1. A simple test more sensitive than Ortolani's for the diagnosis of instability of the hip in the new-born is described. It takes only a few seconds to perform and can be quickly taught to doctors, nurses and midwives.

2. About one infant in sixty is born with instability of one or both hips. Over 60 per cent of these recover in the first week of life, and 88 per cent in the first two months. The remaining 12 per cent are true congenital dislocations and persist unless treated, giving an incidence of 1·55 per thousand.

3. Treatment with the type of splint described begun within the first week is simple and effective, and gives a hip clinically normal long before the child begins to walk.

4. The concept of a pre-dislocation phase should be abandoned.

1. A father and two daughters suffering from Paget's disease are described.

2. The father's case is of special interest because he developed a malignant osteoclastoma of the mandible.

3. In the two daughters the condition was notable for the fact that in each case it began at the age of eighteen in the jaws, and led to the development of osteoporosis circumscripta of the skull.

4. The relationship between Paget's disease and osteoporosis circumscripta, and the age incidence and familial incidence of Paget's disease, are discussed.

The introduction of a trabecular tantalum rod has been proposed for the management of early-stage osteonecrosis of the femoral head but serves as a single-point of support of the necrotic lesion. We describe a technique using two or three 4.2 mm (or later 4.7 mm) tantalum pegs for the prevention of collapse of the necrotic lesion. We prospectively studied 21 patients (26 hips) with non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head treated in this manner. Of these, 21 patients (24 hips) were available for radiological and clinical evaluation at a mean follow-up of 46 months (18 to 67). Radiological assessment showed that only eight hips deteriorated according to the Association Research Circulation Osseous classification, and four hips according to the Classification of the Japanese Investigation Committee of Health and Welfare. Functional improvement was obtained with an improvement in the mean Harris hip score from 65.2 (33.67 to 95) to 88.1 (51.72 to 100), the mean Merle D’Aubigné-Postel score from 13 (6 to 18) to 16 (11 to 18), a mean visual analogue score for pain from 5.2 (0 to 9.5) to 2.6 (0 to 7), and the mean Short-Form 36 score from 80.4 (56.8 to 107.1) to 92.4 (67.5 to 115.7). Of these 24 hips followed for a minimum of 18 months, three were considered as failures at the final follow-up, having required total hip replacement. One of the hips without full follow-up was also considered to be a failure. In more than two-thirds of the surviving hips a satisfactory clinical outcome was achieved with promising radiological findings. The estimated mean implant survival was 60 months (95% confidence interval 53.7 to 66.3).

The most common injury in rugby resulting in spinal cord injury (SCI) is cervical facet dislocation. We report on the outcome of a series of 57 patients with acute SCI and facet dislocation sustained when playing rugby and treated by reduction between 1988 and 2000 in Conradie Hospital, Cape Town. A total of 32 patients were completely paralysed at the time of reduction. Of these 32, eight were reduced within four hours of injury and five of them made a full recovery. Of the remaining 24 who were reduced after four hours of injury, none made a full recovery and only one made a partial recovery that was useful. Our results suggest that low-velocity trauma causing SCI, such as might occur in a rugby accident, presents an opportunity for secondary prevention of permanent SCI. In these cases the permanent damage appears to result from secondary injury, rather than primary mechanical spinal cord damage. In common with other central nervous system injuries where ischaemia determines the outcome, the time from injury to reduction, and hence reperfusion, is probably important.

In order to prevent permanent neurological damage after rugby injuries, cervical facet dislocations should probably be reduced within four hours of injury.

We have carried out a retrospective review of 11 Souter-Strathclyde primary total elbow arthroplasties in ten patients with osteoarthritis, over a period of nine years. The diagnosis was primary osteoarthritis in nine elbows and post-traumatic arthritis in two. The mean follow-up was 68 months (15 to 117).

Although no patient was symptomatic, radiological review revealed evidence of loosening affecting three humeral and two ulnar components, one of which subsequently failed and was revised at 97 months. There were no dislocations, deep infections or mechanical failures. Complications included two superficial wound infections and two neurapraxias of the ulnar nerve which resolved.

This study shows that the unlinked Souter-Strathclyde total elbow arthroplasty can be considered for patients with osteoarthritis and gives good symptomatic relief and improvement in function.

The new Ionising Radiation (Medical Exposure) Regulations 2000 (IR (ME)ER) were implemented in January 2001. These regulations state that “the referrer must record in the patient’s notes that a radiograph was taken and what it showed”. As a result it is now incumbent upon the orthopaedic surgeon to document formally the findings of all requested radiographs. We present a case in which a left upper bronchial carcinoma was detected initially on a radiograph of the left shoulder. It highlights the importance of careful examination of the entire radiographic image and the documenting of the findings.

In 14 rabbits we determined the origin of the cells effecting healing of the tendon of supraspinatus inserted into a bony trough. After two weeks both the cellularity of the underlying bone and the thickness of the subacromial bursa were significantly increased in the operated compared with the control shoulders. The cellularity of the stump of the tendon, however, was significantly decreased in the operated shoulders. In this model, both the underlying bone and the subacromial bursa but not the stump of the tendon contributed to the process of repair.

We conclude that the medial stump should be debrided judiciously but that cutting back to bleeding tissue is not necessary during repair of the rotator cuff. Moreover, great care should be taken to preserve the subacromial bursa since it seems to play an important role in the healing process.

We describe a new technique for open reduction, bone grafting and fixation with a single Kirschner wire of unstable fractures of the distal radius. Of the 83 patients treated by this technique, most had regained volar tilt when seen at an average of 13 months after injury. Malunion was seen in 18 patients due either to poor placement of the graft and Kirschner wire or because of both volar and dorsal comminution. Assessment of hand and wrist function showed an average recovery of 63% of mass grip strength with an excellent return of specialised grip strength and range of movement. The advantages of this technique over closed methods include the ability to regain the volar tilt of the distal radius and to achieve reduction at any time before union of the fracture.

1. Paraplegia from fracture-dislocation at the thoraco-lumbar junction is a mixed cord and root injury. The root damage can be distinguished from cord damage by neurological examination and by comparison of the neurological level with the fracture level.

2. Even though the cord injury is complete, as it usually is, the roots often escape or recover.

3. Fracture-dislocations can be divided into stable and unstable types. Because of the possibility of root recovery care must be taken to prevent further damage to the roots by manipulation of the spine or during treatment. For this reason unstable fracture-dislocations are fixed internally by plates.

4. Internal fixation also assists in the nursing of the patient. The nursing technique and the care of the bladder are described.

Sixteen patients who underwent a revision operation for nonunion of fractures of the distal humerus following previous internal fixation were reviewed at a mean follow-up of 39 months (8 to 69).

The Mayo elbow performance score was excellent in 11, good in two, fair in two and poor in one. In 15 patients union was achieved and in one with an infected nonunion a subsequent bone graft was necessary in order to obtain union.

Age, gender, a history of smoking, mechanism of the injury and the AO classification of the initial fracture did not correlate with the development of nonunion. In 12 patients (75%), the initial fixation was assessed as being suboptimal. The primary surgery was regarded as adequate in only three patients. Our findings suggest that the most important determinant of nonunion of a distal humeral fracture after surgery is the adequacy of fixation.

The vertical migration of four configurations of a proximal femoral prosthesis, followed for up to nine years, was measured on standard radiographs. The same implant was used without cement (group 1) and with cement (group 2). The migration of both groups was linear from six months onwards. The mean migration rate and the incidence of late aseptic loosening were both greater in group 1. Survival analysis of the two groups, however, showed no statistically significant difference. In both groups, hips later destined for revision migrated more rapidly from the initial postoperative period onwards, than did the remainder. A threshold migration of 1.2 mm/year during the first two years after implantation detected hips likely to fail with a specificity of 86% and a sensitivity of 78%. This 'migration test' was applied to the results in two further groups of patients in which a modified femoral prosthesis had been implanted without hydroxyapatite coating (group 3) and with hydroxyapatite coating (group 4). The test distinguished between the four groups and suggested that at least two fixation procedures should be abandoned. We conclude that vertical migration measured on standard radiographs in the first two years after implantation can be used to predict late aseptic loosening. New prosthetic configurations should be evaluated by migration measurements before their general release. Our observations support the view that one cause of late aseptic loosening is imperfect initial fixation.

We present the case of a 65-year-old man who developed a malignant fibrous histiocytoma at the lesser trochanter five months after a cementless hip replacement. We have reviewed reports of similar cases and discuss them in terms of the possible mechanisms of sarcomatous degeneration and the latency of such changes.

This paper reports the results of screening 53033 infants for congenital dislocation of the hip between 1970 and 1979, and compares them with the results of a similar screening programme between 1960 to 1969. The number of dislocations missed at neonatal examination is unaltered at 0.11 per cent of live births. Operative treatment was needed in a further 0.07 per cent of the recent series even though the dislocations had been diagnosed within 24 hours of birth. The reasons for the failure of neonatal screening are discussed, and suggestions are made which will improve the situation.

1. The results of internal fixation are described in 470 tibial shaft fractures.

2. The immediate internal fixation of compound fractures was followed by so high an incidence of serious complications that the use of this method is not recommended. The immediate internal fixation of fresh closed fractures was also followed by many complications.

3. Delayed rigid internal fixation proved satisfactory for difficult fractures in which an acceptable reduction could not be obtained by closed means ; skeletal traction was of value in such fractures until the skin was soundly healed.

4. Delayed internal fixation reduced both the healing time and the complications.

1. The term "bumper fracture" is colourful but usually inaccurate. The injury is a valgus split or crush.

2. A series of sixty bumper fractures is reported: forty-eight were treated without operation or plaster.

3. Twenty-seven of the forty-eight patients treated without splintage have been followed up for more than five years, and seventeen of these for more than ten years.

4. The results are satisfactory and there is no evidence that there is any late deterioration of the joint.

5. It is suggested that bumper fractures should be treated without operation and without fixation in plaster.

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.

We performed a modified, rotational acetabular osteotomy through a lateral transtrochanteric approach on 19 hips in 18 patients with a dysplastic joint. Six hips in six patients were operated on using the original approach. The mean age at operation was 28 years (14 to 54) and the mean period of follow-up 2.3 years (1 to 4.4).

Clinical evaluation using the Merle d’Aubigné score showed excellent or good results in 76%. Radiologically, 15 hips showed good acetabular remodelling and no signs of progressive osteoarthritis. In ten hips (40%) there was chondrolysis and collapse of the transferred acetabulum or both within one year, although this gave only mild pain in some patients. Factors which were significantly associated with the grade of outcome included age at the time of operation, the thickness of the transferred acetabulum, failure to use a bone graft, and a transtrochanteric approach.