1. A case, believed to be the fifth on record, of supracondylar fracture with rupture of the brachial artery is described.

2. The relative immunity of the median nerve in these injuries is discussed, with brief reference to a recent case of complete rupture. Only a single previous report of this complication could be found.

3. It is suggested that these injuries are less uncommon than the number reported would indicate.

4. The anatomy of severe displacement is discussed, with special reference to the role of the brachialis.

5. The danger of closed reduction when the relationship of the upper fragment to the neurovascular bundle is in doubt is stressed.

6. The indications for open reduction are given.

The management of an anterior supracondylar fracture by closed reduction, traction, percutaneous pinning or open reduction is seldom satisfactory, especially for adults and the aged with a lesser ability to remodel and a slower functional recovery. A new, safe, and simple technique is described in which the condylar mass is pushed posteriorly along the axis of the forearm and the hand is rotated to full supination while the elbow is held in flexion to correct deformities. Fixation is divided into two parts: the circular cast around the upper arm provides a firm buttress onto which the lower fragment is reduced and then the arm is immobilised in a plaster which includes the wrist. Four cases of delayed, comminuted, compound fractures have been fully evaluated clinically and radiologically and the results assessed as good or excellent.

Aims. This systematic review asked which patterns of complications are associated with the three reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) prosthetic designs, as classified by Routman et al, in patients undergoing RTSA for the management of cuff tear arthropathy, massive cuff tear, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. The three implant design philosophies investigated were medial glenoid/medial humerus (MGMH), medial glenoid/lateral humerus (MGLH), and lateral glenoid/medial humerus (LGMH). Methods. A systematic review of the literature was performed via a search of MEDLINE and Embase. Two reviewers extracted data on complication occurrence and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). Meta-analysis was conducted on the reported proportion of complications, weighted by sample size, and PROMs were pooled using the reported standardized mean difference (SMD). Quality of methodology was assessed using Wylde’s non-summative four-point system. The study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020193041). Results. A total of 42 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Rates of scapular notching were found to be significantly higher in MGMH implants (52% (95% confidence interval (CI) 40 to 63)) compared with MGLH ((18% (95% CI 6 to 34)) and LGMH (12% (95% CI 3 to 26)). Higher rates of glenoid loosening were seen in MGMH implants (6% (95% CI 3 to 10)) than in MGLH implants (0% (95% CI 0 to 2)). However, strength of evidence for this finding was low. No significant differences were identified in any other complication, and there were no significant differences observed in PROMs between implant philosophies. Conclusion. This systematic review has found significant improvement in PROMS and low complication rates across the implant philosophies studied. Scapular notching was the only complication found definitely to have significantly higher prevalence with the MGMH implant design. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(5):813–821

The April 2023 Shoulder & Elbow Roundup. 360. looks at: Arthroscopic Bankart repair in athletes: in it for the long run?; Functional outcomes and the Wrightington classification of elbow fracture-dislocations; Hemiarthroplasty or ORIF intra-articular distal humerus fractures in older patients; Return to sport after total shoulder arthroplasty and hemiarthroplasty; Readmissions after shoulder arthroplasty; Arthroscopic Bankart repair in the longer term; Bankart repair with(out) remplissage or the Latarjet procedure? A systematic review and meta-analysis; Regaining motion among patients with shoulder pathology: are all exercises equal?

The December 2023 Oncology Roundup. 360. looks at: A single osteotomy technique for frozen autograft; Complications, function, and survival of tumour-devitalized autografts used in patients with limb-sparing surgery; Is liquid nitrogen recycled bone and vascular fibula the biological reconstruction of choice?; Solitary pulmonary metastases at first recurrence of osteosarcoma; Is a radiological score able to predict resection-grade chondrosarcoma in primary intraosseous lesions of the long bones?; Open versus core needle biopsy in lower-limb sarcoma – current practice patterns and patient outcomes; Natural history of intraosseous low-grade chondroid lesions of the proximal humerus; Local treatment modalities and event-free survival in patients with localized Ewing’s sarcoma; Awaiting biopsy results in solitary pathological proximal femoral fractures

