Clinical orthopaedics and related research
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Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. · Feb 2015
Preoperative erythropoietin alpha reduces postoperative transfusions in THA and TKA but may not be cost-effective.
Preoperative erythropoietin alpha (EPO) has been shown to be effective at reducing postoperative blood transfusions in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA); however, treatment with EPO is associated with additional costs, and it is not known whether these costs can be justified when weighed against the transfusion reductions achieved in patients who receive the drug. ⋯ Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. · Feb 2015
Are custom triflange acetabular components effective for reconstruction of catastrophic bone loss?
Although the introduction of ultraporous metals in the forms of acetabular components and augments has increased the orthopaedic surgeon's ability to reconstruct severely compromised acetabuli, there remain some that cannot be managed readily using cups, augments, or cages. In such situations, allograft-prosthetic composites or custom acetabular components may be called for. However, few studies have reported on the results of these components. ⋯ Level IV, therapeutic study.
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Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. · Feb 2015
How much tumor surgery do early-career orthopaedic oncologists perform?
There are few data on the types of procedures orthopaedic oncologists perform in their first years of practice. Because fellowships are graduating fellows each year and the number of tumor patients is limited, defining the practice patterns of early-career orthopaedic oncologists may help diminish early employment discontent and enhance workforce discussions. ⋯ Level IV, economic and decision analyses. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
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Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. · Feb 2015
Does the Risk Assessment and Prediction Tool predict discharge disposition after joint replacement?
Payers of health services and policymakers place a major focus on cost containment in health care. Studies have shown that early planning of discharge is essential in reducing length of stay and achieving financial benefit; tools that can help predict discharge disposition would therefore be of use. The Risk Assessment and Prediction Tool (RAPT) is a preoperative survey constructed to predict discharge disposition after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). The RAPT was developed and tested on a population of Australian patients undergoing joint replacement, but its validity in other populations is unknown. A low RAPT score is reported to indicate a high risk of needing any form of inpatient rehabilitation after TJA, including short-term nursing facilities. ⋯ Level III, diagnostic study. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.