Bonutti Clinic

Despite the demonstrated success of multiple anticoagulation therapies for post-operative prophylaxis of thromboembolic disease in lower extremity arthroplasties, each modality comes with a unique set of limitations. Thus, the ideal anticoagulation medication which provides adequate therapy with minimal cost, complications, or added patient work is yet to be defined. One promising novel thrombophylactic supplement is fish oil, as many preliminary clinical trials have demonstrated a protective effect of fish oil against thrombosis in multiple clinical settings. In addition, others have demonstrated synergistic effect when combined with aspirin. However, there are paucity of studies that compared combined aspirin and fish oil therapy for venous thromboembolism prophylaxis with other pharmacological agents, especially in the field of orthopaedics. Therefore, this study evaluated: (I) risk of post-operative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE), and (II) bleeding complications; among patients who had primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and received one of the following regimens: (i) 325 mg aspirin and mechanical pulsatile stocking; (ii) rivaroxaban; or (iii) 325 mg aspirin and 1,000 mg fish oil. This was a 6-year prospective study analyzing the postoperative thromboembolic prophylaxis received by patients who underwent primary TKA. Patients who had a previous history of thromboembolic disease were excluded from the study due to an increased risk of recurrent clot formation. A total of 850 patients were enrolled. A total of 300 patients enrolled between October 2011 and June 2013 received 325 mg aspirin and mechanical pulsatile stocking, while 250 patients enrolled between June 2013 and December 2014 received rivaroxaban. A total of 300 patients enrolled between January 2015 and July 2017 received 325 mg aspirin and 1,000 mg fish oil. Major venous thromboembolic events (VTEs) and bleeding complications within the first 90 days post-operatively were recorded in each cohort. The odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), for thromboembolic and bleeding events were calculated and compared between the aspirin and fish oil cohort vs. aspirin and pulsatile stocking cohort, and aspirin and fish oil cohort vs. rivaroxaban cohort. A P value of <0.05 was used to determine statistical significance. A total of 25 DVT events were recorded including 1 of 300 (0.33%) in the aspirin and fish oil cohort, 22 of 300 (7.33%) in the aspirin and pulsatile stocking cohort and 2 of 250 (0.8%) in the rivaroxaban cohort. When comparing ORs, patients who received aspirin and fish oil demonstrated significantly lower risk for thromboembolic events when compared to the aspirin and pulsatile stocking group (OR: 0.045; 95% CI: 0.0061-0.3394; P<0.05). When compared to the rivaroxaban cohort the ORs did not differ significantly (OR: 0.416; 95% CI: 0.0376-4.6223; P>0.05). In addition, no PE events were recorded in any of the cohorts. When compared to rivaroxaban, the fish oil and aspirin cohort demonstrated significantly lower incidence of bleeding episodes (1 of 300, 0.33% vs. 30 of 250 patients, 12%; OR: 0.0278; 95% CI: 0.0038-0.2051; P<0.05). No bleeding events were recorded in the aspirin and pulsatile stocking cohort. This study demonstrated the potentially synergistic anti-thromboembolic effect of aspirin and fish oil in the prevention of post-operative venous thromboembolism in primary TKA patients. Based on the results from this study, the authors conclude that the combination of aspirin and fish oil maybe an excellent thromboprophylactic modality for patients to use after TKA. These results warrant further, larger prospective studies analyzing the use of fish oil supplements in VTE prophylaxis.

The reimbursement for medical services by Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has recently changed from fee-for-service to quality-based payments. This is being implemented through the use of patient administered surveys, most commonly Press Ganey. With a recent strive for fast-track total hip arthroplasty (THA), it is important to ascertain whether length-of-stay (LOS) in post-THA patients influences the Press Ganey scores and overall hospital ratings. Therefore, we looked at: 1) Which Press Ganey survey factors affect overall hospital rating in patients who have a short (=2) or longer (>2) length of stay; and 2) whether hospital satisfaction is different between patients who have varied lengths of stay. A query of the Press Ganey database at our institution was performed between November 2009 and January 2015. We identified 692 patients who had a mean age of 62 years (range, 15 to 91 years). These patients were stratified into two cohorts based on LOS (=two days, n=403; >two days, n=289). Multiple regression analyses were performed using weighted means of each Press Ganey question category to identify their influence ( b) on hospital ratings. We assessed differences in demographics and survey responses between the two cohorts using x2 tests for categorical data and t-tests for continuous data. There was no statistically significant difference found between our two cohorts in hospital rating after adjusting for gender and ASA score. In patients who had short lengths-of-stay (LOS= two days), the overall hospital rating was most influenced by communication with nurses ( b=0.335, p= 0.004), followed by responsiveness of hospital staff ( b=0.313, p=0.006), and communication with doctors ( b=0.208, p=0.049) after adjusting for gender and ASA score. For patients who stayed longer (LOS>two days), the most important factor in hospital ratings was communication with nurses ( b=0.332, p= 0.007), followed by hospital environment ( b=0.312, p=0.002), communication with doctors ( b=0.233, p=0.013), and staff responsiveness (b=0.223 p=0.042). Short (LOS=2) and long (>two days) lengths of stay did not affect overall hospital rating. However, amongst both cohorts, communication with nurses, staff responsiveness, and communication with doctors were positively correlated with hospital ratings. Hospital environment also played a significant role in overall hospital ratings for patients who had an LOS >two days. More studies should be conducted to assess if the use of minimally invasive THA affects overall hospital ratings.

The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and patient-reported outcomes of primary total hip arthroplasty in super-obese patients (those with a body mass index [BMI] of ≥50 kg/m(2)) compared with a matched group of patients who had a normal BMI (<30 kg/m(2)). A secondary objective was to assess patients' experiences in finding a treating surgeon. Forty-eight hips in forty-five patients who had a minimum BMI of 50 kg/m(2) and who had undergone a primary total hip arthroplasty at one of four high-volume institutions between 2001 and 2010 were reviewed. This included twenty-six women and nineteen men who had a mean age of fifty-four years (range, thirty-six to seventy-one years) and who were followed for a mean time of six years (range, four to twelve years). These patients were compared in a 1:3 ratio with a non-obese matched group (those with a BMI of <30 kg/m(2)) of 135 patients who had undergone total hip arthroplasty during the same time period by the same surgeons. The outcomes evaluated included implant survivorship, complication rates, Harris hip scores, 36-item Short-Form (SF)-36 questionnaires, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) activity scores, and patient experience in finding a treating surgeon. The super-obese group had a 4.5 times higher odds ratio of undergoing a revision when compared with the matching group (p = 0.06); the overall implant survivorship was 89.6% for the super-obese group and 97.8% for the matching group. The super-obese group also had a significantly higher odds ratio (7.7) of complications compared with the matching group (p = 0.017). The super-obese group also had significantly lower mean values for the Harris hip score (82 points for the super-obese group compared with 91 points for the matched group; p = 0.002), the SF-36 Physical Component Summary score (39 points for the super-obese group and 49 points for the matched group; p = 0.001), the SF-36 Mental Component Summary scores (46 points for the super-obese group and 58 points for the matched group; p = 0.001), and the UCLA activity score (3.9 points for the super-obese group compared with 6.2 points for the matched group; p = 0.001). Compared with the matched group, super-obese patients were evaluated by a larger number of orthopaedic surgeons prior to undergoing total hip arthroplasty. The clinical and patient-reported outcomes of primary total hip arthroplasty were lower in the super-obese patients. These patients also faced challenges in finding surgeons who would perform their procedure. Super-obese patients may benefit from counseling with their treating surgeon to set realistic expectations with regard to the outcomes of their procedure.

Some studies have suggested that patients who are super obese (BMI > 50 kg/m(2)) may have poorer outcomes and more frequent complications when undergoing TKA compared with those who have lower BMI, however, the literature on this is scant. The purpose of this study was to compare a group of super-obese patients undergoing TKA with a matched group of patients with BMI less than 30 kg/m(2) in terms of (1) implant survivorship, (2) complications, (3) functional parameters, and (4) intraoperative variables (including operative time and estimated blood loss). One-hundred one knees in 95 patients (21 men, 74 women) who had a minimum BMI of 50 kg/m(2) and who had undergone a primary TKA at one of the four high-volume institutions were compared with a group of patients who had a BMI less than 30 kg/m(2) who were matched by age, gender, preoperative clinical scores, and mean followup. End points evaluated by chart review included implant survivorship, medical and surgical complications, functional parameters (The Knee Society outcome scores and ROM), and intraoperative variables at a mean followup of 62 months (range, 36-85 months). With the numbers available, there were no differences in aseptic implant survivorship (94% versus 98%, p = 0.28), however, medical and surgical complication rates (14% versus 5%, OR: 3.1, 95% CI=1.07-8.9; p = 0.037) were significantly higher in the super-obese patients compared with the nonobese matching group, respectively. Super-obese patients also achieved lower mean Knee Society functional scores (82 versus 90 points, p = 0.004) and smaller gains in flexion arc ROM (14° versus 21°, p = 0.009); they also lost more blood during surgery and experienced longer surgical anesthesia times compared with the matched group, respectively. With the numbers available, we could not identify what might have been modest differences in implant survivorship, however, complications were more frequent and functional outcomes were significantly lower in super-obese patients. Other studies similarly have found inferior outcomes in this challenging group of patients. Our data may be considered pilot data for future prospective studies with longer followup.

