The use of antibiotic-loaded bone cement and systemic antibiotic prophylactic use in 2,971,357 primary total knee arthroplasties from 2010 to 2020: an international register-based observational study among countries in Africa, Europe, North America, and Oceania

Background and purpose - Antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) and systemic antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) have been used to reduce periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) rates. We investigated the use of ALBC and SAP in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Patients and methods - This observational study is based on 2,971,357 primary TKAs reported in 2010-2020 to national/regional joint arthroplasty registries in Australia, Den-mark, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK, and the USA. Aggregate-level data on trends and types of bone cement, antibiotic agents, and doses and duration of SAP used was extracted from participating registries.Results - ALBC was used in 77% of the TKAs with variation ranging from 100% in Norway to 31% in the USA. Palacos R+G was the most common (62%) ALBC type used. The primary antibiotic used in ALBC was gentamicin (94%). Use of ALBC in combination with SAP was common prac-tice (77%). Cefazolin was the most common (32%) SAP agent. The doses and duration of SAP used varied from one single preoperative dosage as standard practice in Bolzano, Italy (98%) to 1-day 4 doses in Norway (83% of the 40,709 TKAs reported to the Norwegian arthroplasty register). Conclusion - The proportion of ALBC usage in pri-mary TKA varies internationally, with gentamicin being the most common antibiotic. ALBC in combination with SAP was common practice, with cefazolin the most common SAP agent. The type of ALBC and type, dose, and duration of SAP varied among participating countries.Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Rehabilitatio

Airborne electromagnetics supporting salinity and natural resource management decisions at the field scale in Australia

Airborne geophysics has been used at the catchment scale to map salt stores, conduits and soil variability, but few studies have evaluated its usefulness as a land management tool at the field scale. We respond to questions posed by land managers with: (1) comparison of airborne and ground-based electromagnetic surveys in the Lower Balonne catchment, Queensland, and (2) comparison with historical and anecdotal knowledge of landscape response in the country around Jamestown in mid-South Australia. In the Lower Balonne, direct comparison between ground electromagnetic survey (EM) and airborne electromagnetics (AEM) showed a strong relationship for both the absolute values and spatial patterns of conductivity. The penetration of AEM to greater than 100 m is valuable in defining hydrological barriers. In the Jamestown area, AEM conductivity corresponded well with specific outbreaks of salinity and observed variability in crop response; local inconsistencies at the ground surface could be resolved when sub-surface data were considered. AEM can provide valuable information at the field scale that is relevant to salinity management. Farmers can have confidence in any of these techniques (historical information, EM and AEM) and they may directly compare or integrate the results. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved