NEWS on skeletal system implants (ORTHOPAEDICS)

Axial alignment is a critical regulator of knee osteoarthritis

Although osteoarthritis (OA), a leading cause of disability, has been associated with joint malalignment, scientific translational evidence for this link is lacking. In a clinical case study, we provide evidence of osteochondral recovery upon unloading symptomatic isolated medial tibiofemoral knee OA associated with varus malalignment. Therapeutic unloading shifted the articular...

Cemented or Uncemented Hemiarthroplasty for Intracapsular Hip Fracture

Controversy exists over the use of bone cement in hip fractures treated with hemiarthroplasty. Only limited data on quality of life after cemented as compared with modern uncemented hemiarthroplasties are available. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients 60 years of age or older with an intracapsular hip fracture, cemented hemiarthroplasty resulted in a...

Cemented or Uncemented Hemiarthroplasty for Intracapsular Hip Fracture

Controversy exists over the use of bone cement in hip fractures treated with hemiarthroplasty. Only limited data on quality of life after cemented as compared with modern uncemented hemiarthroplasties are available. Among patients 60 years of age or older with an intracapsular hip fracture, cemented hemiarthroplasty resulted in a modestly...

Bone growth inspired “microrobots” that can create their own bone

Inspired by the growth of bones in the skeleton, researchers at the universities of Linköping in Sweden and Okayama in Japan have developed a combination of materials that can morph into various shapes before hardening. The material is initially soft, but later hardens through a bone development process that uses...

Surgical treatment of proximal fractures of the humerus in elderly patients

The aim of this study is to compare mortality, serious adverse events, and complication rates after surgical treatment of proximal humerus fractures with angular stable plate osteosynthesis (WPO) or inverse shoulder arthroplasty (ISE) in elderly patients. Results: After adjustment for patient risk profile, inverse shoulder arthroplasty demonstrated statistically significant lower...

Hip endoprostheses: Adiposity is an important risk factor for infections

High adiposity is a decisive risk factor for a periprosthetic infection after hip joint replacement. This is shown by data from the Endoprosthesis Registry Germany (EPRD) Patients with a body mass index below 30 have a risk of less than one percent of suffering an infection. For patients with a...

Membrane-Inducing “Masquelet” Technique for Massive Traumatic Diaphyseal Femur Bone Loss in a Pediatric Patient: A Case Report

Case: A 14-year-old boy sustained 22 cm of femur bone loss after a motor vehicle accident. The patient underwent treatment with the membrane-inducing "Masquelet" technique for management of the injury. The grafts incorporated to form new bone and fill-in the void. Conclusion: Although the Masquelet technique is thoroughly described in adult orthopaedic...

Hip Surgery in Older Adults: Spinal or General Anesthesia

The effects of spinal anesthesia as compared with general anesthesia on the ability to walk in older adults undergoing surgery for hip fracture have not been well studied. We conducted a pragmatic, randomized superiority trial to evaluate spinal anesthesia as compared with general anesthesia in previously ambulatory patients 50 years...

Machine Vision – The new navigation for spine surgery

Precise, extremely quick and accurate – a new kind of navigation device in the OR uses a highly-developed camera technology to guide the surgeon through difficult procedures – directly in the OR. Prof. Ulf Liljenqvist, Chief Medical Director of the Clinic for Spinal Surgery at the St. Franziskus Hospital Münster,...