1. BEGIN File 154 to search MEDLINE.

2. EXPAND the term. Notice the addition of the third column, Related Terms (RT). Osteoarthritis has 10 related terms.

Observe that the EXPANDed list also shows allowable subheadings for the EXPANDed term. See How Do I Link Descriptor Terms to Subheadings? for details.

?b 154 

       File 154:MEDLINE(R) 1990-2007/Mar 15
       (c) format only 2007 Dialog

      Set  Items  Description
      ---  -----  -----------
?e osteoarthritis

Ref   Items   RT  Index-term
E1        2       OSTEOARTHRITIDES
E2        1       OSTEOARTHRITIES
E3    21423   10 *OSTEOARTHRITIS
E4      355       OSTEOARTHRITIS --BLOOD --BL
E5       87       OSTEOARTHRITIS --CHEMICALLY INDUCED --CI
E6      158       OSTEOARTHRITIS --CLASSIFICATION --CL
E7      976       OSTEOARTHRITIS --COMPLICATIONS --CO
E8     1122       OSTEOARTHRITIS --DIAGNOSIS --DI
E9       18       OSTEOARTHRITIS --DIET THERAPY --DH
E10    2075       OSTEOARTHRITIS --DRUG THERAPY --DT
E11     116       OSTEOARTHRITIS --ECONOMICS --EC
E12       1       OSTEOARTHRITIS --EMBRYOLOGY --EM
...

3. EXPAND the E reference number that indicates related terms are available.

MeSH shows that Osteoarthritis is the preferred term indicated by the asterisk. Note that it has a Descriptor Code (DC=).
It also has broader (B) and narrower terms (N). X means the term has a cross-reference.

Note: You can EXPAND the R number to see the preferred term of the cross-reference. Some tables show Related Terms (R), not seen in this example.

4. SELECT R9, which seems to be right on target for our search query.

?e e3

Ref   Items Type  RT  Index-term
R1    21423       10 *OSTEOARTHRITIS
R2    11541   X       DC=C5.550.114.606. (OSTEOARTHRITIS)
R3    11541   X       DC=C5.799.613. (OSTEOARTHRITIS)
R4        0   X    1  ARTHRITIS, DEGENERATIVE
R5     1426   X    1  OSTEOARTHROSIS
R6        0   X    1  OSTEOARTHROSIS DEFORMANS
R7    63021   B   29  ARTHRITIS
R8     4622   B   26  RHEUMATIC DISEASES
R9     2622   N    4  OSTEOARTHRITIS, HIP
R10    3459   N    3  OSTEOARTHRITIS, KNEE
R11    1368   N   11  SPINAL OSTEOPHYTOSIS


?s r9

      S1    2622  'OSTEOARTHRITIS, HIP'

5. TYPE a few records in Format 8 to see titles (/TI), descriptors (/DE) and publication years (PY=).

To select the appropriate record number, look at the range of records in the TYPE command (e.g., 1/8/2).

?t s1/8/1-3

  1/8/1  
  DIALOG(R)File 154: MEDLINE(R) 
  (c) format only 2007 Dialog. All rights reserved. 
   
      23074541   PMID: 17312590  
      Bilateral total hip arthroplasty: one-stage versus 
two-stage procedures.  
   
      Dec 2006  
      Tags: Female; Male  
      Descriptors: *Arthroplasty, Replacement, 
Hip--methods--MT; 
      *Hip  Prosthesis ; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 
and over; Blood  Transfusion; Humans; Length of Stay; Middle 
Aged; Osteoarthritis,  Hip--pathology--PA; Osteoarthritis,  
      Hip--surgery--SU; Postoperative  Complications;  
      Treatment Outcome  
               
  1/8/2  
  DIALOG(R)File 154: MEDLINE(R) 
  (c) format only 2007 Dialog. All rights reserved. 
               
      23074523   PMID: 17312583  
      The reconstruction operation for arthritis deformans of  
      the hip joint. 1924.  
               
      Dec 2006  
      Descriptors: *Arthroplasty--history--HI;  
      *Hip Joint--surgery--SU; *Osteoarthritis, Hip 
--history--HI; History, 20th Century; Humans;  
      Osteoarthritis, Hip--surgery--SU  
      Named Person: Whitman Royal  
               
  1/8/3  
  DIALOG(R)File 154: MEDLINE(R) 
 (c) format only 2007 Dialog. All rights reserved. 
               
      23071418   PMID: 17197322  
      Dissociation of the modular femoral stem from the  
      metaphyseal sleeve during  reduction of a total hip  
      arthroplasty dislocation.  
               
      Jan 2007  
      Tags: Male  
      Descriptors: *Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip--adverse 
effects--AE;  *Arthroplasty, Replacement, 
Hip--instrumentation--IS; *Hip  Dislocation--etiology--ET; 
*Prosthesis Failure ; Acetabulum--radiography--RA;  
Acetabulum--surgery--SU; Aged; Femur --radiography--RA; 
Femur--surgery--SU; Hip  Dislocation--radiography--RA; 
Hip Joint--radiography--RA; Hip  Joint--surgery--SU; 
Humans; Osteoarthritis, Hip--surgery--SU; Prosthesis 
Design  
      

6. Choose the record(s) you want to view and TYPE using Format 7 for the Long format (Bibliographic Citation and Abstract).

The record chosen is record 1.

?t s1/7/1

      1/7/1 
      DIALOG(R)File 154: MEDLINE(R)
      (c) format only 2007 Dialog. All rights reserved.

      23074541   PMID: 17312590 
  Bilateral total hip arthroplasty: one-stage versus
  two-stage procedures. 

    Parvizi Javad; Tarity T David; Sheikh Ednan; Sharkey Peter F; 
    Hozack William J;  Rothman Richard H Rothman Institute of 
    Orthopedics, Thomas Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia, PA,  USA. 
    parvj@aol.com 
    Clinical orthopaedics and related research ( United States )
    Dec  2006,  453 p137-41, ISSN: 0009-921X--Print
    Journal  Code: 0075674 
    Publishing Model Print 
     Document type: Comparative Study; Journal Article 
      Languages: ENGLISH 
       Main Citation Owner: NLM 
      Record type: MEDLINE; Completed  
    We compared the outcomes of bilateral total hip arthroplasty  
    performed as a  one-stage or two-stage procedure. We  
    retrospectively identified 196 patients  (392 hips) with  
    bilateral arthritis of the hip who underwent total hip   
    arthroplasties: 98 patients (196 hips) as a one-stage  
    procedure (one-stage  group) and 98 (196 hips) as a two-stage  
    procedure (two-stage group). All  patients had uncemented  
    components implanted under spinal anesthesia and had  the  
    same postoperative rehabilitation protocol. Both groups'  
    functional  outcomes were similar. The mean preoperative  
    hemoglobin was 12.6 g/dL in the  one-stage group and 12.9  
    g/dL in the two-stage group. The mean cumulative blood   
    transfusion was 2.6 units in the one-stage group and 3.5  
    units in the two-stage  group. Patients in the two-stage  
    group had more complications, most commonly  anemia and  
    wound drainage. The total mean hospital stay was longer  
    in the  two-stage group (8.1 days; range, 5-39 days)  
    compared with the one-stage group  (4.3 days; range, 3-11  
    days). The mean total expenses were higher in the  two-stage  
    group (dollar 64,600) compared with the one-stage group  
    (dollar  45,900). Young and healthy patients may be candidates  
    for one-stage bilateral  total hip arthroplasty without an  
    increase in complications and with lower  costs.  
      Record Date Created: 20070221  
      Record Date Completed: 20070315