To identify ideal screw placement for internal fixation of intra capsular fracture neck of femur to avoid fixation failures, 20 cadaveric bone measurements of the neck of femur in basal, midcervical and at sub capital regions were carried out using Vernial caliper and CT scan. Midcervical region of neck of femur measurements were further divided into upper half (Superior half) and Inferior half (Inferior Half).

AP and Lateral view X-rays were obtained following three parallel screws placements in Femur neck:

Configuration 1: Triangular configuration where two screws are inferior and one superior.

Configuration 2: Triangular configuration where two screws are placed superiorly and one screw inferiorly.

Neck has wider diameter in the upper half of neck of femur than in the lower half in the mid cervical region.

Fracture neck of femur with delayed presentation in young patients can be a surgical challenge. Such scenarios are rare in the developed world but not uncommon in developing countries.

To present the medium term results of open reduction and internal fixation accompanied by Quadratus Femoris muscle pedicle grafting in young patients who presented with a delay after sustaining a fracture neck of femur, 42 patients with fracture neck of femur with delayed presentation were treated with open reduction and internal fixation and supplemented with Quadratus Femoris muscle pedicle graft. A posterior approach was used in all cases. The patients were advised not to bear weight until there was clinical and radiological union. Functional recovery was assessed by gait and ability to squat on the floor.

The age of the patients, predominantly male, ranged from 24 yrs to 50 yrs. Radiological union occurred on average at 6 months. Thirty-six patients proceeded to union; six patients had non-union and needed revision surgery. Complications included varus union in 9 cases; shortening greater than 2 cms occurred in 6 cases.

Quadratus Femoris muscle pedicle grafting described by Meyer in the 1970s is useful in treating fracture neck of femur. Open reduction and internal fixation of the fracture neck of femur when supplemented with Quadratus Femoris muscle pedicle graft fixation promoted the union of fracture and preserved the head the femur.

Ballistic fractures are devastating injuries often necessitating reconstructive surgery or amputation. Complications following surgery are common, particularly in the austere environment of war. Workload from the recent conflict was documented in order to guide future medical need. All data on ballistic fractures was collected prospectively. Fractures were scored using the Red Cross Fracture Classification.

During the first two weeks of the conflict, 202 Field Hospital was the sole British hospital in the region. Thereafter, until the end of the conflict, it became the tertiary referral hospital for cases requiring orthopaedic and plastic surgery opinions. Thirty-nine patients, with 50 ballistic fractures were treated by British military surgeons. Patients were predominantly Iraqi (20 enemy prisoners of war and 15 civilians); 4 children sustained five fractures.

Fifty percent were caused by bullets. Seventeen upper limb fractures and 33 lower limb fractures were sustained. A total of 30 per cent of wounds became infected, 12 per cent were deep infection necessitating surgical drainage. Thirteen limbs were amputated; seven were traumatic amputations.

Ballistic fractures remain a challenge for surgeons in times of war. There is a continued need to relearn the principles of war surgery in order to minimise complications and restore function. Military medical skills training and available resources must reflect these fundamental changes in order to properly prepare for future conflicts.

Minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty is growing in popularity. It appears to reduce blood loss, reduce hospital stay, improve post-operative quadriceps function and shorten post-operative recovery. We show our experience of minimally invasive TKA with a computer navigation system.

The first series compared forty MICA TKA and forty conventional computer assisted total knee arthroplasties (CATKA). Component positioning was assessed radiographically with long leg Maquet views. Knee Society Scores (KSS) were recorded pre-operatively and at 6, 12, 18 months. Length of stay and recovery of straight leg raise was also recorded. A second series of fifty MICATKA patients were assessed post-operatively for component alignment using long leg Maquet views. Twenty-two of these patients had assessment of femoral rotation using CT.

In the first series pre-operative KSS showed no significant difference between the two groups. Post-operatively the mean femoral component alignment was 89.7 degrees for MICATKA and 90.2 for CATKA. The mean tibial component alignment was 89.7 degrees for both. KSS at 6, 12, 18 months were statistically better in the MICATKA (p<000.1). Straight leg raise was achieved by day one in 93% of the MICATKA compared to 30% of the CATKA. Length of stay for MICATKA was a mean of 3.25 days with CATKA a mean of 6 days. In the second series the mean femoral component varus/valgus angle was 89.98 degrees, the mean tibial component varus/valgus angle was 89.91 degrees and the mean femoral component rotation was 0.6 degrees of external rotation.

MICATKA is a safe procedure with reproducible results. Alignment is equivalent to CATKA. It gives statistically significant improvement in KSS compared to the open procedure. The length of stay and time to straight leg raise are also reduced. At 2 years follow-up we have seen no revisions and no evidence of loosening radiographically.

The aim of this study was to assess the risks and benefits of mini-incision TKR. The limited exposure afforded by the small skin incision in the new technique of mini-incision TKR has the potential for increasing the risk of mal-positioning of components. Minor mal-positioning of components has the potential to increase polyethylene wear and may lead to early loosening and poor functioning of the TKR. The literature supports the concept that alignment within +/- 3 degrees of neutral mechanical alignment in the coronal plane is associated with a better outcome. If the mechanical axis falls outside this range it may have up to a 30% failure rate at 10 years.

We report the results of 166 mini-incision TKR that have been undertaken in 154 patients (96F; 58M; mean age 72; mean BMI 29; 96% OA) since November 2003. The pre-operative mechanical axis ranged from 8 degrees valgus to 15 degrees varus. Surgery was undertaken with a precise skin incision and a midvastus split approach. Specialised cutting blocks were used to facilitate a smaller incision. The prosthesis inserted was a cemented Zimmer NexGen TKR of either posterior stabilised or cruciate retaining form.

Long leg weight bearing alignment radiographs were available in 52% of patients. The mechanical axis was measured in the coronal plane and found to lie within +/- 3 degrees of neutral in 86% of patients. This compares favourably with the current literature which reports the mechanical axis falling within this range in between 72% and 85% of cases.

We believe the mini-incision TKR is a safe, reliable and reproducible technique offering substantial savings to the patient and health service without compromising accuracy.

Poor outcome in ACL reconstruction is often related to tunnel position. This study investigates the use of surgical navigation to improve outcome. Improving accuracy of tunnel position will lead to improved outcome.

In a prospective randomised controlled trial 60 ACL plasties with quadruple-loop semi-tendinosus and gracilis tendon were randomised to either standard instrumentation or computer assisted guides to position the tibial and femoral tunnels. The results were evaluated on clinical outcome based on IKDC laxity measurements and radiologic assessment of anterior drawer at 150 and 200N as well as radiological assessment of the tunnel positions.

No complications were observed in either group. IKDC laxity was level A in 22 knees in the conventional group (average 1.5 mm (0-6) at 200N) compared with 26 navigated knees (average laxity 1.3mm (0-5)). Laxity was less than 2 mm in 96.7% of the navigated group (83% in conventional group). The variability of laxity in the navigated group was significantly less than the conventional group, with the standard deviation of the navigated group being smaller than the conventional group standard deviation (p = 0.0003 at 150N and 0.0005 at 200N TELOS).

A significant difference (p=0.03) was found between the groups in the ATB value characterising the sagittal position of the tibial tunnel (negative ATB values imply graft impingement in extension). In the conventional group mean ATB was -1.2 (-5-+4) while it was 0.4 (0 - 3) in Group II. There were no negative ATB values in the Navigated Group.

The use of computer assisted navigation creates a more consistently accurate tibial tunnel position than using conventional techniques. It is suggested that this should reduce impingement and improve graft longevity.

The Osteoprotegerin/RANK/RANKL system has been implicated in the biological cascade of events initiated by particulate wear debris and bacterial infection resulting in periprosthetic bone loss around loosened total hip arthroplasties (THA). Individual responses to such stimuli may be dictated by genetic variation and we have studied the effect of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within these genes.

We performed a case control study of the Osteoprotegerin, RANK and RANKL genes for possible association with deep sepsis or aseptic loosening. All patients included in the study were Caucasian and had had a cemented Charnley THA and polyethylene acetabular cup. Cases consisted of 91 patients with early aseptic loosening and 71 patients with microbiological evidence at surgery of deep infection. Controls consisted of 150 THAs that were clinically asymptomatic for over 10 years and demonstrated no radiographic features of aseptic loosening. DNA samples from all individuals were genotyped using Taqman allelic discrimination.

The A allele (p<0.001) and homozygous genotype A/A (p<0.001) for the OPG-163 SNP were highly associated with aseptic failure. Additionally, the RANK-575 (C/T SNP) T allele (p=0.004) and T/T genotype (p=0.008) frequencies were associated with aseptic failure. No statistically significant relationship was found between aseptic loosening and the OPG- 245 or OPG-1181 SNPs.

When the septic group was compared to controls, the frequency of the A allele (p<0.001) and homozygous genotype A/A (p<0.001) for the OPG-163 SNP were statistically significant. No statistically significant relationship was found between septic failure and the OPG- 245, OPG-1181 or RANK-575 SNPs.

Aseptic loosening and possibly deep infection of THA may be under genetic influence to candidate susceptibility genes. SNP markers may serve as predictors of implant survival and aid pharmacogenomic prevention of THA failure.

Ten percent of fractures end in delayed or non-union. NSAIDs have been linked to an inhibitory action on fracture repair for three decades yet the mechanism of action remains to be elucidated. Cancer research has identified that NSAIDs impede cell proliferation by inhibiting angiogenesis. It is proposed that a similar mechanism occurs in the induction of NSAID induced non-union. We have investigated this hypothesis in a randomised placebo control trial of the NSAID rofecoxib using a murine femoral fracture.

All animals had an open femoral fracture treated using an external fixator. Outcomes measures included x-ray, histology and biomechanical testing, with laser Doppler used to assess blood flow across the fracture gap.

Radiology showed similar healing patterns in both groups; however, at the later stages (day 32) the NSAID group had significantly poorer healing. Histological analysis showed that controls healed quicker (days 24 and 32), with more callus (day 8) and less fibrous tissue (Day 32). Biomechanical testing showed controls were stronger at day 32. Both groups exhibited a similar pattern of blood flow; however NSAIDs exhibited a lower median flow from day 4 onwards (significant at days 4, 16 and 24).

Positive correlations were demonstrated between both histological and radiographic assessments of healing, with increasing blood flow. NSAID animals exhibited lower flows and poorer healing by all outcomes. Regression analysis demonstrates, however, that the negative effect of NSAIDs on fracture repair is independent of its inhibitory action on blood flow.

COX-2 inhibitors are marketed as having cleaner side effect profiles and are widely used in trauma patients. Following development of a novel method of analysing functional vascularity across a fracture gap, we have demonstrated that the COX-2 inhibitor rofecoxib has a significant negative effect on blood flow at the fracture gap alongside inhibiting fracture repair.

The effects of wear particles on artificial hip joints are well documented. Aseptic loosening has been demonstrated to be dependent on both particle numbers and particle size. This study investigated the effects of stem material and surface finish on particles produced at the stem/cement interface in cemented artificial hips. Three commonly used implant materials of different hardness were investigated: cobalt chrome, the hardest of the three materials, stainless steel and titanium alloy which was the softest material tested.

The surfaces of three femoral stems with different surface finishes were measured and used as templates; the Exeter which is highly polished, the Charnley which is moderately rough and the Capital which is very rough. Test plates were manufactured in each material and with each surface finish making 9 sets of plates in all.

The plates were opposed to cement pins (CMW) in a sliding wear tester. The volume of debris produced was calculated from measurements of the pins pre- and post-test. The debris was collected, filtered and examined under the electron microscope, which allowed particle sizes of a representative sample of debris to be measured. From this mean particle size was calculated.

Volume of debris: for all three materials the roughest surface produced the greatest volume of debris and the smoothest surface the least. For any given surface finish the softest material produced the greatest volume of debris and the hardest material the least.

Size of particles: for all three materials the roughest surfaces produced the largest particles and the smoothest surface the smallest particles. For any given surface finish the hardest material produced the smallest particles and the softest material produced the largest particles.

Instances of skin burns whilst splitting orthopaedic casts using oscillating plaster saws have been reported. Previous work has found contact temperatures over 65°C to burn skin within a second. We compared saw blade temperatures generated whilst splitting casts using two blades, two cutting techniques, with and without a dust extraction vacuum.

Gypsona (Smith & Nephew Healthcare), Scotchcast Poly, Scotchcast Softcast and Scotchcast Plus Fibreglass (3M Healthcare) casts were formed by applying casting material to PVC pipe over cast padding and stockingette. Casts were left for one week to dry and then split using an all-purpose cast saw blade and a mortuary saw blade (de Soutter) fitted to a CleanCast CC5 oscillating saw (de Soutter). This saw has an inbuilt vacuum dust extraction system; casts were split with this system turned on and off, using the standard ‘up-down’ technique and a dragging technique. Blade temperatures were recorded during splitting using a digital thermometer (DS18B20, Dallas Semiconductors) fixed to the blade. Average maximum blade temperatures from five cuts were calculated and statistical analysis conducted.

Splitting synthetic casts with an ‘up-down’ technique generated higher temperatures than splitting gypsona (softcast +5.5°C p=0.06, fibreglass +9.0°C p=0.03, polyester +20.0°C p<0.001). Mortuary blades generated similar temperatures to cast saw blades except whilst splitting fibreglass (+5.6°C p=0.031). Compared to the ‘up-down’ technique, the ‘dragging’ technique generated higher blade temperatures irrespective of material (gypsona +10.7°C p=0.005, softcast +7.1°C p=0.001, fibreglass +16.6°C p=0.001, polyester +11.4°C p=0.001). The vacuum dust extraction system reduced temperature irrespective of material being split (gypsona -12.4°C p=0.002, softcast - 20.7°C p<0.001, fibreglass -19.2°C p=0.001, polyester -29.1 p<0.001)

Blade temperatures whilst splitting synthetic casts were significantly higher than whilst splitting gypsona. The vacuum dust extraction system cooled blades to a temperature at which thermal skin burns cannot occur.

Neglected traumatic dislocation of hip in children is very rare and most of the studies are too small to draw a conclusion. There is no consensus on timing for closed VS open reductions and post reduction care. The aim of our prospective study was to analyse and characterise the short term treatment outcome of treating 20 such cases in children (<12 years). All had posterior dislocation without any associated fractures (Thompson & Epstein type 1) sustained during typical childhood play activities and/or a fall from a height less than 10 feet. All attended the hospital between 1-52 weeks of injury. Closed reductions under GA were performed in 12 cases which were less than 3 weeks old, followed by hip immobilisation for 3 weeks and PWB mobilisation for 3 weeks. 8 hips (> 3 weeks old) had open reductions as none of them could be reduced by skeletal tractions and were allowed for FWB mobilisation after 9 weeks. Functional result (Garrett et al) at 2 years follow-up showed a complete range of motion in 18 children while the remaining two had 80% of normal hip movements with no deformity. All the hips showed varying degrees of avascular necrosis, with preservation of joint space on radiographs (Ficat & Arlet stage 1-3). There were no redislocations.

We suggest that closed (for <3 weeks old dislocation) and open (for >3 weeks old dislocations) reductions are satisfactory treatment for traumatic neglected hip dislocations in children

Primary malignant bone tumours frequently arise in children close to the knee, hip or shoulder. Resection of the tumour will often require excision of the epiphysis and frequently one side of the involved joint. In these children an extendable endoprosthesis is usually required to allow for maintenance of limb length equality.

We have used 180 extendable endoprostheses in 176 children since 1975. The indication for use of an extendable prosthesis was if there was more than 30mm of growth remaining in the resected bone. The age of the patients ranged from 2 to 15 and 99 were boys. The sites of the endoprostheses used were: distal femur in 91, proximal tibia in 42, proximal femur in 11, total femur in 6 and proximal or total humerus in 26. 131 of the operations were for osteosarcoma and 34 for Ewing's.

Five types of lengthening mechanism have been used. Two designs used a worm screw gear, one type used a C collar, one type a ball bearing mechanism and the latest uses a non invasive lengthening system whereby a motor inside the prosthesis is activated by an electromagnetic field.

Of the 176 patients, 59 have died and of the remainder, 89 have reached skeletal maturity. 19 patients had an amputation, 11 due to local recurrence and 8 due to infection. The risk of infection was 19% in surviving patients. Most of the skeletally mature had equal leg lengths. The average number of operations was 11 but ranged between 2 and 29. Most operations were for lengthening but younger children always needed revisions of the prosthesis. Functional scores were 77%.

Extendable endoprostheses are demanding both for the patient and the surgeon. The high complication rate should be decreased by non invasive lengthening prostheses.

This study aims to investigate femoral blood flow during Metal-on-Metal Hip Resurfacing (MMHR) by monitoring oxygen concentration during the operative procedure.

Patients undergoing MMHR using the posterior approach were evaluated. Following division of fascia lata, a calibrated gas-measuring electrode was inserted into the femoral neck, aiming for the supero-lateral quadrant of the head. Baseline oxygen concentration levels were detected after electrode insertion 2-3cm below the femoral head surface and all intra-operative measures were referenced against these. Oxygen levels were continuously monitored throughout the operation. Data from ten patients are presented.

Oxygen concentration dropped most noticeably during the surgical approach and was reduced by 62% (Std.dev +/-26%) following dislocation and capsulectomy. Insertion of implants resulted in a further oxygenation decrease by 18% (Std.dev +/-28%). The last obtained measure before wound closure detected 22% (Std.dev +/-31%) of initial baseline oxygen levels. Variation between subjects was observed and three patients demonstrated a limited recovery of oxygen levels during implant insertion and hip relocation.

Intra-operative measurement of oxygen concentration in blood perfusing the femoral head is feasible. Results in ten patients undergoing MMHR showed a dramatic effect on the oxygenation in the femoral head during surgical approach and implant fixation. This may increase the risk of avascular necrosis and subsequent femoral neck fracture. Future experiments will determine if less invasive procedures or specific positioning of the limb can protect the blood supply to femoral neck and head.

Metal on metal hip resurfacing is increasing in popularity for the young, active patient. We present the results of a consecutive series from a single surgeon over a ten year period; 295 hip resurfacings (McMinn and Cormet; Corin, Cirencester, UK) with a minimum follow up of 2 years and a mean follow up of 4 years. There were 173 males with a mean age of 53.4 years and 121 females with a mean age of 50.3 years. Forty-six patients underwent bilateral resurfacings. All resurfacings were performed through a posterior approach.

The aetiology in this group was primary OA in 75.9%, inflammatory arthritis in 6.1%, DDH in 6.1%, AVN in 4.7%, trauma in 4.7%, Perthes in 1.7% and SUFE in 0.7%. Patients were reviewed clinically and radiographically on an annual basis. Follow-up was available on 93% of patients. 94.2% of hips have survived and the mean Harris Hip Score is 87.5. Females had a higher failure rate (10.7%) than males (2.3%). There was no clear trend between patient age and failure rate. The highest failure rate (33.3%) was seen in patients with DDH whilst only 4.5% of patients with OA failed. One patient with AVN failed but no failures occurred in patients with inflammatory arthritis, trauma, Perthes or SUFE. Failures occurred due to cup loosening (2.0%), neck fractures (1.7%), head loosening (1.0%), head collapse (0.3%), infection (0.3%) and pain (0.3%). The five patients who suffered neck fractures were symptomatic within 3 months of surgery.

We remain cautiously optimistic about the medium term results of hip resurfacing. Careful patient selection is important and caution should be taken in females and patients with DDH

Recent interest has focused on minimally invasive hip surgery, with less attention being directed to maximising the potential benefits of this type of surgery. We have developed a new multidisciplinary programme for patients undergoing total hip replacement in order to facilitate an overnight hip replacement service.

The programme involves a pre-operative regimen of education and physiotherapy, a modified anaesthetic technique, a minimally invasive surgical approach and a portable local anaesthetic pump infusion for post-operative pain control. Strict inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed based on age, medical status and social circumstances. Patients were mobilised on the day of their operation and discharged home with an ‘outreach team’ support network. No patient complained that their discharge was early. Independent evaluation was performed using the Oxford Hip Questionnaire, the Merle d'Aubigné clinical rating system and Visual Analogue Pain Scores. Thirty seven patients underwent total hip replacement using the new protocol.

The average length of stay was 1.2 days. The mean pain score on discharge was 1.3/10. The Oxford Hip Questionnaire and Merle d'Aubigné scores were comparable to patients who underwent surgery prior to the introduction of the new protocol. Minimising in-patient stay for total hip replacement benefits the patient by reducing exposure to nosocomial infection and expediting the return to a normal environment for faster rehabilitation. This new programme allows patients undergoing total hip replacement to be discharged after 1 night post-operatively without compromising safety or quality of care.

