Fractures of the distal radius are common skeletal injuries. In most practices patients are discharged within few weeks to few months. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there is a difference in outcome between 6 months and 1 year with different treatment methods with special focus on conservative management.

A one-year prospective cohort study of patients with fractures of the distal radius was set in York Hospital. From 204 patients included, 200 (98%), 182 (89%) and 164 (82%) patients were evaluated at 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year, respectively. Two patients had bilateral fractures. In total 162 fractures were treated conservatively, and 8 fractures were treated operatively following failure of conservative immobilization.

Outcome assessment included Gartland and Werley, DASH and SF-36 scoring systems. Between 6 months and 1 year there was statistically significant improvement in the over-all Gartland and Werley score (p< 0.001) and most of its components such as the subjective evaluation, grip strength, arthritis change, finger function, and the range of motion. There was no significant improvement in pain and deformity.

In the conservatively treated patients a good or excellent result was found after 6 months in 77%, after 1 year in 92%. In the failed conservative group it was 61% (5/7) and 83 % (5/6).

Conclusion: This study has shown that functional improvement occurs up to 1 year following distal radius fractures, therefore a final say in the outcome may not be determined before that time should the need arise for reconstructive surgery or medico legal advice.

Hip resurfacing is a procedure designed to conserve bone stock in the younger patient and facilitate revision to a total hip arthroplasty if the need arises. The Wagner Hip Resurfacing (WHR) was a metal-on- poly implant introduced in 1978.

The notes and radiographs of 16 patients who underwent 19 WHR procedures performed by a single surgeon between 1980 and 1984 were reviewed.

The mean age at primary surgery was 54 (range 41–68). 16 of the WHRs required revision at a mean time of 45 months (range 1–144 months). 3 WHR had not been revised: one is functioning at 22 years, one functioning well 20 years after implantation when the patient died and 1 non-functional 9 years after implantation due to femoral head reabsorption.

The reason for revision was femoral neck fracture (3), femoral head collapse / avascular necrosis or loosening (8), acetabular loosening (5).

Subsequent problems with the revision were noted in 6 patients (2 dislocations, 2 infections, 1 acetabular loosening and 1 femoral loosening). 3 patients ended with a Girdlestone excision arthroplasty and 2 required re-revision.

Hip resurfacing is designed as a conservative option for the young arthritic hip. This prosthesis not only failed catastrophically at an early stage but had a major subsequent impact on revision surgery and complications associated with it.

The purpose of our study was to find out the midterm results of the Müller acetabular roof reinforcement ring in primary and revision total hip arthroplasty. From 1988 to 1998, 48 total hip arthroplasties using the acetabular roof reinforcement ring (39 patients) was performed by one surgeon (PDB).

We reviewed all patients who had a minimum of five year follow up. There were 37 hips (31 patients) with a mean follow up of 7 years (5 to 12 years). Acetabular deficiencies were classified according to the AAOS classification. Acetabular reconstruction was done using the Müller acetabular roof reinforcement ring with the polyethylene cup cemented to the ring, and morcellized cancellous bone graft. Müller straight stem femoral prosthesis was used in all cases for femoral reconstruction. All patients were followed up annually and outcome assessed using Harris hip score. There were 27 primary procedures and 10 revisions. 30 patients (81%) had cavitary, 2 (5%) had segmental and 5 (14%) had combined defects.

Survival analysis was done with failure defined as radiological evidence of loosening of the acetabular component. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS for Windows (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois). 5 patients died due to unrelated causes and 2 patients were lost for follow up. The mean Harris hip score improved from 42 preoperatively to 82 postoperatively (p< 0. 001)(Wilcoxon Signed Rank test). Both mean pain and function score showed improvement from 12 to 39 postoperatively (p< 0. 001) and 12 to 32 (p< 0. 001) respectively. 5 patients had radiological loosening of the ring. The migration rate was 13%. The cumulative survival rate at 12 years, excluding all patients who died and were lost for follow up, was 79. 3% (95% confidence interval 71. 4 to 87. 2, standard error 4). There was no statistical difference in the failure rate between primary and revision procedures (chi-square test). This series show satisfactory medium term results with Müller roof reinforcement ring and cancellous bone graft in acetabular deficiencies with poor bone stock.