Purpose. To compare the efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) to non-surgical management (NSM) over 24 months in patients with acute painful fractures by clinical outcomes and vertebral body kyphosis correction and surgical parameters. Material and Methods. Three hundred Adult patients with one to three VCF's were randomised within 3 months of the acute fracture; 149 to Balloon Kyphoplasty and 151 to Non-surgical management. Subjective QOL assessments and objective functional (Timed up and go [TUG]) and vertebral body kyphotic angulation (KA), were assessed over 24 months; we also report surgical parameters and adverse events temporally related to surgery (within 30-days). Results. Kyphoplasty was associated with greater improvements in SF-36 PCS scores when averaged across the 24-month follow-up period, compared with NSM (overall treatment effect 3.24points, 95% CI, 1.47–5.01; p=0.0004)., and TUG (overall treatment effect −3.00 seconds, 95% CI, −1.0 to −5.1; p<0.0043). At 24 months, the change from baseline in KA was statistically significantly improved in the kyphoplasty group (average 3.1°of correction for BKP versus 0.8°for NSM, p=0.003). On average IBT inflation volumes were consistent with cement volumes at 2.4 cc per side. The most common adverse events within 30-days were back pain, new vertebral fracture, nausea/vomiting and UTI. BKP is calculated to be cost-effective in the UK setting. Conclusions. Compared with NSM, BKP improves patient function and QOL when averaged over 24-months and results in better improvement of index vertebral body kyphotic angulation. Author potential conflicts of interest; JVM, LB; SB, DW and JR are consultants for Medtronic Spine LLC for the FREE study; JBT is currently employed by Medtronic, Inc

Xiapex is a novel non-surgical intervention for the treatment of Dupuytren's contracture. It comprises a fixed-ratio mixture of two purified collagenolytic enzymes (AUX-I [clostridial type I collegenase] and AUX II [clostridial type II collagenase]) isolated from the medium of Clostridium histolyticum. Xiapex targets the contracture through the injection of enzymes into the pathologic diseased cords. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Xiapex in patients with Dupuytren's Contracture, the recovery and associated use of health care resources. The study commenced in June 2011 and was completed in 11 months. 15 patients were screened for the study, 12 patients were eligible (10 male:2 female). All 12 patients completed the trial and 2 patients received multiple injections, one had two fingers affected and the other had two joints affected in one finger. Following screening visit to determine patient suitability, the patient received their first injection usually within 7 days. Xiapex was injected directly into the palpable cord. 24 hours after injection patients were reviewed and a “finger extension procedure” was performed if the cord had not spontaneously ruptured. Patients were then followed up at 7 days, 30 days and 6 months. Assessments at each visits included: Finger Goniometry, Physician and Subject Global Assessment and Satisfaction, Health Care Resource Utilization and URAM (function assessment) and adverse events. Of the 14 cords injected all ruptured after finger extension. No patient experienced any serious adverse events, but a number of more minor adverse events were recorded including skin tears, pain at injection site, swelling and bruising. At the time of final follow-up recurrence rates were 14%. In conclusion, Xiapex is suitable for appropriately selected patients who are affected by Dupuytren's contractures and who have a well-developed palpable cord

Arthritis is a common and debilitating disease and is associated with an increased fall risk. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of impacted joint and limb on fall risk as measured by the margin of stability (MOS). There were 110 participants, including healthy controls (HC; n=30), ankle arthritis (AA; n=30), knee arthritis (KA; n=20) and hip arthritis (HA; n=30) patients. All protocols were Institutional Review Board approved and all participants signed informed consent. Participants walked approximately 6 meters at a self-selected pace. MOS was calculated in the foot coordinate system in the anterior/posterior (AP) and medial/lateral (ML) directions at heel strike. A one-way ANOVA was used to examine group effects (HC, AA, KA, HA) on gait speed. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine the effects of limb (Non-Surgical, Surgical) and group on AP and ML MOS. HC had the fastest gait speed (1.40±0.24 m/s; p<0.001) when compared to AA (0.85±0.24 m/s), KA (0.94±0.22 m/s) and HA (1.05±0.22 m/s). HA participants had a greater gait speed compared to AA (p=0.004). AP MOS was greater in the surgical limb compared to the non-surgical limb for AA (p<0.001) and HA (p<0.001). AP MOS was smaller in HC compared to AA, KA, and HA, regardless of limb (p<0.030). AP MOS was similar between AA, KA, and HA for the non-surgical limb (p>0.194) and the surgical limb (p>0.096). ML MOS was greater in the surgical compared to non-surgical limb (p=0.003). ML MOS was smaller in KA participants compared to all other groups (p<0.001). Our results demonstrate stability during gait varies between limbs in arthritis patients, with a more conservative pattern for the surgical limb and suggest KA may be at an increased risk of falls with a smaller ML MOS

This edition of the Cochrane Corner looks at the three reviews that were published in the second half of 2023: surgical versus non-surgical interventions for displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures; cryotherapy following total knee arthroplasty; and physical activity and education about physical activity for chronic musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents

Between 2016–2019, 4 patients developed hip infections post-hemiarthroplasty. However, between 2020–2021 (Covid-19 pandemic period), 6 patients developed hip infections following hip hemiarthroplasty. The purpose of the investigation is to establish the root causes and key learning from the incident and use the information contained within this report to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident in the future. 65 patients presented with a neck of femur fracture during Covid-19 pandemic period between 2020–2021, 26 had hip hemiarthroplasty of which 6 developed hip infections. Medical records, anaesthetic charts and post-hip infections guidelines from RCS and NICE were utilised. Proteus, Enterococci and Strep. epidermis were identified as the main organisms present causing the hip infection. The average number of ward moves was 4 with 90% of patients developing COVID-19 during their hospital stay. The chance of post-operative wound infection were multifactorial. Having had 5 of 6 patients growing enterococci may suggest contamination of wound either due to potential suboptimal hygiene measures, inadequate wound management /dressing, potential environmental contamination if the organisms (Vancomycin resistant enterococci) are found to be of same types and potential hospital acquired infection due to inadequate infection control measures or suboptimal hand hygiene practices. 3 of the 5 patients grew Proteus, which points towards suboptimal hygiene practices by patients or poor infection control practices by staff. Lack of maintenance of sterility in post op wound dressings alongside inexperience of the handling of post-operative wound in non-surgical wards; multiple ward transfers exceeding the recommended number according to trust guidelines especially due to pandemic isolation measures and COVID-19 infection itself had resulted in an increased rate of hip infections during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multidisciplinary team education and planned categorisation and isolation strategy is essential to minimise the rate of further hip infections during the pandemic period in future

