We present the clinical and radiographic outcome of 81 children
with Gartland type I to III supracondylar humeral fractures at a
minimum follow-up of ten years (mean 12.1 years; 10.3 to 16.1) following
injury. The clinical and functional outcomes are compared with normal
age- and gender-matched individuals. The population-based study
setting was first identified from the institutional registries;
the rate of participation was 76%. Controls were randomly selected
from Finnish National Population Registry.Aims
Patients and Methods
Flail chest from a blunt injury to the thorax is associated with
significant morbidity and mortality. Its management globally is
predominantly non-operative; however, there are an increasing number
of centres which undertake surgical stabilisation. The aim of this
meta-analysis was to compare the efficacy of this approach with
that of non-operative management. A systematic search of the literature was carried out to identify
randomised controlled trials (RCTs) which compared the clinical
outcome of patients with a traumatic flail chest treated by surgical
stabilisation of any kind with that of non-operative management.Aims
Patients and Methods
Conventional methods of treating ankle fractures
in the elderly are associated with high rates of complication. We describe
the results of treating these injuries in 48 frail elderly patients
with a long calcaneotalotibial nail. The mean age of the group was 82 years (61 to 96) and 41 (85%)
were women. All were frail, with multiple medical comorbidities
and their mean American Society of Anaesthesiologists score was
3 (3 to 4). None could walk independently before their operation.
All the fractures were displaced and unstable; the majority (94%,
45 of 48) were low-energy injuries and 40% (19 of 48) were open. The overall mortality at six months was 35%. Of the surviving
patients, 90% returned to their pre-injury level of function. The
mean pre- and post-operative Olerud and Molander questionnaire scores
were 62 and 57 respectively. Complications included superficial
infection (4%, two of 48); deep infection (2%, one of 48); a broken
or loose distal locking screw (6%, three of 48); valgus malunion
(4%, two of 48); and one below-knee amputation following an unsuccessful
vascular operation. There were no cases of nonunion, nail breakage
or peri-prosthetic fracture. A calcaneotalotibial nail is an excellent device for treating
an unstable fracture of the ankle in the frail elderly patient.
It allows the patient to mobilise immediately and minimises the
risk of bone or wound problems. A long nail which crosses the isthmus
of the tibia avoids the risk of peri-prosthetic fracture associated
with shorter devices. Cite this article:
We have observed clinical cases where bone is formed in the overlaying muscle covering surgically created bone defects treated with a hydroxyapatite/calcium sulphate biomaterial. Our objective was to investigate the osteoinductive potential of the biomaterial and to determine if growth factors secreted from local bone cells induce osteoblastic differentiation of muscle cells. We seeded mouse skeletal muscle cells C2C12 on the hydroxyapatite/calcium sulphate biomaterial and the phenotype of the cells was analysed. To mimic surgical conditions with leakage of extra cellular matrix (ECM) proteins and growth factors, we cultured rat bone cells ROS 17/2.8 in a bioreactor and harvested the secreted proteins. The secretome was added to rat muscle cells L6. The phenotype of the muscle cells after treatment with the media was assessed using immunostaining and light microscopy.Objectives
Materials and Methods
The December 2014 Trauma Roundup360 looks at: infection and temporising external fixation; Vitamin C in distal radial fractures; DRAFFT: Cheap and cheerful Kirschner wires win out; femoral neck fractures not as stable as they might be; displaced sacral fractures give high morbidity and mortality; sanders and calcaneal fractures: a 20-year experience; bleeding and pelvic fractures; optimising timing for acetabular fractures; and tibial plateau fractures.
