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INTRODUCTION: Optimal coronal and sagittal component positioning is important in achieving a successful outcome following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Modalities to determine post-operative alignment include plain radiography and computer tomography (CT) imaging. This study aims to determine the accuracy and reliability of plain radiographs in measuring coronal and sagittal alignment following TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective, consecutive study of 58 patients undergoing TKA was performed comparing alignment data from plain radiographs and CT imaging. Hip- knee-angle (HKA), sagittal femoral angle (SFA) and sagittal tibial angle (STA) measurements were taken by two observers from plain radiographs and compared with CT alignment. Intra- and inter-observer correlation was calculated for each measurement. RESULTS: Intra-observer correlation was excellent for HKA (r>0.89) with a mean difference of 0.95) and STA (r>0.8) compared to SFA (r=0.5). When comparing modalities (radiographs vs CT), HKA estimations for both observers showed the least maximum and mean differences while SFA observations were the least accurate. CONCLUSION: Radiographic estimation of HKA showed excellent intra- and inter-observer correlation and corresponds well with CT imaging. However, radiographic estimation of sagittal plane alignment was less reliably measured and correlated less with CT imaging. Plain radiography was found to be inferior to CT for estimation of biplanar prosthetic alignment following TKA.

Background: Tibial shaft fractures are sometimes complicated by delayed union and nonunion, necessitating further surgical interventions. Pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation is an effective treatment for delayed unions and nonunions, but its efficacy in preventing healing complications in patients with acute fractures is largely untested. The purpose of this pragmatic trial was to determine whether adjuvant pulsed electromagnetic field therapy for acute tibial shaft fractures reduces the rate of surgical revision because of delayed union or nonunion.Methods: In a double-blind randomized trial involving six metropolitan trauma hospitals, 259 participants with acute tibial shaft fractures (AO/OTA type 42) were randomized by means of external allocation to externally identical active and inactive pulsed electromagnetic field devices. Participants were instructed to wear the device for ten hours daily for twelve weeks. Management was otherwise unaltered. The primary outcome was the proportion of participants requiring a secondary surgical intervention because of delayed union or nonunion within twelve months after the injury. Secondary outcomes included surgical intervention for any reason, radiographic union at six months, and the Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary and Lower Extremity Functional Scales at twelve months. Main analyses were by intention to treat.Results: Two hundred and eighteen participants (84%) completed the twelve-month follow-up. One hundred and six patients were allocated to the active device group, and 112 were allocated to the placebo group. Compliance was moderate, with 6.2 hours of average daily use. Overall, sixteen patients in the active group and fifteen in the inactive group experienced a primary outcome event (risk ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.95 to 1.14; p = 0.72). According to per-protocol analysis, there were six primary events (12.2%) in the active, compliant group and twenty-six primary events (15.1%) in the combined placebo and active, noncompliant group (risk ratio, 0.97; 95% confidence interval, 0.86 to 1.10; p = 0.61). No between-group differences were found with regard to surgical intervention for any reason, radiographic union, or functional measures.Conclusions: Adjuvant pulsed electromagnetic field stimulation does not prevent secondary surgical interventions for delayed union or nonunion and does not improve radiographic union or patient-reported functional outcomes in patients with acute tibial shaft fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most literature reporting the impressive results from knee and hip replacement derives from international data. Few Australian studies have comprehensively compared outcomes after joint replacement up to 1 year. This paper compares the patterns of recovery across physical and patient-centred outcomes following knee or hip replacement in an Australian cohort. One hundred and twenty-two consecutive patients undergoing knee or hip replacement were prospectively followed. Serial assessments were conducted (preoperatively, and 2, 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks post-surgery). Joint pain, patient's global improvement, timed mobility, and complications were monitored. English-proficient patients completed WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index) and SF-36v2 (Medical Outcomes Short-Form 36 version 2) questionnaires. At 1 year, 81% (55 knee, 44 hip) were available for follow-up. Significant, large improvements (up to 254%) were evident for most outcomes. Global improvement was reported by 97%. Recovery for both surgical groups was greatest within the first 26 weeks, but hip patients improved more quickly in most outcomes. Wound disturbances were the most common complication (23 in total, 23%) and 13 patients (13%) were readmitted for complications. Recovery patterns were similar to that observed elsewhere. The physical and patient-centred outcomes provide a useful Australian reference for clinicians of the temporal aspects of recovery as well the differences between hip and knee surgeries. Complication and readmission rates appeared high, possibly partly explained by the rigorous capture method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. OBJECTIVE: To measure the association between physical and psychosocial factors, and symptoms of back pain after major physical injury. The study was conducted at a major metropolitan trauma center. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Persistence of back pain has been associated more with psychosocial factors, such as job satisfaction and stress, than with physical factors, such as injury characteristics. Predictors of back pain after major accidental, non-self-inflicted injury have not previously been reported. METHODS: Consecutive adult patients presenting to a single institution with accidental major trauma over a 5-year period were surveyed between 1 and 6 years postinjury (mean, 41 months; range, 12-74 months). Data pertaining to general factors, injury severity, and psychosocial factors were gathered from the hospital trauma registry and the follow-up questionnaire. The main outcome was symptomatic back pain at follow-up derived from the SF-36 bodily pain subscale. Multivariate analysis was performed to determine which factors were independently associated with back pain at follow-up. RESULTS: Back pain after major trauma was not associated with measures of injury severity, such as the Injury Severity Score or the presence of a spinal fracture. Back pain was also not associated with patient-specific factors, such as age, gender, or occupation. Back pain was significantly associated with the presence of posttraumatic stress disorder, the use of a lawyer, the presence of chronic illnesses, and lower education levels. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of psychosocial factors as predictors of symptomatic back pain after major physical trauma. The findings do not support physical factors as important contributors to future low back pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: MRSA remains a leading cause of hospital-acquired (HAP) and healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP). We describe the epidemiology and outcome of MRSA pneumonia in Canadian hospitals, and identify factors contributing to mortality. METHODS: Prospective surveillance for MRSA pneumonia in adults was done for one year (2011) in 11 Canadian hospitals. Standard criteria for MRSA HAP, HCAP, ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) were used to identify cases. MRSA isolates underwent antimicrobial susceptibility testing, and were characterized by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and Panton-Valentine leukocidin (PVL) gene detection. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality at 30 days. A multivariable analysis was done to examine the association between various host and microbial factors and mortality. RESULTS: A total of 161 patients with MRSA pneumonia were identified: 90 (56%) with HAP, 26 (16%) HCAP, and 45 (28%) CAP; 23 (14%) patients had VAP. The mean (± SD) incidence of MRSA HAP was 0.32 (± 0.26) per 10,000 patient-days, and of MRSA VAP was 0.30 (± 0.5) per 1,000 ventilator-days. The 30-day all-cause mortality was 28.0%. In multivariable analysis, variables associated with mortality were the presence of multiorgan failure (OR 8.1; 95% CI 2.5-26.0), and infection with an isolate with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.0-6.3). CONCLUSIONS: MRSA pneumonia is associated with significant mortality. Severity of disease at presentation, and infection caused by an isolate with elevated MIC to vancomcyin are associated with increased mortality. Additional studies are required to better understand the impact of host and microbial variables on outcome.

