The exact risk to patients undergoing surgery who develop COVID-19 is not yet fully known. This study aims to provide the current data to allow adequate consent regarding the risks of post-surgery COVID-19 infection and subsequent COVID-19-related mortality. All orthopaedic trauma cases at the Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust from ‘lockdown’ (23 March 2020) to date (15 June 2020) were collated and split into three groups. Adult ambulatory trauma surgeries (upper limb trauma, ankle fracture, tibial plateau fracture) and regional-specific referrals (periprosthetic hip fracture) were performed at a stand-alone elective site that accepted COVID-19-negative patients. Neck of femur fractures (NOFF) and all remaining non-NOFF (paediatric trauma, long bone injury) surgeries were performed at an acute site hospital (mixed green/blue site). Patients were swabbed for COVID-19 before surgery on both sites. Age, sex, nature of surgery, American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) grade, associated comorbidity, length of stay, development of post-surgical COVID-19 infection, and post-surgical COVID-19-related deaths were collected.Aims
Methods
Anatomical atlases document classical safe corridors for the
placement of transosseous fine wires through the calcaneum during
circular frame external fixation. During this process, the posterior
tibial neurovascular bundle (PTNVB) is placed at risk, though this
has not been previously quantified. We describe a cadaveric study
to investigate a safe technique for posterolateral to anteromedial
fine wire insertion through the body of the calcaneum. A total of 20 embalmed cadaveric lower limbs were divided into
two groups. Wires were inserted using two possible insertion points
and at varying angles. In Group A, wires were inserted one-third
along a line between the point of the heel and the tip of the lateral
malleolus while in Group B, wires were inserted halfway along this
line. Standard dissection techniques identified the structures at
risk and the distance of wires from neurovascular structures was measured.
The results from 19 limbs were subject to analysis.Aims
Materials and Methods
The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional outcome in patients undergoing implant removal (IR) after fracture fixation below the level of the knee. All adult patients (18 to 75 years) undergoing IR after fracture fixation below the level of the knee between November 2014 and September 2016 were included as part of the WIFI (Wound Infections Following Implant Removal Below the Knee) trial, performed in 17 teaching hospitals and two university hospitals in The Netherlands. In this multicentre prospective cohort, the primary outcome was the difference in functional status before and after IR, measured by the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), with a minimal clinically important difference of nine points.Aims
Patients and Methods
There has been an evolution recently in the management of unstable
fractures of the ankle with a trend towards direct fixation of a
posterior malleolar fragment. Within these fractures, Haraguchi
type 2 fractures extend medially and often cannot be fixed using
a standard posterolateral approach. Our aim was to describe the
posteromedial approach to address these fractures and to assess
its efficacy and safety. We performed a review of 15 patients with a Haraguchi type 2
posterior malleolar fracture which was fixed using a posteromedial
approach. Five patients underwent initial temporary spanning external
fixation. The outcome was assessed at a median follow-up of 29 months (interquartile
range (IQR) 17 to 36) using the Olerud and Molander score and radiographs were
assessed for the quality of the reduction.Aims
Patients and Methods
CT-based three-column classification (TCC) has been widely used in the treatment of tibial plateau fractures (TPFs). In its updated version (updated three-column concept, uTCC), a fracture morphology-based injury mechanism was proposed for effective treatment guidance. In this study, the injury mechanism of TPFs is further explained, and its inter- and intraobserver reliability is evaluated to perfect the uTCC. The radiological images of 90 consecutive TPF patients were collected. A total of 47 men (52.2%) and 43 women (47.8%) with a mean age of 49.8 years (Objectives
Methods
The aim of this study was to describe the technique of distraction
osteogenesis followed by arthrodesis using internal fixation to
manage complex conditions of the ankle, and to present the results
of this technique. Between 2008 and 2014, distraction osteogenesis followed by arthrodesis
using internal fixation was performed in 12 patients with complex
conditions of the ankle due to trauma or infection. There were eight
men and four women: their mean age was 35 years (23 to 51) at the
time of surgery. Bone healing and functional recovery were evaluated
according to the criteria described by Paley. Function was assessed
using the ankle-hindfoot scale of the American Orthopedic Foot and
Ankle Society (AOFAS).Aims
Patients and Methods
The April 2013 Trauma Roundup360 looks at: ankle sprains; paediatric knee haemarthroses; evidence to support a belief; ‘Moonboot’ saves the day; pamphlets and outcomes; poor gait in pilons; lactate and surgical timing; and marginal results with marginal impaction.
