In this study, we discuss 68 cases in which peripheral nerve trunks were inadvertently divided by surgeons. Most of these accidents occurred in the course of planned operations. Delay in diagnosis and in effecting repair was common. We list the nerves particularly at risk and the operations in which special care is needed. We recommend steps to secure prompt diagnosis and early treatment

The use of ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of disorders of the tendo Achillis is discussed. Some of the pathological processes which occur in Achilles tendinopathy can be identified by ultrasound, which may also be used to direct local treatment

A suspected fracture of the scaphoid remains difficult to manage despite advances in knowledge and imaging methods. Immobilisation and restriction of activities in a young and active patient must be balanced against the risks of nonunion associated with an undiagnosed and undertreated fracture of the scaphoid. The assessment of diagnostic tests for a suspected fracture of the scaphoid must take into account two important factors. First, the prevalence of true fractures among suspected fractures is low, which greatly reduces the probability that a positive test will correspond with a true fracture, as false positives are nearly as common as true positives. This situation is accounted for by Bayesian statistics. Secondly, there is no agreed reference standard for a true fracture, which necessitates the need for an alternative method of calculating diagnostic performance characteristics, based upon a statistical method which identifies clinical factors tending to associate (latent classes) in patients with a high probability of fracture. The most successful diagnostic test to date is MRI, but in low-prevalence situations the positive predictive value of MRI is only 88%, and new data have documented the potential for false positive scans. The best strategy for improving the diagnosis of true fractures among suspected fractures of the scaphoid may well be to develop a clinical prediction rule incorporating a set of demographic and clinical factors which together increase the pre-test probability of a fracture of the scaphoid, in addition to developing increasingly sophisticated radiological tests

It is difficult to establish the diagnosis of an injured shoulder if only one radiographic projection is used. We have compared two lateral projections, the Neer trans-scapular and the apical oblique in 80 patients; the radiographs were presented randomly to 10 casualty officers and nine radiologists. The apical oblique view was found to permit more accurate diagnosis of fractures and of dislocation by both groups

Linburg-Comstock syndrome is characterised by an anomalous tendon slip from the flexor pollicis longus to the flexor digitorum profundus, usually of the index finger. An incidence as high as 60% to 70% has been reported. Post-traumatic inflammation of inter-tendinous connections between the flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus, usually of the index finger, may cause unexplained chronic pain in the distal forearm. A total of 11 patients (eight females, three males), mean age 29.1 years (14 to 47) with a clinical diagnosis of Linburg-Comstock syndrome underwent surgical release of the inter-tendinous connection. The mean follow-up was for 27 months (2 to 48). Ten patients reported excellent relief of pain in the forearm, with independent flexion of flexor pollicis longus and flexor digitorum profundus to the index finger. Surgical release was an effective treatment for the Linburg-Comstock syndrome in this series

The imaging techniques available to aid the diagnosis of ruptures of tendo Achillis, the rotator cuff and the tendon of tibialis posterior in rheumatoid patients are well described. However, ruptures of tendon or muscle at other sites are uncommon and may be overlooked. Diagnosis is often made by localised tenderness, swelling and a lack of active movement associated with a palpable defect. Clinical examination may be inconclusive and can be aided by imaging studies. We report two cases in which ruptures of a tendon were suspected, and ultrasound imaging demonstrated the palpable defect to be a cleavage plane in the subcutaneous fat – a ‘fat fracture’

Three cases of isolated anterior dislocation in the proximal tibiofibular joint are presented. The common aetiological feature was that injury occurred with the knee in hyperflexion and the foot inverted and extended. The symptoms of locking, pain and giving way may lead to an erroneous diagnosis of meniscal injury. Early diagnosis in the acute case enabled easy reduction. In the inveterate cases, resection of the head of the fibula gave complete relief of symptoms

Aims

Knee osteonecrosis in advanced stages may lead to joint degeneration. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) for osteonecrosis has traditionally been associated with suboptimal results. We analyzed outcomes of contemporary TKAs for osteonecrosis, with particular emphasis on: survivorship free from aseptic loosening, any revision, and any reoperation plus the clinical outcomes, complications, and radiological results.

