Predictive value of lateral soft tissue thickness for complications after total hip arthroplasty with a lateral incision

Surgical site soft tissue thickness as a predictor of complications following arthroplasty

Appreciation of soft-tissue thickness (STT) at surgical sites is an increasingly recognized aspect of arthroplasty procedures as it may potentially impacting postoperative outcomes. Recent research has focused on the predictive value of preoperative STT measurements for complications following various forms of arthroplasty, particularly infections, across procedures such as total knee, hip, shoulder, and ankle replacements. Several studies have indicated that increased STT is associated with a higher risk of complications, including infection and wound healing issues. The assessment of STT before surgery could play a crucial role in identifying patients at a higher risk of complications and may be instrumental in guiding preoperative planning to optimize outcomes in arthroplasty procedures. Standardized measurement techniques and further research are essential to enhance the reliability and clinical utility of STT assessment for arthroplasty surgery.

Relationship of Soft Tissue Thickness With Body Mass Index and Perioperative Factors in Patients Undergoing Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

Background Total hip arthroplasty is one of the most common elective procedures, making it crucial to minimize associated risks. The thickness of soft tissues at the surgical site is used to predict complications when evaluated individually. However, the direct relationship between soft tissue thickness, body mass index (BMI), and perioperative factors has not been established, making it necessary to determine this relationship to improve the prediction of complications using only standard radiographic measurements. The objective of this study is to determine whether there is a significant correlation between soft tissue thickness, BMI, and perioperative factors in patients who have undergone total hip arthroplasty. Methods A total of 106 records from the Orthopedics and Traumatology service at the General Hospital of Mexico "Dr. Eduardo Liceaga" were analyzed, of which 88 patients met the inclusion criteria. A retrospective, cross-sectional, observational, and descriptive study was conducted using these complete records of patients who underwent primary total hip arthroplasty from 2020 to 2023. Radiographic measurements were performed to determine soft tissue thickness using the Bernaus technique. These measurements were then compared with collected data, including weight, height, BMI, glucose levels, blood loss, and surgical time. Results In our statistical analysis, we find a moderate correlation of 0.552 between BMI and soft tissue thickness, indicating a positive association. The analysis showed that an increase in BMI is significantly associated with an increase in soft tissue thickness (p = 0.002). No significant relationship was found between soft tissue thickness and sex (p = 0.546) or age (p = 0.666). However, a significant relationship was observed between surgical time and patient age (p = 0.023), suggesting that the duration of the procedure increases with age. No significant relationships were found between surgical time and BMI, glucose, or weight. Conclusion The study confirms a significant positive association between soft tissue thickness and BMI, suggesting that greater soft tissue thickness correlates with a higher BMI. These findings highlight the importance of BMI in evaluating soft tissue thickness, which could influence surgical planning. However, soft tissue thickness shows limited association with certain perioperative factors in total hip arthroplasty patients. These findings emphasize the need for further research with more detailed variables and larger samples to validate these results and enhance recommendations for total hip arthroplasty procedures.

Association of Radiographic Soft Tissue Thickness With Revision Total Ankle Arthroplasty Following Primary Total Ankle Arthroplasty: A Minimum of 5-year Follow-up

Background

The incidence of primary total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is rising, with a corresponding increase in revision surgeries. Despite this, research on risk factors for revision TAA following primary TAA remains limited. Radiographic soft tissue thickness has been explored as a potential predictor for outcomes in hip, knee, and shoulder arthroplasty, but its role in TAA has not been assessed. This study aimed to assess the predictive value of radiographic soft tissue thickness for identifying patients at risk of requiring revision surgery following primary TAA.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on 323 patients who underwent primary TAA between 2003 and 2019. Radiographic measurements of soft tissue thickness were obtained from preoperative radiographs. Two novel radiographic measures of soft tissue thickness were developed and assessed (tibial tissue thickness and talus tissue thickness). Clinical variables including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) classification, diabetes, smoking status, primary diagnosis, and implant type were recorded. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the predictive value of soft tissue thickness and BMI for revision TAA.

Results

The rate of revision surgery was 4.3% (14 of 323 patients). Patients requiring revision had significantly greater tibial tissue (3.54 vs 2.48 cm; P = .02) and talus tissue (2.79 vs 2.42 cm; P = .02) thickness compared with those not requiring revision. Both the tibial tissue thickness (odds ratio 1.16 [1.12-1.20]; P < .01) and the talus tissue thickness (odds ratio: 1.10 [1.05-1.15]; P < .01) measurements were significant predictors of revision TAA in multivariable logistic regression models. However, BMI was not a significant predictor of revision TAA. The two metrics demonstrated excellent interrater reliability.

Conclusion

Greater soft tissue thickness was a better predictor of revision TAA compared with BMI. These findings suggest that radiographic soft tissue thickness may be a valuable tool for assessing the risk of the need for revision TAA following primary TAA. Further research is needed to validate and explore the potential impact on clinical practice.

Level of Evidence

Level III, comparative study.

Local Soft-Tissue Thickness vs. Body Mass Index as Predictors of Complications After Total Knee or Hip Arthroplasty: A Literature Review

» Body mass index (BMI) is a nonspecific measure of general fat composition that demonstrates little conclusive or definitive association with surgical site complications after total knee and total hip arthroplasty.» Quantifying soft-tissue thickness (STT) around the joint of interest has shown positive correlations with complications and is arguably a better predictor than BMI.» In this literature review, 14 articles (7 discussing hips and 7 discussing knees) discussing the association of STT, BMI, and surgical site complications after total hip and knee arthroplasty were scrutinized and summarized to present relevant information necessary to compare STT with BMI.» Five of the 7 studies involving hips and 4 of the 7 studies involving knees show a positive relationship between STT and outcomes including complications and infection, with some claiming STT as a stronger predictor of surgery site problems than BMI.» Since many variables, such as STT measurement technique, surgical outcomes, sample sizes, and surgical approach, varied between the studies, definitive inferences are difficult to make and future studies of bigger sample size and higher power should focus on the described measurement techniques.

