median age of 84 (IQR, 76–89) years admitted to a specialized orthopaedic hip fracture unit at a university hospital.

Methods: The NMS, that describes the prefracture functional level, is a composite score of the patient’s ability to perform: indoor walking, outdoor walking and shopping before the hip fracture, providing a score between zero and three (0: not at all, 1: with help from another person, 2: with an aid, 3: no difficulty) for each function, resulting in a total score from 0 to 9, with nine indicating a high prefracture functional level. The NMS was assessed by physicians at the acute ward on admission and by two independent physiotherapists at different postoperative days at the stationary orthopaedic ward. Also, age, mental status on admission and residential status was recorded. The relative reliability was calculated using the ICC 1.1, while the absolute reliability was calculated using the SEM.

Results: The inter-tester reliability was higher between the two physiotherapists at the stationary ward (ICC 0.98) and (SEM 0.42) (95%CI + 0.82) compared to, between physicians at the acute ward and both physiotherapists (ICC 0.87) and (SEM 1.05) (95%CI + 2.06). No systematic between-rater bias was observed (P > 0.05). Patients with different recorded scores were significantly older (P < 0.023) and had lower NMS-scores than those with equal recorded scores.

Conclusion: The relative and absolute reliability of the NMS, when used in acute hip fracture patients, is very high, especially when the score is recorded by physiotherapists at the stationary orthopaedic ward. Ward personal should be extra careful when recording the NMS in subjects with older age and lower NMS and mental scores.

Introduction: We derived an exhaustive operative and supervision guideline for the treatment of hip fractures from the current international and own published literature, and implemented the guidelines in our department.

Methods: 1274 unselected consecutive patients admitted with a hip fracture were included, 336 of these prospectively after implementation of the new guideline. Demographic parameters, hospital treatment and re-operations were assessed from patient journals. Re-operations were recorded after six months.

Results: 95% (320/336) of operative procedures were found to have followed the new guideline treatment compared to 78% (733/938) prior to its introduction (p< 0.001 X2). Retrospectively we found that only 12% (121/1053) of operative procedures performed as the new guideline prescribes were re-operated compared to 24% (53/221) of operative procedures performed with other methods (p< 0.001 X2). In logistic regression analysis combining sex, age, ASA score, cognitive function, new mobility score, time from admission to operation and level of surgeon’s experience, not following the guideline was the only significant predictor for re-operation (p< 0.001 log. reg.)

After implementing the guideline, the rate of unsupervised junior registrars performing operations declined from 20% (188/938) to 6% (21/336, p< 0.001 X2). The rate of reoperations declined from 15% (139/938) to 10% (35/336, p=0.044 X2, p=0.043 log.reg.), with a 20% (85/436) to 13% (23/174) decline for intracapsulary and an 11% (54/502) to 7% (12/162) decline for extracapsulary fractures.

Conclusion: An exhaustive operative guideline for hip fracture treatment can be implemented. In our case, the guideline both raised the rate of supervision and reduced the rate of reoperations.

Background and Purpose: If hip fracture patients are to return directly to their own home in the community, instead of transfer to a secondary rehabilitation unit or nursing home, the regain of independency in basic mobility is necessary. Therefore a method for an early, quick and valid prediction of short-term rehabilitation outcome is important for ward personnel to adjust and plan expectations and rehabilitation needs for each patient. This study validates the New Mobility Score(1) as a predictor of the postoperative day of independency in basic mobility, functional mobility at discharge and discharge status.

Subjects: Six hundred and one consecutive unselected hip fracture patients admitted to a special hip fracture unit in an orthopaedic ward.

Methods: The New Mobility Score that describes the prefracture functional level was recorded on admission, while functional mobility was evaluated by the Timed ‘Up & Go’ Test. All patients followed a well defined multi-modal fast track rehabilitation program including intensive physiotherapy. The New Mobility Score is a composite score of the patient’s ability to perform: indoor walking, outdoor walking and shopping before the hip fracture, providing a score between zero and three (0: not at all, 1: with help from another person, 2: with an aid, 3: no difficulty) for each function, resulting in a total score from 0 to 9, with nine indicating a high prefracture functional level. The correlations of the New Mobility Score to all outcome parameters and between groups were examined and for those that significantly predicted the individual outcome, the predictive value and likelihood ratios with 95% CI were calculated. Correlations were measured by the Spearman’s rho with a level of significance of 0.05.

Results: The New Mobility Score was assessed on all 601 patients, but only those 436 (73%) admitted from own home were included in analyses. The New Mobility Score was a significant predictor (P< 0.001) for postoperative day of independency in basic mobility (rho=0.422), Timed ‘Up & Go’ Test performances (−0.301) and length of stay (−0.438). A cutoff point of 7 gave the highest negative predictive value (0.95 and 0.91*) and sensitivity (0.91) of the New Mobility Score to patients not achieving independency in basic mobility and to patients not being discharged directly to own home* with a negative likelihood ratio of 0.2.

Discusssion and conclusion: The results suggest that the New Mobility Score is a valid and easily applicable score that provides the ward personal with a predictive value of the short-term potential of independency in functional mobility during admission and discharge status.

Introduction: Rehabilitation of hip fracture patients is often lengthy with bed day consumption accounting for up to 85 % of the total hospitalization cost. Data suggests that patients who suffer surgical complications requiring re-operation have an excessive length of hospitalization, but the overall impact of surgical complications including those not requiring re-operations have not been examined in detail.

