Many patients with persistent pain one year after TKA report improvement by 5-7 years: A mixed methods study

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially without permission from the journal.Background: Approximately 20% of patients report pain 12 months after TKA. No studies have investigated patients’ experiences of living with persistent postsurgical pain 5 to 7 years after TKA by combining a qualitative and quantitative methodology. Question/purpose: In a mixed-methods study, we explored patients’ experiences of living with persistent pain up to 7 years after primary TKA. We asked: In a subgroup analysis of patients who reported persistent pain 1 year after TKA surgery, how do patients live with persistent pain at the 5- to 7-year postoperative timepoint? Methods: This follow-up study was part of a longitudinal study of pain, symptoms, and health-related quality of life in patients who underwent TKA for osteoarthritis. The present study targeted a subgroup of patients (22% [45 of 202]) identified in the longitudinal study who reported no improvement in pain interference with walking at 12 months after surgery. Inclusion criteria were: all 31 patients in this subgroup who attended their 5-year follow-up at the hospital and lived within a 2-hour drive from the hospital. Eight patients declined or were unable to participate due to illness or death. Hence, the final sample consisted of 23 patients (13 women and 10 men). The participants’ mean age at surgery was 66 6 10 years. There were no differences in sociodemographic baseline data between the 23 included and the 22 excluded participants. A mixed-methods approach was employed, in which the quantitative data were followed up and investigated with qualitative interviews. Instruments used were the Brief Pain Inventory preoperatively, 12 months, and 5 years after surgery, as well as a semistructured interview guide. The individual interviews were conducted at one timepoint 5 to 7 years postsurgery to capture how pain was experienced at that timepoint. The interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Meaning units were identified, condensed, and sorted into subthemes that were interpreted and abstracted into themes, guided by the research question. With a small sample, the quantitative analysis focused on descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistics when comparing demographics of included and nonincluded patients. In addition, two multivariate mixed models for repeated measures were employed to estimate within‐patient and between‐patient variations as well as to assess the effect of time on the pain outcomes. Results: Pain with walking decreased from 12 months to 5 years postoperatively (estimated mean score 7 versus 4, difference of means -3 [95% CI -5 to -2]; p < 0.001). Pain with daily activity decreased from 12 months to 5 years postoperatively (estimated mean score 6 versus 3, difference of means -3 [95% CI -4 to -1]; p < 0.001). Pain intensity (average pain) decreased from 12 months to 5 years postoperatively (estimated mean score 5 versus 4, difference of means -1 [95% CI -3 to 0]; p = 0.03). The results are presented as point estimates rounded up to whole numbers. The qualitative data analysis yielded three themes: persistent limitations after TKA, regained wellness over time, and complexity in physical challenges. Intermittent pain with certain movements resulted in limitations with some activities in everyday life and seemed to persist beyond 5 years. Multiple painful body sites and presence of comorbidities seemed to interfere with regained wellness over time. Conclusion: In this subgroup of patients experiencing postsurgical persistent pain 12 months after primary TKA, persistent postsurgical pain still limited certain activities for the participants, although pain seemed to be less influential in their everyday lives after 5 years to 7 years. Clinicians may use these findings to inform and guide patients with delayed improvements in pain into more realistic expectations for recovery, rehabilitation, and strategies for coping with pain and impaired function. However, it is imperative to rule out other reasons for pain in patients reporting pain 12 months and longer after surgery and to be attentive of possible changes in pain over time.publishedVersio

LUMiC(A (R)) Endoprosthetic Reconstruction After Periacetabular Tumor Resection:Short-term Results

