Two cases of laterally open knee joints with surrounding skin defects are reported. The joints were closed by muscle flaps fashioned from the lateral belly of the gastrocnemius, which was detached distally and folded upwards and forwards to cover the defect. The transposed muscle and the remainder of the wound were covered by free skin grafts. Results were satisfactory.

Limited forefoot amputation in diabetic patients with osteomyelitis is frequently required. We retrospectively reviewed diabetic patients with osteomyelitis, an unhealed ulcer and blood pressure in the toe of > 45 mmHg who underwent limited amputation of the foot with primary wound closure. Between 2006 and 2012, 74 consecutive patients with a mean age of 67 years (29 to 93), and a median follow-up of 31 months, were included. All the wounds healed primarily at a median of 37 days (13 to 210; mean 48). At a median of 6 months (1.5 to 18; mean 353 days), 23 patients (31%) suffered a further ulceration. Of these, 12 patients (16% of the total) required a further amputation. We conclude that primary wound closure following limited amputation of the foot in patients with diabetes is a safe and effective technique when associated with appropriate antibiotic treatment. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1083–7

We reviewed retrospectively 45 patients (46 procedures) with bladder exstrophy treated by bilateral oblique pelvic osteotomy in conjunction with genitourinary repair. The operative technique and post-operative management with or without external fixation are described. A total of 21 patients attended a special follow-up clinic and 24 were interviewed by telephone. The mean follow-up time was 57 months (24 to 108). Of the 45 patients, 42 reported no pain or functional disability, although six had a waddling gait and two had marked external rotation of the hip. Complications included three cases of infection and loosening of the external fixator requiring early removal with no deleterious effect. Mid-line closure failed in one neonate managed in plaster. This patient underwent a successful revision procedure several months later using repeat osteotomies and external fixation. The percentage pubic approximation was measured on anteroposterior radiographs pre-operatively, post-operatively and at final follow-up. The mean approximation was 37% (12% to 76%). It varied markedly with age and was better when external fixation was used. The wide range reflects the inability of the anterior segment to develop naturally in spite of close approximation at operation. We conclude that bilateral oblique pelvic osteotomy with or without external fixation is useful in the management of difficult primary closure in bladder exstrophy, failed primary closure and secondary reconstruction

Aims. Following the introduction of national standards in 2009, most major paediatric trauma is now triaged to specialist units offering combined orthopaedic and plastic surgical expertise. We investigated the management of open tibia fractures at a paediatric trauma centre, primarily reporting the risk of infection and rate of union. Patients and Methods. A retrospective review was performed on 61 children who between 2007 and 2015 presented with an open tibia fracture. Their mean age was nine years (2 to 16) and the median follow-up was ten months (interquartile range 5 to 18). Management involved IV antibiotics, early debridement and combined treatment of the skeletal and soft-tissue injuries in line with standards proposed by the British Orthopaedic Association. Results. There were 36 diaphyseal fractures and 25 distal tibial fractures. Of the distal fractures, eight involved the physis. Motor vehicle collisions accounted for two thirds of the injuries and 38 patients (62%) arrived outside of normal working hours. The initial method of stabilisation comprised: casting in nine cases (15%); elastic nailing in 19 (31%); Kirschner (K)-wiring in 13 (21%); intramedullary nailing in one (2%); open reduction and plate fixation in four (7%); and external fixation in 15 (25%). Wound management comprised: primary wound closure in 24 (39%), delayed primary closure in 11 (18%), split skin graft (SSG) in eight (13%), local flap with SSG in 17 (28%) and a free flap in one. A total of 43 fractures (70%) were Gustilo-Anderson grade III. There were four superficial (6.6%) and three (4.9%) deep infections. Two deep infections occurred following open reduction and plate fixation and the third after K-wire fixation of a distal fracture. No patient who underwent primary wound closure developed an infection. All the fractures united, although nine patients required revision of a mono-lateral to circular frame for delayed union (two) or for altered alignment or length (seven). The mean time to union was two weeks longer in diaphyseal fractures than in distal fractures (13 weeks versus 10.8 weeks, p = 0.016). Children aged > 12 years had a significantly longer time to union than those aged < 12 years (16.3 weeks versus 11.4 weeks, p = 0.045). The length of stay in hospital for patients with a Gustilo-Anderson grade IIIB fracture was twice as long as for less severe injuries. . Conclusion. Fractures in children heal better than those in adults. Based on our experience of deep infection we discourage the use of internal fixation with a plate for open tibial fractures in children. We advocate aggressive initial wound debridement in theatre with early definitive combined orthopaedic and plastic surgery in order to obtain skeletal stabilisation and soft-tissue cover. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:544–53

Of 110 consecutive open tibial fractures 90 were reviewed and analysed retrospectively with particular reference to wound closure, method of stabilisation, infection rate and the incidence of non-union. There were 41% Gustilo type I, 39% type II and 20% type III injuries. The incidence of deep infection was 20% after primary wound closure compared with 3% after delayed closure, and eight of the nine non-unions followed primary closure. We conclude that primary wound closure should be avoided in the treatment of open tibial fractures

Between June 1999 and May 2003 we undertook direct primary closure of the skin wounds of 173 patients with Gustilo and Anderson grade-IIIA and grade-IIIB open fractures. These patients were selected from a consecutive group of 557 with type-III injuries presenting during this time. Strict criteria for inclusion in the study included debridement within 12 hours of injury, no sewage or organic contamination, no skin loss either primarily or secondarily during debridement, a Ganga Hospital open injury skin score of 1 or 2 with a total score of ten or less, the presence of bleeding skin margins, the ability to approximate wound edges without tension and the absence of peripheral vascular disease. In addition, patients with polytrauma were excluded. At a mean follow-up of 6.2 years (5 to 7), the outcome was excellent in 150 (86.7%), good in 11 (6.4%) and poor in 12 (6.9%). A total of 33 complications occurred in 23 patients including superficial infection in 11, deep infection in five and the requirement for a secondary skin flap in three. Six patients developed nonunion requiring further surgery, one of whom declined additional measures to treat an established infected nonunion. Immediate skin closure when performed selectively with the above indications proved to be a safe procedure

Aims

The Open-Fracture Patient Evaluation Nationwide (OPEN) study was performed to provide clarity in open fracture management previously skewed by small, specialist centre studies and large, unfocused registry investigations. We report the current management metrics of open fractures across the UK.

Aims

Surgical site infection (SSI) after soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) resection is a serious complication. The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the risk factors for SSI after STS resection, and to develop a nomogram that allows patient-specific risk assessment.

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the Orthopaedic Trauma Society (OTS) classification of open fractures and economic costs.

We describe the results of treatment of open tibial fractures in 92 children; 22 fractures were Gustilo type I, 51 type II and 19 type III. All children received tetanus prophylaxis, systemic antibiotics for 48 hours and thorough debridement and irrigation of the wound. Fifty-one wounds with minimal soft-tissue injury were closed primarily. The other 41 were initially left open; of these, 18 small wounds were allowed to heal secondarily and 23 larger wounds required split skin grafts or soft-tissue local or microvascular free flaps. Stable fractures were reduced and immobilised in an above-knee plaster cast (71%) and external fixation (28%) was used for unstable fractures, extensive soft-tissue injury and multiple injuries. Short-term complications included compartment syndrome (4%), superficial infection (8%), deep infection (3%), delayed union (16%), nonunion (7.5%) and malunion (6.5%): these incidences are similar to those reported in adults. Selective primary closure of wounds did not increase the incidence of infection. External fixation was associated with a greater occurrence of delayed and nonunion than plaster immobilisation, but this technique was used most often for the more severe injuries. Late review, at 1.5 to 9.8 years, showed a high incidence of continuing morbidity including pain at the healed fracture site (50%), restriction of sporting activity (23%), joint stiffness (23%), cosmetic defects (23%) and minor leg-length discrepancies (64%). Open tibial fractures in children are associated with a high incidence of early and late complications, which are more frequent in children with Gustilo type III injuries. The Gustilo classification was a useful guide for predicting the outcome and planning treatment

Aims

Single-stage revision total knee arthroplasty (rTKA) is gaining popularity in treating chronic periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs). We have introduced this approach to our clinical practice and sought to evaluate rates of reinfection and re-revision, along with predictors of failure of both single- and two-stage rTKA for chronic PJI.

