Orthopaedic registries - the UK view (National Joint Registry): impact on practice

Survey of New Zealand Arthroplasty Surgeons on Surgeon-Level Outcome Reporting

BACKGROUND

Surgeon-specific outcome monitoring has become increasingly prevalent over the last 3 decades. The New Zealand Orthopaedic Association monitors individual surgeon performance through 2 mechanisms: arthroplasty revision rates derived from the New Zealand Joint Registry and a practice visit program. Despite remaining confidential, surgeon-level outcome reporting remains contentious. The purpose of this survey was to evaluate the opinions of hip and knee arthroplasty surgeons in New Zealand on the perceived importance of outcome monitoring, current methods used to evaluate surgeon-specific outcomes, and potential improvements identified through literature review and discussion with other registries.

METHODS

The survey consisted of 9 questions on surgeon-specific outcome reporting, using a five-point Likert scale, and 5 demographic questions. It was distributed to all current hip and knee arthroplasty surgeons. There were 151 hip and knee arthroplasty surgeons who completed the survey, a response rate of 50%.

RESULTS

Respondents agreed that monitoring arthroplasty outcomes is important and that revision rates are an acceptable measure of performance. Reporting risk-adjusted revision rates and more recent timeframes were supported, as was including patient-reported outcomes when monitoring performance. Surgeons did not support public reporting of surgeon-level or hospital-level outcomes.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this survey support the use of revision rates to confidentially monitor surgeon-level arthroplasty outcomes and suggest that concurrent use of patient-reported outcome measures would be acceptable.

Lower limb post-traumatic osteomyelitis: a systematic review of clinical outcomes

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to examine the patient-reported outcomes of patients presenting with post-traumatic osteomyelitis (PTOM) of the lower limb over the past 15 years. This period was chosen to reflect modern treatment principles and increased centralisation of care.

METHODS

An electronic literature search of the relevant databases (PubMed, Ovid Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane library) was conducted to identify studies published between January 2006 and July 2021 reporting series of greater than 10 patients with PTOM of the tibia or femur at the site of a previous fracture. Studies reporting septic non-union were excluded.

RESULTS

Sixteen eligible studies were identified and included in the final report. Remission of infection was achieved in 93.2% of cases (range 70-100%), whilst amputation was reported in 1-7% of cases. A variety of patient-reported outcome measures were utilised including the lower extremity functional scale, short musculoskeletal functional assessment, Enneking score, and EQ-5D-3L. Limb-specific functional outcomes returned to levels similar to that of the general population although poorer outcomes were noted in specific cohorts including those with complex anatomic disease and active medical comorbidities.

CONCLUSION

Infection following fracture fixation remains a difficult problem to treat. Regardless, using modern treatments and techniques patients can have comparable functional outcomes to that of the general population. High-quality studies are required to advance our knowledge into which types of treatments offer a benefit and how to further improve outcomes.

Leveraging real-world data to improve cochlear implant outcomes: Is the data available?

OBJECTIVES

A small but persistent proportion of individuals do not gain the expected benefit from cochlear implants(CI). A step-change in the understanding of factors affecting outcomes could come through data science. This study evaluates clinical data capture to assess the quality and utility of CI user's health records for data science, by assessing the recording of otitis media. Otitis media was selected as it is associated with the development of sensorineural hearing loss and may affect cochlear implant outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective service improvement project evaluating the medical records of 594 people with a CI under the care of the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service between 2014 and 2020.

RESULTS

The clinical records are suitable for data science research. Of the cohort studied 20% of Adults and more than 40% of the paediatric cases have a history of middle ear inflammation.

DISCUSSION

Data science has potential to improve cochlear implant outcomes and improve understanding of the mechanisms underlying poor performance, through retrospective secondary analysis of real-world data.

CONCLUSION

Implant centres and the British Cochlear Implant Group National Hearing Implant Registry are urged to consider the importance of consistently and accurate recording of patient data over time for each CI user. Data where links to hearing loss have been identified, such as middle ear inflammation, may be particularly valuable in future analyses and to inform clinical trials.

The value of national arthroplasty registry data in 2023

The importance of registries has been brought into focus by recent UK national reports focusing on implant (Cumberlege) and surgeon (Paterson) performance. National arthroplasty registries provide real-time, real-world information about implant, hospital, and surgeon performance and allow case identification in the event of product recall or adverse surgical outcomes. They are a valuable resource for research and service improvement given the volume of data recorded and the longitunidal nature of data collection. This review discusses the current value of registry data as it relates to both clinical practice and research.

Do patient-reported outcome measures improve after aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty?

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study was to determine patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) changes in: (1) pain, function and global health; and (2) predictors of PROMs in patients undergoing aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA) using a multilevel model with patients nested within surgeon.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of 216 patients with baseline and 1-year PROMs who underwent aseptic rTHA between January 2016 and December 2017 were analysed. The most common indication for rTHA was aseptic loosening, instability, and implant failure. The PROMs included in this study were HOOS Pain and HOOS Physical Function Short-form (PS), Veterans RAND-12 Physical Component Score (VR-12 PCS), and VR-12 Mental Component Score (MCS). Multivariable linear regression models were constructed for predicting 1-year PROMs.

RESULTS

Mean 1-year PROMs improvement for aseptic revisions were 30.4 points for HOOS Pain and 22.1 points for HOOS PS. Predictors of better pain relief were patients with higher baseline pain scores. Predictors of better 1-year function were patients with higher baseline function and patients with a posterolateral hip surgical approach during revision. Although VR-12 PCS scores had an overall improvement, nearly 50% of patients saw no improvement or had worse physical component scores. Only 30.7% of patients reported improvements in VR-12 MCS.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, patients undergoing aseptic rTHA improved in pain and function PROMs at 1 year. Although global health assessment improved overall, nearly half of aseptic rTHA patients reported no change in physical/mental health status. The associations highlighted in this study can help guide the shared decision-making process by setting expectations before aseptic revision THA.

National Joint Registry recorded untoward intraoperative events during primary total hip arthroplasty: an investigation into the data accuracy, causal mechanisms and attributability

INTRODUCTION

Untoward intraoperative events occurring during total hip arthroplasty are recorded by the National Joint Registry through Minimum Data Set (MDS) forms. This data may be used to assess the safety of implants. The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the untoward intraoperative events, assess the mechanism and ascertain whether these events were attributable to the implants inserted.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis was undertaken of primary total hip arthroplasties performed between 2005 and 2018 in which an untoward intraoperative event was recorded.

RESULTS

Of 12,802 primary hip replacements, 64 patients (0.5%) had untoward intraoperative events recorded on the MDS form. In 43 of 64 cases, the intraoperative untoward event recorded on the MDS form matched the operation notes. Among these 43 cases, in 30 (69%) patients the intraoperative event could be attributed to the implant recorded. In the remaining 13 (31%) cases, the events recorded could not be attributed to the implant. In six cases, the untoward events were attributed to implants used to manage the events rather than the implants which caused them. In seven cases, the untoward events were related to surgical technique rather than to the implant or instrumentation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our analysis highlights that all untoward intraoperative events recorded on the NJR form are not implant related or attributable to the implant inserted. Provision should be made on the MDS form to clarify whether a particular untoward intraoperative event was related to the implant inserted.

The time is now: making the case for a UK registry of deployment of radiology artificial intelligence applications

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based healthcare applications (apps) are rapidly evolving, and radiology is a target specialty for their implementation. In this paper, we put the case for a national deployment registry to track the spread of AI apps into clinical use in radiology in the UK. By gathering data on the specific locations, purposes, and people associated with AI app deployment, such a registry would provide greater transparency on their spread in the radiology field. In combination with other regulatory and audit mechanisms, it would provide radiologists and patients with greater confidence and trust in AI apps. At the same time, coordination of this information would reduce costs for the National Health Service (NHS) by preventing duplication of piloting activities. This commentary discusses the need for a UK-wide registry for such apps, its benefits and risks, and critical success factors for its establishment. We conclude by noting that a critical window of opportunity has opened up for the development of a deployment registry, before the current pattern of localised clusters of activity turns into the widespread proliferation of AI apps across clinical practice.

Function and employment after total hip replacement in older adults: A narrative review

The burden of osteoarthritis (OA) has increased steadily due to an aging population, increasing life expectancy, obesity and lifestyle factors. Total hip replacement has become one of the most prevalent and successful operations globally and it is projected that demand will continue to grow as the incidence of OA continues to increase. Patients undergoing the operation expect much-improved function and pain relief but also increasingly need to return to work postoperatively, especially given the growing demand for the procedure and the encouragement of older people to continue working by most governments in the developed world. This review provides an overview of function and employment outcomes after hip arthroplasty. Despite the generally good success rate, some patients do not attain good functional outcomes and it is important that we develop ways to identify these patients preoperatively. We describe the effect of demographic, clinical and other factors on functional outcomes, as well as trajectories of physical function and pain recovery beyond the first few weeks after total hip replacement. Regarding employment outcomes, many people in work preoperatively are likely to resume to work after recovery; however, patients feel that they lack guidance from clinicians about returning to work postoperatively. Our review encompasses factors associated with return to work, timing of return to work, and potential temporary or permanent limitations that people might experience at work depending on type of employment.

The ethylene oxide sterilised Opera acetabular component demonstrates high rates of loosening and revision compared to the gamma irradiated Ogee cup: a cohort study demonstrating potential shortcomings of revision-based registry data

AIMS

To evaluate the long-term clinical outcomes of 2 cemented ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) acetabular components, with the main difference between the 2 components being their method of sterilisation.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Data was collected prospectively on 352 consecutive total hip replacements, performed between March 2000 and July 2004, at a single centre. A posterior approach was used with a cemented C-Stem femoral component (DePuy, Warsaw, IN, USA) in all cases and either the Ogee (DePuy, Warsaw, IN, USA) or the Opera (Smith & Nephew, Memphis, TN, USA) acetabular implant. Patients were reviewed clinically and radiologically with a median 12-year follow-up (6-16 years).

RESULTS

The risk of experiencing loosening was 90% lower for the Gamma irradiated implant (GII) group compared to the ethylene oxide sterilised implant (EOSI) group, which was statistically significant (p = 0.003), (HR 0.10; 95% CI, 0.02-0.45). The incidence of cup revision was also lower in the GII group (p = 0.029), but after adjustment for age, gender and BMI was not statistically significant (p = 0.104). 15-year survivorship with failure/loosening as an endpoint was 70.1% for the EOS implant and 92.9% for the GII (OR 4.99; CI 95%, 1.75-14.2) and with revision as an endpoint was 81.4% for the EOSI and 92.9% for the GII (OR 2.60; CI 95%, 0.87-7.75).

CONCLUSIONS

We report increased rates of loosening, revision and failure for the EOSI compared to the GII at long-term follow-up. This may have been attributable to the different sterilisation methods used.

Apparent trends in the use of femoral megaprostheses: an analysis from the National Joint Registry

BACKGROUND

Megaprosthetic replacement (MPR) of the femur is typically reserved for salvage or oncological reconstruction. Presently little is known about the provision of femoral MPRs performed nationally, the trends in indications for their use, and their outcomes beyond published unit-level data. Although the National Joint Registry (NJR) collects data as part of a mandatory arthroplasty audit process, MPR data entry on this platform is thought to be inconsistent. The aim of this study is to determine current trends for femoral MPR procedures as submitted to the NJR.

METHODS

Data for all procedures submitted to the NJR using the following implants were extracted: METS (Stanmore/Stryker), MUTARS (Implantcast), Segmental (Zimmer), GMRS (Stryker) and MEGA C (LINK). Pseudoanonymized data were analyzed through the NJR's research Data Access Portal and are reported using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

A total of 1781 procedures were identified. Submitted cases increased for primary and revision hip and knee categories over the study period, although they plateaued in recent years. MPR implants were most commonly used in revision hip arthroplasty procedures. MPR use for the management of peri-prosthetic fractures has increased and now represents the most commonly reported indication for MPR use in both hip and knee revision categories. Few centers submitted large MPR case volumes (which were noted to be lower than published unit case series, indicating NJR under-reporting), and the vast majority of centers submitting MPR cases did so in low volume.

CONCLUSIONS

Due to the limitations identified, reported case volumes must be interpreted with caution. An MPR-specific NJR data entry form has been developed to allow more accurate and tailored reporting of MPR procedures, to support specialist service provision, and to provide meaningful data for future research.

International Registries: U.K. National Joint Registry, Nordic Registries, and Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR)

National-level joint arthroplasty registries were among the first large orthopaedic surgery databases and represent some of the longest-running and most influential big databases in our profession. Nordic registries were among the first registries and were followed by excellent registries in the United Kingdom and Australia. In this article, we describe each of these registries and highlight the data elements collected, the data points that can be obtained by linking the national arthroplasty registries to other national registries or databases, the completeness of data, and the strengths and weaknesses of each database. Each of these registries publishes an annual report that is available online, and each also can do more detailed analysis of certain aspects of its data for special studies.When evaluating and interpreting data from national joint registries, the user should be aware that, despite the power of huge numbers, there remain numerous limitations to the observational data. Strong selection biases exist with regard to which patients are chosen for which procedure. Surgeons of different skill levels may use one technique or implant differentially compared with another. The end points that registries collect differ widely: for example, some report only hip dislocations leading to revision rather than all dislocations. Registries in countries in which there are long wait times for revision surgery may report artificially low revision rates compared with countries in which revision surgery is more easily accessible. Despite these limitations, registries have the merit of reporting the actual results of huge numbers of surgical procedures performed across the spectrum of hospitals, surgeons, and patients, making the data extremely powerful for identifying trends, identifying early signs of problems related to certain implants or implant classes, and identifying associations between variables that can be further studied to determine if the effect is causal.