Abstract Background The clinimetric properties of knee goniometry are essential to appreciate in light of its extensive use in the orthopaedic and rehabilitative communities. Intra-observer reliability is thought to be satisfactory, but the validity and inter-rater reliability of knee goniometry often demonstrate unacceptable levels of variation. This study tests the validity and reliability of measuring knee range of motion using goniometry and photographic records. Methods Design: Methodology study assessing the validity and reliability of one method ('Marker Method') which uses a skin marker over the greater trochanter and another method ('Line of Femur Method') which requires estimation of the line of femur. Setting: Radiology and orthopaedic departments of two teaching hospitals. Participants: 31 volunteers (13 arthritic and 18 healthy subjects). Knee range of motion was measured radiographically and photographically using a goniometer. Three assessors were assessed for reliability and validity. Main outcomes: Agreement between methods and within raters was assessed using concordance correlation coefficient (CCCs). Agreement between raters was assessed using intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs). 95% limits of agreement for the mean difference for all paired comparisons were computed. Results Validity (referenced to radiographs): Each method for all 3 raters yielded very high CCCs for flexion (0.975 to 0.988), and moderate to substantial CCCs for extension angles (0.478 to 0.678). The mean differences and 95% limits of agreement were narrower for flexion than they were for extension. Intra-rater reliability: For flexion and extension, very high CCCs were attained for all 3 raters for both methods with slightly greater CCCs seen for flexion (CCCs varied from 0.981 to 0.998). Inter-rater reliability: For both methods, very high ICCs (min to max: 0.891 to 0.995) were obtained for flexion and extension. Slightly higher coefficients were obtained for flexion compared to extension, and with the Marker compared to the Line of Femur Method. For intra- and inter-rater reliability, the mean differences (within 2 degrees) and 95% limits of agreement (within 5 degrees) were generally clinically acceptable for both methods. Conclusion Photography potentially offers a superior method of measurement over standard goniometry as visualising the centre of the knee is simplified in a two-dimensional plane and the permanent record provides greater assessor transparency as well as opportunity to confer. The Marker and Line of Femur Methods have moderate to substantial validity, but the inter- and intra-rater repeatability for trained observers are excellent with both methods yielding small mean differences with narrow limits of agreement. The Line of Femur Method offers the added advantage that it does not rely on inter-clinician consistency in identifying the greater trochanter.

Abstract Background There is little scientific evidence to support the usual practice of providing outpatient rehabilitation to patients undergoing total knee replacement surgery (TKR) immediately after discharge from the orthopaedic ward. It is hypothesised that the lack of clinical benefit is due to the low exercise intensity tolerated at this time, with patients still recovering from the effects of major orthopaedic surgery. The aim of the proposed clinical trial is to investigate the clinical and cost effectiveness of a novel rehabilitation strategy, consisting of an initial home exercise programme followed, approximately six weeks later, by higher intensity outpatient exercise classes. Methods/Design In this multicentre randomised controlled trial, 600 patients undergoing primary TKR will be recruited at the orthopaedic pre-admission clinic of 10 large public and private hospitals in Australia. There will be no change to the medical or rehabilitative care usually provided while the participant is admitted to the orthopaedic ward. After TKR, but prior to discharge from the orthopaedic ward, participants will be randomised to either the novel rehabilitation strategy or usual rehabilitative care as provided by the hospital or recommended by the orthopaedic surgeon. Outcomes assessments will be conducted at baseline (pre-admission clinic) and at 6 weeks, 6 months and 12 months following randomisation. The primary outcomes will be self-reported knee pain and physical function. Secondary outcomes include quality of life and objective measures of physical performance. Health economic data (health sector and community service utilisation, loss of productivity) will be recorded prospectively by participants in a patient diary. This patient cohort will also be followed-up annually for five years for knee pain, physical function and the need or actual incidence of further joint replacement surgery. Discussion The results of this pragmatic clinical trial can be directly implemented into clinical practice. If beneficial, the novel rehabilitation strategy of utilising outpatient exercise classes during a later rehabilitation phase would provide a feasible and potentially cost-effective intervention to optimise the physical well-being of the large number of people undergoing TKR. Trial Registration ACTRN12609000054213

Background: Given growing demand for hip and knee arthroplasty and unsustainable resource requirements, safe and efficient models of care are critical. This study aims to determine the impact on healthcare costs of implementing an enhanced short-stay model of care (ESS-MOC) for arthroplasty at a national level., Methods: A budget impact analysis was conducted for the years 2023-2030 in the setting of Australian publicly and privately funded hospitals performing hip or knee arthroplasty. The model considered population-based future arthroplasty projections, published data on healthcare costs and resource utilisation, and aggregate health insurer claims data related to minor complexity elective hip or knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. The ESS-MOC assigned a conservative hypothesized 30% of eligible patients to an enhanced recovery from surgery (ERAS) pathway which comprised a shortened acute ward stay (average 2 days versus 4 days with current care) and outpatient rehabilitation. The primary outcome was total healthcare cost savings post-ESS-MOC implementation, stratified by joint (knee/hip) and healthcare sector (public/private). Return on investment (ROI) ratio, measuring the return for each dollar invested in implementation, and hospital bed days utilized, were also estimated. Costs are presented in Australian dollars (AUD), at 2023 prices., Results: Estimated cost savings for 2023-2030 from implementing the ESS-MOC pathway were AUD641 million (95% CI: AUD99 million to AUD1250 million), corresponding to a ROI ratio of AUD8.88 (AUD1.3 to AUD17.9). Total implementation costs for the ESS-MOC were estimated at AUD38 million and AUD34 million for the private and public sectors, respectively. Savings would be 8-fold higher in the private sector (AUD571 million vs. AUD70 million in the public sector), primarily attributable to the > 80,000 rehabilitation bed days saved annually in this sector. For the period 2023-2030, an estimated 337,000 (261,000 to 412,000) acute bed days could be saved (private sector 262,000 [200,000 to 324,000]; public sector 74,000 [57,000 to 92,000]). Less than 10% of eligible patients would need to move into the ERAS pathway to realise cost savings., Conclusions: Implementation of an enhanced short-stay model of care for eligible arthroplasty patients in Australia would generate significant cost and resource savings, particularly for the private hospital sector., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The project was approved by the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (project number 35439). Consent to participate was not required as only aggregate data were used. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aims: Systematic reviews of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are the highest level of evidence used to inform patient care. However, it has been suggested that the quality of randomization in RCTs in orthopaedic surgery may be low. This study aims to describe the quality of randomization in trials included in systematic reviews in orthopaedic surgery., Methods: Systematic reviews of RCTs testing orthopaedic procedures published in 2022 were extracted from PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. A random sample of 100 systematic reviews was selected, and all included RCTs were retrieved. To be eligible for inclusion, systematic reviews must have tested an orthopaedic procedure as the primary intervention, included at least one study identified as a RCT, been published in 2022 in English, and included human clinical trials. The Cochrane Risk of Bias-2 Tool was used to assess random sequence generation as 'adequate', 'inadequate', or 'no information'; we then calculated the proportion of trials in each category. We also collected data to test the association between these categories and characteristics of the RCTs and systematic reviews., Results: We included 917 unique RCTs. We found that 374 RCTs (40.8%) reported adequate sequence generation, 61 (6.7%) were inadequate, 410 (44.7%) lacked information, and 72 (7.9%) were observational studies incorrectly included as RCTs within the systematic review. Publication year, an author with statistical or epidemiological qualifications, and journal impact factor were each associated with adequate randomization. We found that 45 systematic reviews (45%) included at least one inadequately randomized RCT or an observational study incorrectly treated as a RCT., Conclusion: There is evidence of a lack of random allocation in RCTs included in systematic reviews in orthopaedic surgery. The conduct of RCTs and systematic reviews should be improved to minimize the risk of bias from inadequate randomization in RCTs and mislabelling of non-randomized studies as RCTs., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (© 2024 Tang et al.)

