Comparative study of sonication and intraoperative cultures for identification of the microbial agent on infected lower limb arthroplasties

INTRODUÇÃO: O diagnóstico microbiológico das infecções em artroplastias é de fundamental importância para a definição da estratégia de uso dos antimicrobianos. As culturas microbiológicas convencionais apresentam elevados índices de falso-negativos, em especial, nas infecções crônicas, em que é frequente a presença do biofilme aderido ao implante. A utilização de amostras deste biofilme, viáveis à cultura, a partir de seu descolamento do implante pela técnica de sonicação, tem mostrado aumento da sensibilidade em publicações recentes. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os resultados das culturas microbiológicas de fragmentos de tecido periprotético, realizadas em meio sólido, àquelas obtidas pelo cultivo do líquido oriundo da sonicação do implante removido, semeado, inicialmente, em frascos de hemocultura e, posteriormente, em meio sólido. MÉTODOS: Neste estudo de análise descritiva, prospectivo e comparativo, 30 pacientes com diagnóstico de infecção em artroplastias de joelho ou quadril, com mais de 90 dias de história, tiveram seus implantes cirurgicamente removidos e foram coletadas seis amostras do tecido periprotético, de locais previamente determinados, para a realização de cultura microbiológica em meios sólidos. Simultaneamente, os implantes foram submetidos ao processo de sonicação e o material resultante foi injetado em frascos de hemocultura BD Bactec e submetidos ao processo de cultura automatizada. Todas as amostras foram pesquisadas quanto à presença de bactérias aeróbias, anaeróbias, micobactérias e fungos, e os resultados comparados por meio de análise estatística, em busca da superioridade de um método sobre o outro. Como objetivo secundário, buscou-se analisar quais os pontos de coleta do tecido periprotético teriam maior sensibilidade em suas culturas. RESULTADOS: Não houve diferenças estatisticamente significantes da amostra em relação ao gênero, patologia articular primária, tipo de artroplastia, localização do implante ou lateralidade. Em 17 casos (56,7%), houve uso de antimicrobianos no período de 15 dias que antecederam a retirada do implante. O método de cultura do fluido de sonicação mostrou sensibilidade de 86,7% e foi superior, de modo estatisticamente significante (P < 0,001), em relação à cultura dos fragmentos periprotéticos, cujos resultados tiveram sensibilidades entre 26,7 e 53,3%. O uso de antibioticoterapia recente não interferiu de modo estatisticamente significante na sensibilidade da cultura do líquido oriundo da sonicação. (P = 0,113). Quanto ao objetivo secundário, a coleta de fragmentos da membrana periprotética mostrou maior sensibilidade, estatisticamente significante, na comparação com três dos demais cinco pontos de coleta (P < 0,05). CONCLUSÕES: A cultura microbiológica do líquido obtido por sonicação dos implantes removidos de pacientes com diagnóstico de infecção periprotética e semeado inicialmente em frascos de hemocultura mostrou ter sensibilidade superior, estatisticamente significante, à cultura convencional de fragmentos do tecido periprotético semeados em meios sólidos. A cultura microbiológica da membrana periprotética mostrou ter maior sensibilidade em relação à maioria dos outros sítios que tiveram fragmentos de tecido periprotético pesquisados.INTRODUCTION: Microbiological diagnosis in periprosthetic infection is of fundamental importance to define the most appropriate antimicrobial strategies. Conventional microbiological cultures have high rates of false negatives, especially in chronic infections, in which there is often the presence of biofilm attached to the implant. The use of samples of viable culturable biofilm taken from the detachment of the implant by sonication technique has been shown to increase the sensitivity in recent studies. The objective of this study was to compare the results of microbiological cultures of periprosthetic tissue fragments, made in a solid medium, to those obtained through the cultivation of the liquid coming from the sonication of the removed implant initially seeded in blood culture bottles and later in solid medium. METHODS: Using descriptive, prospective and comparative analysis, thirty patients with a diagnosis of infected knee or hip arthroplasty, with more than ninety days of history, had their implants surgically removed. Six periprosthetic tissue samples, collected at predetermined places, were used for microbiological culture on solid media. Simultaneously, the implants were subjected to the sonication process, and the resulting material was injected into vials of BD Bactec blood cultures and subjected to an automated culture process. All samples were screened for the presence of aerobic bacteria, anaerobes, mycobacteria and fungi and the results compared by statistical analysis to find the superiority of one method over the other. As a secondary objective, this study sought to analyze which of the periprosthetic tissue collecting points would have greater sensitivity in their cultures. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in the sample as related to gender, primary joint pathology, type of arthroplasty, implant location or laterality. In seventeen cases (56.7%), antimicrobials were used within the 15-day period leading up to the removal of the implant. The sonication culture fluid showed a sensitivity of 86.7% and was higher, statistically significant (P < 0.001) in relation to the culture of periprosthetic fragments, where results displayed sensitivities between 26.7 and 53.3%. The use of recent antibiotic therapy did not affect the sensitivity of the liquid coming from the sonication culture, which was not statistically significant (P = 0.113). As for the secondary objective, the collection of periprosthetic membrane fragments showed higher sensitivity, statistically significant (P < 0.05), as compared to three of the remaining five collecting points. CONCLUSIONS: The microbiological culture liquid obtained by sonication of the implants removed from patients with diagnosis of periprosthetic infection and initially seeded in blood culture bottles was shown to have superior sensitivity, statistically significancy, as compared to conventional culture of the periprosthetic tissue fragments seeded on solid media. The microbiological culture of the periprosthetic membrane seems to be more sensitive compared to most other sites that had periprosthetic tissue fragments surveye

