Prior surgical fixation of proximal humerus fractures is associated with increased complications following subsequent reverse shoulder arthroplasty

BackgroundThe objective of this study was to compare complication rates between patients undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) after a prior open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) for proximal humerus fracture (PHF) to those undergoing RSA as a primary treatment for PHFs, glenohumeral osteoarthritis, or rotator cuff tear arthropathy (CTA).MethodsPatients who underwent RSA between 2015 and 2020 were identified in the Mariner database. Patients were separated into 3 mutually exclusive groups: (1) RSA for osteoarthritis, rotator cuff tear, or CTA (Control-RSA); (2) RSA as a primary treatment for PHF (PHF-RSA); and (3) RSA for patients with prior ORIF of PHFs (ORIF-RSA). Ninety-day medical and 2-year postoperative surgical complications were identified. In addition, patients in the PHF-RSA group were subdivided into those undergoing RSA for PHF within 3 months of the fracture (acute) vs. those treated greater than 3 months from diagnosis (delayed). Multivariate regression was performed to control for differences in comorbidities and demographics.ResultsA total of 30,824 patients underwent primary RSA for arthritis or CTA, 5389 patients underwent RSA as a primary treatment for a PHF, and 361 patients underwent RSA after ORIF of a PHF. ORIF before RSA was associated with an increased risk of overall revision (odds ratio [OR] 2.45, P = .002), infection (OR 2.40, P < .001), instability (OR 2.43, P < .001), fracture (OR 3.24, P = .001), minor medical complications (OR 1.59, P = .008), and readmission (OR 2.55, P = .001) compared with the Control-RSA cohort. RSA as a primary treatment for PHF was associated with an increased risk of 2-year revision (OR 1.60, P < .001), infection (OR 1.51, P < .001), instability (OR 2.84, P < .001), and fracture (OR 2.54, P < .001) in addition to major medical complications (OR 2.02, P < .001), minor medical complications (OR 1.92, P < .001), 90-day emergency department visits (OR 1.26, P < .001) and 90-day readmission (OR 2.03, P < .001) compared with the Control-RSA cohort. The ORIF-RSA group had an increased risk of periprosthetic infection (OR 1.94, P = .002) when compared with the PHF-RSA cohort. There were no differences in medical or surgical complications in the RSA-PHF cohort between patients treated in an acute or delayed fashion.ConclusionRSA following ORIF of a PHF is associated with increased complications compared with patients undergoing RSA for nonfracture indications. Prior ORIF of a PHF is also an independent risk factor for postoperative infection after RSA compared with patients who undergo RSA as a primary operation for fracture. The timing of RSA as a primary operation for PHF does not appear to impact the rates of postoperative medical and surgical complications.     

Innovative Thinking on Endpoint Selection in Clinical Trials

ABSTRACT

In clinical trials, selection of appropriate study endpoints is critical for an accurate and reliable evaluation of safety and effectiveness of a test treatment under investigation. In practice, however, there are usually multiple endpoints available for measurement of disease status and/or therapeutic effect of the test treatment under study. For example, in cancer clinical trials, overall survival, response rate, and/or time to disease progression are usually considered as primary clinical endpoints for evaluation of safety and effectiveness of the test treatment under investigation. Once the study endpoints have been selected, sample size required for achieving a desired power is then determined. It, however, should be noted that different study endpoints may result in different sample sizes. In practice, it is usually not clear which study endpoint can best inform the disease status and measure the treatment effect. Moreover, different study endpoints may not translate one another although they may be highly correlated one another. In this article, we intend to develop an innovative endpoint namely therapeutic index based on a utility function to combine and utilize information collected from all study endpoints. Statistical properties and performances of the proposed therapeutic index are evaluated theoretically. A numerical example concerning a cancer clinical trial is given to illustrate the use of the proposed therapeutic index.     

Bonding to industrial indirect composite blocks: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of surface conditioning methods on the bond strength of industrial indirect composite blocks (ICs).MethodsBased on the PICOS strategy, the Medline via PubMed, Embase and Web of Science (ISI – Web of Knowledge) electronic databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles in both English and Chinese, with no publication year limit. In vitro studies evaluating the effects of surface conditioning on the bond strength of ICs were selected. The meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the mean difference between surface-conditioned ICs and unconditioned controls. Subgroup analysis was performed to evaluate the different surface conditioning methods, separately for polymer-infiltrated ceramic network (PICN) material and the ICs with dispersed fillers (ICDFs). Meta-analyses were performed with a random-effects model at a significance level of 0.05.Results and SignificanceFrom 802 relevant studies, 25 were selected for full-text analysis. Nineteen studies were eligible for inclusion in this systematic review, whereas 9 studies were included in the meta-analysis. A manual search of the principal periodicals specific to the area resulted in no additional articles. The meta-analysis indicated a significant difference in bond strength between the surface-conditioned ICs and controls under both non-aged and aged conditions. The combination of mechanical and chemical conditioning yielded the highest bond strength of ICs. This meta-analysis suggests that chemical etching followed by a universal primer and alumina air abrasion followed by a silane coupling agent could be considered the best strategy for optimizing the bond strength of PICN materials and ICDFs under aged conditions, respectively.     

