This prospective study evaluates the role of new laboratory markers in the diagnosis of deep implant infection in 78 patients (41 men and 37 women) with a revision total knee or hip replacement. The mean age at the time of operation was 64.0 years (19 to 90). Intra-operative cultures showed that 21 patients had a septic and 57 an aseptic total joint replacement. The white blood cell count, the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and levels of C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, procalcitonin and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha were measured in blood samples before operation. The diagnostic cut-off values were determined by Received Operating Characteristic curve analysis. C-reactive protein (> 3.2 md/dl) and interleukin-6 (> 12 pg/ml) have the highest sensitivity (0.95). Interleukin-6 is less specific than C-reactive protein (0.87 vs 0.96). Combining C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 identifies all patients with deep infection of the implant. Procalcitonin (> 0.3 ng/ml) and TNF-alpha (> 40 ng/ml) are very specific (0.98 vs 0.94) but have a low sensitivity (0.33 vs 0.43). The combination of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 measurement provide excellent screening tests for infection of a deep implant. A highly specific marker such as procalcitonin and pre-operative aspiration of the joint might be useful in identifying patients with true positive C-reactive protein and/or interleukin-6 levels.

Five years after surgical repair for shoulder instability, the joint position sense improved significantly, to a level of normal, healthy shoulders.

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In the treatment of severe idiopathic scoliosis rasterstereography provides both a considerable reduction of X-rays and an objective documentation of the cosmesis before after scoliosis surgery.

The evaluation of postoperative peritoneal drainage fluid tumor necrosis factor (TNF)alpha and interleukin (IL)-6 was studied prospectively over a 7-day period in 25 patients operated on for neoplastic colorectal diseases. In 22 cases, colon or rectum carcinoma was the reason for surgery, and in 3 patients resection was performed because of colonic adenoma. All patients received either an end-to-end colo-colonic or colorectal anastomosis. Of this group, 22 patients were free of complications defined as uneventful postoperative course without any signs of anastomotic leakage until the 14th postoperative day. All of these patients showed a significant rise in peritoneal TNFalpha with maximum on the 7th day during the study period (p <.05). In contrast, peritoneal IL-6 levels remained constant without significant change in time (p >.05). Three patients underwent relaparotomy because of anastomotic leakage. In these patients, peritoneal TNFalpha concentrations showed a rise until the day of operative confirmation of anastomotic leakage. This rise preceded the day of operative confirmation by at least 1 day but did not change significantly in time (p =.59). Peritoneal IL-6 concentrations in patients with anastomotic leakage remained constant and also did not change significantly in time (p =.21). After elective colorectal surgery, neither postoperative abdominal drainage fluid TNFalpha nor IL-6 monitoring is helpful to decide on the need for revision in patients with anastomotic leakage.

The aim of this study was to present the clinical and functional results of revision

Arthroscopic Bankart repair for the treatment of recurrent traumatic anterior shoulder instability repair using bioabsorbable tacks offers reliable results with respect to failure rate, range of motion, and shoulder function during a minimum follow-up of 7.0 years. In contrast to previous reports on arthroscopic Bankart repair, results did not deteriorate during follow-up.