Methods: Six hundred consecutive, unselected patients with a primary hip fracture were included between 2002 and 2004. All patients received surgery and a multimodal rehabilitation program. Surgical complications were stratified into those requiring re-operation (< six months) and those not allowed mobilization postoperatively due to instability of the fracture. Surgical complications were audited and classified as being due to a patient fall, infection or due to a suboptimal surgical procedure, specified as suboptimal operation method, fracture reduction or implant position.

Results: 19.3 % (116/600) of the admitted patients were re-operated or immobilized. Assuming that the patients with complications otherwise would have had the same length of stay as the remaining patients, 27.2 % (3814/14038) of total bed day consumption was due to surgical complications. The audit of complications showed that 64 complications (55 %) were due to a suboptimal primary surgical procedure, 18 (16 %) to infections, 6 (5 %) to falls and 28 (24 %) could not be ascribed to an apparent course.

Conclusions: Surgical complications secondary to primary hip fracture surgery accounts for 27.2 % of the total bed consumption if secondary admissions due to re-operations are taken into account. Our audit suggests that as much as half the complications potentially could be spared through optimization of surgical procedures.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies using the Timed Up & Go (TUG) as a predictor of falls have primarily been based on retrospective data, while no prospective studies using the TUG to predict falls in hip fracture patients are available. The purpose of this study was to determine if the TUG could predict falls in hip fracture patients during six months follow up.

SUBJECTS: Seventy nine elderly consecutive unselected hip fracture patients being able to perform the TUG when discharged directly to their own home or assisted living facilities from a special acute orthopedic hip fracture unit, with 59 (75 %) being able to participate in the follow-up interview.

METHODS: In a prospective study all patients were contacted for a six months follow up interview about falls since discharge from the hospital and the TUG performed at discharge was compared with the New Mobility Score describing functional level before fracture, mental status on admission, gender, fracture type, residence and walking aids before and after fracture. All patients followed a well-defined care plan with multimodal fast track rehabilitation including an intensive physiotherapy program comprising two daily sessions and discharge was according to standardized criteria. Analyses and correlations of all variables were examined for prediction of falls and sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios were calculated. Falls were classified as none vs. one or more.

RESULTS: Among the 59 patients in the follow up group, 19 patients (32 %) had experienced one ore more falls in the period since discharge, four of which resulted in new hip fractures. The TUG at discharge using a cutoff point of 24 seconds was the only parameter that significantly (P =.01) predicted falls within six months follow up, resulting in a sensitivity of 95%, a negative predictive value of 93%, and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.1.

DISCUSSION and CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the TUG is a sensitive measure for identifying hip fracture patients in risk of new falls, and it should be part of future outcome measures to decide in whom falls preventative measures should be instigated.

Our aim was to determine the total blood loss associated with surgery for fracture of the hip and to identify risk factors for increased blood loss. We prospectively studied 546 patients with hip fracture. The total blood loss was calculated on the basis of the haemoglobin difference, the number of transfusions and the estimated blood volume. The hidden blood loss, in excess of that observed during surgery, varied from 547 ml (screws/ pins) to 1473 ml (intramedullary hip nail and screw) and was significantly associated with medical complications and increased hospital stay. The type of surgery, treatment with aspirin, intra-operative hypotension and gastro-intestinal bleeding or ulceration were all independent predictors of blood loss.

We conclude that total blood loss after surgery for hip fracture is much greater than that observed intra-operatively. Frequent post-operative measurements of haemoglobin are necessary to avoid anaemia.

The incidence of hip fractures is rising, and at the same time the patients are getting increasingly frail and elderly. Patients in Europe have a median hospitalization time of as much as 28 days, and the peri-operative morbidity and mortality is high¹. Most interventional studies have been unimodal with very heterogeneous results and at present, limited data are available from multimodal intervention according to the established principles of fast-track care². This study has very positive results with a reduction in hospitalization from 21 till 11 days. Anaesthesiological intervention in a fast track regimen must be peri-operative in such a high-risk group of patients. Early operation is probably preferable³. Pre-operative regional analgesia potentially reduces cardiovascular morbidity, if instituted immediately after arrival⁴. The effect of regional anaesthesia and postoperative regional analgesia on morbidity and mortality in hip fracture patients may be advantageous⁵.

Postoperative epidural analgesia can be provided without restrictions on patient mobility and rehabilitation, provides superior dynamic pain relief and reducing the influence of pain as a restricting factor on physiotherapy⁶. A potential effect of intra-operative volume optimization has been shown, although the effect on morbidity and mortality is unclear⁷. No information exists for postoperative fluid therapy regimens, but fluid excess is probably important to avoid⁸. Hip fracture patients often suffer from malnutrition at the time of admission and protein and energy supplementation potentially reduces mortality and morbidity⁹. Therefore a short perioperative fasting period combined with aggressive peri-operative oral nutrition and anaesthesia and analgesia techniques, that minimizes catabolism and PONV seems rational. Since mortality and morbidity is so high these patients should be treated in close cooperation between surgeons and anaesthesiologists both in the pre and postoperative phase¹⁰, as established practice in other high risk patients. Mortality is not the optimal parameter the for success of intervention in this population, as effects are extremely difficult to document, since as much as 50–75 % of the perioperative mortality may be unrelated to the treatment regimen¹¹.

The cumulated evidence for the peri-operative care of this patient group is scarce and fast-track rehabilitation regimens should look to other operational procedures for available evidence¹². Future research should focus on broadening the evidence for relevant pre-operative optimization, the influence of regional analgesia on rehabilitation potential and optimized peri-operative fluid therapy, transfusion and nutrition regimens.