BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The optimal hip replacement for young patients remains unknown. We compared patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs), revision risk, and implant costs over a range of hip replacements. METHODS We included hip replacements for osteoarthritis in patients under 60 years of age performed between 2003 and 2010 using the commonest brand of cemented, cementless, hybrid, or re...

BACKGROUND Aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating disease with high mortality and disability. The data from large longitudinal studies on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with SAH are limited. The objective was to investigate HRQoL in patients after SAH and to identify predictors of HRQoL. METHODS 113 patients with aneurysmal SAH were assigned to either n...

BACKGROUND 'Silent' cerebral infarction and stroke are complications of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). OBJECTIVE To assess the occurrence of cerebral infarction, identify predictive risk factors and examine the impact on patient health-related quality of life (HRQoL). METHODS Cerebral diffusion weighted MRI of 31 patients with aortic stenosis undergoing CoreValve TAVI was c...

BACKGROUND Muscle mass is known to be associated with mortality in elderly adults. Because hand grip strength (HGS) is known as a simple assessment tool for muscular strength, many researchers have studied the association between HGS and disease. However, empirical evidence for the relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and HGS is still controversial. The aim of this ...

Background and purpose - Although the use of patient-specific positioning guides (PSPGs) in total knee replacement (TKR) in theory is promising, the technique has not yet proven its superior- ity compared with the conventional method. We compared radio- logical alignment and clinical outcome between TKR performed with the use of PSPGs and the conventional operation method. Patients and methods ...

BACKGROUND Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal condition with limited treatment options. However, in a previous small study, co-trimoxazole was found to be beneficial. METHODS In a double-blind multicentre study, 181 patients with fibrotic idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (89% diagnosed as definite/probable IPF) were randomised to receive co-trimoxazole 960 mg twice daily or place...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There has been a recent trend towards the use of greater femoral head sizes in an attempt to improve function and enhance stability after primary hip replacement. This has been associated with the use of alternative bearings, theoretically to reduce wear and improve implant longevity. METHODS We examined the influence of these variables on patient-reported outcome measu...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS To determine if the choice of health utility measure affects the incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) when assessing the cost-effectiveness of bilateral cochlear implantation (CI). STUDY DESIGN A scenario-based estimate with three scenarios: 1) a patient with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss with no intervention, 2) the same patient with a unilateral CI wit...

OBJECTIVES Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) provides benefit for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in terms of quality of life (QoL) and exercise capacity; however, the effects diminish over time. Our aim was to evaluate a maintenance programme for patients who had completed PR. SETTING Primary and secondary care PR programmes in Norfolk. PARTICIPANTS 148 patients with...

BACKGROUND This was a prospective observational study designed to evaluate direct and indirect costs and quality of life for patients with Crohn's disease in Italy from the perspectives of the National Health System and of society. METHODS A total of 162 male and female subjects aged 18-70 years with Crohn's disease in the active phase and a Crohn's Disease Activity Index score ≥150 were incl...