Objectives: To determine whether adherence to hip fracture clinical care quality indicators influences mortality among people who undergo surgery after hip fracture in New South Wales, both overall and by individual indicator., Study Design: Retrospective population-based study; analysis of linked Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR), hospital admissions, residential aged care, and deaths data., Setting, Participants: People aged 50 years or older with hip fractures who underwent surgery in 21 New South Wales hospitals participating in the ANZHFR, 1 January 2015 - 31 December 2018., Main Outcome Measures: Thirty-day (primary outcome), 120-day, and 365-day mortality (secondary outcomes) by clinical care indicator adherence level (low: none to three of six indicators achieved; moderate: four indicators achieved; high: five or six indicators achieved) and by individual indicator., Results: Registry data were available for 9236 hip fractures in 9058 people aged 50 years or older during 2015-2018; the mean age of patients was 82.8 years (standard deviation, 9.3 years), 5510 patients were women (69.4%). Complete data regarding adherence to clinical care indicators were available for 7951 fractures (86.1%); adherence to these indicators was high for 5135 (64.6%), moderate for 2249 (28.3%), and low for 567 fractures (7.1%). After adjustment for age, sex, comorbidity, admission year, pre-admission walking ability, and residential status, 30-day mortality risk was lower for high (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.30-0.52) and moderate indicator adherence hip fractures (aRR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.46-0.82) than for low indicator adherence hip fractures, as was 365-day mortality (high adherence: aRR, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.51-0.68]; moderate adherence: aRR, 0.74 [95% CI, 0.63-0.86]). Orthogeriatric care (365 days: aRR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.61-0.98) and offering mobilisation by the day after surgery (365 days: aRR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.67-0.83) were associated with lower mortality risk at each time point., Conclusions: Clinical care for two-thirds of hip fractures attained a high level of adherence to the six quality care indicators, and short and longer term mortality was lower among people who received such care than among those who received low adherence care., (© 2024 The Author(s). Medical Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of AMPCo Pty Ltd.)

Unnecessary care, where the potential for harm exceeds the potential for benefit, is widespread in medical care. Orthopaedic surgery is no exception. This has significant implications for patient safety and health care expenditure. This narrative review explores unnecessary care in orthopaedic surgery. There is wide geographic variation in orthopaedic surgical practice that cannot be explained by differences in local patient populations. Furthermore, many orthopaedic interventions lack adequate low-bias evidence to support their use. Quantifying the size of the problem is difficult, but the economic burden and morbidity associated with unnecessary care is likely to be significant. An evidence gap, evidence-practice gap, cognitive biases, and health system factors all contribute to unnecessary care in orthopaedic surgery. Unnecessary care is harming patients and incurring high costs. Solutions include increasing awareness of the problem, aligning financial incentives to high value care and away from low value care, and demanding low bias evidence where none exists., (© 2024 The Author(s). ANZ Journal of Surgery published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.)

Background/objectives: Evidence-based guidelines and care standards recommend offering oral nutrition supplements to all older adults with hip fracture, not just those already malnourished. This study aimed to identify the proportion of inpatients in a sample of hospitals in two countries that were provided with oral nutritional supplementation (ONS) following a hip fracture and to identify factors associated with ONS provision., Methods: An analysis of prospectively collected data from a bi-national Hip Fracture Registry nutrition sprint and registry audit data limited to older adults (≥65 years) undergoing surgical intervention for a fractured hip from 1 to 31 August 2021. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with providing ONS., Results: Patient-level data was available for 385 older adults (median 85 years; 60.5% female) admitted to twenty-nine hospitals. Less than half ( n = 47.3%) of the audited inpatients were provided ONS. After adjusting for covariates, ONS was more likely to be provided to older adults who were identified as malnourished on formal testing (OR 11.92; 95%CI 6.57, 21.69). Other factors associated with prescription of ONS included those who did not have a preoperative medical assessment (OR 2.26; 95%CI 1.19, 4.27) or were cognitively impaired (OR 1.83; 95%CI 1.01, 3.32), severely frail, or terminally ill (OR 3.17; 95%CI 1.10, 9.17)., Conclusions: ONS was provided in line with evidence-based recommendations for less than half of the older adults with a hip fracture in 29 hospitals in two countries. A structured approach to implementation may be required to reduce complications and improve outcomes for all older adults after a hip fracture, not just those assessed as cognitively impaired, frail, and/or malnourished.

Importance: Structured education and exercise therapy programs have been proposed to reduce reliance on total knee replacement (TKR) surgery and improve health care sustainability. The long-term cost-effectiveness of these programs is unclear., Objectives: To estimate the lifetime cost-effectiveness of implementing a national structured education and exercise therapy program for individuals with knee osteoarthritis with the option for future TKR compared with usual care (TKR for all)., Design, Setting, and Participants: This economic evaluation used a life table model in combination with a Markov model to compare costs and health outcomes of a national education and exercise therapy program vs usual care in the Australian health care system. Subgroup, deterministic, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were completed. A hypothetical cohort of adults aged 45 to 84 years who would undergo TKR was created., Exposure: Structured education and exercise therapy intervention provided by physiotherapists. The comparator was usual care where all people undergo TKR without accessing the program in the first year., Main Outcomes and Measures: Incremental net monetary benefit (INMB), with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio threshold of 28 033 Australian dollars (A$) per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained, was calculated from a health care perspective. Transition probabilities, costs, and utilities were estimated from national registries and a randomized clinical trial., Results: The hypothetical cohort included 61 394 individuals (53.9% female; 93.6% aged ≥55 years). Implementation of an education and exercise therapy program resulted in a lifetime cost savings of A$498 307 942 (US $339 922 227), or A$7970 (US $5537) per individual, and resulted in fewer QALYs (0.43 per individual) compared with usual care. At a population level, education and exercise therapy was not cost-effective at the lifetime horizon (INMB, -A$4090 [-US $2841]). Subgroup analysis revealed that the intervention was cost-effective only for the first 9 years and over a lifetime only in individuals with no or mild pain at baseline (INMB, A$11 [US $8]). Results were robust to uncertainty around model inputs., Conclusions and Relevance: In this economic evaluation of structured education and exercise therapy compared with usual care, the intervention was not cost-effective over the lifetime for all patients but was for the first 9 years and for those with minimal pain. These findings point to opportunities to invest early cost savings in additional care or prevention, including targeted implementation to specific subgroups.

Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a recognized postoperative complication of hip or knee arthroplasty and incurs major morbidity and mortality. While anticoagulants are the mainstay of chemoprophylaxis, aspirin has recently emerged as a popular prophylactic agent. However, there is a lack of high-quality evidence comparing aspirin to anticoagulants as a method of VTE prophylaxis, and current guidelines are conflicting regarding using aspirin as first-line chemoprophylaxis. We aimed to investigate guideline characteristics that are associated with the recommendation for or against aspirin as a first-line agent., Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and PubMed databases were searched from 1966 to January 2024 to identify clinical practice guidelines for VTE prophylaxis in adult hip or knee arthroplasty inpatients of average risk. The characteristics of the guideline were collected by 2 independent reviewers. Logistic regression was used to test the association between the recommendation for or against aspirin and guideline characteristics., Results: There were 26 guidelines published from February 2003 to September 2023 and included in this study. There were 5 guidelines that recommended aspirin and 11 guidelines that recommended against aspirin as first-line therapy. With a more recent year of publication, aspirin was more likely to be recommended (odds ratio 1.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.05 to 2.84) and less likely to be recommended against (odds ratio 0.61, 95% confidence interval: 0.41 to 0.90). No other variables, including the level of evidence used, the composition of the guideline working group, or the objective of the guideline, were associated with the recommendation for or against aspirin., Conclusions: Guidelines were inconsistent in their recommendations regarding aspirin as first-line therapy as VTE prophylaxis in arthroplasty patients. Adequately powered randomized controlled trials using modern practices, such as early postoperative mobilization, are needed to better inform clinical practice guidelines., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: With advances in health state valuation methods, new value sets may be developed for some countries. Quantifying the impact of moving between existing and new value sets is critical for guiding decisions around utility score interpretation, reporting and comparison with published scores., Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine, using large-scale national registry data, how the new Australian EQ-5D-5L value set impacts utility scores for patients undergoing joint replacement., Methods: Data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry were used for this analysis. All primary total hip (THR), knee (TKR), and shoulder replacement (TSR) procedures between 2018 and 2022 with pre-operative and 6-month post-operative EQ-5D-5L data were included. Utility scores were generated using the 2013 and 2023 Australian value sets ('previous' and 'new' value sets, respectively) and analysed descriptively for each joint replacement cohort. Agreement between the two utility score sets was evaluated using concordance correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots., Results: EQ-5D-5L data were available for 17,576 THR, 23,010 TKR, and 1667 TSR procedures. The new value set produced a lowest possible EQ-5D-5L utility score of -0.30 (compared with -0.68 previously) and fewer patients had 'worse-than-dead' quality of life (score < 0.00) before surgery. Mean pre-operative scores were 0.21 (THR), 0.19 (TKR), and 0.17 (TSR) units higher with the new value set, and mean post-operative scores were 0.11-0.14 units higher. The new value set resulted in smaller effect sizes for the THR (1.08 versus 1.23) and TKR cohorts (0.86 versus 0.92). There was moderate-to-good overall agreement (coefficients: 0.70-0.80), but concordance varied by time point., Conclusion: Although acceptable agreement was evident, the new Australian value set produces less extreme negative utility scores and markedly higher group-level scores. Transition to reporting new EQ-5D-5L utility scores will require accompanying explanation to signal measurement modifications rather than better quality of life., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Early revision for total hip arthroplasty is a serious adverse outcome. There are multiple contributing risk factors for early revision. Risk factors can exist at the level of the surgeon and the level of the institution. The primary research question of this study was to determine the relative contribution of surgeon-level and hospital-level variance to rates of early revision (overall and for infection) after primary total hip arthroplasty., Methods: This is a registry-based study from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR). Data for the most commonly used stem (Exeter V40) were used to reduce prosthesis variation from the analysis. A mixed effects Cox Model (also known as a frailty model) with crossed random effects for surgeon and hospital was used. Outcomes were early revision (within 2 years) for all causes and for infection. This model allowed for the risk of early revision to be explained by the variability at the surgeon level or hospital level., Results: There were 32 031 procedures performed by 735 surgeons across 250 hospitals between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2019. Surgeon variability significantly contributed to overall variation in revision for any cause and revision for infection (P < 0.0001). There was no significant contribution of hospital-level variation to overall revision or for infection., Conclusions: Surgeon-level factors play a more important role than institution-level factors in early revision after primary total hip arthroplasty. If surgeons are identified as having a higher risk of revision, there is potential for surgeon-level practice change to reduce the risk of early revision., (© 2024 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.)

Background: The influence of implant factors on patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has previously been studied but findings are often inconsistent, restricted in scope and biased by confounding factors. This study aims to determine the association between implant-related factors and early post-operative PROMs after TKA., Methods: Using data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) PROMs program, the study included 9487 primary TKA procedures performed in 43 hospitals from July 31, 2018 to December 31, 2020. Data included baseline demographic data, surgical details and PROMs collected pre- and 6 months post-operatively. Seven prosthesis characteristics were incorporated in the multivariable model, with proportional odds ordinal regression analysis used to assess their effects on post-operative Oxford knee score (OKS) and joint pain. Adjustments were made for pre-operative OKS and joint pain, as well as potential patient confounders., Results: At six months, fixed bearing implants showed higher odds of better OKS compared to mobile bearing implants (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.06-1.37. p < 0.004). Similar findings were found with the use of image derived instrumentation (IDI) (OR = 1.27, 95 % CI 1.11-1.46, p < 0.001), robotic assisted vs. non-navigated knees (OR = 1.21, 95 % CI 1.06-1.38, p < 0.005) and no patella resurfacing (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI 1.01-1.20, p < 0.032). For lower pain scores at six months, the use of highly crosslinked polyethylene (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI 1.02-1.22, p < 0.015), cemented femoral components (OR = 1.11, 95 % CI 1.01-1.22, p < 0.024), IDI (OR = 1.20, 95 % CI 1.05-1.37, p < 0.009) or no patella resurfacing (OR = 1.10, 95 % CI 1.01-1.20, p < 0.034) were associated., Conclusion: Utilizing a fixed bearing or robotic assistance correlated with improved OKS scores, whereas highly crosslinked polyethylene or cemented femoral components were associated with improved pain scores. At six months, the use of IDI compared to non-navigated TKA, and patellar resurfacing showed both improved OKS and pain scores., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Background: We compared revision rates and reasons for revision for primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) performed for osteoarthritis with and without tibial stem extensions., Methods: Data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry were used to compare all-cause revision, reason, and type of revision between primary TKA using stemmed tibial prostheses and non-stemmed prostheses., Results: All-cause revision for TKA with stem extension was higher for the first 6 months (hazard ratio [HR] 1.47; 95% confidence interval [CI]1.19 to 1.82; P < .001); while after 1.5 years TKA with stem extension had a lower rate of revision (HR 0.84; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.97; P = .01). Stemmed components were more likely to be revised for infection between 3 months and 1.5 years after surgery (HR 1.39; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.83; P = .02). The revision rate for aseptic loosening was lower in the stemmed group beyond 2 years (HR = 0.45; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.63; P < .001). Insert-only revision was higher in the stemmed group at all times (HR = 1.42; 95% CI 1.21 to 1.66, P < .001). Isolated tibial component revision was lower in the stemmed group at all times (HR 0.47; 95% CI 0.29 to 0.74; P = .001). Aseptic loosening for tibial component-only revision was significantly lower in the stemmed group at all times (HR 0.23; 95% CI 0.11 to 0.50; P < .001)., Conclusions: Patients undergoing primary stemmed TKA have lower rates of all-cause revision beyond 1.5 years and tibial component-only revision at all times. Further investigation is required to preoperatively select patients that benefit from augmentation with stems., (Crown Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common procedure employed to treat end-stage osteoarthritis. While TKA is generally believed to have acceptable outcomes, many patients report pain or functional deficits not in line with their expectation following the procedure. It has been postulated that patient's pre-operative expectations regarding post-operative treatment outcomes play a significant role in satisfaction. It is therefore important to assess if the outcomes of surgery truly align with patient's individual expectations. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which patient expectations of TKA are achieved and the contribution of TKA to achieving patient goals one year after surgery., Methods: A consecutive sample of 110 patients booked for total knee arthroplasty were asked to identify their most important goals to inform the Direct Questioning of Objectives Index (DQO Index, range 0 to 1) and identify their surgical goals and grade their expectation that a knee arthroplasty would achieve each goal on an 11-point scale. One year after surgery, the DQO Index was repeated to assess their current ability to achieve each pre-operative goal, and asked to estimate the contribution of their knee arthroplasty in achieving each goal. Mean differences between baseline and one year follow-up were calculated regarding the DQO Index and expected achievement of pre-operative goals., Results: According to the DQO Index at one year, patients improved from a poor quality of life pre-operatively (mean ± standard deviation: 0.20 ± 0.18) to moderately high quality of life (mean ± standard deviation: 0.71 ± 0.21) reflecting a large improvement in ability to achieve each goal. Although achievement improved, for each goal, the patient estimates of the extent to which the knee arthroplasty had contributed to achieving the goal was lower than their initial expectation provided pre-operatively (mean difference range: 0.6 to 1.9 on an 11-point scale)., Conclusion: Patients undergoing TKA have high expectations that their surgery will address their primary goals. Despite surgery largely achieving these goals (improved pain and function), the extent to which the goals were achieved was lower than patients had expected pre-operatively., (© 2024. Crown.)

