Poudel, Keshav

Purpose: Despite the 2022 American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology guidelines recommending cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after aortic dissection repair, both patient participation in CR and the associated clinical outcomes remain poorly understood. Methods: Adults (≥18 years of age) discharged alive following thoracic aortic dissection surgery across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise (January 2012 to November 2022), with follow-up until May 2024, were included (IRB #24-001141). Data were presented using summary statistics and logistic regression modeling. Results: A total of 186 patients were referred; 37% were female, and the median age was 64 (51, 73) years. Dissections were classified as type A (43%), type B (18%), or a combination, and 55% had residual dissection. Over half (53%) did not start CR, with older age (aOR = 0.97: 95% CI, 0.94 - 0.99; P = .003), family history of aortic dissections and/or aneurysms (aOR = 0.17: 95% CI, 0.04 - 0.54; P = .005), and tobacco use (aOR = 0.35: 95% CI, 0.13 - 0.91; P = .037) being associated with lower odds of enrollment. Of the 87 who enrolled, 34 did so at a Mayo Clinic facility. There were no complications, with no difference in adverse outcomes. Among those with evaluations at graduation from CR (n = 21), quality of life (Dartmouth index 16 [14, 19] vs 25 [22, 30]; P = .002) and 6-minute walk distance (488 [375, 531] vs 302 [235, 398] m; P = .001) improved. Conclusions: Following thoracic aortic dissection repair, CR significantly improved quality of life and functional capacity without adverse events. Further work is needed to improve enrollment and establish data-driven safety margins for exercise.

Purpose: To develop and validate an explainable machine learning (ML) tool to help clinicians predict the risk of propofol-associated hypertriglyceridemia in critically ill patients receiving propofol sedation. Methods: Patients from 11 intensive care units (ICUs) across five Mayo Clinic hospitals were included if they met the following criteria: a) ≥ 18 years of age, b) received propofol infusion while on invasive mechanical ventilation for ≥24 h, and c) had a triglyceride level measured. The primary outcome was hypertriglyceridemia (triglyceride >400 mg/dL) onset within 10 days of propofol initiation. Both COVID-inclusive and COVID-independent modeling pipelines were developed to ensure applicability post-pandemic. Decision thresholds were chosen to maintain model sensitivity >80%. Nested leave-one-site-out cross-validation (LOSO-CV) was used to externally evaluate pipeline performance. Model explainability was assessed using permutation importance and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results: Among 3922 included patients, 769 (19.6%) developed propofol-associated hypertriglyceridemia, and 879 (22.4%) had COVID-19 at ICU admission. During nested LOSO-CV, the COVID-inclusive pipeline achieved an average AUC-ROC of 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.70–0.72), while the COVID-independent pipeline achieved an average AUC-ROC of 0.69 (95% CI 0.68–0.70). Age, initial propofol dose, and BMI were the top three most important features in both models. Conclusion: We developed an explainable ML-based tool with acceptable predictive performance for assessing the risk of propofol-associated hypertriglyceridemia in ICU patients. This tool can aid clinicians in identifying at-risk patients to guide triglyceride monitoring and optimize sedative selection.

Background: Despite expert opinion recommending patient-tailored cardiac rehabilitation (CR) after acute aortic dissection, both patient participation in CR and the associated risk factor modification after CR following aortic dissection repair are poorly understood. Objectives: To describe the characteristics of patients referred to CR, as well as the enrollment rate and outcomes of those referred to CR following thoracic aortic dissection. Methods: We reviewed electronic health records of adults (≥18) discharged alive following thoracic aortic dissection surgery across the Mayo Clinic Enterprise (01/01/2020-11/15/2022) with follow-up to 05/15/2024 (IRB #24-001141). Data are presented using summary statistics. Results: During the study period, 85 patients were included (median [IQR] age: 65 [50-75] years; 40% female; Table 1 ). Across 84% (N=71) who were referred to CR at discharge, 55% (N=39) enrolled. In those patients referred versus not referred to CR, the prevalence of type A dissection (75% vs. 43%), end-organ involvement (27% vs. 0%), and underlying CAD (54% vs. 21%) were greater while current tobacco use (9% vs. 29%) was lower. Of those enrolled at Mayo Clinic (N=16), CR was started 35 (28-65) days following surgery. These patients completed 21 (13-30) CR sessions at an exercise intensity of 59% (50-65%) maximum predicted heart rate. CR was discontinued in 44% (N=7) due to non-cardiac reasons ( Table 2 ). Of the 9 patients who completed CR, general health status (Dartmouth index: 19 [17-21] vs. 26 [22-34]), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9: 1 [0-1] vs. 4 [1-4]), and exercise capacity (6MWT: 214 [196-244] vs. 384 [305-597] meters) improved ( Table 2 ). There were no reported complications or deaths, with stable aortic sizes reported at 18 months. Conclusions: CR improves functional capacity and well-being without complications in patients after thoracic aortic dissection surgery. Further investigation is needed to better assess CR efficacy and usage in this population.

Abstract Rationale Propofol is one of the first-line sedative-hypnotic agents for critically ill adults requiring mechanical ventilation. Although propofol can elevate triglyceride levels, and the latter is a risk factor for pancreatitis, the association between propofol and acute pancreatitis is unclear. Objectives We sought to determine the clinical impact and potential associations between propofol infusion, hypertriglyceridemia, and acute pancreatitis. Methods This is an observational multicenter study of adults (⩾18 yr old) who were admitted to an intensive care unit, who required mechanical ventilation and received continuous propofol infusion for at least 24 hours. The primary outcomes were the frequency of hypertriglyceridemia (>400 mg/dl) and acute pancreatitis. Further analyses were done to determine the clinical impact of elevated triglyceride levels (i.e., sedation changes) and risk factors for pancreatitis development. Results Of 11,828 patients included, 33.2% (n = 3,922) had triglyceride levels measured, of whom 21.7% (n = 851) had hypertriglyceridemia at 4.5 days (SD = 6.8) after propofol initiation. Of those still requiring sedation, 70.4% (n = 576/818) received alternative sedatives after developing hypertriglyceridemia. Pancreatitis occurred in 1.2% of patients (n = 47/3,922) and was more frequent in those with hypertriglyceridemia (3.2%, 27/851; vs. 0.7%, 20/3,071; P < 0.001). After adjustment for potential confounding variables, each 100 mg/dl increase in triglyceride levels was associated with an 11% increase in risk of pancreatitis. Propofol dose was not associated with pancreatitis development. Conclusions Acute pancreatitis is uncommon in patients receiving propofol infusion, and it occurs over a wide range of triglyceride levels, indicating a multifactorial pathophysiology. Hypertriglyceridemia frequently prompts the use of alternative sedatives. Further study is needed to determine how to best monitor and treat hypertriglyceridemia in critically ill patients receiving propofol infusion.

Case: A 29-year-old man sustained a bilateral acute patellar tendon rupture (PTR) while jumping on a trampoline. He was initially treated with bilateral transosseous patellar tendon repairs. Bilateral rerupture occurred during a fall 10 weeks after. He subsequently underwent staged bilateral patellar tendon reconstructions using an Achilles tendon allograft. At 3-year follow-up, he has maintained full range of motion and leg strength without rerupture or other complications. Conclusion: The use of Achilles tendon allograft in the presence of inadequate and poor-quality tendon tissue for reconstruction of the patellar tendon in the revision setting is a viable and effective treatment option.

Background: Meniscal allograft transplantation (MAT) is an accepted and effective treatment option in the context of unsalvageable menisci, particularly in young and active patients. It has been shown to reduce pain and improve knee function in previously symptomatic patients. However, there is still limited knowledge about the long-term survival rates of allografts, the durability of clinical results, and the influence of patient-specific parameters, such as leg alignment, tibial slope, and preoperative International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) grade. Purpose: To determine (1) the long-term clinical success rate after MAT with bony fixation in a large, single-center cohort of consecutive patients, and (2) if patient-specific and procedural variables influence the clinical, anatomic, and subjective outcomes and risk of failure. Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Data on 185 consecutive knees undergoing MAT in a single institution were prospectively collected and screened for inclusion in this study. The minimum follow-up time was 2 years. Radiographic variables (ICRS grade and Kellgren-Lawrence grade) were assessed preoperatively and at follow-up. Subjective patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (Lysholm score, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS] including subscores, International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] score, and visual analog scale [VAS] score) were collected preoperatively and at follow-up. Clinical failure was defined as revision surgery due to graft failure or conversion to total knee arthroplasty. Anatomic failure was considered a tear covering >20% of the allograft, any peripheral tear, and unstable peripheral fixation leading to dislocation of the graft. Subjective failure was defined as Lysholm score ≤65. Preoperative tibial slope and leg alignment were assessed. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier estimate. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine risk factors for clinical and anatomic failure. Results: A total of 157 knees met inclusion criteria. After a mean follow-up time of 7 ± 3.5 years, 127 (80.9%) knees were free of clinical, anatomic, and subjective failure. Fourteen (8.9%) knees experienced clinical failure, 26 (16.6%) knees were identified as having experienced anatomic failure, and 13 (8.3%) patients experienced subjective failure with a reported Lysholm score of ≤65 at a mean follow-up of 7 years. Concurrent osteochondral allograft transplantation was identified as a predictor of both clinical (hazard ratio [HR], 4.55; 95% CI, 1.46-14.17; P = .009) and anatomic (HR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.34-6.92; P = .008) failure. Cartilage damage of ICRS grade 3 or 4 of the index compartment conveyed an increased risk for clinical (HR, 3.41; 95% CI, 1.05-11.01; P = .04) and anatomic (HR, 3.04; 95% CI, 1.31-7.11; P = .01) failure. High-grade cartilage damage preoperatively (HR, 10.67; 95% CI, 1.037-109.768; P = .046), patient age >25 years (HR, 5.44; 95% CI, 0.120-246.070; P = .384), and a body mass index >30 (HR, 2.24; 95% CI, 0.748-6.705; P = .149) were associated with subjective failure. PROMs including KOOS and IKDC were significantly improved at final follow-up compared with preoperative scores across all measurements ( P < .005). Conclusion: MAT showed good to excellent clinical results at a mean follow-up of 7 years. Low ICRS lesion grade was associated with a higher clinical and anatomic survival rate. Patients with concurrent OCA transplantation are at a higher risk of clinical and anatomic failure, but still report significantly improved PROMs. These results suggest that MAT has a lasting beneficial effect both in isolation and in complex cases with ≥1 concurrent procedures.

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common cause of hip pain, especially in young patients. When left untreated, it has been demonstrated to be a risk factor for the onset or progression of osteoarthritis (OA) and has been identified as one of the main contributors leading to the need for total hip arthroplasty (THA) at a young age. While the short-term therapeutic potential of hip arthroscopy is widely recognized, little is known regarding its potential mid- to long-term preventive effect on the progression of hip OA. Purpose: To (1) report clinical outcomes of arthroscopically treated FAI syndrome with a minimum 5-year follow-up and compare the results to a cohort with FAI treated nonsurgically and (2) determine the influence of hip arthroscopy on the onset and progression of hip OA in patients diagnosed with FAI. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Patients who had hip pain and were diagnosed with FAI were included. Exclusion criteria were (1) previous or concomitant hip surgery, (2) <5 years of follow-up, and (3) insufficient radiographs. Patients treated with hip arthroscopy were compared with a cohort of patients with FAI who were treated nonsurgically. Kaplan-Meier estimates of failure (defined as conversion to THA) were performed. Bivariate analysis and Cox regression were used to identify factors associated with inferior clinical and radiographic outcomes. Results: A total of 957 patients (650 female, 307 male; 1114 hips) (mean age, 28.03 ± 8.9 years [range, 6.5-41.0 years]) with FAI were included. A total of 132 hips underwent hip arthroscopy and 982 hips were nonoperatively treated. The mean follow-up was 12.5 ± 4.7 years (range, 5.0-23.4 years). At the final follow-up, the rate of OA progression was 26.5% in the operative group and 35.2% in the nonoperative cohort ( P < .01). Conversion to THA was performed in 6.8% of the surgical patients and 10.5% of the initially nonsurgical patients ( P = .19). Additionally, there was no significant difference in the risk of failure between the operatively and nonoperatively treated patients. Male sex, increased age at initial diagnosis, presence of cam morphology, and increased initial Tönnis grade were risk factors for failure (male sex: hazard ratio [HR], 2.3; P < .01; per year of increased age: HR, 1.1; P < .01; presence of cam: HR, 3.5; P < .01; per Tönnis grade: HR, 4.0; P < .01). Conclusion: At a mean follow-up of nearly 13 years, 7% of patients of the surgical group experienced progression to THA, compared with 11% of the nonoperative control group. While most of the operative group showed little to no OA at final follow-up, moderate OA (Tönnis grade 2) was present in 12% of the cohort compared with 22% of nonsurgical patients. Increased age at diagnosis, male sex, presence of a cam morphology, and presence of initial arthritic joint changes were found to be risk factors for failure. The results of this study demonstrated evidence for a preventive effect of hip arthroscopy on the development and progression of OA in young patients with FAI at mid- to long-term follow-up.

Background: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a disorder originating in the subchondral bone, leading to focal lesions with risk of fragmentation and secondary damage of the articular cartilage. It remains controversial if surgical treatment of such lesions is equally successful in skeletally immature and mature patients. Purpose: To determine (1) the long-term clinical success rate after internal fixation of unstable OCD in skeletally immature and mature patients based on physeal status, (2) if patient-specific and procedural variables influence the risk of failure, and (3) patient-reported outcome measures over time. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted investigating skeletally immature and mature patients treated for unstable OCD lesions of the knee between 2000 and 2015. The healing rate was assessed by radiological imaging and clinical follow-up. Failure was defined as any definitive reoperation for the initially treated OCD lesion. Results: A total of 81 patients met inclusion criteria, including 25 skeletally immature patients and 56 patients with closed physes at the time of surgery. After a mean follow-up time of 11.3 ± 4 years, 58 (71.6%) patients had healed lesions, whereas the lesions failed to heal in 23 (28.4%) patients. No significant difference in risk of failure was observed based on physeal maturation status (hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.33-1.84; P = .56). Lateral versus medial condylar lesion location conferred an increased risk of failure ( P < .05) for both skeletally immature and mature patients. Multivariate analysis of skeletal maturity status showed that a lateral femoral condylar location was an independent risk factor for failure (hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.1-0.5; P < .05). The mean patient-reported outcome scores (International Knee Documentation Committee [IKDC] score and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS]) increased significantly after surgery and remained high at the final follow-up ( P < .05). The final scores (mean ± SD) at a mean follow-up of 135.8 months (range, 80-249 months) were IKDC, 86.6 ± 16.7; KOOS Pain, 88.7 ± 18.1; KOOS Symptoms, 89.3 ± 12.6; KOOS Activities of Daily Living, 89.3 ± 21.6; KOOS Sport and Recreation, 79.8 ± 26.3; and KOOS Quality of Life, 76.7 ± 26.3. Conclusion: The long-term results after internal fixation of OCD fragments show high rates of healing and sustainable subjective improvement of knee function and quality of life. A healing rate of 72% was noted at a mean follow-up of 11.3 years. The stage of skeletal maturity had no significant influence on the rate of failure. Lateral femoral condylar lesion location is an independent risk factor for failure in skeletally mature and immature patients.