Surgery (St Vincent's) - Research Publications

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    Bone Regeneration Based on Tissue Engineering Conceptions - A 21st Century Perspective
    Henkel, J ; Woodruff, MA ; Epari, DR ; Steck, R ; Glatt, V ; Dickinson, IC ; Choong, PFM ; Schuetz, MA ; Hutmacher, DW (NATURE PUBLISHING GROUP, 2013-09-25)
    The role of Bone Tissue Engineering in the field of Regenerative Medicine has been the topic of substantial research over the past two decades. Technological advances have improved orthopaedic implants and surgical techniques for bone reconstruction. However, improvements in surgical techniques to reconstruct bone have been limited by the paucity of autologous materials available and donor site morbidity. Recent advances in the development of biomaterials have provided attractive alternatives to bone grafting expanding the surgical options for restoring the form and function of injured bone. Specifically, novel bioactive (second generation) biomaterials have been developed that are characterised by controlled action and reaction to the host tissue environment, whilst exhibiting controlled chemical breakdown and resorption with an ultimate replacement by regenerating tissue. Future generations of biomaterials (third generation) are designed to be not only osteoconductive but also osteoinductive, i.e. to stimulate regeneration of host tissues by combining tissue engineering and in situ tissue regeneration methods with a focus on novel applications. These techniques will lead to novel possibilities for tissue regeneration and repair. At present, tissue engineered constructs that may find future use as bone grafts for complex skeletal defects, whether from post-traumatic, degenerative, neoplastic or congenital/developmental "origin" require osseous reconstruction to ensure structural and functional integrity. Engineering functional bone using combinations of cells, scaffolds and bioactive factors is a promising strategy and a particular feature for future development in the area of hybrid materials which are able to exhibit suitable biomimetic and mechanical properties. This review will discuss the state of the art in this field and what we can expect from future generations of bone regeneration concepts.
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    The effect of tibio-femoral over-distraction in primary knee arthroplasty
    Babazadeh, S ; Dowsey, MM ; Stoney, JD ; Choong, PFM (SPRINGER, 2013-12)
    PURPOSE: Overstuffing the patellofemoral joint has been associated with poor post-operative outcomes. No study has assessed the effect of over-distracting the tibio-femoral joint in the vertical plane and its effects on function and quality of life. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of tibio-femoral joint distraction on function and quality of life after total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: Measurements of knee joint distraction were devised using long-leg alignment radiographs. Seventy-three patients were prospectively recruited and their joint distraction measured post-operatively. A comparison was made between the level of joint distraction and functional outcomes as measured by the International Knee Society score and its components, such as pain and flexion, and the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score and quality of life as measured by the Short-Form 12 score. Twelve-month follow-up was achieved. RESULTS: Knee joint over-distraction post-arthroplasty correlated significantly with Knee Society score (p = 0.041), flexion (p = 0.005) and pain (p = 0.002). Those knees that were over-distracted post-operatively suffered more pain, less flexion and a lower International Knee Society score compared with their counterparts. No correlation was found between over-distracting the knee joint and quality of life. CONCLUSION: Over-distracting the tibio-femoral joint during arthroplasty is a significant predictor of reduction in function and increase in pain in the short to medium term. When between sizes of tibial inserts, the surgeon should consider using the thinner option.
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    Management of Prosthetic Infection According to Organism
    Peel, T ; Buising, K ; Dowsey, M ; Choong, P (InTech, 2013)
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    The Utility of Outcome Measures in Total Knee Replacement Surgery
    Dowsey, MM ; Choong, PFM (HINDAWI LTD, 2013)
    Total knee replacement (TKR) is the mainstay of treatment for people with end-stage knee OA among suitably "fit" candidates. As a high cost, high volume procedure with a worldwide demand that continues to grow it has become increasingly popular to measure response to surgery. While the majority who undergo TKR report improvements in pain and function following surgery, a significant proportion of patients report dissatisfaction with surgery as a result of ongoing pain or poor function. Poor outcomes of TKR require care that imposes on already overburdened health systems. Accurate and meaningful capture and interpretation of outcome data are imperative for appropriate patient selection, informing those at risk, and for developing strategies to mitigate the risk of poor results and dissatisfaction. The ways in which TKR outcomes are captured and analysed, the level of follow-up, the types of outcome measures used, and the timing of their application vary considerably within the literature. With this in mind, we reviewed four of the most commonly used joint specific outcome measures in TKR. We report on the utility, strengths, and limitations of the Oxford knee score (OKS), knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC), and knee society clinical rating system (KSS).
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    Early prosthetic hip joint infection treated with debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics: functional outcomes, quality of life and complications
    Aboltins, C ; Dowsey, MM ; Peel, T ; Lim, WK ; Parikh, S ; Stanley, P ; Choong, PF (WILEY, 2013-07)
    BACKGROUND: Patients treated for early prosthetic joint infection (PJI) with surgical debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics, such as rifampicin or fluoroquinolones have a rate of successful infection eradication that is similar to patients treated with the traditional approach of prosthesis exchange. It is therefore important to consider other outcomes after PJI treatment that may influence management decisions, such as function, quality of life (QOL) and treatment-associated complications. AIMS: To describe rates of successful treatment for patients with PJI undergoing surgical debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics and compare their functional outcomes, QOL and complication rates to patients without PJI. METHODS: Nineteen patients treated for PJI after hip arthroplasty with debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics were matched to 76 controls who underwent hip arthroplasty with no infection. RESULTS: Cumulative survival free from treatment failure at 2 years was 88% (95% confidence interval, 59-97%). PJI cases had significant improvement from pre-arthroplasty to 12-months post-arthroplasty in function according to Harris Hip Score and QOL according to the 12-item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary. There was no significant difference in the improvement between controls and cases. PJI was not a risk factor for poor function or QOL. Medical complications occurred more frequently in cases (6/19 (32%)) than controls (9/76 (12%); P = 0.04), with this difference being accounted for by drug reactions. Surgical complications were the same in the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of PJI with debridement, prosthesis retention and biofilm-active antibiotics is successful, well tolerated and results in significant improvements in function and QOL, which are similar to patients without PJI.
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    Systematic review of the efficacy of pre-surgical mind-body based therapies on post-operative outcome measures
    Nelson, EA ; Dowsey, MM ; Knowles, SR ; Castle, DJ ; Salzberg, MR ; Monshat, K ; Dunin, AJ ; Choong, PFM (CHURCHILL LIVINGSTONE, 2013-12)
    OBJECTIVES: A large body of research has demonstrated that patient factors are strong predictors of recovery from surgery. Mind-body therapies are increasingly targeted at pre-operative psychological factors. The objective of this paper was to evaluate the efficacy of pre-operative mind-body based interventions on post-operative outcome measures amongst elective surgical patients. METHODS: A systematic review of the published literature was conducted using the electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsychINFO. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with a prospective before-after surgery design were included. RESULTS: Twenty studies involving 1297 patients were included. Mind-body therapies were categorised into relaxation, guided imagery and hypnotic interventions. The majority of studies did not adequately account for the risk of bias thus undermining the quality of the evidence. Relaxation was assessed in eight studies, with partial support for improvements in psychological well-being measures, and a lack of evidence for beneficial effects for analgesic intake and length of hospital stay. Guided imagery was examined in eight studies, with strong evidence for improvements in psychological well-being measures and moderate support for the efficacy of reducing analgesic intake. Hypnosis was investigated in four studies, with partial support for improvements in psychological well-being measures. Evidence for the effect of mind-body therapies on physiological indices was limited, with minimal effects on vital signs, and inconsistent changes in endocrine measures reported. CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrated that the quality of evidence for the efficacy of mind-body therapies for improving post-surgical outcomes is limited. Recommendations have been made for future RCTs.