Aims

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) with a highly congruent condylar-stabilized (CS) articulation may be advantageous due to increased stability versus cruciate-retaining (CR) designs, while mitigating the limitations of a posterior-stabilized construct. The aim was to assess ten-year implant survival and functional outcomes of a cemented single-radius TKA with a CS insert, performed without posterior cruciate ligament sacrifice.

Prophylactic antibiotics are important in reducing the risk of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) following total knee arthroplasty. Their effectiveness depends on the choice of antibiotic and the optimum timing of their administration, to ensure adequate tissue concentrations. Cephalosporins are typically used, but an increasing number of resistant organisms are causing PJI, leading to the additional use of vancomycin. There are difficulties, however, with the systemic administration of vancomycin including its optimal timing, due to the need for prolonged administration, and potential adverse reactions. Intraosseous regional administration distal to a tourniquet is an alternative and attractive mode of delivery due to the ease of obtaining intraosseous access. Many authors have reported the effectiveness of intraosseous prophylaxis in achieving higher concentrations of antibiotic in the tissues compared with intravenous administration, providing equal or enhanced prophylaxis while minimizing adverse effects. This annotation describes the technique of intraosseous administration of antibiotics and summarizes the relevant clinical literature to date.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(11):1135–1139.

Aims

The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with the estimated lifetime risk of revision surgery after primary knee arthroplasty (KA).

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine the long-term mortality rate, and to identify factors associated with this, following primary and revision knee arthroplasty (KA).

Aims

Open tibial fractures are limb-threatening injuries. While limb loss is rare in children, deep infection and nonunion rates of up to 15% and 8% are reported, respectively. We manage these injuries in a similar manner to those in adults, with a combined orthoplastic approach, often involving the use of vascularised free flaps. We report the orthopaedic and plastic surgical outcomes of a consecutive series of patients over a five-year period, which includes the largest cohort of free flaps for trauma in children to date.

Aims

Robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty (RA-TKA) is theoretically more accurate for component positioning than TKA performed with mechanical instruments (M-TKA). Furthermore, the ability to incorporate soft-tissue laxity data into the plan prior to bone resection should reduce variability between the planned polyethylene thickness and the final implanted polyethylene. The purpose of this study was to compare accuracy to plan for component positioning and precision, as demonstrated by deviation from plan for polyethylene insert thickness in measured-resection RA-TKA versus M-TKA.

Aims

The aim of this study was to measure the effect of hospital case volume on the survival of revision total knee arthroplasty (RTKA).

Aims

The aim of this study was to establish the incidence of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) diagnosed after one-year of age in England, stratified by age, gender, year, and region of diagnosis.

Aims

Our aim in this study was to describe the long-term survival of the native hip joint after open reduction and internal fixation of a displaced fracture of the acetabulum. We also present long-term clinical outcomes and risk factors associated with a poor outcome.

Many different designs of total hip arthroplasty (THA) with varying performance and cost are available. The identification of those which are the most cost-effective could allow significant cost-savings. We used an established Markov model to examine the cost effectiveness of five frequently used categories of THA which differed according to bearing surface and mode of fixation, using data from the National Joint Registry for England and Wales. Kaplan–Meier analyses of rates of revision for men and women were modelled with parametric distributions. Costs of devices were provided by the NHS Supply Chain and associated costs were taken from existing studies. Lifetime costs, lifetime quality-adjusted-life-years (QALYs) and the probability of a device being cost effective at a willingness to pay £20 000/QALY were included in the models.

The differences in QALYs between different categories of implant were extremely small (<  0.0039 QALYs for men or women over the patient’s lifetime) and differences in cost were also marginal (£2500 to £3000 in the same time period). As a result, the probability of any particular device being the most cost effective was very sensitive to small, plausible changes in quality of life estimates and cost.

Our results suggest that available evidence does not support recommending a particular device on cost effectiveness grounds alone. We would recommend that the choice of prosthesis should be determined by the rate of revision, local costs and the preferences of the surgeon and patient.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:449–57.

We compared lower limb coronal alignment measurements obtained pre- and post-operatively with long-leg radiographs and computer navigation in patients undergoing primary total knee replacement (TKR). A series of 185 patients had their pre- and post-implant radiological and computer-navigation system measurements of coronal alignment compared using the Bland-Altman method. The study included 81 men and 104 women with a mean age of 68.5 years (32 to 87) and a mean body mass index of 31.7 kg/m² (19 to 49). Pre-implant Bland–Altman limits of agreement were -9.4° to 8.6° with a repeatability coefficient of 9.0°. The Bland–Altman plot showed a tendency for the radiological measurement to indicate a higher level of pre-operative deformity than the corresponding navigation measurement. Post-implant limits of agreement were -5.0° to 5.4° with a repeatability coefficient of 5.2°. The tendency for valgus knees to have greater deformity on the radiograph was still seen, but was weaker for varus knees.