Reconstruction of periacetabular defects after pelvic tumor resection ranks among the most challenging procedures in orthopaedic oncology, and reconstructive techniques are generally associated with dissatisfying mechanical and nonmechanical complication rates. In an attempt to reduce the risk of dislocation, aseptic loosening, and infection, we introduced the LUMiC(A (R)) prosthesis (implantcast, Buxtehude, Germany) in 2008. The LUMiC(A (R)) prosthesis is a modular device, built of a separate stem (hydroxyapatite-coated uncemented or cemented) and acetabular cup. The stem and cup are available in different sizes (the latter of which is also available with silver coating for infection prevention) and are equipped with sawteeth at the junction to allow for rotational adjustment of cup position after implantation of the stem. Whether this implant indeed is durable at short-term followup has not been evaluated. (1) What proportion of patients experience mechanical complications and what are the associated risk factors of periacetabular reconstruction with the LUMiC(A (R)) after pelvic tumor resection? (2) What proportion of patients experience nonmechanical complications and what are the associated risk factors of periacetabular reconstruction with the LUMiC(A (R)) after pelvic tumor resection? (3) What is the cumulative incidence of implant failure at 2 and 5 years and what are the mechanisms of reconstruction failure? (4) What is the functional outcome as assessed by Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score at final followup? We performed a retrospective chart review of every patient in whom a LUMiC(A (R)) prosthesis was used to reconstruct a periacetabular defect after internal hemipelvectomy for a pelvic tumor from July 2008 to June 2014 in eight centers of orthopaedic oncology with a minimum followup of 24 months. Forty-seven patients (26 men [55%]) with a mean age of 50 years (range, 12-78 years) were included. At review, 32 patients (68%) were alive. The reverse Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate median followup, which was equal to 3.9 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.4-4.3). During the period under study, our general indications for using this implant were reconstruction of periacetabular defects after pelvic tumor resections in which the medial ilium adjacent to the sacroiliac joint was preserved; alternative treatments included hip transposition and saddle or custom-made prostheses in some of the contributing centers; these were generally used when the medial ilium was involved in the tumorous process or if the LUMiC(A (R)) was not yet available in the specific country at that time. Conventional chondrosarcoma was the predominant diagnosis (n = 22 [47%]); five patients (11%) had osseous metastases of a distant carcinoma and three (6%) had multiple myeloma. Uncemented fixation (n = 43 [91%]) was preferred. Dual-mobility cups (n = 24 [51%]) were mainly used in case of a higher presumed risk of dislocation in the early period of our study; later, dual-mobility cups became the standard for the majority of the reconstructions. Silver-coated acetabular cups were used in 29 reconstructions (62%); because only the largest cup size was available with silver coating, its use depended on the cup size that was chosen. We used a competing risk model to estimate the cumulative incidence of implant failure. Six patients (13%) had a single dislocation; four (9%) had recurrent dislocations. The risk of dislocation was lower in reconstructions with a dual-mobility cup (one of 24 [4%]) than in those without (nine of 23 [39%]) (hazard ratio, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.01-0.89; p = 0.038). Three patients (6%; one with a preceding structural allograft reconstruction, one with poor initial fixation as a result of an intraoperative fracture, and one with a cemented stem) had loosening and underwent revision. Infections occurred in 13 reconstructions (28%). Median duration of surgery was 6.5 hours (range, 4.0-13.6 hours) for patients with an infection and 5.3 hours (range, 2.8-9.9 hours) for those without (p = 0.060); blood loss was 2.3 L (range, 0.8-8.2 L) for patients with an infection and 1.5 L (range, 0.4-3.8 L) for those without (p = 0.039). The cumulative incidences of implant failure at 2 and 5 years were 2.1% (95% CI, 0-6.3) and 17.3% (95% CI, 0.7-33.9) for mechanical reasons and 6.4% (95% CI, 0-13.4) and 9.2% (95% CI, 0.5-17.9) for infection, respectively. Reasons for reconstruction failure were instability (n = 1 [2%]), loosening (n = 3 [6%]), and infection (n = 4 [9%]). Mean MSTS functional outcome score at followup was 70% (range, 33%-93%). At short-term followup, the LUMiC(A (R)) prosthesis demonstrated a low frequency of mechanical complications and failure when used to reconstruct the acetabulum in patients who underwent major pelvic tumor resections, and we believe this is a useful reconstruction for periacetabular resections for tumor or failed prior reconstructions. Still, infection and dislocation are relatively common after these complex reconstructions. Dual-mobility articulation in our experience is associated with a lower risk of dislocation. Future, larger studies will need to further control for factors such as dual-mobility articulation and silver coating. We will continue to follow our patients over the longer term to ascertain the role of this implant in this setting. Level IV, therapeutic study

Photochemical Internalization (PCI) as a treatment modality for leiomyosarcoma: Predictive factors for treatment response

Photochemical internalization (PCI) is a novel technique for targeted delivery of therapeutic substances into cancer cells. Leiomyosarcomas are inherently resistant to established cancer treatment regimens and by studying two dissimilar leiomyosarcomas the aim was to evaluate effects and identify predictive markers of response to PCI of bleomycin. In vitro studies revealed differences in treatment response to PCI between the two leiomyosarcoma cell lines. High levels of GPx1 and SOD2, enzymes that detoxify ROS, a key element in a cascade of events from PCI, were identified as an important mechanism of resistance. Wild type p53 status was associated with treatment induced apoptosis. Inhibition of the antioxidant GSH increased sensitivity to PCI, hence specific cellular traits were identified as predictive markers for PCI responsiveness. In vivo studies, however, showed a similar growth delay after PCI treatment in the two tumour models. MRI analyses identified differences in vascularity that may explain this observation as vascular shutdown is another key element of PCI anti-tumour efficacy. PCI treatment resistance in the periphery of the tumours correlates with increased vascularity and in particular a larger blood vessel diameter compared to the tumour centre. Studies of normal tissue damage indicate that there is a “therapeutic window” in dosage of PCI with sufficient anti-tumor effects and acceptable adverse effects

Patients’ Experiences of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery: A systematic review of qualitative studies

Aim To aggregate, interpret and synthesise findings from qualitative studies to further our knowledge regarding patients’ pre- and postoperative experiences when participating in an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program. Background Numerous quantitative studies have documented benefits of participation in ERAS programs. Randomised control trials show that ERAS programs reduce patient morbidity and shorten hospital length of stay. However, we presently have only sparse knowledge regarding patients’ experiences of participating in these programs. Design A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Methods A systematic literature search of databases (Cinahl, Medline, PsycINFO, Ovid Nursing, and EMBASE) for qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2014 were undertaken. The identified studies were critically evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program, and patient experiences were synthesised into new themes by a team of researchers using qualitative content analysis. Results Eleven studies were included. Upon analysis, four main themes emerged: information transfer, individualized treatment vs standardized care, balancing burdensome symptoms and expectations for rapid recovery, and sense of security at discharge. Information helped patients feel secure and prepared for surgery. Patients reported being motivated to participate in their recovery process. However, this became challenging when they faced symptoms such as pain, nausea, and weakness. Professional support fostered a feeling of security that was important in helping patients continue their regimen, recover, and be discharged as early as planned. Conclusions Patients in ERAS programs desired more consistency between pre- and postoperative information. Important opportunities exist to improve symptom management and help patients feel more secure about recovery postoperatively.acceptedVersio

Megaprosthesis for Metastatic Bone Disease—A Comparative Analysis

Background: Megaprosthetic reconstruction is sometimes indicated in advanced metastatic bone disease (MBD) of the appendicular skeleton with large degrees of bone loss or need for oncological segmental resection. Outcome after megaprosthetic reconstruction was studied in the setting of primary bone sarcoma with high levels of complications, but it is not known if this applies to MBD. Method: We performed a comparative analysis of complications and revision surgery for MBD and bone sarcoma surgery in an institutional cohort from 2005–2019. Presented are the descriptive data of the cohort, with Kaplan–Meier (K–M) rates of revision at 1, 2 and 5 years together with a competing risk analysis by indication type. Results: Rates of revision surgery are significantly lower for MBD (8% at 1 year, 12% at 2 years), in the intermediate term, compared to that of sarcoma (18% at 1 year, 24% at 2 years) (p = 0.04). At 5 years this is not significant by K–M analysis (25% for MBD, and 33% for sarcoma), but remains significant in a competing risk model (8% for MBD, and 20% for sarcoma) (p = 0.03), accounting for death as a competing event. Conclusion: Rates of revision surgery after megaprosthetic reconstruction of MBD are significantly lower than that for primary bone sarcoma in this cohort

