Effect of glucosamine sulfate on intraocular pressure in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A prospective randomized controlled trial

PURPOSE

Glucosamine sulfate is one of the treatment options for patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. It has been postulated that glucosamine sulfate affects intraocular pressure (IOP). This study aimed to evaluate the effect of crystalline glucosamine sulfate on IOP in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.

METHODS

Forty-two patients with osteoarthritis of the knee were randomized into two groups. The first group of patients received 1500mg of crystalline glucosamine sulfate once daily for 6 months and the conventional treatment protocol. The second group of patients received only the conventional treatment protocol. IOP was recorded at the start of the study and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 9 months.

RESULTS

The patient demographic data were not different between the two groups. There were no differences in the IOPs between the groups (P>0.05) nor differences in baseline IOPs within each group compared with each follow-up visit (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Glucosamine sulfate is still an option without significant concern over elevated IOP in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee and normal ocular pressure.

Inhibitory effects of vancomycin and fosfomycin on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from antibiotic-impregnated articulating cement spacers

Objectives

Vancomycin and fosfomycin are antibiotics commonly used to treat methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection. This study compares the in vitro inhibitory effects against MRSA of articulating cement spacers impregnated with either vancomycin or fosfomycin.

Methods

Vancomycin-impregnated articulating cement spacers and fosfomycin-impregnated articulating cement spacers were immersed in sterile phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solutions and then incubated. Samples were collected for bioactivity evaluation. The aliquots were tested for MRSA inhibition with the disc diffusion method, and the inhibition zone diameters were measured. The inhibition zone differences were evaluated using the Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test.

Results

The vancomycin group had significantly larger inhibition zones than the fosfomycin group from day three through to completion of the fourth week of incubation (p < 0.001). The vancomycin group exhibited a MRSA inhibition zone up to four weeks but the fosfomycin group showed an inhibition zone for only three days and after that did not show the the potential to inhibit MRSA.

Conclusion

This in vitro study found that the inhibitory effect of vancomycin-impregnated articulating cement spacers against MRSA outperformed fosfomycin-impregnated articulating cement spacers. Further comparing our results to other published reports suggests there might be a limitation of the disc diffusion bioassay to show a large inhibitory zone in a high concentration of a highly soluble antibiotic.

Cite this article: V. Yuenyongviwat, N. Ingviya, P. Pathaburee, B. Tangtrakulwanich. Inhibitory effects of vancomycin and fosfomycin on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus from antibiotic-impregnated articulating cement spacers. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:132–136. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.63.2000639.

A randomised controlled trial comparing skin closure in total knee arthroplasty in the same knee: nylon sutures versus skin staples

OBJECTIVES

Nylon sutures and skin staples are used commonly in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) surgical wound closure. However, there is no study that compares the wound healing efficacy and patient satisfaction scores of both techniques in the same knee.

METHODS

We randomised 70 patients who underwent primary TKA into two groups. In one group of 34 patients, the skin at the upper half of the wound was closed with skin staples and the lower half of the wound was closed with simple interrupted nylon sutures. In the other group of 36 patients, the skin at the upper half of the wound was closed with nylon stitches and the lower half of the wound was closed with skin staples. We recorded the wound closure time, pain score at the time of stitch removal, wound complication rate, patient satisfaction score, and the Hollander wound evaluation score at the post-operative periods of five days, 14 days, six weeks, three months, and six months. Each half wound was analysed separately.

RESULTS

The mean patient body mass index was 26.8 kg/m(2) (standard deviation 6.3). A total of 70 nylon stitched wounds and 70 skin stapled wounds were analysed. There were no significant differences in wound complication rates, patient satisfaction score, and the Hollander wound evaluation score between both types of wounds (p > 0.05). The wound closure time for skin stapled wounds was significantly lower than the nylon stitched wounds (p < 0.001). However, the skin stapled wounds had a significantly higher pain score at the time of stitch removal (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Skin staples and nylon stitches had comparable results with respect to wound healing and patient satisfaction in TKA wound closure in non-obese patients. The benefit of skin staples over nylon stitches was a decrease in operative time, but was more painful upon removal.Cite this article: V. Yuenyongviwat. A randomised controlled trial comparing skin closure in total knee arthroplasty in the same knee: nylon sutures versus skin staples. Bone Joint Res 2016;5:185-190. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.55.2000629.

The efficacy of methotrexate-impregnated hydroxyapatite composites on human mammary carcinoma cells

PURPOSE

To investigate the efficacy of local biodegradable composites of hydroxyapatite, plaster of Paris, and a binder of either alginate or chitosan impregnated with methotrexate on human mammary carcinoma cells.

METHODS

An in vitro analysis of drug dissolution and a cytotoxicity test on human mammary carcinoma cells were performed over one month. Physicochemical properties of each composite were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Both composites with a binder of either alginate or chitosan could release methotrexate for over one month. The amount of methotrexate released depended on the amount of methotrexate loaded. The composite using alginate as a binder released a significantly greater amount of methotrexate than that using chitosan as a binder (p<0.05). The elution of both composites showed favourable cytotoxicity when the concentration was greater than 5 microg/ml.

CONCLUSION

Methotrexate-impregnated hydroxyapatite composites appear to be effective local skeletal methotrexate delivery systems against human mammary carcinoma cells in an in vitro model.