The October 2023 Spine Roundup. 360. looks at: Cutting through surgical smoke: the science of cleaner air in spinal operations; Unlocking success: key factors in thoracic spine decompression and fusion for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament; Deep learning algorithm for identifying cervical cord compression due to degenerative canal stenosis on radiography; Surgeon experience influences robotics learning curve for minimally invasive lumbar fusion; Decision-making algorithm for the surgical treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis of L4/L5; Response to preoperative steroid injections predicts surgical outcomes in patients undergoing fusion for isthmic spondylolisthesis

The December 2022 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Immobilization of torus fractures of the wrist in children (FORCE): a randomized controlled equivalence trial in the UK; Minimally invasive method in treatment of idiopathic congenital vertical talus: recurrence is uncommon; “You’re O.K. Anaesthesia”: closed reduction of displaced paediatric forearm and wrist fractures in the office without anaesthesia; Trunk range of motion and patient outcomes after anterior vertebral body tethering versus posterior spinal fusion: comparison using computerized 3D motion capture technology; Selective dorsal rhizotomy for individuals with spastic cerebral palsy; Scheuermann’s kyphosis and posterior spinal fusion; All-pedicle-screw constructs in skeletally immature patients with severe idiopathic early-onset scoliosis; Proximal femoral screw hemiepiphysiodesis in children with cerebral palsy.

The August 2024 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Laminectomy adjacent to instrumented fusion increases adjacent segment disease; Influence of the timing of surgery for cervical spinal cord injury without bone injury in the elderly: a retrospective multicentre study; Lumbar vertebral body tethering: single-centre outcomes and reoperations in a consecutive series of 106 patients; Machine-learning algorithms for predicting Cobb angle beyond 25° in female adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients; Pain in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis; Teriparatide prevents surgery for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture.

The June 2024 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Proximal femoral unicameral bone cysts: is ESIN the answer?; Hybrid-mesh casts in the conservative management of paediatric supracondylar humeral fractures: a randomized controlled trial; Rate and risk factors for contralateral slippage in adolescents treated for slipped capital femoral epiphysis; CRP predicts the need to escalate care after initial debridement for musculoskeletal infection; Genu valgum in paediatric patients presenting with patellofemoral instability; Nusinersen therapy changed the natural course of spinal muscular atrophy type 1: what about spine and hip?; The necessity of ulnar nerve exploration and translocation in open reduction of medial humeral epicondyle fractures in children.

The February 2024 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Surgeon assessment of bone – any good?; Robotics reduces radiation exposure in some spinal surgery; Interbody fusion cage versus anterior lumbar interbody fusion with posterior instrumentation; Is robotic-assisted pedicle screw placement an answer to the learning curve?; Acute non-traumatic spinal subarachnoid haematomas: a report of five cases and a systematic review of the literature; Is L4-L5 lateral interbody fusion safe and effective?

The June 2023 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Characteristics and comparative study of thoracolumbar spine injury and dislocation fracture due to tertiary trauma; Sublingual sufentanil for postoperative pain management after lumbar spinal fusion surgery; Minimally invasive bipolar technique for adult neuromuscular scoliosis; Predictive factors for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis; Lumbosacral transitional vertebrae and lumbar fusion surgery at level L4/5; Does recall of preoperative scores contaminate trial outcomes? A randomized controlled trial; Vancomycin in fibrin glue for prevention of SSI; Perioperative nutritional supplementation decreases wound healing complications following elective lumbar spine surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

The April 2024 Children’s orthopaedics Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Ultrasonography or radiography for suspected paediatric distal forearm fractures?; Implant density in scoliosis: an important variable?; Gait after paediatric femoral shaft fracture treated with intramedullary nail fixation: a longitudinal prospective study; The opioid dilemma: navigating pain management for children’s bone fractures; 12- to 20-year follow-up of Dega acetabuloplasty in patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip; Physeal fractures of the distal ulna: incidence and risk factors for premature growth arrest; Analysis of growth after transphyseal anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in children; Management of lateral condyle humeral fracture associated with elbow dislocation in children: a retrospective international multicentre cohort study.

Rib fracture fixation by orthopaedic and cardiothoracic surgeons has become increasingly popular for the treatment of chest injuries in trauma. The literature, though mainly limited to Level II and III evidence, shows favourable results for operative fixation. In this paper we review the literature and discuss the indications for rib fracture fixation, surgical approaches, choice of implants and the future direction for management. With the advent of NICE guidance and new British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma (BOAST) guidelines in production, the management of rib fractures is going to become more and more commonplace.

The October 2012 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: a Japanese questionnaire at work in Iran; curve progression in degenerative lumbar scoliosis; the cause of foot drop; the issue of avoiding the spinal cord at scoliosis surgery; ballistic injuries to the cervical spine; minimally invasive oblique lumbar interbody fusion; readmission rates after spinal surgery; clinical complications and the severely injured cervical spine; and stabilising the thoracolumbar burst fracture.