Aims

The aim of this study was to determine if the Oxford Knee and Hip Score (OKHS) can accurately predict when a primary knee or hip referral is deemed nonsurgical versus surgical by the surgeon during their first consultation, and to identify nonsurgical OKHS screening thresholds.

The management and outcome of treatment in 42 patients (49 shoulders) with an infected shoulder prosthesis was reviewed in a retrospective multicentre study of 2343 prostheses. The factors which were analysed included the primary diagnosis, the delay between the diagnosis of infection and treatment and the type of treatment. Treatment was considered to be successful in 30 patients (71%). Previous surgery and radiotherapy were identified as risk factors for the development of infection. All patients with an infected prosthesis had pain and limitation of movement and 88% showed radiological loosening. In 50% of the shoulders, the antibiotics chosen and the length of treatment were considered not to be optimal. The mean follow-up was 34 months. Antibiotics or debridement alone were ineffective. In acute infection, immediate revision with excision of all infected tissue and exchange of the prosthesis with appropriate antibiotic therapy gave the best results. Multidisciplinary collaboration is recommended

From 1962 to 1986, 117,256 neonates were screened for congenital dislocation of the hip (CDH). When the primary physical examination was performed by the junior paediatric staff there was a persistent late diagnosis rate of 0.5 per 1000 live births. When the primary examination was undertaken by experienced orthopaedic personnel (1982 to 1984) the late diagnosis rate fell and fewer infants were splinted

1. Seven cases of sacral extradural cyst are reported. 2. The etiology and clinical features are discussed and the literature reviewed. 3. The differential diagnosis is discussed; certain features, useful in making the diagnosis of sacral extradural cysts, are recorded. 4. When a cyst causes symptoms excision brings relief. Because some cysts are symptomless, it is important to exclude an accompanying prolapsed intervertebral disc

We report six patients with isolated paralysis of the infraspinatus and discuss the diagnosis, pathology, treatment, and outcome over a mean follow-up period of 33 months. Four patients were shown to have space-occupying lesions at the spinoglenoid notch by MRI or ultrasonography or both, and ganglia were confirmed and removed surgically in three, with good results. Ganglia at this site are not uncommon and should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with shoulder pain and weakness

Aims

The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical behaviour, prognosis, and optimum treatment of dedifferentiated low-grade osteosarcoma (DLOS) diagnosed based on molecular pathology.

Aims

It is not known whether change in patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) over time can be predicted by factors present at surgery, or early follow-up. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with changes in PROM status between two-year evaluation and medium-term follow-up.

Aims

The aim of this study was to report the results of custom-made endoprostheses with extracortical plates plus or minus a short, intramedullary stem aimed at preserving the physis after resection of bone sarcomas in children.

In 28 patients with a solitary diagnosis of instability of the trapeziometacarpal joint because of a rupture of the anterior oblique ligament, reconstruction was carried out using a slip of the tendon of flexor carpi radialis. We were able to review 26 patients. The results after a follow-up of four years seven months showed that most (87%) had significant relief from pain and symptoms. Seventeen were graded as good to excellent. The mean grip strength recovered to 86% of the contralateral side. Most patients (81%) felt that they had subjective improvement and would have undergone the operation again. A lesser functional result was seen in those who developed a flexion deformity because of overtightening of the reconstruction. Increased awareness of this lesion can lead to an early and clear diagnosis so that the patient may be advised adequately. We describe a specific, diagnostic, clinical test which we have used consistently and successfully

Osteoarthritis (OA) is an important cause of pain, disability and economic loss in humans, and is similarly important in the horse. Recent knowledge on post-traumatic OA has suggested opportunities for early intervention, but it is difficult to identify the appropriate time of these interventions. The horse provides two useful mechanisms to answer these questions: 1) extensive experience with clinical OA in horses; and 2) use of a consistently predictable model of OA that can help study early pathobiological events, define targets for therapeutic intervention and then test these putative therapies. This paper summarises the syndromes of clinical OA in horses including pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment, and details controlled studies of various treatment options using an equine model of clinical OA