The June 2023 Oncology Roundup. 360. looks at: A size-based criteria for flap reconstruction after thigh-adductor soft-tissue sarcoma resection; Surgical treatment of infected massive endoprostheses implanted for musculoskeletal tumours; Free vascularized fibula for proximal humerus oncological reconstruction in children; The national incidence of chondrosarcoma of bone; a review; Bone sarcoma follow-up: when do events happen?; Osteosarcomas in older adults: a report from the Cooperative Osteosarcoma Study Group

Aims. The ulna is an extremely rare location for primary bone tumours of the elbow in paediatrics. Although several reconstruction options are available, the optimal reconstruction method is still unknown due to the rarity of proximal ulna tumours. In this study, we report the outcomes of osteoarticular ulna allograft for the reconstruction of proximal ulna tumours. Methods. Medical profiles of 13 patients, who between March 2004 and November 2021 underwent osteoarticular ulna allograft reconstruction after the resection of the proximal ulna tumour, were retrospectively reviewed. The outcomes were measured clinically by the assessment of elbow range of motion (ROM), stability, and function, and radiologically by the assessment of allograft-host junction union, recurrence, and joint degeneration. The elbow function was assessed objectively by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score and subjectively by the Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) and Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) questionnaire. Results. The mean follow-up of patients was 60.3 months (SD 28.5). The mean elbow flexion-extension ROM was 95.8° (SD 21). The mean MSTS of the patients was 84.4 (SD 8.2), the mean TESS was 83.8 (SD 6.7), and the mean MEPS was 79.2 (SD 11.5). All the patients had radiological union at the osteotomy site. Symptomatic osteoarthritic change was observed in three patients (23%), one of whom ended up with elbow joint fusion. Two patients (15.4%) had recurrence during the follow-up period. Surgical complications included two allograft fractures, two plate fractures, three medial instabilities, and two infections. Conclusion. Osteoarticular ulna allograft reconstruction provides acceptable functional outcomes. Despite a high rate of complications, it is still a valuable reconstruction method, particularly in skeletally immature patients who need their distal humerus physis for the rest of hand growth. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(9):749–757

The April 2023 Trauma Roundup. 360. looks at: Displaced femoral neck fractures in patients aged 55 to 70 years: internal fixation or total hip arthroplasty?; Tibial plateau fractures: continuous passive motion approves range of motion; Lisfranc fractures: to fuse or not to fuse, that is the question; Is hardware removal after clavicle fracture plate fixation beneficial?; Fixation to coverage in Grade IIIB open fractures – what’s the time window?; Nonoperative versus locking plate fixation in the proximal humerus; Retrograde knee nailing or lateral plate for distal femur fractures?

The February 2024 Shoulder & Elbow Roundup. 360. looks at: Does indomethacin prevent heterotopic ossification following elbow fracture fixation?; Arthroscopic capsular shift in atraumatic shoulder joint instability; Ultrasound-guided lavage with corticosteroid injection versus sham; Combined surgical and exercise-based interventions following primary traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation: a systematic review and meta-analysis; Are vascularized fibula autografts a long-lasting reconstruction after intercalary resection of the humerus for primary bone tumours?; Anatomical versus reverse total shoulder arthroplasty with limited forward elevation; Tension band or plate fixation for simple displaced olecranon fractures?; Is long-term follow-up and monitoring in shoulder and elbow arthroplasty needed?

Aims. Early large treatment effects can arise in small studies, which lessen as more data accumulate. This study aimed to retrospectively examine whether early treatment effects occurred for two multicentre orthopaedic randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and explore biases related to this. Methods. Included RCTs were ProFHER (PROximal Fracture of the Humerus: Evaluation by Randomisation), a two-arm study of surgery versus non-surgical treatment for proximal humerus fractures, and UK FROST (United Kingdom Frozen Shoulder Trial), a three-arm study of two surgical and one non-surgical treatment for frozen shoulder. To determine whether early treatment effects were present, the primary outcome of Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) was compared on forest plots for: the chief investigator’s (CI) site to the remaining sites, the first five sites opened to the other sites, and patients grouped in quintiles by randomization date. Potential for bias was assessed by comparing mean age and proportion of patients with indicators of poor outcome between included and excluded/non-consenting participants. Results. No bias in treatment effect was observed overall for the CI site, or the first five sites, compared with the remaining sites in either trial. An early treatment effect on the OSS was observed for the first quintile of participants recruited to ProFHER only (clinically relevant difference of seven points). Selection bias for age was observed in the ProFHER trial only, with slightly younger patients being recruited into the study. Both trials showed some selection bias for markers of poor prognosis, although these did not appear to change over time. Conclusion. No bias in treatment effects overall were found at the CI or early sites set-up. An early treatment effect was found in one of the two trials, which was likely a chance effect as this did not continue during the study. Selection bias was observed in both RCTs, however this was minimal and did not impact on outcome. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2023;4(2):96–103

Aims. Due to their radiolucency and favourable mechanical properties, carbon fibre nails may be a preferable alternative to titanium nails for oncology patients. We aim to compare the surgical characteristics and short-term results of patients who underwent intramedullary fixation with either a titanium or carbon fibre nail for pathological long-bone fracture. Methods. This single tertiary-institutional, retrospectively matched case-control study included 72 patients who underwent prophylactic or therapeutic fixation for pathological fracture of the humerus, femur, or tibia with either a titanium (control group, n = 36) or carbon fibre (case group, n = 36) intramedullary nail between 2016 to 2020. Patients were excluded if intramedullary fixation was combined with any other surgical procedure/fixation method. Outcomes included operating time, blood loss, fluoroscopic time, and complications. Fisher’s exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for categorical and continuous outcomes, respectively. Results. Patients receiving carbon nails as compared to those receiving titanium nails had higher blood loss (median 150 ml (interquartile range (IQR) 100 to 250) vs 100 ml (IQR 50 to 150); p = 0.042) and longer fluoroscopic time (median 150 seconds (IQR 114 to 182) vs 94 seconds (IQR 58 to 124); p = 0.001). Implant complications occurred in seven patients (19%) in the titanium group versus one patient (3%) in the carbon fibre group (p = 0.055). There were no notable differences between groups with regard to operating time, surgical wound infection, or survival. Conclusion. This pilot study demonstrates a non-inferior surgical and short-term clinical profile supporting further consideration of carbon fibre nails for pathological fracture fixation in orthopaedic oncology patients. Given enhanced accommodation of imaging methods important for oncological surveillance and radiation therapy planning, as well as high tolerances to fatigue stress, carbon fibre implants possess important oncological advantages over titanium implants that merit further prospective investigation. Level of evidence: III, Retrospective study. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(8):648–655

Aims. This study was designed to characterize the recurrence incidence and risk factors of antibiotic-loaded cement spacer (ALCS) for definitive bone defect treatment in limb osteomyelitis. Methods. We included adult patients with limb osteomyelitis who received debridement and ALCS insertion into the bone defect as definitive management between 2013 and 2020 in our clinical centre. The follow-up time was at least two years. Data on patients’ demographics, clinical characteristics, and infection recurrence were retrospectively collected and analyzed. Results. In total, 314 patients with a mean age of 52.1 years (SD 12.1) were enrolled. After a mean of 50 months’ (24 to 96) follow-up, 53 (16.9%) patients had infection recurrence including 32 tibiae, ten femora, ten calcanea, and one humerus. Of all patients with recurrence, 30 (9.6%) occurred within one year and 39 (12.4%) within two years. Among them, 41 patients needed reoperation, five received antibiotics treatment only, and seven ultimately required amputations. Following multivariable analysis, we found that patients infected with Gram-negative bacilli were more likely to have a recurrence (odds ratio (OR) 2.38, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20 to 6.94; p = 0.046) compared to Staphylococcus aureus; segmental bone defects (OR 5.25, 95% CI 1.80 to 15.26; p = 0.002) and smoking (OR 3.00, 95% CI 1.39 to 6.50; p = 0.005) were also independent risk factors for recurrence after treatment. Conclusion. Permanent ALCS might be an alternative strategy for definitive bone defect management in selected osteomyelitis cases. However, the overall high recurrence found suggests that it should be cautiously treated. Additionally, segmental defects, Gram-negative infections, and smoking were associated with an increased risk of infection recurrence. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(8):467–475

Aims. The ‘pink, pulseless hand’ is often used to describe the clinical situation in which a child with a supracondylar fracture of the humerus has normal distal perfusion in the absence of a palpable peripheral pulse. The management guidelines are based on the assessment of perfusion, which is difficult to undertake and poorly evaluated objectively. The aim of this study was to review the available literature in order to explore the techniques available for the preoperative clinical assessment of perfusion in these patients and to evaluate the clinical implications. Methods. A systematic literature review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and registered prospectively with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews. Databases were explored in June 2022 with the search terms (pulseless OR dysvascular OR ischaemic OR perfused OR vascular injury) AND supracondylar AND (fracture OR fractures). Results. A total of 573 papers were identified as being suitable for further study, and 25 met the inclusion criteria for detailed analysis. These studies included a total of 504 patients with a perfused, pulseless limb associated with a supracondylar humeral fracture. Clinical examination included skin colour (23 studies (92%)), temperature (16 studies (64%)), and capillary refill time (13 studies (52%)). Other investigations included peripheral oxygen saturation (SaO2) (six studies (24%)), ultrasound (US) (14 (56%)), and CT angiogram (two studies (8.0%)). The parameters of ‘normal perfusion’ were often not objectively defined. The time to surgery ranged from 1.5 to 12 hours. A total of 412 patients (82%) were definitively treated with closed or open reduction and fixation, and 92 (18%) required vascular intervention, ranging from simple release of entrapped vessels to vascular grafts. Conclusion. The description of the vascular assessment of the patient with a supracondylar humeral fracture and a pulseless limb in the literature is variable, with few objective criteria being used to define perfusion. The evidence base for decision-making is limited, and further research is required. We were able, however, to make some recommendations about objective criteria for the assessment of these patients, and we suggest that these are performed frequently to allow the detection of any deterioration of perfusion. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(3):231–238

Aims. Chondrosarcoma is the second most common primary sarcoma of bone: conventional chondrosarcoma accounts for 85% of all cases. Conventional chondrosarcoma may be central or peripheral. Most studies group central and peripheral chondrosarcomas together, although there is growing evidence that their clinical behaviour and prognosis differ. The aims of this study were to analyze any differences in characteristics between central and peripheral chondrosarcomas and to investigate the incidence and role of different syndromes. Methods. Data from two international tertiary referral sarcoma centres between January 1995 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The study population consisted of 714 patients with surgically treated conventional chondrosarcoma of the pelvis and limbs. Results. In patients with Ollier’s disease and Mafucci’s syndrome, 12/20 (60%) and 2/5 (60%) of malignancies, respectively, were in the limbs, most frequently in the proximal humerus, proximal tibia, and in the hands and feet. In patients with hereditary multiple exostosis (HME), 20/29 (69.0%) of chondrosarcomas were in the pelvis and scapula, specifically in the ilium in 13/29 (44.8%) and the scapula in 3/29 (10.3%). In central chondrosarcoma, survival of patients with Ollier’s disease and non-syndromic patients was the same (p = 0.805). In peripheral chondrosarcoma, survival among HME patients was similar (p = 0.676) in patients with tumours of the pelvis and limbs. Conclusion. Both central and peripheral chondrosarcoma have specific characteristics. HME is frequently seen in patients with a peripheral chondrosarcoma, in whom tumours are commonly located in the ilium and scapula. The incidence of Ollier’s disease is uncommon in patients with a central chondrosarcoma. Disease-specific survival is equal in different subtypes after adjustment for histological grade. The local recurrence-free survival is the same for different locations and subtypes after adjustment for surgical margin. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2021;103-B(5):984–990