Shoulder instability is a common cause of morbidity amongst Professional Rugby Union players. This study explores whether the risk of shoulder dislocation is associated with innate shoulder laxity. A prospective, randomised controlled study was completed in which all the Premiership Rugby Clubs in England were visited. 169 professional rugby players with no history of instability in either shoulder and 46 players with one shoulder with clinical instability symptoms were assessed. Shoulder laxity was measured by clinical evaluation, questionnaires and ultrasound. Anterior, posterior and inferior translation was measured in both shoulders for healthy players and the uninjured shoulder only for injured players. The results showed there was no significant difference between the left (anterior: mean 2.92 +/− 1.15 mm; posterior: mean 5.10 +/− 1.75 mm; inferior: mean 3.08 +/− 1.00 mm) and right (anterior: mean 3.07 +/− 1.14 mm; posterior: mean 4.87 +/− 1.61 mm; inferior: mean 2.91 +/− 0.99 mm) shoulders in healthy players (P > 0.05). The comparison between healthy shoulders (anterior: mean 3.00 +/− 1.15 mm; posterior: mean 4.99 +/− 1.68 mm; inferior: mean 3.00 +/− 1.00 mm) from healthy players and the uninjured shoulder (anterior: mean 4.16 +/− 1.70 mm; posterior: mean 6.16 +/− 3.04 mm; inferior: mean 3.42 +/− 1.18 mm) from injured players identified that players with unstable shoulders have a significantly higher shoulder translation in their normal shoulder than healthy players (P < 0.05). This is the first study looking at laxity and the risk of shoulder dislocations in sportsmen involved in a high contact sport. These results support the hypothesis that rugby players with “lax” shoulders are more likely to sustain a dislocation or subluxation injury to one of these lax shoulders in their sport.

Background: The dorsal wrist ganglion is one of the commonest tumours to be found in the upper limb. Aims: We aimed to find out how specialist upper limb surgeons managed this common condition, and to propose best practice guidelines.

Methods: We sent a standard questionnaire by email to 100 hand surgeons who were members of the British Society for Surgery of the Hand.

Results: 62% returned the completed questionnaire. 93% routinely used a tourniquet, 73% used general anaesthetic. 83% would not use Xray or further imaging. 62% would operate on less than 10 a year or as few as possible. Only 42% routinely sent tissue for histology and 71% used a transverse incision.

Discussion and Conclusions: Most upper limb surgeons diagnose a ganglion clinically, use a transverse incision for excision and do not routinely send tissue for histology. We believe that ganglia should be treated like other neoplasms and excised via a longitudinal incision and tissue sent for histology. We present a series of cases which were thought to be simple ganglia, but histology revealed different pathology. The use of a transverse incision, may compromise definitive excision at a later date, if histology revealed a malignant neoplasm. A transverse incision has not been shown to give superior results in terms of cosmesis, and is also associated with an increased risk of painful neuroma formation after damage to the superficial radial nerve.

Background – Frozen Shoulder is a common condition which causes significant morbidity in people of working age. The 2 most popular forms of surgical treatment for this condition are Manipulation under Anaesthesia (MUA) or MUA plus Arthroscopic Capsular Release (ACR). Both treatment modalities are known to give good results, but no-one has compared the 2 to see which is better.

Aim – To compare the outcome in patients with primary frozen shoulder, who are treated by either MUA or MUA plus ACR.

Method – 61 patients with primary frozen shoulder were treated by either MUA or MUA plus ACR. Each patient had their American Shoulder and Elbow Score (ASES), and their Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) measured pre and post-operatively.

Results – The patients who had MUA plus ACR had a mean ASES of 24.8 preoperatively, 64 at 4 months, and a mean of 75.4 at 12 months. The mean OSS was 32.5 pre-operatively, 48.5 at 4 months and 53.4 at 12months. The patients who had a MUA had a mean ASES of 28.7 pre-operatively, 60.9 at 4months and 69.6 at 12months. The mean OSS was 33 preoperatively, 46.5 at 4 months and 50.9 at 12 months.

Conclusions – Both treatments give good results. MUA plus ACR give superior numerical results at 6 to 12 months post-operatively, however, these figures did not reach statistical significance

The aim of this study was to review the results of surgery on patients who had recurrent instabilty of the shoulder associated with significant bone loss who were treated by autogenous iliac crest tricortical grafts. Ten consecutive patients were reviewed. All had significant loss of glenoid bone stock as assessed by CT scan. All were treated by use of tricortical bone graft harvested from the iliac crest and fashioned to reconstitute the anterior glenoid defect. This was fixed intra-articularly with cannulated screws. The antero-inferior capsule was then repaired to this new “glenoid rim”. All patients had a standard rehabilitation regime. All patients had an assessment of the Oxford Shoulder Instability Score (OIS) and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES) before and after the operation. At an average follow-up of 26 months, the mean OIS had improved from 38.3 to 22.3 and the mean ASES had increased from 40.5 to 86.6. None had had a recurrent dislocation. The use of autogenous iliac crest bone graft to treat recurrent shoulder instability associated with significant glenoid bone loss is an effective treatment for this difficult condition.

Most centres cross-match between 2 and 4 units of blood preoperatively for primary Total Hip Arthroplasties (THA), but is this necessary? We aimed to quantify the use of blood after THA in our centre, and to advocate a safe, evidence-based protocol for its use. We looked at the blood requirements of 118 consecutive THAs over a 6 month period. Records of all patients were analysed. Mean pre-operative Hb levels for both males and females were within the normal range. All patients had post-operative blood checks. Results showed that 345 units were cross-matched, but only 114 units (33%) were used. Only 28 of the 114 units (24%) were transfused on the day of surgery. 0% of patients needed intra-operative transfusion, or blood urgently. We conclude that blood should not be routinely cross-matched for primary THA. We advocate a policy of only group and saving of blood in the majority of patients that undergo primary THA, and cross-matching of blood if and when needed. However, the 1–2% of patients that have antibodies present in the blood should have blood cross-matched and available pre-operatively. If needed urgently, O-negative blood can be used or with modern cross-matching techniques, ABO compatible blood can be available from a grouped sample within 5-10 minutes. This is a method sanctioned by the British Blood Transfusion Society, and validated in the literature. Over one year this could save our trust up to £40,000 per year without compromising patient safety.