Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Receiving a Primary Total Knee or Hip Arthroplasty

Effect of Taiwan's Diabetes Shared Care Program on the risk of periprosthetic joint infection after total joint arthroplasty in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: an eight-year population-based study

BACKGROUND

Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a significant post-arthroplasty complication for diabetic patients, with uncontrolled diabetes identified as a PJI risk factor. Taiwan's Diabetes Shared Care Program (DSCP) was established for holistic diabetes care.

AIM

To evaluate the DSCP's impact on PJI incidence and patients' medical costs.

METHODS

Data were analysed from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database from 2010 to 2020, focusing on type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients who had undergone arthroplasty. The study group involved DSCP participants, while a comparison group comprised non-participants with matched propensity scores for age, sex, and comorbidities. The primary outcome was the PJI incidence difference between the groups; the secondary outcome was the medical expense difference.

FINDINGS

The study group consisted of 11,908 type 2 DM patients who had arthroplasty and joined the DSCP; PJI occurred in 128 patients. Among non-participants, 184 patients had PJI. The PJI incidence difference between the groups was statistically significant (1.07% vs 1.55%). The study group's medical costs were notably lower, regardless of PJI incidence. Multivariate regression showed higher PJI risk in patients in comparison group, aged >70 years, male, or who had obesity, anaemia.

CONCLUSION

The study indicates that DSCP involvement reduces PJI risks and decreases annual medical costs for diabetic patients after arthroplasty. Consequently, the DSCP is a recommendable option for such patients who are preparing for total joint arthroplasty.

Self-reported walking difficulty influences gait characteristics in patients with medial compartment knee osteoarthritis

BACKGROUND

To differentiate gait strategies per knee osteoarthritis and self-reported walking difficulty during self-selected regular and fast gait speeds. We hypothesize that knee osteoarthritis gait characteristics during self-selected regular and fast gait speeds will be most accentuated by the osteoarthritis and walking difficulty group, followed by osteoarthritis and no walking difficulty, and least in the control group.

METHODS

Prospective study of community-dwelling older adults (n = 39) who walk at functional speeds (≥1.0 m per second) were age and sex matched across the three groups. Gait strategies including knee excursion and moments, muscle activation and co-contraction, and limb dynamics (linear acceleration and jerk) were compared between groups during self-selected regular and fast gait speed trials. Significant group differences were defined as P < 0.05 and an effect size greater than small.

FINDINGS

Based on walking difficulty, adduction moments (P-range = 0.00-0.03; effect size range,r = 0.42-0.52) and lateral quadriceps-gastrocnemius co-activations (P = 0.01;r = 0.36) were significant during regular gait speeds; and extension (P = 0.03;d = 0.59) and adduction (P-range = 0.00-0.02;d = 0.86;r = 0.40) moments were significant during fast trials. Per knee osteoarthritis presence, adduction moment(P = 0.01;r = 0.49), medial-quadriceps (P = 0.00;d = 1.04;r = 0.61), lateral-hamstrings (P = 0.04;d = 0.55), medial-gastrocnemius (P = 0.02;r = 0.40), medial quadriceps-hamstrings (P = 0.02;r = 0.38), medial quadriceps-gastrocnemius (P = 0.00;r = 0.56), and all limb dynamics (P = 0.00-0.01;d = 1.13-1.18;r = 0.35-0.47) were significant during regular gait speeds. Extension excursion (P = 0.02;d = 0.63), adduction moment (P = 0.01;d = 0.85) and medial-quadriceps (P = 0.01;r = 0.38) were significant during fast trials.

INTERPRETATION

Many gait strategies during regular speeds that differ per walking difficulty and knee osteoarthritis attenuated at fast speeds. Perhaps gait training at fast speeds for those with knee osteoarthritis related walking difficulty is biomechanically and functionally beneficial.

The effects of metformin in the treatment of osteoarthritis: Current perspectives

Osteoarthritis is a chronic and irreversible disease of the locomotor system which is closely associated with advancing age. Pain and limited mobility frequently affect the quality of life in middle-aged and older adults. With a global population of more than 350 million, osteoarthritis is becoming a health threat alongside cancer and cardiovascular disease. It is challenging to find effective treatments to promote cartilage repair and slow down disease progression. Metformin is the first-line drug for patients with type 2 diabetes, and current perspectives suggest that it cannot only lower glucose but also has anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties. Experimental studies applying metformin for the treatment of osteoarthritis have received much attention in recent years. In our review, we first presented the history of metformin and the current status of osteoarthritis, followed by a brief review of the mechanism that metformin acts, involving AMPK-dependent and non-dependent pathways. Moreover, we concluded that metformin may be beneficial in the treatment of osteoarthritis by inhibiting inflammation, modulating autophagy, antagonizing oxidative stress, and reducing pain levels. Finally, we analyzed the relevant evidence from animal and human studies. The potential of metformin for the treatment of osteoarthritis deserves to be further explored.

Application of Different Doses of Tranexamic Acid Plus Traditional Chinese Medicine in Hip Arthroplasty in Patients with Diabetes and Its Influence on Intraoperative Blood Loss and Postoperative Drainage

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of different doses of tranexamic acid plus traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in hip arthroplasty in diabetic patients and the effect on intraoperative hemorrhage and postoperative drainage.

Methods

One hundred patients admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to September 2021 were randomly divided into group B (n = 50) and group A (n = 50), and tranexamic acid was injected intravenously at a dose of 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg 30 min before skin incision, and then tranexamic acid 1.0 g was injected into the joint cavity through the drainage after incision closure, followed by 3 h of drainage clamping. The amount of blood loss, coagulation index, postoperative drainage, and incidence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) were compared between the groups.