The alignment seen or measured intra-operatively during TKR is not necessarily the same as the deformity seen on a standing long-leg radiograph either pre- or post-operatively. Further investigation into the effect of weight-bearing and surgical exposure of the joint on the mechanical femorotibial angle is required to enable the most appropriate intra-operative alignment to be selected.

Fractures of the odontoid peg are relatively common in elderly people. Often they are minimally displaced and can be treated with a collar. However, a fracture which is displaced significantly may be difficult to manage. We describe the case of an 80-year-old man with a fracture of the odontoid peg which was completely displaced and caused respiratory distress. After initial closed reduction and application of a halo jacket, open and internal fixation was undertaken and relieved his symptoms. It is a safe and effective way to manage this injury.

The humerus is a common site for skeletal metastases in the adult. Surgical stabilisation of such lesions is often necessary to relieve pain and restore function. These procedures are essentially palliative and should therefore provide effective relief from pain for the remainder of the patient’s life without the need for further surgical intervention.

We report a retrospective analysis of 35 patients (37 nails) with symptomatic metastases in the shaft of the humerus which were treated by locked, antegrade nailing. There were 27 true fractures (73.0%) and ten painful deposits (27.0%). Relief from pain was excellent in four (11.4%), good in 29 (82.9%) and fair in two (5.7%) on discharge. Function was improved in all but one patient. One case of palsy of the radial nerve was noted. The mean postoperative survival was 7.1 months (0.2 to 45.5) which emphasises the poor prognosis in this group of patients. There were no failures of fixation and no case in which further surgery was required.

Antegrade intramedullary nailing is an effective means of stabilising the humerus for the palliative treatment of metastases. It relieves pain and restores function to the upper limb with low attendant morbidity.

The role of vacuum mixing on the reduction of porosity and on the clinical performance of cemented total hip replacements remains uncertain. We have used paired femoral constructs prepared with either hand-mixed or vacuum-mixed cement in a cadaver model which simulated intra-operative conditions during cementing of the femoral component. After the cement had cured, the distribution of its porosity was determined, as was the strength of the cement-stem and cement-bone interfaces.

The overall fraction of the pore area was similar for both hand-mixed and vacuum-mixed cement (hand 6%; vacuum 5.7%; paired t-test, p = 0.187). The linear pore fractions at the interfaces were also similar for the two techniques. The pore number-density was much higher for the hand-mixed cement (paired t-test, p = 0.0013). The strength of the cement-stem interface was greater with the hand-mixed cement (paired t-test, p = 0.0005), while the strength of the cement-bone interface was not affected by the conditions of mixing (paired t-test, p = 0.275). The reduction in porosity with vacuum mixing did not affect the porosity of the mantle, but the distribution of the porosity can be affected by the technique of mixing used.

We reviewed the initial post-operative radiographs of the Trident acetabulum and identified a problem with seating of the metal-backed ceramic liner. We identified 117 hips in 113 patients who had undergone primary total hip replacement using the Trident shell with a metal-backed alumina liner. Of these, 19 (16.4%) were noted to have incomplete seating of the liner, as judged by plain anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. One case of complete liner dissociation necessitating early revision was not included in the prevalence figures. One mis-seated liner was revised in the early post-operative period and two that were initially incompletely seated were found on follow-up radiographs to have become correctly seated. There may be technical issues with regard to the implanting of this prosthesis of which surgeons should be aware. However, there is the distinct possibility that the Trident shell deforms upon implantation, thereby preventing complete seating of the liner.

We have assessed the proximal capsular extension of the ankle joint in 18 patients who had a contrast-enhanced MRI ankle arthrogram in order to delineate the capsular attachments.

We noted consistent proximal capsular extensions anterior to the distal tibia and in the tibiofibular recess. The mean capsular extension anterior to the distal tibia was 9.6 mm (4.9 to 27.0) proximal to the anteroinferior tibial margin and 3.8 mm (−2.1 to 9.3) proximal to the dome of the tibial plafond. In the tibiofibular recess, the mean capsular extension was 19.2 mm (12.7 to 38.0) proximal to the anteroinferior tibial margin and 13.4 mm (5.8 to 20.5) proximal to the dome of the tibial plafond.

These areas of proximal capsular extensions run the risk of being traversed during the insertion of finewires for the treatment of fractures of the distal tibia. Surgeons using these techniques should be aware of this anatomy in order to minimise the risk of septic arthritis.

We describe a surgical procedure used to achieve glenothoracic fusion after one-stage radical, near total scapulectomy for primary or secondary malignant lesions in six patients. The aim was complete excision of the lesion and preservation of the glenoid to provide a fulcrum for movement of the arm.

