Background

Revision total hip arthroplasty is a technically demanding procedure and especially removing a well fixed femoral stem is a challenge for revision surgeons. There are various types of trochanteric osteotomies used during revision surgery; extended trochanteric osteotomy (ETO) is being more popular.

Introduction

Management of a patient with a neck of femur (NOF) fracture is a key aspect of orthopaedic trauma care, with around 75 000 new cases in the United Kingdom annually costing the health care over £ 2 billion. Delaying time to theatre for operative intervention of hip fractures negatively impacts on patient outcome and is one of the key aspects of the hip fracture best practice tariff (BPT). One aspect of the peri-operative management of patients with hip fractures implicated in delayed surgery is the use of long term warfarin for anticoagulation. Anticoagulation reversal is a common cause of operative delay.

Introduction

Review the results of modified Lautenbach procedure (new method) to treat chronic osteomyelitis of the long bones.

Introduction: There is a paucity in the literature regarding the long term outcome of children with septic hips. Often, there is a delay in diagnosis which may lead to complications such as growth arrest, deformity and leg length discrepancy. We investigated the outcome of these patients and report the observed complications.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of all children who underwent arthrotomy and washout for septic arthritis of the hip over a ten year period. Patients were identified from hospital databases and the coding department. Medical records were reviewed and data including demographics, method of presentation, laboratory investigations and outcome were recorded.

Results: We analysed the records of 70 patients who underwent formal arthrotomy and washout of their septic hip. Two patients had bilateral washouts (n = 72 hips). There were 36 (51%) female patients. 24 patients were under 1 year of age at presentation, with 11 of these in the neonatal period.

Temperature data was available for 48 patients, with a mean of 38.2 degrees Celsius at presentation. The mean ESR was 55.8. 28 patients (40%) grew an organism on culture of the hip fluid. The most common organism was Staphylococcus Aureus (64% of positive cultures).

66% (n=16) of patients in the < 1 year old group developed complications relating to growth arrest and leg length discrepancy. Seven of these patients (43%) underwent further surgery to correct deformity at a later date. In contrast, only 4.3% of patients in the > 1 year old group developed complications. The mean delay to surgery in patients who developed complications was 6.3 days with a mean delay to surgery of 3.1 days in patients who did not develop complications (p = 0.03, student’s T-Test).

Discussion: Paediatric Septic Arthritis remains a complex issue for both the patient and the surgeon. We have demonstrated that an increased delay in patients undergoing washout can lead to increased complications although this predominantly affects patients under 1 year of age. This can be explained by the lack of clinical signs in a < 1 year old child. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion of septic arthritis in patients with features of sepsis with an unknown cause.

Introduction: Sequential staged distraction with fixed rate and rhythm, alternative compression and distraction is well described in the literature to treat non-unions. However we looked the union in established non-unions of tibia using one stage distraction without further manipulation at the fracture site maintaining the stability.

Materials and Methods: 12 patients with established tibial non-unions were referred during the period of 2001–2005. 2 cases were infected non unions. All patients were symptomatic and exhibited deformity at the non-union site. Ten males, two females were in the study group with a mean age of 39.2 years. The location of non-union was distal 1/3 of tibia in 8 cases and 2 cases of proximal and middle 1/3. External fixation was used to acutely distract the fracture (one stage) and tension the soft tissues to attain fracture stability. Infection at the fracture site required further operative debridement. Regular followup with radiographs to assess the union.

Results: Osseous union was achieved in all the cases at an average time period of 17.2 weeks. There was no recurrence of osteomyelitis in the infected cases following secondary debridement. All the patients were pain free and fully mobile without aid at review.

Conclusion: We concluded that acute distraction osteogenesis produces fracture union in selected established cases of non union. This method can be used to obtain impressive gains in the lengths of the long bones. Bone is uniformly produced regardless of the location of the non union. This is more patient compliant, effective and relatively easy to perform.

Introduction: Dorsally angulated metaphyseal fractures of the proximal phalanges usually occur in the middle aged or elderly and are common. Reduction is difficult to maintain with non-operative treatment, due the action of the intrinsic muscles. Most techniques advocated in the literature suggest a transmetacarpal K-wire fixation.

We present the results of a simple method of stabilisation using intramedullary K-wires without violating the articular surface.

Methods: Over a three-year period, sixty patients with these fractures were treated in this way. A single wire is inserted through the rim of the proximal phalangeal base with MCPJ fully flexed, avoiding transfixion of the collateral ligament. The wire is passed up the medullary canal, across the fracture and up either to subchondral bone or to engage the opposite cortex. The metacar-pophalangeal joints were immobilised with a thermoplastic splint in full flexion and interphalangeal joints mobilised under supervision by the hand therapists. The wire was removed at three weeks.

Results: Most patients achieved a full range of movement at 6 weeks follow-up. There were no pin site infections.

Conclusion: Dorsally angulated metaphyseal fractures of the proximal phalanges fractures are difficult to treat by non-operative means. If the fracture heals in an angulated position the altered line of pull of the intrinsics will result in loss of flexion at the MCPJ and of power grip. This method is straightforward and gives satisfactory results. It avoids damage to the articular surface of the MCPJ, allows mobilisation of the entire digit and reliably controls the fracture.

Introduction: The annual fatalities from the road traffic accidents were relatively stable over the last decade. However over the same period there is noticeable shift in the effect of passenger vehicle rollover crashes on this total. This study looks into the injury characteristics in rollover car crashes utilizing the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) database.

Aim: To describe the regional distribution of the injury pattern in the rollover crashes, and identify the main cause of death in fatal cases according to body region.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of the NASS database during the period of 1997–2002 was analysed. Only the car model from year 2002 was included in this study. The regional body distribution was classified as follows

Head and Neck

Thorax

Abdomen

Upper limbs

Lower limbs

The total number of occupants involved, age range of drivers, and detailed descriptions of the injuries sustained were described.

Results: There were total of 155 occupants involved in 88 roll over car crashes. The age range of the occupants was 7 months to 84 years. The drivers age range was 15 years – 84 years. There were 50 male drivers, and 38 female drivers. The body region most commonly involved was Head and neck followed by upper extremity. There were 33 fatalities and the main cause of fatality was injury to the brain, accounting for 54.5%.

The distributions of injuries were

Head and neck- 93 (60%)

Thorax- 37 (23.8%)

Abdomen-24 (15.4%)

Upper limbs- 73 (47%)

Lower limbs- 53 (34%)

Conclusion: Rollover crashes are becoming increasingly common due to increase demands of sport utility vehicles. There is a significant number of fatalities. Majority of the occupants sustained multiple injuries. However, the most common body region involved after roll over crashes was head and neck. The young male drivers are more vulnerable group. Improvement of the safety features in new vehicle design should take into account of this body region.