Objective: We evaluated the measurement properties of the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and estimated the minimal clinically important change (MCIC) in patients undergoing primary total shoulder replacement in Australia., Methods: Deidentified data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry were used for this analysis. Pre- and 6-month postoperative OSS scores were used, with the 5-level EuroQoL quality of life instrument and shoulder pain scores used as comparators. Floor and ceiling effects, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness to change were evaluated using standard psychometric methods. Mean change and predictive modeling approaches (with and without adjustment for the proportion of improved patients) were used to calculate MCIC thresholds, with patient-perceived improvement after surgery as the anchor., Results: Preoperative OSS data were available for 1,117 patients (59% female; 90% aged ≥60 years) undergoing primary total shoulder replacement. No floor or ceiling effects were observed pre- or postoperatively. The OSS showed high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach alpha >0.89), good construct validity, and high responsiveness to change (effect size 1.88). The MCIC derived from the mean change method was 6.50 points (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 4.41-8.61). The predictive modeling approach produced an MCIC estimate of 8.42 points (95% CI 5.68-12.23) after adjustment., Conclusion: The OSS has good measurement properties to capture pain and function outcomes after shoulder replacement procedures and is highly responsive to change. Based on robust methods, an increase in OSS scores of at least eight points can be considered as meaningful improvement after surgery from the patient's perspective., (© 2024 The Authors. Arthritis Care & Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American College of Rheumatology.)

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the difference in confidence to become active despite low back pain in people who were exposed to one of 2 video interventions delivered on social media, compared to no intervention. DESIGN: A proof-of-concept, 3-group randomized controlled trial, in a 1:1:1 ratio. METHODS: Participants aged 18 years and over, with and without low back pain, were recruited via the social media channel Facebook, to view either a humorous video, a neutral video, or to no intervention. The videos were delivered online, explained evidence-based management for low back pain, and were designed to "go viral." The primary outcome was confidence in becoming active despite pain, measured using the Pain Self Efficacy Questionnaire (Item 10) (ranges from 0 [not at all confident] to 6 [completely confident]) immediately after watching the video. We aimed to capture the real-time impact and immediate reactions that contributed to the content's reach. RESULTS: Among 1933 randomized participants (mean [standard deviation] age: 58.9 [14.0] years, 1285 [75%] women), 1232 [70%] had low back pain and 88.8% completed the primary outcome. One thousand two hundred sixty-four participants were randomized to receive a video intervention, and 633 participants did not receive a video. On a 6-point scale, individuals exposed to either video (n = 1088) showed a mean confidence level 0.3 points higher (95% confidence interval: 0.1, 0.6) compared with no video (n = 630). CONCLUSION: Participants who viewed a brief video intervention reported a very small difference in confidence to become active despite low back pain, compared with no intervention. The difference may lack clinical relevance. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2024;54(6):1-8. Epub 18 April 2024. doi:10.2519/jospt.2024.12412 .

Introduction: We aimed to systematically review contemporary evidence on the barriers and enablers to implementing and sustaining short-stay arthroplasty programs for elective primary total hip and knee replacement from the perspectives of patients, health professionals, carers, healthcare administrators, funders and policymakers and to map the findings to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)., Methods: Medline, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched (up to 19 August 2023). Primary qualitative or mixed-methods studies reporting on perspectives relating to the review aims that utilised a short-stay programme were eligible for inclusion. Study quality was assessed using the qualitative critical appraisal tool from the Joanna Briggs Institute. Data were analysed inductively. The final themes were mapped to the TDF. The confidence in the findings was assessed using GRADE CERQual., Results: Fifteen studies were included. Twelve barrier themes and twelve enabler themes were identified. Three themes were graded with high confidence, 10 were graded with moderate confidence, three were graded with low confidence, and eight were graded with very low confidence. The most pertinent domains that the themes were mapped to for patients were beliefs about capabilities, reinforcement, and the environmental context and resources. Health professionals identified knowledge, environmental context and resources as important domains. Two domains were identified for carers: (1) social/professional role and identity and (2) memory, attention, and decision processes., Conclusion: We identified key barrier and enabler themes linked to the TDF that can be used to guide implementation initiatives and promote the sustainability of short-stay arthroplasty programs., (© 2024 The Author(s). Musculoskeletal Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Multimodal analgesia regimens are recommended for the postoperative period after hip and knee replacement surgeries. However, there are no data on practice patterns for analgesic use in the immediate postoperative period after hip and knee replacements in Australia., Objectives: To describe analgesic prescribing patterns in the inpatient postoperative phase for patients undergoing hip and knee replacement., Methods: Retrospective study of electronic medical record data from two major hospitals in Sydney, Australia. We identified analgesic medication prescriptions for all patients aged 18 years and older who underwent hip or knee replacement surgery in 2019. We extracted data on pain medications prescribed while in the ward up until discharge. These were grouped into distinct categories based on the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification. We described the frequency (%) of pain medications used by category and computed the average oral morphine equivalent daily dose (OMEDD) during hospitalisation., Results: We identified 1282 surgeries in 1225 patients. Patients had a mean (SD) age of 69 (11.8) years; most (57.1%) were female. Over 99% of patients were prescribed opioid analgesics and paracetamol during their hospital stay. Most patients (61.4%) were managed with paracetamol and opioids only. The most common prescribed opioid was oxycodone (87.3% of patients). Only 19% of patients were prescribed nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs). The median (IQR) average daily OMEDD was 50.2 mg (30.3-77.9)., Conclusion: We identified high use of opioids analgesics as the main strategies for pain control after hip and knee replacement in hospital. Other analgesics were much less frequently used, such as NSAIDs, and always in combination with opioids and paracetamol., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Patient outcomes following low-trauma hip fracture are suboptimal resulting in increased healthcare costs and poor functional outcomes at 1 year. Providing early and intensive in-hospital physiotherapy could help improve patient outcomes and reduce costs following hip fracture surgery. The HIP fracture Supplemental Therapy to Enhance Recovery (HIPSTER) trial will compare usual care physiotherapy to intensive in-hospital physiotherapy for patients following hip fracture surgery. The complex environments in which the intervention is implemented present unique contextual challenges that may impact intervention effectiveness. This study aims to complete a process evaluation to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation and explore the patient, carer and clinician experience of intensive therapy following hip fracture surgery., Methods and Analysis: The process evaluation is embedded within a two-arm randomised, controlled, assessor-blinded trial recruiting 620 participants from eight Australian hospitals who have had surgery for a hip fracture sustained via a low-trauma injury. A theory-based mixed method process evaluation will be completed in tandem with the HIPSTER trial. Patient and carer semi-structured interviews will be completed at 6 weeks following hip fracture surgery. The clinician experience will be explored through online surveys completed pre- and post-implementation of intensive therapy and mapped to domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Translation and behaviour change success will be assessed using the Reach Effectiveness-Adoption Implementation Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework and a combination of qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. These data will assist with the development of an Implementation Toolkit aiding future translation into practice., Discussion: The embedded process evaluation will help understand the interplay between the implementation context and the intensive therapy intervention following surgery for low-trauma hip fracture. Understanding these mechanisms, if effective, will assist with transferability into other contexts and wider translation into practice., Trial Registration: ACTRN 12622001442796., (© 2024. Crown.)

