Identification of Neuro-emboli in Knee Surgery (INKS) v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Identification of Neuro-emboli in Knee Surgery (INKS)
IRAS ID
250476
Contact name
Mary Joan Macleod
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Aberdeen
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 2 months, 12 days
Research summary
People who undergo knee replacements are believed to be at risk of little clots of bone marrow going into the circulation during the procedure. Some of these may go to the brain, especially if the person has a shunt across the heart (present in about 25% of people). While these do not cause a problem in most cases, some people complain of feeling less sharp for a while after the procedure. It is not clear if 'modern' surgery causes these problems in a quantifiable way. Our research question is: "What is the frequency, timing and number of emboli (clots) i to the middle cerebral artery in participants undergoing knee replacement?" We will answer this by recording signals in the middle cerebral artery in the brain during surgery, using a commercial transcranial doppler machine which has been designed to record blood flow in the brain. The probe will be applied at the beginning of surgery, and the number and timing of emboli will be recorded until the end of surgery. This will not be visible to the patient, the anaesthetist or the surgeon. Data from up to 20 people will be recorded. They will also be asked to complete a cognitive assessment before surgery, one week after surgery and three months after surgery using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment tool. All data will be anonymised using a study number. The procedure will be performed by a medical student, and the questionnaires administered by a research nurse.
The data will be used to provide baseline data to underpin a study comparing the effects of different operative techniques on emboli and cognitive outcomes after surgery. The data will also be submitted for publication and presentation by the medical student.REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 2
REC reference
19/NS/0107
Date of REC Opinion
17 Jun 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion