Alisina Shahi

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) remains a challenge despite a wide variety of available diagnostic tests. The question that arises is which of these tests has a better performance for diagnosing PJI. Diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) has been described as the best indicator for test performance. METHODS: To compare the performance of the standard diagnostic tests, the DOR of serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP), synovial fluid (SF) white blood cell (WBC) count, SF polymorphonuclear (PMN%), and leukocyte esterase (LE) were calculated...

BACKGROUND: Leukocyte esterase (LE) is a rapid, point-of-care test for periprosthetic joint infection. The purpose of this study was to provide a tool for interpreting LE based on an initial serologic screening. METHODS: We reviewed the records of 319 patients who had erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) screening before hip or knee aspiration; 102 had elevated ESR and CRP levels, 64 had an elevated ESR or CRP level, and 153 had normal serology...

The role of serum erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as the first line for evaluating a patient with periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has been debunked.We are living in the era of biomarkers for the diagnosis of PJI, and to that effect, several biomarkers have been introduced such as synovial fluid alpha defensin and leukocyte esterase.The synovial fluid leukocyte esterase test has a low cost, is accessible, and has provided promising results for diagnosing PJI.There is an urgent need for an accurate and reliable serum biomarker for diagnosing patients with PJI...

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a potentially preventable and costly complication after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The in-hospital incidence and economic burden of VTE following total joint arthroplasty (TJA) in the United States is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine this issue. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to estimate the total number of THA, TKA, and VTE events using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision procedure codes from years 2002 to 2011...

BACKGROUND: While periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) has a huge impact on patient function and health, only a few studies have investigated its impact on mortality. The purpose of this large-scale study was to (1) determine the rate and trends of in-hospital mortality for PJI and (2) compare the in-hospital mortality rate of patients with PJI and those undergoing revision arthroplasty for aseptic failure and patients undergoing other nonorthopedic major surgical procedures. METHODS: Data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2010 were analyzed to determine the risk of in-hospital mortality for PJI patients compared with aseptic revision arthroplasty...

BACKGROUND: Abnormal patellar height is associated with anterior knee pain and several conditions that affect the patellofemoral joint. The aim of this study was to 1) report the incidence of patella alta and patella baja and 2) investigate whether the normal limits of the Insall-Salvati ratio is applicable in adult Middle-Easterners. METHODS: A radiographic review of the lateral radiographs of 736 Middle-Eastern knees were performed. Patellar tendon length (TL) and the patellar length (TP) was digitally measured and the ratios of these measures was used to calculate the Insall-Salvati ratio...

BACKGROUND: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is not uncommon after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Various prophylactic agents have been used to minimize this complication after TJA. Numerous studies have demonstrated that acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) has equivalent efficacy to other agents in preventing VTE after TJA. However, some have expressed theoretical concern that ASA may not be an adequate VTE prophylaxis in TJA patients receiving tranexamic acid (TA), which is an antifibrinolytic agent...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that the administration of antibiotics to patients before performing diagnostic testing for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) can interfere with the accuracy of test results. Although a single-institution study has suggested that alpha-defensin maintains its concentration and sensitivity even after antibiotic treatment, this has not yet been demonstrated in a larger multiinstitutional study. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: (1) For the evaluation of PJI, is prior antibiotic administration associated with decreased alpha-defensin levels? (2) When prior antibiotics are given, is alpha-defensin a better screening test for PJI than the traditional tests (erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR], C-reactive protein [CRP], fluid white blood cells, fluid polymorphonuclear cells [PMNs], and fluid culture)? METHODS: This retrospective study included data from 106 hip and knee arthroplasties with Musculoskeletal Infection Society-defined PJI from four centers...

BACKGROUND: Although thyroxine has an important role in modulating the immune system, it has not been associated with periprosthetic joint infection. This study was conceived to examine the association between hypothyroidism and periprosthetic joint infection (PIJ). METHODS: Using an institutional database, the preoperative comorbidities of 32,289 total joint arthroplasties performed between 2000 and 2013 were identified using an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision-based comorbidity index...

BACKGROUND: Little is known about trends and predictors of hardware related infection following open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of extremity fractures, one of the major causes of failure following ORIF. The present study was designed and conducted to determine trends and predictors of infection-related hardware removal following ORIF of extremities using a nationally representative database. METHODS: We used Nationwide Inpatient Sample data from 2002 to 2011 to identify cases of ORIF following upper and lower extremity fractures, as well as cases that underwent infection-related hardware removal following ORIF...

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a calamitous complication with high morbidity and substantial cost. The reported incidence is low but it is probably underestimated due to the difficulty in diagnosis. PJI has challenged the orthopaedic community for several years and despite all the advances in this field, it is still a real concern with immense impact on patients, and the healthcare system. Eradication of infection can be very difficult. Therefore, prevention remains the ultimate goal. The medical community has executed many practices with the intention to prevent infection and treat it effectively when it encounters...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Surgical equipment can become contaminated during surgery. It is unknown if electrocautery tips can become contaminated in clean orthopedic procedures despite the produced heat. Therefore, we conducted a prospective study to address this concern. The tips from 25 primary and 25 aseptic revision THAs were collected and an additional 5 sterile tips served as negative controls. Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were incubated for a minimum of 3 days. There were 3 positive cultures (6%); one in primary THA (4%) with Lactobacillus and Enterococcus faecalis; two among revisions (8%), one with E...

Intraoperative proximal femoral fracture is a complication of primary cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) at rates of 2.95-27.8%. A retrospective review of 2423 consecutive primary cementless THA cases identified 102 hips (96 patients) with fracture. Multivariate analysis compared fracture incidences between implants, Accolade (Stryker Orthopaedics) and Tri-Lock (DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc.), and evaluated potential risk factors using a randomized control group of 1150 cases without fracture. The fracture incidence was 4...

An isolated periprosthetic compression fracture following total knee arthroplasty has not been described in periprosthetic fracture classifications. Thus, the purpose is to describe this unique type of fracture based on clinical and radiographic analysis and identify the incidence and potential risk factors of this fracture. A retrospective chart review was performed from a database of 5864 primary total knee. A total of 56 (0.9%) periprosthetic fractures were identified with 15 (26.8%) of them demonstrating an isolated lateral compression fracture...

Intraoperative injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a rare but important complication of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). While described treatment methods are mainly primary repair and revision with a more constrained implant, a few studies have investigated the outcomes of primary repair without constrained implants. A retrospective study was performed to evaluate the prevalence of iatrogenic injury to the MCL during primary TKA and determine the clinical outcomes of MCL repair augmented with synthetic material without the use of a constrained device...

BACKGROUND: In the absence of positive cultures and draining sinuses, the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) relies on laboratory values. It is unknown if administration of antibiotics within 2 weeks before diagnostic evaluations can affect these tests in patients with PJI. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation of antibiotic administration with (1) fluctuations in the synovial fluid and serology laboratory values; and (2) sensitivity of the diagnostic tests in patients with late PJI (per Musculoskeletal Infection Society [MSIS] criteria)...

Despite the fact that common surgical techniques for the treatment of genu varum usually correct the malalignment in the affected knee, these methods have significant complications and cause problems in the long term. Retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy is among the newer techniques for the treatment of genu varum. The goal of this study was to compare the results of retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy with those of medial opening-wedge osteotomy. In a randomized, controlled trial, 72 patients with varus knees who were scheduled for surgery were assigned into either the retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (n=34) or medial opening-wedge osteotomy groups (n=38)...