Measuring disease activity and response to treatment in rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction: Effective treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) requires suppression of the underlying inflammation. Measurement of such inflammation, the disease activity, is mandatory to target treatment and maximize outcomes. However, this is not as straightforward as it may seem.

Areas covered: The many tools developed to measure disease activity in RA, from composite scores and patient-reported outcomes, to laboratory markers and imaging are discussed, with a focus on their utility in guiding therapy and assessing response. The complex issues in measuring disease activity in RA, whether in clinical trials or normal clinical practice, and in the context of national guidelines and recommendations, available time, and resources are considered.

Expert commentary: The key to effective management of RA is the rapid suppression of inflammation, ideally to remission, with maintenance of such remission. The aim is to prevent disability and maximize quality of life. Central to this is the ability to determine disease activity (potentially open to suppression) as opposed to damage (irreversible). A variety of measures are currently available, allowing better assessment of response to treatment. In the future, the development of predictive biomarkers allowing targeting of drugs may revolutionize this field and render the tools of today redundant.     

复合树脂充填物与酸蚀牙齿间密合度的扫描电镜观察

用SEM观察6种复合树脂充填物与酸蚀牙齿间密合度。结果表明6种复合树脂充填物与牙齿间均有微缝隙,其宽度多数在5μm内,最宽为10～15μm。1月后再观察,清晰见到从酸蚀牙本质小管曳出的树脂突,其曳出方向与缝隙形成可能有关。     

耳垂复合组织游离移植修复鼻小柱过短畸形

目的 探讨因鼻小柱过短所致鼻尖低平畸形的矫治方法.方法 对8例鼻尖低平伴鼻小柱过短者,采用鼻小柱切口,首先应用肋软骨或Medpor行支撑杆移植矫正撑起鼻尖,鼻小柱切口的继发创面采用耳垂复合组织游离移植修复.结果 8例游离移植的耳垂复合组织均成活良好,随访1～2年形态满意,色泽与周围组织无明显差别,供区无明显继发畸形.结论 应用耳垂复合组织游离移植修复鼻小柱过短畸形,不仅适用于外伤性缺损修复,而且也适用于鼻部的美容性修复,是一种患者容易接受、操作简单安全、疗效好、供区无后遗明显继发畸形的修复方法.     

Ventricular septal fistula formation due to infectious endocarditis in a hemodialysis patient with aortic valve replacement

We report a case of infectious endocarditis in a 77-year-old woman who was undergoing maintenance hemodialysis therapy, and who was also having a prosthetic aortic valve replacement. The disease resulted from a local skin infection at the needle puncture site of the arteriovenous fistula. Ampicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was the causal organism. Surgical treatment could not be performed because of associated intracranial hemorrhage due to septic embolism. In spite of intensive treatment with several antibiotics, a ventricular septal abscess just beneath the prosthetic aortic valve progressed to form a ventricular septal fistula. The resultant intracardiac left-to-right shunt led to refractory congestive heart failure. The patient finally died of heart failure. The formation of a ventricular septal fistula is considered to be a rare and extraordinary complication of infectious endocarditis in a hemodialysis patient with aortic valve replacement. Received: July 25, 2001 / Accepted: November 3, 2001     

碳纤维根管桩的研制

目的研究高强度碳纤维增强复合树脂根管桩的加工成型工艺.方法用湿法制备碳纤维预浸料,在预成型模具中预成型,然后在成型模具中经特殊的工艺进行成型,最后用车床加工成预定形状的桩钉;并测试其弯曲强度、剪切强度和碳纤维含量.结果随着碳纤维含量的增加,根管桩的弯曲强度和剪切强度均逐渐增加.碳纤维含量达到67.13%时,弯曲强度和剪切强度分别达到406MPa和653.86MPa.结论高强度的碳纤维根管桩可以满足临床需要.     

聚环氧氯丙烷／液晶复合富氧膜的研究

研究了聚环氧氯丙烷(PECHCH)/N(4-乙氧基苄叉)4-丁基苯胺(EBBA)复合膜对氧气和氮气的透过性和选择性。用示差扫描量热计(DSC)、解偏振光强仪(DLI和偏光显微镜考察了复合膜的形态结构。结果表明,当PECH/EBBA复合膜处于液晶的向列相转变温度时,有较高的气体透过性和选择性。发现只有复合膜中EBBA含量在30wt％以上,PECH和EBBA呈非均相混合时,才有较明显的富氧效果。当EBBA含量达50wt%时,氧氮分离系数α=3.78。