Aims

Rotating-hinge knee prostheses are commonly used to reconstruct the distal femur after resection of a tumour, despite the projected long-term burden of reoperation due to complications. Few studies have examined the factors that influence their failure and none, to our knowledge, have used competing risk models to do so. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors for failure of a rotating-hinge knee distal femoral arthroplasty using the Fine-Gray competing risk model.

Aims

The principle strategies of fracture-related infection (FRI) treatment are debridement, antimicrobial therapy, and implant retention (DAIR) or debridement, antimicrobial therapy, and implant removal/exchange. Increasing the period between fracture fixation and FRI revision surgery is believed to be associated with higher failure rates after DAIR. However, a clear time-related cut-off has never been scientifically defined. This systematic review analyzed the influence of the interval between fracture fixation and FRI revision surgery on success rates after DAIR.

Aims

To describe a new objective classification for open fractures of the lower limb and to correlate the classification with patient-centred outcomes.

A 20-year-old man sustained an open medial dislocation of the ankle without an associated fracture after a low-energy inversion injury. Prompt debridement and reduction with primary wound closure of the skin were performed without suture of the capsule. Immobilisation in a non-weight-bearing cast for 30 days followed by ankle bracing for two weeks and subsequent physiotherapy, produced full functional recovery by three months. At follow-up at one year there was a full range of pain-free movement, although the radiographs and MR scan showed early post-traumatic degenerative change at the medial aspect of the tibiotalar and the calcaneocuboid joints

Aims

It has been generally accepted that open fractures require early skeletal stabilization and soft-tissue reconstruction. Traditionally, a standard gauze dressing was applied to open wounds. There has been a recent shift in this paradigm towards negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes in patients with open tibial fractures receiving standard dressing versus NPWT.

1. In a series of seventy-one patients with wringer injuries of the hand three basic types of lesion were observed: a) denuding of part of or the entire hand, usually accompanied by avulsion of the distal phalanges; b) small lacerated wounds with wide detachment of surrounding skin and frequent fractures; c) multiple cut injuries of digits or the entire hand with skin avulsions. 2. Treatment was guided by the following principles: a) improvement of blood supply in regions of impaired nourishment; b) stable primary fixation of bones with Kirschner wires; c) primary wound closure through free skin grafting with maximal utilisation of available flaps. 3. Surgical technique as applied in various typical cases is outlined

1. Eighty consecutive open fractures of the tibial shaft were treated by primary internal fixation and wound closure. Wound healing was complicated by deep infection in eight patients (10 per cent) and by skin loss of varying degree in ten (l2·5 per cent). 2. Careful selection of patients on the basis of associated soft-tissue injuries is urged. A simple method of grading open fractures by the appearance of the wound and adjacent skin and the effectiveness of wound closure is suggested. If internal fixation is indicated on mechanical grounds, the nature of the soft-tissue injury should be the deciding factor in the choice of the method of treatment. In the less severe (Grade 1) fractures internal fixation and wound closure may be safely employed. In the severe (Grade 3) injuries, primary wound closure with or without internal fixation should be avoided. Moderately severe (Grade 2) fractures should be carefully assessed and treated by internal fixation and wound closure only if primary wound healing is confidently expected. 3. Wound healing by first intention requires, in addition to adequate debridement of the deep layers of the wound, careful approximation of healthy wound edges without excessive tension. An adequate knowledge of skin-plastic procedures is essential to achieve this. 4. A combination of systemic penicillin and streptomycin in adequate doses is a safe and effective prophylactic antibiotic for use in the treatment of open fractures

Aims

Type IIIB open tibial fractures are devastating high-energy injuries. At initial debridement, the surgeon will often be faced with large bone fragments with tenuous, if any, soft-tissue attachments. Conventionally these are discarded to avoid infection. We aimed to determine if orthoplastic reconstruction using mechanically relevant devitalized bone (ORDB) was associated with an increased infection rate in type IIIB open tibial shaft fractures.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the surgical management and outcome of patients with an acral soft-tissue sarcoma of the hand or foot.