Fractures of the proximal interphalangeal joint include a wide spectrum of injuries, from stable avulsion fractures to complex fracture-dislocations. Stability of the joint is paramount in determining the appropriate treatment, which should aim to facilitate early mobilisation and restoration of function.
The fundamental concept of open reduction and internal fixation
(ORIF) of ankle fractures has not changed appreciably since the
1960s and, whilst widely used, is associated with complications
including wound dehiscence and infection, prominent hardware and
failure. Closed reduction and intramedullary fixation (CRIF) using
a fibular nail, wires or screws is biomechanically stronger, requires
minimal incisions, and has low-profile hardware. We hypothesised
that fibular nailing in the elderly would have similar functional
outcomes to standard fixation, with a reduced rate of wound and
hardware problems. A total of 100 patients (25 men, 75 women) over the age of 65
years with unstable ankle fractures were randomised to undergo standard
ORIF or fibular nailing (11 men and 39 women in the ORIF group,
14 men and 36 women in the fibular nail group). The mean age was
74 years (65 to 93) and all patients had at least one medical comorbidity. Complications,
patient related outcome measures and cost-effectiveness were assessed
over 12 months.Aims
Patients and Methods
Prophylactic antibiotics can decrease the risk
of wound infection and have been routinely employed in orthopaedic surgery
for decades. Despite their widespread use, questions still surround
the selection of antibiotics for prophylaxis, timing and duration
of administration. The health economic costs associated with wound
infections are significant, and the judicious but appropriate use
of antibiotics can reduce this risk. This review examines the evidence behind commonly debated topics
in antibiotic prophylaxis and highlights the uses and advantages
of some commonly used antibiotics. Cite this article:
We have compared the outcomes of the use of external fixation devices for spanning or sparing the ankle joint in the treatment of fractures of the tibial plafond, focusing on the complications and the rates of healing. We have devised a scoring system for the quality of reporting of clinical outcomes, to determine the reliability of the results. We conducted a search of publications in English between 1990 and 2006 using the Pubmed search engine. The key words used were pilon, pylon, plafond fractures, external fixation. A total of 15 articles, which included 465 fractures, were eligible for final evaluation. There were no statistically significant differences between spanning and sparing fixation systems regarding the rates of infection, nonunion, and the time to union. Patients treated with spanning frames had significantly greater incidence of malunion compared with patients treated with sparing frames. In both groups, the outcome reporting score was very low; 60% of reports involving infection, nonunion or malunion scored 0 points.
External fixation of distal tibial fractures is often associated with delayed union. We have investigated whether union can be enhanced by using recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7). Osteoinduction with rhBMP-7 and bovine collagen was used in 20 patients with distal tibial fractures which had been treated by external fixation (BMP group). Healing of the fracture was compared with that of 20 matched patients in whom treatment was similar except that rhBMP-7 was not used. Significantly more fractures had healed by 16 (p = 0.039) and 20 weeks (p = 0.022) in the BMP group compared with the matched group. The mean time to union (p = 0.002), the duration of absence from work (p = 0.018) and the time for which external fixation was required (p = 0.037) were significantly shorter in the BMP group than in the matched group. Secondary intervention due to delayed healing was required in two patients in the BMP group and seven in the matched group. RhBMP-7 can enhance the union of distal tibial fractures treated by external fixation.
