The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for the failure
of exchange nailing in nonunion of tibial diaphyseal fractures. A cohort of 102 tibial diaphyseal nonunions in 101 patients with
a mean age of 36.9 years (15 to 74) were treated between January
1992 and December 2012 by exchange nailing. Of which 33 (32%) were
initially open injuries. The median time from primary fixation to
exchange nailing was 6.5 months (interquartile range (IQR) 4.3 to
9.8 months). The main outcome measures were union, number of secondary fixation
procedures required to achieve union and time to union. Univariate analysis and multiple regression were used to identify
risk factors for failure to achieve union. Aims
Patients and Methods
The ageing population and an increase in both
the incidence and prevalence of cancer pose a healthcare challenge, some
of which is borne by the orthopaedic community in the form of osteoporotic
fractures and metastatic bone disease. In recent years there has
been an increasing understanding of the pathways involved in bone
metabolism relevant to osteoporosis and metastases in bone. Newer
therapies may aid the management of these problems. One group of
drugs, the antibody mediated anti-resorptive therapies (AMARTs)
use antibodies to block bone resorption pathways. This review seeks
to present a synopsis of the guidelines, pharmacology and potential pathophysiology
of AMARTs and other new anti-resorptive drugs. We evaluate the literature relating to AMARTs and new anti-resorptives
with special attention on those approved for use in clinical practice. Denosumab, a monoclonal antibody against Receptor Activator for
Nuclear Factor Kappa-B Ligand. It is the first AMART approved by
the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the
US Food and Drug Administration. Other novel anti-resorptives awaiting
approval for clinical use include Odanacatib. Denosumab is indicated for the treatment of osteoporosis and
prevention of the complications of bone metastases. Recent evidence
suggests, however, that denosumab may have an adverse event profile
similar to bisphosphonates, including atypical femoral fractures.
It is, therefore, essential that orthopaedic surgeons are conversant
with these medications and their safe usage. Take home message: Denosumab has important orthopaedic indications
and has been shown to significantly reduce patient morbidity in
osteoporosis and metastatic bone disease. Cite this article:
Given the increasing number of total hip arthroplasty
procedures being performed annually, it is imperative that orthopaedic
surgeons understand factors responsible for instability. In order
to treat this potentially complex problem, we recommend correctly
classifying the type of instability present based on component position, abductor
function, impingement, and polyethylene wear. Correct classification
allows the treating surgeon to choose the appropriate revision option
that ultimately will allow for the best potential outcome. Cite this article:
We report a prospective cohort study of the midterm results of
surgical dislocation of the hip (according to Ganz) to perform resection
of osteochondromas involving the femoral neck in patients with multiple
hereditary exostoses (MHE). Hip range of movement (ROM) was assessed pre- and post-operatively.
Patients’ judgment of post-operative reduction of pain, symptoms,
the Rand 36-item Health Survey (RAND-36) and complications were
analysed. Aims
Methods
The purpose of this study was to compare the long-term results
of primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) in young patients using
either a conventional (CPE) or a highly cross-linked (HXLPE) polyethylene
liner in terms of functional outcome, incidence of osteolysis, radiological
wear and rate of revision. We included all patients between the ages of 45 and 65 years
who, between January 2000 and December 2001, had undergone a primary
THA for osteoarthritis at our hospital using a CPE or HXLPE acetabular
liner and a 28 mm cobalt-chrome femoral head. From a total of 160 patients, 158 (177 hips) were available for
review (CPE 89; XLPE 88). The mean age, body mass index (BMI) and
follow-up in each group were: CPE: 56.8 years (46 to 65); 30.7 kg/m2 (19
to 58); 13.2 years (2.1 to 14.7) and HXLPE: 55.6 years (45 to 65);
BMI: 30 kg/m2 (18 to 51); 13.1 years (5.7 to 14.4).Aims
Methods
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the
long-term functional and radiological outcomes of arthroscopic removal
of unstable osteochondral lesions with subchondral drilling in the
lateral femoral condyle. We reviewed the outcome of 23 patients
(28 knees) with stage III or IV osteochondritis dissecans lesions
of the lateral femoral condyle at a mean follow-up of 14 years (10
to 19). The functional clinical outcomes were assessed using the Lysholm
score, which improved from a mean of 38.1 ( We found radiological evidence of degenerative changes in the
third or fourth decade of life at a mean of 14 years after arthroscopic
excision of the loose body and subchondral drilling for an unstable
osteochondral lesion of the lateral femoral condyle. Clinical and
functional results were more satisfactory.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of changes
in parameters of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) such as fractional
anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in patients
with symptomatic lumbar disc herniation. We also investigated the
correlation between the severity of neurological symptoms and these parameters. A total of 13 patients with unilateral radiculopathy due to herniation
of a lumbar disc were investigated with DTI on a 1.5T MR scanner
and underwent micro discectomy. There were nine men and four women,
with a median age of 55.5 years (19 to 79). The changes in the mean
FA and ADC values and the correlation between these changes and the
severity of the neurological symptoms were investigated before and
at six months after surgery. Aims
Patients and Methods
The authors present the results of a cohort study of 60 adult
patients presenting sequentially over a period of 15 years from
1997 to 2012 to our hospital for treatment of thoracic and/or lumbar
vertebral burst fractures, but without neurological deficit. All patients were treated by early mobilisation within the limits
of pain, early bracing for patient confidence and all progress in
mobilisation was recorded on video. Initial hospital stay was one
week. Subsequent reviews were made on an outpatient basis. Aims
Method
The aims of this study were to evaluate the clinical and radiological
outcomes of instrumented posterolateral fusion (PLF) performed in
patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A total of 40 patients with RA and 134 patients without RA underwent
instrumented PLF for spinal stenosis between January 2003 and December
2011. The two groups were matched for age, gender, bone mineral
density, the history of smoking and diabetes, and number of fusion
segments. The clinical outcomes measures included the visual analogue scale
(VAS) and the Korean Oswestry Disability Index (KODI), scored before
surgery, one year and two years after surgery. Radiological outcomes
were evaluated for problems of fixation, nonunion, and adjacent
segment disease (ASD). The mean follow-up was 36.4 months in the RA
group and 39.1 months in the non-RA group.Aims
Methods
Hip and groin injuries are common in athletes
who take part in high level sports. Adductor muscle tendon injuries represent
a small but important number of these injuries. Avulsion of the
tendons attached to the symphysis pubis has previously been described:
these can be managed both operatively and non-operatively. We describe
an uncommon variant of this injury, namely complete avulsion of
the adductor sleeve complex: this includes adductor longus, pectineus
and rectus abdominis. We go on to describe a surgical technique
which promotes a full return to the pre-injury level of sporting
activity. Over a period of ten years, 15 high-level athletes with an MRI-confirmed
acute adductor complex avulsion injury (six to 34 days old) underwent
surgical repair. The operative procedure consisted of anatomical
re-attachment of the avulsed tissues in each case and mesh reinforcement
of the posterior inguinal wall in seven patients. All underwent a
standardised rehabilitation programme, which was then individualised
to be sport-specific. One patient developed a superficial wound infection, which was
successfully treated with antibiotics. Of the 15 patients, four
complained of transient local numbness which resolved in all cases.
All patients (including seven elite athletes) returned to their
previous level of participation in sport. Cite this article:
Between 2005 and 2012, 50 patients (23 female, 27 male) with
nonunion of the humeral shaft were included in this retrospective
study. The mean age was 51.3 years (14 to 88). The patients had
a mean of 1.5 prior operations ( All patients were assessed according to a specific risk score
in order to devise an optimal and individual therapy plan consistent
with the Diamond Concept. In 32 cases (64%), a change in the osteosynthesis
to an angular stable locking compression plate was performed. According
to the individual risk an additional bone graft and/or bone morphogenetic
protein-7 (BMP-7) were applied. A successful consolidation of the nonunion was observed in 37
cases (80.4%) with a median healing time of six months (IQR 6).