Post-operative assessment involved determination of the range of movement and the application of the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society score and the Constant score to evaluate function. The results showed that a functional range of movement was attainable despite such radical surgery, although there was a considerable reduction in power and ability to lift.

Synthetic bone substitutes provide an alternative to autograft but do not give equivalent clinical results. Their performance may be enhanced by adding osteogenic growth factors. In this study, TGFβ1 was absorbed on to a carrier of β tricalcium phosphate and Gelfoam® and used to fill a defect around a tibial implant in a rat model of revision arthoplasty.

We added 0.0, 0.02 μg, 0.1 μg or 1.0 μg of TGFβ1 to the carrier and then implanted it around an hydroxyapatite-coated stainless-steel pin in the proximal tibia of rats. The tibiae were harvested at three, six or 26 weeks and the amount of bone formation and ceramic resorption were assessed.

TGFβ1 had no effect on the amount of bone in the defect, the amount of fluorescent label incorporated or the rate of mineral apposition. The growth factor did not significantly affect the amount of β TCP remaining in the tissue at any of the time points.

Metal-on-metal (MOM) bearings for hip arthroplasty are increasing in popularity. Concern remains, however, regarding the potential toxicological effects of the metal ions which these bearings release.

The serum levels of cobalt and chromium in 22 patients who had undergone MOM resurfacing arthroplasty were compared with a matched group of 22 patients who had undergone 28 mm MOM total hip arthroplasty (THA).

At a median of 16 months (7 to 56) after resurfacing arthroplasty, we found the median serum levels of cobalt and chromium to be 38 nmol/l (14 to 44) and 53 nmol/l (23 to 165) respectively. These were significantly greater than the levels after 28 mm MOM THA which were 22 nmol/l (15 to 87, p = 0.021) and 19 nmol/l (2 to 58, p < 0.001) respectively.

Since the upper limit for normal patients without implants is typically 5 nmol/l, both groups had significantly raised levels of metal ions. MOM bearings of large diameter, however, result in a greater systemic exposure of cobalt and chromium ions than bearings of small diameter. This may be of relevance for potential long-term side-effects. It is not known to what extent this difference is due to corrosion of the surfaces of the component or of the wear particles produced.

Metal-on-metal (MOM) is a commonly used bearing notable for its ‘suction fit’ when lubricated. In this study, we examined the capacity for MOM bearings to protect against dislocation after total hip replacement (THR).

We undertook a clinical investigation to compare the rate of dislocation of MOM bearings with those of ceramic-on-polyethylene (COP) bearings and found that one MOM bearing dislocated in a series of 109 hips (0.9%) compared with nine of 145 hips (6.2%) in the COP group (p = 0.02).

We also performed an in vitro investigation comparing the peak forces generated during forced separation of the two bearings of the same dimensions at velocities from 1 to 50 cm/s. This revealed that the MOM bearing generated significant resistance to separation at all velocities (maximum mean 24 N), whereas the COP did not (maximum mean 1.9 N, p < 0.001). We conclude that MOM bearings are more stable to dislocation than COP bearings as a result of the interfacial forces provided by a thin, lubricating fluid.

Between June 1988 and December 1997, we treated 332 babies with 546 dysplastic hips in a Pavlik harness for primary developmental dysplasia of the hip as detected by the selective screening programme in Southampton. Each was managed by a strict protocol including ultrasonic monitoring of treatment in the harness. The group was prospectively studied during a mean period of 6.5 ± 2.7 years with follow-up of 89.9%. The acetabular index (AI) and centre-edge angle of Wiberg (CEA) were measured on annual radiographs to determine the development of the hip after treatment and were compared with published normal values.

The harness failed to reduce 18 hips in 16 patients (15.2% of dislocations, 3.3% of DDH). These required surgical treatment. The development of those hips which were successfully treated in the harness showed no significant difference from the normal values of the AI for the left hips of girls after 18 months of age. Of those dysplastic hips which were successfully reduced in the harness, 2.4% showed persistent significant late dysplasia (CEA < 20°) and 0.2% persistent severe late dysplasia (CEA < 15°). All could be identified by an abnormal CEA (< 20°) at five years of age, and many from the progression of the AI by 18 months. Dysplasia was considered to be sufficient to require innominate osteotomy in five (0.9%). Avascular necrosis was noted in 1% of hips treated in the harness.

We conclude that, using our protocol, successful initial treatment of DDH with the Pavlik harness appears to restore the natural development of the hip to normal. We suggest that regular radiological surveillance up to five years of age is a safe and effective practice.

Templates are used in the preoperative planning of many orthopaedic procedures. The magnification of the bones on preoperative radiographs can vary despite using standardised radiological techniques. Templates will give misleading measurements unless this magnification is quantified.