Minimally invasive surgery with a suitable infrastructure can be used to dramatically reduce the length of stay in suitable patients. This can be achieved reliably, safely and with high patient satisfaction. In order to gain the benefit of Minimally Invasive Surgery we recommend introducing this type of comprehensive programme.

Revision of the femoral component during revision hip arthroplasty may pose significant technical challenges, most notably femoral fracture and bone perforation. The in-cementing technique allows use of the original bone-cement interface which has been proven to be biomechanically stronger than recementing after complete removal of the original cement mantle.

This study reviews a series of 54 consecutive revision hip arthroplasty procedures carried out by the senior author using the in-cementing technique from November 1999 to March 2003. Patients were followed up clinically and radiologically with serial outpatient reviews and their functional outcome was assessed using the Harris hip scoring system, the Oxford hip scoring system and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) activity profile. Their physical and mental well-being was also assessed using the SF-36 self-questionnaire.

Fifty-four procedures were performed on 51 patients. There were 31 males and 20 females. The average age was 70.3+/-8.1 years (range: 45-83 years). The average time to revision from the original procedure was 132.8+/-59.0 months (range: 26-286 months). The average length of follow-up was 29.2+/-13.4 months (range: 6-51 months) post revision arthroplasty. Two patients suffered dislocations, one of which was recurrent and was revised with a Girdlestone's procedure. No patient displayed any evidence of radiographical loosening. The average Harris hip score of the study group was 85.2+/-11.6 (range: 51.9-98.5). The average Oxford hip score recorded was 19.6+/-7.7 (range: 12-41) and the average UCLA activity profile score was 5.9+/-1.6 (range: 3-8). The SF-36 questionnaire had an average value of 78.0+/-18.3 (range: 31.6-100).

In conclusion, the results of this study show excellent clinical and radiological results of the in-cementing technique with high patient satisfaction in terms of functional outcome. This technique merits consideration where possible in revision hip arthroplasty.

We reviewed 81 consecutive ABG primary total hip replacements in 72 patients operated between January 1993 to December 1998. The mean follow-up was 8.2 years (7 to 12 years). The mean age of the patients was 52 years (range: 28 to 65 years). The mean pre-operative Harris hip score of 42 (range: 24 to 48) improved to a post-operative 80 (range: 58 to 86). At the latest follow-up 2 patients had died through causes not related to surgery. 3 cups had been revised for aseptic loosening. However, 69 of the remaining 75 acetabular cups showed excessive superolateral wear of polyethylene liner. The wear was most pronounced in cups size 46 with a 28 mm head. 16 of the acetabular cups showed significant osteolysis in zone I and II of the acetabulum (Gruen) and are awaiting a revision. None of the stems has been revised to date.

The cumulative survival of prosthesis is as follows:

Stem survival with revision being the end point: 100%

The failure of cups is related to the poor locking mechanism of the polyethylene liner. In spite of significant radiological failures of the cups most patients continued to have good Harris hip scores and remained fairly asymptomatic. The results of ABG stem in this series are good but in view of the cup failures we now no longer use the ABG I cups but advocate a long term regular follow-up of these hips

The purpose of this study was to evaluate total hip arthroplasty (THA) in the treatment of post-traumatic arthritis following acetabular fracture and to compare the long-term outcome of THA after previous open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) or conservative treatment of the acetabular fracture.

Thirty-four patients (thirty-six hips) underwent total hip arthroplasty for arthritis resulting from acetabular fractures. There were twenty-six males (27 hips) and eight females (9 hips). The mean age at the time of hip arthroplasty was 49 years (range, 25-78 years). The mean follow-up was eight years and nine months (range, 4-17 years). The mean interval from fracture to arthroplasty was 7.5 years (range, 5 months-29 years). Two patients died of unrelated causes and two patients were lost to follow-up. Thirty patients (32 hips) were available for latest follow-up. Twenty-one hips had been previously treated by open reduction internal fixation and 11 hips had conservative treatment.

Sixteen patients achieved and maintained a good to excellent result over the course of the follow-up. There was no difference in improvement of mean Harris Hip Score between both groups (p>0.05). Ten out of 32 hips required revision; 9 acetabular components were revised because of aseptic loosening (3), osteolysis/excessive wear (4), instability (1) and infection (1) with a total revision rate of 28%. Eight patients needed acetabular revision alone, one femoral revision alone and one revision of both components. There was no significant difference in bone grafting, heterotopic bone formation, revision rate, operative time and blood loss between the two groups (p> 0.05).

Those patients initially treated conservatively had similar long term results compared to those treated primarily by open reduction internal fixation. At long term follow-up the main problem identified was osteolysis and acetabular wear.

Propionibacteria are organisms of low virulence, although they do cause deep periprosthetic infections. The aim of this study was to show that Propionibacteria do not always cause a significant rise in ESR and CRP.

Between May 2001 and May 2004, we identified 77 patients with prosthetic joint replacements colonised with Propionibacteria, 47 males and 30 females. There were 47 hip joint replacements, 27 knee joint replacements, 2 endoprosthetic replacements of the femur and 1 shoulder joint replacement. We retrieved successfully the medical records of 66 patients in order to identify the number of patients treated for an infected prosthetic joint arthroplasty. The pre-operative values of ESR and CRP were recorded. For the purposes of this study, an ESR rate of 30mm/hr or higher and a CRP level of 10mg/lt or higher were considered to be suggestive of infection and were deemed a positive result.

All of the 77 patients had both ESR and CRP measured pre-operatively. In only 16 (21%) both ESR and CRP were higher than 30mm/hr and 10mg/l respectively. In 33 patients (43%) with prosthetic joint replacements colonised with Propionibacteria, the pre-operative values of ESR and CRP were normal. 23 patients were treated for an infected prosthetic joint arthroplasty. In 7 (30%) of those patients both ESR and CRP were normal.

This suggests that normal pre-operative values of ESR and CRP in suspected failed prosthetic joint replacements might not exclude infection, if the causative organism is of low virulence such as Propionibacteria.

Osteoarthritis of the knee is a global scourge. Treatment ranges from cumbersome conservative measures with too many drugs with undesirable side effects, to aggressive knee replacements which still remain elusive to an average Indian. Can we provide hope to these patients and offer them a dignified existence?

In a study conducted over 100 patients in my hospital since 1998, I have devised a very effective treatment option, a new integrated therapy incorporating Yoga and a few alternative systems. Apart from offering to combat associated problems like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis etc it has lessened the amount of medications used for their treatment.

Twenty-two patients with piriformis syndrome underwent surgery between October 1995 and February 2002. The mean age was 56 years (range 28-90). Only 2 patients (9%) gave a history of trauma to the ipsilateral buttock. All the patients complained of deep buttock pain, which radiated to the ankle in 14 (63%), the calf in 4 (18%) and the thigh in 3 patients (13.6%). The symptoms were chronic, with a mean of 70 months (range 12-192) and patients had been previously seen by a mean of 2.6 specialists (range 1-6). There was associated neurosensory loss in 11 patients (50%). The symptoms were exacerbated by passive stretching and active contraction of the piriformis muscle. MRI of the lumbar spine (every case) and gluteal region (8 cases) were negative, while NCV tests (20 cases) were positive in 11 patients (55%). Previous conservative measures such as physiotherapy (59%) and epidural (40%) had failed. Every patient had surgical division of the piriformis tendon at the greater trochanter by the senior author. Abnormal anatomy was identified in 6 cases (29%).

At 6 weeks (n=22), the symptoms had resolved in 6 patients (27%), were better in 8 (36%), no different in 7 (32%) and worse in 1 (4.5%). After a mean follow-up of 52 months (range 11-86), seven (35%) of patients were cured, 3 (15%) were better, 8 (40%) were no different, 2 (10%) were worse than pre-operatively and 2 had died of unrelated causes. Seventy-five percent of patients said that with hindsight they would undergo surgery again. One patient suffered a post-operative below knee DVT requiring no treatment.

Surgery for piriformis syndrome in this selected group of patients led to an improvement or resolution of chronic symptoms in 64% of patients at 6 weeks, and 50% of patients after a mean follow-up of 52 months with minimal associated morbidity.

Percutaneous A1 pulley release is being increasingly used as an alternative to open surgical release and injection of local steroids for the treatment of the trigger digit. We treated 43 patients, average age 57 years (range12-78). All trigger digits were grade III-IV (Quinnell classification). A mean duration of pre-operative symptoms was 7.3 months (range 2-13 months). A percutaneous release was performed with a 19-gauge hypodermic needle under local anaesthesia in the outpatient setting. All patients were evaluated with respect to clinical resolution of symptoms and general satisfaction.

We report a 97% successful release and only one case of incomplete release. A result in terms of abolishing triggering was immediate and patient acceptance was excellent. By two weeks, all the patients had no pain at the operative site. After a mean follow-up of 30.2 months (range12-50), there had been no recurrences. There were no digital nerve injuries, flexor tendon injuries, and infections.

The percutaneous release is a safe and effective technique, which provides significant cost savings. The time from onset of symptoms and grading prognostically is significant and affects the treatment outcome. We recommend the percutaneous technique for typical cases of trigger finger with a palpable nodule and reproducible mechanical triggering. This technique can be the treatment of choice for the established trigger finger (grade III and IV) with symptoms of more than few months' duration. The open technique is reserved for complicated cases such as florid tenosynovitis, locked digit, failed percutaneous release or those involving the thumb.

Tibial fractures complicated by bone and/or soft tissue loss present a great challenge. Traditional methods of limb reconstruction are lengthy and may not yield satisfactory functional results. Despite its tremendous contribution to the management of this condition, the Ilizarov technique of bone transport has several problems and difficulties.

The present study was carried out between 1997 and 2002 and included 21 patients with tibial fractures complicated by bone and soft tissue defects as a result of open fractures or surgical debridement of infected non-unions. The bone loss ranged from three to eleven cm. (average 4.7 cm.). Ages ranged from 12 to 54 years (average 28.8 years). The follow-up ranged from 24 to 75 months. The procedure included resection of all devitalised tissues, acute limb shortening to close the defect, application of the external fixator and metaphyseal osteotomy for re-lengthening.

In all patients the fractures united with well aligned limbs. Acute limb shortening of up to six cm. was done in the lower third of the leg. Limb lengthening was done in all cases and ranged from 3 to 9.5 cm. (average 4 cm.). An Ilizarov external fixator was used in nine cases (41%) and a monolateral fixator in 13 cases (59%) with a total of 22 applications. Residual leg length discrepancy of more than 3cm. occurred in four cases (19%). Complications included one refracture, one transient peroneal nerve palsy and one equinus contracture of ten degrees. Satisfactory results were obtained in 93% of cases.

Acute limb shortening and re-lengthening converts a complicated limb reconstruction into a relatively simpler one of linear limb lengthening, without the difficulties of traditional Ilizarov techniques and eliminated the need for soft tissue flaps. It is better instituted early in the management of these cases to ensure better functional results and shorter treatment time.

To discover whether orthopaedic surgeons follow the BOA guidelines for secondary prevention of fragility fractures, a retrospective audit on neck of femur fractures treated in our hospital in October/November 2003 was carried out. There were 27 patients. Twenty-six patients (96%) had full blood count measured. LFT and bone-profile were measured in 18 patients (66%). Only nine patients (30%) had treatment for osteoporosis (calcium and vitamin D). Only one patient was referred for DEXA scan.

Steps were taken to create better awareness of the BOA guidelines among junior doctors and nurse practitioners. In patients above 80 years of age it was decided to use abbreviated mental score above 7 as a clinical criterion for DEXA referral. A hospital protocol based on BOA guidelines was made.

A re-audit was conducted during the period August-October 2004, with 37 patients. All of them had their full blood count and renal profile checked (100%). The bone-profile was measured in 28 (75.7%) and LFT in 34 (91.9%) patients. Twenty-four patients (65%) received treatment in the form of calcium + Vit D (20) and bisphosphonate (4). DEXA scan referral was not indicated in 14 patients as 4 of them were already on bisphosphonates and 10 patients had an abbreviated mental score of less than 7. Among the remaining 23 patients, nine (40%) were referred for DEXA scan. This improvement is statistically significant (p=0.03, chi square test).

The re-audit shows that, although there is an improvement in the situation, we are still below the standards of secondary prevention of fragility fractures with 60% of femoral fragility fracture patients not being referred for DEXA scan. A pathway lead by a fracture liaison nurse dedicated to osteoporotic fracture patients should improve the situation.

There is currently wide variation in the management of patients who are anticoagulated with Warfarin and require urgent orthopaedic surgery. These form an important and significant group of patients, in terms of real numbers (at least 5,600 per annum in the UK).

A study was initiated with an audit of 34 patients presenting to the West Wales unit who were warfarinised at admission and required trauma surgery. Observations were recorded about their pre-operative management and the delay this caused in taking the patient to theatre. 6 months later, a similar group of patients were re-audited.

The mean delay to surgery in those patients in whom the INR was left to fall spontaneously was 5.5 days. Following administration of 1mg i.v. Vitamin K in those patients without cardiac valves, re-audit showed the mean delay reduced to 2.2 days.

Representations from at least 6 major specialties were considered and a consensus statement was derived. Standardised protocols, which hinge on whether or not the patient has or does not have a cardiac valve were devised. Vitamin K should not be given to those patients with a cardiac valve and early consultation with cardiology and anaesthetics is recommended, with consideration of referral to a specialist cardiothoracic unit. For those patients without a cardiac valve, 1mg of Vitamin K may be administered, repeated as necessary until the INR is less than 1.8. Intravenous Heparin should be provided in the interim whilst the patient is waiting for surgery. This is discontinued the morning of surgery and subcutaneous Heparin reinstated post-operatively. These recommendations have been trialled in the two units involved in the study and have been relatively safe and easy to implement.

Podiatrists have an important role in providing care in a Foot and Ankle clinic. Most Foot and Ankle Surgeons welcome the assistance they can provide – in a supervised role. Most Trusts should have one Foot and Ankle Surgeon but there are a limited number of trained specialists. Some Trusts have been appointing ‘Consultant Podiatric Surgeons’ – perhaps as a way of addressing this shortfall.

There are potentially a number of concerns amongst Foot and Ankle Surgeons: the public perception of title ‘consultant’; a Non supervised role; Potential to be used as a more cost effective option

We therefore undertook a Questionnaire assessment of patients attending a Foot and Ankle Clinic. Over a six week period 148 patients attended the specialist clinic. Of those 76% responded. 64% were females. The average age range was 45-64. Most patients assumed the Consultant in charge of their care was a qualified medical practitioner (93%) and regulated by the GMC (92%) and who had completed a recognised higher surgical training scheme (93%). Irrespective of suitable experience 2 out of 3 patients stated they would object if the Consultant in charge of their care did not meet the above criteria.

If the patient required surgery 80% stated they would object if the supervising Consultant was not a medically qualified doctor (this was more important in female patients) Interestingly 78% stated they would refuse surgery unless they were under the care of a medically qualified doctor. Very few patients understood the title Consultant Podiatric Surgeon (with those responding assuming they were medical doctors)

This potentially has significant implications in those Trusts employing Consultant Podiatric Surgeons as opposed to Foot and Ankle (Orthopaedic) Surgeons. Unless this differential is clearly explained to the patients there is an issue with informed consent and the potential for litigation.

Performance evaluation in specialist orthopaedic hospitals was reviewed in comparison to district general hospitals (DGHs) using a variety of outcome measures, including surgical activity, length of stay and infection rates.

Data regarding admission rates, operations performed or cancelled, outpatient activity and waiting times were obtained from the Hospital Episode Statistics department of the Department of Health. Surgical site infection (SSI) and MRSA infection rates from the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH) are compared to national data supplied by the Health Protection Agency.

In comparison with DGHs, specialist orthopaedic hospitals admit fewer patients, with fewer emergencies; have a higher ratio of waiting list patients to number of patients admitted; have longer waiting list times on average; perform more primary joint arthroplasty surgery; undertake more revision procedures; discharge patients home following joint arthroplasty surgery on average one day earlier; have a lower total hip arthroplasty SSI rate (0.8%) compared with 2.3% in 146 DGHs and from RNOH data, provide a service with a lower surgical site infection and MRSA rate.

Specialist orthopaedic hospitals in England provide a unique, efficient and effective service compared to DGHs. However, short-term performance measures, though simpler to collate, may not be as valuable as longer-term outcome measures, thus making direct comparisons between DGHs, specialist orthopaedic hospitals and independent treatment centres difficult.

The availability and usage of portable image intensifiers has revolutionised routine orthopaedic practice. Many procedures have become simpler, easier, less invasive and less time-consuming. Extensive use of fluoroscopy can, however, result in significant radiation exposure to operating staff. An accumulated dose of 65 (Sv after multiple exposures has been reported to increase the risk of thyroid cancer many years later. Previous studies have shown that it is possible to exceed this dose during various orthopaedic procedures. Though thyroid shields are extensively available most orthopaedic surgeons do not use them. The present study was aimed at measuring the scattered dose to thyroid during DHS/IMHS for neck of femur fractures and IM nailing for long bone fractures and thereby emphasise the need for operating theatre personnel to wear a thyroid shield.

A prospective study of 32 consecutive procedures was carried out. The EDD Unfors dosimeter was used to measure the tissue specific exposure dose to thyroid. Measurements were also obtained from the mobile C-arm fluoroscope unit, which calculated the total number of images and the total dose and duration of radiation for each procedure. Other factors including the grade of surgeon, the total number of theatre personnel wearing the lead gown and/or the thyroid shield and the duration of surgery were also recorded.

In 32 procedures, the dose of 65 (Sv was exceeded 13 times; 8 times during DHS/IMHS and 5 times during IMN. The average thyroid dose was 142 (Sv during IMN and 55 (Sv during DHS. Only 9 of 223 (4%) theatre personnel were using a thyroid shield in spite of its availability. The results suggest that the thyroid is frequently exposed to potentially harmful radiation during these procedures. Strict inclusion of a thyroid shield as a part of routine radiation protection is recommended.

Guidelines on the care of the seriously injured have led to widespread changes in clinical practice. The ‘hub and spoke’ model of trauma care means increasing numbers of patients with complex problems are concentrated into regional centres. Though providing the highest standards of treatment, this has cost implications for the receiving unit, particularly given the Department of Health's move towards a ‘Payment by Results’ model of health provision. We undertook an economic evaluation of complex limb reconstruction within our tertiary referral unit.

Patients referred to the complex trauma service were identified. Patients were assigned to either a ‘complicated’ or ‘straightforward’ group by two consultant surgeons, based on the nature of their treatment. 5 cases from each group were randomly selected for further analysis. Data pertaining to the direct healthcare costs for these patients was analysed. Costs per investigation/intervention were obtained relating to hospital stay, outpatient care, operative interventions and investigations. Overall 26 patients were referred to our complex trauma service from other units over 6 months.

A mean of £8,375 (6,163) per patient was recouped using current Service Level Agreements. This amounts to a £26,587 deficit per patient, or £1,394,905 per year assuming current referral rates.

Those planning a service treating complex trauma must allow for the considerable costs involved and make provisions to recoup this from the referring Primary Care Trust.

Neer type 2 fractures of the distal third of the clavicle have a non union rate of 22-35% after conservative treatment. Open reduction and internal fixation has been recommended by most authors but there is no consensus about the best method of internal fixation. We retrospectively assessed the union and shoulder function following Hook plate fixation in 18 patients with Neer type 2 fractures of lateral end clavicle with more then a six month follow up after surgery.

There were 14 males with a mean follow-up of 25.89 months (6-48 months) and the average age was 40.33 years (22-62 range). Fifteen had acute fractures and the rest were non unions. Complications included two non unions, one following a deep infection. There were no iatrogenic fractures. Acromial osteolysis was seen in five patients who had their plates in situ. The average pain score at rest was 1 (0-4) and the average pain score on abduction was 2.2 (0-5). The average Constant score was 88.5 (63-100). Patients were asked to rate their shoulder function; three said their shoulder was normal, eleven said it was nearly normal and one rated it as not normal.

Hook plate fixation appears to be a valuable method of stabilising Neer type 2 fractures of the clavicle resulting in high union rates and good shoulder function. These plates need to be removed after union to prevent acromial osteolysis.

We report the results of anterior plate fixation for symptomatic, mid-shaft clavicle non-union. The superior surface is most commonly used for plate fixation. To the best of our knowledge, there are no clinical reports where anterior plate fixation of the clavicle was used.

