The American journal of orthopedics
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Review Case Reports
Total hip and knee replacement in a patient with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) is a complex disorder that leads to joint stiffness and deformities in 2 or more joints in afflicted children. Late manifestations of this disorder can include secondary degeneration of the abnormal joints with arthritic symptoms of pain and loss of function. ⋯ This case report presents one patient who underwent bilateral total hip and total knee arthroplasties for deteriorating function and pain in her hips and knees secondary to the congenital deformities created by arthrogryposis multiplex congenita. We discuss the intraoperative difficulties and techniques used to reconstruct her hips and knees, as well as the potential indications for joint arthroplasty in this challenging group of patients.
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Many patients who undergo hip or knee replacement surgery today experience high levels of postoperative pain. Data from clinical studies and analyses of hospital records have demonstrated that severe postoperative pain is associated with an increased risk for complications, slowing of the rehabilitation process, delayed return to normal functioning, progression to persistent pain states, prolonged length of hospital stay, elevated rates of readmission, and higher overall costs. Orthopedic surgeons may now play a more active role in reducing the severity of pain following surgery, decreasing both opioid use and the incidence of opioid-related adverse events, and eliminating breakthrough pain and analgesic gaps. ⋯ One exciting advance that offers effective, safe, and efficient analgesia for many kinds of surgical procedures is the introduction of an extended-release local anesthetic (liposomal bupivacaine) for infiltration. This new option, which can be administered directly into the knee or hip by an orthopedic surgeon, is an example of the changing paradigm in perioperative analgesia, where commitment, communication, and coordination across all members of the clinical care team- including the surgeon, anesthesiologist, pharmacist, physical therapist, and nursing staff-are fundamental elements of an improved standard of care. An Expert Working Group on Anesthesia and Orthopaedics: Critical Issues in Hip and Knee Replacement Arthroplasty (April 13, 2013; Dallas, Texas) evaluated current approaches to perioperative pain management and proposed new regimens to help achieve optimal outcomes in these procedures.
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Recent literature reports an increase in the rate of shoulder arthroplasties, particularly total shoulder arthroplasties (TSAs), being performed in the United States. However, the national epidemiology of use of hemiarthroplasty (HA) and TSA as treatments for glenohumeral osteoarthritis has not been elucidated. We conducted a study to analyze trends in using HA and TSA as treatments for glenohumeral osteoarthritis from 2000 to 2010, and to compare patient characteristics and inpatient complications. ⋯ In 2010, 80.3% of patients having shoulder arthroplasty for arthritis underwent TSA. TSA patients were older (P < .0001) and had a higher mean number of chronic illnesses (P = .034). TSA-associated discharges had a higher rate of surgical and medical care complications (P = .011) and blood transfusions (P = .041) after adjusting for comorbidities.
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Intraosseous (IO) catheters have been used for vascular access in trauma and critically ill patients with increasing frequency in emergency departments and critical care units across the United States. Their use has long been accepted as a reliable method of obtaining vascular access in pediatric patients with difficult intravascular access. Articles about the complications of using IO catheters are scarce. ⋯ In a literature search, we identified 5,759 patients treated with IO catheters. The overall complication rate was 2.1%. In this article, we discuss the literature on IO catheter complications and report 2 cases of orthopedic management of IO catheter complications.