Knee registries: state of the art

Sports injuries, trauma and the globally ageing and obese population require increasing levels of knee surgery. Shared decision making has replaced the paternalistic approach to patient management. Evidence-based medicine underpins surgical treatment strategies, from consenting an individual patient to national healthcare system design. The evolution of successful knee-related registries starting from specific arthroplasty registries has given rise to ligament reconstruction, osteotomy and cartilage surgery registries developing as platforms for surgical outcome data collection. Stakeholders include surgeons and their patients, researchers, healthcare systems, as well as the funding insurers and governments. Lately, implant manufacturers have also been mandated to perform postmarket surveillance with some hoping to base that on registry data. Aiming to assess the current status of knee-related registries, we performed a comprehensive literature and web search, which yielded 23 arthroplasty, 8 ligament, 4 osteotomy and 3 articular cartilage registries. Registries were evaluated for their scope, measured variables, impact and limitations. Registries have many advantages as they aim to increase awareness of outcomes; identify trends in practice over time, early failing implants, outlier surgeon or institution performance; and assist postmarketing surveillance. International collaborations have highlighted variations in practice. The limitations of registries are discussed in detail. Inconsistencies are found in collected data and measured variables. Potential measurement and selection biases are outlined. Without mandated data collection and with apparent issues such as unverified patient reporting of complications, registries are not designed to replace adverse event recording in place of a proper safety and efficacy study, as demanded by regulators. Registry 'big data' can provide evidence of associations of problems. However, registries cannot provide evidence of causation. Hence, without careful consideration of the data and its limitations, registry data are at risk of incorrectly drawn conclusions and the potential of misuse of the results. That must be guarded against. Looking at the future, registry operators benefit from a collective experience of running registries as they mature, allowing for improvements across specialties. Large-scale registries are not only of merit, improving with stakeholder acceptance, but also are critical in furthering our understanding of our patients' outcomes. In doing so, they are a critical element for our future scientific discourse.

From outcome measurement to improving health outcomes after lower limb amputation-A narrative review exploring outcome measurement from a clinical practice perspective

Outcome measurement is essential to understand the impact of clinical interventions and the performance of services. Despite national and professional body encouragement, and successful examples of system level outcome measurement within some health care settings, many barriers still exist preventing outcome measurement from becoming embedded in clinical practice. This paper presents a narrative review which aims to describe the state of the outcome measurement evidence base in prosthetic rehabilitation, as applied in clinical practice, with a view to identifying areas for future work aimed at making outcome measurement in prosthetic rehabilitation a meaningful reality. A literature search of four databases was undertaken, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis principals appropriate to narrative reviews, and using the search terms outcome, measur*, tool, scale, instrument, prosthe*, amput* and limb loss. A total of 1116 papers were identified. Following screening 35 papers, focusing on four main themes, were included in the review. Themes were: 1) What outcome domains should be measured? 2) How can these outcome domains be measured? 3) What are the barriers to outcome measurement? and 4) What can be learnt from examples of ROM in prosthetic rehabilitation? Findings suggest that successful outcome measurement is multifaceted. Understanding and embedding value at every step appears to be key to success. Addressing the questions of 'what' outcome domains to measure and 'how' to measure them, may help establish consensus. Routine outcome measurement practice at the clinical level should ensure data collection is valuable to clinical practice, makes use of information technology solutions and has organisational engagement.

Identification of Potential High-Risk Patients on the Basis of PROMs in a Certified Centre for Joint Replacement (EndoProthetikZentrum) Using the Example of Hip Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

In addition to clinical parameters, the subjective assessment by the patient to evaluate the operative outcome of an arthroplasty is becoming increasingly important. Questionnaires are used to identify patients who have not achieved the treatment goal at an early stage so that further interventions can be indicated.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A questionnaire consisting of different PROMs was completed pre- and 3 months postoperatively by patients who had been treated with a hip arthroplasty. A standardised follow-up examination of these patients was carried out 12 to 16 weeks postoperatively, after which it was determined whether further therapy was necessary to achieve the treatment goal. Different consequences were defined for this.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found between the groups of consequences of follow-up examinations over both time points, but also when postoperative scores were considered exclusively. Furthermore, the correlations for the postoperative scores and some consequences of the clinical follow-up for the Oxford Hip Score (OHS), the OHS functional score and the Euroquol-5D show moderate effects. Thus, the collection of these postoperative scores is sufficient to identify potential high risk patients. Based on a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, threshold values could be determined for these scores, for which a follow-up examination is recommended.

CONCLUSION

Patients who could not achieve functional improvement, pain reduction and improvement in quality of life after implantation of a total hip replacement must be identified at an early stage. The results of our study show that with the help of the Oxford Hip Score and Euroquol-5D, which are answered by the patients three months postoperatively, such high risk patients can be identified. This finding is an added value for the further development of the EndoCert certification system and holistic quality assurance in arthroplasties, while the personnel and time effort remain manageable.

Serious adverse event rates and reoperation after arthroscopic shoulder surgery: population based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To provide clinicians and patients with accurate risk estimates of serious adverse events after common elective shoulder arthroscopic procedures, including reoperation within one year.

DESIGN

Population based cohort study.

SETTING

Hospital Episode Statistics for NHS England, including civil registration mortality data from the Office for National Statistics.

PARTICIPANTS

288 250 arthroscopic shoulder procedures performed in 261 248 patients aged ≥16 years between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2017. Elective procedures were grouped into subacromial decompression, rotator cuff repair, acromioclavicular joint excision, glenohumeral stabilisation, and frozen shoulder release.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcomes were rates of serious adverse events (mortality, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, myocardial infarction, acute kidney injury, stroke, and urinary tract infection) requiring inpatient care within 90 days post-surgery. Secondary outcomes were specific adverse event rates at 90 days, and reoperations (including for deep infection) within one year.

RESULTS

The overall rate of complications within 90 days after arthroscopic shoulder surgery (including reoperation) was low at 1.2% (95% confidence interval 1.2% to 1.3%), with one in 81 patients at risk, and varied according to type of procedure, from 0.6% (0.5% to 0.8%) for glenohumeral stabilisation to 1.7% (1.5% to 1.8%) for frozen shoulder release. After adjustment for age, comorbidities, and sex, no effect of procedure type was observed. Pneumonia was the most common adverse event (0.3%, 0.3% to 0.4%), with one in 303 patients at risk. Pulmonary embolic events were rare, at 0.1% (0.1% to 0.1%), with one in 1428 patients at risk. At one year, the overall rate for reoperation was 3.8% (3.8% to 3.9%), with one in 26 patients at risk, ranging from 2.7% (2.5% to 3.0%) for glenohumeral stabilisation to 5.7% (5.4% to 6.1%) for frozen shoulder release. The overall rate of further surgery for deep infection was low, at 0.1% (0.1% to 0.1%), with one in 1111 patients at risk, but was higher after rotator cuff repair (0.2%, 0.2% to 0.2%), with one in 526 patients at risk. Over the study period the number of arthroscopic shoulder procedures increased, except for subacromial decompression, which decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that risks of serious adverse events associated with common shoulder arthroscopy procedures are low. Nevertheless, serious complications do occur, and include the risk of reoperation in one in 26 patients within one year.