Results

Group A had significantly less total blood loss, dominant blood loss, and hidden blood loss than group B (P < 0.05). No significant difference in postoperative coagulation indexes and postoperative drainage flow was found between the two groups (P > 0.05). Serological examination results demonstrated no statistical difference in D-dimer (D-D) levels between the two groups. The absence of VTE in both groups was determined by imaging.

Conclusion

Tranexamic acid is effective in reducing intraoperative hemorrhage in diabetic patients undergoing hip arthroplasty. The dose of 20 mg/kg outperforms 10 mg/kg in terms of clinical efficacy with a favorable safety profile, which can be applied according to the patient's actual condition.

Effect of Diabetes Mellitus on Implant Osseointegration of Titanium Screws: An Animal Experimental Study

Objective

To explore the effect of diabetes mellitus (DM) on implant osseointegration of titanium screws.

Methods

Sixty rats were randomly divided into a DM group and a control group (each group, n = 30). DM group rats were injected with 1% Streptozotocin solution at 65 mg/kg to establish a DM model. Titanium screws were implanted into the rats' distal femurs in both groups. The rats were sacrificed for micro‐CT scanning, micro‐indentation, biomechanical detection, confocal Raman microspectroscopy, and histological and histomorphometric analysis at 4, 8, and 12 weeks post‐implantation, respectively. Messenger RNA (mRNA) expression and protein expression of the related growth factors around the implant were analyzed using real‐time polymerase chain reaction and Western blots.

Results

At 4, 8 and 12 weeks, micro‐CT scanning, hematoxylin‐eosin (HE) staining, Gieson's acid‐magenta staining, and fluorescent labeled staining showed disorder in the bone tissue arrangement, a lack of new bone tissue, poor maturity and continuity, and poor trabecular bone parameters around the implant in the DM group. At 4, 8, and 12 weeks, the interfacial bone binding rate in the DM group was significantly lower (16.2% ± 4.8%, 25.7% ± 5.7%, 42.5% ± 5.8%, respectively) than that in the control group (23.6% ± 5.2%, 40.8% ± 6.3%, 64.2% ± 7.3%, respectively; P < 0.05). At 8 and 12 weeks, the elastic modulus (17.0 ± 1.8 and 15.1 ± 1.5 GPa, respectively) and trabecular bone hardness (571 ± 39 and 401 ± 37 MPa, respectively) in the DM group were significantly lower than the elastic modulus (23.4 ± 2.3 and 23.8 ± 1.8 GPa, respectively) and trabecular bone hardness (711 ± 45 and 719 ± 46 MPa, respectively) in the control group (P < 0.05). The maximum load required for the prosthesis pull‐out experiment in the DM group at 4, 8, and 12 weeks (55.14 ± 6.74 N, 73.34 ± 8.43 N, and 83.45 ± 8.32 N, respectively) was significantly lower than that in the control group (77.45 ± 7.48 N, 93.28 ± 8.29 N, and 123.62 ± 9.43 N, respectively, P < 0.05). At 8 and 12 weeks, the mineral‐to‐collagen ratio in the DM group (6.56 % ± 1.35% and 4.45%± 1.25%, respectively) was significantly higher than that in the control group (5.31% ± 1.42% and 3.62% ± 1.33%, respectively, P < 0.05). At 12 weeks, mRNA and protein expression levels of bone morphogenetic protein 2, transforming growth factor‐β1, vascular endothelial growth factor, osteopontin, osteocalcin, and runt‐related transcription factor 2 in the DM group were significantly lower than that in the control group.

Conclusions

DM can negatively affect bone osseointegration, manifesting as disorder in bone tissue arrangement around the implant, a lack of new bone tissue, poor maturity and continuity, poor trabecular bone parameters and lower expression of the related growth factors.

Diabetes Mellitus Blunts the Symptoms, Physical Function, and Health-Related Quality of Life Benefits of Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Review With Meta-analysis of Data From More Than 17 000 Patients

OBJECTIVE

To compare physical function, pain, impairments (stiffness, range of motion, and strength), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) outcomes between patients with and without diabetes mellitus, before and after a total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

DESIGN

Prognosis systematic review.

LITERATURE SEARCH

We searched MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science to August 2019.

STUDY SELECTION CRITERIA

We included longitudinal studies that examined physical function, pain, impairments, and HRQoL outcomes among patients receiving a TKA and with or without diabetes.

DATA SYNTHESIS

For quantitative synthesis, we stratified outcomes based on time relative to TKA: preoperative, less than 1 year after a TKA (early postoperative), and 1 year or more after a TKA (late postoperative). We used random-effects meta-analysis to calculate standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system for qualitative synthesis.

RESULTS

We included 21 studies (n = 17 472 patients). Patients with diabetes mellitus had worse preoperative physical function (SMD, -0.16; 95% CI: -0.24, -0.08) and HRQoL (SMD, -0.16; 95% CI: -0.26, -0.05), worse early postoperative pain (SMD, -0.22; 95% CI: -0.39, -0.05) and strength (SMD, -0.45; 95% CI: -0.77, -0.14), and worse late postoperative physical function (SMD, -0.23; 95% CI: -0.40, -0.06), range of motion (SMD, -0.23; 95% CI: -0.46, 0.00), and HRQoL (SMD, -0.19; 95% CI: -0.29, -0.08) than patients without diabetes mellitus. The overall risk of bias across studies was high, and the certainty of evidence ranged from low to very low.

CONCLUSION

Patients with diabetes mellitus had worse patient-reported and clinician-assessed outcomes before and after a TKA. Given the limitations of included studies, these results may change with future research. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2021;51(6):269-280. Epub 19 Apr 2021. doi:10.2519/jospt.2021.9515.