Injury
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The diagnosis and treatment of ankle fractures has evolved considerably over the past two decades. Recent topics of interest have included indications for operative treatment of isolated lateral malleolus fractures, need for fixation of the posterior malleolus, utilization of the posterolateral approach, treatment of the syndesmosis, and the potential role of fibular nailing. In this update, we concisely review these topics and what to expect in the future literature.
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Review
Using national hip fracture registries and audit databases to develop an international perspective.
Hip fracture is the commonest reason for older people to need emergency anaesthesia and surgery, and leads to prolonged dependence for many of those who survive. People with this injury are usually identified very early in their hospital care, so hip fracture is an ideal marker condition with which to audit the care offered to older people by health services around the world. ⋯ These national audits provide a unique opportunity to compare how health care systems of different countries are responding to the same clinical challenge. This review will encourage the development and reporting of a standardised dataset to support international collaboration in healthcare audit.
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Review Comparative Study
Is endoprosthesis safer than internal fixation for metastatic disease of the proximal femur? A systematic review.
Metastases to the proximal femur are usually managed surgically by tumor resection and reconstruction with an endoprosthesis, or by fixation with osteosynthesis. Still controversy remains regarding the most appropriate surgical treatment. We posed the following questions: (1) Is the frequency of surgical revision greater in patients treated with internal fixation than endoprosthetic reconstruction, and (2) Do complications that do not require surgery occur more frequently in patients treated with internal fixation rather than in those with endoprosthetic reconstruction? ⋯ Implant related complications and surgery-related morbidity should be taken into account in the decision-making process for the surgical management of these patients. These data can improve the surgeon-patient communication and guide further studies on patients' survival and complications with respect to surgery.
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Calcaneal fracture surgery is often performed via the extended lateral approach (ELA). Large differences are reported in literature on wound complication rates. Aim was to perform a systematic review on reported postoperative wound complication (POWC) and postoperative wound infection (POWI) rates following the ELA and evaluate and quantify geographical differences. ⋯ Large differences were detected in incidence of POWC and POWI following calcaneal fracture surgery with the ELA between countries and continents. We did not find a lower POWC or POWI rate in retrospective studies compared to prospective studies, larger studies or in studies in which more patients were treated annually. However, the rate of POWI was significantly lower in studies with a follow up of >3months. We advise the use of a reliable postoperative complication registration system and uniformity in the use of standardized definitions of wound complications for calcaneal fracture surgery.
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Ankle dislocation without fracture is rare. We used electronic hospital records to determine the incidence of pure ankle dislocation and performed a systematic review of the literature to investigate the occurrence, treatment and outcome of this injury to better inform treating clinicians. ⋯ Pure ankle dislocation is a rare injury. The literature reports that most injuries occur in sports and motor vehicle accidents. The majority of injuries treated with early reduction followed by a short period of immobilisation and functional rehabilitation have good clinical outcomes.