Substitutos ósseos comparados ao enxerto ósseo autólogo em cirurgia ortopédica: revisão sistemática da literatura Bone graft substitutes compared to autologous bone graft in orthopedic surgery: systematic literature review

OBJETIVO: Identificar, a partir de revisão sistematizada da literatura, estudos clínicos com nível de evidência 1 comparando substitutos ósseos ao enxerto autólogo. MÉTODOS: Realizada busca eletrônica de artigos que comparassem o uso do enxerto ósseo autólogo a um substituto ósseo em cirurgia ortopédica. Foram considerados como critérios de elegibilidade ensaios clínicos prospectivos e randomizados em cirurgia ortopédica, com casuística mínima de 20 pacientes, envolvendo ossos da coluna vertebral ou esqueleto apendicular, publicados entre janeiro de 1990 e janeiro de 2006. RESULTADOS: Foram identificados 22 trabalhos, todos em língua inglesa, dos quais cinco compararam enxerto autólogo ao homólogo, sete envolveram uso de proteína morfogenética do tipo 2 (BMP-2), em três foi avaliada a proteína morfogenética do tipo 7 (BMP- 7) e sete utilizaram biocerâmicas, como hidroxiapatita, fosfato tricálcio e sulfato de cálcio. Os resultados mais sugestivos da equivalência com o enxerto autólogo se deram nos trabalhos com BMP-2 em cirurgia da coluna vertebral, embora diversos questionamentos possam ser feitos em relação a estes e aos demais estudos analisados, referentes a métodos e possíveis conflitos de interesses. CONCLUSÃO: Existem poucos estudos com alto nível de evidência que demonstrem a aplicabilidade clínica dos substitutos ósseos atualmente existentes.<br>OBJECTIVE: Based on a systematic literature review, to identify studies with level of evidence 1 to compare bone graft substitutes to autologous bone grafts. METHODS: An electronic survey of papers comparing the use of autologous bone graft and a bone graft substitute in orthopedic surgery was performed. Inclusion criteria considered were prospective and randomized clinical trials in orthopedic surgery, with a minimum of 20 patients, involving spine or appendicular skeleton bones, published between January 1990 and January 2006. RESULTS: 22 papers were identified, all of them written in the English language, five of which compared autologous to homologous grafting, seven involving the use of type 2 morphogenetic protein (BMP-2), three evaluating type 7 morphogenetic protein (BMP-7), and seven using biological ceramic, such as hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, and calcium sulfate. Results that most suggested equivalence with autologous grafting were found in the papers with BMP-2 in spine surgery, although several objections may be raised regarding theses and the other papers reviewed, relating to method and possible conflict of interest. CONCLUSION: There are not many papers with high level of evidence to show the clinical applicability of existing bone substitutes

Profile of motorcycle victims from the emergency service of a university hospital

OBJECTIVE: Epidemiological survey of motorcycle accidents occurring in a city with over one million inhabitants and treated at university hospital of reference between the months of July and November 2010. METHODS: Cross sectional study using structured interview (standardized form) to document the data collection: age, gender, income, using time and capacity of the motorcycle. RESULTS: From 114 cases, it was observed that the profile of the victim of motorcycle accident treated at this hospital is a young person, male, possessing a driver's license for less than five years, with a monthly income average around one thousand reais (local currency), owner of a motorcycle with low capacity (less than 150 cc) and low educational attainment. The accidents occurred predominantly in the urban area, in the afternoons and one third of them were considered work-related accidents, death generated in 3 per cent of cases and open fractures in 11 per cent of them. CONCLUSION: The incidence of motorcycle accidents involved mainly young men with little experience in traffic and low level of education

