In this retrospective observational cohort study,
we describe 17 patients out of 1775 treated for various fractures who
developed mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection after surgery.
The cohort comprised 15 men and two women with a mean age of 40
years (24 to 70). A total of ten fractures were open and seven were
closed. Of these, seven patients underwent intramedullary nailing
of a fracture of the long bone, seven had fractures fixed with plates,
two with Kirschner-wires and screws, and one had a hemiarthroplasty
of the hip with an Austin Moore prosthesis. All patients were followed-up
for two years. In all patients, the infection resolved, and in 14
the fractures united. Nonunion was seen in two patients one of whom
underwent two-stage total hip arthroplasty (THA) and the other patient
was treated using excision arthoplasty. Another patient was treated
using two-stage THA. With only sporadic case reports in the literature,
MTB infection is rarely clinically suspected, even in underdeveloped
and developing countries, where pulmonary and other forms of TB
are endemic. In developed countries there is also an increased incidence
among immunocompromised patients. In this paper we discuss the pathogenesis
and incidence of MTB infection after surgical management of fractures
and suggest protocols for early diagnosis and management. Cite this article:
Patients who have limb amputation for musculoskeletal
tumours are a rare group of cancer survivors. This was a prospective
cross-sectional survey of patients from five specialist centres
for sarcoma surgery in England. Physical function, pain and quality
of life (QOL) outcomes were collected after lower extremity amputation
for bone or soft-tissue tumours to evaluate the survivorship experience
and inform service provision. Of 250 patients, 105 (42%) responded between September 2012 and
June 2013. From these, completed questionnaires were received from
100 patients with a mean age of 53.6 years (19 to 91). In total
60 (62%) were male and 37 (38%) were female (three not specified).
The diagnosis was primary bone sarcoma in 63 and soft-tissue tumour
in 37. A total of 20 tumours were located in the hip or pelvis,
31 above the knee, 32 between the knee and ankle and 17 in the ankle
or foot. In total 22 had hemipelvectomy, nine hip disarticulation,
35 transfemoral amputation, one knee disarticulation, 30 transtibial
amputation, two toe amputations and one rotationplasty. The Toronto
Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) differed by amputation level, with
poorer scores at higher levels (p <
0.001). Many reported significant
pain. In addition, TESS was negatively associated with increasing
age, and pain interference scores. QOL for Cancer Survivors was
significantly correlated with TESS (p <
0.001). This relationship appeared
driven by pain interference scores. This unprecedented national survey confirms amputation level
is linked to physical function, but not QOL or pain measures. Pain
and physical function significantly impact on QOL. These results
are helpful in managing the expectations of patients about treatment
and addressing their complex needs. Cite this article:
Charcot neuro-osteoarthropathy (CN) of the midfoot
presents a major reconstructive challenge for the foot and ankle
surgeon. The Synthes 6 mm Midfoot Fusion Bolt is both designed and
recommended for patients who have a deformity of the medial column
of the foot due to CN. We present the results from the first nine
patients (ten feet) on which we attempted to perform fusion of the
medial column using this bolt. Six feet had concurrent hindfoot fusion
using a retrograde nail. Satisfactory correction of deformity of
the medial column was achieved in all patients. The mean correction
of calcaneal pitch was from 6°
(-15° to +18°) pre-operatively to 16° (7° to 23°) post-operatively;
the mean Meary angle from 26° (3° to 46°) to 1° (1° to 2°); and
the mean talometatarsal angle on dorsoplantar radiographs from 27°
(1° to 48°) to 1° (1° to 3°). However, in all but two feet, at least one joint failed to fuse.
The bolt migrated in six feet, all of which showed progressive radiographic
osteolysis, which was considered to indicate loosening. Four of
these feet have undergone a revision procedure, with good radiological
evidence of fusion. The medial column bolt provided satisfactory correction
of the deformity but failed to provide adequate fixation for fusion
in CN deformities in the foot. In its present form, we cannot recommend the routine use of this
bolt. Cite this article:
The April 2015 Spine Roundup360 looks at: Hyperostotic spine in injury; App based back pain control; Interspinous process devices should be avoided in claudication; Robot assisted pedicle screws: fad or advance?; Vancomycin antibiotic power in spinal surgery; What to do with that burst fracture?; Increasing complexity of spinal fractures in major trauma pathways; Vitamin D and spinal fractures
The February 2015 Foot &
Ankle Roundup360 looks at: Syndesmosis screw removal in randomised controlled trial; Diagnostic value of Hawkins sign; Chevron rules supreme?; Diabetes and ankle replacement; Fixed-bearing ankle replacement; Fusion for osteomyelitis of the ankle; ‘Reformed’ fallers.
We compared the use of broth culture medium for
samples taken in theatre with the standard practice of placing tissue
samples in universal containers. A total of 67 consecutive patients
had standard multiple samples of deep tissue harvested at surgery
and distributed equally in theatre either to standard universal
containers or to broth culture medium. These samples were cultured
by direct and enrichment methods. The addition of broth in theatre to
standard practice led to an increase in sensitivity from 83% to
95% and an increase in negative predictive value from 77% to 91%.
Placing tissue samples directly into broth in the operating theatre
is a simple, inexpensive way to increase the sensitivity of cultures
from infected patients, and does not appear to compromise the specificity
of these cultures. Cite this article:
A poor response to chemotherapy (≤ 90% necrosis)
for osteosarcomas leads to poorer survival and an increased risk of
local recurrence, particularly if there is a close margin of excision.
We evaluated whether amputation confers any survival benefit over
limb salvage surgery (LSS) with narrow margins in patients who respond
poorly to chemotherapy. We only analysed patients with an osteosarcoma of the limb, a
poor response to chemotherapy and close margins on LSS (marginal/intralesional)
or primary amputation: 360 patients (36 LSS (intralesional margins),
197 LSS (marginal margins) and 127 amputations) were included. Local
recurrence developed in 13 (36%) following LSS with intralesional
margins, and 39 (20%) following LSS with marginal margins. There
was no local recurrence in patients who underwent amputation. The
five-year survival for all patients was 41% (95% confidence interval
(CI) 35 to 46), but for those treated by LSS with marginal margins
was 46.2% (95% CI 38 to 53), 36.3% (95% CI 27 to 45) for those treated
by amputation, and 28% (95 CI 14 to 44) for those treated by LSS
with intralesional margins. Patients who had LSS and then developed
local recurrence as a first event had the same survival as those
who had primary amputation without local recurrence. Prophylactic
adjuvant radiotherapy was used in 40 patients but had no discernible
effect in preventing local recurrence. Although amputation offered better local control, it conferred
no clear survival benefit over LSS with marginal margins in these
patients with a poor overall prognosis. Cite this article:
The October 2014 Shoulder &
Elbow Roundup360 looks at: PRP is not effective in tennis elbow; eccentric physiotherapy effective in subacromial pain; dexamethasone in shoulder surgery; arthroscopic remplissage for engaging Hill-Sach’s lesions; a consistent approach to subacromial impingement; delay in fixation of proximal humeral fractures detrimental to outcomes.
The aims of this study were to identify the early
in-hospital mortality rate after hip fracture, identify factors associated
with this mortality, and identify the cause of death in these patients.
A retrospective cohort study was performed on 4426 patients admitted
to our institution between the 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2013
with a hip fracture (1128 male (26%), mean age 82.0 years (60 to
105)). Admissions increased annually, but despite this 30-day mortality
decreased from 12.1% to 6.5%; 77% of these were in-hospital deaths.
Male gender (odds ratio (OR) 2.0, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3
to 3.0), increasing age (age ≥ 91; OR 4.1, 95% CI 1.4 to 12.2) and
comorbidity (American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3 to 5;
OR 4.2, 95% CI 2.0 to 8.7) were independently and significantly
associated with increased odds of in-hospital mortality. From 220
post-mortem reports, the most common causes of death were respiratory
infections (35%), ischaemic heart disease (21%), and cardiac failure
(13%). A sub-group of hip fracture patients at highest risk of early
death can be identified with these risk factors, and the knowledge
of the causes of death can be used to inform service improvements
and the development of a more didactic care pathway, so that multidisciplinary
intervention can be focused for this sub-group in order to improve
their outcome. Cite this article:
We report our experience with glenohumeral arthrodesis
as a salvage procedure for epilepsy-related recurrent shoulder instability.
A total of six patients with epilepsy underwent shoulder fusion
for recurrent instability and were followed up for a mean of 39 months
(12 to 79). The mean age at the time of surgery was 31 years (22
to 38). Arthrodesis was performed after a mean of four previous
stabilisation attempts (0 to 11) in all but one patient in whom
the procedure was used as a primary treatment. All patients achieved
bony union, with a mean time to fusion of 2.8 months (2 to 7). There
were no cases of re-dislocation. One revision was undertaken for
loosening of the metalwork, and then healed satisfactorily. An increase
was noted in the mean subjective shoulder value, which improved
from 37 (5 to 50) pre-operatively to 42 (20 to 70) post-operatively
although it decreased in two patients. The mean Oxford shoulder
instability score improved from 13 pre-operatively (7 to 21) to
24 post-operatively (13 to 36). In our series, glenohumeral arthrodesis
eliminated recurrent instability and improved functional outcome. Fusion
surgery should therefore be considered in this patient population.
However, since the majority of patients are young and active, they
should be comprehensively counselled pre-operatively given the functional
deficit that results from the procedure. Cite this article:
Non-tuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) infection
of the musculoskeletal tissue is a rare disease. An early and accurate diagnosis
is often difficult because of the indolent clinical course and difficulty
of isolating pathogens. Our goal was to determine the clinical features
of musculoskeletal NTM infection and to present the treatment outcomes.
A total of 29 patients (nine females, 20 males between 34 and 85
years old, mean age 61.7 years; 34 to 85) with NTM infection of the
musculoskeletal system between 1998 to 2011 were identified and
their treatment retrospectively analysed. Microbiological studies
demonstrated NTM in 29 patients: the isolates were Cite this article:
Trauma and orthopaedics is the largest of the
surgical specialties and yet attracts a disproportionately small
fraction of available national and international funding for health
research. With the burden of musculoskeletal disease increasing,
high-quality research is required to improve the evidence base for
orthopaedic practice. Using the current research landscape in the
United Kingdom as an example, but also addressing the international
perspective, we highlight the issues surrounding poor levels of
research funding in trauma and orthopaedics and indicate avenues
for improving the impact and success of surgical musculoskeletal
research. Cite this article:
The lack of a consensus for core health outcomes
that should be reported in clinical research has hampered study design
and evidence synthesis. We report a United Kingdom consensus for
a core outcome set (COS) for clinical trials of patients with a
hip fracture. We adopted a modified nominal group technique to derive consensus
on 1) which outcome domains should be measured, and 2) methods of
assessment. Participants reflected a diversity of perspectives and
experience. They received an evidence synthesis and postal questionnaire
in advance of the consensus meeting, and ranked the importance of
candidate domains and the relevance and suitability of short-listed
measures. During the meeting, pre-meeting source data and questionnaire
responses were summarised, followed by facilitated discussion and
a final plenary session. A COS was determined using a closed voting
system: a 70% consensus was required. Consensus supported a five-domain COS: mortality, pain, activities
of daily living, mobility, and health-related quality of life (HRQL).
Single-item measures of mortality and mobility (indoor/outdoor walking
status) and a generic multi-item measure of HRQL - the EuroQoL EQ-5D
- were recommended. These measures should be included as a minimum
in all hip fracture trials. Other outcome measures should be added
depending on the particular interventions being studied. Cite this article:
We present a review of claims made to the NHS
Litigation Authority (NHSLA) by patients with conditions affecting the
shoulder and elbow, and identify areas of dissatisfaction and potential
improvement. Between 1995 and 2012, the NHSLA recorded 811 claims
related to the shoulder and elbow, 581 of which were settled. This
comprised 364 shoulder (64%), and 217 elbow (36%) claims. A total
of £18.2 million was paid out in settled claims. Overall diagnosis,
mismanagement and intra-operative nerve injury were the most common
reasons for litigation. The highest cost paid out resulted from
claims dealing with incorrect, missed or delayed diagnosis, with
just under £6 million paid out overall. Fractures and dislocations
around the shoulder and elbow were common injuries in this category.
All 11 claims following wrong-site surgery that were settled led
to successful payouts. This study highlights the diagnoses and procedures that need
to be treated with particular vigilance. Having an awareness of
the areas that lead to litigation in shoulder and elbow surgery
will help to reduce inadvertent risks to patients and prevent dissatisfaction
and possible litigation. Cite this article:
The maintenance of quality and integrity in clinical
and basic science research depends upon peer review. This process
has stood the test of time and has evolved to meet increasing work
loads, and ways of detecting fraud in the scientific community.
However, in the 21st century, the emphasis on evidence-based medicine
and good science has placed pressure on the ways in which the peer
review system is used by most journals. This paper reviews the peer review system and the problems it
faces in the digital age, and proposes possible solutions. Cite this article:
The April 2014 Trauma Roundup360 looks at: is it safe to primarily close dog bite wounds?; conservative transfusion evidence based in hip fracture surgery; tibial nonunion is devastating to quality of life; sexual dysfunction after traumatic pelvic fracture; hemiarthroplasty versus fixation in displaced femoral neck fractures; silver VAC dressings “Gold Standard” in massive wounds; dual plating for talar neck fracture; syndesmosis and fibular length easiest errors in ankle fracture surgery; and dual mobility: stable as a rock in fracture.
We report the incidence of and risk factors for
complications after scoliosis surgery in patients with Duchenne muscular
dystrophy (DMD) and compare them with those of other neuromuscular
conditions. We identified 110 (64 males, 46 females) consecutive patients
with a neuromuscular disorder who underwent correction of the scoliosis
at a mean age of 14 years (7 to 19) and had a minimum two-year follow-up.
We recorded demographic and peri-operative data, including complications
and re-operations. There were 60 patients with cerebral palsy (54.5%) and 26 with
DMD (23.6%). The overall complication rate was 22% (24 patients),
the most common of which were deep wound infection (9, 8.1%), gastrointestinal
complications (5, 4.5%) and hepatotoxicity (4, 3.6%). The complication
rate was higher in patients with DMD (10/26, 38.5%) than in those
with other neuromuscular conditions (14/84, 16.7% (p = 0.019). All
hepatotoxicity occurred in patients with DMD (p = 0.003), who also
had an increased rate of deep wound infection (19% In our series, correction of a neuromuscular scoliosis had an
acceptable rate of complications: patients with DMD had an increased
overall rate compared with those with other neuromuscular conditions.
These included deep wound infection and hepatotoxicity. Hepatotoxicity
was unique to DMD patients, and we recommend peri-operative vigilance
after correction of a scoliosis in this group. Cite this article: