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MS · Orthopaedics

Orthopaedics thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

An orthopaedic thesis is usually a functional outcome study, and its quality rests almost entirely on whether the right instrument was chosen for the joint and administered the same way every time. The data comes from trauma lists and the fracture clinic, so the constraint is rarely recruitment and almost always follow-up: a patient from two districts away who is walking comfortably will not return at six months unless someone telephones. Examiners press on the instrument, on who scored it, and on radiological union criteria, so write both definitions into the protocol rather than deciding them at the time of analysis.

Topic register · 43 entries · 8 designs[6]

Read the registerOrthopaedics thesis help
  • NMC PGMER-2023
  • NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
  • UGC 2018 · under 10%
  • ICMR 2017 · ethics

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The Orthopaedics register

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Filter by design or by feasibility, or search the titles and outcomes. Filtering only hides entries: every topic stays on the page, so nothing is lost if you clear the filters or arrive by a deep link.

Feasibility in a teaching unit

Showing 43 of 43 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

  • Topic 01 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Proximal femoral nailing compared with dynamic hip screw fixation in stable intertrochanteric fractures: functional outcome by Harris Hip Score

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Harris Hip Score at six months after surgery
    Collection time
    12–15 months of enrolment with six months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • both implant systems stocked and a C-arm available on the trauma list
    • a fracture clinic able to recall patients at six months
    • a single observer scoring the Harris Hip Score for all patients

    What derails it

    Implant availability decides allocation in most units, and the month the nails run out is the month every patient gets a hip screw, so record implant stock as a dated log and analyse the arms for differences in fracture pattern and age.

  • Topic 02 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Cemented bipolar hemiarthroplasty compared with proximal femoral nailing in unstable intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Harris Hip Score and independent ambulation at six months
    Collection time
    18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • arthroplasty implants of the required sizes and cement available throughout
    • anaesthesia support for elderly patients with comorbidity
    • a unit that already performs both procedures for this indication

    What derails it

    Both arms can erode over six months through death as well as non-attendance, so plan the sample with that attrition in mind and record the cause of every loss.

  • Topic 03 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Cannulated cancellous screw fixation of femoral neck fracture in adults under fifty: union and avascular necrosis at one year

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Radiological union at six months and avascular necrosis on radiographs at one year
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment with twelve months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35–55 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a trauma load of femoral neck fractures in younger adults
    • serial radiographs at fixed intervals to one year
    • agreed radiological criteria for union and for avascular necrosis

    What derails it

    Avascular necrosis can declare itself well after the first year, so a thesis reporting at twelve months must say plainly that it is an interim figure rather than a final rate.

  • Topic 04 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Interval from admission to surgery and one-year outcome after hip fracture in patients over sixty

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Mortality and ambulatory status at one year by time-to-surgery band
    Collection time
    4–6 months of record review with telephone follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150–250 archived admissions, limited by what the period contains

    What your unit must already have

    • admission and theatre registers covering two to three years
    • contact numbers recorded in the case sheets
    • an ethics waiver for record review plus consent for telephone interview

    What derails it

    Delay to surgery in a government hospital is usually caused by anaesthetic fitness or by the patient arranging money for the implant, and either may also bear on the outcome, so collect the documented reason for delay or the association you report is confounded from the start.

  • Topic 05 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Functional outcome of primary uncemented total hip replacement assessed by the Harris Hip Score

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Harris Hip Score at six months compared with the preoperative score
    Collection time
    15–18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35–50 hips, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • an arthroplasty practice doing at least two or three primary hips a month
    • radiographs at fixed intervals with a standard magnification marker
    • physiotherapy protocol identical for all patients

    What derails it

    Mixing indications quietly changes the study, because a hip replaced for avascular necrosis in a forty-year-old and one replaced for a neglected neck fracture in a seventy-year-old do not share a baseline — state one indication or stratify by it.

  • Topic 06 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Oxford Knee Score and range of motion at one year after primary total knee arthroplasty

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Oxford Knee Score at twelve months compared with the preoperative score
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment with twelve months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–60 knees, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a knee arthroplasty volume of at least three a month
    • a translated and pretested Oxford Knee Score in the local language
    • goniometric measurement by a single trained observer

    What derails it

    Several Oxford Knee Score items ask about kneeling and squatting, which many patients here attempt more often than the instrument's original population did, so use the translated version consistently and note the floor effect in those items rather than rescoring them yourself.

  • Topic 07 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Intravenous compared with intra-articular tranexamic acid in total knee arthroplasty

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Postoperative fall in haemoglobin at 48 hours and transfusion requirement
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • an arthroplasty volume sufficient for both arms
    • a stated transfusion trigger applied to both arms
    • CTRI registration before the first patient is enrolled

    What derails it

    Transfusion in practice is triggered by the consultant's comfort rather than a number, so write the haemoglobin threshold into the protocol and audit compliance, otherwise your secondary outcome measures prescribing habit.

  • Topic 08 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Tourniquet use compared with no tourniquet in total knee arthroplasty: early pain and blood loss

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Visual analogue pain score at 48 hours and calculated total blood loss
    Collection time
    15–18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • surgeons willing to operate without a tourniquet
    • a consistent method of calculating blood loss from haemoglobin balance
    • a standard multimodal analgesia protocol

    What derails it

    Operating without a tourniquet changes the surgeon's comfort and the cementing technique, so the consultant may revert mid-case; record every tourniquet inflation and analyse as allocated rather than quietly reclassifying.

  • Topic 09 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Functional outcome at one year after arthroscopic single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the Lysholm and IKDC scores

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Lysholm and IKDC subjective scores at twelve months with clinical laxity testing
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment with twelve months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 knees, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • an arthroscopy service doing reconstructions regularly, not occasionally
    • a supervised rehabilitation programme patients can actually attend
    • a single examiner for Lachman and pivot shift testing

    What derails it

    Rehabilitation attendance can bear on the score at one year as much as the graft does, and patients who live far away stop coming after six weeks — record the number of supervised physiotherapy sessions attended as a variable rather than assuming the protocol was followed.

  • Topic 10 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Arthroscopic meniscal repair compared with partial meniscectomy for peripheral tears: Lysholm score at one year

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Lysholm score at twelve months and return to previous activity level
    Collection time
    18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 20–35 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • arthroscopy volume with enough repairable peripheral tears
    • meniscal repair implants or suture devices available throughout
    • twelve-month follow-up including clinical joint line assessment

    What derails it

    Repairable tears are a small fraction of arthroscopies, and tear morphology rather than allocation decides which operation is done, so describe the selection honestly and do not present this as a randomised comparison.

  • Topic 11 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma compared with hyaluronic acid in early knee osteoarthritis

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    WOMAC score at three months compared with baseline
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a centrifuge and a written, repeatable plasma preparation protocol
    • hyaluronic acid supply for the full study period
    • a translated WOMAC administered by an assessor who did not inject

    What derails it

    Plasma prepared with a different spin or a different tube from week to week is not the same intervention, so fix the centrifuge speed, time and volume in the protocol and record the platelet count of each preparation.

  • Topic 12 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Platelet-rich plasma compared with corticosteroid injection in chronic plantar fasciitis

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Visual analogue pain score and Foot Function Index at twelve weeks
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a centrifuge with a fixed plasma preparation protocol
    • a steady OPD load of chronic heel pain after conservative treatment
    • stretching and footwear advice standardised for both arms

    What derails it

    The two injections may act over different time courses, so a single assessment at a time that happens to suit one arm will decide the result — state twelve weeks as the primary time point in the protocol and stay with it.

  • Topic 13 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Intra-articular corticosteroid with supervised physiotherapy compared with physiotherapy alone in idiopathic adhesive capsulitis

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Shoulder Pain and Disability Index at twelve weeks
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • physiotherapy department willing to deliver an identical programme to both arms
    • a fixed injection technique, ideally the same injector throughout
    • exclusion of rotator cuff tear on clinical or ultrasound assessment

    What derails it

    Glycaemic status bears on both the course of this condition and the response to steroid, so record it at enrolment and stratify on it, otherwise an imbalance of diabetics between the arms is left to explain your result.

  • Topic 14 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Constant-Murley score after locking plate fixation of displaced proximal humerus fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Constant-Murley score at six months with radiological union and head-shaft angle
    Collection time
    12–15 months of enrolment with six months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35–50 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • locking plates of appropriate sizes available on the trauma list
    • a C-arm and a standard radiographic series at fixed intervals
    • a single observer performing Constant-Murley strength measurement with a spring balance

    What derails it

    The Constant-Murley strength component needs a spring balance applied in a fixed position, and a unit that scores it by impression instead will report scores that cannot be compared with anything — obtain the device before enrolment starts.

  • Topic 15 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Plate fixation compared with figure-of-eight bandage for displaced midshaft clavicle fracture

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    DASH score at six months and radiological union
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a trauma load of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures
    • plates and a theatre slot for what is often treated as a low-priority case
    • a translated DASH questionnaire used consistently

    What derails it

    Clavicle fixation slips down the emergency list repeatedly, so several patients allocated to surgery end up treated conservatively after a week of waiting; record the actual interval to surgery and analyse as allocated.

  • Topic 16 / 43

    Link to this entry

    External fixation compared with volar locking plate for unstable distal radius fracture

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation score at six months with radiological volar tilt and ulnar variance
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • both implant systems available on the trauma list
    • standardised posteroanterior and lateral wrist radiographs with measurement
    • a single observer administering the wrist evaluation score

    What derails it

    Radiological parameters must be measured on properly positioned films, and a rotated lateral changes volar tilt by several degrees, so set a written acceptability rule for films and repeat those that fail it.

  • Topic 17 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Radiological and functional outcome of closed reduction and cast immobilisation in extra-articular distal radius fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Loss of reduction on radiographs at six weeks and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation score at three months
    Collection time
    10–12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60–90 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a plaster room with consistent casting technique
    • radiographs immediately after reduction and at one, three and six weeks
    • a fracture clinic that sees these patients at fixed intervals

    What derails it

    Patients remove or soak the cast and present with it loose, and if you exclude them you have removed exactly the group in which reduction is lost — classify cast integrity at each visit as a recorded variable.

  • Topic 18 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Union and functional outcome after minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis for distal tibial fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Radiological union by a stated criterion and American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score at six months
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35–50 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a C-arm and long locking plates available for trauma lists
    • serial radiographs at fixed intervals
    • soft tissue status graded at presentation

    What derails it

    Skin over the distal tibia decides the timing of surgery, so a cohort operated anywhere from day one to day twenty is really several cohorts — record the injury-to-surgery interval and the initial soft tissue grade for every patient.

  • Topic 19 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Interlocking nail compared with minimally invasive plating for distal tibial metaphyseal fracture

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Time to radiological union and Olerud-Molander Ankle Score at six months
    Collection time
    15–18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • both implant systems in the required lengths
    • a radiologist or fixed observer pair assessing union on serial films
    • enough distal metaphyseal fractures rather than mid-shaft injuries

    What derails it

    Fractures extending into the articular surface are not candidates for nailing, so if those cases drift into the plate arm your comparison is between fracture patterns rather than implants — apply a written inclusion rule on the injury films.

  • Topic 20 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Infection and union in Gustilo-Anderson type III open tibial fractures managed with external fixation

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Deep infection within three months and radiological union at six months
    Collection time
    15 months of enrolment with six months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–60 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • external fixator sets and an emergency debridement pathway
    • microbiology support for deep tissue culture
    • plastic surgery input available for soft tissue cover

    What derails it

    Many of these patients arrive after primary treatment elsewhere, and a wound first debrided on day three in another hospital is not comparable with one debrided in your casualty — record the time and place of first debridement as an explicit variable.

  • Topic 21 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Union and functional outcome after antegrade interlocking nailing of femoral shaft fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Radiological union at six months by a stated criterion, with Thoresen functional grading
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment with six months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–60 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a fracture table or traction arrangement and a C-arm
    • nails in the lengths and diameters the population needs
    • radiographs at six, twelve and twenty-four weeks

    What derails it

    Union criteria vary between observers, so write down exactly what you will count as union in terms of cortical continuity and painless weight bearing, and have two observers read the films independently.

  • Topic 22 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Olerud-Molander Ankle Score after open reduction and internal fixation of bimalleolar fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Olerud-Molander Ankle Score at six months with radiological reduction of the medial clear space
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35–50 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a trauma load of operable ankle fractures
    • malleolar screws, plates and tension band wiring material
    • weight-bearing ankle radiographs at follow-up

    What derails it

    Syndesmotic injury bears directly on the outcome and is easy to miss on the injury films, so set out how you will assess the syndesmosis intraoperatively and exclude or stratify those cases rather than discovering them in the scores.

  • Topic 23 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Functional outcome after plate fixation of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures using the AOFAS hindfoot score

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    AOFAS hindfoot score at six months with Bohler's angle restoration on lateral radiographs
    Collection time
    15–18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 feet, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • CT of the calcaneum for Sanders classification
    • calcaneal plates and a surgeon who does the lateral extensile or sinus tarsi approach
    • a six-month follow-up clinic

    What derails it

    Wound breakdown over the lateral extensile approach is the complication most likely to decide the score, and the timing of surgery relative to swelling is what you must be able to report — record the injury-to-surgery interval and the wrinkle test for every case.

  • Topic 24 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Oswestry Disability Index before and twelve weeks after lumbar discectomy for prolapsed intervertebral disc

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Change in Oswestry Disability Index from before surgery to twelve weeks after
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–60 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • MRI confirmation of the level and side before surgery
    • a translated and pretested Oswestry Disability Index
    • a spine surgery list with consistent numbers

    What derails it

    The Oswestry includes a sex life item that many patients here will not answer, and the scoring rule for omitted sections must be applied consistently from the start or your denominators shift between patients.

  • Topic 25 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Correlation of MRI findings with straight leg raise and Oswestry Disability Index in lumbar disc prolapse

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Association of the level, size and type of disc herniation with straight leg raise angle and disability score
    Collection time
    9–12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100–150 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • MRI access for patients with radiculopathy
    • a radiologist reporting to a fixed template for herniation type
    • a single observer measuring straight leg raise with a goniometer

    What derails it

    Straight leg raise measured by a different resident each time is the weakest link in this design, so one examiner must measure every patient with the same goniometer and the same stopping rule for pain.

  • Topic 26 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Neurological recovery in tuberculosis of the dorsolumbar spine by ASIA grade on antitubercular therapy with or without surgery

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Change in ASIA impairment grade at six months from presentation
    Collection time
    15 months of enrolment with six months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35–55 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • MRI of the spine and tissue diagnosis where obtainable
    • a directly observed antitubercular treatment link for adherence
    • serial ASIA examinations by a trained observer

    What derails it

    Adherence to a nine-month drug regimen bears directly on recovery and tends to lapse once patients feel better, so obtain the treatment card at every visit rather than accepting a verbal assurance.

  • Topic 27 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Short-segment pedicle screw fixation in thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurological deficit: radiological and functional outcome

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Loss of kyphotic correction at six months and Oswestry Disability Index
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • pedicle screw systems and intraoperative imaging
    • standing lateral radiographs at fixed intervals with Cobb angle measurement
    • a surgeon doing this operation routinely

    What derails it

    Cobb angle measured on a supine film and on a standing film can differ substantially, so fix the radiographic position for every follow-up or your reported loss of correction is an artefact of how the patient was placed.

  • Topic 28 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Neck Disability Index and myelopathy grade after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Neck Disability Index at six months compared with the preoperative score
    Collection time
    18 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • cervical spine surgery performed regularly in the unit
    • cages or grafts and intraoperative imaging
    • a translated Neck Disability Index and a trained observer

    What derails it

    Cervical spine cases are few in most units and a year of collection can yield fewer than twenty, so count last year's operative register before committing, and use the Neck Disability Index rather than the Oswestry, which is for the low back.

  • Topic 29 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Outcome by Flynn's criteria after closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of paediatric supracondylar humerus fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Flynn's cosmetic and functional grading at three months with carrying angle measurement
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–60 children, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a C-arm available for emergency paediatric lists
    • K-wires and a protocol for pin care and removal
    • goniometric measurement of both elbows by a single observer

    What derails it

    Flynn's criteria need the carrying angle and range of both elbows, and the uninjured side must be measured at the same visit; using textbook normal values instead makes every mild loss look like a good result.

  • Topic 30 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Change in Pirani score with Ponseti casting in idiopathic congenital talipes equinovarus under one year of age

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Pirani score at the end of the casting phase compared with the pretreatment score, and number of casts required
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–60 feet, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a weekly clubfoot clinic with plaster facilities
    • foot abduction braces available for the maintenance phase
    • a single examiner scoring Pirani for all visits

    What derails it

    Families travelling weekly for casting tend to drop out part-way through the series, and brace wear afterwards is harder still to hold, so define your outcome at the end of casting and record defaulting as an outcome rather than an exclusion.