We included 12 consecutive patients, with symptomatic mid-shaft clavicular non-union, aged between 23 and 56 years during a four-year period (1998-2002). The injury was secondary to RTA in 6 cases, sports-related in 5 and skiing in one. In three patients, the non-union was secondary to superior plating using one third tubular plate, in acute fractures. The most common complaint was anterior shoulder pain (12 cases) followed by brachialgia (4 patients). The operation was performed through an anterior approach. A 3.5mm reconstruction plate was contoured and fixed onto the anterior surface of the clavicle. Bone graft was used in all cases. The average follow up was 22 months. All 12 patients achieved union at an average union time of seventeen weeks.

Compared to superior plating, anterior plating has the distinct advantage that the longer screws can be used (as the clavicle is a flat bone, and the AP diameter is larger compared to superoinferior diameter) thus improving the stability of fixation. Our results show that anterior clavicle fixation is safe and effective in achieving union, even in cases following failed superior plate fixation. We therefore recommend anterior plate fixation and bone grafting in symptomatic nonunions of mid third clavicle fractures.

Prevalence of rotator cuff tears increases with advancing age (Ellman et al). In spite of proximal humeral fractures being common in the elderly, the influence of a coexistent rotator cuff tear on outcome has, to our knowledge, not been previously investigated. This study prospectively assessed whether the presence of a rotator cuff tear in association with a proximal humeral fracture influences functional prognosis.

85 patients treated conservatively for proximal humeral fractures were evaluated prospectively with Ultrasonography to determine the status of the rotator cuff. Every patient was managed by immobilisation of the arm in a sling for two weeks followed by a course of physiotherapy based on the Neer regime. Functional outcome was measured using the Constant shoulder score and the Oxford shoulder score, at 3-months and 12-months post injury.

Sixty-six of the 85 patients were female. The fractures were equally distributed for hand dominance. There were 27 patients with an undisplaced fracture, 34 patients with Neer's Type II fracture and 24 patients with Neer's Type III and IV fracture. There were 43 patients with full thickness cuff tears and 42 patients with no cuff tear or a partial thickness tear. Full thickness cuff tears were much more frequent in the over 60 year age group, which is consistent with the known increased incidence of cuff tears with increasing age.

The outcome scores at 3 and 12 months showed no statistically significant difference for either the Constant score or the Oxford score with regards to cuff integrity. Analysis of these scores showed no correlation between presence or absence of a full thickness cuff tear and shoulder function

The results of this study indicate that rotator cuff integrity is not a predictor of shoulder function at 12 months following proximal humeral fracture, as measured by outcome scores. This suggests that there is therefore no clinical indication for routine imaging of the rotator cuff in patients for whom conservative management is the preferred treatment option.

Between 1994 and 2002, 81 patients underwent ulnohumeral arthroplasty for elbow arthritis at our institution. All patients were sent a questionnaire with a request to attend for a clinical evaluation. Forty replied and 34 attended for clinical examination, 6 females and 34 males with an average age of 63 years (32-80) and a mean follow-up of 6 years (2-10). There were 22 (55%) patients with primary osteoarthritis, 14 (35%) with osteoarthritis secondary to trauma, two patients with rheumatoid arthritis and one patient each with arthrogryphosis multiplex congenital and post-septic arthritis of the elbow.

Using the VAS (0-10), the pain score was seen to improve from a mean pre-operative score of 8 (6-10) to 4 (0-9). 21 patients (50%) were on minimal or no analgesia and 31 (75%) patients felt they would have the surgery again for the same problem. The arc of motion as regards flexion/extension was found to increase by 19% while prono-supination was found to increase by 30%. There was one patient each with superficial infection, anterior interosseous nerve neuropathy and myositic ossificans while two patients had triceps rupture. Radiological examination showed that in 12 cases the trephine hole was partially obliterated while in 4 cases it was completely obliterated. This could not be correlated clinically. Patients with loose bodies seemed to do better in the post-operative phase.

Ulnohumeral arthroplasty has a role in the management of the arthritic elbow as it provides pain relief in the post-operative period; however, the improvement in the range of movement is limited particularly as regards the arc of extension.

To study the surgical outcome of multi-fragmentary, un-reconstructable radial head fractures managed acutely by a radial head prosthetic replacement, we retrospectively reviewed nineteen radial head fractures that were treated acutely with a radial head replacement, over a four-year period in three district general hospitals. Nineteen patients were clinically and radiologically assessed for this study. Functional assessment was performed with the Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS).

No patient achieved full functional range of motion. The average range of flexion was 110° (range 80° to 120°), average extension deficit of 35° (range 30° to 45°), average pronation was 35° (range 0° to 65°), and average supination was 50° (range 30° to 85°). Complications included implant removal due to loosening (n=1), elbow stiffness (n=2), and instability (n=1), the latter case requiring a revision of the radial head prosthesis. Some degree of persistent discomfort was noticed in all cases. Five patients were tolerant of the final functional outcome. The average Mayo elbow score was 68/100 (range 55 to 80). One patient had an intra-operative fracture of the radial metaphysis during insertion of the implant.

To review the effect of MRSA screening, ward ring-fencing and other significant factors on elective orthopaedic operation cancellations: and to study the effect of introducing a multi-disciplinary trauma management system on trauma operation cancellations, we carried out a study at the Royal Gwent Hospital, a district general hospital accepting general emergency admissions. It took the form of a prospective audit of all elective orthopaedic and trauma cancellations from 1 October to 10 November 2002, and in the same period of 2004.

Definitions: an ‘elective cancellation’: deemed medically fit at SHO pre-admission assessment; MRSA swabbed with negative results then subsequently cancelled from an elective theatre list under the headings, ‘ward breech by other unscreened patients’, ‘unfit for surgery’ (anaesthetic decision), ‘lack of beds’ and ‘other’ (lack of surgical assistant, theatre time, theatre staff and operation not required). A ‘trauma cancellation’: acute admission with allocation of theatre space; subsequently cancelled under the headings, ‘unfit for surgery’ (anaesthetic decision), ‘lack of theatre time’, ‘surgery not required’ and ‘other’ (patient refused surgery, absconded, incorrect listing, no surgical assistant or theatre staff).

From 1998 to July 2003 admissions for elective arthroplasty surgery in Derriford Hospital were nursed alongside other orthopaedic and general medical patients. Since August 2003 a policy of pre-operative MRSA screening and a unit reserved exclusively for MRSA-free joint replacement patients have been used. No transfers from other wards were allowed. Patients positive on screening underwent eradication and were admitted to a different ward where they received teicoplanin on induction (in addition to standard policy cephradine). All post-operative wound infections following THR & TKR were monitored (NINSS surveillance system). Infections within 3 months were recorded. A control of non-screened hip hemi-arthroplasty patients was used to ensure a departmental wide reduction in MRSA was not occurring.

1.9% MRSA carriage rate was detected over the study. Before screening, 0.59% of 3386 cases were acutely infected with MRSA. After institution of screening and a dedicated MRSA free unit, 0.10% of 1034 were acutely infected. This was a 6-fold decrease (p<0.05). The infection noted was in a patient treated outside the ringfenced unit on High Dependency. In fact the infection rate on the ringfenced unit was zero. MRSA infection in the control was statistically unchanged during this period.

To describe the prevalence and incidence of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonisation during the patient journey for patients admitted to orthopaedic and trauma wards, we carried out a prospective audit at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust, England.

The Study Population comprised patients admitted to the trauma and elective orthopaedic wards, with an expected stay of 48 hours or more between March and May 2003.

Patients were swabbed for MRSA colonisation on ward admission, transfer to another ward and discharge from hospital. Elective patients undergoing major joint surgery were also swabbed at a pre-operative assessment clinic. Colonised patients were treated depending on individual risk assessment.

Five hundred and fifty-nine eligible patients were admitted to hospital. Of these, 323 (101 elective, 192 trauma and 30 non-orthopaedic) patients were included in the study, of whom 28 elective patients (28%), 43 trauma patients (22%), and seven non-orthopaedic patients (23%) were colonised with MRSA at any time during the audit period. Of the 80 patients identified as negative for MRSA colonisation at pre-assessment screening and included in the audit, ten (9.5%) were found to be colonised on admission.

There is a high prevalence of MRSA colonisation in patients admitted to the orthopaedic and trauma wards in our setting. A policy of pre-admission screening, though able to identify MRSA carriage does not guarantee that patients are not colonised in the period between screening and admission. Consideration should be given to screening all patients for MRSA who are admitted to an orthopaedic ward.

Quality assurance for training in trauma and orthopaedics was provided by the JCHST through the SAC for Trauma and Orthopaedics. To date there have been written SAC standards; some are compulsory and others advisory and will generate requirements or recommendations to change if unmet on inspection. There has been a major change in the way postgraduate training is monitored and quality assured, with the formation of the PMETB, which now has the combined responsibility for all postgraduate training.

The aims and objectives of our study were to measure the effectiveness of the current quality assurance system for training in Trauma and Orthopaedics, and to determine the reduction in the number of unmet compulsory standards at the end of the visits process and how effectively these requirements were implemented. We also identified the deficiencies in each component of training and determined the current general profile of the quality of training in Trauma and Orthopaedics. The inspection visits, progress and revisit reports were collected from training regions that were visited after the standards were implemented.

In 109 units, in the 3 years studied, the inspection process reduced the overall unmet standards from a mean of 14.8% (10.3-19.2%) to 8.9% (6.5%-12.7%). The number of unmet requirement per unit fell from 4.6 to 2.8 (p<0.05). 27% of units did not improve. Overall 15% of standards were deficient, least in Scottish units and most in Irish units. Currently registrars do 1.4 trauma lists, 2.8 elective lists, 1.3 fracture clinics and 2.1 elective clinics per week. This is the first multi-regional study of a national accreditation process. Quality assurance requires standards setting and rectification. These findings are important for the imminent restructuring by the Postgraduate Medical Education Board.

Hospital Episode Statistics [HES] are often used by hospital managers and politicians as a reflection of departmental workload. The accuracy of these data is often questioned. We aimed to ascertain the reliability of this database for trauma admissions.

Between 2002 and 2003, all admissions were recorded by doctors using a separate departmental database. Data were collected during the daily trauma meetings and compared with the HES returns for the same period. 2496 patients were recorded in the trauma admissions database. Overall, 36.4% of the patients were either not recorded by the HES database or wrongly coded in terms of type of admissions or diagnosis.

HES data for all 2496 records was analysed by type of admissions and speciality.4.2% of trauma patients were incorrectly classified as elective or day cases. 2.9% of trauma patients admitted to hospital were not recorded in the HES data as orthopaedic admission.

The accuracy of HES diagnosis coding was tested on 300 records randomly selected by a statistical package. HES recorded the wrong diagnosis in 29.3% of cases. A significant number of trauma cases were not counted in the HES data. This may have significant implications for trauma funding.

HES data does not accurately record diagnosis and therefore can not be used as a research tool for specific injuries. Data recording practice should be changed to improve HES data accuracy.

We compared cancellation rates with two different systems for operating booking. During 9 months of ‘Full Booking’ we gave each patient in the Outpatient Clinic an operating date. After a transition period, we then tried ‘Partial Booking’ (putting each patient on the waiting list and only giving dates after a Consultant-delivered Pre-Assessment Clinic (PAC) review at least 6 weeks before their target operating date.)

This was one Consultant's firm, with Day Cases and urgent cases excluded, and a waiting time of nine months. Cancellations were defined as an operating date given that was not honoured. Cancellations due to bed crises were excluded.

During the Full Booking phase there was a cancellation rate of 55%, with 64 cancellations out of a potential 116 operating slots. Of these: 29% condition improved, 22% date inconvenient, 19% unwell, 5% gone elsewhere/Private, 9% were moved due to Consultant leave dates, 3% Did Not Attend, and 12.5% date brought forward to fill a cancellation slot.

During the Partial Booking phase, 23% of patients attending the PAC were removed from the waiting list without ever being given operating dates. (17 of 132 did not want the operation, 7 Did Not Attend, 6 were unfit). Of the 94 patients given dates, only 8 cancelled (8%). Four subsequently decided against surgery, and four had tests that suggested surgery would not be helpful.

The improved efficiency could be due to PAC changes: Consultant presence, having six weeks to act on test results, and dates being agreed only after ‘passing’ PAC. Partial Booking had other benefits, with fewer queries, better informed consent and the optimum time to plan teaching lists, order kit and improve patients' fitness. The Government is still committed to Full Booking. Our cancellation rate improved from 55% to 8% when changing from Full Booking to Partial Booking.

A retrospective review of 51 consecutive patients undergoing fixation of Scaphoid fractures by two surgeons in a single institution was conducted. Twenty-four patients were treated with a Herbert screw and twenty-seven with an Acutrak screw. This included six patients who underwent acute fixation, three in each group. The remaining cases were for the treatment of non-union and delayed union.

There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age, side of injury, and mechanism of injury. Fractures were classified as proximal, middle and distal thirds of the Scaphoid and there was no significant difference between the groups regarding the types of fractures treated. The only significant difference between the groups was the time from injury to fixation when considering the cases of delayed union and non union which was greater in the Herbert screw group (7.5 months vs 4 months p=<0.05).

There was no significant difference in outcome between the two methods of fixation. Union rates for all cases were 79% for Herbert screws and 81% for Acutrak screws and 82% and 83% respectively when only considering the delayed union/non-union procedures. There was no difference in terms of time to union, further surgery or clinical outcome between the two groups. The Acutrak screw required removal in five patients and the Herbert screw in two due to symptoms from screw prominence. This was not statistically significant.

In conclusion there is no significant difference in surgical outcome between these two methods of fixation for Scaphoid fractures. The authors feel that this supports the view that biological factors are more important than the method of fixation in obtaining union of Scaphoid fractures.

One hundred and sixty-two patients with a diagnosis of scapholunate instability underwent a modified Brunelli procedure over a 7 year period. One hundred and seventeen were assessed with the help of a questionnaire and, of these, 55 patients attended for clinical evaluation. The mean follow-up was 4 (1-8) years. There were 72 patients with dynamic scapholunate instability and 45 patients with static instability. The average age was 38 years. There were 50 males and 67 females. 77 (62%) patients had no to mild pain with a mean visual analogue score of 3.67 (SD=2.5)). The loss in the arc of flexion-extension was due to a reduced range of flexion (mean 31% loss), while 80% of extension was maintained, compared with the contralateral side. The grip strength on the operated side was reduced by 20% of the non-operated side. There was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) in the range of movement or the grip strength between the static and dynamic group or the claims and non-claims group. Ninety (79%) patients were satisfied with the result of the surgery (good to excellent) and 88% of the patients felt that they would have the same surgery again. We feel that these results compare favourably with the early results published from this unit and recommend this procedure for dynamic and static scapholunate instability

The ITS volar radial plate (Implant Technology Systems, Graz/Austria) is a fixation device that allows for the distal locking screws to be fixed at variable angles (70°-110°). This occurs by the different material properties, with the screws (titanium alloy) cutting a thread through the plate holes (titanium). We present our experience with the ITS plate.

We retrospectively studied 26 patients who underwent ITS plate fixation for unstable multifragmentary distal radial fractures (AO types A3, B2, B3, C2, C3). The surgery was performed either by a consultant orthopaedic hand surgeon or senior registrar. A volar approach was used every time and 10 cases required synthetic bone grafting. Post-operatively they were immobilised for an average of 2.5 weeks.

The 26 patients had a mean age of 58 and the dominant side was affected in 46% of cases. 5 cases were open fractures and 10 cases followed failed manipulation under general anaesthesia. The average interval between injury and surgery was 7 days. Union was achieved in all cases. No implant infections, failure or tendon rupture/irritation occurred. There were two fractures which loss reduction, of which one required revision surgery. There was one case of CRPS. The six month average DASH score was 27.5.

We consider the ITS plate a technically easy plate to use and a reliable implant at early follow-up. We value the versatility of its variable angle screw fixation ability for complex intra-articular distal radial fractures.

The aim of the study was to assess the validity of the new device [BREVIO] [AEND] [Level 2 evidence] in diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome in the outpatient setting when used by personnel not trained previously in neurophysiologic methods. We prospectively compared the results from a portable handheld automated electroneurodiagnostic devices (AEND) the BREVIO with those from conventional nerve conduction studies. We calculated specificity and sensitivity. We also studied the limits of agreement and correlation between measured latencies. Patient satisfaction with new device was recorded.

Twenty-seven participants (42 hands) were tested. The average age was 56.43 years (38-79). There were 16 females and 11 males. The sensitivity and specificity of the BREVIO as compared to conventional methods were 80% and 75% using distal motor latencies; using distal sensory latencies the sensitivity and specificity were 90% and 60% respectively. The limits of agreement between the sensory and motor latencies using Bland Altman plots were good. Similarly there was good correlation between values measured with the Pearson's correlation coefficient. The position of the baseline cursor was questionable in 19 hands. Repositioning the cursor reduced the number of false positive results which would increase the specificity of the device. The average pain score, VAS on a scale of 1-10, with the BREVIO was 1.69 (1-4) and 3.11(1-5) with conventional testing. The average satisfaction rating on a scale of 1-5 was 1.39 with the BREVIO and 2.73 with the conventional nerve conduction testing.

The BREVIO is an interesting device. We recommend its use by untrained persons only under the supervision of someone trained in neurophysiology who is aware of potential pitfalls.

There is a difference of opinion regarding the usefulness of MR Imaging as a diagnostic tool for triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears in the wrist. Our aim was to determine the accuracy of direct magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) in the diagnosis of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears of the wrist in a district general hospital setting.

In a retrospective review of 21 patients who presented with complains of wrist pain and following a clinical examination, all had direct MR arthrography of the wrist in our hospital in a 1.5Tesla scanner. All had a diagnostic arthroscopy within 2-4 months of the MR scan. All patients had chronic ulnar sided wrist pain, although only two had a definite history of trauma. The findings of each diagnostic method were compared, with arthroscopy considered the gold standard.

Twenty-one patients were studied (10 male: 11 female), mean age 42 years (range 27-71) years). Seventeen TFCC tears were diagnosed on arthroscopy. For the diagnosis of TFCC tears MRA had a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 67%.

Our results echoed the opinion of some of the previous investigators with an unacceptable sensitivity or specificity for a diagnostic tool. MR arthrography needs to be further refined as a technique before it can be considered to be accurate enough to replace wrist arthroscopy for the diagnosis of TFCC tears. Other centres have reported better accuracy, using more advanced MRI technology. Until this iswidely available at all levels of healthcare the results of MRI for the diagnosis of TFCC tears should be interpreted with caution.

In February 2004, our institute began to perform routine cervical CT scans in addition to head CT examinations on patients with blunt head trauma who had received high energy injuries. We present the findings of 108 patients who underwent a routine cervical CT within the last year and the usefulness of routine cervical CT examinations is discussed. The present report is, to our knowledge, the only prospective study to examine the utility of routine cervical CT examinations.

Among the patients admitted to the emergency room of our institute after receiving high energy injuries, 108 patients had blunt head trauma and underwent a routine cervical CT examination in addition to the head CT examination specified by our original protocol for cervical clearance. The mechanism of injury and the presence of cervical bone lesions were noted in each case. 76 males and 32 females ranging in age from 13 to 77 years (average, 41.0 years) were included in the study. Among these 108 cases, cervical fractures or subluxation were visible in 5 cases on plain films. Although no fractures were seen on the plain films taken in the remaining 103 cases, the additional cervical CT examinations demonstrated 14 cervical fractures in 13 (12.6%) of these cases.

For patients with blunt head trauma, a cervical CT examination is not usually performed if no evidence of a cervical fracture is found on plain films and no neurological deficits are present. Nevertheless, the present findings suggest that many cervical fractures may have been missed on plain films in the past, and the routine inclusion of a cervical CT examination in addition to a head CT examination might be appropriate in the evaluation of patients with blunt head trauma who have been involved in a high energy injury.

Crescent fractures are represented by a spectrum of morphological fracture patterns, sharing a common mechanism of injury. We propose three distinct types according to the extent of Sacroiliac (SI) joint involvement and the size of the crescent fragment, which enables a pragmatic choice of surgical approach and stabilisation technique.

Crescent fractures are fracture dislocations of the SI joint in which there is variable amount of disruption of the SI ligaments extending proximally as a fracture of the posterior iliac wing. We identified three groups of Crescent fractures according to the extent of SI joint involvement, relationship of the fracture line to the S1 and S2 nerve root foramina on anteroposterior and outlet plain radiograph views, and CT films. Type I involves the less than inferior third of the SI joint with a large posterior iliac fragment left attached to the sacrum. This is best approached anteriorly for stabilisation. Type II has between one-third to two-thirds involvement of the SI joint and is treated according to Helfet's technique. Type III has a very small crescent fragment left attached to the sacrum and the inferior two-thirds of the SI joint is disrupted. This is treated with percutaneous SI screws, but will need anterior open reduction in delayed presentations. Based on this, we treated sixteen patients and followed them for at least two years. There were four Type I, four Type II and eight Type III fractures. Fifteen had anatomical reduction and stabilisation of the SI joint with good functional results. Delayed referral, the presence of significant soft tissue injury posteriorly and infected external fixator pins.

