Lower limb orthopaedic surgery results in changes to coagulation and non-specific inflammatory biomarkers, including selective clinical outcome measures.

Background: With an aging society and raised expectations, joint replacement surgery is likely to increase significantly in the future. The development of postoperative complications following joint replacement surgery (for example, infection, systemic inflammatory response syndrome and deep vein thrombosis) is also likely to increase. Despite considerable progress in orthopaedic surgery, comparing a range of biological markers with the ultimate aim of monitoring or predicting postoperative complications has not yet been extensively researched.

Tourniquet-applied upper limb orthopaedic surgery results in increased inflammation and changes to leukocyte, coagulation and endothelial markers.

Purpose: During this pilot clinical study, patients scheduled for elective tourniquet-applied upper limb orthopaedic surgery were recruited to investigate the effects of surgery on various biological markers (n = 10 patients).

Methods: Three venous blood samples were collected from the arm at the ante-cubital fossa, at baseline (pre-operatively), 5 and 15 minutes after reperfusion (post-operatively). Neutrophil and monocyte leukocyte sub-populations were isolated by density gradient centrifugation techniques.

Total hip and knee replacement surgery results in changes in leukocyte and endothelial markers.

Background: It is estimated that over 8 million people in the United Kingdom suffer from osteoarthritis. These patients may require orthopaedic surgical intervention to help alleviate their clinical condition. Investigations presented here was to test the hypothesis that total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) orthopaedic surgery result in changes to leukocyte and endothelial markers thus increasing inflammatory reactions postoperatively.

Mild episodes of tourniquet-induced forearm ischaemia-reperfusion injury results in leukocyte activation and changes in inflammatory and coagulation markers.

Background: Monocytes and neutrophils are examples of phagocytic leukocytes, with neutrophils being considered as the 'chief' phagocytic leukocyte. Both monocytes and neutrophils have been implicated to play a key role in the development of ischaemia-reperfusion injury, where they are intrinsically involved in leukocyte-endothelial cell interactions. In this pilot study we hypothesised that mild episodes of tourniquet induced forearm ischaemia-reperfusion injury results in leukocyte activation and changes in inflammatory and coagulation markers.