Publications by authors named "Niklas Unter Ecker"

Background: Patients presenting with a sinus tract over total knee arthroplasty (TKA) are challenging cases of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). A 2-stage revision TKA has long been considered the gold standard for the management of PJI. At our institution, approximately 85% of patients with PJI, including patients with a sinus tract, undergo 1-stage revision TKA.

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the difference in success rates of closed reduction in septic and aseptic revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed with a dual mobility (DM) implant. Our objective was to answer the following questions: (1) Is there a difference in success rates of closed reduction between septic and aseptic revision THA with a DM implant? (2) Is closed or open reduction more successful in preventing re-dislocation?

Methods: Between January 2009 and October 2021, 924 revisions were performed with a DM implant. All patients presenting to our institution with a dislocation following septic or aseptic revision THA using a cemented DM cup were included in this study.

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Background: Recurrent hip dislocation after multiple revision total hip arthroplasty is a severe complication. Therefore, constrained acetabular liners (CL) have been used during salvage procedures. We report our experience of constrained liners in a re-revision setting with focus on re-dislocation.

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. Morquio syndrome or mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type IV is a rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease, characterized by abnormal metabolism of glycosaminoglycans associated with specific skeletal deformities, also known as dysostosis multiplex. .

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Background: The Samilson-Prieto classification (SPC) depending on the humeral osteophyte length on a-pX-rays today is widely used to classify glenohumeral osteoarthritis in general. For treatment planning and prognosis, the patho-morphology of the glenoid and static posterior subluxation of the humeral head classified according to Walch is of much higher importance. Here, usually a CT or MRI scan is required for a correct classification.

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Article Synopsis
  • Dual-mobility cups are effective in reducing dislocation risk in complex revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs), particularly for patients with significant bone and soft-tissue loss or multiple prior surgeries.
  • A study followed 216 patients who received dual-mobility cups after complex revisions, with an average follow-up of about 69 months, to assess the rates of dislocation and need for further surgical revisions.
  • Findings indicated that understanding the long-term outcomes of dual-mobility cups in challenging revision cases is crucial, as many patients (34%) were lost to follow-up within five years, complicating overall survival analysis.
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Little is known about the relationship between the virulence of pathogens in periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. In this context, we assessed the performance of CRP for PJI. We collected the following data from 987 cases of total joint revision due to PJI and 386 cases of aseptic revision: age, gender, comorbidities, values for serum CRP, leukocytes, microbiology for preoperatively taken aspirations and at least 2 intraoperative biopsies, and presence or absence of a draining sinus.

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Background: The diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) is challenging, especially in patients with Cutibacterium (formerly Propionibacterium) acnes infection. Despite the increasing number of patients with PJI of the shoulder, there are still no robust data regarding diagnostic tests in detecting shoulder PJI.

Questions/purposes: (1) What are the sensitivity, specificity, and negative- and positive-predictive values for the alpha-defensin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay test in detecting PJI after TSA? (2) What are the diagnostic accuracies in detecting shoulder PJI for synovial alpha-defensin, leukocyte esterase Test, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP)?

Methods: All patients with painful TSA, who underwent joint aspiration to validate or exclude a PJI, between July 2015 and February 2018 were enrolled in this single-center study.

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Infecting microorganism is a strong predictor of treatment success for periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The purpose of this study was to compare the infecting pathogens causing PJI at two large infection referral centers in the United States and in Europe. In this study, 898 consecutive cases of PJI were identified at the HELIOS ENDO-Klinik Hamburg in Europe and 772 cases were identified at the Rothman Institute in the United States.

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