Reducing your Risk before Hip Replacement Surgery

Note: Sublimis Argentina offers hip replacement surgery abroad. Feel free to contact us for more information

Rosemont, IL – Risk factors for venous thromboembolism after total hip replacement (THR) surgery were identified in a new study published in the September 2010 issue of The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS). While the rate of thromboembolism has been significantly reduced through medication, understanding the risk factors could further reduce the likelihood of patients developing this potentially fatal complication.

Two of the most common manifestations of a thromboembolism include:

* Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), in which the blood clot forms in a deep vein, commonly in the thigh or calf; and
* Pulmonary embolism (PE), in which the blood clot breaks free and travels through the veins.

Any surgery often carries the risk of a thromboembolism, especially orthopaedic surgery involving the lower extremities, like the hip or knee. Because of this risk, THR patients are usually treated with medications designed to prevent it from occurring. Despite that, this study found that approximately 1 percent of patients who took the medication still suffered a DVT or PE within 90 days of surgery.
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Arthroscopic Surgery to repair torn shoulder muscles in the elderly can reduce pain

Chicago – Repairing torn shoulder muscles in elderly patients is often discouraged because of fears of complications. But a new study conducted at Rush University Medical Center has shown that minimally invasive, or arthroscopic, surgery can significantly improve pain and function.

The study has just been published online in Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery and will appear in the October issue.

“In people over the age of 70, pain is the main issue, and pain relief is a fairly reliable outcome after surgery,” said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Nikhil Verma, who led the study. “Patients do not require that their shoulder function be fully restored. They just want the pain to be gone.” Verma is assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Rush.

With that requirement, Verma said, “age is not a contraindication” for the surgery.

Tears in the rotator cuff, the complex of four muscles that stabilize the back of the shoulder joint, occur in about 20 percent of the population over the age of 65 and typically result from chronic degenerative changes. The tears in the musculature cause considerable pain and loss of range of motion.

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Do Gender Knee Implants Provide Better Outcomes?

- Study finds gender-specific total knee prostheses provide no clinical benefits compared to standard prostheses in women

- For information about knee replacement surgery in Argentina please don’t hesitate to contact Sublimis.

Rosemont, IL – A gender-specific total knee prosthesis was developed to more closely match the anatomy of the female knee, aiming to be a better fit resulting in better outcomes for women. However, a recent study in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) found that 85 women who received a gender-specific implant in one knee and a standard prosthesis in the other knee found no clinical benefits of the gender-specific knee.

“We conducted this study to investigate whether women derive less benefit, or perhaps less predictable benefit, from total knee replacement using a standard conventional total knee implant,” said Young-Hoo Kim, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon and lead author of the study.

After receiving knee implants – one gender-specific and one standard prosthesis – the women were assessed for at least two years after surgery. The knees with the gender-specific implant and the knees with the standard implant had similar knee scores and similar range of motion while lying down (125° for the knees with standard implants and 126° for the knees with gender-specific implants). All patients except three were able to bend their knees at least 90°.

Additionally, patient satisfaction with the implants was similar (8.3 points for the standard implants and 8.1 points for the gender-specific implants). A rating of 6 to 8 meant “satisfied,” and a rating of 9 to 10 meant “fully satisfied.”

Important findings included:

* The majority of women in the study (71 females or 84 percent) had no preference between the two implants,
* eight women (9 percent) preferred the standard prosthesis, and
* six (7 percent) preferred the gender-specific prosthesis.

Knee Implant. Source: AAOS.org

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