The journal of knee surgery
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Comparative Study
Reliability of Intraoperative Knee Range of Motion Measurements by Goniometer Compared with Robot-Assisted Arthroplasty.
Accurate measurement of knee range of motion (ROM) is critical to predict the outcomes of knee surgery and prognosis. We investigated the reliability of knee ROM measurements by goniometer compared with robotic system. Fifty-three patients with medial osteoarthritis who were planning to undergo unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) with robotic UKA were prospectively enrolled. ⋯ During passive flexion, the mean values measured before insertion of the implant were significantly lower by goniometer (134.6 ± 6.43) than by robot (145.4 ± 6.80; p = 0.017); likewise, the mean values after insertion of the implant were significantly lower by goniometer (138.6 ± 6.07) than by robotic system (147.0 ± 6.60; p = 0.045). A goniometer can underestimate knee ROM measurements compared with robotic system, especially in flexion. Orthopaedic surgeons should be cautious when measuring the flexion angle with a goniometer.
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Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition associated with pain and physical impairment in a large segment of the population. The traditional treatment algorithm progresses from conservative modalities to nonsurgical options to surgical intervention. Surgical intervention often provides reliable pain relief but not all patients are surgical candidates and there are some patients who prefer not to have surgery. ⋯ A total of eight reports that use C-RFA in the treatment of chronic knee pain were identified and analyzed. There were two prospective trials, one retrospective cohort study, and five case reports or case series. C-RFA is an emerging procedure with encouraging early results; however, additional long-term prospective clinical trials are necessary to further characterize how C-RFA can best be used to treat chronic knee pain.
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Comparative Study
Impact of Intravenous Acetaminophen on Lengths of Stay and Discharge Status after Total Knee Arthroplasty.
Postoperative pain remains difficult to control after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). While various modalities have been used, they have been associated with several side effects. For example, opioids have many side effects including: sedation, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, constipation, respiratory depression, and can lead to dependency. ⋯ Also, compared with the oral group, the IV group had a 13% lower chance of being discharged to a SNF (OR = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.85-0.90; p < 0.001). This study demonstrated that TKA patients who received IV acetaminophen were associated with a significantly shorter hospital LOS as well as being discharged home and fewer patients had to go to SNF. This may lead to a reduction in the total cost of health care, while, at the same time, decreasing the resource use in patients who undergo TKA.
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Articular defects are a major problem with few effective treatment options. Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation can be an effective treatment; however, lack of OCA bone integration can cause failure. This controlled laboratory study was designed to compare clinically applicable methods for marrow element removal and enhanced delivery of bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMC) to OCA bone. ⋯ Drill + BMC and Carb + BMC had the highest media concentrations of the osteoinductive biomarkers. The Carb + BMC and Saline-Carb + BMC groups were associated with significantly superior marrow element removal (p < 0.02) compared with the SOC, Drill + BMC, and BMC groups. Saline irrigation plus saturation with autogenous BMC appears to be the most advantageous preimplantation treatment for OCA transplantation.
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Morbid obesity is considered to have a stronger association with complications after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Although the impact of obesity coding errors has been previously reported, the extent of coding inaccuracies with respect to morbid obesity is unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess (1) the utility of coding in identifying morbid obesity and (2) the effects of morbid obesity on 90-day complications after TKA when morbid obesity was defined by both body mass index (BMI) and International Classification of Diseases 9th edition (ICD-9) coding. ⋯ A higher rate of complications was noted when patients were defined as morbidly obese by ICD-9 as when defined by EMR-reported BMI. Although morbidly obese patients are more likely to have a code for obesity compared with obese patients, these patients may not be correctly identified as morbidly obese due to a lack of specificity in the codes. These errors may lead to inadequate reimbursements, and may also overestimate the effect of morbid obesity on complications.