STUDY REGISTRATION

Clinical.

TRIALS

gov NCT03573765.

What makes administrative data "research-ready"? A systematic review and thematic analysis of published literature

Introduction

Administrative data are a valuable research resource, but are under-utilised in the UK due to governance, technical and other barriers (e.g., the time and effort taken to gain secure data access). In recent years, there has been considerable government investment in making administrative data "research-ready", but there is no definition of what this term means. A common understanding of what constitutes research-ready administrative data is needed to establish clear principles and frameworks for their development and the realisation of their full research potential.

Objective

To define the characteristics of research-ready administrative data based on a systematic review and synthesis of existing literature.

Methods

On 29th June 2021, we systematically searched seven electronic databases for (1) peer-reviewed literature (2) related to research-ready administrative data (3) written in the English language. Following supplementary searches and snowball screening, we conducted a thematic analysis of the identified relevant literature.

Results

Overall, we screened 2,375 records and identified 38 relevant studies published between 2012 and 2021. Most related to administrative data from the UK and US and particularly to health data. The term research-ready was used inconsistently in the literature and there was some conflation with the concept of data being ready for statistical analysis. From the thematic analysis, we identified five defining characteristics of research-ready administrative data: (a) accessible, (b) broad, (c) curated, (d) documented and (e) enhanced for research purposes.

Conclusions

Our proposed characteristics of research-ready administrative data could act as a starting point to help data owners and researchers develop common principles and standards. In the more immediate term, the proposed characteristics are a useful framework for cataloguing existing research-ready administrative databases and relevant resources that can support their development.

Accuracy and quality of the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (BOFAS) Registry - Ankle Arthrodesis Pathway

BACKGROUND

This study investigated the completeness, accuracy, quality and clinical outcomes of the British Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (BOFAS) registry - Ankle Arthrodesis pathway.

METHODS

An observational study using retrospective data derived from the BOFAS registry. Adults aged ≥18 years with a record of undergoing ankle arthrodesis in the UK from 2014 to 31/10/2019 were included. Accuracy of data capture and completeness were explored using means, SD, medians and IQR for continuous variables and frequencies for categorical variables. The pre and post treatment pathway was evaluated by analysing Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) including MOXF-FQ scores for pain/walking/standing/social interaction; NRS pain; EQ-5D-5L; and EQ-5D-5L-Health VAS at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months.

RESULTS

Mean age of the study population (n = 186) was 62.3 (±12.9) years and 65% of the study cohort were male. Completeness of data collection was disappointing but variables such as BMI (62.4%) smoking status (82.3%) were reasonably well recorded. PROMs scores were well recorded at baseline but rapidly declined at 6 and 12-months intervals. Reductions in MOXFQ and NRS pain scores by 12 months following surgery were statistically significant (p = 0.001 and p = 0.008), illustrating that most patients demonstrated reductions in pain intensity, improved walking/standing ability, and social interaction.

CONCLUSION

These findings illustrate the potential effectiveness of surgery on all outcomes following ankle arthrodesis that merits evaluation in a clinical trial; but also demonstrated the difficulties in obtaining representative data sets. The analyses strongly suggest that with the improvements in data quality greater resources would bring, the BOFAS registry would become a valuable tool.

Release of individual surgeon data to the public: patients' and surgeons' views

BACKGROUND

Limited surgeon-specific outcomes data are currently released to the public. Existing schemes generally result from the recommendations of public enquiries, addressing breaches to patient safety and malpractice. We found limited evidence in the literature about patients' or orthopaedic surgeons' wishes regarding the release of such data to the public.

METHODS

We surveyed 80 joint replacement patients and 41 orthopaedic surgeons regarding their wishes concerning collection and release of individual surgeon data to the public.

RESULTS

Of 80 patients, 30% (24/80) were aware of data on the NHS-My Choices website, 16% (13/80) had reviewed data prior to operation and 95% (76/80) wanted data concerning surgeons' experience, length of stay and complications including revisions. Patients expected more current monitoring of data than occurs. Of 41 surgeons, 20% (8/41) thought national joint registry (NJR) derived data accurately reflected their NHS work. Surgeons did not think this data improved patient outcomes (34%, 14/41), and that it reduced innovation (61%, 25/41) and training (75%, 31/41) and increased risk of adverse behaviour (61%, 25/41). Surgeons wanted a minimal data set accurately presented and risk adjusted.

CONCLUSION

In the future, it is likely that more individual surgeon data will be released to the public. There needs to be an agreed, accurate minimum dataset collected, reviewed in local clinical governance meetings and published with explanatory notes regarding the interfering variables and what conclusions can be drawn regarding the ability of the surgeon. This process needs to be overseen by an independent body trusted by the public.

Mapping the Landscape of Surgical Registries in the United Kingdom: A Review According to the SWiM Methodology

BACKGROUND

Well-designed surgical registries are essential for high-quality patient centred evaluation of implantable devices and surgical procedures. The importance of registries was highlighted in the recent Cumberlege report that detailed important innovation failures such as the use of vaginal mesh. Many surgical registries exist, but it is currently unclear how different registries are funded, governed, designed, and how their databases are hosted and utilised. There is therefore a need to understand the variation and characteristics of existing surgical registries to identify limitations and make recommendations for improvement. This work aims to understand the characteristics and heterogeneity in the design, governance, and function of existing surgical registries in the United Kingdom (UK).

METHODS

Existing surgical registries will be identified using multiple data sources including surgical society websites; search engine review; a targeted search of the Medline and Embase databases and expert knowledge. The data identified were reviewed following the synthesis without meta-analysis (SWiM) methodology. This information will be gathered from sources in the public domain only to fully understand registry transparency for professionals and the public. Details of each registry including disease area/condition/device evaluated; types of outcomes collected; governance, consent, and oversight; linkage to other datasets and funding will be extracted using a standardised data extraction tool. Characteristics of identified registries will be summarised into a narrative review.

DISSEMINATION

Findings will be presented at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. Results will be presented to key stakeholders including surgeons, methodologists, trialists, regulators, data managers and patients to provide an up-to-date description of the current state of surgical registries in the UK. This work will inform a consensus process to agree how the design of new and existing registries can be optimised to support high quality research to benefit patients and the NHS.

HIGHLIGHTS

Well-designed surgical registries are essential for high-quality patient centred evaluation of implantable devices and surgical proceduresPresently there is limited understanding on how these registries are designed, governed, what data they collect and how this data is utilised for research.This review aims to map the landscape of surgical registries in the UK, and understand how they are optimised for research.