Patients’ Experiences of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery: A systematic review of qualitative studies

Aim To aggregate, interpret and synthesise findings from qualitative studies to further our knowledge regarding patients’ pre- and postoperative experiences when participating in an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program. Background Numerous quantitative studies have documented benefits of participation in ERAS programs. Randomised control trials show that ERAS programs reduce patient morbidity and shorten hospital length of stay. However, we presently have only sparse knowledge regarding patients’ experiences of participating in these programs. Design A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Methods A systematic literature search of databases (Cinahl, Medline, PsycINFO, Ovid Nursing, and EMBASE) for qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2014 were undertaken. The identified studies were critically evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program, and patient experiences were synthesised into new themes by a team of researchers using qualitative content analysis. Results Eleven studies were included. Upon analysis, four main themes emerged: information transfer, individualized treatment vs standardized care, balancing burdensome symptoms and expectations for rapid recovery, and sense of security at discharge. Information helped patients feel secure and prepared for surgery. Patients reported being motivated to participate in their recovery process. However, this became challenging when they faced symptoms such as pain, nausea, and weakness. Professional support fostered a feeling of security that was important in helping patients continue their regimen, recover, and be discharged as early as planned. Conclusions Patients in ERAS programs desired more consistency between pre- and postoperative information. Important opportunities exist to improve symptom management and help patients feel more secure about recovery postoperatively

Patients’ Experiences of Enhanced Recovery after Surgery: A systematic review of qualitative studies

Aim To aggregate, interpret and synthesise findings from qualitative studies to further our knowledge regarding patients’ pre- and postoperative experiences when participating in an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program. Background Numerous quantitative studies have documented benefits of participation in ERAS programs. Randomised control trials show that ERAS programs reduce patient morbidity and shorten hospital length of stay. However, we presently have only sparse knowledge regarding patients’ experiences of participating in these programs. Design A qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis. Methods A systematic literature search of databases (Cinahl, Medline, PsycINFO, Ovid Nursing, and EMBASE) for qualitative studies published between 2000 and 2014 were undertaken. The identified studies were critically evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program, and patient experiences were synthesised into new themes by a team of researchers using qualitative content analysis. Results Eleven studies were included. Upon analysis, four main themes emerged: information transfer, individualized treatment vs standardized care, balancing burdensome symptoms and expectations for rapid recovery, and sense of security at discharge. Information helped patients feel secure and prepared for surgery. Patients reported being motivated to participate in their recovery process. However, this became challenging when they faced symptoms such as pain, nausea, and weakness. Professional support fostered a feeling of security that was important in helping patients continue their regimen, recover, and be discharged as early as planned. Conclusions Patients in ERAS programs desired more consistency between pre- and postoperative information. Important opportunities exist to improve symptom management and help patients feel more secure about recovery postoperatively

“I am accustomed to something in my body causing pain”: a qualitative study of knee replacement non-improvers’ stories of previous painful and stressful experiences

Abstract Background Approximately 20% of total knee arthroplasty patients experience persistent postsurgical pain one year after surgery. No qualitative studies have explored previous stories of painful or stressful life experiences in patients experiencing persistent postsurgical pain after total knee replacement. This study aimed to explore stories of previous painful or stressful experiences in life in a cohort of patients that reported no improvement in pain one year after total knee arthroplasty. Methods The study employed an explorative-descriptive qualitative design. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews five to seven years after surgery, with patients who reported no improvement in pain-related interference with walking 12 months after total knee replacement. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results The sample consisted of 13 women and 10 men with a median age of 67 years at the time of surgery. Prior to surgery, six reported having at least one chronic illness and 16 reported having two or more painful sites. Two main themes were identified in the data analysis: Painful years - the burden of living with long lasting pain, and the burden of living with psychological distress. Conclusions The participants had severe longlasting knee pain as well as longlasting pain in other locations, in addition to experiences of psychologically stressful life events before surgery. Health personnel needs to address the experience and perception of pain and psychological struggles, and how it influences patients’ everyday life including sleeping routines, work- and family life as well as to identify possible vulnerability for persistent postsurgical pain. Identifying and assessing the challenges enables personalized care and support, such as advice on pain management, cognitive support, guided rehabilitation, and coping strategies both pre-and post-surgery