The April 2015 Spine Roundup360 looks at: Hyperostotic spine in injury; App based back pain control; Interspinous process devices should be avoided in claudication; Robot assisted pedicle screws: fad or advance?; Vancomycin antibiotic power in spinal surgery; What to do with that burst fracture?; Increasing complexity of spinal fractures in major trauma pathways; Vitamin D and spinal fractures

This short contribution aims to explain how intervertebral disc ‘degeneration’ differs from normal ageing, and to suggest how mechanical loading and constitutional factors interact to cause disc degeneration and prolapse. We suggest that disagreement on these matters in medico-legal practice often arises from a misunderstanding of the nature of ‘soft-tissue injuries’.

The June 2015 Research Roundup360 looks at: Tranexamic acid: just give it – it’s not important how!; The anterolateral ligament re-examined; Warfarin a poor post-operative agent; Passive exoskeleton the orthosis of the future?; Musculoskeletal medicine: a dark art to UK medical students?; Alendronic acid and bone density post arthroplasty; Apples with oranges? Knee functional scores revisited

The August 2012 Trauma Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: pelvic fractures, thromboembolism and the Japanese; venous thromboembolism risk after pelvic and acetabular fractures; the displaced clavicular fracture; whether to use a nail or plate for the displaced fracture of the distal tibia; the dangers of snowboarding; how to predict the outcome of lower leg blast injuries; compressive external fixation for the displaced patellar fracture; broken hips in Morocco; and spinal trauma in mainland China.

The April 2015 Oncology Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: New hope for skull base tumours; Survival but at what cost?; Synovial sarcoma beginning to be cracked?; Wound complications facing soft-tissue sarcoma surgeons; Amputation may offer no survival benefit over reconstruction; Giant cell tumour in the longer term; Intralesional treatment comparable with excision in GCT of the radius?; Imaging prior to oncological referral; And finally…

The April 2012 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at yoga for lower back pain, spinal tuberculosis, complications of spinal surgery, fusing the subaxial cervical spine, minimally invasive surgery and osteoporotic vertebral fractures, spinal surgery in the over 65s, and pain relief after spinal surgery

The June 2014 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: spinal pedicle screws in paediatric patients; improving diagnosis in lumbar spine stenosis; back pain all in the head?; brace three patients, save one scoliosis operation; pedicle screws more often misplaced than one would think; and incidental dural tears usually no problem

The October 2013 Oncology Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: En bloc resection, irradiation and re-implantation; Metastasis and osteosarcoma; Mobile spine and osteosarcoma; Denosumab miraculous for GCT; Fevers, megaprostheses and sarcomas; PET and prognosis; Canine sarcomas not so different?; Bone cement and giant cell tumours.

Arthroscopy has become a routine surgical procedure, used as a diagnostic and therapeutic tool for the treatment of joint problems. This article discusses its origins and looks at how it is currently used.

The August 2013 Oncology Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: spinal osteosarcoma: all hope is not lost; intralesional curettage for low-grade chondrosarcoma?; isolated limb perfusion is a salvage option; worryingly high infection rates in patients with endoprostheses; how bad is endoprosthetic infection?; operatively treated metastatic disease; and cementoplasty gives immediate pain relief

The October 2013 Trauma Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Radiological, electromagnetic or just leave it out altogether?: distal locking in intramedullary nailing; Internal fixation of radiation-induced pathological fractures of the femur has a high rate of failure; Obesity and trauma; Short and sweet?: antibiotics in open fractures; Extremity injuries more important than previously thought?; Cement nails tiptop for osteomyelitis; Oxygen measurements for compartment syndrome?

The December 2012 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: the Japanese neck disability index; adjacent segment degeneration; sacroiliac loads determined by limb length discrepancy; whether epidural steroids improve outcome in lumbar disc herniation; spondylodiscitis in infancy; total pedicle screws; and iliac crest autograft complications.

A comprehensive study of osteology remains a cornerstone of current orthopaedic and traumatological education. Osteology was already established as an important part of surgical education by the 16^th century. In order to teach anatomy and osteology, the corpses of executed criminals were dissected by the praelector anatomiae of the Amsterdam Guild of Surgeons. Magnificent anatomical atlases preserve the knowledge obtained from these dissections. We present an overview of the most authoritative works of Vesalius, Bidloo, Cheselden, and Albinus authored in the 16^th, 17^th and 18^th centuries. At that time a knowledge of osteology was necessary to pass the ‘master-exam’ in order to become a surgeon, and anatomical teaching was traditionally based on the practice of dissection. In the modern era, anatomical dissection and illustrations are largely being replaced by three-dimensional imaging and computer simulations, with an unfortunate trend in current curricula away from the established teaching technique of dissection. Education through the practice of dissection, particularly for future surgeons, remains integral to the development of tissue handling techniques, understanding of anatomical variation, and furthering of spatial awareness skills. With this review, we seek to remind contemporary surgeons of the lessons we can learn from our predecessors who valued education through anatomical dissection.

The August 2012 Research Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: PRP and chondrogenic differentiation; basic fibroblast growth factor; whether glucosamine works; randomised trials; ossification of the ligamentum flavum; treadmill running; inhibiting BMP antagonists; and whether NSAIDs delay union after all.

The August 2012 Spine Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: neural tissue and polymerising bone cement; a new prognostic score for spinal metastases from prostatic tumours; recovery after spinal decompression; spinal tuberculosis; unintended durotomy at spinal surgery; how carrying a load on your head can damage the cervical spine; and how age changes your lumbar spine.