Vascular compromise due to arterial injury is a rare but serious complication of a proximal humeral fracture. The aims of this study were to report its incidence in a large urban population, and to identify clinical and radiological factors which are associated with this complication. We also evaluated the results of the use of our protocol for the management of these injuries. A total of 3,497 adult patients with a proximal humeral fracture were managed between January 2015 and December 2022 in a single tertiary trauma centre. Their mean age was 66.7 years (18 to 103) and 2,510 (72%) were female. We compared the demographic data, clinical features, and configuration of those whose fracture was complicated by vascular compromise with those of the remaining patients. The incidence of vascular compromise was calculated from national population data, and predictive factors for its occurrence were investigated using univariate analysis.Aims
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Aims. It is not clear which type of casting provides the best initial treatment in adults with a distal radial fracture. Given that between 32% and 64% of adequately reduced fractures redisplace during immobilization in a cast, preventing redisplacement and a disabling malunion or secondary surgery is an aim of treatment. In this study, we investigated whether circumferential casting leads to fewer fracture redisplacements and better one-year outcomes compared to plaster splinting. Methods. In a pragmatic, open-label, multicentre, two-period cluster-randomized superiority trial, we compared these two types of casting. Recruitment took place in ten hospitals. Eligible patients aged ≥ 18 years with a displaced distal radial fracture, which was acceptably aligned after closed reduction, were included. The primary outcome measure was the rate of redisplacement within five weeks of immobilization. Secondary outcomes were the rate of complaints relating to the cast, clinical outcomes at three months, patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (using the numerical rating scale (NRS), the abbreviated version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH), and Patient-Rated
The aim of this trial was to assess the cost-effectiveness of a soft bandage and immediate discharge, compared with rigid immobilization, in children aged four to 15 years with a torus fracture of the distal radius. A within-trial economic evaluation was conducted from the UK NHS and personal social services (PSS) perspective, as well as a broader societal point of view. Health resources and quality of life (the youth version of the EuroQol five-dimension questionnaire (EQ-5D-Y)) data were collected, as part of the Forearm Recovery in Children Evaluation (FORCE) multicentre randomized controlled trial over a six-week period, using trial case report forms and patient-completed questionnaires. Costs and health gains (quality-adjusted life years (QALYs)) were estimated for the two trial treatment groups. Regression was used to estimate the probability of the new treatment being cost-effective at a range of ‘willingness-to-pay’ thresholds, which reflect a range of costs per QALY at which governments are typically prepared to reimburse for treatment.Aims
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Aims. There is a lack of published evidence relating to the rate of nonunion seen in occult scaphoid fractures, diagnosed only after MRI. This study reports the rate of delayed union and nonunion in a cohort of patients with MRI-detected acute scaphoid fractures. Methods. This multicentre cohort study at eight centres in the UK included all patients with an acute scaphoid fracture diagnosed on MRI having presented acutely following
Aims. The study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic debridement and partial excision in patients with traumatic central tears of the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC), and to identify prognostic factors associated with unfavourable clinical outcomes. Methods. A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients arthroscopically diagnosed with Palmer 1 A lesions who underwent arthroscopic debridement and partial excision from March 2009 to February 2021, with a minimum follow-up of 24 months. Patients were assessed using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, Mayo
Patients with midcarpal instability are difficult to manage. It is a rare condition, and few studies have reported the outcomes of surgical treatment. No prospective or retrospective study has reported the results of arthroscopic palmar capsuloligamentous suturing. Our aim was to report the results of a prospective study of arthroscopic suture of this ligament complex in patients with midcarpal instability. This prospective single-centre study was undertaken between March 2012 and May 2022. The primary outcome was to evaluate the functional outcomes of arthroscopic palmar midcarpal suture. The study included 12 patients, eight male and four female, with a mean age of 27.5 years (19 to 42). They were reviewed at three months, six months, and one year postoperatively.Aims
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Acute and chronic injuries of the interosseus membrane can result in longitudinal instability of the forearm. Reconstruction of the central band of the interosseus membrane can help to restore biomechanical stability. Different methods have been used to reconstruct the central band, including tendon grafts, bone-ligament-bone grafts, and synthetic grafts. This Idea, Development, Exploration, Assessment, and Long-term (IDEAL) phase 1 study aims to review the clinical results of reconstruction using a synthetic braided cross-linked graft secured at either end with an Endobutton to restore the force balance between the bones of the forearm. An independent retrospective review was conducted of a consecutive series of 21 patients with longitudinal instability injuries treated with anatomical central band reconstruction between February 2011 and July 2019. Patients with less than 12 months’ follow-up or who were treated acutely were excluded, leaving 18 patients in total. Preoperative clinical and radiological assessments were compared with prospectively gathered data using range of motion and the abbreviated version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (QuickDASH) functional outcome score.Aims
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Displaced fractures of the distal radius in children are usually reduced under sedation or general anaesthesia to restore anatomical alignment before the limb is immobilized. However, there is growing evidence of the ability of the distal radius to remodel rapidly, raising doubts over the benefit to these children of restoring alignment. There is now clinical equipoise concerning whether or not young children with displaced distal radial fractures benefit from reduction, as they have the greatest ability to remodel. The Children’s Radius Acute Fracture Fixation Trial (CRAFFT), funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, aims to definitively answer this question and determine how best to manage severely displaced distal radial fractures in children aged up to ten years. Cite this article:
The scapula is a rare site for a primary bone tumour. Only a small number of series have studied patient outcomes after treatment. Previous studies have shown a high rate of recurrence, with functional outcomes determined by the preservation of the glenohumeral joint and deltoid. The purpose of the current study was to report the outcome of patients who had undergone tumour resection that included the scapula. We reviewed 61 patients (37 male, 24 female; mean age 42 years (SD 19)) who had undergone resection of the scapula. The most common resection was type 2 (n = 34) according to the Tikhoff-Linberg classification, or type S1A (n = 35) on the Enneking classification.Aims
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Aims. There is no level I evidence dealing with the optimal period of immobilization for patients with a displaced distal radial fracture following closed reduction. A shorter period might lead to a better functional outcome due to less stiffness and pain. The aim of this study was to investigate whether this period could be safely reduced from six to four weeks. Methods. This multicentre randomized controlled trial (RCT) included adult patients with a displaced distal radial fracture, who were randomized to be treated with immobilization in a cast for four or six weeks following closed reduction. The primary outcome measure was the Patient-Rated
Telehealth has the potential to change the way we approach patient care. From virtual consenting to reducing carbon emissions, costs, and waiting times, it is a powerful tool in our clinical armamentarium. There is mounting evidence that remote diagnostic evaluation and decision-making have reached an acceptable level of accuracy and can safely be adopted in orthopaedic surgery. Furthermore, patients’ and surgeons’ satisfaction with virtual appointments are comparable to in-person consultations. Challenges to the widespread use of telehealth should, however, be acknowledged and include the cost of installation, training, maintenance, and accessibility. It is also vital that clinicians are conscious of the medicolegal and ethical considerations surrounding the medium and adhere strictly to the relevant data protection legislation and storage framework. It remains to be seen how organizations harness the full spectrum of the technology to facilitate effective patient care. Cite this article:
The benefit of MRI in the preoperative assessment of scaphoid proximal fragment vascularity remains controversial. The purpose of this study is to compare preoperative MRI findings to intraoperative bleeding of the proximal scaphoid. A retrospective review of 102 patients who underwent surgery for scaphoid nonunion between January 2000 and December 2020 at a single institution were identified. Inclusion criteria were: isolated scaphoid nonunion; preoperative MRI assessing the proximal fragment vascularity; and operative details of the vascularity of the proximal fragment with the tourniquet deflated. MRI results and intraoperative findings were dichotomized as either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ for the presence of vascularity. A four-fold contingency table was used to analyze the utility of preoperative MRI with 95% confidence intervals. Relative risk was calculated for subgroups to analyze the association between variables and MRI accuracy.Aims
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Aims. The aims of this study were to identify means to quantify coronal plane displacement associated with distal radius fractures (DRFs), and to understand their relationship to radial inclination (RI). Methods. From posteroanterior digital radiographs of healed DRFs in 398 female patients aged 70 years or older, and 32 unfractured control
The aim of this study was to report the patterns of symptoms and insufficiency fractures in patients with tumour-induced osteomalacia (TIO) to allow the early diagnosis of this rare condition. The study included 33 patients with TIO who were treated between January 2000 and June 2022. The causative tumour was detected in all patients. We investigated the symptoms and evaluated the radiological patterns of insufficiency fractures of the rib, spine, and limbs.Aims
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Aims. A conventional arthroscopic capsuloligamentous repair is a reliable surgical solution in most patients with scapholunate instability. However, this repair does not seem to be sufficient for more advanced injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional results of a wide arthroscopic dorsal capsuloligamentous repair (WADCLR) in the management of severe scapholunate instability. Methods. This was a prospective single-centre study undertaken between March 2019 and May 2021. The primary outcome was the evaluation of the reduction of the radiological deformity and the functional outcomes after WADCLR. A secondary outcome was the evaluation of the effectiveness of this technique in patients with the most severe instability (European
The ‘pink, pulseless hand’ is often used to describe the clinical situation in which a child with a supracondylar fracture of the humerus has normal distal perfusion in the absence of a palpable peripheral pulse. The management guidelines are based on the assessment of perfusion, which is difficult to undertake and poorly evaluated objectively. The aim of this study was to review the available literature in order to explore the techniques available for the preoperative clinical assessment of perfusion in these patients and to evaluate the clinical implications. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and registered prospectively with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Databases were explored in June 2022 with the search terms (pulseless OR dysvascular OR ischaemic OR perfused OR vascular injury) AND supracondylar AND (fracture OR fractures).Aims
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Injury to the triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) may result in ulnar
The aim of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of surgical fixation with Kirschner (K-)wire ersus moulded casting after manipulation of a fracture of the distal radius in an operating theatre setting. An economic evaluation was conducted based on data collected from the Distal Radius Acute Fracture Fixation Trial 2 (DRAFFT2) multicentre randomized controlled trial in the UK. Resource use was collected at three, six, and 12 months post-randomization using trial case report forms and participant-completed questionnaires. Cost-effectiveness was reported in terms of incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained from an NHS and personal social services perspective. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the robustness of cost-effectiveness estimates, and decision uncertainty was handled using confidence ellipses and cost-effectiveness acceptability curves.Aims
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Aims. To analyze the short-term outcome of two types of total wrist arthroplasty (TWA) in terms of
