Extract
E. Ghanem, J. Parvizi, S.J. Burnett, P.F. Sharkey, N. Kesharvarzi, A. Aggarwal, and R.L. Barrack reply:
E. Ghanem, J. Parvizi, S.J. Burnett, P.F. Sharkey, N. Kesharvarzi, A. Aggarwal, and R.L. Barrack reply:
Indeed, we reported the cell count as the number of cells per 10-3cm3, which is the equivalent of 1 µL, in order to use SI measurements, as requested by The Journal. We also reported the cell counts reported by Kersey et al.1 and Mason et al.2 as cells/µL rather than as cells/mL (as reported by those authors) because we believed that there was a typographical error on their part, since reporting cells/mL raises inconsistencies with the literature. This was done in good faith and not intended to cause confusion.
We also agree with Elsissy et al., who state in the last paragraph of their letter that "if our assumption that all authors who used cells/mL to report values actually intended to use cells/µL is true, then the data become much more uniform, with recommended cutoff values falling between 500 and 2500 cells/µL, a much more clinically useful range." We suggest that a clarification of the units used in the papers by Kersey et al.1 and Mason et al.2 be made by those authors in hopes of clarifying this issue and avoiding further confusion in interpreting cell counts in patients treated with total joint arthroplasty.
These letters originally appeared, in slightly different form, on jbjs.org. They are still available on the web site in conjunction with the article to which they refer.
Kersey
R;
Benjamin
J;
Marson
B. White blood cell counts and differential in synovial fluid of aseptically failed total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty.
2000;15:301-4.[PubMed][CrossRef]
Mason
JB;
Fehring
TK;
Odum
SM;
Griffin
WL;
Nussman
DS. The value of white blood cell counts before revision total knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty.
2003;18:1038-43.[PubMed] [CrossRef]