  • Topic 31 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Ortolani and Barlow testing against hip ultrasound by the Graf method for developmental dysplasia of the hip in newborns with risk factors

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of clinical examination against Graf ultrasound classification as the reference standard
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150–250 newborns with risk factors, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a radiologist or trained sonologist using the Graf technique
    • access to the newborn nursery and postnatal wards
    • paediatric co-operation for referral of at-risk babies

    What derails it

    The clinical examination must be written down before the baby is scanned, because an examiner who has seen the alpha angle finds the click he expects; and since Graf measurement is itself operator-dependent, one sonologist should scan every baby with a sample re-read to document agreement.

  • Topic 32 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Outcome of titanium elastic nailing in paediatric femoral shaft fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Radiological union and Flynn's titanium elastic nail outcome score at three months
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 children, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • elastic nails in paediatric diameters
    • a C-arm and paediatric anaesthesia support
    • limb length and alignment measured at follow-up

    What derails it

    Paediatric femoral shaft fractures in the right age band are not many in a year, so confirm from the register that your unit sees at least two or three a month before fixing the sample size.

  • Topic 33 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Sinus tract swab against intraoperative bone and tissue culture in chronic osteomyelitis

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Agreement of organisms isolated from the sinus swab with those from intraoperative deep tissue culture
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 50–80 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • microbiology willing to process paired specimens with a stated protocol
    • an operative load of sequestrectomy and debridement
    • antibiotics withheld for a stated period before sampling where clinically safe

    What derails it

    Most of these patients arrive already on antibiotics bought over the counter, which sterilises the deep culture, so record the exact antibiotic history and plan for a proportion of culture-negative deep specimens.

  • Topic 34 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Factors associated with deep infection after internal fixation of closed fractures: a case-control comparison

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Association of operative duration, implant type, diabetes and theatre factors with deep infection
    Collection time
    6–9 months of record review
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–60 cases with two controls each, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • theatre registers and infection records for two to three years
    • operative notes recording duration and implant
    • an ethics waiver for record review

    What derails it

    Deep infection is identified from readmission records, so patients who went to a private hospital for their washout never become cases and your controls include them — describe how completely your unit captures late infection.

  • Topic 35 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Serum vitamin D and bone mineral density in postmenopausal women presenting with fragility fracture

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and DEXA T-score at the hip and lumbar spine
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100–150 women, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a DEXA scanner in the institution or a reliable referral arrangement
    • vitamin D assay with a stated method in the hospital laboratory
    • a fracture clinic that sees these patients before supplementation starts

    What derails it

    Most of these women are started on calcium and vitamin D on the day of admission, so the sample must be drawn before the first dose or you are measuring treatment rather than status — put that instruction in the admission order set.

  • Topic 36 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Platelet-rich plasma compared with corticosteroid injection in lateral epicondylitis

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Patient-Rated Tennis Elbow Evaluation score at twelve weeks
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a centrifuge with a fixed plasma preparation protocol
    • an OPD load of chronic lateral elbow pain
    • counterforce bracing and activity advice standardised across arms

    What derails it

    Manual labourers cannot rest the arm, and that alone may move the score whichever injection they had, so record occupation and daily load at enrolment and stratify rather than hoping randomisation handles it in a small sample.

  • Topic 37 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Local corticosteroid injection compared with night splinting in mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire symptom severity score at twelve weeks
    Collection time
    12–15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–45 per arm, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • nerve conduction studies to confirm and grade the diagnosis
    • custom or ready-made wrist splints supplied to every patient in that arm
    • a translated Boston questionnaire applied by one assessor

    What derails it

    Splint use at night cannot be verified by asking, so issue a simple wear diary and count nights used, otherwise the splint arm measures intention rather than treatment.

  • Topic 38 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Recurrence after extended curettage with adjuvant for giant cell tumour of bone

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Local recurrence on radiographs within two years of surgery
    Collection time
    5–6 months of record review with clinic recall
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30–60 archived cases, limited by what the period contains

    What your unit must already have

    • a histopathology and theatre archive covering at least five years
    • serial follow-up radiographs in the records or obtainable on recall
    • an ethics waiver for record review

    What derails it

    These patients are followed in a tumour clinic for two years and then disappear, so your recurrence figure depends on how long each patient was actually followed — report follow-up duration for every case rather than a single rate.