Unicompartmental compared with total knee replacement for patients with multimorbidities: a cohort study using propensity score stratification and inverse probability weighting

BACKGROUND

Although routine NHS data potentially include all patients, confounding limits their use for causal inference. Methods to minimise confounding in observational studies of implantable devices are required to enable the evaluation of patients with severe systemic morbidity who are excluded from many randomised controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES

Stage 1 - replicate the Total or Partial Knee Arthroplasty Trial (TOPKAT), a surgical randomised controlled trial comparing unicompartmental knee replacement with total knee replacement using propensity score and instrumental variable methods. Stage 2 - compare the risk benefits and cost-effectiveness of unicompartmental knee replacement with total knee replacement surgery in patients with severe systemic morbidity who would have been ineligible for TOPKAT using the validated methods from stage 1.

DESIGN

This was a cohort study.

SETTING

Data were obtained from the National Joint Registry database and linked to hospital inpatient (Hospital Episode Statistics) and patient-reported outcome data.

PARTICIPANTS

Stage 1 - people undergoing unicompartmental knee replacement surgery or total knee replacement surgery who met the TOPKAT eligibility criteria. Stage 2 - participants with an American Society of Anesthesiologists grade of ≥ 3.

INTERVENTION

The patients were exposed to either unicompartmental knee replacement surgery or total knee replacement surgery.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome measure was the postoperative Oxford Knee Score. The secondary outcome measures were 90-day postoperative complications (venous thromboembolism, myocardial infarction and prosthetic joint infection) and 5-year revision risk and mortality. The main outcome measures for the health economic analysis were health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5 Dimensions) and NHS hospital costs.

RESULTS

In stage 1, propensity score stratification and inverse probability weighting replicated the results of TOPKAT. Propensity score adjustment, propensity score matching and instrumental variables did not. Stage 2 included 2256 unicompartmental knee replacement patients and 57,682 total knee replacement patients who had severe comorbidities, of whom 145 and 23,344 had linked Oxford Knee Scores, respectively. A statistically significant but clinically irrelevant difference favouring unicompartmental knee replacement was observed, with a mean postoperative Oxford Knee Score difference of < 2 points using propensity score stratification; no significant difference was observed using inverse probability weighting. Unicompartmental knee replacement more than halved the risk of venous thromboembolism [relative risk 0.33 (95% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.74) using propensity score stratification; relative risk 0.39 (95% confidence interval 0.16 to 0.96) using inverse probability weighting]. Unicompartmental knee replacement was not associated with myocardial infarction or prosthetic joint infection using either method. In the long term, unicompartmental knee replacement had double the revision risk of total knee replacement [hazard ratio 2.70 (95% confidence interval 2.15 to 3.38) using propensity score stratification; hazard ratio 2.60 (95% confidence interval 1.94 to 3.47) using inverse probability weighting], but half of the mortality [hazard ratio 0.52 (95% confidence interval 0.36 to 0.74) using propensity score stratification; insignificant effect using inverse probability weighting]. Unicompartmental knee replacement had lower costs and higher quality-adjusted life-year gains than total knee replacement for stage 2 participants.

LIMITATIONS

Although some propensity score methods successfully replicated TOPKAT, unresolved confounding may have affected stage 2. Missing Oxford Knee Scores may have led to information bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Propensity score stratification and inverse probability weighting successfully replicated TOPKAT, implying that some (but not all) propensity score methods can be used to evaluate surgical innovations and implantable medical devices using routine NHS data. Unicompartmental knee replacement was safer and more cost-effective than total knee replacement for patients with severe comorbidity and should be considered the first option for suitable patients.

FUTURE WORK

Further research is required to understand the performance of propensity score methods for evaluating surgical innovations and implantable devices.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial is registered as EUPAS17435.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 66. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Systematic review of the introduction, early phase study and evaluation of pyrocarbon proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

In 2002 a pyrocarbon interphalangeal joint implant was granted Food and Drug Administration approval with limited evidence of effectiveness. It is important to understand device use and outcomes since this implant entered clinical practice in order to establish incremental evidence, appropriate study design and reporting. This systematic review summarised and appraised studies reporting pyrocarbon proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty.

METHODS

Systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, BIOSIS, CINAHL and CENTRAL from inception to November 2020. All study designs reporting pyrocarbon proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty in humans were included. Data extracted included information about study characteristics, patient selection, regulatory (gaining research ethics approval) and governance issues (reporting of conflicting interests), operator and centre experience, technique description and outcome reporting. Descriptive and narrative summaries were reported.

RESULTS

From 4316 abstracts, 210 full-text articles were screened. A total of 38 studies and 1434 (1-184) patients were included. These consisted of three case reports, 24 case series, 10 retrospective cohort studies and one randomised trial. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were stated in 25 (66%) studies. Most studies (n = 27, 71%) gained research ethics approval to be conducted. Six studies reported conflicting interests. Experience of operating surgeons was reported in nine (24%) and caseload volume in five studies. There was no consensus about the optimal surgical approach. Technical aspects of implant placement were reported frequently (n = 32) but the detail provided varied widely. Studies reported multiple, heterogenous outcomes. The most commonly reported outcome was range of motion (n = 37).

CONCLUSIONS

This systematic review identified inconsistencies in how studies describing the early use and update of an innovative procedure were reported. Incremental evidence was lacking, risking the implant being adopted without robust evaluation. This review adds to evidence highlighting the need for more rigorous evaluation of how implantable medical devices are used in practice following licencing.

The Impact of the Largest National Joint Registry on Current Knee Replacement Longevity Estimates: An Analysis and Review of Knee Prosthesis Brand and Fixation Technique

BACKGROUND

The UK National Joint Registry is the single largest joint registry in the world enrolling 1.3 million patients and recently reaching 17 years of follow-up data. Current knee prosthesis longevity estimates are based off smaller sized international registries and the impact of fixation type on prosthesis survival remains unclear.

METHODS

We used the UK National Joint Registry 17th annual report to calculate pooled mean survival estimates of total knee replacements (TKRs), unicondylar knee replacements (UKRs), and patellofemoral knee replacements at 10 and 15 years based on both construct brand and fixation technique (cemented vs uncemented). Independent t-testing was performed for significance.

RESULTS

All-cause survivorship of TKRs at 10 and 15 years is 96.7% and 95.4%, respectively. For UKRs it is 89.8% and 80.7% and for patellofemoral knee replacements it is 81.6% and 76.5%. In regard to fixation technique, cemented and uncemented TKRs show similar survivorship at both time points. For UKRs uncemented constructs showed improved survivorship compared to cemented at 10 years (92.7% vs 88.2%, P < .001). This was greatest among those <65 years of age. In fact, all construct types regardless of fixation showed increased rate of revision in those <65 years vs those ≥65 years.

CONCLUSION

We provide more accurate estimations for knee prosthesis survival and highlight that younger patients, particularly those receiving UKRs, are prone to greater revision risks. This data also suggests that uncemented fixation may offer improved joint survival in these patients.

Temporal changes in sleep quality and knee function following primary total knee arthroplasty: a prospective study

PURPOSE

Several patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) have been used to assess improvement in the quality of life following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, there is paucity of studies evaluating the sleep quality and knee function following TKA. The primary aim of our study was to evaluate the sleep quality and knee function in primary TKA patients using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Knee Society Score (KSS), respectively. The secondary aim was to assess the correlation between the two outcome measures over the course of first post-operative year following TKA.

METHODS

One hundred sixty-eight patients (female-140/male-28) with mean age of 64.63 years (± 7.50) who underwent 168 primary unilateral TKA using a cemented posterior-stabilised implant without patella resurfacing between June 2018 and October 2018 were included in the study. Global PSQI and KSS were recorded pre-operatively and post-operatively weekly up to six weeks and at one year. Body mass index (BMI) and Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) were recorded during pre-operative assessment.

RESULTS

Mean(± SD) BMI and CCI were 28.45(± 4.64) and 2.48(± 0.93), respectively. Pre-operative global PSQI of 1.98(± 0.97) increased to 13.48(± 3.36) in the first post-operative week (p < 0.001) and remained high during all the six weeks following TKA (p < 0.001), whereas at the first post-operative year, it reduced to 2.10(± 1.15) (p = 0.15). Pre-operative KSS of 52.00(± 9.98) increased to 71.67(± 6.58) and 85.49(± 4.67) at 6 weeks and the first post-operative year respectively (p < 0.001). Pre-operative global PSQI had moderate correlation with pre-operative KSS (r = 0.39) (p < 0.001). Strong correlation was noted between pre-operative global PSQI and six week post-operative KSS (r = 0.47) (p < 0.001). Low correlation was noted between pre-operative global PSQI and KSS at the first post-operative year (r = 0.10, p = 0.19) following TKA. Multiple regression analysis revealed age, CCI, and pre-operative range of motion as independent predictors of global PSQI.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients undergoing TKA experience changes in sleep quality but report an overall improvement in knee function during the first post-operative year. Sleep quality has moderate to strong correlation with knee function in the early post-operative period beyond which there is a low correlation with knee function thereby suggesting a transient phenomenon. Hence patients undergoing TKA can be appropriately counselled regarding the variation in sleep quality in the post-operative period and reassured accordingly.

Factors influencing periprosthetic femoral fracture risk

AIMS

Periprosthetic femoral fractures (PPF) are a serious complication of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and are becoming an increasingly common indication for revision arthroplasty with the ageing population. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors for PPF based on an analysis of registry data.

METHODS

Cases recorded with PPF as the primary indication for revision arthroplasty in the German Arthroplasty Registry (Endoprothesenregister Deutschland (EPRD)), as well as those classified as having a PPF according to the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes in patients' insurance records were identified from the complete datasets of 249,639 registered primary hip arthroplasties in the EPRD and included in the analysis.

RESULTS

The incidence of PPFs was higher (24.6%; 1,483) than reported in EPRD annual reports listing PPF as the main reason for revision (10.9%; 654). The majority of fractures occurred intraoperatively and were directly related to the implantation process. Patients who were elderly, female, or had comorbidities were at higher risk of PPFs (p < 0.001). German hospitals with a surgical volume of < 300 primary procedures per year had a higher rate of PPFs (p < 0.001). The use of cemented and collared prostheses had a lower fracture risk PPF compared to uncemented and collarless components, respectively (both p < 0.001). Collared prostheses reduced the risk of PPF irrespective of the fixation method and hospital's surgical volume.

CONCLUSION

The high proportion of intraoperative fractures emphasises the need to improve surgeon training and surgical technique. Registry data should be interpreted with caution because of potential differences in coding standards between institutions. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(4):650-658.

The reasons for ceramic-on-ceramic revisions between the third- and fourth-generation bearings in total hip arthroplasty from multicentric registry data

This study aimed to evaluate (1) the overall reasons for first revision in CoC THAs; (2) whether the reasons for revision differ between third-generation and fourth-generation CoC THAs; and (3) the specific factors associated with bearing-related problems as the reason for revision. We retrospectively reviewed 2045 patients (2194 hips) who underwent first revision THA between 2004 and 2013, among which 146 hips with CoC bearings underwent revision. There were 92 hips with third-generation ceramic bearings and 54 hips with fourth-generation ceramic bearings. The major reasons for CoC THA revisions were ceramic fracture and loosening of the cup or stem. When ceramic fracture, squeaking, incorrect ceramic insertion, and unexplained pain were defined as directly related or potentially related to ceramic use, 28.8% (42/146) of CoC revisions were associated with bearing-related problems. Among the third-generation ceramic bearings, revision was performed in 41.3% (38/92) of cases owing to bearing-related problems whereas revisions were performed for only 7.4% (4/54) of cases with fourth-generation ceramic bearings owing to bearing-related problems (p < 0.001). Younger age, lower American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade, and preoperative diagnosis of osteonecrosis were factors related to CoC THA revisions due to bearing-related problems.

The impact of a spinal best practice tariff on compliance with the British Spine Registry

Aims

The British Spine Registry (BSR) was introduced in May 2012 to be used as a web-based database for spinal surgeries carried out across the UK. Use of this database has been encouraged but not compulsory, which has led to a variable level of engagement in the UK. In 2019 NHS England and NHS Improvement introduced a new Best Practice Tariff (BPT) to encourage input of spinal surgical data on the BSR. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of the spinal BPT on compliance with the recording of surgical data on the BSR.

Methods

A retrospective review of data was performed at a tertiary spinal centre between 2018 to 2020. Data were collated from electronic patient records, theatre operating lists, and trust-specific BSR data. Information from the BSR included operative procedures (mandatory), patient consent, email addresses, and demographic details. We also identified Healthcare Resource Groups (HRGs) which qualified for BPT.

Results

A total of 3,587 patients were included in our study. Of these, 1,684 patients were eligible for BPT. Between 2018 and 2019 269/974 (28%) records were complete on the BSR for those that would be eligible for BPT. Following introduction of BPT in 2019, 671/710 (95%) records were complete having filled in the mandatory data (p < 0.001). Patient consent to data collection also improved from 62% to 93%. Email details were present in 43% of patients compared with 68% following BPT introduction.

Conclusion

Our study found that following the introduction of a BPT, there was a statistically significant improvement in BSR record completion compliance in our unit. The BPT offers a financial incentive which can help generate further income for trusts. National data input into the BSR is important to assess patient outcome following spinal surgery. The BSR can also aid future research in spinal surgery.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2021;2-3:198–201.

The Association Between Surgeon Age and Early Surgical Complications of Elective Total Hip Arthroplasty: Propensity-Matched Cohort Study (122,043 Patients)

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between surgeon age and early surgical complications following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA), within a year, in Ontario, Canada.

METHODS

In a propensity-matched cohort, we defined consecutive adults who received their first primary THA for osteoarthritis (2002-2018). We obtained hospital discharge abstracts, patient's demographics and physician claims. Age of the primary surgeon was determined for each procedure and used as a continuous variable for spline analysis, and as a categorical variable for subsequent matching (young <45; middle-age 45-55; older >55). The primary outcome was early surgical complications (revision, dislocation, infection). Secondary analyses included high-volume vs low-volume surgeons (≤35 THA per year).

RESULTS

We identified 122,043 THA recipients, 298 surgeons with median age 49 years. Younger, middle-aged, and older surgeons performed 39%, 29%, and 32% THAs, respectively. Middle-aged surgeons had the lowest rate of complications. Younger surgeons had a higher risk of composite complications (odds ratio [OR] 1.25, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09-1.44, P = .002), revision (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07-1.54, P = .007), and infection (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.12-1.71, P = .003). Older surgeons also had higher risk for composite complications (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.03-1.36, P = .019), revision (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.10-1.62, P = .004), and dislocation (OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.08-1.73, P = .009). However, when excluding low-volume surgeons, older high-volume surgeons had similar complications to middle-aged surgeons.

CONCLUSION

Younger surgeons (<45 years) had the highest recorded complications rate while the lowest rate was for surgeons aged 45-55. Volume rather than age was more important in determining rate of complications of older surgeons.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Awareness of performance on outcomes after total hip and knee arthroplasty among Dutch orthopedic surgeons: how to improve feedback from arthroplasty registries

Background and purpose - The Netherlands Registry of Orthopedic Implants (LROI) uses audit and feedback (A&F) as the strategy to improve performance outcomes after total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA). Effectiveness of A&F depends on awareness of below-average performance to initiate improvement activities. We explored the awareness of Dutch orthopedic surgeons regarding their performance on outcomes after THA/TKA and factors associated with this awareness.Methods - An anonymous questionnaire was sent to all 445 eligible Dutch orthopedic surgeons performing THA/TKA. To assess awareness on own surgeon-group performance, they were asked whether their 1-year THA/TKA revision rates over the past 2 years were below average (negative outlier), average (non-outlier), above average (positive outlier) in the funnel plot on the LROI dashboard, or did not know. Associations were determined with (1) dashboard login at least once a year (yes/no); (2) correct funnel-plot interpretation (yes/no) and; (3) recall of their 1-year THA/TKA revision rate (yes/no).Results - 44% of respondents started the questionnaire, 158 THA and 156 TKA surgeons. 55% of THA surgeons and 55% of TKA surgeons were aware of their performance. Surgeons aware of their performance more often logged in on the LROI dashboard, more often interpreted funnel plots correctly, and more often recalled their revision rate. 38% of THA and 26% of TKA surgeons scored "good" on all 3 outcomes.Interpretation - Only half of the orthopedic surgeons were aware of their performance status regarding outcomes after THA/TKA. This suggests that to increase awareness, orthopedic surgeons need to be actively motivated to look at the dashboard more frequently and educated on interpretation of funnel plots for audit and feedback to be effective.

Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (Pain, Function, and Quality of Life) After Aseptic Revision Total Knee Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

Despite the growing frequency of revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA), there is limited information regarding patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) after that procedure. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine (1) PROM improvements in pain, function, quality of life (QOL), and global health and (2) predictors of PROMs for patients undergoing aseptic rTKA as determined using a multilevel model with patients nested within surgeons.

METHODS

A prospective cohort of 246 patients who underwent aseptic rTKA from January 2016 to December 2017 and had baseline and 1-year postoperative PROMs were analyzed. The most common surgical indications were aseptic loosening (n = 109), instability (n = 73), and implant failure (n = 64). The PROMs included in this study were the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)-Pain, -Physical Function Short Form (PS), and -Quality of Life (QOL) as well as the Veterans Rand-12 (VR-12) Physical Component Summary (PCS) and Mental Component Summary (MCS). Multivariable linear regression models with patients nested within surgeons were constructed for predicting change in PROMs from baseline to 1 year.

RESULTS

The mean 1-year postoperative improvements in the KOOS-Pain and PS PROMs were 30.3 and 19.15 points, respectively, for the overall rTKA series. Improvement in the KOOS-Pain was associated with older age, baseline arthrofibrosis, lower baseline pain, and non-Medicare/Medicaid insurance and worsening of the scores was associated with multiple prior surgical procedures and instability. Improvement in the KOOS-PS was associated with baseline arthrofibrosis and female sex and worsening was associated with limited baseline function, an instability diagnosis, multiple prior surgical procedures, and increased hospital length of stay (LOS). Overall, the mean KOOS-QOL improved by 29.7 points. Although the mean VR-12 PCS improved, 54.9% of the patients saw no clinical improvement. Additionally, only 31.3% of the patients reported improvements in the VR-12 MCS. A multilevel mixed-effects model with patients/operations nested within surgeons demonstrated that the differences in the surgeons' results were minimal and explained only ∼1.86%, ∼1.12%, and ∼1.65% of the KOOS-Pain, KOOS-PS, and KOOS-QOL variance that was not explained by other predictors, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, patients undergoing aseptic rTKA had improvements in pain, function, and QOL PROMs at 1 year. Although overall QOL improved, other global-health PROMs remained unchanged. The associations highlighted in this study can help guide the preoperative clinical decision-making process by setting expectations before aseptic rTKA.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Evaluating quality in clinical care

Defining and maintaining quality is essential to surgical practice. It is only through structured approaches to assessing outcomes that we can ensure that optimal care is delivered. This article will define quality in healthcare and discuss assessment models with reference to pertinent surgical literature. National initiatives are discussed with a critical appraisal of their role and effectiveness. We discuss the aim of quality improvement initiatives and comment on reporting of outcomes. The difficult question of how to maintain quality during a crisis, such as an infectious disease pandemic, is addressed.

Population-based effect of total knee arthroplasty alignment on simulated tibial bone remodeling

Periprosthetic bone loss is an important factor in tibial implant failure mechanisms in total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of postoperative knee alignment and population variation on tibial bone remodeling, to assess long-term stability of a knee replacement. Strain-adaptive finite element (FE) remodeling simulations were conducted following kinematic and mechanical alignment of a cemented fixed-bearing implant after TKA; kinematic TKA alignment was assumed to be more consistent with the preoperative varus alignment, while mechanical alignment was defined according to the neutral mechanical axes. To account for the effect of tibial variation on the outcome, bone remodeling was considered over a population of 47 subjects. Bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed over three regions of interest (ROIs); medial, lateral and distal. The two proximal ROIs showed an average decrease in BMD in both alignments after two years. Greater overall proximal bone loss was found in the mechanical postoperative knees in comparison with kinematically aligned implants. Bone resorption was also concentrated more medially in mechanical alignment: increased medial ROI bone loss was found in every subject compared to kinematic alignment; while in the lateral ROI, higher regional two-year BMD was found in 39 of the 47 cases (82.9%) following mechanical alignment. Two distinct remodeling pathways were identified over both alignments, based on the variance in density change over the population; displaying predominant bone apposition either around the distal tip of the keel or at the lateral cortex. This study demonstrates that correction of native varus alignment to neutral mechanical alignment leads to an increase in medial bone resorption. Large variation between specimens illustrates the benefit of population-based FE analyses over single model studies.

Factors associated with implant survival following total hip replacement surgery: A registry study of data from the National Joint Registry of England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man

BACKGROUND

Nearly 100,000 people underwent total hip replacement (THR) in the United Kingdom in 2018, and most can expect it to last at least 25 years. However, some THRs fail and require revision surgery, which results in worse outcomes for the patient and is costly to the health service. Variation in the survival of THR implants has been observed between units and reducing this unwarranted variation is one focus of the "Getting it Right First Time" (GIRFT) program in the UK. We aimed to investigate whether the statistically improved implant survival of THRs in a high-performing unit is associated with the implants used or other factors at that unit, such as surgical skill.

METHODS AND FINDINGS

We analyzed a national, mandatory, prospective, cohort study (National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man [NJR]) of all THRs performed in England and Wales. We included the 664,761 patients with records in the NJR who have received a stemmed primary THR between 1 April 2003 and 31 December 2017 in one of 461 hospitals, with osteoarthritis as the only indication. The exposure was the unit (hospital) in which the THR was implanted. We compared survival of THRs implanted in the "exemplar" unit with THRs implanted anywhere else in the registry. The outcome was revision surgery of any part of the THR construct for any reason. Net failure was calculated using Kaplan-Meier estimates, and adjusted analyses employed flexible parametric survival analysis. The mean age of patients contributing to our analyses was 69.9 years (SD 10.1), and 61.1% were female. Crude analyses including all THRs demonstrated better implant survival at the exemplar unit with an all-cause construct failure of 1.7% (95% CI 1.3-2.3) compared with 2.9% (95% CI 2.8-3.0) in the rest of the country after 13.9 years (log-rank test P < 0.001). The same was seen in analyses adjusted for age, sex, and American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score (difference in restricted mean survival time 0.12 years [95% CI 0.07-0.16; P < 0.001]). Adjusted analyses restricted to the same implants as the exemplar unit show no demonstrable difference in restricted mean survival time between groups after 13.9 years (P = 0.34). A limitation is that this study is observational and conclusions regarding causality cannot be inferred. Our outcome is revision surgery, and although important, we recognize it is not the only marker of success of a THR.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that the "better than expected" implant survival results of this exemplar center are associated with implant choice. The survival results may be replicated by adopting key treatment decisions, such as implant selection. These decisions are easier to replicate than technical skills or system factors.

Overview of Randomized Controlled Trials in Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty (34,020 Patients): What Have We Learnt?

Aim:

To provide an overview of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in primary total hip arthroplasty summarizing the available high-quality evidence.

Materials and Methods:

Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), we searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (2020, Issue 1), Ovid MEDLINE, and Embase. We excluded nonrandomized trials, trials on neck of femur fractures or revision surgery, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses. Trials that met our inclusion criteria were assessed using a binary outcome measure of whether they reported statistically significant findings. These were then classified according to the intervention groups (surgical approach, fixation, and component design use, among others).

Results:

Three hundred twelve RCTs met the inclusion criteria and were included. The total number of patients in those 312 RCTs was 34,020. Sixty-one RCTs (19.5%) reported significant differences between the intervention and the control groups. The trials were grouped into surgical approach 72, fixation 7, cement 16, femoral stem 46, head sizes 5, cup design 18, polyethylene 25, bearing surfaces 30, metal-on-metal 30, resurfacing 20, navigation 15, robotics 3, surgical technique 12, and closure/drains/postoperative care 13 RCTs.

Discussion:

The evidence reviewed indicates that for the vast majority of patients, a standard conventional total hip arthroplasty with a surgical approach familiar to the surgeon using standard well-established components and highly cross-linked polyethylene leads to satisfactory clinical outcomes. This evidence also offers arthroplasty surgeons the flexibility to use the standard and cost-effective techniques and achieve comparable outcomes.

The effect of advisory documents on mid-urethral sling case acquisition to the British Society Urogynaecology (BSUG) database in England

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS

Many advisory documents have recommended uploading of all mid-urethral sling (MUS) cases onto the British Society of Urogynaecology (BSUG) or British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS) database. The aim of this study was to determine whether these documents have resulted in an increase in database case acquisition for MUS surgery.

METHOD

We determined the number of cases uploaded onto the BSUG and BAUS databases and cases acquired by Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) over the period January 2011-March 2017 for the 6 months prior to each document and 6 months afterwards.

RESULTS

There was an upsurge in data acquisition in 2013, which then declined after year end. There was a significant upsurge in case acquisition associated with the following documents: NHS Medical Director letter (p < 0.00001), the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) audit (p < 0.00001). There was a significant drop in case acquisition following the end of the HQIP audit (p < 0.00001) and the Mesh Working Group Interim report (p = 0.00325).

CONCLUSION

There was a significant increase in case acquisition with the HQIP audit and decline after it. The significant increase in case acquisition seen after the NHS MD letter in November 2012 may have been due to an overlap in the data capture between it and the HQIP audit. The levels of case acquisition do not compare to registries that are essentially compulsory and therefore we believe that voluntary databases are not effective for device post-market surveillance.

Survivorship and Radiological Analysis of a Monoblock, Hydroxyapatite-Coated Titanium Stem in Revision Hip Arthroplasty

BACKGROUND

We evaluated the survivorship, incidence of complications, radiological subsidence, proximal stress shielding, and patient-reported outcomes of a conservative, monoblock, hydroxyapatite-coated femoral stem.

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study reports on 254 revision hip arthroplasties between January 2006 and June 2016. The mean age of patients was 71 years. The mean length of follow-up was 62 months (range 12-152).

RESULTS

There were 13 stem re-revisions: infection (4), periprosthetic fracture (4), aseptic stem loosening (3), stem fracture (1), and extended trochanteric osteotomy nonunion (1). Kaplan-Meier aseptic stem survivorship was 97.33% (confidence interval 94-100) at 6 years. There were 29 intraoperative fractures. There were 6 cases of subsidence greater than 10 mm; however, none required revision. Ninety-six percent of cases showed no proximal stress shielding. Thigh pain was reported in 3% of cases.

CONCLUSION

This study confirms that this stem provides good survivorship at 6 years, acceptable complication rates, adequate proximal bone loading, low incidences of thigh pain, and reliable clinical performance in revision hip arthroplasty.

KEY MESSAGE

A monoblock, fully hydroxyapatite-coated titanium stem is reliable in revision arthroplasty with mild-moderate femur deficiencies.