Malpositioning of the trochanteric entry point during the introduction of an intramedullary nail may cause iatrogenic fracture or malreduction. Although the optimal point of insertion in the coronal plane has been well described, positioning in the sagittal plane is poorly defined. . The paired femora from 374 cadavers were placed both in the anatomical position and in internal rotation to neutralise femoral anteversion. A marker was placed at the apparent apex of the greater trochanter, and the lateral and anterior offsets from the axis of the femoral shaft were measured on anteroposterior and lateral photographs. Greater trochanteric morphology and trochanteric overhang were graded. The mean anterior offset of the apex of the trochanter relative to the axis of the femoral shaft was 5.1 mm (. sd. 4.0) and 4.6 mm (. sd. 4.2) for the anatomical and neutralised positions, respectively. The mean lateral offset of the apex was 7.1 mm (. sd. 4.6) and 6.4 mm (. sd. 4.6), respectively. Placement of the entry position at the apex of the greater trochanter in the anteroposterior view does not reliably centre an intramedullary nail in the sagittal plane. Based on our findings, the site of insertion should be about 5 mm posterior to the apex of the trochanter to allow for its anterior offset. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1274–81

We have investigated the anatomy of the proximal part of the ulna to assess its influence on the use of plates in the management of fractures at this site. We examined 54 specimens from cadavers. The mean varus angulation in the proximal third was 17.5° (11° to 23°) and the mean anterior deviation 4.5° (1° to 14°). These variations must be considered when applying plates to the dorsal surface of the ulna for Monteggia-type fractures. A pre-operative radiograph of the contralateral elbow may also be of value.

This study evaluated the effect on movement under load of three different techniques for re-attachment of the tuberosities of the humerus using test sawbones. In the first, the tuberosities were attached both to the shaft and to each other, with one cerclage suture through the anterior hole in the prosthesis. The second technique was identical except for omission of the cerclage suture and in the third the tuberosities were attached to the prosthesis and to the shaft. An orthogonal photogrammetric system allowed all segments to be tracked in a 3D axis system. The humeri were incrementally-loaded in abduction, and the 3D linear and angular movements of all segments were calculated. Displacement between the tuberosities and the shaft was measured.

The first and second techniques were the most stable constructs, with the third allowing greater separation of fragments and angular movement. Separation at the midpoint of the tuberosities was significantly greater using the latter technique (p < 0.05). The cerclage suture added no further stability to the fixation.