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.
We investigated whether the presence of a pathological
fracture increased the risk of local recurrence in patients with
a giant cell tumour (GCT) of bone. We also assessed if curettage
is still an appropriate form of treatment in the presence of a pathological
fracture. We conducted a comprehensive review and meta-analysis
of papers which reported outcomes in patients with a GCT with and
without a pathological fracture at presentation. We computed the
odds ratio (OR) of local recurrence in those with and without a
pathological fracture. We selected 19 eligible papers for final analysis. This included
3215 patients, of whom 580 (18.0%) had a pathological fracture.
The pooled OR for local recurrence between patients with and without
a pathological fracture was 1.05 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66
to 1.67, p = 0.854). Amongst the subgroup of patients who were treated with
curettage, the pooled OR for local recurrence was 1.23 (95% CI 0.75
to 2.01, p = 0.417). A There is no difference in local recurrence rates between patients
who have a GCT of bone with and without a pathological fracture
at the time of presentation. The presence of a pathological fracture
should not preclude the decision to perform curettage as carefully
selected patients who undergo curettage can have similar outcomes
in terms of local recurrence to those without such a fracture. Cite this article:
The use of robots in orthopaedic surgery is an
emerging field that is gaining momentum. It has the potential for significant
improvements in surgical planning, accuracy of component implantation
and patient safety. Advocates of robot-assisted systems describe
better patient outcomes through improved pre-operative planning
and enhanced execution of surgery. However, costs, limited availability,
a lack of evidence regarding the efficiency and safety of such systems
and an absence of long-term high-impact studies have restricted
the widespread implementation of these systems. We have reviewed
the literature on the efficacy, safety and current understanding of
the use of robotics in orthopaedics. Cite this article:
The October 2015 Shoulder &
Elbow Roundup360 looks at: Culture time important in propionibacterium acnes; Microvascularisation of the cuff footprint; Degenerative cuff tears: evidence for repair; Middle ground in distal humeral fractures?; Haste needed in elbow heterotopic ossification; Iatrogenic frozen shoulder; Salvage of failed humeral fixation
Sporting injuries around the ankle vary from
simple sprains that will resolve spontaneously within a few days
to severe injuries which may never fully recover and may threaten
the career of a professional athlete. Some of these injuries can
be easily overlooked altogether or misdiagnosed with potentially
devastating effects on future performance. In this review article,
we cover some of the common and important sporting injuries involving
the ankle including updates on their management and outcomes. Cite this article:
The aims of our study were to provide long-term information on
the behaviour of the thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curve after thoracic
anterior correction and fusion (ASF) and to determine the impact
of ASF on pulmonary function. A total of 41 patients (four males, 37 females) with main thoracic
(MT) adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) treated with ASF were
included. Mean age at surgery was 15.2 years (11 to 27). Mean follow-up
period was 13.5 years (10 to 18).Aims
Patients and Methods
The accurate reconstruction of hip anatomy and
biomechanics is thought to be important in achieveing good clinical
outcomes following total hip arthroplasty (THA). To this end some
newer hip designs have introduced further modularity into the design
of the femoral component such that neckshaft angle and anteversion,
which can be adjusted intra-operatively. The clinical effect of
this increased modularity is unknown. We have investigated the changes
in these anatomical parameters following conventional THA with a
prosthesis of predetermined neck–shaft angle and assessed the effect
of changes in the hip anatomy on clinical outcomes. In total, 44 patients (mean age 65.3 years (standard deviation
( The mean pre-operative neck–shaft angle was significantly increased
by 2.8° from 128° ( Cite this article:
The purpose of this study was to develop an accurate, reliable and easily applicable method for determining the anatomical location of the joint line during revision knee arthroplasty. The transepicondylar width (TEW), the perpendicular distance between the medial and lateral epicondyles and the distal articular surfaces (DMAD, DLAD) and the distance between the medial and lateral epicondyles and the posterior articular surfaces (PMAD, DLAD) were measured in 40 knees from 20 formalin-fixed adult cadavers (11 male and nine female; mean age at death 56.9 years, Objectives
Methods
This randomised trial evaluated the outcome of
a single design of unicompartmental arthroplasty of the knee (UKA) with
either a cemented all-polyethylene or a metal-backed modular tibial
component. A total of 63 knees in 45 patients (17 male, 28 female)
were included, 27 in the all-polyethylene group and 36 in the metal-backed
group. The mean age was 57.9 years (39.6 to 76.9). At a mean follow-up
of 6.4 years (5 to 9.9), 11 all-polyethylene components (41%) were
revised (at a mean of 5.8 years; 1.4 to 8.0) post-operatively and
two metal-backed components were revised (at one and five years).