Deep bone and joint infections (DBJI) are directly intertwined with health, demographic change towards an elderly population, and wellbeing. The elderly human population is more prone to acquire infections, and the consequences such as pain, reduced quality of life, morbidity, absence from work and premature retirement due to disability place significant burdens on already strained healthcare systems and societal budgets. DBJIs are less responsive to systemic antibiotics because of poor vascular perfusion in necrotic bone, large bone defects and persistent biofilm-based infection. Emerging bacterial resistance poses a major threat and new innovative treatment modalities are urgently needed to curb its current trajectory. We present a new biphasic ceramic bone substitute consisting of hydroxyapatite and calcium sulphate for local antibiotic delivery in combination with bone regeneration. Gentamicin release was measured in four setups: 1) Objectives
Materials and Methods
The most widely used classification system for
acetabular fractures was developed by Judet, Judet and Letournel over
50 years ago primarily to aid surgical planning. As population demographics
and injury mechanisms have altered over time, the fracture patterns
also appear to be changing. We conducted a retrospective review
of the imaging of 100 patients with a mean age of 54.9 years (19
to 94) and a male to female ratio of 69:31 seen between 2010 and
2013 with acetabular fractures in order to determine whether the
current spectrum of injury patterns can be reliably classified using
the original system. Three consultant pelvic and acetabular surgeons and one senior
fellow analysed anonymous imaging. Inter-observer agreement for
the classification of fractures that fitted into defined categories
was substantial, (κ = 0.65, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to
0.76) with improvement to near perfect on inclusion of CT imaging
(κ = 0.80, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.91). However, a high proportion of injuries
(46%) were felt to be unclassifiable by more than one surgeon; there
was moderate agreement on which these were (κ = 0.42 95% CI 0.31
to 0.54). Further review of the unclassifiable fractures in this cohort
of 100 patients showed that they tended to occur in an older population
(mean age 59.1 years; 22 to 94 Cite this article:
This study describes the Osseointegration Group of Australia’s
Accelerated Protocol two-stage strategy (OGAAP-1) for the osseointegrated
reconstruction of amputated limbs. We report clinical outcomes in 50 unilateral trans-femoral amputees
with a mean age of 49.4 years (24 to 73), with a minimum one-year
follow-up. Outcome measures included the Questionnaire for persons
with a Trans-Femoral Amputation, the health assessment questionnaire
Short-Form-36 Health Survey, the Amputation Mobility Predictor scores
presented as K-levels, 6 Minute Walk Test and timed up and go tests.
Adverse events included soft-tissue problems, infection, fractures
and failure of the implant.Aims
Patients and Methods
The purpose of this study was to compare symptomatic treatment
of a fracture of the base of the fifth metatarsal with immobilisation
in a cast. Our null hypothesis was that immobilisation gave better patient
reported outcome measures (PROMs). The alternative hypothesis was
that symptomatic treatment was not inferior. A total of 60 patients were randomised to receive four weeks
of treatment, 36 in a double elasticated bandage (symptomatic treatment
group) and 24 in a below-knee walking cast (immobilisation group).
The primary outcome measure used was the validated Visual Analogue
Scale Foot and Ankle (VAS-FA) Score. Data were analysed by a clinician,
blinded to the form of treatment, at presentation and at four weeks,
three months and six months after injury. Loss to follow-up was
43% at six months. Multiple imputations missing data analysis was performed.Aims
Patients and Methods
We examined risk of developing acute renal failure and the associated
mortality among patients aged >
65 years undergoing surgery for
a fracture of the hip. We used medical databases to identify patients who underwent
surgical treatment for a fracture of the hip in Northern Denmark
between 2005 and 2011. Acute renal failure was classified as stage
1, 2 and 3 according to the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcome
criteria. We computed the risk of developing acute renal failure
within five days after surgery with death as a competing risk, and
the short-term (six to 30 days post-operatively) and long-term mortality
(31 days to 365 days post-operatively). We calculated adjusted hazard
ratios (HRs) for death with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Aims
Patients and Methods
This review explores recent advances in fixator design and used in contemporary orthopaedic practice including the management of bone loss, complex deformity and severe isolated limb injury.
We assessed the difference in hospital based and early clinical
outcomes between the direct anterior approach and the posterior
approach in patients who undergo total hip arthroplasty (THA). The outcome was assessed in 448 (203 males, 245 females) consecutive
patients undergoing unilateral primary THA after the implementation
of an ‘Enhanced Recovery’ pathway. In all, 265 patients (mean age:
71 years (49 to 89); 117 males and 148 females) had surgery using
the direct anterior approach (DAA) and 183 patients (mean age: 70
years (26 to 100); 86 males and 97 females) using a posterior approach.
The groups were compared for age, gender, American Society of Anesthesiologists
grade, body mass index, the side of the operation, pre-operative
Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and attendance at ‘Joint school’. Mean follow-up
was 18.1 months (one to 50).Aims
Patients and Methods
Deformity of the proximal femur in fibrous dysplasia
leads to deviation of the mechanical axis of the hip, which may lead
to the development of secondary osteoarthritis (OA). This study
investigated the prevalence and predisposing factors for the development
of OA in patients with fibrous dysplasia of the proximal femur.
We reviewed the records of 209 patients from our institutional database
with fibrous dysplasia of the proximal femur, investigating possible predisposing
factors including patient demographics, the extent of the coxa vara
deformity, the presence of peri-articular disease, and the overall
burden of skeletal disease. Of the 209 patients, 24 (12%) had radiological
evidence of OA in the ipsilateral hip. The prevalence was significantly
higher in patients with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia compared with
those with monostotic disease (p <
0.001). In a subgroup analysis of
patients with polyostotic disease, the extent of deformity (quantified
using the neck–shaft angle), and the presence of peri-articular
disease (whether in the head of the femur or the acetabulum) were
significant predictors of osteoarthritis (neck–shaft angle likelihood
ratio (LR) = 0.847 per 1° increase, p = 0.004; presence of lesion
in the head of the femur LR = 9.947, p = 0.027; presence of lesion
in the acetabulum LR = 11.231, p = 0.014). Our data suggest that patients with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia
have a high risk of developing secondary OA of the hips. This risk
is higher in patients with peri-articular disease, and those with
a more severe deformity of proximal femur. Cite this article:
The monitoring of fracture healing is a complex process. Typically, successive radiographs are performed and an emerging calcification of the fracture area is evaluated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether different bone healing patterns can be distinguished using a telemetric instrumented femoral internal plate fixator. An electronic telemetric system was developed to assess bone healing mechanically. The system consists of a telemetry module which is applied to an internal locking plate fixator, an external reader device, a sensor for measuring externally applied load and a laptop computer with processing software. By correlation between externally applied load and load measured in the implant, the elasticity of the osteosynthesis is calculated. The elasticity decreases with ongoing consolidation of a fracture or nonunion and is an appropriate parameter for the course of bone healing. At our centre, clinical application has been performed in 56 patients suffering nonunion or fracture of the femur.Objectives
Materials and Methods
Periprosthetic femoral fracture (PFF) is a potentially
devastating complication after total hip arthroplasty, with historically
high rates of complication and failure because of the technical
challenges of surgery, as well as the prevalence of advanced age
and comorbidity in the patients at risk. This study describes the short-term outcome after revision arthroplasty
using a modular, titanium, tapered, conical stem for PFF in a series
of 38 fractures in 37 patients. The mean age of the cohort was 77 years (47 to 96). A total of
27 patients had an American Society of Anesthesiologists grade of
at least 3. At a mean follow-up of 35 months (4 to 66) the mean
Oxford Hip Score (OHS) was 35 (15 to 48) and comorbidity was significantly
associated with a poorer OHS. All fractures united and no stem needed
to be revised. Three hips in three patients required further surgery
for infection, recurrent PFF and recurrent dislocation and three
other patients required closed manipulation for a single dislocation.
One stem subsided more than 5 mm but then stabilised and required
no further intervention. In this series, a modular, tapered, conical stem provided a versatile
reconstruction solution with a low rate of complications. Cite this article:
Until now, there has been no consensus as to whether stemmed
acetabular components are appropriate for use in patients undergoing
revision total hip arthroplasty (THA) who have major acetabular
defects or pelvic discontinuity. We wished to address this deficiency
in the literature. We carried out a retrospective study of 35 patients (six men
and 29 women) with a mean age of 68 years (37 to 87), with major
acetabular defects who underwent revision THA between 2000 and 2012.Aim
Patients and Methods
Surgical interventions consisting of internal
fixation (IF) or total hip replacement (THR) are required to restore
patient mobility after hip fractures. Conventionally, this decision
was based solely upon the degree of fracture displacement. However,
in the last ten years, there has been a move to incorporate patient
characteristics into the decision making process. Research demonstrating
that joint replacement renders superior functional results when compared
with IF, in the treatment of displaced femoral neck fractures, has
swayed the pendulum in favour of THR. However, a high risk of dislocation
has always been the concern. Fortunately, there are newer technologies
and alternative surgical approaches that can help reduce the risk
of dislocation. The authors propose an algorithm for the treatment
of femoral neck fractures: if minimally displaced, in the absence
of hip joint arthritis, IF should be performed; if arthritis is
present, or the fracture is displaced, then THR is preferred. Cite this article:
The role of arthroscopy in the treatment of soft-tissue
injuries associated with proximal tibial fractures remains debatable.
Our hypothesis was that MRI over-diagnoses clinically relevant associated
soft-tissue injuries. This prospective study involved 50 consecutive
patients who underwent surgical treatment for a split-depression fracture
of the lateral tibial condyle (AO/OTA type B3.1). The mean age of
patients was 50 years (23 to 86) and 27 (54%) were female. All patients
had MRI and arthroscopy. Arthroscopy identified 12 tears of the
lateral meniscus, including eight bucket-handle tears that were
sutured and four that were resected, as well as six tears of the
medial meniscus, of which five were resected. Lateral meniscal injuries
were diagnosed on MRI in four of 12 patients, yielding an overall
sensitivity of 33% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11 to 65). Specificity
was 76% (95% CI 59 to 88), with nine tears diagnosed among 38 menisci
that did not contain a tear. MRI identified medial meniscal injuries
in four of six patients, yielding an overall sensitivity of 67%
(95% CI 24 to 94). Specificity was 66% (95% CI 50 to 79), with 15
tears diagnosed in 44 menisci that did not contain tears. MRI appears to offer only a marginal benefit as the specificity
and sensitivity for diagnosing meniscal injuries are poor in patients
with a fracture. There were fewer arthroscopically-confirmed associated
lesions than reported previously in MRI studies. Cite this article: