Tranexamic acid increases early perioperative functional outcomes after total knee arthroplasty.

Background: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of tranexamic acid (TXA) on functional outcomes in the immediate postoperative period after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). We hypothesized that the known benefits of TXA would confer measurable clinical improvements in physical therapy (PT) performance, decrease pain, and decrease hospital length of stay (LOS). Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 560 TKA patients, including 280 consecutive patients whose surgery was performed before the initiation of a standardized TXA protocol and the first 280 patients who received TXA after protocol initiation. Outcome measurements included postoperative changes in hemoglobin and hematocrit, LOS, pain scores, destination of discharge, and steps ambulated with PT over 5 sessions. Results: TXA administration resulted in less overall drops in hemoglobin ( Conclusions: It is well known that TXA reduces postoperative anemia, but this study also demonstrates that it confers early perioperative functional benefits for TKA patients. Potential mechanisms for this benefit include reduced rates of postoperative anemia and reduced rates of hemarthroses

Hot new directions for quasi-Monte Carlo research in step with applications

This article provides an overview of some interfaces between the theory of quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods and applications. We summarize three QMC theoretical settings: first order QMC methods in the unit cube $[0,1]^s$ and in $\mathbb{R}^s$, and higher order QMC methods in the unit cube. One important feature is that their error bounds can be independent of the dimension $s$ under appropriate conditions on the function spaces. Another important feature is that good parameters for these QMC methods can be obtained by fast efficient algorithms even when $s$ is large. We outline three different applications and explain how they can tap into the different QMC theory. We also discuss three cost saving strategies that can be combined with QMC in these applications. Many of these recent QMC theory and methods are developed not in isolation, but in close connection with applications

Risk factors for conversion surgery to total hip arthroplasty of a hemiarthroplasty performed for a femoral neck fracture.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to determine risk factors for conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients originally treated with hemiarthroplasty (HA) for displaced femoral neck fractures. METHODS: In this case-controlled study, we identified 54 patients who were treated with HA for femoral neck fracture (FNF) who subsequently underwent conversion to THA at our institution between 2003 and 2013. We randomly selected 142 control patients who underwent HA for a displaced FNF without conversion surgery during the same time period. We compared demographic data, implant parameters, and radiographic data between the groups to identify risk factors for conversion surgery. RESULTS: In the univariate analysis, younger age at index surgery (mean 75 vs. 80 years, p = 0.006), higher body mass index (26.1 vs. 23.7, p = 0.031), bipolar prosthesis (20% vs. 36%, p = 0.024), absence of dementia (6% vs. 23%, p = 0.01), increased leg length compared to contralateral limb (6.5 mm vs. 0.2 mm, p CONCLUSIONS: Patient characteristics, including younger age, increased BMI, and absence of dementia can lead to increased risk for conversion of HA to THA. Intraoperative considerations of head size and increase in ipsilateral LLD may increase the risk of conversion surgery. These factors should be considered by surgeons who employ HA for displaced FNFs

Quasi-Monte Carlo methods with applications in finance

Monte Carlo, Quasi-Monte Carlo, Variance reduction, Effective dimension, Discrepancy, Hilbert spaces, 65C05, 68U20, 91B28, C15, C63,

Some necessary uniform tests for spherical symmetry

Goodness-of-fit, Monte Carlo study, Spherical symmetry, Uniformity,