Distal femur complex fractures in elderly patients treated with megaprosthesis:Results in a case series of 11 patients

BACKGROUND Surgical treatment of complex fractures of the distal femur in the elderly is controversial.Osteoporosis and pre-existent osteoarthritis are common comorbidities in the elderly which add to the need for early walking and rapid restoration of function and also pose significant obstacles to achievement of satisfactory results with standard fixation techniques.Recently,several authors have suggested that primary arthroplasty could be a viable alternative option to standard fixation techniques in selected patients with complex distal femur fractures.AIM To present our experience with 11 cases of distal femur fractures treated with knee arthroplasty and large femoral resection in a population of patients over the age of 85.METHODS Data from 11 consecutive patients(10 females,1 male)presenting with acute intra-articular supracondylar or intercondylar distal femur fractures and with pre-existent primary osteoarthritis who were treated with primary knee arthroplasty were recorded.We collected standard demographic data,comorbidities and patient reported outcomes including Visual Analogical Scale(VAS),Oxford Knee Score(OKS)and Barthel’s Index.Post-operative joint range of motion(ROM)and standard radiographic data were also collected.RESULTS At a mean follow-up of 23.2 mo,all of the implants were well-positioned and osteointegrated.Furthermore,all the patients were alive and walking either independently or with walking aids.There was a marked improvement in pain(VAS 4.5 postop vs 1.9 at the last follow-up),OKS score(29.5 postop vs 36.81 at the last follow-up),ROM(96.2°postop vs 102°at the last follow-up)and restoration of pre-injury ambulatory status(average Barthel Index 77.3).The radiographic evaluations showed good restoration of the articular geometry.No deaths and no complications were recorded.CONCLUSION In conclusion,we believe that knee megaprosthesis in the case of complex fractures of the distal femur is a valid surgical choice.This is particularly true in elderly patients with severe osteoporosis and pre-existing osteoarthritis.It is important to note that this surgery should be performed by surgeons with proven experience in prosthetic hip and knee surgery and that a scrupulous selection of the cases is completed.

The effect of electroacupuncture preconditioning on cognitive impairments following knee replacement among elderly:A randomized controlled trial

Objective: To investigate if electroacupuncture(EA) preconditioning can mitigate cognitive impairments and reduce the incidence of postoperative cognitive dysfunction(POCD) following knee replacement and its safety among elderly.Methods: Totally 60 participants met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial a ratio of 1:1, with 30 cases allocated to the treatment group and 30 cases allocated to the control group, respectively. The participants in the treatment group were provided with real-EA therapy whereas participants in control group were provided with placebo-EA therapy(Streitberger Placebo-needle). In both groups, Tou sanshen(头三神)acupoints, including Sìshéncōng(四神聪EX-HN1), Sh6 ntíng(神庭 GV24),and bilateral Běnsh6 n(本神GB13) were adopted as the main acupoints, while Bǎihui(百会GV20), bilateral Hégǔ(合谷Ll4), and bilateral Tàich6 ng(太冲LR3) were adopted as matching acupoints. Interventions were offered 5 days prior to the surgery, once daily, and continued for total 5 days. The global scores of MiniMental State Examination(MMSE), and levels of serum inflammatory cytokines including interleukin 1β(IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), and S100-β protein were observed at 24 h prior to the surgery, and postoperative 24 and 72 h respectively for assessing the incidence of POCD and the severity of cognitive impairments among patients. Meanwhile, adverse effects were monitored and recorded.Results:(1) Compared with baseline, MMSE global scores in both treatment and control groups markedly decreased at postoperative 24 h. MMSE global scores in treatment group decreased from 29.43 ±0.97 to27.10 ±1.95 while that in control group decreased from 29.27 ± 1.01 to 26.83 ± 2.25(all ?P< 0.05), and this trend continued until postoperative 72 h(at postoperative 72 h, MMSE global scores in treatment group was 26.53 ±2.26 versus 24.79 ±3.03 in control group). Moreover, decline in control group was more significant than that in treatment group at postoperative 72 h(P<0.05).(2) Compared with baseline, levels of serum IL-1β, TNF-α and S100-β in both groups increased markedly at postoperative 24 and 72 h. IL-1β in treatment group increased from 43.13 ±5.51 to 73.13 ±2.32 at postoperative 24 h and reached 83.17 士 5.95 at postoperative 72 h, while IL-1β in control group increased from 44.87 土 5.83 to91.10 ±3.55 at postoperative 24 h and reached 111.93 ±9.18 at postoperative 72 h;TNF-α in treatment group increased from 51.27 士 6.48 to 88.80 ± 3.55 at postoperative 24 h and reached 94.37 ± 5.22 at postoperative 72 h, while TNF-α in control group increased from 52.07 ±7.48 to 116.37 ±3.14 at postoperative24 h and reached 121.40 ±3.68 at postoperative 72 h(both ?P< 0.05), furthermore, increases of IL-1β and TNF-α levels in control group were more significant(P<0.05). Statistical difference in level of S100-β was not observed(P>0.05).(3) There was no statistical difference in POCD incidence at postoperative 24 h and postoperative 72 h between two groups(P> 0.05), though the incidence of POCD in patients receiving real-EA therapy was indeed much lower than that in patients receiving placebo-EA therapy, particularly at postoperative 72 h(POCD incidence rate at postoperative 24 h in treatment group was 26.67%, 30.00%in control group;POCD incidence rate at postoperative 72 h in treatment group was 30.00%, 46.67% in control group).(4) No serious adverse events were reported in this trial. No one dropped out from this trial.Conclusion: EA preconditioning can mitigate cognitive impairments at post-knee replacement surgery 24 and 72 h in elderly through inhibiting expression of inflammation. However, there is insufficient evidence to support that EA pretreatment can reduce the incidence of POCD.

老年人工全膝关节置换术患者的护理

目的:浅谈老年人工全膝关节置换术患者的护理。方法:选择对年龄61～85岁的35例手术患者进行护理配合要点总结。结果:该组患者手术取得满意效果。结论:老年患者因生理特点及其它的疾病引发并发症等因素,故护理配合工作显得尤为重要。