Many Patients with Persistent Pain One Year After TKA Report Improvement by 5-7 years: A Mixed Methods Study

Background Approximately 20% of patients report pain 12 months after TKA. No studies have investigated patients’ experiences of living with persistent postsurgical pain 5 to 7 years after TKA by combining a qualitative and quantitative methodology. Question/purpose In a mixed-methods study, we explored patients’ experiences of living with persistent pain up to 7 years after primary TKA. We asked: In a subgroup analysis of patients who reported persistent pain 1 year after TKA surgery, how do patients live with persistent pain at the 5- to 7-year postoperative timepoint? Methods This follow-up study was part of a longitudinal study of pain, symptoms, and health-related quality of life in patients who underwent TKA for osteoarthritis. The present study targeted a subgroup of patients (22% [45 of 202]) identified in the longitudinal study who reported no improvement inpain interferencewithwalkingat 12months after surgery. Inclusion criteria were: all 31 patients in this subgroup who attended their 5-year follow-up at the hospital and lived within a 2-hour drive from the hospital. Eight patients declined or were unable to participate due to illness or death. Hence, the final sample consisted of 23 patients (13 women and 10 men). The participants’ mean age at surgery was 666 10 years. There were no differences in sociodemographic baseline data between the 23 included and the 22 excluded participants. A mixed-methods approach was employed, in which the quantitative data were followed up and investigated with qualitative interviews. Instruments used were the Brief Pain Inventory preoperatively, 12 months, and 5 years after surgery, as well as a semistructured interview guide. The individual interviews were conducted at one timepoint 5 to 7 years postsurgery to capture how pain was experienced at that timepoint. The interviews were audiorecorded, transcribed, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.Meaning units were identified, condensed, and sorted into subthemes that were interpreted and abstracted into themes, guided by the research question. With a small sample, the quantitative analysis focused on descriptive statistics and nonparametric statistics when comparing demographics of included and nonincluded patients. In addition, two multivariate mixed models for repeated measures were employed to estimate within‐patient and between‐patient variations as well as to assess the effect of time on the pain outcomes. Results Pain with walking decreased from 12 months to 5years postoperatively (estimated mean score 7 versus 4, difference of means -3 [95% CI -5 to -2]; p < 0.001). Pain with daily activity decreased from 12 months to 5 years postoperatively (estimated mean score 6 versus 3, difference of means -3 [95%CI -4 to -1]; p < 0.001). Pain intensity (average pain) decreased from 12 months to 5 years postoperatively (estimated mean score 5 versus 4, difference of means -1[95% CI -3 to 0]; p = 0.03). The results are presented as point estimates rounded up to whole numbers. The qualitative data analysis yielded three themes: persistent limitations afterTKA, regained wellness over time, and complexity in physicalchallenges. Intermittent pain with certain movements resulted in limitations with some activities in everyday lifeand seemed to persist beyond 5 years. Multiple painful body sites and presence of comorbidities seemed to interfere with regained wellness over time. Conclusion In this subgroup of patients experiencing postsurgicalpersistent pain 12 months after primary TKA, persistent postsurgical pain still limited certain activities for the participants, although pain seemed to be less influential in their everyday lives after 5 years to 7 years. Clinicians may use these findings to inform and guide patients with delayed improvements in pain into more realistic expectations forrecovery, rehabilitation, and strategies for coping with pain and impaired function. However, it is imperative to rule out other reasons for pain in patients reporting pain 12months and longer after surgery and and to be attentive of possible changes in pain over time.publishedVersio