Low dose compared to variable dose Warfarin and to Fondaparinux as prophylaxis for thromboembolism after elective hip or knee replacement surgery; a randomized, prospective study.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary emboli (PE), known together as venous thromboembolic (VTE) disease remain major complications following elective hip and knee surgery. This study compares three chemoprophylactic regimens for VTE following elective primary unilateral hip or knee replacement, one of which was designed to minimize risk of post-operative bleeding.

Methods: Patients were randomized and stratified for hip vs.

Administration of olanzapine to prevent postoperative delirium in elderly joint-replacement patients: a randomized, controlled trial.

Background: Delirium is a serious postoperative condition for which few pharmacologic prevention trials have been conducted.

Objective: The authors tested the efficacy of perioperative olanzapine administration to prevent postoperative delirium in elderly patients after joint-replacement surgery.

Method: The authors conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, prophylaxis trial at an orthopedic teaching hospital, enrolling 495 elderly patients age ≥65 years, who were undergoing elective knee- or hip-replacement surgery; 400 patients received either 5 mg of orally-disintegrating olanzapine or placebo just before and after surgery.

Ceramic-on-ceramic hip outcome at a 5- to 10-year interval: has it lived up to its expectations?

This study reports revision and complication rates of a single cementless double-wedged tapered stem with an alumina-alumina bearing over 10 years since the beginning of premarket clinical trials. Of 930 hips (848 patients) implanted by 9 surgeons, there were 19 revisions at mean follow-up of 5.9 years compared to 10 revisions in the 123 hips implanted with the polyethylene control group at mean 7.

Hemostasis using a bipolar sealer in primary unilateral total knee arthroplasty.

Previous studies have shown that, compared with standard electrocautery, a bipolar sealer reduces tissue damage and smoke production during surgery. We conducted a multicenter, prospective, randomized study to compare a bipolar sealer with standard electrocautery for hemostasis. Sixty-nine primary total knee arthroplasties were performed.

The effect of paraformaldehyde fixation on the delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) measurement.

The delayed Gadolinium-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) method allows for both qualitative and quantitative measurement of the spatial distribution of glycosaminoglycan [GAG] in excised cartilage. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of paraformaldehyde fixation on dGEMRIC measurements. Five bovine and seven human cartilage pieces were punched into 5-mm plugs, fixed for 18 h in 4% paraformaldehyde solution, and washed.