Initially, all surgeons in Australia were generalists and those with an interest in the anatomy of the hand performed
This study aims to determine the incidence of surgical site infection leading to reoperation for sepsis following minor hand procedures performed outside the main operating room using field sterility in the South African setting. The investigators retrospectively reviewed the records of 485 patients who had WALANT-assisted minor
Pediatric
1. The modifications of standard Z-plasty technique that are necessary for its successful use in
Aims. Hand trauma, consisting of injuries to both the hand and the wrist, are a common injury seen worldwide. The global age-standardized incidence of hand trauma exceeds 179 per 100,000. Hand trauma may require surgical management and therefore result in significant costs to both healthcare systems and society. Surgical site infections (SSIs) are common following all surgical interventions, and within
The use of regional anaesthesia for upper limb surgery has been increasing in popularity recently. It is safe, effective and has financial benefits. We report the activity in a tertiary
Compared with general anaesthesia, brachial plexus (BP) anaesthesia improves patient satisfaction and accelerates hospital discharge after ambulatory
Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the haemo-dynamic and blockade effects of 25 μg and of 200 μg adrenaline adding to 1.5% lidocaine under axillary brachial plexus blockade. Methods: Fifty patients presenting for
Wrist fusion, ulna head resection and fusion of the MP or PIP joints are not anymore the only operations that can be offered to patients with RA. The modern medical treatment has changed the course of the disease and we are not anymore in front of patients with major joint destruction, very bad hand function and low demands. Young ladies with well controlled disease expect surgery to result in restitution of function which allows a life close to normal in terms of work and leisure time activities. If pain relief remains the main indication it has to be associated with reconstruction of function, preserving mobility and increasing grip strength. For these reasons it appears necessary to limit fusions and increase the use of joint implants. Accurate evaluation of the patients’ need and expectations will help in the choice of the appropriate surgical procedure to achieve the treatment goal.
Hand trauma accounts for one in five of emergency department attendances, with a UK incidence of over five million injuries/year and 250,000 operations/year. Surgical site infection (SSI) in hand trauma surgery leads to further interventions, poor outcomes, and prolonged recovery, but has been poorly researched. Antimicrobial sutures have been recognized by both the World Health Organization and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence as potentially effective for reducing SSI. They have never been studied in hand trauma surgery: a completely different patient group and clinical pathway to previous randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of these sutures. Antimicrobial sutures are expensive, and further research in hand trauma is warranted before they become standard of care. The aim of this protocol is to conduct a feasibility study of antimicrobial sutures in patients undergoing hand trauma surgery to establish acceptability, compliance, and retention for a definitive trial. A two-arm, multicentre feasibility RCT of 116 adult participants with hand and wrist injuries, randomized to either antimicrobial sutures or standard sutures. Study participants and outcome assessors will be blinded to treatment allocation. Outcome measures will be recorded at baseline (preoperatively), 30 days, 90 days, and six months, and will include SSI, patient-reported outcome measures, and return to work.Aims
Methods
Costings of theatre time and out-patient time were obtained from the hospital management.
Based on a cost of £216 per out-patient clinic session, the cost of the out-patient procedures was calculated at £1872 over 6 months, or £3744 per annum. Based on a theatre cost of £1785 per session, to perform all the clinic procedures as formal operations would have cost £60,690 over 6 months, or £121380 per annum. The cost savings were therefore £117636 per annum.
METHODS AND RESULTS: 1700 cases were reviewed retrospectively. Of the respondents to the questionnaire, 457 (65%) patients had dorsal, 255 patients (35%) volar wrist ganglia. Dorsal ganglia had been treated by observation in 99 (22.4%), aspiration in 57 (12.9%), aspiration plus injection in 37 (8.4%) or surgery in 249 (56.3%) of the cases. The analysis showed that the recurrence rates were 39%, 74.5%, 28.5%, and 35% respectively for each type of treatment. Scar tenderness was present in more than half of surgically treated patients. Repeat surgery was performed in 20 out of 70 (28.5%) recurrent cases. The satisfaction rate did not correlate with the recurrence rate. For volar ganglia, treatment had been observation in 49 (19.2%), aspiration in 13 (5%), aspiration plus injection in 12 (4.7%) or surgery in 153 (60%) of the cases. The analysis showed that the recurrence rates were 28.5%, 92%, 25.5%, and 33.3% respectively. Scar tenderness was present in 67% and sensory loss in 32% of surgically treated patients. Repeat surgery was only performed in 18 out of 52 (34.6%) recurrences. The satisfaction rate was highest in the aspiration and injection group, which had the lowest recurrence rate among all treatment modalities.