A coin may be used to calculate the magnification, with significant improvement in the accuracy of templating (p = 0.05). A group of patients undergoing uncemented arthroplasty of the hip was at high risk for intraoperative fracture of the femur because the magnification of the radiograph was larger than that of the template.

We reviewed the management of 100 cases of slipped upper femoral epiphysis treated over a period of 26 years. A total of 14 slips was identified as unstable on admission. These underwent reduction and stabilisation within 24 hours of the onset of severe symptoms. Of the 86 stable slips four progressed to avascular necrosis (AVN), which was not seen in the unstable slips. The literature on slipped upper femoral epiphysis suggests that the acute unstable slip is at higher risk of developing AVN. We recommend reduction and stabilisation of unstable slips within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms in order to reduce the risk of AVN.

Splitting fractures of the humeral head are rare; part of the humeral head dislocates and the unfractured part remains attached to the shaft. We report eight cases in young patients. In five the diagnosis was made at presentation: three had minimal internal fixation using a superior subacromial approach, one had a closed reduction and one a primary prosthetic replacement. All five patients regained excellent function with no avascular necrosis at two years. In three the injury was initially unrecognised; two developed a painless bony ankylosis and one is awaiting hemiarthroplasty.

It is important to obtain the three trauma radiographic views to diagnose these unusual fractures reliably. CT delineates the configuration of the fracture. In young patients open reduction and internal fixation seems preferable to replacement of the humeral head, since we have shown that the head is potentially viable.

We have investigated whether the thigh tourniquet used during total knee replacement (TKR) influenced the development of postoperative wound hypoxia and was a cause of delayed wound healing.

We allocated randomly 31 patients (31 TKRs) to one of three groups: 1) no tourniquet; 2) tourniquet inflated at low pressure (about 225 mmHg); and 3) tourniquet inflated to high pressure of about 350 mmHg. Wound oxygenation was measured using transcutaneous oxygen electrodes.

In the first week after surgery, patients with a tourniquet inflated to a high pressure had greater wound hypoxia than those with a low pressure. Those without a tourniquet also had wound hypoxia, but the degree and duration were less pronounced than in either of the groups with a tourniquet.

Use of a tourniquet during TKR can increase postoperative wound hypoxia, especially when inflated to high pressures. Our findings may be relevant to wound healing and the development of wound infection.

Between 1988 and 1995, we studied 91 club feet from a series of 120 recalcitrant feet in 86 patients requiring surgical treatment. There were 48 boys and 20 girls. The mean age at operation was 8.9 months. Surgery consisted of an initial plantar medial release followed two weeks later by a posterolateral release. This strategy was adopted specifically to address the problems of wound healing associated with single-stage surgery and to ascertain the rate of relapse after a two-stage procedure. Immobilisation in plaster was used for three months followed by night splintage. The feet were classified preoperatively and prospectively into four grades according to the system suggested by Dimeglio et al. Grade-1 feet were postural and did not require surgery. All wounds were closed primarily. One superficial wound infection occurred in a grade-4 foot and there were no cases of wound breakdown. The rate of relapse was 20.4% in grade-3 and 65.4% in grade-4 feet.

Two-stage surgery for the treatment of club foot seems to be effective in the reduction of wound problems but does not appear to give significantly better results in terms of relapse when performed for more severe deformities.

Chondrocytes at the lower zone of the growth plate must be eliminated to facilitate longitudinal growth; this is generally assumed to involve apoptosis. We attempted to provide definitive electron-microscopic evidence of apoptosis in chondrocytes of physes and chondroepiphyses in the rabbit. We were, however, unable to find a single chondrocyte with the ultrastructure of ‘classical’ apoptosis in vivo, although such a cell was found in vitro. Instead, condensed chondrocytes had a convoluted nucleus with patchy chromatin condensations while the cytoplasm was dark with excessive amounts of endoplasmic reticulum. These cells were termed ‘dark chondrocytes’. A detailed study of their ultrastructure combined with localisation methods in situ suggested a different mechanism of programmed cell death. In addition, another type of death was identified among the immature chondrocytes of the chondroepiphysis. These cells had the same nucleus as dark chondrocytes, but the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum had expanded to fill the entire non-nuclear space, and all cytoplasm and organelles had been reduced to dark, worm-like inclusions. Since these cells appeared to be ‘in limbo’, they were termed ‘paralysed’ cells. It is proposed that ‘dark chondrocytes’ and ‘paralysed cells’ are examples of physiological cell death which does not involve apoptosis. It is possible that the confinement of chondrocytes within their lacunae, which would prevent phagocytosis of apoptotic bodies, necessitates different mechanisms of elimination.

We performed an audit of 71 children with consecutive displaced, extension-type supracondylar fractures of the humerus over a period of 30 months. The fractures were classified according to the Wilkins modification of the Gartland system. There were 29 type IIA, 22 type IIB and 20 type III. We assessed the effectiveness of guidelines proposed after a previous four-year review of 83 supracondylar fractures. These recommended that: 1) an experienced surgeon should be responsible for the initial management; 2) closed or open reduction of type-IIB and type-III fractures must be supplemented by stabilisation with Kirschner (K-) wires; and 3) K-wires of adequate thickness (1.6 mm) must be used in a crossed configuration.

The guidelines were followed in 52 of the 71 cases. When they were observed there were no reoperations and no malunion. In 19 children in whom they had not been observed more than one-third required further operation and six had a varus deformity. Failure to institute treatment according to the guidelines led to an unsatisfactory result in 11 patients. When they were followed the result of treatment was much better. We have devised a protocol for the management of these difficult injuries.

The Sheffield Expanding Intramedullary Rod System was developed after experiencing problems with existing rod systems in the management of osteogenesis imperfecta. Between 1986 and 1996 we treated 74 bones in the lower limb in 28 children at a median follow-up of 5.25 years. We have reviewed 24 children with a total of 60 rods.

Before surgery, all children had had multiple fractures of the lower limb. At review eight patients had experienced no further fractures, but three had suffered five or more subsequently.

Before initial stabilisation, 15 children had never walked, and only three (13%) used walking as their main means of mobility. After surgery, half of those who showed motor arrest were able to walk (p = 0.016). The number of patients able to walk, with or without aids, increased to 17 (p = 0.0001).

We have experienced no evidence of epiphyseal damage after the procedure, and complication rates requiring rod exchange have been low (7%).

A total of 110 total knee replacements (TKRs) was randomised to receive either a cemented or an uncemented prosthesis. Postoperative venography at five to seven days was used to compare the prevalence, site and size of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT). We also compared the findings with those of postoperative venography in a group of patients with cemented total hip replacements (THRs).

The total prevalence of DVT was significantly greater after uncemented (81%) than after cemented TKR (55%). Both knee groups had a significantly higher prevalence of DVT than in cemented hip replacements (32%). We found no difference in the proportion with proximal DVT in the three groups (14%, 15% and 16%). The median length of the thrombi was significantly greater after cemented (26.5 cm) than after uncemented TKR (11 cm) or after cemented THR (7 cm). This difference was mainly due to greater lengths of distal rather than proximal thrombi.

We conclude that the use of cement may affect the formation of DVT after joint replacement, but does not appear to lead to an increased incidence.

We report the six-year results of a prospective, controlled demographic trial of developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) treated in the Pavlik harness using ultrasound supervision. Our aim was to assess the value of ultrasound and its role in monitoring reduction in the harness, in terms of progression or failure of reduction at an early state.

From 1988 to 1994, a total of 221 patients with 370 ultrasonographically abnormal hips was treated in the Pavlik harness. This represents a treatment rate for the Southampton district of 5.1 per 1000 live births. Sixteen hips in 12 patients were not reduced in the harness and required surgical treatment; 95.7% were successfully reduced. One case of mild avascular necrosis (0.3%) was identified in those treated by harness alone. Of the 221 patients 87.8% remain under radiological review, with 3.2% of affected hips showing continued, mild acetabular dysplasia.

We conclude that ultrasound monitoring has led to an acceptably low level of intervention, a high reduction rate and minimal iatrogenic complications. The trial is continuing.

We performed routine venography after operation in a consecutive series of 252 patients with total joint arthroplasties in whom no form of routine chemical or mechanical prophylaxis had been used.

The prevalence of deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) was 32% (16% distal, 16% proximal) after total hip replacement and 66% (50% distal, 16% proximal) after total knee replacement (p < 0.001). We did not treat distal DVT. There were only two readmissions within three months of surgery because of thromboembolic disease. There were two deaths within this period, neither of which was due to pulmonary embolism.

Fifty-seven Stanmore Total Hip replacements were implanted between 1974 and 1986 in patients under the age of 50 years. We have reviewed the results in terms of survivorship and function, and assessed the reasons for revision.

Of the original 57, 22 (39%) have been revised at an average of 12 years from implantation, usually for aseptic loosening. Most of them had originally been implanted for osteoarthritis. Prostheses cemented with second-generation techniques have lasted significantly longer, and acetabular loosening emerged as a continuing problem. The overall survivorship was 90% at 10 years and 68% at 15 years.

Cemented hip replacement appears to be a viable option in younger patients and the Stanmore implant is comparable with other cemented prostheses in this age group.

Only two cases have been reported of congenital dislocation of the hip in infants born after extrauterine pregnancies. We report a further two and discuss the management and the variable outcome. These cases seem to confirm that congenital dislocation of the hip is associated with moulding forces rather than being a teratological abnormality.

