- Podcast
- 20/07/2019
- UK
2019 John Insall Award: Fructosamine is a Better Glycaemic Marker Compared with Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1C) in Predicting Adverse Outcomes following Total Knee Arthroplasty
Description
In this insightful podcast episode from the Bone & Joint Journal, host Andrew Duckworth welcomes Dr. Noam Shohat from the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute to discuss an impactful study on glycaemic markers in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. The conversation begins with an overview of the relevance of diabetes in the context of knee surgeries, citing that a significant percentage of patients present with diabetic or pre-diabetic glucose levels. The primary focus is on the study's findings, which suggest that fructosamine, an alternative to the traditional HbA1C marker, correlates more robustly with adverse surgical outcomes. Data from a cohort of over 1,100 patients reveal that those with elevated fructosamine levels face significantly higher risks of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI), hospital readmissions, and reoperations, asserting the need for updated pre-operative screening practices. The discussion highlights the study's methodology, results, and the implications for clinical guidelines, emphasizing fructosamine's potential as a more reliable marker for glycaemic control in the pre-surgical assessment of total knee arthroplasty patients. With a focus on the importance of this marker, the episode encourages a paradigm shift in the monitoring of diabetic patients in surgical settings.