Cortex- Elective surgery Flashcards
what are the surgical strategies for the management of an arthritic joint
arthroplasty/ joint replacement
excision or rescection arthroplasty
arthrodesis
osteotomy
what is hemiarthroplasty
replacing one half of a joint
what joints can be replaced
hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, ankle, 1st MTP joint of the great toe, MCP joints of the hand and wrist
what can joint replacements be made of
stainless steel, cobalt chrome, titanium alloy, polyethylene, ceramic
in hip replacements what materials can be coupled
metal polethylene
ceramic polyethylene
ceramic ceramic
metal metal
what ultimately will happen to a hip replacement
fail due to loosening or breakdown of the joint replacement components
what can cause a hip replacement to fail
wear particles producing an inflammatory response or high stresses (loosening)
what is the risk with metal hip replacements
metal particles can cause an inflammatory granuloma (pseudotumour) which can cause muscle and bone necrosis
what can polyethene particles cause
an inflammatory response in bone with subsequent bone resorption (osteolysis) resulting in lossening
what is the risk with ceramics
can shatter with fatigue due to their brittleness
what are the problems with revision surgeries
more difficult
complication rates higher
functional outcomes are poorer
patient satisfaction less
why do younger patients have an increased risk of revision surgery
as there is higher demand on the joint replacement
what are the serious complications of joint replacement
deep infection, recurrent dislocation, neurovascular injury, pulmonary embolism, medical complications (renal failure, MI, chest infections ect)
what needs to be done if a fulminant infection is diagnosed early after a joint replacement
surgical washout, debridement, prolonged parenteral antibiotic therapy
why are infections that last longer than 3 weeks harder to salvage in a joint replacement
as infecting bacteria adhere to the foreign surface and grows a biofilm which resists the immune response
what is usually required if there is a deep joint replacement infection for more than 3 weeks
removal of implants
left for 6 weeks
given parenteral antibiotics
revision joint replacement once cleared (soft tissues lose elasticity and scar- joint stiffens)
what are the early local complications of a joint replacement
Infection, dislocation, instability, fracture, leg length discrepancy, nerve injury, bleeding, arterial injury / ischaemia, bleeding, DVT
what are the early general complications of joint replacements
Hypovolaemia, shock, acute renal failure, MI, ARDS, PE, chest infection, urine infection. There is approximately a 0.2% chance of dying as a result of a hip or knee replacement.
what are the late local complications of a joint replacement
Infection (from haematogenous spread), loosening, fracture, implant breakage, pseudotumour formation.
what does excision involve and when is it used
removal of bone and cartilage of one or both sides of a joint
good for small joints e.g. kellers procedure for hallux valgus
what is arthrodesis
surgical stiffening or fusion of a joint in a position of function
remaining hyaline cartilage of the joint and subchondral bone is removed and the joint is stabilised causing bony union and fusion
when is arthrodesis good
to relieve pain
end stage ankle arthritis
wrist arthritis
arthritis of the first MTP joint of the foot (hallux rigidus)
what are the negatives of arthrodesis
function may be limited particularly in large joints may increase pressure in surrounding joints causing arthritic change
what is an osteotomy
surgical re alignment of a bone which can be used to correct deformities or redistribute load across an arthritic joint (shift to an undiseased part)
what tendons can be injected with steroid around the tendon due to risk of rupture
achilles, extensor mechanism of knee
what might refractory soft tissue inflammatory problems benefit from
surgical debridement or decompression (supraspinatus tendonitis and subacromial decompression)
when can synovectomy be performed
for the extensor tendons of the wrist on RA or for inflammation of the tibialis posterior tendon to prevent rupture
what might major tendon tears require (3) (give examples of the the tendons these are done in)
splintage (achilles), surgical repair (quadriceps, patellar tendon, sometimes achilles), tendon transfer (tibialis posterior, extensor pollicis longus)
how can meniscal tears be surgically treated
with arthroscopic removal (or occasionally repair) if the pain fails to settle or if the cause mechanical symptoms (locking or catching)
how can labral tears of the acetabulum be surgically treated
can be resected or repaired
what is instability
abnormal motion of a joint (rotation or translation) resulting in subluxation or dislocation with pain and/or giving way