Aims

The authors present the results of a cohort study of 60 adult patients presenting sequentially over a period of 15 years from 1997 to 2012 to our hospital for treatment of thoracic and/or lumbar vertebral burst fractures, but without neurological deficit.

The revised Tokuhashi, Tomita and modified Bauer scores are commonly used to make difficult decisions in the management of patients presenting with spinal metastases. A prospective cohort study of 199 consecutive patients presenting with spinal metastases, treated with either surgery and/or radiotherapy, was used to compare the three systems. Cox regression, Nagelkerke’s R² and Harrell’s concordance were used to compare the systems and find their best predictive items. The three systems were equally good in terms of overall prognostic performance. Their most predictive items were used to develop the Oswestry Spinal Risk Index (OSRI), which has a similar concordance, but a larger coefficient of determination than any of these three scores. A bootstrap procedure was used to internally validate this score and determine its prediction optimism.

The OSRI is a simple summation of two elements: primary tumour pathology (PTP) and general condition (GC): OSRI = PTP + (2 – GC).

This simple score can predict life expectancy accurately in patients presenting with spinal metastases. It will be helpful in making difficult clinical decisions without the delay of extensive investigations.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:210–16.

How much sway is significant for a traditional Romberg test has always been open to interpretation and debate. Prospective and detailed clinical examination of 50 consecutive patients of cervical myelopathy was performed. For the walking Romberg sign, patients were asked to walk five metres with their eyes open. This was repeated with their eyes closed. Swaying or inability to complete the walk with eyes closed was interpreted as a positive walking Romberg sign. This test was compared to common clinical signs to evaluate its relevance.

Whilst the Hoffman’s reflex (79%) was the most prevalent sign, the walking Romberg sign was present in 74.5% of the cases. The proprioceptive deficit was evident by only using the walking Romberg in 21 out of 38 patients that had a positive Romberg sign. Though not statistically significant, the mean 30 metre walking times were slower in patients with standing Romberg test than in those with positive walking Romberg test and fastest in those with neither of these tests positive. The combination of either Hoffman’s reflex and/or Walking Romberg was positive in 96% of patients.

The walking Romberg sign is more useful than the standing Romberg test as it shows evidence of a pro-prioceptive gait deficit in significantly more patients with cervical myelopathy than is found on conventional neurological examination. The combination of Hoffman’s reflex and walking Romberg sign has a potential as useful screening tests to detect clinically significant cervical myelopathy.

The details of 320 consecutive patients undergoing knee microfracture, with a minimum follow up of 6 months, were taken from the Sports Injury Database at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry. All had same phsyiotherapy regime post operatively. Two rounds of postal questionnaires were administered to assess patient satisfaction along with Lysholm, Tegner, VAS for pain and a modified IKDC scores. 196 patients responded (61.25%).

The mean age of our patients was 40.64 years and the mean follow up 37.02 months (range 6–78 months). There were 35 smokers and 161 non-smokers. 64 patients had surgery in the medial compartment, 35 in lateral, 50 in patella-femoral and 47 belonged to the combined category. 93 patients had other surgeries (partial meniscectomies, ACL reconstruction etc) along with microfracture(47.45%).

Seventy two percent of patients were satisfied with their outcome and 18.95% weren’t. 51.43% of smokers were satisfied with their outcome and 76.88% of non smokers (p=0.021). Patients more than 50 years of age were less satisfied (p=0.023) than younger patients. Having concomitant knee surgery, including ACL reconstruction, made no difference to patient satisfaction or functional scores.

The location of the lesion in the knee did not affect patient satisfaction. However, all five post op score levels were statistically different among them. The Lysholm post op scores were significantly better in lateral and PFJ compartments than medial. Lateral and combined groups were significantly better than medial for Tegner post op scores. Lateral and PFJ groups were significantly better than medial for VAS and modified IKDC scores.

Smoking and age significantly affect patient satisfaction after knee microfracture. Having concomitant knee surgeries doesn’t make a difference to either satisfaction or functional outcome. Our results suggest that the medial compartment doesn’t do as well in functional scores as previously thought.

Introduction: We present a prospective comparative study of 200 consecutive patients of closed tibial shaft fractures treated by external fixation using two different fracture reduction methods. Factors affecting fracture healing, including the effect of quality of reduction, was studied.

Methods: The healing time for all these fractures was determined by a combination of clinical, radiological and fracture stiffness measurements. The effect of smoking, AO classification type, associated fractures, initial and final angulation and translation on healing time was evaluated using nonparametric tests and regression analysis.

Results: Healing time was affected most by presence of Compartment syndrome followed by smoking status and final translation at fracture site. Having a compartment syndrome significantly increased fracture healing time (mean 286.7 days versus 139.2 days). There was no difference in healing times between the two different reduction machines. Angulation was found not to affect healing time, but translation did. Both initial and final translation were better using STORM (Staffordshire Orthopaedic Reduction Machine). The amount of axial shortening was also reduced by using STORM.

Conclusion: Healing time is affected by translation at fracture site, which is a factor under the control of the surgeon. The second reduction method using STORM, helps achieve better reduction.

Introduction: There is still no standard approach to applying the Romberg test in clinical neurology and the criteria for and interpretation of an abnormal result continue to be debated.

Methods: Detailed clinical examination of 50 consecutive patients of cervical myelopathy was performed prospectively. For the walking Romberg sign, patients were asked to walk five metres with their eyes open. This was repeated with their eyes closed. Swaying or inability to complete the walk with eyes closed was interpreted as a positive walking Romberg sign. This test was compared to common clinical signs to evaluate its relevance.

Results: Whilst the Hoffman’s reflex (79%) was the most prevalent sign, the walking Romberg sign was present in 74.5% of the cases. The proprioceptive deficit was evident by only using the walking Romberg in 21 out of 38 patients that had a positive Romberg sign. Though not statistically significant, the mean 30 metre walking times were slower in patients with standing Romberg test than in those with positive walking Romberg test and fastest in those with neither of these tests positive. The combination of either Hoffman’s reflex and/or Walking Romberg was positive in 96% of patients.

Conclusion: The walking Romberg sign is more useful than the standing Romberg test as it shows evidence of a proprioceptive gait deficit in significantly more patients with cervical myelopathy than is found on conventional neurological examination. The combination of Hoffman’s reflex and walking Romberg sign has a potential as useful screening tests to detect clinically significant cervical myelopathy.

Ethics approval: none

Interest statement: none

We prospectively assessed a consecutive series of patients undergoing MTPJ arthroplasty with the MOJE prosthesis. All patients entered into the study were assessed preoperatively with the AOFAS 100-point Hallux Meta-tarsophalangeal-Interphalangeal Joint Scale and the range of motion was recorded. Patients were assessed on table postoperatively for range of motion (ROM) and then at 3, 12 and 24 months with AOFAS scores and ROM.

Forty-two toes (40 patients) were recruited into the study. There were 24 women and 16 men. The mean patient age on the day of surgery was 59 (range 37 to 73). 18 operations were carried out on the left hallux and 24 on the right. All operations were carried out for a diagnosis of hallux rigidus (although one patient also had hallux valgus, with an intermetatarsal angle of 24° and a hallux valgus angle of 40°).

The mean pre-op AOFAS score increased from 36.0 to 82.2 at 3 months (p< 0.001) and was 87.0 at 12 months and 84.2 at 24 months. There was no significant change in scores from 3 months onwards. Only 2 patients had a follow-up of 36 months; both of them had AOFAS scores of 95.

The mean arc of motion reduced from 70.8° on-table to 33.3° by 24 months (p< 0.001). The difference in arc of motion from 3 months to 12 months was a decrease from 45.6 to 40.0 which was borderline significant.

In 4 radiographs there was evidence of progressive loosening (figure 4). This was at 24 months in all 4 cases. For 3 of the patients the AOFAS score was 85. For the 4th patient the AOFAS score was 65

One patient had a spontaneous fusion of the toe. There were also three episodes of wound breakdown, one patient had intra-operative division of the EHL tendon that was repaired. We also noted post-operatively that: three feet developed Morton’s neuromata; one patient developed tarsometatarsal joint osteoarthritis of the great toe, one sesamoid osteoarthritis and one plantar fasciitis.

At the most recent follow-up appointment 33 out of 40 patients (82.5%) were satisfied with the results of their operation, 2 were dissatisfied (5%) and results regarding satisfaction were not available for 5 patients.

The results obtained in this paper demonstrate good, prospective, short-term results with the press-fit zirconium ceramic Moje implant. We believe that in the correct patient group good short term results can be achieved in the treatment of 1st MTPJ osteoarthritis as an alternative to fusion, particularly in those patients who are unwilling to have permanent stiffness in this joint for cosmetic or functional reasons

Problem Chronic disabling pain in the sacrococcygeal region is regarded by clinicians with great dismay because of unpredictability of the treatment outcome. The subject is under- represented in the literature.

Method Thirty eight patients with intractable coccydynia had imaging investigations for the spine other than X-rays. Six of these patients were also investigated by means of sacrococcygeal and intercoccygeal discography. The excised specimen with intact sacrococcygeral joint was sent for histological examination in 22 patients. Patients’ assessment of the benefit of coccygectomy was conducted by telephonic interview.

Results After a mean post surgical follow up of 6.75 years (range 2–16 yrs), results were available for 31 out of 38 patients.

16 patients benefited greatly from the surgery and 6 benefited to some extent, giving an overall good result of 71%. 7 patients had no or little relief from surgery (29%).

Moderate to severe degenerate changes in SC and IC joints on histology were found in 59% of patients. 91.6 % of these patients did well with surgery. Only 60 % of those with mild changes did well.

Discography was possible in five out of six attempted cases. Two were positive and both did well from surgery. Three patients had negative discographies and two of them had a poor result and one had only some relief.

Conclusions Degenerate changes in sacrococcygeal discs give rise to pain. Surgical results are better in those with a severe degree of degenerative change. It is possible to identify these with discography, though a larger study needs to be carried out.