This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a peripheral nerve block (PNB) on immediate postoperative analgesia and the early functional outcomes for patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). From January 2016 to August 2021, 353 patients who underwent THA were divided into two groups: the patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) group (n = 217) who received only intravenous (IV) analgesia, and others who received IV PCA and PNB (PCA + PNB group) (n = 136). After propensity score matching for age and sex, 136 patients from each group were included in the study. Primary outcomes were the visual analogue scale (VAS) at rest, activity status at postoperative 6, 24, 48 h. Secondary outcomes were functional scores by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) index, Harris Hip Score (HHS) and rescue medications used. The postoperative VAS at 6, 24, 48 h at rest and 6 h at activity were significantly lower in the PCA + PNB group (p = 0.000, 0.001, 0.000, 0.004 in order). There was no significant difference for postoperative 3-month HHS (p = 0.218), except for 3-month WOMAC index (p = 0.001). There were no significant differences for VAS between the PNB methods except femoral nerve block (FNB) and fascia iliaca compartment block (FICB) at postoperative activity 48 h (p = 0.028). There was no significant difference in the total count and amount of rescue medication (p = 0.091, 0.069) and difference in the quadriceps weakness was not noted. Therefore, PNB is beneficial for patients who undergo THA as it provides sufficient postoperative analgesia, especially during immediate postoperative resting pain without quadriceps weakness.

Oh WT, et al. Clin Orthop Surg. 2022 Sep;14:e82. https://doi.org/10.4055/cios22066

Background: Falls after orthopaedic surgery can cause serious injuries, which lengthen hospital stays and increase medical expenses. This has prompted hospitals to implement various fall-prevention protocols. The aims of this study were to determine the incidence of in-hospital falls after spine surgery, to analyze the overall risk factors, to discern factors that have a major influence on falls, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the fall-prevention protocol that we implemented. Methods: This was a retrospective, single-center study including patients who underwent spine surgery from January 2011 to November 2021 at the National Health Insurance Service Ilsan Hospital (NHISIH) in Goyang, Republic of Korea. Reported falls among these patients were examined. Patient demographics; surgery type, date, and diagnosis; and fall date and time were evaluated. Results: Overall, 5,317 spine surgeries were performed, and 128 in-hospital falls were reported (overall incidence: 2.31%). From the multivariable analyses, older age and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score were identified as independent risk factors for in-hospital patient falls (multivariable adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] for age 70 to 79 years, 1.021 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.01 to 1.031]; for age ≥80 years, 1.035 [1.01 to 1.06]; and for ASA score of 3, 1.02 [1.01 to 1.031]). Similar results were seen in the subgroup who underwent primary surgery. Within 2 weeks following surgery, the highest frequency of falls occurred at 3 to 7 days postoperatively. The lowest fall rate was observed in the evening (6 to 10 p.m.). Morbidities, including rib, spine, and extremity fractures, were recorded for 14 patients, but none of these patients underwent operative treatment related to the fall. The NHISIH implemented a comprehensive nursing care service in May 2015 and a fall protocol in May 2017, but the annual incidence rate did not improve. The fall rate was higher after thoracolumbar surgeries (2.47%) than after cervical surgeries (1.20%). Moreover, a higher fall rate was observed in thoracolumbar cases with a greater number of fusion levels and revision spine surgeries. Conclusions: Patients with advanced age, more comorbidities, a greater number of fusion levels, and revision surgeries and who are female are more vulnerable to in-hospital falls after spine surgery. Novel strategies that target these risk factors are warranted. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The effect of peripheral nerve block (PNB) according to leg lengthening following total hip arthroplasty (THA) has not been studied yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of PNB according to the change in leg length after THA. From January 2016 to August 2021, 353 patients who underwent unilateral THA for osteonecrosis of the femoral head or osteoarthritis of the hip joint were retrospectively reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups for comparison: 217 patients who controlled postoperative pain using only intravenous venous patient-controlled analgesia (IV PCA) (PCA group) and 136 patients who controlled postoperative pain using PNB and IV PCA (PCA + PNB group). We further divided the patients into two groups (leg lengthening after surgery < 10 mm and >10 mm) and compared them. After propensity score matching, the PCA and PCA + PNB groups, with 134 patients each, were compared and analyzed. The pain intensity at rest was significantly lower in the PCA + PNB group compared with that in the PCA group at postoperative 6, 24, and 48 h (p = 0.0001, 0.0009, and 0.05). PNB did not show superiority in terms of pain reduction in patients whose limb lengthening was more than 10 mm after THA. Further investigations on methods for reducing pain in patients whose leg length is increased by more than 10 mm are needed.

Background/Objectives: The distorted vertebral body has been studied in scoliosis; however, there is little knowledge about the difference between neuromuscular and idiopathic scoliosis. This study aimed to investigate the vertebral body morphology in patients with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and scoliosis (CP scoliosis) and compare them with those of apex- and Cobb angle-matched patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: Thirty-four patients with CP scoliosis and thirty-two patients with AIS were included. The pedicle diameter, chord length, and vertebral body rotation were evaluated at one level above the apex, one level below the apex, and at the apex using a reconstructed computed tomography scan. The apex of the curve and Cobb angle were too diverse between patients with CP scoliosis or AIS. Eighteen patients were matched in each group according to the apex and Cobb angle (within 5-degree differences) of the major curve, and compared between matched groups (mCPscoliosis vs. mAIS). Results: In the comparison of the apex and Cobb angle-matched groups, there was no statistical difference in the Cobb angle between mCPscoliosis (80.7 ± 13.8 degrees) and mAIS (78.6 ± 13.6 degrees, p = 0.426), and the vertebral body rotation (25.4 ± 15.4° in mCPscoliosis vs. 24.4 ± 6.5° in mAIS, p = 0.594). There was no difference in the pedicle diameters of either the convex (3.6 ± 1.1 mm in mCPscoliosis vs. 3.3 ± 1.2 mm in mAIS, p = 0.24) or concave side (3.1 ± 1.2 mm in mCPscoliosis vs. 2.7 ± 1.6 mm in mAIS, p = 0.127). However, the patients in the mCPscoliosis group were younger (12.7 ± 2.5 years vs. 14.6 ± 2.4 years, p = 0.001), and the chord length was shorter on the convex (38.0 ± 5.0 mm vs. 40.4 ± 4.9 mm, p = 0.025) and concave (37.7 ± 5.2 mm vs. 40.3 ± 4.7 mm, p = 0.014) sides compared with those of the mAIS group. Conclusions: With a similar apex and Cobb angle, the vertebral body rotation and pedicle diameter in patients with CP scoliosis were comparable to those with AIS; however, the chord length was shorter in CP scoliosis. For the selection of the pedicle screw in CP scoliosis, the length of the pedicle screw should be more considered than the diameter.