Risk Factors for Amputation in the Surgical Treatment of Hemophilic Osteoarthropathy: A 20-Year Single-Center Report

In the era of primary prophylaxis in hemophilia, what types of orthopedic surgical interventions have been published in the 2020-2023 period and in which countries?

INTRODUCTION

Primary prophylaxis has significantly reduced the number of orthopedic surgical procedures performed on patients with hemophilia (PWH) worldwide. However, studies on orthopedic surgery in PWH are still being published in the medical literature.

AREAS COVERED

The aim of this article is to determine the types of orthopedic surgical interventions in PWH published between 2020 and 2023 and the countries in which they are published.

EXPERT OPINION

The following orthopedic surgical procedures are still performed on PWH: total knee, ankle, elbow and hip arthroplasty, ankle fusion, ankle distraction, and the surgical removal of hemophilic pseudotumors. The countries in which articles on orthopedic surgery in hemophilia have been published in the period 2000-2023 include China (14 articles); Republic of Korea and U.S.A. (3 articles each); Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland and Turkey (2 articles each); and 1 article each in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Chile, France, Ireland, New Zealand, Russia, and The Netherlands. These data suggest that primary prophylaxis should be improved and extended to all patients globally.

Past, present and future of orthopedic surgery in hemophilia: looking to a world without bleeding and arthropathy in the near future

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this article is to review the literature on orthopedic surgery in people with hemophilia (PWH), to better understand its past and present and attempt to predict the future.

AREAS COVERED

A Cochrane Library and PubMed (MEDLINE) search of studies related to orthopedic surgery in PWH was analyzed. A downward trend in orthopedic surgery in PWH has been observed. Patients on continuous prophylaxis are less likely to require orthopedic surgery. In patients with hemophilia, the risk of major bleeding remains high after total joint arthroplasty, even with factor replacement. Cases of acute compartment syndrome, pseudotumors and even limb amputations are still observed in PWH.

EXPERT OPINION

Orthopedic surgery for PWH should always be performed in specialized centers with multidisciplinary expertise in the correct management of hemophilia. It is paramount to perform an accurate preoperative coagulation screening before surgery. The availability of prophylaxis through replacement and the recent non-replacement therapy in the well-developed countries will diminish substantially or hopefully abolish completely the need for surgery in the treatment of PWH. Therefore, we are looking to a world without bleeding and arthropathy in the next future. Unfortunately, this is not true for the under-development countries.