Aim: To develop and user test an evidence-based patient decision aid for children and adolescents who are considering anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction., Design: Mixed-methods study describing the development of a patient decision aid., Setting: A draft decision aid was developed by a multidisciplinary steering group (including various types of health professionals and researchers, and consumers) informed by the best available evidence and existing patient decision aids., Participants: People who ruptured their ACL when they were under 18 years old (ie, adolescents), their parents, and health professionals who manage these patients. Participants were recruited through social media and the network outreach of the steering group., Primary and Secondary Outcomes: Semistructured interviews and questionnaires were used to gather feedback on the decision aid. The feedback was used to refine the decision aid and assess acceptability. An iterative cycle of interviews, refining the aid according to feedback and further interviews, was used. Interviews were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis., Results: We conducted 32 interviews; 16 health professionals (12 physiotherapists, 4 orthopaedic surgeons) and 16 people who ruptured their ACL when they were under 18 years old (7 were adolescents and 9 were adults at the time of the interview). Parents participated in 8 interviews. Most health professionals, patients and parents rated the aid's acceptability as good-to-excellent. Health professionals and patients agreed on most aspects of the decision aid, but some health professionals had differing views on non-surgical management, risk of harms, treatment protocols and evidence on benefits and harms., Conclusion: Our patient decision aid is an acceptable tool to help children and adolescents choose an appropriate management option following ACL rupture with their parents and health professionals. A clinical trial evaluating the potential benefit of this tool for children and adolescents considering ACL reconstruction is warranted., Competing Interests: Competing interests: TH, KM and RT are unpaid members of the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS) Collaboration Steering Committee., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: To compare differences in recruitment and attrition between placebo control randomised trials of surgery, and trials of the same surgical interventions and conditions that used non-operative (non-placebo) controls., Design: Meta-epidemiological study., Data Sources: Randomised controlled trials were identified from an electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from their inception date to 21 November 2018., Study Selection: Placebo control trials evaluating efficacy of any surgical intervention and non-operative control trials of the same surgical intervention were included in this study. 25 730 records were retrieved from our systemic search, identifying 61 placebo control and 38 non-operative control trials for inclusion in analysis., Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measures were recruitment and attrition. These were assessed in terms of recruitment rate (number of participants enrolled, as a proportion of those eligible) and overall attrition rate (composite of dropout, loss to follow-up and cross-overs, expressed as proportion of total sample size). Secondary outcome measures included participant cross-over rate, dropout and loss to follow-up., Results: Unadjusted pooled recruitment and attrition rates were similar between placebo and non-operative control trials. Study characteristics were not significantly different apart from time to primary timepoint which was shorter in studies with placebo controls (365 vs 274 days, p=0.006). After adjusting for covariates (follow-up duration and number of timepoints), the attrition rate of placebo control trials was almost twice as high compared with non-operative controlled-trials (incident rate ratio (IRR) (95% CI) 1.8 (1.1 to 3.0), p=0.032). The incorporation of one additional follow-up timepoint (regardless of follow-up duration) was associated with reduced attrition in placebo control surgical trials (IRR (95% CI) 0.64 (0.52 to 0.79), p<0.001)., Conclusions: Placebo control trials of surgery have similar recruitment issues but higher attrition compared with non-operative (non-placebo) control trials. Study design should incorporate strategies such as increased timepoints for given follow-up duration to mitigate losses to follow-up and dropout., Prospero Registration Number: CRD42019117364., Competing Interests: Competing interests: RB has received royalties from UpToDate for authoring a chapter unrelated to this paper (Plantar Fasciitis). SA has received grants and/or research contracts from National Health and Medical Research Council, Avant Foundation and ANZ Musculoskeletal Clinical Trial Network as part of Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Opioids and imaging are considered low-value care for most people with low back pain. Yet around one in three people presenting to the emergency department (ED) will receive imaging, and two in three will receive an opioid. NUDG-ED aims to determine the effectiveness of two different behavioural 'nudge' interventions on low-value care for ED patients with low back pain., Methods and Analysis: NUDG-ED is a 2×2 factorial, open-label, before-after, cluster randomised controlled trial. The trial includes 8 ED sites in Sydney, Australia. Participants will be ED clinicians who manage back pain, and patients who are 18 years or over presenting to ED with musculoskeletal back pain. EDs will be randomly assigned to receive (i) patient nudges, (ii) clinician nudges, (iii) both interventions or (iv) no nudge control. The primary outcome will be the proportion of encounters in ED for musculoskeletal back pain where a person received a non-indicated lumbar imaging test, an opioid at discharge or both. We will require 2416 encounters over a 9-month study period (3-month before period and 6-month after period) to detect an absolute difference of 10% in use of low-value care due to either nudge, with 80% power, alpha set at 0.05 and assuming an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.10, and an intraperiod correlation of 0.09. Patient-reported outcome measures will be collected in a subsample of patients (n≥456) 1 week after their initial ED visit. To estimate effects, we will use a multilevel regression model, with a random effect for cluster and patient, a fixed effect indicating the group assignment of each cluster and a fixed effect of time., Ethics and Dissemination: This study has ethical approval from Southwestern Sydney Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee (2023/ETH00472). We will disseminate the results of this trial via media, presenting at conferences and scientific publications., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12623001000695., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The ability to efficiently identify patients at higher risk of poor outcomes after joint replacement would enable limited resources for post-operative follow-up to be directed to those with the greatest clinical need. This is particularly important as joint replacement rates continue to grow internationally, stretching health system capabilities. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are routinely administered in many settings and offer an opportunity to detect suboptimal patient outcomes early. This study aimed to determine whether hip-specific and generic PROM scores are associated with early revision hip replacement within six to 24 months after the primary procedure., Methods: Pre-operative and six-month post-operative PROM scores for patients undergoing primary total hip replacement (THR) were obtained from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry and Arthroplasty Clinical Outcomes Registry National and linked to revision surgery data. Clinically important improvement was defined using anchor-based thresholds. Associations between PROM scores (hip pain, Oxford Hip Score, HOOS-12, EQ-5D-5L, EQ VAS, patient-perceived change, satisfaction) and revision surgery were evaluated using t-tests, chi-square tests and regression models., Results: Data were analysed for 21,236 primary THR procedures between 2013 and 2022. Eighty-eight revision procedures were performed at six to 24 months. Patients who were revised had more back pain and worse HOOS-12 scores pre-operatively but between-group differences were small. Worse post-operative PROM scores (hip pain, Oxford, HOOS-12, EQ-5D-5L, EQ VAS) were associated with early revision, after adjusting for age and sex (p < 0.001 for all analyses). Patient dissatisfaction (relative risk (RR) 10.18, 95%CI 6.01-17.25) and patient-perceived worsening (RR 19.62, 95%CI 11.33-33.98) were also associated with a higher likelihood of revision. Patients who did not achieve clinically important improvement in hip pain, function, or quality of life had a higher revision risk (RRs 2.54-5.64), compared with those who did (reference)., Conclusion: Six-month hip-specific and generic PROM scores can identify patients at higher risk of early revision surgery. Our data highlight the utility of routine post-operative PROM assessment for signaling suboptimal surgical outcomes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Preventing avoidable venous-thrombo-embolism (VTE) is a priority to improve patient and service outcomes after total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA), but compliance with relevant clinical guidelines varies. This study aims to determine the degree to which prophylaxis was compliant with Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) VTE prophylaxis guidelines and whether non-compliance is associated with increased risk of VTE. A prospective multi-centre cohort study of adults with osteoarthritis undergoing primary TKA/THA was completed at 19 high-volume public and private hospitals. Data were collected prior to surgery and for one-year post-surgery. Logistic regression was undertaken to explore associations between non-compliance with AOA VTE prophylaxis guidelines and symptomatic 90-day VTE outcomes. Data were analysed for 1838 participants from 19 sites. The rate of non-compliance with all clinical guideline recommendations was 20.1% (N = 369), with 14.1% (N = 259) non-compliance for risk-stratified prophylaxis, 35.8% (N = 658) for duration, and 67.8% (N = 1246) for other general recommendations. Symptomatic VTE was experienced up to 90-days post-surgery by 48 people (2.6%). Overall guideline non-compliance (AOR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.4 to 1.3, p = 0.86) was not associated with a lower risk of symptomatic 90-day VTE. Results were consistent when people with high bleeding risk were excluded (AOR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.44 to 2.34, p = 0.89). Non-compliance with the AOA VTE prophylaxis guidelines was not associated with risk of 90-day VTE after arthroplasty. This counterintuitive finding is concerning and necessitates a rigorous review of the AOA VTE prevention clinical guideline., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Aims: The aim of this study was to describe and compare joint-specific and generic health-related quality of life outcomes of the first versus second knee in patients undergoing staged bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) for osteoarthritis., Methods: This retrospective cohort study used Australian national arthroplasty registry data from January 2013 to January 2021 to identify participants who underwent elective staged BTKA with six to 24 months between procedures. The primary outcome was Oxford Knee Score (OKS) at six months postoperatively for the first TKA compared to the second TKA, adjusted for age and sex. Secondary outcomes compared six-month EuroQol five-dimension five-level (EQ-5D-5L) domain scores, EQ-5D index scores, and the EQ visual analogue scale (EQ-VAS) between knees at six months postoperatively., Results: The cohort included 635 participants (1,270 primary procedures). Preoperative scores were worse in the first knee compared to the second for all instruments; however, comparing the first knee at six months postoperatively with the second knee at six months postoperatively, the mean between-knee difference was minimal for OKS (-0.8 points; 95% confidence interval (CI) -1.4 to -0.2), EQ-VAS (3.3; 95% CI 1.9 to 4.7), and EQ-5D index (0.09 points; 95% CI 0.07 to 0.12). Outcomes for the EQ-5D-5L domains 'mobility', 'usual activities', and 'pain/discomfort' were better following the second TKA., Conclusion: At six months postoperatively, there were no clinically meaningful differences between the first and second TKA in either the joint-specific or overall generic health-related quality of life outcomes. However, individual domain scores assessing mobility, pain, and usual activities were notably higher after the second TKA, likely reflecting the cumulative improvement in quality of life after both knees have been replaced., Competing Interests: None declared., (© 2024 Lewin et al.)

