Regional Collaboration and Trends in Clinical Management of Thyroid Cancer

Objective: This study examines the trends in the management of thyroid cancer and clinical outcomes in the Southwestern region of The Netherlands from 2010 to 2021, where a regional collaborative network has been implemented in January 2016. Study Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: This study encompasses all patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer of any subtype between January 2010 and June 2021 in 10 collaborating hospitals in the Southwestern region of The Netherlands. Methods: The primary outcome of this study was the occurrence of postoperative complications. Secondary outcomes were trends in surgical management, centralization, and waiting times of patients with thyroid cancer. Results: This study included 1186 patients with thyroid cancer. Median follow-up was 58 [interquartile range: 24-95] months. Surgery was performed in 1027 (86.6%) patients. No differences in postoperative complications, such as long-term hypoparathyroidism, permanent recurrent nerve paresis, or reoperation due to bleeding were seen over time. The percentage of patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma referred to the academic hospital decreased from 85% (n = 120/142) in 2010 to 2013 to 70% (n = 120/171) in 2014 to 2017 and 62% (n = 100/162) in 2018 to 2021 (P &lt;.01). The percentage of patients undergoing a hemithyroidectomy alone was 9% (n = 28/323) in 2010 to 2013 and increased to 20% (n = 63/317; P &lt;.01) in 2018 to 2021. Conclusion: The establishment of a regional oncological network coincided with a de-escalation of thyroid cancer treatment and centralization of complex patients and interventions. However, no differences in postoperative complications over time were observed. Determining the impact of regional oncological networks on quality of care is challenging in the absence of uniform quality indicators.</p

Osteochondral defects in the ankle: why painful?

Osteochondral defects of the ankle can either heal and remain asymptomatic or progress to deep ankle pain on weight bearing and formation of subchondral bone cysts. The development of a symptomatic OD depends on various factors, including the damage and insufficient repair of the subchondral bone plate. The ankle joint has a high congruency. During loading, compressed cartilage forces its water into the microfractured subchondral bone, leading to a localized high increased flow and pressure of fluid in the subchondral bone. This will result in local osteolysis and can explain the slow development of a subchondral cyst. The pain does not arise from the cartilage lesion, but is most probably caused by repetitive high fluid pressure during walking, which results in stimulation of the highly innervated subchondral bone underneath the cartilage defect. Understanding the natural history of osteochondral defects could lead to the development of strategies for preventing progressive joint damage

Pulsed electromagnetic fields after arthroscopic treatment for osteochondral defects of the talus: double-blind randomized controlled multicenter trial

Background. Osteochondral talar defects usually affect athletic patients. The primary surgical treatment consists of arthroscopic debridement and microfracturing. Although this is mostly successful, early sport resumption is difficult to achieve, and it can take up to one year to obtain clinical improvement. Pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) may be effective for talar defects after arthroscopic treatment by promoting tissue healing, suppressing inflammation, and relieving pain. We hypothesize that PEMF-treatment compared to sham-treatment after arthroscopy will lead to earlier resumption of sports, and aim at 25% increase in patients that resume sports. Methods/Design. A prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted in five centers throughout the Netherlands and Belgium. 68 patients will be randomized to either active PEMF-treatment or sham-treatment for 60 days, four hours daily. They will be followed-up for one year. The combined primary outcome measures are (a) the percentage of patients that resume and maintain sports, and (b) the time to resumption of sports, defined by the Ankle Activity Score. Secondary outcome measures include resumption of work, subjective and objective scoring systems (American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale, Foot Ankle Outcome Score, Numeric Rating Scales of pain and satisfaction, EuroQol-5D), and computed tomography. Time to resumption of sports will be analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curves and log-rank tests. Discussion. This trial will provide level-1 evidence on the effectiveness of PEMFs in the management of osteochondral ankle lesions after arthroscopy. Trial registration. Netherlands Trial Register (NTR1636)

