Using three-zone flexible cones at the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction may avoid the need for distal femoral replacement: The floating cone technique.

Distal femoral replacement (DFR) with megaprostheses is a salvage revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) procedure indicated in cases with massive bone defects in the distal femur. As long as these implants achieve fixation only in the diaphysis, the high aseptic loosening rate reported in some series is probably related to a lack of rotational stability. Two patients with extensive distal femoral bone defects with preservation of the metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction underwent rTKA.

Outcomes of the Subsequent Periprosthetic Joint Infection Revisions after a Failed Debridement, Antibiotics and Implant Retention: A Multicentric Study of 197 Patients.

The impact of prior unsuccessful debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) procedures on subsequent revisions is uncertain, with conflicting evidence. Despite 85% consensus against the second DAIR procedure following the 2018 International Consensus Meeting, a 2020 study reported high success rates for the aforementioned second DAIR procedure. We conducted a multicenter observational study reviewing data from patients with failed DAIR procedures between 2005 and 2021.

A combined debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) procedure with flap coverage for acute soft tissue defects following total knee arthroplasty: a retrospective study.

Acute soft tissue defects, such as persistent drainage, wound dehiscence, or necrosis, following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) can lead to the devastating complication of deep infection. Typically, when a medium-sized defect is present, a gastrocnemius flap is widely employed for soft tissue reconstruction due to its low morbidity and favourable functional outcomes. When facing this situation, we should consider associating the coverage treatment with a debridement, antibiotics, and implant retention (DAIR) surgery procedure, in order to treat a possible acute infection, even when the diagnosis of infection is not clear.

Adjusting the Crystallization of Tin Perovskites through Thiophene Additives for Improved Photovoltaic Stability.

Tin-based perovskites (Sn-PVK) are promising lead-free alternatives for efficient photovoltaic technology, but they face challenges related to bulk and surface defects due to suboptimal crystallization and Sn oxidation. Introducing thiophene-2-ethylammonium halides (TEAX, where X = I, Br, Cl) improves FASnI crystallization and reduces Sn formation. This is achieved by adjusting the crystallization dynamics through the formation of a complex between S and Sn during the preparation of the precursor solution, which also inhibits Sn oxidation in the resulting films.

Prevalence and Impact of Unexpected Positive Intraoperative Cultures in Total Hip or Knee Revision Surgery.

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and impact of unexpected positive intraoperative cultures (UPICs) on the outcome of presumed aseptic total knee and hip revision surgery.

Methods: Data regarding patients who underwent elective total hip or knee revision surgery from January 2003 to July 2017 due to preoperatively presumed aseptic reasons was retrospectively reviewed. Partial revisions and patients who had follow-ups below 60 months were excluded from the study.

Tailoring Single-Mode Random Lasing of Tin Halide Perovskites Integrated in a Vertical Cavity.

The development of random lasing (RL) with predictable and controlled properties is an important step to make these cheap optical sources stable and reliable. However, the design of tailored RL characteristics (emission energy, threshold, number of modes) is only obtained with complex photonic structures, while the simplest optical configurations able to tune the RL are still a challenge. This work demonstrates the tuning of the RL characteristics in spin-coated and inkjet-printed tin-based perovskites integrated into a vertical cavity with low quality factor.

[Translated article] Wound closure after knee and hip replacement (TKA and THA): Survey results on the clinical practice in Spain.

Background And Objective: In orthopaedic surgery, it is clear that an optimal standardised closure technique has not yet been developed. Locally, there are no objective data describing the standard surgical practice in wound closure. The aim of this study is to analyse the clinical practice of surgical wound closure in orthopaedic surgery by means of a survey of a representative local sample and thus obtain information on the context of closure in Spain.

Executive summary: Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of septic arthritis in adults and children, developed by the GEIO (SEIMC), SEIP and SECOT.

Infection of a native joint, commonly referred to as septic arthritis, is a medical emergency because of the risk of joint destruction and subsequent sequelae. Its diagnosis requires a high level of suspicion. These guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of septic arthritis in children and adults are intended for use by any physician caring for patients with suspected or confirmed septic arthritis.

[Translated article] Overview of systematic reviews of risk factors for prosthetic joint infection.

Background: Prosthetic joint infection is one of the most serious complications in orthopedics. Prognostic systematic reviews (SRs) detecting and assessing factors related to prosthetic joint infection, allow better prediction of risk and implementation of preventive measures. Although prognostic SRs are increasingly frequent, their methodological field presents some knowledge gaps.

Overview of systematic reviews of risk factors for prosthetic joint infection.

Background: Prosthetic joint infection is one of the most serious complications in orthopedics. Prognostic systematic reviews (SR) detecting and assessing factors related to prosthetic joint infection, allow better prediction of risk and implementation of preventive measures. Although prognostic SR are increasingly frequent, their methodological field presents some knowledge gaps.

Wound closure after knee and hip replacement (TKA and THA): Survey results on the clinical practice in Spain.

Background And Objective: In orthopedic surgery, it is clear that an optimal standardized closure technique has not yet been developed. Locally, there are no objective data describing the standard surgical practice in wound closure. The aim of this study is to analyze the clinical practice of surgical wound closure in orthopedic surgery by means of a survey of a representative local sample and thus obtain information on the context of closure in Spain.

Antimicrobials in polymethylmethacrylate: from prevention to prosthetic joint infection treatment: basic principles and risk of resistance.

Background: Excellent revisions about antibiotic-loaded bone cement (ALBC) have been recently published. In the present article, we review the principles and limitations of local antibiotic delivery in the context of recent advances in the pathogenesis of prosthetic joint infections (PJI), with particular attention paid to the potential association between ALBC and antimicrobial resistance.

Main Body: Recalcitrance of PJI is related to the ability of pathogens to adapt to particular environments present in bone tissue and protect themselves from host immunity in different ways.

[Translated article] Current situation of robotics in knee prosthetic surgery: A technology that has come to stay?

Robotic surgery is a surgical technique that is on the rise. The goal of robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA) is to provide the surgeon with a tool to accurately execute bone cuts according to previous surgical planning to restore knee kinematics and balance of soft tissue, being able to precisely apply the type of alignment that we choose. In addition, RA-TKA is a very useful tool for training.

Unusual Spectrally Reproducible and High Q-Factor Random Lasing in Polycrystalline Tin Perovskite Films.

An unusual spectrally reproducible near-IR random lasing (RL) with no fluctuation of lasing peak wavelength is disclosed in polycrystalline films of formamidinium tin triiodide perovskite, which have been chemically stabilized against Sn to Sn oxidation. Remarkably, a quality Q-factor as high as ≈10 with an amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) threshold as low as 2 µJ cm (both at 20 K) are achieved. The observed spectral reproducibility is unprecedented for semiconductor thin film RL systems and cannot be explained by the strong spatial localization of lasing modes.

Current situation of robotics in knee prosthetic surgery, a technology that has come to stay?

Robotic surgery is a surgical technique that is on the rise. The goal of robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA) is to provide the surgeon with a tool to accurately execute bone cuts according to previous surgical planning to restore knee kinematics and balance of soft tissue, being able to precisely apply the type of alignment that we choose. In addition, RA-TKA is a very useful tool for training.

Revealing Giant Exciton Fine-Structure Splitting in Two-Dimensional Perovskites Using van der Waals Passivation.

Organic-inorganic layered perovskites are currently some of the most promising 2D van der Waals materials. Low crystal quality usually broadens the exciton line width, obscuring the fine structure of the exciton in conventional photoluminescence experiments. Here, we propose a mechanical approach to reducing the effect of spectral diffusion by means of hBN capping on layered perovskites, revealing the exciton fine structure.

Spray-driven halide exchange in solid-state CsPbX nanocrystal films.

CsPbI perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) are promising building blocks for photovoltaics and optoelectronics. However, they exhibit an essential drawback in the form of phase stability: α-phase, with a ∼1.80 eV bandgap, can easily experience a phase transition to a non-radiative orthorhombic δ-phase in an ambient environment.

A Decision Support System (DSS) for the Prediction and Selection of Optimum Operational Parameters in Pressure Die-Casting Processes.

A large number of material and process parameters affect both the part quality and the process performance in pressure die-casting (PDC) processes. The complex relations between most of these variables make PDC process optimisation a difficult issue which has been widely studied for many years. Although there are several analytical and numerical models to optimise certain process parameters, it is difficult to establish a specific operational configuration for PDC machines that ensures the joint optimisation of these variables.

Perioperative medicine role in painful knee prosthesis prevention.

Total knee arthroplasty is one of the most frequently performed orthopaedic surgeries. However, up to 20% of patients develop persistent postoperative pain. Persistent postoperative pain may be an extension of acute postoperative pain, but can also occur after more than 3 months without symptoms.

Tin perovskite solar cells with >1,300 h of operational stability in N through a synergistic chemical engineering approach.

Despite the promising properties of tin-based halide perovskites, one clear limitation is the fast Sn oxidation. Consequently, the preparation of long-lasting devices remains challenging. Here, we report a chemical engineering approach, based on adding Dipropylammonium iodide (DipI) together with a well-known reducing agent, sodium borohydride (NaBH), aimed at preventing the premature degradation of Sn-HPs.

Inhomogeneous Broadening of Photoluminescence Spectra and Kinetics of Nanometer-Thick (Phenethylammonium)PbI Perovskite Thin Films: Implications for Optoelectronics.

An outstanding potentiality of layered two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites (2DHPs) is in the development of solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes. In 2DHPs, an exciton is localized in an atomically thin lead(II) halide inorganic layer of sub-nanometer thickness as in a quantum well sandwiched between organic layers as energetic and dielectric barriers. In previous years, versatile optical characterization of 2DHPs has been carried out mainly for thin flakes of single crystals and ultrathin (of the order of 20 nm) polycrystalline films, whereas there is a lack of optical characterization of thick (hundreds of nanometers) polycrystalline films, fundamentals for fabrication of devices.