Abstract. Objective. Meta-analysis of clinical trials highlights that non-operative management of degenerative knee meniscal tears is as effective as surgical management. Surgical guidelines though support arthroscopic partial meniscectomy which remains common in NHS practice. Physiotherapists are playing an increasing role in triage of such patients though it is unclear how this influences clinical management and patient outcomes. Methods. A 1-year cohort (July 2019–June 2020) of patients presenting with MRI confirmed degenerative meniscal tears to a regional orthopaedic referral centre (3× ESP physiotherapists) was identified. Initial clinical management was obtained from medical records alongside subsequent secondary care management and routinely collected outcome scores in the following 2-years. Management options included referral for surgery, conservative (steroid injection and rehabilitation), and no active treatment. Outcome scores collected at 1- and 2-years included the Forgotten Joint Score-12 (FJS-12) questionnaire and 0–10 numerical rating scales for worst and average pain. Treatment allocation is presented as absolute and proportional figures. Change in outcomes across the cohort was evaluated with repeated measures ANOVA, with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing, and post-hoc Tukey pair-wise comparisons. As treatment decision is discrete, no direct contrast is made between outcomes of differing interventions but additional explorative outcome change over time evaluated by group. Significance was accepted at p=0.05 and effect size as per Cohen's values. Results. 81 patients, 50 (61.7%) male, mean age 46.5 years (SD13.13) presented in the study timeframe. 32 (40.3%) received conservative management and 49 (59.7%) were listed for surgery. Six (18.8%) of the 32 underwent subsequent surgery and nine of the 49 (18.4%) patients switched from planned surgery to receiving non-operative care. Two post-operative complications were noted, one cerebrovascular accident and one deep vein thrombosis. The cohort improved over the course of 2-years in all outcome measures with improved mean FJS-12 (34.36 points), mean worst pain (3.74 points) average pain (2.42 points) scores. Overall change (all patients) was statistically significant for all outcomes (p<0.001), with sequential year-on-year change also significant (p<0.001). Effect size of these changes were large with all Cohen-d values over 1. Controlling for age and BMI, males reported superior change in FJS-12 (p=0.04) but worse pain outcomes (p<0.03). Further explorative analysis highlighted positive outcomes across all surgical, conservative and no active treatment groups (p<0.05). The 15 (18%) patients that switched between surgical and non-surgical management also reported positive outcome scores (p<0.05). Conclusion(s). In a regional specialist physiotherapy-led soft tissue knee clinic around 60% of degenerative meniscal tears assessed were referred for surgery. Over 2-years, surgical, non-operative and no treatment management approaches in this cohort all resulted in clinical improvement suggesting that no single strategy is effective in directly treating the meniscal pathology, and that perhaps none do. Clinical intervention rather is directed at individual symptom management based on clinical preferences. Declaration of Interest. (b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project

Introduction and Objective. Only few studies have investigated the outcome of exercises in patients with glenohumeral osteoarthritis (OA) or rotator cuff tear arthropathy (CTA), and furthermore often excluded patients with a severe degree of OA. Several studies including a Cochrane review have suggested the need for trials comparing shoulder arthroplasty to non-surgical treatments. Before initiation of such a trial, the feasibility of progressive shoulder exercises (PSE) in patients, who are eligible for shoulder arthroplasty should be investigated. The aim was to investigate whether 12 weeks of PSE is feasible in patients with OA or CTA eligible for shoulder arthroplasty. Moreover, to report changes in shoulder function and range of motion (ROM) following the exercise program. Materials and Methods. Eighteen patients (11 women, 14 OA), mean age 70 years (range 57–80), performed 12 weeks of PSE with 1 weekly physiotherapist-supervised and 2 weekly home-based sessions. Feasibility was measured by drop-out rate, adverse events, pain and adherence to PSE. Patients completed Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder (WOOS) score and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH). Results. Two patients dropped out and no adverse events were observed. Sixteen patients (89%) had high adherence to the physiotherapist-supervised sessions. Acceptable pain levels were reported. WOOS improved mean 23 points (95%CI:13;33), and DASH improved mean 13 points (95%CI:6;19). Conclusions. PSE is feasible, safe and may improve shoulder pain, function and ROM in patients with OA or CTA eligible for shoulder arthroplasty. PSE is a feasible treatment that may be compared with arthroplasty in a RCT setting

Abstract. Introduction. Recent reports show that spinopelvic mobility influences outcome following total hip arthroplasty. This scoping review investigates the relationship between spinopelvic parameters (SPPs) and symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Methods. A systematic search of EMBASE, PubMed and Cochrane for literature related to SPPs and FAI was undertaken as per PRISMA guidelines. Clinical outcome studies and prospective/retrospective studies investigating the role of SPPs in symptomatic FAI were included. Review articles, case reports and book chapters were excluded. Information extracted pertained to symptomatic cam deformities, pelvic tilt, acetabular version, biomechanics of dynamic movements and radiological FAI signs. Results. The search identified 42 papers for final analysis out of 1168 articles investigating the link between SPPs and pathological processes characteristic of FAI. Only one (2.4%) study was of level 1 evidence, five (11.9%) studies) were level 2, 17 (40.5%) were level 3 and 19 (45.2%) were level 4. Three studies associated FAI pathology with a greater pelvic incidence (PI), while four associated it with a smaller PI. Anterior pelvic tilt was associated with radiographic overcoverage parameters of FAI. In dynamic movements, decreased posterior pelvic tilt was a common feature in symptomatic FAI patients at increased hip flexion angles. FAI patients additionally demonstrated reduced sagittal pelvic ROM during dynamic hip flexion. Six studies found kinematic links between sagittal spinopelvic movement and sagittal and transverse plane hip movements. Conclusions. Our study shows that spinopelvic parameters can influence radiological and clinical manifestations of FAI, with pelvic incidence, acetabular version and muscular imbalances being aetiologically implicated. These factors may be amenable to non-surgical therapy. Individual spinopelvic mechanics may predispose to the development of FAI. If FAI pathoanatomy already exists, sagittal pelvic parameters can influence whether FAI symptoms develop and is an area of further research interest

Abstract. Objectives. Intra-articular corticosteroid injections (IACIs) are a well-established non-surgical treatment for the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA), which can provide short-term improvements in pain, disability and quality of life (QoL). Many patients receive recurrent IACIs as temporary relief of their symptoms. Longer-term outcomes for recurrent IACIs remain less well-researched. This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the longer-term risks and benefits of IACIs beyond 3 months. Methods. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL from inception to January 07, 2021, for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) where patients with OA had received recurrent IACIs. Our primary outcomes were pain and function. Secondary outcomes included QoL, disease progression, radiological changes, and adverse events. Mean differences with 95% confidence intervals were reported. Results. Ten RCTs met eligibility criteria (eight for knee OA [n=378], two for trapeziometacarpal OA [n=57]). Patients received 2–5 injections. Follow-up ranged from 6–24 months. Patients with knee OA showed mild improvement in pain at 3, 6, and 9 months but not at 12 months post-injection compared to baseline. Improvements in function were seen from 3–24 months post-injection, decreasing over time. Improvements in QoL continued at 24 months. For patients with trapeziometacarpal OA, mild improvements in pain, function, and QoL were demonstrated at 3–6 months (and 12 months for pain) compared to baseline. No serious adverse events were recorded. No studies reported on time-to-future interventions, or risk of future periprosthetic joint infection. Conclusions. Only mild improvements in pain, function, and QoL were noted after recurrent IACIs up to 6–24 months post-injection. Existing RCTs on recurrent IACI lacks sufficient follow-up data to assess disease progression and time-to-future interventions. These results will inform the RecUrrent Intra-articular Corticosteroid injections in Osteoarthritis (RUbICOn) study which aims to establish the long-term safety outcomes of IACI through data linkage of clinical practice data, hospital episode statistics, and national PROMs

Introduction and Objective. Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause for total hip arthroplasty (THA). Although, being considered as the surgery of the century up to 23% of the patients report long-term pain and deficits in physical function and muscle strength may persist after THA. Progressive resistance training (PRT) appear to improve several outcomes moderately in patients with hip OA. Current treatment selection is based on low-level evidence as no randomised controlled trials have compared THA to non-surgical treatment. The primary objective of this trial is to determine the effectiveness of THA followed by standard care compared to 12 weeks of supervised PRT followed by 12 weeks of optional unsupervised PRT, on changes in hip pain and function, in patients with severe hip OA after 6 months. Materials and Methods. This is a protocol for a multicentre, parallel-group, assessor blinded, randomised controlled superiority trial. Patients aged ≥50 years with clinical and radiographic hip OA found eligible for THA by an orthopaedic surgeon will be randomised to THA or PRT (allocation 1:1). The primary outcome will be change in patient-reported hip pain and function, measured using the Oxford Hip Score. Key secondary outcomes will be change in the Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score subscales, University of California Los Angeles Activity Score, 40-meter fast-paced walk test, 30-second chair stand test, and number of serious adverse events. Results. The trial has been approved by The Regional Committees on Health Research Ethics for Southern Denmark (Project-ID: S-20180158) in February 2019 and registration was performed at . ClinicalTrials.gov. (NCT04070027) in August 2019. Recruitment was initiated on the 2. nd. of September 2019 and the final deadline will be on the 30. th. of June 2021, or when a sample size of 120 patients has been accomplished. Conclusions. The results of the current trial are expected to enable evidence-based recommendations, which may be used to facilitate the shared-decision making process in the discussion of treatment strategy for the individual patient with severe hip OA. All results will be presented in peer-reviewed scientific journals and international conferences

Introduction and Objective. Low back pain (LBP) is a major cause of long-term disability in adults worldwide and it is frequently attributed to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. So far, no consensus has been reached regarding appropriate treatment and LBP management outcomes remain disappointing. Spine unloading or traction protocols are common non-surgical approaches to treat LBP. These treatments are widely used and result in pain relief, decreased disability or reduced need for surgery. However, the underlying mechanisms -namely, the IVD unloading mechanobiology- have not yet been studied. The aim of this first study was to assess the feasibility of IVD unloading in a large animal organ culture set-up and evaluate its impact on mechanobiology. Materials and Methods. Bovine tail discs (diameter 16.1 mm ± 1.2 mm), including the endplates, were isolated and prepared for culture. Beside the day0 sample that was processed directly, three other discs were cultured for 3 days and processed on day4. One disc was loaded in the bioreactor according to a previously established physiological (compressive) loading protocol (2h/day, 0.2Hz). The two other discs were embedded in biocompatible resin, leaving the cartilage endplate free to permit nutrient diffusion, and fitted in the traction holder; one of these discs was kept in free swelling conditions, whereas the second was submitted to cyclic traction loading (2h/day, 0.2Hz) corresponding to 30% of the animal body weight corrected for organ culture. Results. The cell viability assessed on lactate dehydrogenase and ethidium homodimer stained histological slides was not different between the three cultured discs. This means that the disc viability was not affected neither by the embedding, nor by the traction itself. Compared to the physiologically loaded disc, the gene expression of COL1, COL2 and ACAN was higher in the nucleus pulposus and inner annulus fibrosus of the traction treated disc. In the outer annulus fibrosus of this disc TAGLN and MKX were higher expressed upon traction than in the physiologically loaded disc. Conclusions. Based on these preliminary data, we can conclude that large animal organ culture allows effective unloading of the disc, while preserving cell viability and modulating cellular gene expression responses. This sets the ground for future experiments and opens the door to an evidence-based improvement of clinical spine traction protocols and LBP management overall

Abstract. Objectives. 1. To describe the epidemiology of metacarpal shaft fractures (MSF) in adults. 2. To evaluate the variation in practice and document complications following usual care. 3. To explore factors associated with treatment modality. 4. To document hospital resource use following MSF. Methods. A multi-centre, retrospective, cross-sectional study of MSF at six centres. The healthcare records, operative notes and imaging of adults presenting within 10 days of a MSF, affecting the second to fifth metacarpal between 1st August 2016 to 31st July 2017, were reviewed. Total number of Emergency Department (ED) attendances were used to calculate prevalence. Data analyses are primarily descriptive with 95% confidence intervals to quantify uncertainty in estimates. Results. Of 837, 212 ED attendances, 793 patients (75% male, 25% female), with 897 MSF were eligible, a prevalence of 0.1%. The median age was 27 years (16–97); the highest incidence was in males aged between 16 and 24 years. The most common fracture pattern was transverse. While 83% were treated non-surgically overall, this varied across centres. Twelve different types of non-surgical and six different types of surgical treatment were used. Multi-fragmentary fracture patterns were most likely to be treated surgically and long oblique least likely. Fracture pattern, complexity, displacement and age were associated with treatment modality. Patients treated surgically required more radiographs, longer radiographic and outpatient follow-up and were more likely to be referred for therapy. 5% (39/793) experienced a complication. 20% (160/783) failed to attend at least one or more clinic appointments. Conclusions. MSF are a common injuries, predominantly affecting young males of working age. There is variation in mode and type of treatment, with the majority treated non-surgically in the selected centres. Despite a low complication rate, they require considerable secondary care resources. Further research into the optimal treatment modality for these injuries is needed. Declaration of Interest. (b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project

Introduction and Purpose. Metacarpal fractures constitute approximately one third of all hand fractures. The majority of these fractures are treated by conservative non-surgical methods. The aim of this study is to obtain the appropriate anatomical alignment of the fracture with dynamic metacarpal stabilization splint (DMSS) and to maintain the proper bone anatomy until the union is achieved. In addition, by comparing this method with short arm plaster splint (SAPS) application, it is aimed to evaluate whether patients are superior in terms of comfort, range of motion (ROM) and grip strength. Materials and Methods. In our study, SAPS or DMSS was applied to the patients with 5th metacarpal neck fracture randomly after fracture reduction and followed for 3 months. A total of 119 patients with appropriate criteria were included in the study. Radiological alignment of the fracture and amount of joint movements were evaluated during follow-up. Grip strength was evaluated with Jamar dynamometer. EQ-5D-5L and VAS scores were used for clinical evaluation. Results. 103 patients completed their follow-up. 51 patients were treated with SAPS and 52 patients were treated with DMSS. The mean age of the SAPS was 29.5 (SD ± 9.4; 16–53 years) and the mean age of the DMSS group was 27.8 (SD ± 11.6; 16–63). Pressure sores was seen in 5 patients in the DMSS group, while no pressure sore was seen in the SAPS (p = 0.008). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the VAS scores at all times. There was no significant difference between the mean dorsal cortical angulation (DCA) before the reduction, after the reduction and at the third month follow-ups. There was no statistically significant difference between the length of metacarps at first admittion before reduction, after reduction and at third month follow-ups. When the grip strength of the two groups were compared as a percentage, the grip strength of the patients in the DMSS group was found to be higher at 1st month, 2nd month and 3rd month (p <0.001). When the ROM values of the patients were evaluated, DMSS group had a higher degree of ROM in the first month compared to the SAPS group (p <0.001). No statistically significant difference was detected among groups at third month in the ROM of the IP and MP joints. However, wrist ROM was statistically higher in DMSS group at 3rd month (p <0.05). There was a statistically significant difference between EuroQol scores in favor of DMSA group (p <0.05). Discussion and Conclusion. In stable 5th metacarpal neck fractures, DMSA is as effective as SAPS to maintain bone anatomy. In addition, DMSA can be preferred for fixation plaster splint or circular plaster applications for the prevention of reduction in boxer fractures, with the advantage of having high clinical scores, which is an indication of early acquisition of grip strength, ease of use and patient comfort

The Cochrane Collaboration has produced three new reviews relevant to bone and joint surgery since the publication of the last Cochrane Corner. These are relevant to a wide range of musculoskeletal specialists, and include reviews in lateral elbow pain, osteoarthritis of the big toe joint, and cervical spine injury in paediatric trauma patients.

The Cochrane Collaboration has produced five new reviews relevant to bone and joint surgery since the publication of the last Cochrane Corner These reviews are relevant to a wide range of musculoskeletal specialists, and include reviews in Morton’s neuroma, scoliosis, vertebral fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, and lower limb arthroplasty.

Several previous pathoanatomical and biomechanical studies focused primarily on the cam morphology as the primary contributor to symptoms of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) and limited range of motion. However, there is a growing population of individuals with asymptomatic cam morphologies who show no clinical signs; thus, the cam deformity, alone, may not fully delineate an individual's symptomatology or limited motion. These studies expanded beyond the cam morphology, to determine how additional anatomical characteristics could contribute to symptoms and influence functional mobility, using: 1) in vivo analyses, where we asked how specific anatomical parameters (in addition to the cam morphology) can predict individuals at risk of symptoms; 2) In silico simulations, where we examined how pathoanatomical features contributed to adverse loading conditions, resulting in higher risks of hip joint degeneration; 3) In vitro cadaveric experiments, where we examined the contributions of the cam morphology and encapsulating ligaments to joint mechanics and microinstability. This research further highlights that more emphasis should be placed on proper patient selection. There are implications of how structural anatomy can affect musculature, joint loading and stability, which should all be closely examined to improve the effectiveness of hip preservation surgery as well as the understanding of non-surgical management

Late presentation of DDH continues to remain a major problem particularly in the developing countries. Femoro-Acetabular Zones (FAZ) system is created to find a relation between acetabular maturity and severity of dislocation, in one hand, and the success of closed reduction, on the other hand. We hypnosis that the lower the acetabular index and the closer the femoral head to the acetabulum, the more likely the success of treatment. Thus, a retrospective study was performed on late diagnosed DDH hips that underwent closed treatment at a particular hospital in the Middle East. FAZ are drawn on the AP view of the pelvic x-ray and is based on a perpendicular from the acetabular index at the lateral margin of the superior acetabular rim then another perpendicular to Perkin's line is drawn. This gives three zones, graded I-III. The center of femoral metaphysis is identified denoting the position of the femoral head in relation to the zone classification. FAZ system was applied on 65 pelvic radiographs; mean patient age was 24 months (range: 12 to 36 months) with a minimum follow up of 3 years. Overall, 37 of 65 hips (57%) achieved a satisfactory outcome (Severin I&II), while 22 hips (33%) were found to be unsatisfactory (Severin III). 6 hips (10%) needed an open reduction (p-value 0.001). FAZ could perfectly predict the successful cases. FAZ system is a simple and novel classification and if employed, could reasonably predict the outcome of non-surgical treatment of DDH after walking age

This edition of Cochrane Corner looks at some of the work published by the Cochrane Collaboration, covering pharmacological interventions for the prevention of bleeding in people undergoing definitive fixation or joint replacement for hip, pelvic, and long bone fractures; interventions for reducing red blood cell transfusion in adults undergoing hip fracture surgery: an overview of systematic reviews; and pharmacological treatments for low back pain in adults: an overview of Cochrane Reviews

Mobility plays an important role, in particular for patients with osteoporosis and after trauma surgery, both as an outcome and as treatment. Mobility is closely linked to the patient”s quality of life and exercise is a powerful additional treatment option. In order to be able to generate an evidence base to evaluate various surgical and non-surgical treatment options, objective measurements of patient mobility and exercise over a certain time period are needed. Wearables are a promising candidate, with obvious advantages compared to questionnaires and/or PROs. However, when extracting parameters with wearables, one often faces the problem of algorithms not performing well enough for special cases like slow gait speeds or impaired gait, as they typically appear in this patient group. We plan to further extend the applicability of the actibelt system (3D accelerometer, 100Hz), in particular to improve the measurement precision of real-world walking speed in slow and impaired walking. We are using a special measurement wheel including a rotating 3D accelerometer that allows to capture high quality real-world walking speed and distance measurements, and a mobile high resolution camera system. In a first block 20 patients with osteoporosis were included in the study at the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University”s Department of General, Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery in Munich, Germany and equipped with an actibelt. Patients were asked to walk as “normal” as possible, while wearing their usual apparel, in the building and outside the building. They climbed stairs and had to deal with all unexpected “stop and go” events that appear in real-world walking. Various gait parameters will be extracted from the recorded data and compared to the gold standard. We will then tune the existing algorithms as well as new algorithms (e.g. step detection based on continuous wavelet transformation) to explore potential improvements of both step detection and speed estimation algorithms. Further refinement and validation using real world data is warranted