Younger patients showed significantly better consolidation. Four
patients were lost to follow-up. Revision was necessary in a total
of eight (16%) cases. In the initial treatment, intramedullary nailing
was most common. Methods
Results
The aims of this study were to report functional
outcomes of salvage procedures for patients with cerebral palsy (CP)
who have chronic dislocation of the hip using validated scoring
systems, and to compare the results of three surgical techniques. We reviewed 37 patients retrospectively. The mean age at the
time of surgery was 12.2 years (8 to 22) and the mean follow-up
was 56 months (24 to 114). Patients were divided into three groups:
14 who underwent proximal femoral resection arthroplasty (PFRA group
1), ten who underwent subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy (SVO group 2),
and 13 who underwent subtrochanteric valgus osteotomy with resection
of the femoral head (SVO with FHR group 3). All patients were evaluated
using the Caregiver Priorities and Child Health Index of Life with
Disabilities (CPCHILD) and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory
(PedsQL). Significant improvements occurred in most CPCHILD and PedsQL
subsection scores following surgery in all patients, without significant
differences between the groups. There were 12 post-operative complications.
Less severe complications were seen in group 1 than in groups 2
and 3. Salvage surgery appears to provide pain relief in patients with
CP who have painful chronic dislocation of the hip. The three salvage
procedures produced similar results, however, we recommend the use
of PFRA as the complications are less severe. Take home message: Salvage surgery can be of benefit to patients
with CP with chronic painful hip dislocation, but should be limited
to selected patients considering complications. Cite this article:
We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of 33
consecutive patients who had undergone an extra-articular, total or
partial scapulectomy for a malignant tumour of the shoulder girdle
between 1 July 2001 and 30 September 2013. Of these, 26 had tumours
which originated in the scapula or the adjacent soft tissue and
underwent a classic Tikhoff–Linberg procedure, while seven with
tumours arising from the proximal humerus were treated with a modified
Tikhoff-Linberg operation. We used a Ligament Advanced Reinforcement
System for soft-tissue reconstruction in nine patients, but not
in the other 24. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score (MSTS) was 17.6
(95% confidence interval (CI) 15.9 to 19.4); 17.6 (95% CI 15.5 to
19.6) after the classic Tikhoff–Linberg procedure and 18.1 (95%
CI 13.8 to 22.3) after the modified Tikhoff–Linberg procedure. Patients
who had undergone a LARS soft-tissue reconstruction had a mean score
of 18.6 (95% (CI) 13.9 to 22.4) compared with 17.2 (95% CI 15.5
to 19.0) for those who did not. The Tikhoff–Linberg procedure is a useful method for wide resection
of a malignant tumour of the shoulder girdle which helps to preserve
hand and elbow function. The method of soft-tissue reconstruction
has no effect on functional outcome. Cite this article:
The October 2015 Trauma Roundup360 looks at: PCA not the best in resuscitation; Impact of trauma centre care; Quality of life after a hip fracture; Recovery and severity of injury: open tibial fractures in the spotlight; Assessment of the triplane fractures; Signs of an unstable paediatric pelvis; Safe insertion of SI screws: are two views required?; Post-operative delirium under the spotlight; Psychological effects of fractures; K-wires cost effective in DRAFFT
Lately, concerns have arisen following the use of large metal-on-metal bearings in hip replacements owing to reports of catastrophic soft-tissue reactions resulting in implant failure and associated complications. This review examines the literature and contemporary presentations on current clinical dilemmas in metal-on-metal hip replacement.
As adverse events related to metal on metal hip
arthroplasty have been better understood, there has been increased
interest in toxicity related to the high circulating levels of cobalt ions.
However, distinguishing true toxicity from benign elevations in
cobalt levels can be challenging. The purpose of this review is
to examine the use of cobalt alloys in total hip arthroplasty, to
review the methods of measuring circulating cobalt levels, to define
a level of cobalt which is considered pathological and to review
the pathophysiology, risk factors and treatment of cobalt toxicity.
To the best of our knowledge, there are 18 published cases where
cobalt metal ion toxicity has been attributed to the use of cobalt-chromium
alloys in hip arthroplasty. Of these cases, the great majority reported
systemic toxic reactions at serum cobalt levels more than 100 μg/L.
This review highlights some of the clinical features of cobalt toxicity,
with the goal that early awareness may decrease the risk factors
for the development of cobalt toxicity and/or reduce its severity. Take home message: Severe adverse events can arise from the release
of cobalt from metal-on-metal arthroplasties, and as such, orthopaedic
surgeons should not only be aware of the presenting problems, but
also have the knowledge to treat appropriately. Cite this article:
Correct positioning and alignment of components during primary total knee replacement (TKR) is widely accepted to be an important predictor of patient satisfaction and implant durability. This retrospective study reports the effect of the post-operative mechanical axis of the lower limb in the coronal plane on implant survival following primary TKR. A total of 501 TKRs in 396 patients were divided into an aligned group with a neutral mechanical axis (± 3°) and a malaligned group where the mechanical axis deviated from neutral by >
3°. At 15 years’ follow-up, 33 of 458 (7.2%) TKRs were revised for aseptic loosening. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a weak tendency towards improved survival with restoration of a neutral mechanical axis, but this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.47). We found that the relationship between survival of a primary TKR and mechanical axis alignment is weaker than that described in a number of previous reports.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the risk
factors for dislocation of the bearing after a mobile-bearing Oxford medial
unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) and to test the hypothesis
that surgical factors, as measured from post-operative radiographs,
are associated with its dislocation From a total of 480 UKRs performed between 2001 and 2012, in
391 patients with a mean age of 66.5 years (45 to 82) (316 female,
75 male), we identified 17 UKRs where bearing dislocation occurred.
The post-operative radiological measurements of the 17 UKRs and
51 matched controls were analysed using conditional logistic regression analysis.
The post-operative radiological measurements included post-operative
change in limb alignment, the position of the femoral and tibial
components, the resection depth of the proximal tibia, and the femoral component-posterior
condyle classification. We concluded that a post-operative decrease in the posterior
tibial slope relative to the pre-operative value was the only significant
determinant of dislocation of the bearing after medial Oxford UKR
(odds ratio 1.881; 95% confidence interval 1.272 to 2.779). A post-operative
posterior tibial slope <
8.45° and a difference between the pre-operative
and post-operative posterior tibial slope of >
2.19° may increase
the risk of dislocation. Cite this article:
This study examined the relationship between the cross-over sign and the true three-dimensional anatomical version of the acetabulum. We also investigated whether in true retroversion there is excessive femoral head cover anteriorly. Radiographs of 64 hips in patients being investigated for symptoms of femoro-acetabular impingement were analysed and the presence of a cross-over sign was documented. CT scans of the same hips were analysed to determine anatomical version and femoral head cover in relation to the anterior pelvic plane after correcting for pelvic tilt. The sensitivity and specificity of the cross-over sign were 92% and 55%, respectively for identifying true acetabular retroversion. There was no significant difference in total cover between normal and retroverted cases. Anterior and posterior cover were, however, significantly different (p <
0.001 and 0.002). The cross-over sign was found to be sensitive but not specific. The results for femoral head cover suggest that retroversion is characterised by posterior deficiency but increased cover anteriorly.
The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy
of placement of pelvic binders and to determine whether circumferential
compression at the level of the greater trochanters is the best
method of reducing a symphyseal diastasis. Patients were identified by a retrospective review of all pelvic
radiographs performed at a military hospital over a period of 30
months. We analysed any pelvic radiograph on which the buckle of
the pelvic binder was clearly visible. The patients were divided
into groups according to the position of the buckle in relation
to the greater trochanters: high, trochanteric or low. Reduction
of the symphyseal diastasis was measured in a subgroup of patients
with an open-book fracture, which consisted of an injury to the
symphysis and disruption of the posterior pelvic arch (AO/OTA 61-B/C). We identified 172 radiographs with a visible pelvic binder. Five
cases were excluded due to inadequate radiographs. In 83 (50%) the
binder was positioned at the level of the greater trochanters. A
high position was the most common site of inaccurate placement,
occurring in 65 (39%). Seventeen patients were identified as a subgroup
to assess the effect of the position of the binder on reduction
of the diastasis. The mean gap was 2.8 times greater (mean difference
22 mm) in the high group compared with the trochanteric group (p
<
0.01). Application of a pelvic binder above the level of the greater
trochanters is common and is an inadequate method of reducing pelvic
fractures and is likely to delay cardiovascular recovery in these
seriously injured patients.
