The Global Orthopaedic Registry (GLORY) offers global and country-specific insights into the management of patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty and total knee arthroplasty by drawing on data, from June 2001 to December 2004, of 15,020 patients in 13 countries. GLORY achieved a 70% follow-up rate at 3 and/or 12 months, allowing longer-term findings to be reported. This paper reports data from GLORY on patient demographics, surgical approaches to patient management, selection of implants, anesthetic and analgesic practices, blood management, length of hospital stay, and patient disposition at discharge. Some aspects of orthopedic practice differ between countries. There was notable variation in the choice and selection of prosthesis, fixation of implants, length of hospital stay, and discharge disposition.

A 70-year-old woman with a history of bilateral primary knee osteoarthritis presented with a left knee wound complication, a non-Hodgkins lymphoma, after bilateral total knee arthroplasties. After exploring several etiologies, the evidence in this unusual case suggests a coincidental preexisting lymphoma.

Patients who have undergone total hip or knee replacement (THR and TKR, respectively) are at high risk of venous thromboembolism. We aimed to determine the time courses of both the incidence of venous thromboembolism and effective prophylaxis. Patients with elective primary THR and TKR were enrolled in the multi-national Global Orthopaedic Registry. Data on the incidence of venous thromboembolism and prophylaxis were collected from 6639 THR and 8326 TKR patients. The cumulative incidence of venous thromboembolism within three months of surgery was 1.7% in the THR and 2.3% in the TKR patients. The mean times to venous thromboembolism were 21.5 days (sd 22.5) for THR, and 9.7 days (sd 14.1) for TKR. It occurred after the median time to discharge in 75% of the THR and 57% of the TKA patients who developed venous thromboembolism. Of those who received recommended forms of prophylaxis, approximately one-quarter (26% of THR and 27% of TKR patients) were not receiving it seven days after surgery, the minimum duration recommended at the time of the study. The risk of venous thromboembolism extends beyond the usual period of hospitalisation, while the duration of prophylaxis is often shorter than this. Practices should be re-assessed to ensure that patients receive appropriate durations of prophylaxis.