Background: Few Australian studies have examined the incidence of prescribed opioid use prior to primary total knee or total hip arthroplasty (TKA, THA) and whether it predicts post-surgery outcomes. A recent Australian study demonstrated that the prevalence of pre-arthroplasty opioid use was approximately 16%. In the United States, approximately 24% of people undergoing TKA or THA are chronic opioid users preoperatively., Purpose: This study aimed to determine (i) the proportion of TKA and THA patients who use prescribed opioids regularly (daily) before surgery (i.e., opioid use reported between the time of waitlisting and any time up to 3 months before surgery), (ii) if opioid use before surgery predicts (a) complication/readmission rates to 6-months post-surgery, and (b) patient-reported outcomes to 6-months post-surgery., Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients who underwent TKA or THA between January 2013 and June 2018 from two Australian public hospitals was undertaken utilizing linked individual patient-level data from two prospectively collected independent databases comprising approximately 3,500 and 9,500 people (database contained known opioid usage data within the 5-year time frame). Inclusion criteria included (i) primary diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the index joint, (ii) primary elective THA or TKA, and (iii) age ≥ 18 years. Exclusion criteria included (i) revision arthroplasty, (ii) non-elective arthroplasty, (iii) hip hemiarthroplasty, (iv) uni-compartmental knee arthroplasty, and (v) previous unilateral high tibial osteotomy., Results: Analysis was completed on 1,187 study participants (64% female, 69% TKA, mean (SD) age 67 [9.9]). 30% were using regular opioids preoperatively. Adjusted regression analyses controlling for multiple co-variates indicated no significant association between preoperative opioid use and complications/readmission rates or patient-reported outcomes to 6 months post-surgery. Model diagnostics produced poor discrimination for area under the curves and non-significant goodness of fit tests. Pre-arthroplasty opioid use was associated with lower health-related quality of life (EuroQol-Visual Analogue Scale) compared to non-opioid users undergoing primary THA (mean difference -5.04 [-9.87, -0.22], P = 0.04, Adjusted R 2 = 0.06) CONCLUSION: In this study, 30% of patients were using prescribed opioids daily prior to primary TKA or THA. Pre-arthroplasty opioid use was not associated with postoperative adverse events or patient-reported pain, function, or global perceived improvement up to six months post-surgery., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine temporal trends (2016-2020) in hip fracture care in Australian and New Zealand (ANZ) hospitals that started providing patient-level data to the ANZ Hip Fracture Registry (ANZHFR) on/before 1 January 2016 (early contributors)., Methods: Retrospective cohort study of early contributor hospitals (n = 24) to the ANZHFR. The study cohort included patients aged ≥50 years admitted with a low trauma hip fracture between 1 January 2016 and 31 December 2020 (n = 26,937). Annual performance against 11 quality indicators and 30- and 365-day mortality were examined., Results: Compared to 2016/2017, year-on-year improvements were demonstrated for preoperative cognitive assessment (2020: OR 3.57, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 3.29-3.87) and nerve block use prior to surgery (2020: OR 4.62, 95% CI 4.17-5.11). Less consistent improvements over time from 2016/2017 were demonstrated for emergency department (ED) stay of <4 h (2017; 2020), pain assessment ≤30 min of ED presentation (2020), surgery ≤48 h (2020) and bone protection medication prescribed on discharge (2017-2020; 2020 OR 2.22, 95% CI 2.03-2.42). The odds of sustaining a hospital-acquired pressure injury increased in 2019-2020 compared to 2016. The odds of receiving an orthogeriatric model of care and being offered the opportunity to mobilise on Day 1 following surgery fluctuated. There was a reduction in 365-day mortality in 2020 compared to 2016 (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.74-0.98), whereas 30-day mortality did not change., Conclusions: Several quality indicators improved over time in early contributor hospitals. Indicators that did not improve may be targets for future care improvement activities, including considering incentivised hip fracture care, which has previously been shown to improve care/outcomes. COVID-19 and reporting practices may have impacted the study findings., (© 2024 The Authors. Australasian Journal on Ageing published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of AJA Inc’.)