Characteristics, surgical treatment, and outcomes of injuries involving the tarsus in greyhounds

Objective

The first objective of this study was to describe the type of tarsal injuries sustained, surgery performed, and postoperative complications in greyhounds presenting to a single veterinary hospital. An additional objective of the study was to determine the surgical site infection (SSI) and explantation rate, and if any variables were associated with an increased risk of SSI and/or explantation.

Animals

116 greyhounds receiving surgical intervention for a tarsal injury.

Proceures

Medical records from a single veterinary referral hospital were reviewed retrospectively. Data retrieved included signalment, details regarding the injury, surgical intervention, concurrent castration, surgical/anesthesia times, postoperative management, time to healing, and postoperative complications. In cases that underwent explantation, cause, time from initial surgery, and risk factors were evaluated.

Results

The most frequently diagnosed tarsal injuries were fracture of the central tarsal bone (CTB; 57.8%), calcaneal fracture (56.9%) and proximal intertarsal subluxation (34.5%). The most common injury combination was a CTB fracture with a calcaneal fracture (31.9%). In total 115 (99.1%) survived to discharge. Of these, 46 (40.0%) were diagnosed with an SSI and 59 (51.3%) underwent explantation. The most common indication for explantation was SSI. Concurrent medial and lateral surgical approaches was found to be associated with an increased likelihood of SSI and explantation.

Clinical relevance

Practitioners performing surgical intervention for tarsal injuries in greyhounds should be aware of the high SSI rate and likelihood that explantation will be required. This risk is elevated for injuries requiring a bilateral surgical approach.

Thickness of the Subcutaneous Fat as a Risk Factor for Surgical Site Infection Following Fragility Hip Fracture Surgery

INTRODUCTION

Surgical site infection (SSI) following fragility hip fracture (FHF) surgery is associated with increased morbidity and mortality.

SIGNIFICANCE

Prediction of patients at risk for SSI is fundamental. We aimed to determine whether subcutaneous radiographic fat measurement (SRM) is associated with increased SSI risk.

METHODS

A retrospective case-control comparison of SRMs at 3 locations around the hip. Patients diagnosed with SSI in the first post-operative year were matched with age, gender, surgical year, Charlsons' co-morbidity index score, and surgical type controls, not diagnosed with SSI, at a 1:2 ratio. Measurements included the distance between (1) the sourcil to skin surface (SS), (2) the tip of the greater trochanter to skin surface (TGTS), and (3) the most prominent lateral aspect of the greater trochanter to skin surface.

RESULTS

1430 patients were operated during the study period, of whom 45 patients presented with a diagnosis of SSI and compared to 90 controls. Infections occurred 27.4 ( ± 24.8) days following surgery. SRM significantly differed between groups, and all were higher in the study group; SS, 86.8 ± 25.5 cm vs 74.2 ± 15.3 cm; TGTS, 59.8 ± 26.3 cm vs 47.0 ± 15.8 cm; and LGTS, 45.4 ± 25.1 cm vs 33.2 ± 15.1 cm (P = .003, .004, and .004, respectively). Intraclass correlation coefficients (intra-rater) were high for all measurements (.999 for all). Intraclass correlation coefficients (inter-rater) for SS, TGTS and LGTS were high, .749 (.663.815), .792 (.719.847) and .817 (.751.866), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

SRMs were found to be a valid and reproducible tool for predicting high risk of SSI in geriatric patients sustaining FHFs.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

III.

Soft-tissue thickness radiographic measurement: a marker to evaluate acute periprosthetic joint infection risk in total hip replacement

The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between acute periprosthetic joint infection (APJI) and radiographic measurement of soft-tissue thickness in elective total hip replacement surgery. A case-control study was conducted to compare the soft-tissue thickness radiographic measurement (SRM) at the hip in patients diagnosed with APJI based on Tsukayama et al. (2003) criteria after total hip replacement with patients that were not infected, at a single institution from 2013 to 2019. To minimize selection bias, each case was matched with two controls using the following methodology: patients of the same sex, with an age variation of ± 5 years, and nearest in surgery date to the cases were selected. All postoperative radiographs were performed in the first 24 h after total hip arthroplasty (THA) surgery as it is protocolized in our institution. Soft-tissue thickness radiographic measurement was defined as the distance from the tip of the greater trochanter to the skin following a perpendicular line to the femoral diaphysis in postoperative anteroposterior hip radiographs. In total, 78 patients were included (26 cases and 52 controls). The SRM median of the cases was 76.19 mm (SD: 26.518) and 53.5 mm (SD: 20.47) in controls. A multivariate logistic regression model showed an independent association between APJI and SRM (odds ratio (OR) = 1.033, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.007–1.059, p=0.012). Patients with an SRM greater than 60 mm had a 7-fold increase in the odds of APJI (OR = 7.295, 95 % CI = 2.364–22.511, p<0.001). The results of our study suggest an association between large SRM at the hip and the risk of APJI in patients with primary total hip arthroplasty. SRM may be a helpful and easy tool for evaluating the risk of APJI before elective primary total hip replacement surgery.