We report a series of 15 children, six male and nine female, of average age 20 months, seen at a paediatric orthopaedic clinic with torticollis. Orthopaedic examination revealed a normal range of neck movement in all cases but in seven there was palpable tightness in the absence of true shortening or contracture of the sternomastoid muscle.

The patients were prospectively referred for ocular examination. In five of the 15 an ocular cause for the torticollis was detected with underaction of the superior oblique muscle in three, paresis of the lateral rectus muscle in one and nystagmus in one. Another two patients were found to have an abnormal ocular examination which was thought to be unrelated to their torticollis. Three of the patients with ocular torticollis required extra-ocular muscle surgery to abolish the head tilt and one of these had a tight sternomastoid muscle. Two of the non-ocular group had surgical release of the sternomastoid muscle; in the rest, the condition either resolved with physiotherapy or required no active treatment.

We recommend that all patients with torticollis and no clear orthopaedic cause are referred for ocular assessment since it is not possible clinically to distinguish ocular from non-ocular causes.

We report 22 patients (19 women and three men) of mean age 20.8 years who had painful snapping sensations in the groin. Most were able to reproduce the click by extending the affected hip from a flexed, abducted and externally rotated position and most were tender in the adductor triangle. Plain radiographs and an arthrogram were normal. A clinical diagnosis of subluxation of the iliopsoas tendon was made. Conservative management failed in 14 patients, two of whom had bilateral pain. All 14 had surgical release of the iliopsoas tendon through a medial approach. At follow-up (mean 17 months) the click had resolved in ten hips, was occasional but painless in five and unchanged in one. The syndrome of a painful 'snapping' psoas may result in disproportionately disabling symptoms. It may be diagnosed on clinical grounds and effectively treated, when severe, by release of the iliopsoas tendon.

Between 1989 and 1992 we admitted 426 children with an irritable hip, 363 (85.2%) once and 63 (14.8%) on 143 occasions. We assessed the records retrospectively to determine whether the groups differed and in particular whether recurrence was followed by pathological sequelae. We identified no feature which distinguished between them at either presentation. The use of bone isotope scans was greatly increased in recurrent cases, without clinical benefit. No relationship between recurrence and subsequent abnormality was identified, with 22 (42%) of the recurrences taking place in the opposite hip. The only difference was a higher incidence of 'psychosocial factors' recorded in the notes of children who presented on more than two occasions. The incidence of recurrent irritable hip is larger than previously indicated and in the presence of normal radiographs and low-grade clinical signs, more detailed investigation on subsequent admission is unlikely to be helpful.

We report the preliminary results of a continuing prospective evaluation of a screening programme for congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH) which uses ultrasound imaging to provide delayed selective screening to complement neonatal clinical screening. Of 26,952 births in the Southampton district, 1894 infants were referred for secondary screening because of a clinical abnormality or the presence of a predetermined risk category for CDH. Pavlik harness treatment was required for only 118 infants, giving a treatment rate of 4.4 per 1000 births. Of those referred with clinical instability, 35% did not require treatment. Dislocation or subluxation was detected in 17 of 643 infants referred only because they fell within one of three risk categories: breech presentation, foot deformity and family history. All 17 had normal clinical examinations and cases were discovered in each category. Six children presented with CDH after 12 weeks of age, giving a late presentation rate of 0.22 per 1000 births. All had normal clinical examinations within 24 hours of birth and none was in a risk category. Surgery has been required in ten children, giving a surgical treatment rate of 0.37 per 1000 births. We conclude that, in Southampton, delayed selective secondary screening with ultrasound is more effective than clinical screening alone. It targets treatment to those infants who need it, and reveals a number of dislocated and subluxed hips that would otherwise be missed.

We have used a modified technique of cervical osteotomy to treat a consecutive series of 23 patients with chronic slip of the upper femoral epiphysis. It has been successful in correcting both moderate and severe deformities with a low incidence of avascular necrosis, comparable to that seen after subtrochanteric osteotomies. We describe the operative details and discuss the features which make cervical osteotomy technically superior to intertrochanteric and subtrochanteric procedures.

We reviewed 35 patients who had an amputation following the failure of treatment for severe lower limb trauma. Seven of the amputations were for ischaemia, within one month of injury; 13 were between one month and one year for infection complicating loss of wound cover in un-united fractures; and 15 were later than one year after injury, mainly for infected non-union. The latter group of patients had had an average of 12 operations and 50 months of treatment, including eight months in hospital. We used a new limb injury score based on damage to the individual tissue elements; this indicated that, even in the absence of neurovascular injury, the presence of severe damage to skin, bone and muscle, with wound contamination, particularly in the lower tibia, had a poor prognosis. We therefore recommend, to avoid multiple operations, with prolonged hospitalisation and suffering, that these patients should have early independent review by orthopaedic and plastic surgeons with the aim of establishing an accurate prognosis for the salvage of a useful limb.

