BackgroundBisphosphonates are generally known to adversely affect fracture healing because they inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption. However, some authors argue that bisphosphonates have no adverse effect on the restoration of the mechanical integrity of long bones after fractures. It is unclear whether bisphosphonates can be initiated safely in patients with acute proximal humerus fractures. The aim of this study was to determine whether the early use of a bisphosphonate affects healing and outcomes of osteoporotic proximal humerus fractures treated with a locking compression plate.MethodsBetween August 2004 and June 2013, a total of 82 osteoporotic patients who underwent locking plate fixation of proximal humerus fractures were enrolled retrospectively. The patients were divided into two groups according to the timing of the commencement of treatment with alendronate after surgery: group A (n = 34, initiation of the bisphosphonate treatment within two weeks after surgery) and group B (n = 48, control group, initiation of the treatment three months after surgery). Patients were assessed for radiographic union at 2, 6, 10, and 16 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. Clinical assessments were performed using the Constant score and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score at 1 year after surgery.ResultsNo significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to radiographic and clinical outcomes after locking plate fixation. All patients obtained fracture union, and the mean time to radiographic union was similar in group A and group B (6.3 and 6.6 weeks, respectively; p = 0.67).ConclusionsThis study shows that the early initiation of bisphosphonate treatment does not affect bone union or clinical outcomes in patients with an osteoporotic proximal humerus fracture treated by locking compression plate fixation.

PurposeAlthough allogeneic blood transfusion is the most common method of transfusion in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there are reports showing significant decrease in the amount of allogeneic transfusion and incidence of side effects after combined use of autologous transfusion. The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of using an autologous transfusion device in TKA.Materials and MethodsPatients who underwent TKA at our institution from January 2003 to January 2014 were divided into two groups: group A (n=127) who received allogeneic transfusion only in TKA and group B (n=118) who received autologous transfusion via an autologous transfusion device and allogeneic transfusion. In both groups, the patients were transfused when the hemoglobin level was below 9 g/dL. In group B, blood collected by the autologous transfusion device was transfused only once after surgery. The total blood loss volume, total transfusion volume, and the presence of side effects were assessed based on medical records.ResultsGroup A received 294.6 mL more allogeneic transfusion than group B (p<0.001). There were no significant differences with regard to the development of side effects between groups.ConclusionsApplication of an autologous transfusion device during TKA can be effective in reducing the allogeneic transfusion volume. Moreover, allogeneic transfusion was not necessary after autologous transfusion in some patients.

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Background: Sonoelastography (SE) is a new technique that can assess differences in tissue stiffness, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of SE to assess the long head of biceps tendon alteration. Methods: Forty shoulders of 36 consecutively registered patients with clinical symptoms and conventional ultrasonography findings of biceps tendinitis or tendinosis, and 40 asymptomatic shoulders of 20 healthy volunteers were assessed with SE. Transverse and longitudinal images of long head of biceps tendon were obtained using SE. SE images were performed by one orthopedic surgeon and evaluated by two orthopedic surgeons using an experimentally proven color grading system. Results: The transverse images of SE showed a sensitivity of 87.5%, a specificity of 95.0% and a accuracy of 91.3%, the longitudinal images of SE showed a sensitivity of 92.5%, a specificity of 90.0% and a accuracy of 91.3%. Inter-observer reliability of SE was in 'almost perfect agreement' with a weighted kappa coefficient of 0.83. Conclusions: SE is valuable in the detection of the intratendinous and peritendinous alterations of biceps tendon, and has excellent accuracy and excellent correlation with conventional ultrasound findings. (Clin Shoulder Elb 2014;17(3):107-113)

Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the correlation between the amount of pain reduction after local anesthetic injection into the subacromial space preoperatively and clinical outcome after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Methods: A total of 127 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and followed up at least 1 year were analyzed retrospectively. Preoperatively, a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain was measured in all patients before and after the ultrasound guided impingement test. The participants were divied into four groups according to pain reduntion ater impingement test (Group A: >75%, Group B: 50%-75%, Group C: 25%-50%, Group D: <25%). VAS for pain, shoulder range of motion, shoulder isometric strength, ASES score were evaluated preoperatively and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively. Results: After surgery, the amount of pain reduction shows significantly at 3, 6 months in Groups A, B as compared to Groups C, D (p<0.05). Among the range of motion of shoulder joint, forward flexion was significantly improved in Group A at 3 months (p<0.05). The ASES score significantly improved at 3, 6 months in Groups A, B as compared to Group C, D (p<0.05). Conclusions: Preoperative degree of pain reduction after impingement test correlates with the improvement of pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, especially in the early phase. Therefore, the impingement test could be effectively used. (Clin Shoulder Elbow 2017;20(3):126-132)