The aim of this study was to investigate whether clinical and radiological outcomes after intramedullary nailing of displaced fractures of the fifth metacarpal neck using a single thick Kirschner wire (K-wire) are noninferior to those of technically more demanding fixation with two thinner dual wires. This was a multicentre, parallel group, randomized controlled noninferiority trial conducted at 12 tertiary trauma centres in Germany. A total of 290 patients with acute displaced fractures of the fifth metacarpal neck were randomized to either intramedullary single-wire (n = 146) or dual-wire fixation (n = 144). The primary outcome was the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire six months after surgery, with a third of the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) used as the noninferiority threshold. Secondary outcomes were pain, health-related quality of life (EuroQol five-dimensional questionnaire (EQ-5D)), radiological measures, functional deficits, and complications.Aims
Patients and Methods
The aims of this study were to compare the mid-term outcomes
of patients with late-stage arthritis of the wrist treated with
proximal row carpectomy (PRC) and dorsal capsular interposition
(DCI) arthroplasty with a matched cohort treated with routine PRC
alone. A total of 25 arthritic wrists (24 patients) with pre-existing
degenerative changes of the proximal capitate and/or the lunate
fossa of the radius were treated with PRC + DCI over a ten-year
period. This group of patients were matched 1:2 with a group of
50 wrists (48 patients) without degenerative changes in the capitate
or lunate fossa that were treated with a routine PRC alone during
the same period. The mean age of the patients at the time of surgery
was 56.8 years (25 to 81), and the demographics and baseline range
of movement of the wrist, grip strength, Quick Disabilities of the
Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) score, and Patient-Rated Wrist
Evaluation (PRWE) score were similar in both groups. Aims
Patients and Methods
We surgeons are privileged in having a profession which also encompasses a craft; by it we should have understanding of the problems of craftsmanship in modern life. Ultimately it is at the core of human happiness. Craftsmanship is based upon creative ability, good design, the almost loving conflict of man and material, and the consequent unification of both in completion. Craftsmanship is only possible as a manifestation of individuality. Integrity and invulnerability are its outcome. May it not be that in the atomic age (if there is one outside of destruction) there may be a return to the craftsman's life of the eighteenth century; not of necessity for the maintenance of economic life, because that will be done for him by the machine, but rather for the maintenance of health?
Aims. Wrist arthroscopy is a standard procedure in
In the field of
In-office surgeries have the potential to offer high quality medical care in a more efficient, cost-effective setting than outpatient surgical centers for certain procedures. The primary concerns with operating on patients in the office setting are insufficient sterility and lack of appropriate resources in case of excessive bleeding or other surgical complications. This study serves to investigate these concerns and determine whether in-office
The February 2024 Wrist & Hand Roundup. 360. looks at: Occupational therapy for thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis?; Age and patient-reported benefits from operative management of intra-articular distal radius fractures: a meta-regression analysis; Long-term outcomes of nonsurgical treatment of thumb carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: a cohort study; Semi-occlusive dressing versus surgery in fingertip injuries: a randomized controlled trial; Re-fracture in partial union of the scaphoid waist?; The WALANT distal radius fracture: a systematic review; Endoscopic carpal tunnel release with or without hand therapy?; Ten-year trends in the level of evidence in
The June 2023 Wrist & Hand Roundup. 360. looks at: Residual flexion deformity after scaphoid nonunion surgery: a seven-year follow-up study; The effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with concurrent hand and psychological disorders; Bite injuries to the hand and forearm: analysis of hospital stay, treatment, and costs; Outcomes of acute perilunate injuries - a systematic review; Abnormal MRI signal intensity of the triangular fibrocartilage complex in asymptomatic wrists; Patient comprehension of operative instructions with a paper handout versus a video: a prospective, randomized controlled trial; Can common
The February 2023 Wrist & Hand Roundup. 360. looks at: ‘Self-care’ protocol for minimally displaced distal radius fractures; Treatment strategies for acute Seymour fractures in children and adolescents: including crushed open fractures; Routinely collected outcomes of proximal row carpectomy; Moving minor
The October 2023 Wrist & Hand Roundup. 360. looks at: Distal radius fracture management: surgeon factors markedly influence decision-making; Fracture-dislocation of the radiocarpal joint: bony and capsuloligamentar management, outcomes, and long-term complications; Exploring the role of artificial intelligence chatbot in the management of scaphoid fractures; Role of ultrasonography for evaluation of nerve recovery in repaired median nerve lacerations; Four weeks versus six weeks of immobilization in a cast following closed reduction for displaced distal radial fractures in adult patients: a multicentre randomized controlled trial; Rehabilitation following flexor tendon injury in Zone 2: a randomized controlled study; On the road again: return to driving following minor
Aims. Orthopaedic surgery requires grafts with sufficient mechanical strength. For this purpose, decellularized tissue is an available option that lacks the complications of autologous tissue. However, it is not widely used in orthopaedic surgeries. This study investigated clinical trials of the use of decellularized tissue grafts in orthopaedic surgery. Methods. Using the ClinicalTrials.gov (CTG) and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) databases, we comprehensively surveyed clinical trials of decellularized tissue use in orthopaedic surgeries registered before 1 September 2022. We evaluated the clinical results, tissue processing methods, and commercial availability of the identified products using academic literature databases and manufacturers’ websites. Results. We initially identified 4,402 clinical trials, 27 of which were eligible for inclusion and analysis, including nine shoulder surgery trials, eight knee surgery trials, two ankle surgery trials, two
The second wave of COVID-19 infections in 2021 resulting from the delta strain had a significantly larger impact on the state of New South Wales, Australia and with it the government implemented harsher restrictions. This retrospective cohort study aims to explore how the increased restrictions affected hand trauma presentations and their treatment. Retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all segments of daily life, with the healthcare sector being at the forefront of this upheaval. Unprecedented efforts have been taken worldwide to curb this ongoing global catastrophe that has already resulted in many fatalities. One of the areas that has received little attention amid this turmoil is the disruption to trainee education, particularly in specialties that involve acquisition of procedural skills.
To compare 24-month patient-reported outcomes after surgical treatment or casting in patients age 60 years of age or older with unstable distal radius fractures (DRF's). The Wrist and Radius Injury Surgical Trial (WRIST), is the largest randomized, multicenter trial in
The December 2023 Wrist & Hand Roundup. 360. looks at: Volar locking plate for distal radius fractures with patient-reported outcomes in older adults; Total joint replacement or trapeziectomy?; Replantation better than revision amputation in traumatic amputation?; What factors are associated with revision cubital tunnel release within three years?; Use of nerve conduction studies in carpal tunnel syndrome; Surgical site infection following
Aims. Our purpose was to determine the quality of current randomised
controlled trials (RCTs) in
The aim of this study was to develop a core outcome set of what to measure in all future clinical research on hand fractures and joint injuries in adults. Phase 1 consisted of steps to identify potential outcome domains through systematic review of published studies, and exploration of the patient perspective through qualitative research, consisting of 25 semi-structured interviews and five focus groups. Phase 2 involved key stakeholder groups (patients, hand surgeons, and hand therapists) prioritizing the outcome domains via a three-round international Delphi survey, with a final consensus meeting to agree the final core outcome set.Aims
Methods
It has been shown that extremity injuries form a large proportion of the operative surgical workload in conflict situations. Injuries to the hands are an important subgroup and
The purpose of this survey study was to examine the demographic and lifestyle factors of women currently in orthopaedic surgery. An electronic survey was conducted of practising female orthopaedic surgeons based in the USA through both the Ruth Jackson Society and the online Facebook group “Women of Orthopaedics”.Aims
Methods
In the UK, the NHS generates an estimated 25 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (4% to 5% of the nation’s total carbon emissions) and produces over 500,000 tonnes of waste annually. There is limited evidence demonstrating the principles of sustainability and its benefits within orthopaedic surgery. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the environmental impact of orthopaedic surgery and the environmentally sustainable initiatives undertaken to address this. The secondary aim of this study was to describe the barriers to making sustainable changes within orthopaedic surgery. A literature search was performed according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines through EMBASE, Medline, and PubMed libraries using two domains of terms: “orthopaedic surgery” and “environmental sustainability”.Aims
Methods