Comparative study on three surgical techniques for intra-articular calcaneal fractures: open reduction with internal fixation using a plate, external fixation and minimally invasive surgery

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, compare and identify the surgical technique with best results for treating intra-articular calcaneal fractures, taking into account postoperative outcomes, complications and scoring in the Aofas questionnaire. METHODS: This was a retrospective study on 54 patients with fractures of the calcaneus who underwent surgery between 2002 and 2012 by means of the following techniques: (1) open reduction with extended L-shaped lateral incision and fixation with double-H plate of 3.5 mm; (2) open reduction with minimal incision lateral approach and percutaneous fixation with wires and screws; and (3) open reduction with minimal incision lateral approach and fixation with adjustable monoplanar external fixator. RESULTS: Patients treated using a lateral approach, with fixation using a plate had a mean Aofas score of 76 points; those treated through a minimal incision lateral approach with screw and wire fixation had a mean score of 71 points; and those treated through a minimal incision lateral approach with an external fixator had a mean score of 75 points. The three surgical techniques were shown to be effective for treating intra-articular calcaneal fractures, without any evidence that any of the techniques being superior. CONCLUSION: Intra-articular calcaneal fractures are complex and their treatment should be individualized based on patient characteristics, type of fracture and the surgeon's experience with the surgical technique chosen

Functional and clinical results achieved in congenital clubfoot patients treated by Ponseti's technique

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: To analyze and evaluate functional and clinical results in patients with congenital clubfoot treated with Ponseti's technique. METHODS: This study evaluated 31 patients diagnosed with 51 congenital clubfeet, treated between April 2006 and September 2011 with Ponseti's technique. The patients who did not achieve an equinus correction with manipulation were treated with Achilles tenotomy. An anterior tibial tendon transfer was performed in patients who maintained residual adduction. All plasters were made by fellows and supervised by Ankle and Foot Chiefs. The technique was performed without the need for physical therapists, orthotics, and plaster technicians. Patients were submitted to pre- and post-treatment examination and evaluated under Pirani's classification. RESULTS: Male patients had an increased incidence and the right side was more affected, while bilateral involvement was observed in 64.5% of the cases. The mean number of cast changes was 5.8, and Achilles tenotomy was necessary in 26 patients. There were significant deformity improvements in 46 of the 51 treated feet (90.2%); Pirani's mean score improved from 5.5 to 3.6 after treatment. CONCLUSION: The Ponseti method was effective in both functional and clinical evaluation of patients, with significant statistical relevance (p = 0.0001), with a success rate of 90.2% and mean improvement in the Pirani's index of 65.5%

Reprodutibilidade das classificações de Tronzo e AO para fraturas transtrocanterianas

resumo Objetivo: Analisar a reprodutibilidade das classificações AO e de Tronzo para fraturas transtrocanterianas. Método: Estudo transversal que analisou a concordância entre duas leituras feitas por 11 observadores, intraobservadores e interobservadores. A análise das variações usou o método estatístico Kappa. Resultados: Verificou-se concordância moderada para a classificação AO enquanto a classificação Tronzo mostrou concordância leve. Conclusão: O trabalho evidenciou maior reprodutibilidade da classificação AO/Asif inter e intraobservador para as fraturas transtrocanterianas de fêmur, o que tem relação com o aumento da predominância de concordância com a experiência dos observadores. A classificação AO/Asif sem divisão em subgrupos mostrou-se, assim como descrito na lite ratura, aceita para o uso clínico nas fraturas transtrocanterianas de fêmur. No entanto, não mostrou concordância absoluta, uma vez que seu nível de concordância é apenas moderado, mas superior quando comparada com a classificação Tronzo

Use of the semitendinosus tendon for foot and ankle tendon reconstructions,

Objective:To demonstrate the results obtained from foot and ankle tendon reconstructions using the tendon of the semitendinosus muscle. The clinical results, the patient's degree of satisfaction and complications in the graft donor and recipient areas were evaluated.Methods:This was a retrospective study in which the medical files of 38 patients who underwent this surgical procedure between 2006 and 2010 were surveyed. The functional results from this technique, the complications in the donor and recipient areas and the patients' degree of satisfaction were evaluated.Results:Three patients presented complications in the recipient area (skin necrosis); one patient showed complications in the donor area (pain and insensitivity); and all patients had satisfactory functional results, with complete range of motion.Conclusion:The semitendinosus muscle is a good option for treatments for foot and ankle tendon injuries