Does partnership status affect the quality of life of men having robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for localised prostate cancer?

Objective: To investigate whether there are any differences in prostate cancer-specific QoL measures at baseline and at 12-months post-surgery between partnered and unpartnered men having robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) for localised prostate cancer.

Methods: We investigated differences in patient-reported outcomes using the Expanded Prostate cancer Index Composite-26 (EPIC-26) and the Clark et al. Prostate Cancer Quality of Life Scales.

A prospective study of the short-term quality-of-life outcomes of patients undergoing transperineal prostate biopsy.

Objective: To investigate in a prospective, observational study whether transperineal prostate biopsy (TPbx) results in patient-reported quality-of-life (QoL) changes from baseline in the first 3-months after TPbx.

Patients And Methods: Consenting patients completed the 26-item Expanded Prostate cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26), the Sexual Health Inventory for Men, the International Prostate Symptom Score, the Generalised Anxiety Disorder seven-item scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire nine-item scale, and a global question about willingness to have a repeat TPbx in a years' time. The instruments were scored using published scoring methods.

"We Used a Validated Questionnaire": What Does This Mean and Is It an Accurate Statement in Urologic Research?

Objective: To educate a clinical audience of what the specific meaning of the term "validated questionnaire" means from a research methodology perspective when used in a journal article or a conference presentation.

Methods: To emphasize what is meant by the term "validated questionnaire," we reviewed the most commonly used prostate-specific, patient-reported, outcome assessment instruments and discuss which have been appropriately validated for use in patients having surgery for localized prostate cancer.

Results: Not all the prostate-specific instruments used to assess outcomes after surgical treatment for localized prostate cancer have been validated for use in this population.

Surgical strategies in polytraumatized patients with femoral shaft fractures - comparing a German and an Australian level I trauma centre.

Background: Femoral shaft fractures are one of the most common injuries in multiple trauma patients. Due to their prognostic relevance, there is an ongoing controversial discussion as to the optimal treatment strategy in terms of Damage Control Orthopaedics (DCO) and Early Total Care (ETC). We aimed to describe the differences in fracture management and clinical outcome of multiple trauma patients with concomitant femoral shaft fractures treated at a German and an Australian level I trauma centre using the same inclusion criteria.

Nutritional status and short-term outcome of hip arthroplasty.

Purpose: To review nutritional status and outcome of 90 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA) or hemiarthroplasty.

Methods: Records of 51 women and 39 men aged 26 to 96 (median, 71) years who underwent elective THA (n=48) for osteoarthritis, or trauma-related THA (n=10) or hemiarthroplasty (n=32) for subcapital femoral neck fractures using an uncemented femoral stem were retrospectively reviewed. Patient demographics and intra- and post-operative complications were recorded.

Pulmonary embolism and the use of vena cava filters after major trauma.

Background: Major trauma patients are at significant risk of developing pulmonary embolism (PE). We aimed to (i) analyse the current incidence and timing of PE after injury; (ii) identify risk factors that predispose major trauma patients to the occurrence of PE; and (iii) describe the use of vena cava filters (VCFs) following major trauma.

Methods: Prospectively collected data from The Alfred Hospital's Trauma Registry were used to identify all major trauma patients admitted over a 7-year period.

Ethical issues in the design of randomized trials: to sham or not to sham.

The placebo effect is based on the expectations of the patient regarding the effectiveness of the treatment. The high levels of stress and rituals involved with surgery can lead to a strong placebo effect. However, the ethical principles of performing sham surgery to measure any placebo effect have been questioned, and sham-controlled surgical trials are rarely conducted.

Practical research methods for orthopaedic surgeons.

Inherent to understanding an orthopaedic study is a fundamental knowledge of the study's design principles and statistics. Statistics, in part, allow a researcher to sample a portion of the population and use probability to decide whether the findings from the sample are likely to apply to the whole population. Although statistical jargon can be confusing, several simple principles guide the approach to research design.

A comparison of self-reported and independently observed disability in an orthopedic trauma population.

Background: Although outcome measures that assess disability after isolated orthopedic injuries have been found to be valid and responsive to change, the reliability of self-reported disability has not been studied in these patients. The purpose of this study was to compare self-reported and independently observed disability in patients with isolated orthopedic injuries.

Methods: Items were selected from the Short Musculoskeletal Functional Assessment (SMFA) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) outcome assessment instruments.

Choosing outcome assessment instruments for trauma registries.

While trauma registries have the potential to collect detailed information about patient outcomes, the most commonly reported outcome, mortality, only represents the outcome from a small proportion of the total trauma population. If trauma registries are to progress to routine monitoring of outcomes in trauma survivors, instruments that measure relevant outcomes in the remainder of the trauma population must be identified and implemented. This report provides an overview of the specific needs of trauma registries with respect to assessing patient outcomes other than mortality.

Outcome instruments for the assessment of the upper extremity following trauma: a review.

Orthopaedic injuries are common among trauma patients and can result in long-term problems. Considerable data are available regarding functional outcomes following lower extremity trauma. There is, however, a paucity of data available for upper extremity trauma patients.