Bone samples from the iliac crest of patients with no signs of bone disorder were treated with collagenase to remove the collagen component and so allow detailed observation of the mineral hydroxyapatite. Both polished and unpolished surfaces were studied in the scanning electron microscope and they showed that the mineral component of bone is composed of small rounded units about 10 nm across which are fused together to form larger spheroidal units roughly 100 nm in diameter. In the unpolished surfaces these 100 nm units are seen to aggregate to form columns approximately parallel to their neighbours and with numerous interconnections forming a continuous mineral phase. The polished sections also show the hydroxyapatite as a continuous phase of contiguous spheroids and the holes from which the collagen fibres were removed are clearly revealed. Lamellations in the surface are interpreted as resulting from adjacent layers of collagen fibres having orientations approximately perpendicular to each other.

Total hip replacement was performed in 27 hips of patients who had sickle cell anaemia with avascular necrosis of the femoral head. The disease was bilateral in 11 patients. Considerable medical problems were encountered although most of the patients had exchange transfusion before surgery (86%), which prevented postoperative sickle cell crises in all but two cases. At the primary operation hard sclerotic bone was seen in nine femora with complete obliteration of the femoral canal. There were four femoral fractures, three following perforation of the shaft due to this hard bone. There was a very high morbidity due to loosening in both cemented and uncemented prostheses. With a rate of 59% over a cumulative 5.5 year period, revision was being performed at an average of only 43 months. Surgeons should be aware of these problems.

Of 4,617 babies born in Coventry in 1986, a total of 448 (9.7%) had either clinical abnormality of the hip or at risk factors for CDH. All were examined by ultrasound, but only 17 required treatment (3.7 per 1,000); in five of these no clinical abnormality had been detected. An additional 81 babies had ultrasound abnormalities but did not require treatment, despite the fact that ultrasound at first showed major hip displacement in 17 of them. Three late cases of CDH have presented among the babies born in 1986, but not examined by ultrasound. This incidence of late CDH is unchanged compared with the previous nine years, although ultrasound had detected covert displacement in a number of hips.

We report the results of 23 soft-tissue release procedures in 15 patients who had juvenile chronic arthritis. The operation, which includes hamstring tenotomies and posterior capsulotomy, is a safe and effective way of eliminating contracture, relieving pain and improving function.

Evidence is presented to support the contention that after slipping of the upper femoral epiphysis there is a potential for the bony epiphysis to grow back to its pre-slipped position. A suggestion is made as to how this recovery may occur.

A technique of examining the infant hip joint with real-time ultrasound is described. Since the cartilaginous femoral head is clearly imaged by ultrasound, anatomical structures and their relationships can be accurately determined. Dislocated hips are easily detected and subluxations also can be visualized. We report our experience with 131 examinations in 104 patients, comprising 259 single hip studies. Of 83 patients who were previously untreated, there were 178 hip studies with three false-negative and four false-positive ultrasound results. No dislocations were missed. Twenty-seven patients who were already being treated were examined to assess hip location, comprising a total of 81 hip studies. In some cases the patients were examined while in an abduction device, cast, or Pavlik harness. In one case a dislocation was not detected. The method of examination using real-time ultrasound is considered to be reliable, accurate, and a useful adjunct to radiography. The advantages are that it is non-invasive, portable, and involves no exposure to radiation.

Certain features of the sagging rope sign recently analysed by Apley and Weintroub (1981) are examined in detail. Evidence is presented to show that the line is a radiological shadow cast by the lateral edge of a severely deformed femoral head rather than a condensation of the spongiosa within the neck. An explanation is offered to explain the common association of the presence of this radiological sign with premature epiphysial fusion.

1. The fibrillar networks of adult human articular cartilage, taken from femoral and acetabular specimens, have been systematically examined by scanning electron microscopy. The internal structures revealed by rupturing the tissue were compared with published findings from transmission electron microscope studies.

2. Though this technique demonstrated the internal fibrillar appearance of cartilage to a remarkable degree, it had several attendant limitations. On final drying, specimens generally exhibited shrinkage which varied within wide limits; this could have altered the internal architecture to some extent. In addition, the rupturing technique, which at the time of this investigation was the only satisfactory method of revealing the fibrillar cartilage structure, may well have had a great influence on the fibril orientations.

3. The fibrils revealed no characteristic collagen periodicity and were considerably thicker than those observed by transmission electron microscopy. It is suggested that a coating of mucin on the collagen fibrils might account for this.

4. At low magnifications the torn layers in the fractured surfaces extended radially from the calcified zone and turned obliquely at or near the articular surface to merge with the distinctly layered superficial zone, thus forming arcade-like structures. That these were not artefacts produced by the fracturing technique was shown by their similarity to the classical arcade pattern of light microscopy. However, the factor which governed the direction of these planes of weakness, be it collagen, mucopolysaccharides or cells, could not be satisfactorily determined.

5. At higher magnifications only three regions of distinct fibrillar organisation could be identified: 1) a surface layer consisting of a random fibrillar network; 2) a superficial zone composed of layers of fibrillar network, intersecting and overlapping in planes parallel to the surface; and 3) elsewhere below the superficial zone a network of virtually random fibrils which extended to the calcified region with apparently little variation in thickness or density. There was little variation from this pattern even in aged fibrillated specimens.

6. At the lower magnification range the scanning electron microscope has revealed the arcade pattern described by light microscopy, while at the higher magnifications the fibrillar organisation as seen by scanning electron microscopy correlated well with the concepts developed by transmission electron microscopy, that is, a random network of fibrils overlaid at the articular surface by a membrane-like system of bundled fibrils.

7. A possible role in the transmission of joint forces is outlined for the above fibrillar organisation.

1. The methods of treating flayed limbs are enumerated, with mention of the reasons against conserving the injured skin.

2. The reasons for conserving the injured skin are presented and they are backed by the results in the patients described.

3. The factors that may influence the survival of injured skin are discussed, and the indications for, and methods of, conserving injured skin are described.

1. Radiological and histological observations of the tissue changes resulting from the implantation of various metals in the long bones of dogs are recorded.

2. Of the metals employed, tantalum, Vitallium, alloys "C" and "S" and F.M.B. steel were inert; silver and mild steel were reactive; F.S.T. steel occupied an intermediate position.

3. A correlation has been demonstrated between the anodic back E.M.F., the weight loss due to corrosion and the histological changes produced.

1. Attention is drawn to that type of rigid congenital flat foot in which the talus lies vertically instead of horizontally.

2. This deformity is rare, but if not treated successfully leads to an ugly, painful foot in adolescence.

3. The experience of five patients forms the basis of the present preliminary account. One adolescent and two young children under the age of five were treated unsuccessfully by both conservative and operative measures. More recently in two children with bilateral deformity open operation has been successful in restoring the shape of the foot.

4. The operation is essentially a reduction of a subluxation at the talo-navicular and subtalar joints. It entails freeing the head of the talus sufficiently to allow it to be lifted dorsally and laterally. The talus is then anchored in position by transplanting the distal end of the peroneus brevis tendon through the neck of the bone.

1. The literature dealing with the reaction of tissues to metals has been briefly reviewed and discussed.

2. It is suggested that the "anodic back EMF" of metals, under the conditions of the experiment, is a measurable electrical quantity which can be correlated with their behaviour in tissues.

3. Details of the method for obtaining this "anodic back EMF" are given.

4. A correlation between the "anodic back EMF" and the loss of weight due to corrosion in vitro has been demonstrated.

5. The inertness of eighty-seven metals has been classified by this method.

6. It must be emphasised that these results are based on in vitro experiments only. In vivo experiments are in progress and the results will be published in due course. Preliminary work suggests that there is some correlation between the ABE and the behaviour of metals in tissue (Hickman 1953).

It has been fascinating to trace the gradual erection of the British edifice of orthopaedics, and nostalgic to recapture a memory, however fleeting, of some of the figures who built it and taught us so much of our sum of knowledge half-way through the twentieth century—the remarkable spell of Robert Jones, the lofty, ascetic Tubby, the pugnacious Openshaw, the forceful and enthusiastic Hey Groves, the earnest but irascible Laming Evans, the equable and thoughtful Elmslie, the restless and exuberant Trethowan. It is always tempting to conclude: "those were the days." It is probably wise to do no more than record the events and leave judgment of progress to a later century. But we are being judged already and not always kindly or even truthfully. We are justified surely in priding ourselves on what has already been achieved, and on the service that orthopaedic surgery now gives to the community and promises for the future. In concern for this aspect of our work we have perhaps tended to neglect our capacity for basic research. But we are aware of this shortcoming, as witness our closer relationships with research departments of universities and royal colleges, and our increasing contacts with colleagues in the basic sciences. Finally, apart from the most intellectual snob and the pessimistic cynic, all must surely rejoice at the enthusiasm, industry and ability of our young colleagues—the orthopaedic surgeons of to-morrow.

1. The history of the genesis of the Putti-Platt operation for habitual dislocation of the shoulder is outlined so far as it is known.

2. The operation is described and briefly commented upon.

3. Since there is both gleno-labrial detachment and defect in the humeral head successful treatment depends upon: i) a block to the exit of the humeral head in front and ii) limitation of external rotation movement.