  • Topic 39 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Recurrence after a first traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation managed by closed reduction and immobilisation

    DesignCohortFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Further dislocation within twelve months of the index injury
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment with twelve months of follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60–90 patients allowing for attrition, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a casualty register that captures reductions done in the emergency department
    • a stated immobilisation protocol with position and duration
    • telephone follow-up at six and twelve months

    What derails it

    Young patients who dislocate again often get it reduced at a local clinic and never return, so a recurrence count based on your own casualty register will undercount badly unless you telephone every patient.

  • Topic 40 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Functional outcome by Neer's score after locking compression plate fixation of distal femoral fractures

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Neer's score for the distal femur at six months with radiological union and knee range of motion
    Collection time
    15 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25–40 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • long distal femoral locking plates and a C-arm
    • physiotherapy for early knee mobilisation
    • serial radiographs with a stated union criterion

    What derails it

    The score here rests on knee motion as much as on union, and motion follows how soon physiotherapy started — record the day mobilisation began for every patient, because a fortnight in traction waiting for theatre will show up in it.

  • Topic 41 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Union after exchange nailing with autologous iliac crest bone grafting for femoral shaft nonunion

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Radiological union within nine months of the revision procedure
    Collection time
    4–5 months of record review with clinic recall
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40–70 archived cases, limited by what the period contains

    What your unit must already have

    • theatre records identifying revision procedures for nonunion
    • serial radiographs available in the file or on recall
    • an ethics waiver plus consent for examination of recalled patients

    What derails it

    Infected and aseptic nonunion behave differently and old notes rarely state which it was, so define in advance what documentary evidence you will accept as infection or you will be combining two different conditions.

  • Topic 42 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Pattern of musculoskeletal injuries in two-wheeler road traffic accidents presenting to the orthopaedic casualty

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of fracture site and Gustilo grade, with helmet use and seating position recorded
    Collection time
    9–12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 250–400 patients, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • a casualty proforma completed at the time of first contact
    • radiographs of all injured regions reported consistently
    • a question set on helmet use asked the same way each time

    What derails it

    Helmet use reported by an injured rider or his relatives is unreliable because of the legal consequences, so record who gave the information and treat that field as self-reported throughout.

  • Topic 43 / 43

    Link to this entry

    Agreement between FRAX-based fracture risk without bone density and DEXA T-score categories in postmenopausal women

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Agreement between FRAX risk category computed without bone mineral density and DEXA-defined osteoporosis
    Collection time
    12 months
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150–220 women, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • DEXA access for every participant
    • a complete FRAX variable set including parental hip fracture history
    • an OPD clinic where postmenopausal women attend in numbers

    What derails it

    FRAX needs a parental hip fracture history that most patients cannot give, and coding every unknown as 'no' shifts the whole risk distribution — pre-specify how unknown responses are handled and report how often they occurred.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this Orthopaedics register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

  • Cross-sectional

    4 topics

    One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.

  • Prospective observational

    19 topics

    Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.

  • Retrospective

    3 topics

    Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.

  • Comparative interventional

    8 topics

    Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.

  • Randomised controlled

    5 topics

    Allocation is randomised. Prospective interventional studies are registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled.

  • Diagnostic accuracy

    2 topics

    An index test measured against a reference standard. The sample size depends on the expected sensitivity or specificity and the prevalence in your setting.

  • Case-control

    1 topic

    Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.

  • Cohort

    1 topic

    A defined group followed over time. Attrition is the usual threat, so plan for it in the sample size.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable[2].

  • Straightforward

    20 topics

    Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.

  • Moderate

    19 topics

    Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.

  • Demanding

    4 topics

    Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

  1. Do the arithmetic

    The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.

  2. Take it to your guide

    Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins[1].

  3. Run the search yourself

    We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the Orthopaedics page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

Mechanisms, not promises

What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

Protection of your work

  • Row-level security

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  • View-only streaming

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How this works

Instruments we work to

  • NMC PGMER-2023

    The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.

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How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

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  • Not ghostwriting

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  • Every version

    Each draft is checked word by word before your university sees it.

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Document: Topic bank — Orthopaedics · Revision 1 · Last reviewed

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