Background: People with dementia have poorer outcomes after hip fracture and this may be due in part to variation in care. We aimed to compare care and outcomes for people with and without cognitive impairment after hip fracture., Methods: Retrospective cohort study using Australian and New Zealand Hip Fracture Registry data for people ≥50 years of age who underwent hip fracture surgery (n = 49,063). Cognitive impairment or known dementia and cognitively healthy groups were defined using preadmission cognitive status. Descriptive statistics and multivariable mixed effects models were used to compare groups., Results: In general, cognitively impaired people had worse care and outcomes compared to cognitively healthy older people. A lower proportion of the cognitively impaired group had timely pain assessment (≤30 min of presentation: 61% vs 68%; p < 0.0001), were given the opportunity to mobilise (89% vs 93%; p < 0.0001) and achieved day-1 mobility (34% vs 58%; p < 0.0001) than the cognitively healthy group. A higher proportion of the cognitively impaired group had delayed pain management (>30 mins of presentation: 26% vs 20%; p < 0.0001), were malnourished (27% vs 15%; p < 0.0001), had delirium (44% vs 13%; p < 0.0001) and developed a new pressure injury (4% vs 3%; p < 0.0001) than the cognitively healthy group. Fewer of the cognitively impaired group received rehabilitation (35% vs 64%; p < 0.0001), particularly patients from RACFs (16% vs 39%; p < 0.0001) and were prescribed bone protection medication on discharge (24% vs 27%; p < 0.0001). Significantly more of the cognitively impaired group had a new transfer to residential care (46% vs 11% from private residence; p < 0.0001) and died at 30-days (7% vs 3% from private residence; 15% vs 10% from RACF; both p < 0.0001). In multivariable models adjusting for covariates with facility as the random effect, the cognitively impaired group had a greater odds of being malnourished, not achieving day-1 walking, having delirium in the week after surgery, dying within 30 days, and in those from private residences, having a new transfer to a residential care facility than the cognitively healthy group., Conclusions: We have identified several aspects of care that could be improved for patients with cognitive impairment - management of pain, mobility, nutrition and bone health, as well as delirium assessment, prevention and management strategies and access to rehabilitation. Further research is needed to determine whether improvements in care will reduce hospital complications and improve outcomes for people with dementia after hip fracture., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.. All rights reserved.)

Background: To formulate a hierarchy of primary goals of patients prior to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and evaluate the agreement between patients and health professionals regarding this hierarchy of patient goals., Methods: The five most important goals for each of 110 consecutive patients booked for total knee arthroplasty between June and October 2019 were identified. Goals were grouped into themes and then a hierarchy formulated. This hierarchy was randomized and provided to 94 health professionals, including orthopaedic surgeons (n = 49), rheumatologists (n = 16), physiotherapists (n = 16) and general practitioners (n = 13). These health professionals ranked the provided goals based on their belief of what was most important to patients., Results: Ten overarching goals were identified, with the five most important goals to patients being improving mobility, reducing knee pain, improving daily tasks, participating in social & leisure activities and regaining knee range of motion. Health professionals ranked these goals highly similar to patients with the exceptions being that health professionals ranked quality of life near the top of the hierarchy (much higher than patients) and ranked improving mobility in the bottom half (much lower than patients). Ranking of these goals was similar between each health professional group., Conclusion: Pain and mobility are the most important goals to patients, with health professionals correctly identifying these as such. However, health professionals ranked quality of life higher, and mobility lower in the hierarchy than patients. This incongruity should be considered by health professionals when educating and communicating treatment outcomes., (© 2023 The Authors. ANZ Journal of Surgery published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.)

Background: We investigated if the use of augmented tibial fixation with stems in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in obese patients was associated with a difference in reason for revision, type of revision, or overall revision rate., Methods: Data from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry compared reason for revision, rate, and type of revision between primary TKA using stemmed tibial prostheses to nonstemmed prostheses, stratified by body mass index (BMI) and obesity. The cumulative percent revision was obtained using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazards models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for age and sex with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). All tests were 2-tailed at 5% statistical significance (P < .05). There were 66,508 procedures available for analyses., Results: Obese class 2 (BMI 35 to 39.99) had higher rates of revision in the stemmed group compared to the nonstemmed group (HR 1.44, 95% CI 1.00, 2.05, P = .047). There was no significant difference in revision rates between stemmed and nonstemmed tibial prostheses in any other BMI group. Primary TKA in obese patients (BMI ≥30) with a stem extension had a significantly higher rate of minor revisions compared to no stem extension (HR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03, 1.66, P = .025). There was no significant difference between stemmed and nonstemmed groups for major revision in obese patients and for minor or major revision in nonobese patients., Conclusion: Using a tibial stem during primary TKA in obese patients is not associated with a lower rate of revision., (Crown Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

People often use infographics (also called visual or graphical abstracts) as a substitute for reading the full text of an article. This is a concern because most infographics do not present sufficient information to interpret the research appropriately and guide wise health decisions. The Reporting Infographics and Visual Abstracts of Comparative studies (RIVA-C) checklist and guide aims to improve the completeness with which research findings of comparative studies are communicated and avoid research findings being misinterpreted if readers do not refer to the full text. The primary audience for the RIVA-C checklist and guide is developers of infographics that summarise comparative studies of health and medical interventions. The need for the RIVA-C checklist and guide was identified by a survey of how people use infographics. Possible checklist items were informed by a systematic review of how infographics report research. We then conducted a two-round, modified Delphi survey of 92 infographic developers/designers, researchers, health professionals and other key stakeholders. The final checklist includes 10 items. Accompanying explanation and both text and graphical examples linked to the items were developed and pilot tested over a 6-month period. The RIVA-C checklist and guide was designed to facilitate the creation of clear, transparent and sufficiently detailed infographics which summarise comparative studies of health and medical interventions. Accurate infographics can ensure research findings are communicated appropriately and not misinterpreted. By capturing the perspectives of a wide range of end users (eg, authors, informatics editors, journal editors, consumers), we are hopeful of rapid endorsement and implementation of RIVA-C., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

Introduction: Hip fractures result in substantial health impacts for patients and costs to health systems. Many patients require prolonged hospital stays and up to 60% do not regain their prefracture level of mobility within 1 year. Physical rehabilitation plays a key role in regaining physical function and independence; however, there are no recommendations regarding the optimal intensity. This study aims to compare the clinical efficacy and cost-effectiveness of early intensive in-hospital physiotherapy compared with usual care in patients who have had surgery following a hip fracture., Methods and Analysis: This two-arm randomised, controlled, assessor-blinded trial will recruit 620 participants who have had surgery following a hip fracture from eight hospitals. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to receive usual care (physiotherapy according to usual practice at the site) or intensive physiotherapy in the hospital over the first 7 days following surgery (two additional sessions per day, one delivered by a physiotherapist and the other by an allied health assistant). The primary outcome is the total hospital length of stay, measured from the date of hospital admission to the date of hospital discharge, including both acute and subacute hospital days. Secondary outcomes are functional mobility, health-related quality of life, concerns about falling, discharge destination, proportion of patients remaining in hospital at 30 days, return to preadmission mobility and residence at 120 days and adverse events. Twelve months of follow-up will capture data on healthcare utilisation. A cost-effectiveness evaluation will be undertaken, and a process evaluation will document barriers and facilitators to implementation., Ethics and Dissemination: The Alfred Hospital Ethics Committee has approved this protocol. The trial findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals, submitted for presentation at conferences and disseminated to patients and carers., Trial Registration Number: ACTRN12622001442796., Competing Interests: Competing interests: LK, ER, IAH, INA, RP, JMN, ATB and AEH declare grant funding from the Commonwealth of Australia Medical Research Future Fund paid to their institution for the conduct of the trial., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)