The use of mesenchymal stem cells for cartilage repair and regeneration: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: The management of articular cartilage defects presents many clinical challenges due to its avascular, aneural and alymphatic nature. Bone marrow stimulation techniques, such as microfracture, are the most frequently used method in clinical practice however the resulting mixed fibrocartilage tissue which is inferior to native hyaline cartilage. Other methods have shown promise but are far from perfect. There is an unmet need and growing interest in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering to improve the outcome for patients requiring cartilage repair. Many published reviews on cartilage repair only list human clinical trials, underestimating the wealth of basic sciences and animal studies that are precursors to future research. We therefore set out to perform a systematic review of the literature to assess the translation of stem cell therapy to explore what research had been carried out at each of the stages of translation from bench-top (in vitro), animal (pre-clinical) and human studies (clinical) and assemble an evidence-based cascade for the responsible introduction of stem cell therapy for cartilage defects. This review was conducted in accordance to PRISMA guidelines using CINHAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Knowledge databases from 1st January 1900 to 30th June 2015. In total, there were 2880 studies identified of which 252 studies were included for analysis (100 articles for in vitro studies, 111 studies for animal studies; and 31 studies for human studies). There was a huge variance in cell source in pre-clinical studies both of terms of animal used, location of harvest (fat, marrow, blood or synovium) and allogeneicity. The use of scaffolds, growth factors, number of cell passages and number of cells used was hugely heterogeneous. SHORT CONCLUSIONS: This review offers a comprehensive assessment of the evidence behind the translation of basic science to the clinical practice of cartilage repair. It has revealed a lack of connectivity between the in vitro, pre-clinical and human data and a patchwork quilt of synergistic evidence. Drivers for progress in this space are largely driven by patient demand, surgeon inquisition and a regulatory framework that is learning at the same pace as new developments take place

Hip Arthroplasty Malpractice Claims in the Netherlands: Closed Claim Study 2000-2012

Background: A total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a successful and reliable operation with few complications. These complications however, do form a potential source for compensation claims. In the Netherlands, there are no studies available concerning filed claims after THA. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of claims related to THAs in the Netherlands and the reasons to claim, which claims lead to compensation, the costs involved for the insurer, and the demographics of the claimants. Methods: In this observational study, we analyzed all closed claims from 2000 to 2012 from the national largest insurer of medical liability and compared it to data from our national implant registry in the Netherlands. With the intention to contribute to prevention, we have identified the demographics of the claimant, the reasons for filing claims, and the outcome of claims. Results: Overall, 516 claims were expressed in 280 closed claim files after THA. Claims were most often related to sciatic nerve injury (19.6%). Most claimants were women (71.6%) with an average age of 63.1 years. The median cost per compensated claim is (sic)5.921. Conclusion: The claimant is more likely to be female and to be younger than the average patient receiving a THA. The incidence of a claim after a THA is 0.14%-0.30%. Nerve damage is the most common reason to file for compensation. The distribution in reasons to claim does not resemble the complication rate in literature after a THA. The outcome of this study can be used to improve patient care, safety, and costs. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Comparison of intermittent and continuous intra-abdominal pressure monitoring using an in vitro model

Introduction: Intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) is increasingly being considered as an important physiologic parameter to be measured in critically ill patients, Traditional methods of monitoring IAP rely on intermittent IAP (IIAP) measurements using indwelling bladder catheters. Recently, a method of continuous IAP (CIAP) monitoring has been developed using a three-way bladder catheter. This study evaluates the reliability of IIAP and CIAP measurement techniques using an in vitro model. Methods: An in vitro model of the abdomen was constructed using a 50 1 container with a 100 ml infusion bag at the base to simulate a bladder, A three-way catheter tip was centered within the infusion bag filled with 50 ml saline. To simulate AP the container was filled with water at 5 cm H(2)O increments from 10 to 25 cm H(2)O. Pressures were recorded by observers from a bedside monitor interfaced with a three-way Foley catheter using alternating intermittent and continuous techniques. Each subject was blinded to the known pressure values. Descriptive statistics and a generalised estimating equation (GEE) was used to describe the relationship of IIAP and CIAP to known pressures. Results: One hundred and thirty-two (132) observations were made by 20 subjects for both AP and CAP estimates. In 45.5% of IIAP measures, the estimate was correct, and it was never more than 1 cm H(2)O different from the actual. Similarly, in 38.6% of CAP measures, the estimate was correct, and was never more than 2 cm H(2)O from the actual. The GEE regression coefficients comparing known pressures with TAP and CIAP were 1.007 and 0.976 respectively. The minimum and maximum pressure deviations never exceeded more than 1.3 cm H(2)O from the actual. Conclusion: Intermittent IAP and CAP are both reliable and reproducible methods to measure IAP in an in vitro model. There exists a direct and significant association between both measurements and the actual value. Neither measure was shown to be superior