One revision in both groups was for unexplained pain, one in the
metal-backed group was for progression of osteoarthritis. The others
in the all-polyethylene group were for aseptic loosening. The survivorship
at seven years calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method for the all-polyethylene
group was 56.5% (95% CI 31.9 to 75.2, number at risk 7) and for
the metal-backed group was 93.8% (95% CI 77.3 to 98.4, number at
risk 16) This difference was statistically significant (p <
0.001).
At the most recent follow-up, significantly better mean Western
Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index Scores were found
in the all-polyethylene group (13.4 This randomised study demonstrates that all-polyethylene components
in this design of fixed bearing UKA had unsatisfactory results with
significantly higher rates of failure before ten years compared
with the metal-back components. Cite this article:
Peri-acetabular tumour resections and their subsequent
reconstruction are among the most challenging procedures in orthopaedic
oncology. Despite the fact that a number of different pelvic endoprostheses
have been introduced, rates of complication remain high and long-term
results are mostly lacking. In this retrospective study, we aimed to evaluate the outcome
of reconstructing a peri-acetabular defect with a pedestal cup endoprosthesis
after a type 2 or type 2/3 internal hemipelvectomy. A total of 19 patients (11M:8F) with a mean age of 48 years (14
to 72) were included, most of whom had been treated for a primary
bone tumour (n = 16) between 2003 and 2009. After a mean follow-up
of 39 months (28 days to 8.7 years) seven patients had died. After
a mean follow-up of 7.9 years (4.3 to 10.5), 12 patients were alive,
of whom 11 were disease-free. Complications occurred in 15 patients.
Three had recurrent dislocations and three experienced aseptic loosening.
There were no mechanical failures. Infection occurred in nine patients,
six of whom required removal of the prosthesis. Two patients underwent
hindquarter amputation for local recurrence. The implant survival rate at five years was 50% for all reasons,
and 61% for non-oncological reasons. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor
Society score at final follow-up was 49% (13 to 87). Based on these poor results, we advise caution if using the pedestal
cup for reconstruction of a peri-acetabular tumour resection. Cite this article:
A total of 20 patients with a depressed fracture
of the lateral tibial plateau (Schatzker II or III) who would undergo open
reduction and internal fixation were randomised to have the metaphyseal
void in the bone filled with either porous titanium granules or
autograft bone. Radiographs were undertaken within one week, after
six weeks, three months, six months, and after 12 months. The primary outcome measure was recurrent depression of the joint
surface: a secondary outcome was the duration of surgery. The risk of recurrent depression of the joint surface was lower
(p <
0.001) and the operating time less (p <
0.002) when titanium
granules were used. The indication is that it is therefore beneficial to use porous
titanium granules than autograft bone to fill the void created by
reducing a depressed fracture of the lateral tibial plateau. There
is no donor site morbidity, the operating time is shorter and the
risk of recurrent depression of the articular surface is less. Cite this article:
Atypical cartilaginous tumours are usually treated
by curettage. The purpose of this study was to show that radiofrequency
ablation was an effective alternative treatment. We enrolled 20 patients (two male, 18 female, mean age 56 years
(36 to 72) in a proof-of-principle study. After inclusion, biopsy
and radiofrequency ablation were performed, followed three months
later by curettage and adjuvant phenolisation. The primary endpoint
was the proportional necrosis in the retrieved material. Secondary endpoints
were correlation with the findings on gadolinium enhanced MRI, functional
outcome and complications. Our results show that 95% to 100% necrosis was obtained in 14
of the 20 patients. MRI had a 91% sensitivity and 67% specificity
for detecting residual tumour after curettage. The mean functional
outcome (MSTS) score six weeks after radiofrequency ablation was
27.1 (23 to 30) compared with 18.1 (12 to 25) after curettage (p
<
0.001). No complications occurred after ablation, while two
patients developed a pathological fracture after curettage. We have shown that radiofrequency ablation is capable of completely
eradicating cartilaginous tumour cells in selective cases. MRI has
a 91% sensitivity for detecting any residual tumour. Radiofrequency
ablation can be performed on an outpatient basis allowing a rapid
return to normal activities. If it can be made more effective, it
has the potential to provide better local control, while improving
functional outcome. Cite this article:
The August 2015 Spine Roundup360 looks at: Steroids may be useful in avoiding dysphagia in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF); Perhaps X-Stop ought to stop?; Is cervical plexus block in ACDF the gateway to day case spinal surgery?; Epidural past its heyday?; Steroids in lumbar back pain; Lumbar disc replacement improving; Post-discectomy arthritis