In modern orthopaedics surgery, the pneumatic tourniquet has become an essential tool that paved the way to many of the advances in trauma and orthopaedic surgery. Tourniquet slippage is one of the challenging disadvantages of it use. This study examines the possibility of reducing tourniquet slippage by comparing two different tourniquet application techniques. Twenty two patients were included in the study. Thirteen were males and eight were females. The average age was fifty five years. The patients were randomized into two groups, a controlled, and a modified tourniquet application technique groups. There were eleven patients in the control group and ten in the modified group. A standard tourniquet application technique was used as a control by applying Softband (Orthoband) alone to skin prior to application of tourniquet; this was compared to a modified version where a drape (Steridrape) was used as an interval layer. There was a strong statistical significant difference in tourniquet slippage between the two groups, p<
0.0001 the control group being the better performer. We concluded that steridrape interval makes tourniquet slippage more likely to occur.
Hydroxyapatite-coated acetabular cup were used in revision hip arthroplasty without using bone grafts or bone substitutes to achieve osseointegration in 30 consecutive hips (29 patients). The mean age was 72.5 years (range 54 to 88). Primary prosthesis was 14 Charnley’s, 12 Capital 3M, one Furlong, one Exeter and one MacKee Farrar. Indication for revision was aseptic loosening in 20, recurrent dislocation in four, periprosthetic fracture in two, prosthesis fracture in one, and three infected hips. Patients were assessed clinically using Harris Hip Score, satisfaction questionnaire and quality of life SF 36 questionnaire, and radiologically using DeLee and Charnley, Harris-Barrack, and Hodgkinson’s Engh’s classification, and Bassetlaw Digital Scoring System (BDSS) that we have devised. The acetabular defects were assessed preoperatively using the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) classification. Mean follow up was 38.7 months (range 18.5–76.4). Ninety present of acetabular cups had preoperative radiolucency in all DeLee and Charnley’s zones. 26 hips (87%) had no superior or lateral cup migration. Two hips had 3 mm superior migration at one year then remained stable. Mean improvement of Harris hip score was 42.2. 83.3% of hips had no or slight pain at final follow up. Five patients had dislocations one of which was recurrent that required acetabular cup revision. Two patients had postoperative foot drop that recovered fully. Two patients had postoperative wound infection that healed with antibiotics apart from one who died due to multi-organ failure. Four patients died due to unrelated causes. Postoperative radiographs showed stable fixation of all acetabular cups. 83.3% of hips had no or slight pain at final follow up. Early results show that stable fixation in revision hip surgery can be obtained with HAC acetabular cups without bone grafts or bony substitute.
Arthroscopic procedures may be associated with considerable pain in the first 24 hours. Intra-articular bupi-vacaine provides good analgesia but is short lasting. Intra-articular morphine has been shown to prolong postoperative analgesia in knee and ankle arthroscopy. The aim of this study is to assess the safety and analgesic effect of intra-articular morphine following day case wrist arthroscopy. Ethical approval was firstly obtained. 31 patients were randomly assigned to one of 2 groups in a double blind clinical study. Group 1 received 5ml of 0.5% bupi-vacaine intra-articularly with 5mg of morphine subcutaneously. Group 2 received 5ml of 0.5% bupivacaine and 5mg of morphine intra-articularly. There were 15 patients (mean age 41.2 years) in group 1, and 16 patients (mean age 38.9 years) in group 2. Postoperatively pain was assessed using a 100mm visual analogue pain scale (VAPS) at 1, 2, 6 and 24 hours. Analgesia requirements were recorded at these times post operatively. The presence of nausea, vomiting, other complications and patient satisfaction were recorded. Visual analogue pain scores did not show any significant difference between the groups at 1, 2, 6 and 24 hours. Supplementary analgesic consumption over the 24 hour period was slightly greater in group 1 than in group 2. None of the patients who had intra-articular Morphine had vomiting nor any other complications and did not require anti-emetics. Most patients in either group were satisfied with the level of postoperative analgesia. Intra-articular bupivacaine with or with out morphine provides adequate postoperative pain relief following wrist arthroscopy. There seems to be little difference between the two methods studied.
There is no doubt that the closed body-exhaust system plays an important role in reducing infection rate in total hip arthroplasty. This demands a secure body-exhaust air hose. The current method in securing the air hose by tying the hose ribbons around the waist often fails to hold the hose in place. Soon after the operation begins; the hose that is secured to the body starts to migrate its way up to reach the surgeon’s neck. This will inevitably undermine the effectiveness of the body exhaust system, interfere with the sterility of the surgeon’s gown, and cause discomfort to the arthroplasty surgeon. A new and simple method is described to stop the body exhaust pipe from slipping and migrating up the surgeon’s body. The surgeon’s own buttocks are used to anchor the hose tapes instead of fastening the air hose ribbons around the surgeon’s waist. The new method of using the surgeons buttocks as anchors to secure the body-exhaust hose in place can improve the effectiveness of the body exhaust system and raise its potential to the maximum without causing any discomfort to the surgeon or jeopardise the sterility of the surgeons clothing.
The placement of the guide wire in the dynamic hip screw operation can be a challenging task to the trauma surgeon. Complications can arise related to incorrect guide wire entry point, making wrong tracks, or even accepting an unsatisfactory lag screw placement. Insisting to optimise the guide wire position can lead to increase in operation and radiation exposure times. A new non-invasive technique is described to assist precision placement of the guide wire in the dynamic hip screw fixation of the neck of femur fractures using no more than a size A4 plain folded paper and a non-permanent marker pen. The new non-invasive “no high tech” method can help the trauma surgeons to shorten the operation time and reduce the radiation exposure time needed to place the guide wire in the dynamic hip screw fixation of the neck of femur fractures.
Ankle arthrodesis is an accepted method of treatment for severe ankle pathology but no single method is universally successful. Compression is usually applied across the ankle joint and maintained with either internal or external fixation; both are associated with complications like infection, non-union, and pain.
We present our results and describe the surgical technique in managing 21 difficult cases using fine wire external frames in the salvage of severe ankle pathology. Nine cases were non-unions following internal fixation of distal tibial intra-articular fractures, seven were patients in whom two or three previous attempts at arthrodesis had been unsuccessful, and five patients had severe degenerative osteo-arthritis of the ankle joint.
A sound arthrodesis was achieved in 19 out of 21 cases giving a union rate of 90.4%. The median period of fixation was 21 weeks, followed by a mean period of cast immobilisation of eight weeks. All except three developed pin site inflammation. Using Mazur’s functional ankle score there were twelve good results, five fair, two poor and two failures.
A fusion rate of 90.4% was achieved using this method. We recommend it for the salvage of failed arthrodesis or severe fracture non-union, particularly in the presence of infection.
