The Journal of arthroplasty
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This study was designed to assess the risk of hematoma related to the combination of peripheral nerve blocks and thromboprophylaxis. A total of 3588 patients undergoing joint arthroplasty were included. Blocks performed included continuous lumbar plexus, continuous femoral, and continuous or single sciatic. ⋯ A total of 6935 blocks were performed in patients receiving warfarin (50.0%), fondaparinux (12.8%), deltaparin (11.6%), enoxaparin (1.8%), and aspirin (23.8%). In this patient population, no perineural hematoma was recorded. Our data provide evidence that continuous/single peripheral nerve blocks can be safely performed before thromboprophylaxis initiation, and perineural catheters can be safely removed while the patient is receiving thromboprophylaxis and/or aspirin.
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This retrospective analysis examines the outcome of total joint arthroplasty for severe arthritis in patients with synovial chondromatosis. All 11 patients treated with total hip arthroplasty (n = 7) or total knee arthroplasty (n = 4) returned for follow-up at a mean of 10.8 years after surgery. Pain and functional scores improved significantly in all patients. ⋯ Total joint arthroplasty is a valuable treatment option for these patients with predictable improvement in pain and function. Knee range of motion is likely to improve but may be less than expected for primary total knee arthroplasty. Patients remain at risk for recurrence.
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Tibial tubercle osteotomy (TTO) is a recognized technique for improving exposure when performing total knee arthroplasty surgery. Forty-two patients were reviewed at a mean of 8 years after TTO. Preoperatively, mean extension was 8 degrees +/- 14 degrees , mean flexion 74 degrees +/- 30 degrees , and Knee Society score 73 +/- 37. ⋯ Twenty-five percent of patients experienced no extensor lag, and 66% of extensor lags had resolved within 6 months. Mean time for osteotomy union was 14 weeks. In this series, TTO performed to enhance surgical exposure did not adversely affect the outcome after total knee arthroplasty but resulted in serious complications in 5% of patients.
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Case Reports
Involvement of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve as source of persistent pain after total hip arthroplasty.
This report describes a situation in which the lateral femoral cutaneous (LFC) nerve was the source of incisional pain in a patient after a total hip arthroplasty. The painful scar was denervated by an approach that resected just the posterior branch of the LFC nerve. ⋯ One of the 3 patients reported here had a coexisting meralgia paresthetica that was treated by the same operative approach. The orthopedic surgeon should include the LFC nerve as an origin of persistent pain after total hip arthroplasty.
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Our purpose was to estimate the incidence of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty in the United States. Three major implant manufacturers provided data over an 8-year period from 1998 to 2005. ⋯ Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty increased at an average rate of 32.5% during the study period compared with a 9.4% average increase in rate of total knee arthroplasty over the same period. Although unicompartmental arthroplasty is growing at triple the rate of total knee arthroplasty in the United States, the data suggest that unicompartmental implants currently account for less than 8% of all knee arthroplasty procedures.