Aims

Prosthetic joint infections (PJIs) of the hip and knee are associated with significant morbidity and socioeconomic burden. We undertook a systematic review of the current literature with the aim of proposing criteria for the selection of patients for a single-stage exchange arthroplasty in the management of a PJI.

Aims

Intercalary allografts following resection of a primary diaphyseal tumour have high rates of complications and failures. At our institution intercalary allografts are augmented with intramedullary cement and fixed using compression plating. Our aim was to evaluate their long-term outcomes.

Aims

Fractures of the distal femur can be challenging to manage and are on the increase in the elderly osteoporotic population. Management with casting or bracing can unacceptably limit a patient’s ability to bear weight, but historically, operative fixation has been associated with a high rate of re-operation. In this study, we describe the outcomes of fixation using modern implants within a strategy of early return to function.

Aims

This study describes the use of the Masquelet technique to treat segmental tibial bone loss in 12 patients.

Aims

The aim of this study was to report the clinical, functional and radiological outcomes of children and adolescents with tibial fractures treated using the Ilizarov method.

Aims

Instability of the hip is the most common mode of failure after reconstruction with a proximal femoral arthroplasty (PFA) using an endoprosthesis after excision of a tumour. Small studies report improved stability with capsular repair of the hip and other techniques, but these have not been investigated in a large series of patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate variables associated with the patient and the operation that affect post-operative stability. We hypothesised an association between capsular repair and stability.

Aims

The aim of this study was to present data on 11 459 patients who underwent total hip (THA), total knee (TKA) or unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) between November 2002 and April 2014 with aspirin as the primary agent for pharmacological thromboprophylaxis.

Aims

Myxofibrosarcomas (MFSs) are malignant soft-tissue sarcomas characteristically presenting as painless slowly growing masses in the extremities. Locally infiltrative growth means that the risk of local recurrence is high. We reviewed our experience to make recommendations about resection strategies and the role of the multidisciplinary team in the management of these tumours.

Aims

The management of open lower limb fractures in the United Kingdom has evolved over the last ten years with the introduction of major trauma networks (MTNs), the publication of standards of care and the wide acceptance of a combined orthopaedic and plastic surgical approach to management. The aims of this study were to report recent changes in outcome of open tibial fractures following the implementation of these changes.

This is a retrospective study of survivors of recent conflicts with an open fracture of the femur. We analysed the records of 48 patients (48 fractures) and assessed the outcome. The median follow up for 47 patients (98%) was 37 months (interquartile range 19 to 53); 31 (66%) achieved union; 16 (34%) had a revision procedure, two of which were transfemoral amputation (4%).

The New Injury Severity Score, the method of fixation, infection and the requirement for soft-tissue cover were not associated with a poor outcome. The degree of bone loss was strongly associated with a poor outcome (p = 0.00204). A total of four patients developed an infection; two with S. aureus, one with E. coli and one with A. baumannii.

This study shows that, compared with historical experience, outcomes after open fractures of the femur sustained on the battlefield are good, with no mortality and low rates of infection and late amputation. The degree of bone loss is closely associated with a poor outcome.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2015;97-B:842–6.

Resection of malignant bony tumours of the pelvis creates large bone and soft-tissue defects, and is frequently associated with complications such as wound dehiscence and deep infection. We present the results of six patients in whom a rectus abdominis myocutaneous (RAM) flap was used following resection of a malignant tumour of the pelvis. Bony reconstruction was performed using a constrained hip tumour prosthesis in three patients, vascularised fibular graft in two and frozen autograft in one. At a mean follow-up of 63 months (16 to 115), no patients had a problem with the wound.

Immediate reconstruction using a RAM flap may be used after resection of a malignant tumour of the pelvis to provide an adequate volume of tissue to eliminate the dead space, cover the exposed bone or implants with well-vascularised soft tissue and to reduce the risk of complications.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:270–3.

Bactericidal levels of antibiotics are difficult to achieve in infected total joint arthroplasty when intravenous antibiotics or antibiotic-loaded cement spacers are used, but intra-articular (IA) delivery of antibiotics has been effective in several studies. This paper describes a protocol for IA delivery of antibiotics in infected knee arthroplasty, and summarises the results of a pharmacokinetic study and two clinical follow-up studies of especially difficult groups: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and failed two-stage revision. In the pharmacokinetic study, the mean synovial vancomycin peak level was 9242 (3956 to 32 150; sd 7608 μg/mL) among the 11 patients studied. Serum trough level ranged from 4.2 to 25.2 μg/mL (mean, 12.3 μg/mL; average of 9.6% of the joint trough value), which exceeded minimal inhibitory concentration. The success rate exceeded 95% in the two clinical groups. IA delivery of antibiotics is shown to be safe and effective, and is now the first option for treatment of infected total joint arthroplasty in our institution.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2016;98-B(1 Suppl A):31–6.

Controversy continues to surround the management of patients with an open fracture of the lower limb and an associated vascular injury (Gustilo type IIIC). This study reports our 15-year experience with these fractures and their outcome in 18 patients (15 male and three female). Their mean age was 30.7 years (8 to 54) and mean Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) at presentation was 6.9 (3 to 10). A total of 15 lower limbs were salvaged and three underwent amputation (two immediate and one delayed). Four patients underwent stabilisation of the fracture by external fixation and 12 with an internal device. A total of 11 patients had damage to multiple arteries and eight had a vein graft. Wound cover was achieved with a pedicled flap in three and a free flap in six. Seven patients developed a wound infection and four developed nonunion requiring further surgery. At a mean follow-up of five years (4.1 to 6.6) the mean visual analogue scale for pain was 64 (10 to 90). Depression and anxiety were common. Activities were limited mainly because of pain, and the MESS was a valid predictor of the functional outcome. Distal tibial fractures had an increased rate of nonunion when associated with posterior tibial artery damage, and seven patients (39%) were not able to return to their previous occupation.

This paper outlines the history of advances made in the treatment of open fractures that have occurred during wartime.

We describe 261 peripheral nerve injuries sustained in war by 100 consecutive service men and women injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. Their mean age was 26.5 years (18.1 to 42.6), the median interval between injury and first review was 4.2 months (mean 8.4 months (0.36 to 48.49)) and median follow-up was 28.4 months (mean 20.5 months (1.3 to 64.2)). The nerve lesions were predominantly focal prolonged conduction block/neurapraxia in 116 (45%), axonotmesis in 92 (35%) and neurotmesis in 53 (20%) and were evenly distributed between the upper and the lower limbs. Explosions accounted for 164 (63%): 213 (82%) nerve injuries were associated with open wounds. Two or more main nerves were injured in 70 patients. The ulnar, common peroneal and tibial nerves were most commonly injured. In 69 patients there was a vascular injury, fracture, or both at the level of the nerve lesion. Major tissue loss was present in 50 patients: amputation of at least one limb was needed in 18. A total of 36 patients continued in severe neuropathic pain.

This paper outlines the methods used in the assessment of these injuries and provides information about the depth and distribution of the nerve lesions, their associated injuries and neuropathic pain syndromes.

The treatment of chronic osteomyelitis often includes surgical debridement and filling the resultant void with antibiotic-loaded polymethylmethacrylate cement, bone grafts or bone substitutes. Recently, the use of bioactive glass to treat bone defects in infections has been reported in a limited series of patients. However, no direct comparison between this biomaterial and antibiotic-loaded bone substitute has been performed.

In this retrospective study, we compared the safety and efficacy of surgical debridement and local application of the bioactive glass S53P4 in a series of 27 patients affected by chronic osteomyelitis of the long bones (Group A) with two other series, treated respectively with an antibiotic-loaded hydroxyapatite and calcium sulphate compound (Group B; n = 27) or a mixture of tricalcium phosphate and an antibiotic-loaded demineralised bone matrix (Group C; n = 22). Systemic antibiotics were also used in all groups.

After comparable periods of follow-up, the control of infection was similar in the three groups. In particular, 25 out of 27 (92.6%) patients of Group A, 24 out of 27 (88.9%) in Group B and 19 out of 22 (86.3%) in Group C showed no infection recurrence at means of 21.8 (12 to 36), 22.1 (12 to 36) and 21.5 (12 to 36) months follow-up, respectively, while Group A showed a reduced wound complication rate.

Our results show that patients treated with a bioactive glass without local antibiotics achieved similar eradication of infection and less drainage than those treated with two different antibiotic-loaded calcium-based bone substitutes.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014; 96-B:845–50.

This is a case series of prospectively gathered data characterising the injuries, surgical treatment and outcomes of consecutive British service personnel who underwent a unilateral lower limb amputation following combat injury. Patients with primary, unilateral loss of the lower limb sustained between March 2004 and March 2010 were identified from the United Kingdom Military Trauma Registry. Patients were asked to complete a Short-Form (SF)-36 questionnaire. A total of 48 patients were identified: 21 had a trans-tibial amputation, nine had a knee disarticulation and 18 had an amputation at the trans-femoral level. The median New Injury Severity Score was 24 (mean 27.4 (9 to 75)) and the median number of procedures per residual limb was 4 (mean 5 (2 to 11)). Minimum two-year SF-36 scores were completed by 39 patients (81%) at a mean follow-up of 40 months (25 to 75). The physical component of the SF-36 varied significantly between different levels of amputation (p = 0.01). Mental component scores did not vary between amputation levels (p = 0.114). Pain (p = 0.332), use of prosthesis (p = 0.503), rate of re-admission (p = 0.228) and mobility (p = 0.087) did not vary between amputation levels.

These findings illustrate the significant impact of these injuries and the considerable surgical burden associated with their treatment. Quality of life is improved with a longer residual limb, and these results support surgical attempts to maximise residual limb length.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:224–9.

The aim of this study was to report the pattern of severe open diaphyseal tibial fractures sustained by military personnel, and their orthopaedic–plastic surgical management.The United Kingdom Military Trauma Registry was searched for all such fractures sustained between 2006 and 2010. Data were gathered on demographics, injury, management and preliminary outcome, with 49 patients with 57 severe open tibial fractures identified for in-depth study. The median total number of orthopaedic and plastic surgical procedures per limb was three (2 to 8). Follow-up for 12 months was complete in 52 tibiae (91%), and half the fractures (n = 26) either had united or in the opinion of the treating surgeon were progressing towards union. The relationship between healing without further intervention was examined for multiple variables. Neither the New Injury Severity Score, the method of internal fixation, the requirement for vascularised soft-tissue cover nor the degree of bone loss was associated with poor bony healing. Infection occurred in 12 of 52 tibiae (23%) and was associated with poor bony healing (p = 0.008). This series characterises the complex orthopaedic–plastic surgical management of severe open tibial fractures sustained in combat and defines the importance of aggressive prevention of infection.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:101–5.

In this retrospective study we evaluated the method of acute shortening and distraction osteogenesis for the treatment of tibial nonunion with bone loss in 17 patients with a mean age of 36 years (10 to 58). The mean bone loss was 5.6 cm (3 to 10). In infected cases, we performed the treatment in two stages. The mean follow-up time was 43.5 months (24 to 96). The mean time in external fixation was 8.0 months (4 to 13) and the mean external fixator index was 1.4 months/cm (1.1 to 1.8). There was no recurrence of infection. The bone evaluation results were excellent in 16 patients and good in one, while functional results were excellent in 15 and good in two. The complication rate was 1.2 per patient.

We conclude that acute shortening and distraction osteogenesis is a safe, reliable and successful method for the treatment of tibial nonunion with bone loss, with a shorter period of treatment and lower rate of complication.

Between 2005 and 2010 ten consecutive children with high-energy open diaphyseal tibial fractures were treated by early reduction and application of a programmable circular external fixator. They were all male with a mean age of 11.5 years (5.2 to 15.4), and they were followed for a mean of 34.5 months (6 to 77). Full weight-bearing was allowed immediately post-operatively. The mean time from application to removal of the frame was 16 weeks (12 to 21). The mean deformity following removal of the frame was 0.15° (0° to 1.5°) of coronal angulation, 0.2° (0° to 2°) sagittal angulation, 1.1 mm (0 to 10) coronal translation, and 0.5 mm (0 to 2) sagittal translation. All patients achieved consolidated bony union and satisfactory wound healing. There were no cases of delayed or nonunion, compartment syndrome or neurovascular injury. Four patients had a mild superficial pin site infection; all settled with a single course of oral antibiotics. No patient had a deep infection or re-fracture following removal of the frame. The time to union was comparable with, or better than, other published methods of stabilisation for these injuries. The stable fixator configuration not only facilitates management of the accompanying soft-tissue injury but enables anatomical post-injury alignment, which is important in view of the limited remodelling potential of the tibia in children aged > ten years. Where appropriate expertise exists, we recommend this technique for the management of high-energy open tibial fractures in children.

The open blast fracture of the pelvis is considered to be the most severe injury within the spectrum of battlefield trauma. We report our experience of 29 consecutive patients who had sustained this injury in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2010. Their median new injury severity score (NISS) was 41 (8 to 75), and mean blood requirement in the first 24 hours was 60.3 units (0 to 224). In addition to their orthopaedic injury, six had an associated vascular injury, seven had a bowel injury, 11 had a genital injury and seven had a bladder injury. In all, eight fractures were managed definitively with external fixation and seven required internal fixation. Of those patients who underwent internal fixation, four required removal of metalwork for infection. Faecal diversion was performed in nine cases. The median length of hospital stay following emergency repatriation to the United Kingdom was 70.5 days (5 to 357) and the mean total operating time was 29.6 hours (5 to 187). At a mean follow-up of 20.3 months (13.2 to 29.9), 24 patients (82.8%) were able to walk and 26 (89.7%) had clinical and radiological evidence of stability of the pelvic ring.

As a result of the increase in terrorism, injuries that were previously confined exclusively to warfare can now occur anywhere, with civilian surgeons who are involved in trauma care potentially required to manage similar injuries. Our study demonstrates that the management of this injury pattern demands huge resources and significant multidisciplinary input. Given the nature of the soft-tissue injury, we would advocate external fixation as the preferred management of these fractures. With the advent of emerging wound and faecal management techniques, we do not believe that faecal diversion is necessary in all cases.

The types of explosive devices used in warfare and the pattern of war wounds have changed in recent years. There has, for instance, been a considerable increase in high amputation of the lower limb and unsalvageable leg injuries combined with pelvic trauma.

The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan prompted the Department of Military Surgery and Trauma in the United Kingdom to establish working groups to promote the development of best practice and act as a focus for research.

In this review, we present lessons learnt in the initial care of military personnel sustaining major orthopaedic trauma in the Middle East.

This review is aimed at clinicians appraising preclinical trauma studies and researchers investigating compromised bone healing or novel treatments for fractures. It categorises the clinical scenarios of poor healing of fractures and attempts to match them with the appropriate animal models in the literature.

We performed an extensive literature search of animal models of long bone fracture repair/nonunion and grouped the resulting studies according to the clinical scenario they were attempting to reflect; we then scrutinised them for their reliability and accuracy in reproducing that clinical scenario.

Models for normal fracture repair (primary and secondary), delayed union, nonunion (atrophic and hypertrophic), segmental defects and fractures at risk of impaired healing were identified. Their accuracy in reflecting the clinical scenario ranged greatly and the reliability of reproducing the scenario ranged from 100% to 40%.

It is vital to know the limitations and success of each model when considering its application.

