Persistent post-surgical pain and neuropathic pain after total knee replacement

AIM: To study the prevalence of persistent post-surgical pain(PPSP) and neuropathic pain(NP) after total knee replacement(TKR).METHODS: MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched for articles published until December 2014 in English language. Published articles were included if they referred to pain that lasts at least 3 mo after primary TKR for knee osteoarthritis, and measured pain with pain specific instruments. Studies that referred to pain caused by septic reasons and implant malalignment were excluded. Both prospective and retrospective studies were included and only 14 studies that match the inclusion criteria were selected for this review.RESULTS: The included studies were characterized by the heterogeneity on the scales used to measure pain and pre-operative factors related to PPSP and NP. The reported prevalence of PPSP and NP seems to be relatively high, but it varies among different studies. There is also evidence that the prevalence of post-surgical pain is related to the scale used for pain measurement. The prevalence of PPSP is ranging at 6 mo from 16% to 39% and at 12 mo from 13.1% to 23% and even 38% of the patients. The prevalence of NP at 6 mo post-operatively is ranging from 5.2% to13%. Pre-operative factors related to the development of PPSP also differ, including emotional functioning, such as depression and pain catastrophizing, number of comorbidities, pain problems elsewhere and operations in knees with early grade of osteoarthritis.CONCLUSION: No firm conclusions can be reached regarding the prevalence of PPSP and NP and the related factors due to the heterogeneity of the studies.

Use of demineralized bone matrix in spinal fusion

Spinal fusion remains the gold-standard treatment for several pathological spine conditions. Although, autologous Iliac Crest Bone Grafting is considered the goldstandard graft choice to promote spinal fusion; however, it is associated with significant donor site morbidity and a limited graft quantity. Therefore, several bone graft alternatives have been developed, to augment arthrodesis. The purpose of this review is to present the results of clinical studies concerning the use of demineralized bone matrix(DBM), alone or as a composite graft, in the spinal fusion. A critical review of the English-language literature was conducted on Pubmed, using key word "demineralized bone matrix", "DBM", "spinal fusion", and "scoliosis". Results had been restricted to clinical studies. The majority of clinical trials demonstrate satisfactory fusion rates when DBM is employed as a graft extender or a graft enhancer.Limited number of prospective randomized controlled trials(4 studies), have been performed comparing DBM to autologous iliac crest bone graft in spine fusion. The majority of the clinical trials demonstrate comparable efficacy of DBM when it used as a graft extender in combination with autograft, but there is no clinical evidence to support its use as a standalone graft material. Additionally, high level of evidence studies are required, in order to optimize and clarify the indications of its use and the appropriate patient population that will benefit from DBM in spine arthrodesis.

Use of demineralized bone matrix in the extremities

Autologous bone graft is considered as the gold standard for all indications for bone grafting procedures but the limited availability and complications in donor site resulted in seeking other options like allografts andbone graft substitutes. Demineralized bone matrix(DBM) is an allograft product with no quantity limitation. It is an osteoconductive material with osteoinductive capabilities, which vary among different products, depending on donor characteristics and differences in processing of the bone. The purpose of the present review is to provide a critical review of the existing literature concerning the use of DBM products in various procedures in the extremities. Clinical studies describing the use of DBM alone or in combination with other grafting material are available for only a few commercial products. The Level of Evidence of these studies and the resulting Grades of Recommendation are very low. In conclusion, further clinical studies of higher quality are required in order to improve the Recommendation Grades for or against the use of DBM products in bone grafting procedures.

Total hip replacement using MINIMA^(■)short stem:A short-term follow-up study

BACKGROUND Total hip replacement has become one of the most successful orthopaedic procedures.The length of the femoral stem constitutes one of the most important geometrical and mechanical features of the prosthesis.Several different implants are currently available but data are limited concerning the clinical results for some of these implants.AIM To report the short-term clinical and radiological results of a novel squared section,tapered design–with four conicity-short stem in total hip replacement.METHODS This is a retrospective study of a prospectively collected data using of MINIMA?short stem in 61 consecutive patients with at least 1 year follow-up.The collected data included patients’demographics,type of arthritis,bone morphology,perioperative data,clinical results using Harris Hip Score,EuroQol(EQ-5D),pain score and satisfaction rate,complications and radiological results.RESULTS Total 61 patients were included in our study with a mean age of 56 years of age(range 25-73 years).The majority of them(68.6%)were women,thirty seven patients(56.9%)were less than 60 years of age and almost half of patients(45.1%)suffered from secondary osteoarthritis(hip dysplasia,osteonecrosis,etc.).The mean time of follow-up examination was 33.4 mo(2.8 years)with a range of 12-57 months(1-4.8 years).In 35 patients(56.9%)the follow-up examination was more than 3 years.No major complications such as revision,periprosthetic fracture,dislocation or infection were presented.Re-admission 90 d postoperatively or laterwas deemed unnecessary for any reason regarding the operation.Respectively,the mean pain score,mean Harris hip score,and mean EQ-5D were improved from 6.3,58.7 and 77.3 preoperatively to 0.1,95.1,and 79.8 postoperatively.The Satisfaction rate at the final follow-up was 9.9(SD 0.3,range 8.0-10.0).All stems were classified as stable bone ingrowth and no radiolucent lineswere revealed in any of the modified Gruens’zone at the postoperative Xrays.Stem subsidence was within acceptable limits and the incidence of distal cortical hypertrophy was relatively low.CONCLUSION The clinical and radiological results concerning the MINIMA?short stem are excellent according to this first report of this specific design of the short femoral stems.Because of the small number of cases and short-term follow-up of this study,a longer follow up time and more patients’enrollment is required.

Risk assessment instruments for screening bone mineral density in a Mediterranean population

AIM To evaluate the power of six osteoporosis-screening instruments in women in a Mediterranean country.METHODS Data concerning several osteoporosis risk factors were prospectively collected from 1000 postmenopausal women aged 42-87 years who underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry(DEXA) screening. Six osteoporosis risk factor screening tools were applied to this sample to evaluate their performance and choose the most appropriate tool for the study population.RESULTS The most important screening tool for osteoporosis status was the Simple Calculated Osteoporosis Risk Estimation, which had an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.678, a sensitivity of 72%, and a specificity of 72%, with a cut-off point of 20.75. The most important screening tool for osteoporosis risk was the Osteoporosis Self-assessment Tool, which had an AUC of 0.643, a sensitivity of 77%, and a specificity of 46%,with a cut-off point of-2.9.CONCLUSION Some commonly used clinical risk instruments demonstrate high sensitivity for distinguishing individuals with DEXA-ascertained osteoporosis or reduced bone mineral density.