Modular junction fractures in a modern rotating-platform knee arthroplasty system

In this series, we report the findings from four patients who presented with pain and mechanical symptoms after revision total knee arthroplasty with the DePuy Sigma TC3 RP prosthesis. Plain radiographs for each patient demonstrated failure of the femoral component at the modular junction of the femoral prosthesis. Retrieved implants at the time of surgery revealed fractures occurring exclusively at the femoral adapter bolt and the corresponding adapter. Retrieval analysis was performed on two of the four cases by visual light microscopy. Our findings suggest that the implants had suffered from fatigue fractures likely due to cyclic loading. This is the first case series to describe the failure mechanism and clinical scenarios contributing to failure of the femoral locking bolt and adapter sleeve in this prosthesis. Keywords: Total knee arthroplasty, Implant failure revision, Modula

Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy: Catastrophic intraoperative complications

ObjectiveLarge case series have demonstrated that video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy is feasible and safe. However, catastrophic intraoperative complications during VATS lobectomy requiring thoracotomy can be overlooked and are not reported in the current literature. We reviewed our experience to determine the frequency, management, and outcome of these complications.MethodsA systematic review of a prospective database was performed after institutional review board approval. All patients who underwent VATS lobectomy or a combination of any VATS procedure plus a thoracotomy were identified. A catastrophic complication was defined as an event that resulted in an additional unplanned major surgical procedure other than the planned lobectomy.ResultsFrom 2002 to 2010, a total of 633 VATS lobectomies were performed and 610 patients had any VATS procedure plus a thoracotomy. Thirteen catastrophic complications were identified in 12 (1%) patients. We included all cases in which a VATS was performed as well as a thoractomy since this would include conversions as well. These cases included 3 main pulmonary arterial and 1 main pulmonary venous transection requiring reanastomosis, 3 unplanned pneumonectomies, 1 unplanned bilobectomy, 1 tracheoesophageal fistula, 1 membranous airway injury to the bronchus intermedius, 1 complete staple line disruption of the inferior pulmonary vein injury to the azygos/superior vena cava junction, and 1 splenectomy. There were no intraoperative deaths.ConclusionsCatastrophic intraoperative complications of VATS lobectomy are uncommon. However, awareness of the possibility of such injuries is critical to avoid them, and development of specific management strategies is necessary to limit morbidity should they occur

Orthopedic Hardware Type Impacts Case Complexity in Conversion Total Hip Arthroplasty Surgery

Background: Conversion total hip arthroplasty (THA) includes a variety of operations and prior implants. The implant present before conversion may influence the outcome and complexity of the procedure. The group hypothesized that conversion arthroplasty for patients with intramedullary nails (IMNs) is more complex from a surgical and resource utilization perspective than for those with screw fixation. Methods: THA conversion cases were reviewed retrospectively from 2012 to 2020 from 6 surgeons across 3 institutions. The included cohort had 106 patients with fixation in the proximal femur for prior traumatic events. Demographics, operative data, outcomes, and implant information were collected from the medical record. The conversion THA group was categorized by preoperative fixation type: closed reduction and percutaneous pinning/screw fixation (CRPP) or IMN. Results: No age or body mass index differences were observed between the cohorts. Prior to conversion THA, IMN patients had undergone more surgeries than CRPP (P < .05). Perioperatively, the IMN cohort sustained increased blood loss (P < .001), had longer surgeries (P < .0001), had longer length of hospital stays (P < .01), necessitated trochanteric plates more often (P < .05), were readmitted more (P < .05), and required additional follow-up surgery (P < .01) than the CRPP cohort. Conclusions: Conversion THA of a prior IMN implant is associated with worse perioperative outcomes than conversion of a CRPP construct. Surgeons, health systems, and payors should consider these differences when caring for these distinct groups of patients