From our experience we would like to propose this functional classification of crescent fractures which we find useful in making a choice of surgical approach and stabilisation technique to achieve satisfactory reduction and stabilisation of sacroiliac joint.

To analyse and compare long-term functional outcome of combined spino-pelvic injuries to an isolated pelvis and spinal fractures, the outcome of matched 30 patients with combined pelvic and spinal fractures was compared with 32 patients with isolated pelvic fractures and 30 patients with isolated spinal fractures. Functional outcome was measured using the self-report questionnaire EuroQol EQ-5D, a generic outcome tool. The functional outcome was compared with the average UK population scores.

The mean age, median ISS and demographic profile were similar in all 3 groups. Neurological injuries were seen in 10 patients in the combined injury group, 5 patients in the pelvic injury group and 3 patients in the spinal fracture group. 1 patient had sexual dysfunction in the combined injury group. The EuroQol EQ-5D descriptive scores for the combined group were 0.67±0.11 (0.71±0.12 for spine fracture, 0.61±0.18 for pelvic fracture) and Valuation scores for the combined injury were 69.6±11.4 (65.1±19.4 for spine fracture, 61.5±21.9 for pelvic fracture), which are p=0.004 and p=0.003 for the combined injury compared to the average UK population. Duration of hospital stay was a mean of 13 days in spine injury group compared to 49 days in the combined injury group. 70% of patients with spinal injuries returned to the same level of employment in a mean duration of 5.3 months with only 10% retired due to injury; compared to 56.6% returned to work in the combined injury group after a mean duration of 12.8 months with 23.3% retired due to injury.

Long-term functional outcome is significantly better with isolated spinal injuries compared to pelvic injury or combined injury. There is no significant long-term difference between the combined spino-pelvic group and the isolated pelvic injury group. We feel that the spinal injuries in a patient with coexisting pelvic fracture do not contribute towards the overall functional outcome in those patients.

It is widely recognised that pelvic disruption in association with high-energy trauma is a life-threatening injury. The potential morbidity and mortality associated with acetabular injuries are less well understood. Due to chronic underfunding and the absence of a comprehensive and coordinated national approach to the management of acetabular trauma throughout the UK, patients can incur prolonged recumbency. Prompt and appropriate referral for specialist management, thromboprophylaxis and venous thrombosis surveillance are important issues for the referring centre. We performed a postal questionnaire to establish the current clinical practice in the specialist centres throughout the UK in pelvic and acetabular trauma, with respect to time to surgery, thromboprophylaxis, and surveillance.

We identified twenty-one units and thirty-seven surgeons in the NHS who deal with pelvic and acetabular injuries. The mean time to surgery from injury in the UK is 8.5 days (range 2-19 days). The larger units that accept and treat patients from outside their region experience the greatest delay to surgery. Mechanical thromboprophylaxis was used in 67% (14) of the units. 24% (5) use arterio-venous boots, 19% (4) use calf pumps, and 52% (11) use TEDS stockings. No unit routinely use prophylactic IVC filters in acetabular trauma. Chemical thromboprophylaxis is routinely used in 100% (21) of the units. 95% (20) used prophylactic doses of unfractionated heparin or low molecular weight heparin. Clinical surveillance alone for thromboembolism is employed in 90% (19) of the units. Only 2 (10%) units routinely perform radiological surveillance with ultrasound Doppler on its acetabular fracture cases pre-operatively.

Currently there is no published directory of dedicated pelvic and acetabular surgeons in the UK. There is no general consensus on the approach to thromboprophylaxis and surveillance in acetabular trauma in the UK. There is no consensus approach to thromboprophylaxis and surveillance in the literature.

Displaced two- to four-part fractures of the proximal humerus pose a difficult therapeutic challenge. We report the results of internal fixation of these fractures in a case series of 50 patients with a locking plate system. All fractures united with no failure of fixation. The mean constant score was 79. One patient developed avascular necrosis.

Internal fixation with locking plate system in healthy active patients, disregarding their age, is a reliable method of treating displaced proximal humerus fractures. The tuberosities should be restored anatomically prior to plate application. Surgical expertise in treating shoulder conditions is essential for good functional outcome.

Mid-shaft humeral fractures in adults are common these days and often present with a management dilemma between operative and non-operative treatment. This study evaluates the outcome of such fractures treated non-operatively over a span of 10 years.

In this retrospective study, a review of case notes and radiographs of patients whose mid-shaft humerus fractures were treated non-operatively between 1994 and 2004 was done. Those younger than 16 years and/or who had surgery primarily were excluded. Various factors including patient demographics, mechanism of injury, AO fracture classification and time to union were studied. Mean patient follow-up was 4 years and 6 months. The Oxford shoulder score was used for functional assessment.

There was a total of 43 patients, mostly men with involvement of the dominant arm. 5 patients required open reduction and internal fixation with bone grafting for non-union. The average Oxford shoulder score was 18. The majority of patients could resume their jobs and the average time to union was 9 weeks.

We conclude from this study that there is a high union rate in the mid-shaft humeral fractures in adults treated non-operatively, with an acceptable functional outcome.

We present the clinical and radiological outcome of a prospective series of 22 Buechel-Pappas Total Ankle Replacements (TAR) implanted in 19 patients with a mean follow-up of 9 years (range 6 to 13). The only published long term results of this prosthesis in the literature are from the originators' unit.

Patients have been prospectively reviewed yearly since 1991. None was lost to follow-up. The primary diagnosis was rheumatoid arthritis in 11 and osteoarthritis in 8 patients. 12 patients were female. Mean patient age was 64 (range 39 to 81). At the time of review 4 patients (6 ankles) had died between 12 and 69 months post-operatively of unrelated causes with their prostheses in situ. One patient had a below knee amputation for chronic venous ulceration 11 years after a TAR which until that point had continued to function well. One patient with severe rheumatoid arthritis had the implant removed at 8 weeks for deep infection. Another patient with rheumatoid arthritis had the TAR revised to a tibio-talar-calcaneal fusion 59 months post-operatively for talar avascular necrosis. One patient has pain from impingement and another patient with rheumatoid arthritis has intermittent pain at 8 years following her TAR. Every other implant continues to function well. The New Jersey LCS ankle assessment scores increased from a mean of 35 pre-operatively to 82 post-operatively. The increases were largely due to pain relief and improved function with the pre-operative range of motion being preserved. These scores have been maintained in the long term. No surviving implant is radiologically loose.

Our results suggest that the Buechel-Pappas TAR offers good clinical and radiological long-term results to patients with often disabling ankle arthritis

Twenty-four replacements were performed in 19 patients (13 female: 6 male), with average age of 33 years (18-40). All had severe polyarticular rheumatoid arthritis. Pre-operatively 12 ankles had no angular deformity, 9 were in valgus and 3 in varus. All had associated hindfoot disease. Some of these patients are part of two larger studies of the Scandinavian Total Ankle Replacement (STAR) and the Buechel-Pappas (BP) replacement. In this group there were 20 STAR and 4 BP replacements. Average follow-up was 62 months (36 to 120). Twenty-one replacements had good pain relief and function. The AOFAS hindfoot score for pain improved from 0 to 36 (max 40) and for function from 25 to 35 (max 60). Three have failed. One ankle had a 25-degree valgus deformity pre-operatively and this recurred and caused failure at 11 months. The second failed at 34 months due to aseptic loosening of the talar component. Both of these were converted to tibio-talo-calcaneal fusions with an intra-medullary nail. The third failure had never provided satisfactory pain relief in spite of appearing satisfactory on clinical and radiological examination. Exploratory surgery was carried out at 36 months but failed to produce an improvement and at 61 months the decision was made to revise the replacement to a fusion. However, due to concurrent health problems, this has not yet been done. We offer replacement to patients with severe polyarticular rheumatoid disease especially if there is a stiff but well aligned hindfoot. In the light of increased experience, we now consider valgus or varus deformity of greater than 20 degrees to be a contra-indication to replacement. This is because the deformity tends to recur leading to pain, loosening and failure.

Simultaneous arthrodesis of the ankle and subtalar joints is an established treatment option for combined ankle and subtalar arthritis or complex hindfoot deformities. The use of a curved intra medullary nail has potential advantages in terms of stability, hindfoot alignment and avoidance of the lateral neurovascular bundle.

We devised a comparative description of the results of hindfoot fusion using a curved locking nail before and after the introduction of anatomically specific modifications to the device through a retrospective review of notes and radiographs of patients undergoing simultaneous ankle and subtalar fusion by retrograde intramedullary nailing using an ACE¯ (Humeral Nail. Patients undergoing the same procedure using the Tibiotalocalcaneal [TTC] Nail System [DePuy] were recruited and studied prospectively. The outcome was assessed by a combination of notes review, clinical examination and telephone questionnaire.

Between 1996 and 2004, 71 arthrodeses in 67 patients have been performed. The average follow up is 27 months [3-73] and mean age 58 years. Fifty-two arthrodeses utilised the ACE humeral nail and nineteen used the newer TTC nail. Both nailing systems are locked proximally and distally and provide a short radius laterally directed distal curve. Mean time to union is 4.3 months [3-10]. Average AOFAS hindfoot score post-operatively is 65, with a mean improvement of 40 points from the pre-operative score in the TTC nail group. Post-operative complications included deep infection, amputation and a non-union rate of 10% overall. In the humeral nail group, four symptomatic stress reactions [8%] and three fractures of the tibia [6%] occurred at the tip of the nail. No stress-riser effect has to date been seen in the TTC nail group. Prominent metalwork removal has also been significantly reduced in the TTC nail group.

Our results show hindfoot fusion using a curved intramedullary nail to be an effective technique in complex cases of hindfoot arthritis and deformity. Anatomically specific alterations to the nail have resulted in a significant reduction in certain complications. Alternate proximal locking options in the TTC nail have reduced prominent metalwork and, more significantly, the incidence of stress reactions and fractures appears to have been eliminated.

The aim of operative treatment for ankle fractures is to allow early movement after internal fixation. The hypothesis of this study was that early mobilisation facilitated by a removable cast after internal fixation of ankle fractures would improve functional recovery of patients compared with that after conventional immobilisation in a cast.

Sixty-two patients between the age of seventeen and sixty-five with ankle fractures that required operative treatment were randomly allocated to two groups: immobilisation in a non weight bearing below knee cast for six weeks or early movement in a removable cast (at two weeks after removal of sutures) for the following four weeks. The follow-up examinations which consisted of subjective (clinical, Olerud-Molander score, AOFAS score, SF 36) and objective (swelling measurement, x-ray) evaluations were performed at two, six, nine, twelve and twenty four weeks post-operatively. Time of return to work was recorded.

There were two post-operative complications in the group treated with immobilisation in cast; two patients had deep vein thrombosis (DVT). There was one superficial wound infection treated with oral antibiotics and two deep wound infections requiring removal of metal in the group treated with early movement in a removable cast. Patients in group two (early movement) had higher functional scores at nine and twelve weeks follow-up. They also returned to work earlier (63.7 days) compared with the ones treated in cast (94.9 days). There was no statistical difference in Quality of Life (SF-36 Questionnaire) at six months between the two groups.

Early movement with the use of removable cast after removal of sutures in operated ankle fractures decreases swelling, prevents calf muscle wasting, improves functional outcome and facilitates early return to work of patients. Our findings support the use of a removable cast and early exercises in selected, compliant patients after surgery of the ankle.

We report on the first clinical cases of the Arthrex Ankle Syndesmosis TightRope (winner of 2003 BOA Technological Achievement Award and 2004 Cutlers' Prize), which has recently been licensed for use where classically a syndesmosis screw would be used.

Twelve patients with Weber C ankle fractures treated with Arthrex TightRope syndesmosis fixation have a minimum of six months follow-up. The syndesmosis was fixed with the ankle in plantarflexion to aid reduction. Patient demographics, including fracture classification and mode of injury were obtained. Parameters measured at follow-up included ankle range of motion, maintenance of reduction and fibular length, and AOFAS ankle outcome score.

The patient cohort showed a typical bimodal distribution of age. Age over 65 years was associated with a poorer outcome. Five patients had ankle fracture-dislocations, which was a factor for a poorer outcome. Nine patients had fibular plate fixation in addition to syndesmosis fixation, whilst three patients with Maisonneuve injuries had syndesmosis fixation only. There were no major complications, loss of reduction, wound problems, implant loosening or osteolysis. Ankle dorsiflexion was not restricted and mean total ankle range of motion was comparable to the uninjured side. No patient required secondary surgery for any reason, including hardware removal.

Arthrex TightRope fixation is a simple, safe and effective method of ankle syndesmosis fixation, which allows physiological micromotion. Fixation in plantarflexion provides optimum syndesmosis compression for reduction, and does not compromise ankle range of motion. The Arthrex Ankle Syndesmosis TightRope may become the treatment of choice in Weber C ankle fractures.

Equinus contracture of the ankle due to a tight Gastrocnemius has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of foot and ankle conditions. There are numerous described procedures for release of the Gastrocnemius such as the Strayer procedure.

Our indications for release are in patients with a symptomatic forefoot and an equinus contracture of 5 degrees or more in extension as defined by the Silfverskiöld test. The release is usually combined with a reconstructive procedure. The advantages of our technique are its simplicity, excellent visualisation of the tendon and sural nerve, good wound healing and patient comfort post-operatively.

The procedure can be performed without tourniquet. A 2.5cm incision is made over the medial calf, just distal to the Gastrocnemius muscle indentation. The deep fascia is incised and the edge of the tendon can be visualised. Blunt digital dissection is performed on either side of the tendon to develop a plane. A metal Cusco speculum is inserted to visualise the full width of the tendon. The tenotomy is performed starting medially and the last 5mm of the lateral tendon is left uncut. This reduces the chance of iatrogenic injury to the nerve. The tendon bridge can be left if correction is sufficient, otherwise passive dorsiflexion of the ankle results in completion. Post-operatively, patients are able to mobilise fully with crutches and passive ankle physiotherapy is commenced immediately.

We performed 22 MAGS procedures in 17 patients. There were no Sural nerve injuries and no wound complications. All patients were delighted with cosmesis. Average pre-operative equinus contracture with the leg extended was 18 degrees. Average intra-operative correction of 24 degrees was obtained and at 3 months follow-up, all patients were able to dorsiflex past neutral.

A schwannoma is a benign nerve sheath tumour originating from schwann cells. It is the most commonly occurring peripheral nerve sheath tumour. The common sites of occurrence are the head and neck followed by the upper and lower limbs. Diagnosis is straightforward and is made clinically. Schwannomas of the tibial nerve pose a problem. The literature describes them as causes of chronic, intractable lower limb pain because their diagnosis is often delayed for several years. The main reason postulated is that a lump is not always palpable in the early phases and hence chronic cramping pain in the calf or foot is attributed to lumbosacral radiculopathy or local neuropathy.

We report the largest case series of twenty-five patients diagnosed with a tibial nerve schwannoma. Only three cases were diagnosed within a year of initial presentation. The mean time to diagnosis was eighty-six months. The most common site of pain was the sole of the foot (eighteen cases). A Tinel's sign was elicited in nineteen cases. MRI confirmed the diagnosis in all the twenty cases where it was performed. Surgical resection was performed in all cases yielding excellent results. Only one patient required further neurolysis for persisting pain.

In patients with a long history of neuropathic lower limb pain, where lumbar and pelvic lesions have been excluded, a high index of suspicion should be maintained for a peripheral nerve tumour. Delay in diagnosis is commonly due to lack of familiarity with peripheral nerve pathology and the absence of a palpable lump. The delay can result in numerous unnecessary medical and surgical interventions in this group of distressed patients. The Tinel's sign is the key to identifying a tumour of neural origin in the absence of a palpable lump. Surgical resection of the tumour remains safe and effective in providing symptomatic relief.

Hind and mid foot arthritis is often noted in patients who have previously had an ankle arthrodesis. It has been suggested that this arthritis may be precipitated or exacerbated as a direct result of the ankle fusion. The aim of this study was to investigate the degree and pattern of pre-existing ipsilateral foot arthritis in patients who have subsequently undergone ankle arthrodesis.

A retrospective review of the most recent pre-operative radiographs of 70 patients who underwent 71 arthrodeses between 1993-2003 was performed. Patients with rheumatoid disease were excluded. The immediate pre-operative AP and lateral ankle radiographs were assessed and the presence and severity of osteoarthritis for the sub-talar, talo-navicular, naviculo-cuneiform and calcaneo-cuboid joints was recorded using the Kellgren and Lawrence grading score. This was performed simultaneously by two reviewers and a consensus obtained. A total score out of 16 was given for each radiograph.

68 (96%) of the radiographs reviewed showed evidence of pre-existing hind or mid foot arthritis prior to ankle fusion. The sub-talar joint was the most commonly and severely affected. The median total arthritis score for each radiograph was 5. There was no association between age or causative pathology and the degree of arthritis.

This study has demonstrated that hind and mid foot arthritis is very common in patients with co-existent ankle arthritis prior to ankle fusion. This has previously been assumed to have developed as a result of the surgery but is, in fact, present at the time of the operation and this needs to be taken into consideration when evaluating the results of ankle arthrodesis

Stable thoracolumbar fracture is a common injury. The factors that determine its outcome are unclear. Aspects of injury severity were analysed for their ability to predict outcome by controlling other outcome-affecting factors (patient's pre-injury health status, legal aspects, associated injuries, etc.). No reliable disc injury severity grading system was available and therefore a new system was developed.

A prospective observational study of 44 conservatively treated patients with stable fractures between T11 and L5 was conducted. Bony injury severity was scored based on comminution, apposition and kyphosis parameters. Disc injury severity was scored by the new scale based on variables – Herniation, Indentation, Height decrease and Signal change – seen in MRI. Ten outcome domains (five domains of pain and function each) were assessed at 1 to 2 years from injury. The data was analysed by non-parametric correlation and stepwise-linear regression analysis to assess the predictive value of different variables (patient factors, injury factors and social factor) to outcome.

The correlation coefficients between injury severity and outcome were consistently higher with disc injury severity than bony. Disc injury severity showed highest predictive value for both pain (29%) and functional (16%) outcomes, whereas the bony injury severity parameters (kyphosis, etc.) and the posterior ligament injury severity provided no prediction of outcome. According to AO classification, the fractures were A1, A2, A3 and B1; in this spectrum of injuries, the AO classification had no prediction of outcome. The disc injury score also had a good predictive value for final disc degeneration.

Disc injury severity should be gauged in advising prognosis and treatment. The new disc injury severity grading system showed good construct validity.

Patients with spinal cord injuries have been seen to have increased healing of attendant fractures. This for the main has been a clinical observation with laboratory work confined to rats. While the benefits in relation to quicker fracture healing are obvious, this excessive bone growth (heterotopic ossification) also causes unwanted side effects, such as decreased movement around joints, joint fusion and renal tract calculi. However, the cause for this phenomenon remains unclear.

This paper evaluates two groups with spinal column fractures – those with neurological compromise (n=10) and those without (n=15), and compares them with a control group with isolated long bone fractures (n=12). Serum was taken from these patients at five specific time intervals post injury (1 day, 5 days, 10 days, 42 days (6 weeks) and 84 days (12 weeks)). These samples were then analysed for levels of Transforming Growth Factor-Beta (TGF-β using the ELISA technique. This cytokine has been shown to stimulate bone formation after both topical and systemic administration.

Results show TGF-β levels of 142.79+/-29.51 ng/ml in the neurology group at 84 days post injury. This is higher than any of the other time points within this group (p=0.009 vs. all other time points, ANOVA). Furthermore, this level is also higher than the levels recorded in the no neurology (103.51+/-36.81 ng/ml) and long bone (102.28=/-47.58 ng/ml) groups at 84 days post-injury (p=0.009 and p=0.04 respectively, ANOVA).

In conclusion, the results of this work, carried out for the first time in humans, offers strong evidence of the causative role of TGF-β in the increased bone turnover and attendant complications seen in patients with acute spinal cord injuries.

We report a prospective case-series study to evaluate the results of non-operative and operative treatment of symptomatic unilateral lumbar spondylolysis. Non-operative treatment results in healing in most patients with symptomatic unilateral spondylolysis. Surgery however is indicated when symptoms persist beyond a reasonable time affecting the quality of life in young patients particularly the athletic population.

We treated 41 patients [31 male, 10 female] with suspected unilateral lumbar spondylolysis. Thirty-one patients were actively involved in sports at various levels. Patients with a positive stress reaction on SPECT imaging underwent a strict protocol of activity restriction, bracing and physical therapy for 6 months. At the end of six months, patients who remained symptomatic underwent a Computed Tomography [CT] scan to confirm the persistence of a spondylolysis. Seven patients subsequently underwent a direct repair of the defect using the modified Buck's Technique. Baseline Oswestry disability index [ODI] and Short-Form-36 [SF-36] scores were compared to two year ODI and SF-36 scores for all patients.

In the non-operated group, the mean pre-treatment ODI was 36 [SD=10.5], improving to 6.2 [SD=8.2] at two years. In SF-36 scores, the physical component of health [PCS] improved from 30.7 [SD=3.2] to 53.5 [SD =6.5] [p<0.001], and the mean score for the mental component of health [MCS] improved from 39 [SD=4.1] to56.5 [SD=3.9] [p<0.001] at two years. 20/31 patients resumed their sporting career within 6 months of onset of treatment, a further 4/31 patients returned to sports within one year.

The seven patients who remained symptomatic at six months underwent a unilateral modified Buck's Repair. The most common level of repair was L5 (n=4). The mean pre-operative ODI was 39.4 (SD=3.6) improving to 4.4 (SD=4) at the latest follow-up. The mean score of PCS [SF-36] improved from 29.6 [SD=4.4] to 51.2 [SD=5.2] (SD=5.2) (p<0.001) and the mean score of MCS (SF-36) improved from 38.7 (SD=1.9) to 55.5 (SD=5.4) (p<0.001).

A specific protocol of conservative treatment for patients with a unilateral lumbar spondylolysis resulted in a high rate of success with 83% of patients avoiding surgery. If symptoms persist beyond a reasonable period (i.e. 6 months) and reverse gantry CT scan confirms a non-healing defect of the pars interarticularis one may consider a unilateral direct repair of the defect with good outcome ultimately.

Surgery for degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis may entail both decompression and fusion. The knee-chest position facilitates the decompression, but fixation in this position risks fusion in kyphosis. This can be avoided by intra-operative re-positioning to the prone position. The aim of this study was to quantify the restoration of lordosis achieved by intra-operative repositioning and to assess the clinical and radiological outcome.

A total of forty consecutive patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis and stenosis were treated by posterior decompression and interbody fusion with pedicle screw fixation. The screw insertion, decompression and interbody grafting were performed with the patient in the knee-chest position. The patient was then re-positioned to the fully prone position for fusion. Sagittal plane angles were measured pre-, intra- and post-operatively. Clinical assessment was performed using SF-36 scores and visual analogue scores for back and leg pain.

The sagittal plane angle increased from median 16.0 degrees pre-operatively to 23.1 degrees post-operatively (p<0.01) and this was maintained at the last follow-up (mean 21 months). The SF-36 scores improved for 7 out of 8 domains and the physical score improved from 29% to 40% (p<0.05). The mean pain scores improved significantly from 7.5 to 3.8 for back pain and from 7.6 to 3.7 for leg pain (p<0.001).

Lumbar spondylolisthesis was found to be associated with a reduction of normal lumbar lordosis and the knee-chest position exacerbates this loss of lordosis. Intra-operative repositioning restored lordosis to greater than the pre-operative angle and was associated with a good clinical outcome.

We describe the association between post-operative femoral stem radiological appearances and aseptic failure of THA (total hip arthroplasty) following a retrospective review of records and radiographs of all patients attending for follow-up between August 2002 and August 2003 who had a cemented Charnley femoral stem and either a cemented polyethylene acetabular cup inserted. Femoral stem aseptic loosening was defined either by findings at revision surgery, the definite radiographic loosening criteria of Harris or progressive endosteal cavitation across zones as described by Gruen. Well-fixed control THAs were defined as those that demonstrated none of the radiographic features of aseptic loosening or ‘at risk’ signs as described by Wroblewski. Parameters measured were: Alignment, Barrack grade of cementation, cement mantle width of the cement mantle and the presence and width of any radiolucent lines.

Sixty-three hips were entered into the aseptic failure group and 138 into the control group. The alignment of the femoral stem was not associated with failure (p=0.283). Thickness of the cement mantle was statistically associated with failure in Gruen zones 6 (p=0.040) and Gruen zone 7 (p=0.003). A significant association for the presence of radiolucent lines was found for Gruen zones 3 (p=0.0001) and 5 (p=0.0001). The grade of cementation as measured by the Barrack grade was strongly associated with failure for grades C (p=0.001) and D (p=0.001).

This study has demonstrated that easily applied radiological criteria can be used to identify ‘at risk’ Charnley THAs from the immediate post-operative AP radiograph.

We aimed to assess whether using long stem femoral components, with cemented distal fixation and proximal impaction grafting allows early patient mobilisation, reconstitution of the proximal femur and long term stability of fixation in patients with aseptic loosening and proximal femoral analysis.

Over the past ten years 239 patients have been treated with an Elite Plus cemented long stem femoral implant, 33% with concomitant proximal impaction bone grafting. Many of the patients had co-morbidities. The average age at revision was 72 years (range 48 to 91). There was a slight female predominance. Fourteen percent of hips had been previously revised. Forty-eight patients were deceased and 22 were not available for follow-up; this left a cohort of 169 patients who were available for radiological and questionnaire review at an average of 4.5 years.

According to the Paprosky grading for pre-operative bone loss 40% had moderate to severe bone loss (grade IIIb or IV). The Barrack grading was used to assess the cement mantle post-operatively with 65% showing good cementation. The Harris and O'Neill grades were used at final review to assess probability of loosening with only 8% being probably or definitely loose. The average Oxford Hip Score was 29. Mesh ± cables were required in a third of cases to allow adequate containment and pressurisation. It was generally felt that the long stem needed to be at least one third longer than the initial component. The re-revision rate was 1.2 with a 10 year survivorship analysis of 94%. The complication rate of almost 6% included periprosthetic fractures, dislocations, infection and mesh breakage.

A long stem cemented femoral implant can be useful in bypassing proximal femoral deficiency in the appropriate patient.

Primary total hip arthroplasty in patients with osteoarthrosis secondary to developmental hip dysplasia is often more complex due to anterolateral acetabular bone deficiency. Femoral head (shelf) autograft provides a non-immunogenic, osteoconductive lateral support with the potential for enhanced bone stock should revision surgery be required. The technique has been shown in other series to give reliable early results but may be complicated by graft revascularisation and collapse. As yet, no study has assessed shelf grafts long term or quantified the need for further bone graft at revision surgery.

This study aims to assess initial graft union rate; quantify long term graft resorption and; quantify the need for further bone graft in the patients requiring revision surgery.

A retrospective analysis of a single surgeon's series of 31 THR in 25 patients was conducted. Post-operative, biplanar radiographic analysis was performed at 3 and 6 months and annually thereafter for a mean of 14 years (range 8-18). Grafts were assessed for union, resorption and displacement. Intra-operative necessity for bone graft at revision surgery was recorded.

Union, osseous 93%, fibrous 7%. No grafts displaced. In 71% less than one-third of the graft resorbed, in 29% one-third to one-half resorbed and in no grafts did greater than a half resorb. Of 10 patients revised, 2 required bone graft for inadequate bone stock.

Femoral head autograft allows effective acetabular coverage with excellent rates of union, minimal graft resorption in the long term and improves bone stock in revision surgery.

Infection of total hip replacement is a disaster, with a quoted incidence of 1-2%. Anecdotal evidence has led many to believe that aggressive management of early infection following hip replacement can prevent failure. As yet, there is no firm evidence. We have reviewed 20 consecutive cases of early infection (<6 weeks post-op) treated by open debridement and washout.

The cases were 19 total hip replacements and 1 hemiarthroplasty. All had prolonged wound I discharge and elevated inflammatory parameters. No differentiation was made between superficial and deep infections because at this stage the deep fascia had not yet healed. 13 cases had positive cultures (6 staphylococcus, 5 coagulase negative staphylococcus, 1 coliform, 1 streptococcus). 7 cases had either negative cultures or mixed growth, but were clinically infected. Intravenous antibiotics were given after debridement until the wound healed.

Thirteen (65%) were clinically and radiologically free of infection at a minimum of 1 year follow-up. Failure to eradicate infection was treated by revision surgery and this was performed in 4 patients. Of the remaining 3 patients, one underwent excision arthroplasty, one was infected but refused surgery and one was infected but medically unfit for surgery. There is no control group, but it would be ethically very difficult to organise. As expected, we had small numbers and a mixed collection of organisms, so statistical comparisons are limited.

In conclusion, these patients represent a very high risk of ongoing infection. 13 hips (65%) had no evidence of ongoing infection at a minimum of 1 year follow up. This study supports aggressive surgical management of early infection following hip replacements. Eradication of early infection can be achieved without removal of the implant.

The use of percutaneous Kirschner wires [K-wires] and plaster is a popular method of treatment for displaced distal radius fracture. However, multi-database electronic literature review reveals unsurprisingly different views regarding their use.

From August 2002 till June 2004, 280 distal radial fractures were admitted to our orthopaedic department. They were recorded prospectively in the departmental trauma admissions database. We studied the 87 cases treated with the K-wires and plaster technique. They were classified according to the AO classification system. The mean patient age was 53 [5-88] years. The mean delay before surgery was 7 [0-24] days. We studied the complications reported by the attending orthopaedic surgical team. 48 out of 87 patients [55.1%] were reported to have complications.

We analysed the displacement and the pin tract infection, as they were the main reported complications. 28 out of 87 patients [32%] had displacement [9 had further surgery to correct the displacement, 19 did not have any further surgery as the displacement was accepted]. 11 out of 87 patients [12.6%] had pin tract infection [7 needed early removals of the K-wires and systematic treatment]. Further analysis showed no statistically significant relation between the complications rate and the age of the patients, the delay before surgery or the type of the fractures.

We demonstrate a considerable high displacement and infection rate with the use of K-wires and plaster technique for fixation of distal fracture irrespective of the age of the patients, the delay before surgery or the fracture classification. There are other methods for fixation of the distal radial fracture with proven less morbidity which should be considered.

This study reports the results of open reduction and internal fixation of 26 unstable, intra-articular, dorsally displaced fractures of the distal radius using a bio absorbable dorsal distal radius (Reunite) plate and calcium phosphate (Biobon) bone substitute. The bio absorbable plate has the advantages of being low profile, easily contourable due to temporary malleability and is angularly stable. It retains its strength for 6 to 8 weeks and undergoes complete mass loss within one year, thereby allowing gradual load transfer to the healing bone. In the majority of cases, this plate produces functional results comparable with metal plates.

The Gartland and Werley score was excellent or good in 21 patients. The most important advantage over metal plates is in eliminating the need to remove the plate and hence the need for a second operation if implant related extensor tenosynovitis occurs. Inflammatory tissue reaction to the degradation products of the plate is a potential concern, although the co-polymer ratio used in this plate appears to have reduced the severity of this reaction, which was seen in two patients in this series. The reduction was lost in five patients with severe dorsal comminution. For such fractures, the plate did not retain its strength for long enough to allow adequate healing for satisfactory load transfer.

Following this experience, we do not recommend this plating system for fractures with a metaphyseal gap of greater than 7 mm following reduction. For fractures that cannot be treated by closed means but where the metaphyseal gap following reduction is less than 7 mm, this plate provides all the theoretical advantages. Further developments allowing the plate to retain its strength for longer while maintaining the low incidence of inflammatory reactions will make it more universally applicable for the treatment of a greater spectrum of unstable distal radius fractures.

We present an objective method for predicting the redisplacement of paediatric forearm and wrist fractures. Novel radiographic measurements were defined and their value assessed for clinical decision making. In Phase I of the study we defined the cast index and padding index and correlated these measurements with the incidence of fracture redisplacement. Phase II assessed these indices for their value in clinical decision making.

Cast Index (a/b) is the ratio of cast width in lateral view (a) and the width of the cast in AP view (b). Padding Index (x/y) isthe ratio of padding thickness in the plane of maximum deformity correction (x) and the greatest interosseous distance (y) in AP view. The sum of cast index and padding index was defined as the Canterbury Index.

In Phase I, 142 children's radiographs were analysed and a statistically significant difference was identified between redisplacement and initial complete off-ending of the bones, cast index > 0.8 and padding index of > 0.3. There was no significant association with age, fracture location, seniority of surgeon or angulation. In Phase II, radiographs of 5 randomly selected cases were presented to 40 surgeons (20 consultants & 20 registrars). Following an eyeball assessment they were asked to measure the cast index and padding index (after instruction). With eyeballing the consultants predicted 33% and registrars 25% of the cases that redisplaced. After learning to measure the indices the accuracy increased to 72% for consultants and 81% for registrars (p<0.001).

We conclude that the cast index, padding index and Canterbury Index are validated tools to assess plaster cast quality and can be used to predict redisplacement of paediatric forearm fractures after manipulation. They can easily be taught to orthopaedic surgeons and are more accurate than eyeballing radiographs in the clinical setting. Redisplacement can be predicted if cast index > 0.8, padding index > 0.3 and Canterbury Index > 1.1.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of human recombinant osteogenic protein 1 (rhBMP-7) for the treatment of fracture non-unions and to estimate the health economics aspect of its administration.

Twenty-four patients (18 males, mean age 39.1 (range 18-79)) with 25 fracture non-unions were treated with rhBMP-7 in our institution (mean follow-up 15.4 months (range 6-29)). Successful completion of treatment was defined as the achievement of both clinical and radiological union. The cost of each treatment episode was estimated including hospital stay, theatre time, orthopaedic implants, drug administration, investigations, clinic attendances, and physiotherapy treatments. The total cost of all episodes up to the point of receiving BMP-7 and similarly following treatment with BMP-7 were estimated and analysed.

Of the 25 cases, 21 were atrophic (3 associated with bone loss) and 4 were infected non-unions. The mean number of operations performed prior to rhBMP-7 application was 3.4, including autologous bone graft in 9 cases and bone marrow injection in one case. In 21 out of the 25 cases (84%), both clinical and radiological union occurred. Mean hospital stay before and after receiving rhBMP-7 was 26.84 days per fracture and 7.8 days per fracture respectively. Total cost of treatments prior to BMP-7 was £346,117 [£13,844.68 per fracture]. Costs incurred following BMP-7 administration were estimated as £183,460 [£7,338.4 per fracture].

rhBMP-7 was used as a bone stimulating agent with or without conventional bone grafting with a success rate of 84% in this series of patients with persistent fracture non-unions. The average cost of its application was £7,338 [53.0% of the total costs of previous unsuccessful treatment of non –unions, p<0.05). Treating non-union is costly, but the financial burden could be reduced by early rhBMP-7 administration when a complicated or persistent non-union is present or anticipated. Therefore, this study supports the view that rhBMP-7 is a safe and power adjunct to be considered in the surgeon's armamentarium for the management of such difficult cases.

Damage Control techniques involve primary external fracture fixation to reduce the ‘second hit’ of surgery. This study used a large animal (ovine) trauma model to compare pathophysiological responses of primary external femoral fixation and intramedullary stabilisation.

Under terminal anaesthesia bilateral femoral fractures and hypovolaemia were produced using a pneumatic ram. 24 sheep were randomised into 4 groups and monitored for 24 hours. Group 1 – Control; Group 2 – Trauma only; Group 3 – Trauma and external fixation; Group 4 – Trauma and reamed intramedullary stabilisation. Outcome measures: pulmonary embolic load (transoesophageal echocardiography); plasma coagulation markers; bronchoalveolar lavage differential cell counts (neutrophils, lymphocytes and macrophages).

Total embolic load was significantly higher (p<0.001) in the intramedullary fixation group (median score 42 versus 20). All trauma groups had a significant increase (p < 0.05) in prothrombin time with a fall in antithrombin III and fibrinogen levels. No significant differences occurred between trauma groups with any coagulation or alveolar lavage marker.

Intramedullary femoral fracture fixation produced a relatively higher pulmonary embolic load. However, the initial fracture fixation method did not affect any of the changes seen in the measured coagulation or inflammatory markers during the first 24 hours of injury.

The consequences of the complications associated with the management of slipped upper femoral epiphysis are a major source of disability in young adults. Whilst the management of chondrolysis, avascular necrosis or malunion of the femoral neck is usually undertaken by paediatric orthopaedic surgeons the initial management of SUFE in many regions is as part of an adult trauma service. This retrospective audit assessed the outcome of the management of SUFE in one such health region in which treatment occurred at three sites by a number of surgeons of varying experience, during the period July 1994 to June 2004. The aim was to compare our outcomes with those published and to identify whether our service should be altered as a consequence.

The case notes and x-rays as recorded in theatre records were retrieved. Of the 64 cases that were treated during this period adequate records for 60 patients were available. Of these 60 patients there were 7 bilateral cases. Fixation in all 67 cases was by a single cannulated screw. In the 53 unilateral cases 17 underwent prophylactic pinning, the remaining 36 remained under observation. Of these nine patients presented with subsequent slips, eight of which were unstable and two had slip angles greater than 60° in which one developed avascular necrosis. Four other cases of avascular necrosis were observed (incidence 6%). Chondrolysis occurred in one patient with persistent pin penetration. In the remaining 73 cannulated screws used for stabilisation and 17 for prophylactic fixation no complications were observed.

The complication rates observed in this series are within those accepted in the literature. The high incidence of subsequent slips and the attendant severity of these when compared with the relative safety of contemporary cannulated screw fixation has led us to recommend prophylactic pinning in our region.

Opinions about the treatment of Perthes' disease vary widely. However there is no disagreement about the need for containment during fragmentation stage to create an optimum biomechanical environment for remodelling of femoral head. Types of containment may vary. Younger children do well irrespective of the method of containment. Older children usually require surgical containment. The present study was aimed at evaluating the results of different methods of surgical containment in different age group and identifying specific factors that alter the final outcome and prognosis.

107 cases were reviewed retrospectively. 21 cases were excluded due to lack of records. 86 hips were available for clinical and radiological evaluation. 31 patients were under 7 years and required Varus osteotomy (VO). 55 patients were above 7 years. VO was performed in 30 hips and Shelf containment was done in 25. Case notes were reviewed for demographic details, surgical details and clinic letters. Radiographs were reviewed for Herring's grading, Stulberg staging, containment indices, centre edge angle, lateral pillar height, Mose index, neck shaft angle and shelf width.

In all patients, there was an improvement in pre-operative symptoms and summated range of motion, especially abduction. Good functional and radiological outcome was seen in age group < 7 years. In older children, outcome was good to satisfactory with Herring grade B. Stulberg grading worsened with advancing age and Herring grade C, irrespective of the method of containment. Persistence of varus neck shaft angle and trochanteric overgrowth were significant problems with VO. Although all containment indices improved with Shelf group, Stulberg grading remained poor in most patients.

The lateral pillar classification and age strongly correlate with final outcome. Herring group C had the least favourable result. Stulberg staging remained poor in older children irrespective of the method of containment.

There is conflicting information regarding the recommendations of bracing, physical therapy and cessation of sports for young athletes with symptomatic spondylolysis. The purpose of this study was to identify factors affecting the prognosis and to find the optimal method of non-operative treatment.

The patients in our study were athletes who visited our children's hospital for low back pain with lumbar spondylolysis and were treated non-operatively from 1990 to 2002. Clinical and radiological outcomes were reviewed retrospectively. The effects of bracing, physical therapy, cessation of sports, duration of symptoms before the first hospital visit, lateralisation of spondylolysis, age, gender, onset of low back pain after lumbar trauma during sports, bone scan uptake, vertebral level of the lesion, associated scoliosis or spina bifida and radiological bony healing were analysed using univariate and multivariate analysis with logistic regression. The mean age of patients was 13 years (range 7 to 18 years). The mean follow-up was 4.2 years (range 1.2 to 12 years).

Of 132 patients, 48 patients had excellent results with no pain during sports, 76 good, 6 fair, and 4 poor. Cessation of sports, early non-operative intervention, and a unilateral spondylolysis appeared to be factors associated with excellent outcomes. However, bracing, physical therapy, age, gender, level of lesion, history of trauma, increased uptake on bone scan, or associated scoliosis or spina bifida were not factors. Bony healing was not related to the clinical outcome. The non-operative treatment of spondylolysis in children can yield excellent clinical outcomes, and the absence of bony healing has no influence on clinical outcome. Factors in this study found to correlate with an excellent outcome include unilateral spondylolysis, acute spondylolysis, and treatment with cessation of sports for 12 weeks.

Supracondylar fractures of the humerus have historically been treated as an emergency case and operated on at the earliest opportunity. We undertook a study to examine whether surgical timing affects the need for open reduction or peri-operative complications in the type III injuries.

Between August 1995 and August 2004, 534 patients presented and were referred to our unit with these fractures. Those with closed, type III injuries without vascular compromise were selected (171 patients). These were divided into 2 groups: those undergoing surgery less than 8 hours from presentation (126 patients) and those undergoing surgery more than 8 hours from presentation (45 patients).

The two major differences between the two groups were: the delayed group were more likely to undergo open reduction (33.3% v 11.2%, p<0.05) and the mean length of the surgical procedure was increased (105.1 minutes v 69.2 minutes, p<0.05). Delay in treatment of the type III supracondylar fractures is associated with an increased need for open reduction and a longer procedure. We would recommend treating these injuries at the earliest opportunity.

Displaced fractures of the radial neck in children can lead to limitation of elbow and forearm movements if left untreated. Several management techniques are available for the treatment of radial neck fractures in children. Open reduction can disturb the blood supply of the soft tissue surrounding the radial head epiphysis and is associated with more complications.

We report our experience of treating 14 children between the age of 4 and 13 years, who had severely displaced radial neck fractures (Judet type 111 and 1V). 12 patients were treated with indirect reduction and fixation using the Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nail (ESIN) technique, (3 with assisted percutaneous K-wire reduction) and 2 had open reduction followed by ESIN fixation of the radial head fragment. This method reduces the need for open reduction and thus the complication rate. Three patients had associated fractures of the same forearm which was also treated surgically at the same time. We routinely immobilised the forearm for two weeks and removed the nail in all cases in an average of 12 weeks. We had no complication with implant removal.

All 14 patients have been followed up for average of 28 months. One patient (7%) developed asymptomatic avascular necrosis (AVN) of the head of radius. Thirteen patients (93%) had excellent result on final review. One patient had neuropraxia of the posterior interosseous nerve which recovered within 6 weeks.

In conclusion we advocate ESIN for the closed reduction and fixation of severely displaced radial neck fractures in children. It remains a useful fixation method even if open reduction is required and allows early mobilisation.

Patients with spinal injuries are very vulnerable to early complications or secondary spinal cord injuries before and during transfer, which may delay their rehabilitation. We designed transfer guidelines following concerns raised in a pilot study of the transfer of 16 patients. We then examined the effectiveness of the guidelines in 100 consecutive patients and completed the cycle by re-auditing a further 254 consecutive admissions after incorporating changes from the initial audit.

The transfer guidelines addressed ten areas of clinical concern. We recorded a 50% improvement in airway monitoring and management. There was also improvement in anti-ulcer therapy and thromboprophylaxis (from 50% to 96%). We saw a 50% improvement in the use of appropriate support staff during the transfer.

The re-audit showed that initial improvements were maintained and further improvements were noted in the transfer of relevant documentation and investigations. Improvement was also noted in the use of a vacuum mattress for the transfer of spinal injury patients and subsequently reduced incidence of pressure sores by a statistically significant level, which helped in the early rehabilitation of these patients. The majority of transfers were safe.

The transfer guidelines were easy to use and improved patient care by ensuring that common problems had been addressed before and during transfer. This system reduced the risk of preventable complications during inter-hospital transfer. There may be wider application of similar guidelines to other trauma patients who require inter-hospital transfer, where there is a possibility of preventable secondary injury.

Several factors have been identified that may affect outcome after total knee replacement (TKR). We performed a systematic review of studies that looked at the association of pre-operative factors and outcome after primary total knee replacement for osteoarthritis.

All study types that investigated TKR for osteoarthritis were considered except retrospective case-series. Studies that included patients undergoing revision TKR were excluded if they did not provide separate results for primary and revision knee replacement. Any patient factor that was measured in the pre-operative period was included.

The factors measured included age, sex, race, income, body mass index (BMI), medical or joint co-morbidity, level of education, disease specific scores and their subcategories and general health scores. Studies that recorded outcome measures were only included if evidence of validation for use after total knee replacement was available.

We identified 590 studies purporting to evaluate TKR for OA. Of these, 25 studies were retrieved for in-depth consideration and 10 were found to meet the inclusion criteria. Most of these were cohort studies that used some form of regression analysis.

The results showed that the strongest and most consistent correlations were between pre-operative pain scores, pre-operative function scores, co-morbidity and post-operative function scores. Age, gender and level of education were not significant predictors of outcome. However, even the best models could only predict 36% of the variance in outcome.

Understanding which factors influence outcome the most will be of great benefit to patients and those who plan and deliver healthcare.

Nationwide, proximal femoral fractures contribute a significant workload for the NHS and are the commonest trauma admission. Timely discharge from the acute hospital setting is beneficial to both patient and orthopaedic team.

The Community Care Act 2003 formed part of Governmental strategy to reduce ‘bed blocking’. Introduced on 5 January 2004, the scheme enabled Trusts to charge Local Authorities £100 a day where there was delayed transfer of care due to lack of Social Service [SS] provision. The Act brought with it a £250 million package of funding over three years.

We looked at patients admitted to Weston Area Healthcare Trust [WAHT] sustaining fractured neck of femur. These were pre-scheme group A, admitted 08/09/2003-06/10/2003 and post scheme group B, 08/03/2004 – 05/04/2003. Patient numbers, group ‘A’ 33 patients, group ‘B’ 28 patients. Average length of stay, ‘A’ 22.3 days, ‘B’ 16.1 days. The average time spent in hospital after being declared ‘medically fit’, ‘A’ 6.6 days, ‘B’ 2.3 days. Only 13 patients were referred to SS post scheme, with combined delayed discharge of 116 days.

The impact of the scheme in reducing length of stay has not been proven. Few patients were referred to SS even after the implementation of the scheme; however, the delay in discharge for these patients would have amounted to £11600 of funding. To date, WAHT have not received any funds for patients in whom discharge was delayed.

The Act states that lack of SS input must be the ‘sole reason’ for delay in discharge. The scheme is not applicable if delay is due to family choice, lack of equipment or lack of intermediate care package and for these reasons transfer of funds from SS to Trusts has become a multidisciplinary minefield. The impact of the reimbursement scheme will only become apparent if the Act is enforced.

The effect of head injury on systemic physiology, including bone healing is still a topic of vivid discussion. We aimed to investigate whether in patients with long bone fractures the presence of head injury is associated with excessive callus formation. Data on patients with head injury and femoral diaphyseal fracture admitted to our trauma unit between 1997- 2002 were collected and analysed. Patients with factors that could influence bone healing such as smoking, NSAIDs and hormonal disorders were excluded. The severity of head injury was quantified using GCS, AIS and CT scan reports. Patients matched for age, sex and ISS with femoral shaft fractures and no head injury formed the control group of the study. All the fractures were stabilised with reamed femoral nail. The quantification of fracture healing response was estimated by taking the radiological ratio of the largest diameter of callus formed into two planes and the adjacent normal diameter of femoral canal. The minimum follow-up of the patients was 12 months.

In total 42 patients were studied, 17 with head injury and femoral fracture and 25 with an isolated femoral fracture, (control group). Both groups were comparable in terms of age, sex, ISS. The difference between the mean callus to diaphyseal ratio was statistically significant for both the AP and Lateral projections (AP – mean difference 0.462, 95% CI 0.312 to 0.602, p<0.0001, LAT – mean difference 0.289, 95% CI 0.142 to 0.436, p<0.001) with the head injured patients having more florid callus compared to the control group.

This study supports the view that head injury leads to exuberant callus formation in patients with long bone fractures. The mechanisms of this response could be both central and local. Research is ongoing to elucidate the pathways involved in this biological phenomenon.

Thromboprophylaxis remains a controversial issue and many disagree about the optimum method or even if it is required at all.

We present a new method of performing meta-analysis incorporating studies with both experimental and observational study designs. We have developed a model that compares study cohorts of several different methods of thromboprophylaxis with a simulated matched control group whose variance helps to adjust for bias. This allows meaningful comparisons between studies and treatments that have not been directly compared.

We performed a systematic review of the literature from 1981 to October 2004. Studies where more than one method of prophylaxis was used were excluded from analysis. For each individual method of prophylaxis, data was extracted, combined and converted to give estimates of the rates of symptomatic, proximal DVT, fatal PE and major bleeding events. We identified 1242 studies of which 203 met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. This represented the results of over fifty thousand studied patients. We expressed the results for the different prophylactic methods as odds ratios compared to no prophylaxis.

All methods showed a beneficial effect in reducing VTEs apart from stockings and aspirin which showed an increase in the number of PE events. These results are particularly interesting when viewed from the standpoint of an individual NHS hospital trust that performs around 500 hip and knee replacements per year. Over a 5 year period, the more effective methods of prophylaxis prevented between 15 and 40 symptomatic DVTs and up to 3 fatal PEs compared to no treatment. However, they cause between 8 and 40 more major bleeding events. We do not know the proportion of these major bleeding events that are fatal.

It is thought that metal ions from metal on metal bearing hip replacements cause DNA damage and immune dysfunction in the form of T cell mediated hypersensitivity. To explore the hypothesis that there is a relationship between metal ion levels and DNA damage and immune dysfunction in matched patient groups of hip resurfacings and standard hip replacements reflected in the levels of lymphocyte subtypes (CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T helper cells, CD8 +T cytotoxic/suppressor cells, CD16 +Natural Killer and CD19+ B cells) in peripheral blood samples, we analysed peripheral blood samples from 68 patients: 34 in the hip resurfacing group and 34 in the standard hip arthroplasty group. Samples were analysed for counts of each sub-group of lymphocyte and cytokine production. Whole blood cobalt and chromium ion levels were measured using inductively-coupled mass spectrometry. All hip components were well fixed.

Cobalt and chromium levels were significantly elevated in the resurfacing group compared to the hybrid group (p<0.001). There was a statistically significant decrease in the resurfacing group's level of CD8+ cells (T cytotoxic/suppressor) (p=0.010). No other subgroup of lymphocytes was significantly affected. Gamma interferon levels post antigen challenge were severely depressed in the hip resurfacing group.

A threshold level of blood cobalt and chromium ions for depression of CD8+ T cells was observed. Hip resurfacing patients have levels above this threshold whilst standard hip replacements fall below it. The patients all had normal levels of CD16 +Natural Killer and CD19+ B cells suggesting that this is not a bone marrow toxic effect. Cytokine analysis confirmed that some aspects of T cell function in hip resurfacing patients are severely depressed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate prospectively the outcome following arthroscopic Bankart repair using two types of suture anchors, absorbable and non-absorbable. Patients with a diagnosis of recurrent traumatic anterior instability of the shoulder, seen between April 2000 and June 2003 in a single unit, were considered for inclusion in the study. Patients were assessed pre-operatively and post-operatively using a subjective patient related outcome measurement tool (Oxford instability score), a visual analogue scale for pain and instability (VAS Pain and VAS instability) and a quality of life questionnaire (SF-12). The incidence of recurrent instability and the level of sporting ability were recorded. Patients were randomised to undergo surgical repair with either non-absorbable or absorbable anchors.

130 patients were included in the study. 6 patients were lost to follow-up and 124 patients (95%) completed the study. Both types of anchors were highly effective. There were no differences in the rate of recurrence or any of the scores between the two. Four patients in the non-absorbable group and 3 in the absorbable group experienced further episodes of dislocation after a traumatic event. The rate of redislocation in the whole series was therefore, 5.6%. In addition, 4 patients, all of them in the absorbable group (4%) described ongoing symptoms of instability but no true dislocations. 85% of the patients have returned to their previous level of sporting activity.

There are no differences in the outcome of Arthroscopic Bankart repair using either absorbable or non-absorbable anchors. Both are highly effective, showing a redislocation rate of 5.6%.

There is widespread appreciation amongst orthopaedic surgeons of the importance of thromboprophylaxis. However much of the evidence is based on surrogate outcomes of clinical end-points. This population-based study aims to identify the incidence and trends in venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) following total hip (THR) and knee arthroplasty (TKR) with death or readmission for VTE up to two years following surgery for all patients in Scotland as the primary outcome.

We used the Scottish Morbidity Record (SMR01) system to identify all patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty over the ten-year period from 1992 to 2001. Patients undergoing cataract surgery over the same period were identified as a control group. Record linkage for all patients to subsequent SMR01 and Registrar General records provided details of further admissions due to DVT or non-fatal PE and deaths within Scotland up to two years after the operation. The cause of death was determined from the Registrar General Records.

The incidence of VTE (including fatal pulmonary embolism (PE)) three months following primary THR was 2.27% and primary TKR was 1.79%. The incidence of fatal PE within three months of THR was 0.22% and TKR was 0.15%. The majority of events occurred in the interval from hospital discharge to six weeks after surgery. There was no apparent trend over the period. An apparent reduction in the overall mortality within 365 days of surgery appears to be due to a reduction in the incidence of acute myocardial infarct.

The data support the current advice that prophylaxis should be continued for at least six weeks following surgery. Despite increased uptake of prophylaxis regimens and earlier mobilisation, there has been no apparent change in the incidence of symptomatic VTE over the ten-years from 1992 to 2001.

The NDI is a simple 10-item questionnaire used to assess patients with neck pain. The original validation was performed on 52 patients with neck pain and the test-retest on 17 whiplash patients with a 2-day interval. The SF36 measures functional ability, wellbeing and the overall health of patients. It is used in health economics to assess the health utility, gain and economic impact of medical interventions.

Objectives were to independently validate the NDI in patients with neck pain and to draw comparison between the NDI and SF36. 160 patients with neck pain attending the spinal clinic completed self-assessment questionnaires. A second questionnaire was completed in 34 patients after a period of 1-2 weeks.

The internal consistency of the NDI and SF36 was calculated using Cronbach alpha. The test-retest reliability was assessed using the Bland and Altman method and the concurrent validity between the two questionnaires was assessed using Pearson correlation.

Both questionnaires showed robust internal consistency: SF36 alpha = 0.878 (se=0.014, 95%CI=0.843 to 0.906) and NDI = 0.864 (se=0.017, 95%CI=0.825 to 0.894). The NDI had significant correlation to all eight domains of the SF36 (p<0.001). The individual scores for each of the ten items had significant correlation with the total disability score (p<0.001). The test-retest reliability of the NDI was acceptable.

We have shown irrefutably that the NDI has good reliability and validity and that it stands up well to the SF36.

We aimed to measure cerebral microemboli load during total hip [THA] and knee arthroplasty (TKA) using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD) and to investigate whether cerebral embolic load influences neuropsychiatric outcome. The timing of the microemboli was also related to certain surgical activities to determine if a specific relationship exists and the presence of a patent foramen ovale was investigated.

Patients undergoing primary THA and TKA underwent a battery of ten neuropsychiatric tests pre-operatively and at 6 weeks and 6 months post-operatively. Microembolic load was recorded using TCD onto VHS tape for subsequent analysis. Patent foramen ovale detection was performed using bolus intravenous injection of agitated saline followed by valsalva manoeuvre. The timing of specific surgical steps was recorded for each operation and embolic load calculated for that period. All patients were assessed for quality of life and orthopaedic outcome measures.

Clinical proteomics is an exciting new sub-discipline of proteomics that involves the application of proteomic technologies at the bedside to identify new biomarkers, associated with specific diseases. In this study to compare serum protein profiles between identical age-matched groups of fracture and non-fracture controls, we looked at the initial proteomic profile of 10 patients who had fractures and compared them to age-matched controls to see if there was any specific difference indicative of fracture.

Chevron osteotomy is a commonly performed procedure for the treatment of hallux valgus and results in AVN of the first metatarsal head in up to 20% of cases. This study aims to map out the arrangement of vascular supply to the first metatarsal head and its relationship to the limbs of the chevron cuts.

Ten cadaveric lower limbs were injected with an Indian ink/latex mixture and the feet dissected to evaluate the blood supply to the first metatarsal. The dissection was carried out by tracing the branches of dorsalis pedis and posterior tibial vessels. A distal chevron osteotomy through the neck of the metatarsal was mapped and the relationship of the limbs of the osteotomy to the blood vessels was recorded.

The first metatarsal head was found to be supplied by branches from the first dorsal metatarsal, first plantar metatarsal and medial plantar arteries of which the first one was the dominant vessel in 8 of the specimens studied. All the vessels formed a plexus at the plantar-lateral aspect of the metatarsal neck, just proximal to the capsular attachment with varying number of branches from the plexus then entering the metatarsal head. The plantar limb of the proposed chevron cuts exited through this plexus of vessels in all specimens. Contrary to the widely held view, only minor vascular branches could be found entering the dorsal aspect of the neck.

The identification of the plantar-lateral corner of the metatarsal neck as the major site of vascular ingress into the first metatarsal head suggests that constructing the chevron osteotomy with a long and thick plantar arm exiting well proximal to the capsular attachment may decrease the incidence of AVN.

Shoulder pain represents a significant burden of disease in the general population, yet there is a lack of evidence about the effectiveness of routinely used interventions. Current management of ‘painful arc’ of the shoulder in Primary Care is not evidence-based.

Over a six-month period patients with ‘painful arc’ of less than six months duration were recruited via their GPs. Eligible patients were consented to enter the trial and were then randomised, by sealed envelopes, to one of four arms of the study: control (normal analgesia and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication), a specified and repeatable Exercise and Manual Therapy Package (EMTP), a course of up to three subacromial steroid injections or both the EMTP and the steroid injections. The interventions and clinic follow-ups were over an 18-week period. A final postal questionnaire was sent out at one year. The progress of the patients was monitored using the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and the SF36 general health questionnaire.

Seventy-nine GPs referred 186 patients, of whom 112 were randomised (Control=27, EMTP=29, Injections=28, Both=28). 64 patients were female and 48 male. The mean age was 54.5 years (range 23-88 years). Ninety patients completed the trial (Control=20, EMTP=22, Injections=26, Both=22). Sixty-two returned the follow-up questionnaire.

By paired sample t-tests, no significant differences were found between the OSS scores or SF-36 (physical health total) at the beginning and end of the intervention period, or at one year, in any group. There were no differences in changes in scores between groups. Two patients in the injection group went on to surgery, along with one each in the control and EMTP groups.

We have found no significant differences in outcome between steroid injections, a physiotherapy package, both treatments, or symptomatic treatment in our group of patients presenting with symptoms of painful arc of the shoulder.

Most high-energy trauma to lower legs, ankles and feet result in severe crush injuries. We performed a retrospective case series study

Eight patients (7M: 1F) with mean age of 28 years (range -18 -35 years) were included. Four had Grade 3 open fractures of the distal tibia and 5 had open foot fractures. Two had neurovascular injuries. Four patients had associated injuries with mean ISS of 9 (range 8-16) and a mean MESS score of 3.5 (3-7). All had undergone some form of internal and external fixation within approximately 24 hours (8 hrs to 4 days). The mean follow-up period was two years (range 1-4 years). At final follow-up patients' health was measured using SF-36 questionnaire.

Six patients had their fractures healed at a mean of 4.8 months (4-9 m). Two patients had fully functional foot with occasional complaints of painful ankle. Two patients had CRPS1 undergoing treatment. Two patients are unable to walk due to chronic pain and deformity. Comparison of the SF-36 scores with the age-matched UK normal controls without foot and ankle injuries showed significantly worse scores in physical function (PF: p<0.01) and role physical (RP: p< 0.01) categories.

Our surgical instinct dominates decision-making, favouring salvage rather than amputation in these young groups of patient. They gradually suffer a cocktail of crippling disease characterised by psycho-socio-economic and physical disability. Should we be depleting our resources in salvaging these complex limb injuries?

We aimed to investigate the treatment and outcome of patients over 65 years of age with tibial Pilon fracture. Patients were treated by primary open reduction and internal fixation or external fixation (EF) as determined by local soft tissue conditions. Patient course, incidence of radiological osteoarthritis and functional outcome using the SF-36 questionnaire were recorded. All patients were evaluated serially until discharge from final follow-up. The mean follow-up time was 28 months (12-45). Statistical analysis was performed using Analyse-it(tm) software for Excel.

In total 25 patients were studied. Two patients died before completion of treatment and were excluded from the final analysis. Therefore, 23 patients (10 male) were included with a mean age of 70.9 years (range 66-89) and a mean ISS of 10.25 (range 9-22). There were 4 grade IIIb open injuries.

Three patients suffered superficial tibial wound infection. Two patients underwent early secondary amputation due to deep bone sepsis within 8 weeks of injury. One patient in the ORIF group underwent primary arthrodesis, which was subsequently revised due to non-union. 3 patients underwent secondary bone grafting to enhance healing, performed at 2, 6 and 9 weeks. 2 patients with metal work failure underwent subsequent revision of ORIF and progressed to union; the mean time to union was 33.8 weeks. At final follow-up 7 (28%) patients had radiological features of osteoarthritis but none had symptoms severe enough to warrant ankle arthrodesis. There were significant differences from the USA norm in physical function score, role physical score, and physical component score, (p< 0.01).

We aimed to quantify the health related quality of life in a series of patients suffering a variety of different tibial injuries. Patients with previous tibial injury, randomly selected from our trauma database, who successfully completed their entire course of treatment at our institution, were recalled for final assessment. Mean time to final follow-up was 37.4 months. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS computer software.

Overall, 130 patients were evaluated. There was no significant difference in the self-care dimension between the groups. Psychological problems were common in patients with IIIb and IIIc fractures, as well as amputees, with the highest incidence in those with IIIc fractures. Patients who had undergone amputation and those with IIIb open fractures reported problems with mobility significantly more frequently than those who had IIIc type injuries. However, this could be partially attributed to the significant difference in mean age between groups, with patients sustaining IIIc injuries being younger (31.9 vs 46.9). Patients with IIIb and IIIc type fractures reported significantly more problems with pain compared with those who had undergone amputation. Interestingly, patients who had undergone fasciotomy reported pain as frequently as amputees. Regarding the VAS, only patients with closed fractures reported significantly different scores from the mean of all the other groups.

These data represent the health related quality of life of patients having suffered the full spectrum of tibial injury and should be considered when determining the treatment options for these patients.

To assess the effect on knee motion of gradual femoral lengthening using an intramedullary nail, between 1994 and 2003, 27 non-achondroplastic patients had bilateral femoral lengthening using the Albizzia nail. Vigorous post-operative physiotherapy was the norm. Knee motion recorded at various stages pre and post-operatively was compared.

For an average gain of 6 cm the mean flexion during lengthening was 119. By final follow-up all patients had regained pre-operative range of motion. No tenotomies or joint manipulations were required. Good knee motion can be maintained during femoral lengthening using an intramedullary lengthening device.

To assess outcomes following a radical approach to cases of compartment syndrome in which a significant degree of muscle necrosis is found, 4 paediatric and adolescent patients with a delayed diagnosis of compartment syndrome in which muscle necrosis in single or multiple compartments were treated by radical debridement of necrotic tissue and reconstruction of the anterior compartment through transfer of peroneus brevis to extensor digitorum and hallucis longus tendons. Where suitable, a free vascularised and innervated gracilis muscle transfer to the tibialis anterior tendon stump was carried out with anastomosis of the nerve to gracilis to the deep peroneal nerve.

Free gracilis muscle transfer was functional in one of the two patients whilst peroneus brevis transfer to extensor digitorum and hallucis tendons was functional in all three patients. In one patient, radical debridement resulted in loss of the entire anterior compartment requiring permanent ankle foot orthosis. All others had recovery of protective foot sensation and at minimum follow-up of 12 months were walking unaided. Infection was not seen in any patient.

Prompt fasciotomy, debridement and reconstruction for late diagnosis of compartment syndrome proved limb-saving in our patients.

It has been shown that a cognitive function (CF) loss can occur after hip or knee arthroplasty procedures, with an incidence of 40 to 70%. The pathogenesis remains unclear but studies suggest some form of brain emboli; although both trans-cranial doppler and trans-oesophageal doppler have both shown emboli per-operatively a correlation has never been shown with CF loss post-operatively. In contrast, in the cardiothoracic literature an embolic cause is widely accepted for detectable post-operative CF drop. The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether MRI could show evidence of embolic phenomena in patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty.

Twenty-five patients presenting for hip or knee arthroplasty procedures were consented for this study. Brain MRI scans and MR angiograms were performed 1 week pre-operatively and within 1 week post-operatively using a Phillips 1.5Tesla MRI unit. All scans recorded were independently reviewed by 2 radiologists. A series of tests to examine several modes of cognitive function were carried out by a clinical psychologist pre-operatively, and at 1 week post-operatively. The CF tests showed a clinically significant drop following surgery in 64% of cases – this is in keeping with other recently published data.

None of the post-operative scans or angiograms showed overt evidence of new lesions. Three Scans had equivocal tiny brainstem hypodensities on a single slice with no correlating abnormality on diffusion images to support the presence of new ischaemia.

We conclude that either the aetiology of post-operative CF drop following arthroplasty is not embolic in nature, or that with current technology MRI brain scans even with angiograms are not sensitive enough to show the corresponding abnormality. With currently available equipment there appears to be no benefit from using MRI as a tool to evaluate post-operative CF loss in this group of patients.

Early stabilisation after an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture reduces future meniscal injury. We may therefore expect protection of articular cartilage from ACL reconstruction, but this has yet to be shown.

Our aim wasto determine the effect of meniscal injury on the long term risk of osteoarthritis (OA) following ACL reconstruction using Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT, a 3 dimensional radionuclide scan).

We studied a prospective series of 31 patients (mean age at injury of 29 years) who had bone-patellar tendon-bone ACL reconstruction for unstable, ACL deficient knees. Mean follow-up was 10 years (range 9-13). Patients were separated into two groups according to the status of their menisci at the time of ACL reconstruction, those with intact menisci in group 1 (n=15) and those who required partial meniscectomy in group 2 (n=16). The contra-lateral normal knee was used as a control.

All knees were clinically stable with high clinical scores (mean Lysholm score 93 and mean Tegner activity score 6). In group 1 (intact menisci) only one patient (7%) had clinical symptoms of OA and was the only patient with increased uptake on SPECT compatible with early OA. In group 2 (partial meniscectomy), two had clinical symptoms of osteoarthritis, and five patients (32%) had increased uptake on SPECT compatible with early OA. None of the control knees had early OA on SPECT.

The prevalence of OA 10 years post ACL reconstruction, using the most sensitive investigation available, is very low in patients who had intact menisci (7%), but increases 5 fold (32%) if a meniscal tear was present. We recommend early ACL reconstruction to preserve the menisci to minimise the long term risk of OA.

Radial head fractures with fragment displacement should be reduced and fixed, when classified as Mason II type injuries. We describe a method of arthroscopic fixation which is performed as a day case trauma surgery, and compare the results with a more traditional fixation approach, in a case controlled manner.

We prospectively reviewed six Mason II radial head fractures which were treated using an arthroscopic reduction and fixation technique. The technique allows the fracture to be mobilised, reduced, and anatomically fixed using headless screws. All arthroscopic surgeries were conducted as day-cases. We retrospectively collected age and sex matched cases of open reduction and fixation of Mason II fractures using headless screws.

The arthroscopic cases required less analgesia, shorter hospital admissions, and had fewer complications. The averaged final range of follow-up, at 1 year post-operation was 15 to 140 degrees in the arthroscopic group and 35 to 120 degrees in the open group. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 95/100 and 90/100 respectively. No acute complications were noted in the arthroscopic group, and a radial nerve neuropraxia [n=1], superficial wound infection [n=1], and loose screw [n=1]. Two patients of the arthroscopic group required secondary motion gaining operations [n=1 arthroscopic anterior capsulectomy for a fixed flexion contracture of 35 degrees, and n=1 loss of supination requiring and arthroscopic radial scar excision]. Three patients in the open group required secondary surgery [n=2 arthroscopic anterior capsulectomy for fixed flexion deformities, and n=1 arthroscopic anterior capsulectomy for fixed flexion deformities, and n=1 arthroscopic radial head excision for prominent screws, loss of forearm rotation, and radiocapitellar arthrosis pain].

The technique of arthroscopic fixation of Mason II radial head fractures appears to be valid, with respect to anatomical restoration of the fracture, minimal hospital admission, reduction in analgesia requirement, fewer complications, and a decreased need for secondary surgery.

The aim of the New Zealand National Shoulder Arthroplasty Register is to evaluate the provision of shoulder arthroplasty across the entire country by both recording accurate technical information and measuring the clinical outcomes of all shoulder replacements performed in New Zealand.

An initial form is completed at the time of surgery which includes details of the patient, surgical indications, the surgical procedure, the implant and the operating surgeon. Six months following surgery, all registered patients are asked to complete the Oxford Shoulder Score and comment on post-operative complications.

Data from 686 consecutive primary and 44 revision shoulder arthroplasties were prospectively collected from January 2000 until December 2003. 82 surgeons performed shoulder arthroplasty during the study period but only 9 performed on average more than 5 per year. Their results at 6 months were statistically superior to those provided by other surgeons. Amongst all diagnoses, osteoarthritis scored significantly better than the rest and for this condition total shoulder replacement scored higher than hemiarthroplasty. 15 different prostheses were used, many of them too infrequently. There was no difference in outcome amongst the 5 most commonly used prostheses. The number of complications reported by patients and the revision rate within the study period was low. No benefit was observed in the use of laminar flow theatre to prevent infection.

The combination of technical data about the joint implanted and the individual patient assessment has made the New Zealand Shoulder Arthroplasty Register unique in its own kind. Our findings are in general agreement with the current literature and supports the idea that shoulder arthroplasty is better provided by surgeons with a higher yearly case-load.

The aim of this study was to compare immediate weight-bearing mobilisation with traditional plaster casting in the rehabilitation of non-operatively treated Achilles tendon ruptures.

Forty-eight patients with Achilles tendon rupture were randomised into two groups. The treatment group was fitted with an off-the-shelf carbon-fibre orthotic and the patients were mobilised with immediate full weight-bearing. The control group was immobilised in traditional serial equinus plaster casts. The heel raise within the orthotic and the equinus position of the cast was reduced over a period of eight weeks and then the orthotic or cast was removed. Each patient followed the same rehabilitation protocol. The primary outcome measure was return to the patient's normal activity level as defined by the patient.

There was no statistical difference between the groups in terms of return to normal work [p=0.37] and sporting activity [p=0.63]. Nor was there any difference in terms of return to normal walking and stair climbing. There was weak evidence for improved early function in the treatment group.

There was 1 re-rupture of the tendon in each group and a further failure of healing in the control group. One patient in the control group died from a fatal pulmonary embolism secondary to a DVT in the ipsilateral leg.

Immediate weight-bearing mobilisation provides practical and functional advantages to patients treated non-operatively after Achilles tendon rupture. However, this study provides only weak evidence of faster rehabilitation.

If the lower re-rupture in operative treated patients was an effect of tendon-end apposition, then patients in whom that could be demonstrated in equinus by ultrasound could be equally well treated non-operatively without the attendant surgical risk.

All patients undergoing ultrasound for a suspected Achilles tendon repair between January 2000-2005 were included. Patients with a residual gap, 5mm or more in equinus; were treated by surgical repair. Those with a gap of less than 5mm were treated non-operatively. We excluded patients with no rupture, partial rupture and musculo-tendinuous junction (MTJ) tears. We recorded the following: clinical findings, ultrasound measurements of tendon gap in neutral and equinus, distance of rupture from distal insertion, the treatment and complications. All patients were followed up to a minimum of 6 months.

156 patients were treated for a clinical Achilles tendon rupture during the study period. We excluded 5 patients with no rupture on ultrasound, 15 with a MTJ tear, 7 with a muscle tear and 4 patients did not follow the protocol. 125 patients comprising 88 males and 37 females were entered into the study. 67 patients were treated operatively (37 open, 30 percutaneous) and 58 non-operatively. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to age, sex and injury mechanism. Two patients in the non-operative group had a re-rupture (3.4%) compared with 1 (1.5%) in the non-operative group. There were 2 incidences of superficial wound infection and 2 of temporary dorsal foot numbness in the operative. One patient in the non-operative group had a DVT. There was no significant difference for any of the complications between the two groups.

It may be possible to reduce the risk of re-rupture and surgery using dynamic ultrasound to determine which treatment the patient receives.

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the Linvatec SE graft tensioner system in obtaining predictable initial tension during ACL reconstruction using hamstring grafts.

The gracilis and semitendinosus grafts were tensioned individually prior to fixation distally to a combined tension of 80N. The knees were then cycled through full range of motion and the tension recorded at 90 degrees and in full flexion and extension. Experience on the first 22 patients indicated that 41% required 10 cycles of the knee to remove pre-conditioning and equalise tension at 80N combined, while the remaining 50% required 15 cycles. 90% reached stable tension after 15 cycles. In 54% the tension increased at full extension and graft tension was adjusted to 80N in extension to avoid overconstraining the graft. Twenty-two patients studied following this initial protocol underwent outcome assessment after minimum 6 months. Mean KT1000 arthrometry manual maximum side to side difference was 1.5mm. Femoral fixation was achieved using the Endobutton (Smith and Nephew) and Tibial fixation using the Extralok bioabsorbable screw (Linvatec).

A subsequent shortened protocol of initial over-tensioning to 60N and 40N for the semitendinosus and gracilis double bundles respectively, followed by 15 cycles of the knee resulted in stable 80N combined tension with no further drop with more cycling.

We conclude that the new tensioner system allows for accurate and predictable initial tension of hamstring reconstructed ACL grafts and that its use can be simplified by using the second technique protocol.

There are a few papers in the literature to indicate the likely functional outcome of conservatively managed sportsmen in whom primary outcome cruciate ligament [ACL] healing occurs.

We reviewed 298 sportsmen presenting with isolated ACL rupture that were conservatively managed with a rehabilitation programme, based on regaining proprioceptive and hamstring control, and aimed at achieving primary ACL healing. All were protected in a hinged brace. In 50 patients, the ACL was determined as having healed clinically; these patients underwent instrumented laximetry testing with KT 1000 arthrometry and were determined: IKDC A [Normal] or IKDC B [nearly normal]. An MRI was also performed which confirmed healing in 39 patients with ACL fibres parallel to Blumenstat's line. In 11 patients the ACL stump had healed to the PCL. The 50 patients were followed up for an average 16 months [range, 14 to 17 months].

56% of patients suffered recurrent instability when they returned to their preinjury level of contact or pivoting sport. For competitive athletes, 76.5% suffered further instability on return to sport despite the four-month rehabilitation and independent arthrometry score or MRI findings. However, for occasional, recreational athletes only 7% suffered recurrent instability.

This study suggests that a rehabilitation programme aimed at primary ACL healing affords satisfactory results for the occasional, recreational athlete but does not achieve the quality of restraint sufficient for contact or pivoting sports in competitive athletes. These patients suffer high levels of recurrent instability and are exposed to the risk of secondary chondral and meniscal injury.

Roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA) is the most accurate radiographic technique for the assessment of three-dimensional micromotion in joints. RSA has been used previously to study the kinematics of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)-deficient knee and to measure knee laxity after bone-tendon-bone (BTB) reconstructions. There is no published evidence on its use in assessing hamstring grafts in vivo, in comparing hamstring versus BTB reconstruction, or in-depth analyses of graft performance.

The aim of this project was to use RSA to measure laxity in both BTB and hamstring reconstructions, and to attempt a detailed analysis of graft behaviour in both reconstructions, with particular attention to graft stretching and slippage of the bony attachments.

A prospective study was undertaken on 14 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction. Seven had BTB reconstruction, and seven had four-stranded semitendinosus/gracilis (STG). Tantalum markers were inserted at the time of surgery, into distal femur and proximal tibia, and also directly into the graft itself. Stress radiographs (90N anterior and 90N posterior force) were taken early post-operatively, and then at 6 weeks, and 3, 6 and 12 months.

In addition to measuring total anteroposterior knee laxity, a detailed analysis of the graft itself was possible. The BTB grafts had stretched by an average of 1.54%, and the bone plugs had migrated by 0.50 mm at the femoral end and by 0.61mm at the tibial end. The hamstring grafts had stretched on average 3.94%, and the intraosseous ends had migrated by 3.96mm at the femoral end and by 7.10mm at the tibial end. This is believed to be the most detailed application of RSA in analysing the performance of the two commonly used grafts in ACL reconstruction. Details such as graft stretching and fixation slippage have not been available previously; the data obtained in this study may have implications for clinical practice.

A retrospective descriptive preliminary study on early experience using all pedicle screw correction

Pedicle screw fixation enables enhanced correction of spinal deformities. However, the technique is still in early development in our clinic. Tends of the scoliosis patient to come in late ages make maximum correction failed.

A total 16 patients are subjected to pedicle screw fixation for spinal deformities were analyzed descriptively as an early follow-up in the last two-year. 14 patients are girl and 2 are boys. The age range between 12 to 18 year. 8 are Kings type II and 8 are Kings type III, 212 screws were inserted between Th3 – L2 (14-18 screws per-patient), all concave pedicles were inserted with screws but in convex side every two or three pedicles were inserted. The position of screws was analyzed using the post-operative plain X ray film.

Before surgery the mean deformity measurement are 52.56° (range, 42-72°, correction achieved was 18° (range 10-34%, it was correlated to 68% achievement (range, 53-80%). All patients are happy with their image improvement.

In total 212 screws inserted, 28 screws are malpositions (13.2%), but no clinical complication recorded.

In this early experience using all pedicle screw scoliosis surgery, all patients are happy with the results although the correction only 53-80(. More patients are needed to improve this achievement.

Radiographic follow-up of traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis is well documented in the literature. However, there is a paucity of studies regarding the long-term functional outcome of this type of injury.

To study the population, treatment and outcome following traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis, we reviewed 36 consecutive patients presenting to our institution, a tertiary referral spinal trauma centre, over a 6-year period. We assessed: (a) the mechanism of injury, (b) the mode of treatment, (c) the radiographic classification using the Levine and Edwards system and (d) functional outcome using the Cervical Spine Outcomes Questionnaire (CSOQ) by BenDebba.

Of the 36 patients presenting there were 24 males and 12 females with a mean age of 46 (range18-82) years. The commonest mechanism of injury was road traffic accidents. There were 14 Type-I, 11 Type-II and 1 Type-IIA fractures. Twenty-seven patients were treated with halo vest immobilisation and nine were immobilised in a Minerva jacket. Four patients were converted from halo to Minerva because of pin failure. The mean duration of hospital stay was 10 (range 3-30) days. All fractures demonstrated radiographic union at a mean of 12 (range 10-16) weeks. There were no neurological complications. Upon review, all patients, whether Type-I or Type-II demonstrated low CSOQ scores approaching their pre-morbid status. However, Type-II fractures scored higher in 3 functional outcome categories when compared to Type-I fractures.

This unique study of an uncommon fracture shows for the first time a difference in the functional outcome scores of Type-II fractures of the axis when compared to Type-I fractures at a mean follow-up of 3 years and 10 months.

The incidence of cervical spine injuries associated with facial fractures varies from study to study. The presence or absence of a cervical spine injury has important implications in trauma patients, influencing airway management techniques, choice of diagnostic imaging studies, surgical approach and timing for repair of concomitant facial fractures. There is general agreement that immediate management of cervical spine injuries is mandatory to prevent further neurological injury. Nevertheless, disagreement exists as to the actual incidence of cervical spinal trauma in conjunction with various facial fracture patterns. The purpose of this study was to review the incidence of cervical spine injury associated with various upper, middle and lower one-third facial fractures presenting to St. Michael's Hospital Regional Trauma Centre. A retrospective chart review was performed of patients presenting to the Trauma Service at St. Michael's Hospital from 1 January 1993 to 31 December 2003 inclusive. The data from this 10 year time span revealed a total of 124 patients with cervical spine injuries drawn from a cohort of 3,356 patients with craniomaxillofacial fractures. The overall incidence of cervical spine injury was 3.7%. Isolated upper 1/3 facial and skull fractures accounted for 1,711 of the patients and were associated with cervical spine injury in .53% of cases, while isolated middle 1/3 facial fractures were seen in 1,154 patients and were associated with a 1.13% rate of cervical injuries. The largest rate of association for cervical spine injury and isolated fractures was seen with lower 1/3 facial fractures at 1.51%. In contrast, combined facial fracture patterns involving two or more facial thirds accounted for the great majority of cervical spine injuries occurring at an incidence of 7.1%. The implications for trauma assessment, diagnosis and treatment of these injuries are reviewed.

We analysed the morbidity, mortality and outcome of cervical spine injuries in patients over the age of 65 years in a retrospective review of 107 elderly patients admitted to our tertiary referral spinal injuries unit with cervical spine injuries between 1994 and 2002. The data were acquired by analysis of the national spinal unit database, hospital inpatient enquiry (HIPE) system, chart and radiographic review. Mean age was 74 years (range 66-93yrs). The male to female ratio was 2.1: 1(M=72, F=35). The mean follow-up was 4.4 years (1-9 years) and mean in-hospital stay was 10 days. The mechanism of injury was a fall in 75 and a road traffic accident (RTA) in the remaining 32 patients. The overall complication rate was 18.6% with an associated in-hospital mortality of 11.2%. Outcome was assessed using the Cervical Spine Outcomes Questionnaire (CSOQ) from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Functional outcome scores approached pre-morbid level in almost all patients. Functional disability was more marked in the patients with neurological deficit at the time of injury. Outcome of the injury is related to the increasing age, co-morbidity and the severity of the neurological deficit. Injuries of the cervical spine are a not infrequent occurrence in the elderly and occur with relatively minor trauma.

Neck pain in the elderly patient should be thoroughly evaluated to exclude C2 injuries. Most patients can be managed in an orthosis but unstable injuries require rigid external immobilisation.

We aimed (1) to determine the factors which influence outcome after surgery for CES and (2) to study CES MRI measurements. 56 patients with evidence of a sphincteric disturbance who underwent urgent surgery (1994-2002) were identified and invited to clinic. 31 MRIs were available for analysis and randomised with 19 MRIs of patients undergoing discectomy for persistent radiculopathy. Observers estimated the percentage of spinal canal compromise and indicated whether they thought the scan findings could produce CES and whether the discs looked degenerate. Measurements were repeated after two weeks.

(1) 42 patients attended (mean follow up 60 months; range 25–114). Mean age at onset was 41 years (range 24–67). 26 patients were operated on within 48 hours of onset. Acute onset of sphincteric symptoms and the time to operation did not influence the outcomes. Leg weakness at onset persisted in a significant number at follow-up (p<0.005). Bowel disturbance at presentation was associated with sexual problems (<0.005) at follow-up. Urinary disturbance at presentation did not affect the outcomes. The 13 patients who failed their post-operative trial without catheter had worse outcomes. The SF36 scores at follow-up were reduced compared to age-matched norms in the population. The mean ODI was 29, LBOS 42 and VAS 4.5.

(2) No significant correlations were found between MRI canal compromise and clinical outcome. There was moderate to substantial agreement for intra- and inter-observer reproducibility.

Our prospective observational study of patients treated for Thoracolumbar Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) by anterior instrumentation aimed at investigating the correlation between the radiographic outcome and the recently-developed scoliosis research society self-reported outcomes instrument (SRS-22) which has been validated as a tool for self-assessment in scoliosis patients. Previous patient based questionnaires demonstrated poor correlation with the radiological parameters.

All patients referred to our unit with previously untreated metastatic renal cancer were included in this review. We investigated likely prognostic factors including age, sex, site, synchronous or metachronous metastasis, stage of the disease and the type of treatment received.

From 1976 until 2004, a total of 198 patients were treated by our unit for renal metastases. 15 patients were excluded because they were referred after failure of previous treatment or only had advice. 96 patients were already known to have renal metastasis with their diagnosis having been made between 0.2 and 17 years from the diagnosis of primary cancer (mean 4 years). 33 patients presented to us with a pathological fracture and were found to have renal cancer. A total of 54 patients had multiple metastases and 129 had a solitary metastasis. The cumulative survival from the time of diagnosis of the bone metastasis is 70 percent at 1 year, 40% at 3 years and 18% at 5 years. In patients with a solitary metastasis, the overall survival was 74% at 1 year and 45% at 3 years, whereas in patients with multiple metastases it was 55% at 1 year and 22% at 3 years. (p=0.02) In patients with a solitary metastasis treated by excision of the metastasis, the survival at 1 year was 86% as compared to 38% for those that were treated with just a local procedure. Cox multivariate analysis shows that survival was better in those with solitary metachronus metastasis who underwent a radical procedure.

Fifty-six patients with stage II-B osteosarcoma around the knee were followed-up for a minimum of 92 months. The percentage of tumour cells expressing VEGF/MMP-9 was assessed using immunohistochemistry. The relationship between VEGF/MMP-9 expression and survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models. Patients with tumours expressing VEGF in >25% of their cells had shorter overall (p=0.019) and disease-free survival (p=0.009). Patients with tumours expressing MMP-9 had shorter overall (p=0.0042) and disease-free survival (p=0.0004). There was an association between VEGF and MMP-9 expression (p=0.021). The negative effects of VEGF/MMP-9 expression on survival were independent of traditional prognostic factors.

Chondrosarcoma is a malignant tumour and accounts for approximately 20% of bone sarcomas. The pelvis is one of the commonest sites. Chondrosarcoma of the pelvis lends itself to surgical excision and is relatively resistant to irradiation and chemotherapy. A long term survival analysis of this challenging condition is rarely reported in literature. We review and evaluate the oncological and functional results of all the patients operated at our centre and we analyse the survival analysis of these patients with special focus on the prognostic factors.

Fifty-four consecutive patients with chondrosarcoma of the pelvis who were treated at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, UK between 1987 and 2001 were included in the study. Demographic data, case notes, histopathological results and follow-up data were obtained and statistically analysed.

There were 38 males and 16 females with a mean age of 48.4 years [18-77]. The chondrosarcomas were primary [n=38], secondary [n-7] or recurrences [n=9]. The anatomical sites in the pelvis were in the epicentre I [n=24], II [n=20] and III [n=10]. The surgical procedures performed were local resection [n=28], local resection and hip arthroplasty [n=6], hemipelvectomy (+endoprothesis) [n=16], hemipelvectomy [+fibular strut graf] [n=2] and hinquarter amputation [n=2]. The histological grade was Gr [n=27], Gr 2[n=20] and Gr 3 [n=7]. The complication rate was 24%:wound revision [9%], dislocation [8%] and infection [7%]. There was a 5, 10 and 15 year cumulative survival rate of 74%, 65% and 40%. The overall recurrence rate was 24%.

The factors associated with a worse prognosis were high histologic tumour grade, increasing patient age, anatomical location in site I and III, primary surgery outside of tumour centre, inadequate surgical margins, and those treated by local extension. Aggressive surgical approach significantly improves the prognosis of the patients with chondrosarcoma of the pelvis.

Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) arising in the adductor compartment of the thigh are frequently large before clinical detection, posing particular challenges with surgical resection and associated with a high risk of wound complications. This study compares oncological and functional outcomes and complications following treatment of adductor compartment soft tissue sarcomas from three international centres with different treatment philosophies.

184 patients with new primary, non-metastatic, deep STS in the adductor compartment diagnosed between 1990 and 2001 were identified from the centres' local databases. The Toronto Extremity Salvage Score (TESS) was used to assess function in patients.

There were 94 male and 90 female patients, with ages ranging from 13 to 88 years (median age 57 years). The period of follow-up ranged from 1 to 162 months. The overall survival was 65% at 5 years and related to grade and size of the tumour. There was no difference in overall survival or systemic relapse between the three centres. There was however a significant difference in local control (28% LR in centre 1 compared to 10% in centre 2 and 5% in centre 3, which appeared to be principally related to the use of radiotherapy and surgical margins.)

66 patients (36%) from the three centres developed wound complications post-operatively and it was shown to be associated with high grade and large tumours (>10cm).

Functional scores averaged 78% but were significantly worse for patients with wound complications or high-grade tumours; however, they were not affected by timing of radiotherapy or use of prophylactic free muscle flaps.

Current guidelines suggest that most lumps less than 5cm in size will not be malignant. We reviewed our experiences of small lumps at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, in order to try and identify factors associated with malignancy. All referrals to our clinic were included and data on size, symptoms, depth and diagnosis were analysed. We identified 325 patients, with 57 (17.5%) malignant and 268 (82.5%) benign lumps. Size >3cm was the most accurate predictor of malignancy (35.8% malignant vs 9.9% <3cm). 23.6% of lumps reported as increasing size were found to be malignant, compared to 8.6% of those that were not. Pain was found to be a poor predictor of malignancy, with only 15.5% of painful lumps found to be malignant and 18.9% of painless lumps found to be malignant. ‘Size >3cm’ has a sensitivity of 73.6% and a specificity of 56.3%, ‘Depth’ has a sensitivity of 73.6% and a specificity of 30.2%, ‘Increasing in Size’ a sensitivity of 71.4% and a specificity of 56.7% and ‘Pain’ a sensitivity of 33.3% and a specificity of 57.1%. If a lump has none of the above features then one can be 89.5% certain that it is not malignant. If it has 1 feature there is a 16.1% chance of its becoming malignant, 2 features a 58% chance, 3 features an 87% chance and if a lump has all 4 features there is a 93.5% chance of its being found to be malignant.

The main limitation with this study is that the data set is skewed because all lumps referred to the Oncology Department are by their nature suspicious. This study identifies those factors which suggest malignancy in small lumps and provides the basis for carrying out a large, community-based study on all lumps, to identify features associated with malignancy.

The key factors in Tissue Engineering are multipotent stem cells, growth factors (necessary to manipulate cell destiny) and scaffolds (3D constructs which support the growing tissue). Mesenchymal stem cells are the most important part of this equation, and it is procurement and manipulation of these that lies at the heart of tissue engineering. Luckily, mensenchymal stem cells can be obtained from many tissues, including synovium, bone marrow and periosteum. The use of bioreactors to optimise culture conditions and improve cell viability provides an opportunity to control stem cell destiny.

Various Tissue Engineering strategies exist: manipulating cells in situ with osteogenic growth factors, such as BMP; implanting whole tissue grafts; and the use of Gene therapy. The tissues that concern orthopaedic surgeons are very diverse and no single tissue engineered construct will be able to fulfil all our clinical needs. Tissue engineering of articular cartilage is very difficult technically, but once accomplished will revolutionalise practice. The challenge lies in being able to produce cartilage as similar to native hyaline cartilage as possible.

Although promising, ACI, using culture expanded cells, is able at best to produce hyaline-like cartilage but not the real thing. Multipotent mesenchymal stem cells are being used in this field. Even simply injecting these intraarticularly has been shown to retard the progression of OA in animal models. When attempting to regenerate meniscal cartilage, the mechanical properties of the scaffold become crucial, as the biomechanics of the knee are highly hostile. Ligaments and tendons, though the least complex tissues architecturally, have very high tensile properties which will be hard to replicate.

The challenging aspects of Orthopaedic Tissue Engineering are manifold, yet the field itself is growing in leaps and bounds. Despite some initial setbacks, the new developments in this discipline are very encouraging.

Injuries to the infra-patella branch of the saphenous nerve on harvesting Bone-Patella Tendon-Bone (BPB) autograft commonly cause anterior knee pain. The purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of harvesting a good BPB graft without injury to the nerve by using double mini-incision.

Twelve adult cadaveric knees, with two vertical incisions of 25mm, one over the inferior pole of the patella, and the other over the tibial tuberosity were prepared. The tibial bone block was harvested, with preservation of the para-tendon, making a subcutaneous tunnel proximally and stripped to dissect the middle 1/3 of the patella tendon. The graft was then detached after harvesting the patella bone block, and examined for size and quality. The knees were finally dissected to check the relationship of the incisions with the infra-patella branch, and see if it was injured.

All BPB grafts were found to have good tendon qualities of average 9.5mm in width. The tibial bone plug is of average 25mm in length and 10mm in width, while the patella bone plug is of average 22mm in length & 9mm in width. All 12 knees have 2 infra-patella branches, with the proximal branch running at averaged distance of 23mm distal to the proximal incision, while the distal branch lying at averaged distance of 11mm proximal to the distal incision. 2 out of the 12 distal branches were injured by the distal incision.

Double-mini incision allows harvesting of a consistently good quality BPB graft with preservation of the infra-patella branch of the saphenous nerve.

Management of periprosthetic femoral fractures above a Total Knee Arthroplasty remains a challenge. The different treatment options available include casting for undisplaced fractures, ORIF for a displaced fracture with a well-fixed implant or revision arthroplasty for a very distal fracture and for a fracture with a loose implant.

We describe our experience in treating a very distal displaced supracondylar fracture above a well-fixed femoral component in a 68-year-old woman who was recently diagnosed with breast carcinoma and awaiting mastectomy. There was no evidence of metastatic disease. The knee replacement was done 4 years before and the patient did not have any symptoms in the knee prior to the fall. Conventional ORIF with IM nailing or plate osteosynthesis was not possible due to the very distal site of the fracture.

We used a custom modified 95 degree angled blade plate in which a slot was cut in the middle of the blade halfway along its length to accommodate the pegs of the femoral component in the distal fragment. The fracture was reduced and fixed with the angled blade plate restoring length, alignment, and providing coronal stability. The patient had a satisfactory union at 3 months without deformity giving a good range of pain free movement in the knee.

DCS and 95 degree angled blade plate have been used in the past with mixed results. The lag screw or the blade has to be inserted more proximally to avoid the femoral component and so the distal fixation is often sub optimal. In our case modification of the blade allowed more distal placement providing optimal fixation and avoiding complex revision surgery.

Pseudo-patella baja (PPB) describes narrowing of the distance between the patella and the tibia without shortening of the PT and occurs following Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA), where the tibial prosthesis plus insert are thicker than the resected tibia. Soft tissue balancing is an important factor in the success of TKA, but if extensive may necessitate the use of thicker tibial inserts with the risk of creating a PPB. Patients who undergo extensive soft tissue releases during TKA, with resultant use of thicker tibial inserts will develop a PPB, with increased risk of patella pathology.

506 patients aged 40-90 years underwent 526 Kinemax TKAs, performed by 7 surgeons in 5 centres between 1999 and 2002. The extent of soft tissue releases and the thickness of tibial inserts were recorded. Pre- and post-operative lateral radiographs were measured by an independent observer, using the Caton-Deshamps method to assess patella position. The patients were assessed using the Oxford Knee Score and the American Knee Society Clinical Rating System, with a minimum follow-up of 12 months.

1. TKA surgery creates a Pseudo-Patella Baja. Excluding patients with a pre-operative patella baja, PPB was introduced into 26.7% of patients. (p=0.000). 2. The incidence of pseudo-patella baja increased with the extent of soft tissue release; Minimal, Moderate or Extensive. (p=0.000). 3. The incidence of pseudo-patella-baja increased with increases in insert thickness. Three groups were identified: Inserts 8 mm, inserts 10-12mm, and inserts 15-22 mm. (p=0.035). There was no correlation between the incidence of PPB and changes in clinical or functional outcome, as measured using the OKS and AKSS.

Pseudo-patella baja occurs in 26% of all patients following TKA, and in 46% of patients in whom extensive soft tissue releases have been performed and/or large tibial inserts have been used. At 12 months, no detrimental outcomes were attributable to the incidence of pseudo-patella baja.

Patellar resurfacing in total knee arthroplasty remains controversial. We report the medium term results of patients who had Scorpio total knee replacement for osteoarthritis between January 2002 and September 2004. A retrospective review of 118 patients was undertaken. All patients during the first half of this time period had no resurfacing of the patella, and all patients in the later half of this period underwent resurfacing of the patella. The mean follow-up in the non-resurfaced group was 30 months and the mean follow-up in the resurfaced group was 17 months. The two groups were similar in age, gender and the grade of the surgeon. Knee society clinical rating score, patient satisfaction, anterior knee pain, patellofemoral questionnaires, patellofemoral revision rates and success in returning to normal daily activities were noted.

There was a significant difference between the two groups in the patellar revision rates, anterior knee pain and Euroquol scores. The incidence of anterior knee pain in the patella non-resurfaced group was 23%, compared to 6% in the resurfaced group [p<0.05]. The rate of revision in the non-resurfaced group was 11% compared to 0% in the resurfaced group [p=0.03]. The mean Euroquol score in the resurfaced group was 86.44 compared to 80.35 [p=0.04]. Knee Society score, patient satisfaction, symptoms of patellar apprehension and knee instability, return to pre-op functional level, ability to kneel, use of a walking aid, presence of limp and satisfaction with operation as not statistically different between the two groups.

In view of the statistically significant difference in the incidence of anterior knee pain and the rate of revision in the group of patients without patellar resurfacing, the authors suggest that retaining the patellar surface may not be a viable option. Although an appropriate design for the femoral prosthetic trochlea is an important factor, a good surgical technique with patellar resurfacing is more likely to result in predictable satisfactory results. We feel that high contact pressures between the non-resurfaced patellae and the prosthetic femoral trochlea can be generated after a total knee replacement when the patella is not resurfaced, and can thus result in patients having anterior knee pain.

Knee warmth is a common clinical observation following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This can cause concern that infection is present. The purpose of our study was to establish the pattern of knee skin temperature following uncomplicated TKA. It was a prospective study carried out between 2001 and 2004. A pocket digital surface thermometer was used.

A preliminary study established that the best site to measure knee skin temperature was superomedial to the patella and the best time was 12 noon. Patients with an increased risk of infection and those with a contralateral knee pathology or a previous surgery were excluded. Forty-eight patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and consented to participate; the skin temperature of operated and contralateral knees was measured pre-operatively and daily during the first six weeks post-operatively. Measurements were also taken at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months following surgery. During the course of the study, patients developing complications of the operated knee or any pathology of the contralateral knee were excluded.

Thirty-two patients completed the main study. Following surgery, systemic and both knees temperatures increased. Whereas systemic and contralateral knee temperatures settled within one week, the operated knee temperature took a longer time. The difference in temperature between the two knees had a mean value of +2.9°C at 7 days. This mean value decreased to +1.6°C at 6 weeks, +1.3°C at 3 months, +0.9°C at 6 months +0.3°C at 12 months and +0.04°C at 24 months. Following uncomplicated TKA, the operated knee skin temperature increases compared to the contralateral knee. This increase peaks at day 3 and diminishes slowly over several months; however, it remains statistically significant up to 6 months.

These results correlate with the findings of previous studies that showed a prolonged elevation of inflammatory markers.

The results for autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) in the treatment of osteochondral defects in the knee are encouraging. At present, two techniques have been described to retain the chondrocyte suspension within the defect. The first involves using a periosteal flap harvested from the distal femur and the second involves using a type I/III collagen membrane. To the authors' knowledge there are no comparative studies of these two techniques in the current literature.

A total of 68 patients with a mean age of 30.52 years (range 15 to 52 years) with symptomatic articular cartilage defects were randomised to have either ACI with a periosteal cover (33 patients) or ACI with a type I/III collagen cover (35 patients). The mean defect size was 4.54 cm² (range 1 to 12 cm²). All patients were followed up at 24 months.

A functional assessment using the Modified Cincinnati score showed that 74% of patients had a good or excellent result following the ACI with collagen cover compared with 67% after the ACI with periosteum cover at 2 years (p>0.05). Arthroscopy at 1 year also demonstrated similar results for both techniques. However, 36.4% of the periosteum covered grafts required shaving for hypertrophy compared with 1 patient for the collagen covered technique.

This prospective, randomised study has shown no statistical difference between the clinical outcome of ACI with a periosteal cover versus ACI with a collagen cover at 2 years. A significant number of patients who had the ACI with periosteum technique required shaving of a hypertrophied graft within the first year of surgery. We conclude that there is no advantage in using periosteum as a cover for retaining the chondrocytes within an osteochondral defect; as a result we advocate the use of an alternative cover such as a porcine-derived, type I/III collagen membrane.

We performed an advancement and medial transfer of the tibial tuberosity based on Fulkerson's principle to treat intractable anterior knee pain associated with patellofemoral maltracking diagnosed by dynamic MRI.

Between January 1998 and July 2000 twenty-two patients had 28 knees operated for anterior knee pain. There were 4 men and 18 women with a mean age of 28 years (range 18-41). Indications for surgery were [a] failure to improve after six months of physiotherapy and [b] patellofemoral maltracking evident in dynamic MRI. Mean follow-up was for 37 months (23 – 42). Knee instability score modified by Fulkerson was employed for objective and subjective assessment.

Objectively 22 (79%) knees achieved good to excellent results. Four knees (14%) had fair, and two (7%) had poor results. Excellent and very good results were seen in 20 knees. These patients were a younger age group (mean age 21 years) and had minimal degeneration (grade I-II) of the patellofemoral joints. Two patients achieved good results. One of them had moderate (grade III) and one minimal (II) arthritis. Three knees with fair results had advanced (grade IV or V) and one had moderate (grade III) arthritis. Out of two patients who had a poor result, one had advanced degeneration (grade V) that later required a patellofemoral joint resurfacing. The other was a 24 year old woman with grade II changes. She was treated by the pain therapy team.

Anterior displacement of the tuberosity in the presented study was kept to 5 mm to avoid the possible complications of wound break down. The overall length and depth of the osteotomy was also reduced to minimise risk of fracture and commence early mobilisation.

Based on our results there is a strong case of justification for Anteromedialisation of tibial tuberosity using a smaller length of osteotomy and lesser degree of anteriorisation in carefully selected patients with Patellofemoral arthralgia associated with maltracking patella.