Anthrax is extremely rare in the western world but is endemic to areas of south and central Asia. In early 2010 an outbreak was identified in heroin-injecting intravenous drug users in the United Kingdom and Europe. Afghanistan is currently the principal source of heroin which reaches the United Kingdom. When anthrax occurs, cutaneous disease accounts for over 95% of cases. At least 47 cases with 13 deaths have been confirmed so far. We present three cases presenting during this time with marked swelling, one resulting in compartment syndrome but all with an absence of the expected cutaneous appearances.

We suggest that rather than cutaneous anthrax, these patients represent a new subcutaneous presentation of anthrax.

We examined the effects of previous resection of the radial head and synovectomy on the outcome of subsequent total elbow arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Fifteen elbows with a history of resection and synovectomy were compared with a control group of patients who had elbow arthroplasty with an implant of the same design. The mean age in both groups was 63 years. In the study group, resection of the radial head and synovectomy had been undertaken at a mean of 8.9 years before arthroplasty. The mean radiological follow-up for the 13 available patients in the study group was 5.89 years (0.3 to 11.0) and in the control group was 6.6 years (2.2 to 12.6). There were no revisions in either group. The mean Mayo elbow performance score improved from 29 to 96 in the study group, with similar improvement in the control group (28 to 87). The study group had excellent results in 13 elbows and good results in two. The control group had excellent results in seven and good results in six.

Our experience indicates that previous resection of the radial head and synovectomy are not associated with an increased rate of revision following subsequent arthroplasty of the elbow. However, there was a higher rate of complication in the study group compared with the control group.

This study evaluates the long-term survival of spinal implants after surgical site infection (SSI) and the risk factors associated with treatment failure.

A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was carried out on 43 patients who had undergone a posterior spinal fusion with instrumentation between January 2006 and December 2008, and who consecutively developed an acute deep surgical site infection. All were appropriately treated by surgical debridement with a tailored antibiotic program based on culture results for a minimum of eight weeks.

A ‘terminal event’ or failure of treatment was defined as implant removal or death related to the SSI. The mean follow-up was 26 months (1.03 to 50.9). A total of ten patients (23.3%) had a terminal event. The rate of survival after the first debridement was 90.7% (95% confidence interval (CI) 82.95 to 98.24) at six months, 85.4% (95% CI 74.64 to 96.18) at one year, and 73.2% (95% CI 58.70 to 87.78) at two, three and four years. Four of nine patients required re-instrumentation after implant removal, and two of the four had a recurrent infection at the surgical site. There was one recurrence after implant removal without re-instrumentation.

Multivariate analysis revealed a significant risk of treatment failure in patients who developed sepsis (hazard ratio (HR) 12.5 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.6 to 59.9); p < 0.001) or who had > three fused segments (HR 4.5 (95% CI 1.25 to 24.05); p = 0.03). Implant survival is seriously compromised even after properly treated surgical site infection, but progressively decreases over the first 24 months.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:1121–6.

We carried out a retrospective review of 47 intra-articular fractures of the calcaneum treated by open reduction and internal fixation in 45 patients by a single surgeon between 1993 and 2001. The fractures were evaluated before operation by plain radiographs and a CT scan using Sanders’ classification. Osteosynthesis involved a lateral approach and the use of the AO calcaneal plate. The mean follow-up was for ten years (7 to 15). Clinical assessment included the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Score (AOFAS), the Creighton-Nebraska Score, the Kerr, Prothero, Atkins Score and the SF-36 Health Questionnaire. The radiological evaluation consisted of lateral and axial views of the os calcis. Arthritic changes in the subtalar joint were assessed with an internal oblique view and were graded using the Morrey and Wiedeman scale.

There were 18 excellent (38.3%), 17 good (36.2%), three fair (6.3%) and nine poor (19.2%) results. Five patients had a superficial wound infection and five others eventually had a subtalar arthrodesis because of continuing pain. Restoration of Böhler’s angle was associated with a better outcome. The degree of arthritic change in the subtalar joint did not correlate with the outcome scores or Sanders’ classification. Prompt osteosynthesis should be considered for intra-articular fractures of the calcaneum in order to restore the shape of the hindfoot and Böhler’s angle.