Most patients who receive a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) undergo rehabilitation in the postoperative period. However, these therapies are often not under the direct supervision of the treating physicians, have variable protocols, and have unclear long-term efficacies. The purposes of this study were to assess patient satisfaction with their rehabilitation following TKA and to evaluate whether various factors were different between satisfied and unsatisfied patients. A total of 100 consecutive patients who underwent 107 primary TKA were prospectively surveyed to evaluate their rehabilitation experiences. There were 28 men and 72 women who had a mean age of 61 years (range, 37 to 91 years) at the time of surgery. Patients answered questions regarding the number and duration of therapies, amount of hands-on time with the therapists, number of different therapists, amount of co-pay, and their overall level of satisfaction with their rehabilitation experience. Over one-third of the patients reported not being satisfied with their rehabilitation experiences. The patients who were dissatisfied reported a shorter mean duration of each therapy session spent directly with the therapist, a higher mean number of therapists seen over the duration of their treatment, and an increased number of co-participants during their therapy sessions. The authors believe that to minimize patient dissatisfaction with rehabilitation, surgeons should refer patients to therapists who are willing to spend adequate hands-on time during one-on-one or smaller group therapy sessions with their patients.

This study investigated whether two or more previous arthroscopic procedures had an effect on the outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We compared 60 patients (62 knees) who had a mean age of 56 years, a mean follow-up of 39 months (range, 26 to 68 months), and a minimum of two arthroscopic procedures before their TKA with a group of patients (n = 438) who underwent TKAs without any previous knee surgery. Clinical outcome was evaluated using Knee Society objective and function scores. Implant survivorship, with revision for aseptic component failure as an end point, was 98% in both cohorts. In the postarthroscopic group, the mean Knee Society objective and function scores improved to a mean of 92 and 89 points, respectively. Radiographic analysis did not find any differences between the two groups. In conclusion, the authors did not find that earlier arthroscopic procedures negatively affected the outcome of TKA.

Despite high survivorship for total knee arthroplasty, many reports have described low patient-satisfaction rates. Standard parapatellar approaches have been linked with decreased quadriceps muscle strength, which may in turn lead to prolonged rehabilitation and altered kinematics. Although technically demanding, minimally invasive techniques offer the potential for shorter recovery times and improved strength. Our purpose was to compare perioperative factors, the clinical and radiographic outcomes, complications, and survivorship of several minimally invasive approaches to each other and to the conventional medial parapatellar approach. A total of 23 level I or II studies were reviewed. There were no statistically significant differences in perioperative factors, clinical or radiographic outcomes, survivorship, or complication rates between patients the various minimally invasive approaches to a standard approach. The only significant difference observed was in recovery of quadriceps muscle function (shorter in patients who had a minimally invasive approach). The minimally invasive lateral approach had more complications than the other minimally invasive approaches. The mini-midvastus approach had the best clinical outcomes at 1 and 3 months when compared with other minimally invasive approaches and standard approaches. The mini-subvastus approach had the lowest rate of complications, overall. Further multicenter randomized trials are needed to determine the minimally invasive approach that best improves outcomes while minimizing complications.

Although tourniquet use is the standard protocol for total knee arthroplasties it may lead to postoperative complications including thigh pain, compressive soft-tissue problems, and thromboembolic events. The purpose of this study was to explore the perioperative and clinical outcomes of total knee arthroplasty performed without a tourniquet. Thirty consecutive total knee arthroplasties were performed in 30 patients without a tourniquet and compared with 30 procedures (30 matched patients) performed with a tourniquet. Tourniquet patients had statistically lower mean intraoperative blood loss, total blood loss, and change in hematocrit, but these did not have any clinical impact or change the transfusion rate between the groups. At a mean follow-up of 3 years, both groups achieved excellent mean Knee Society scores with similar improvements between groups. There were no complications or radiographic abnormalities in either group. Total knee arthroplasty performed with or without a tourniquet yields similar intraoperative surgical and postoperative clinical outcomes.