Injury
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To report clinical and radiographic results of treatment of patients with complex open tibial pilon fractures. ⋯ The results of our study suggest that open tibial pilon fractures can be safely managed with low rate of complications using intensive debridement, antibiotics, adequate devices and patient-tailored timing of definitive surgical treatment.
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Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) is characterised by abnormal pressure inside a compartment, resulting in ischemia of muscles and nerves. Most orthopaedic surgeons, especially those who work in major trauma centres, have been or will be facing a case of ACS in their clinical activity. Fortunately, complications related to untreated compartment syndrome have become less frequent thanks to a better understanding of pathogenesis and to early recognition and prompt surgical treatment. The aim of this study is to identify the existing evidence regarding aetiology of trauma-related ACS of the leg. ⋯ Although traditionally ACS has been associated mainly with fractures of tibial diaphysis, literature demonstrates that other localisations, in particular in the proximal tibia, are associated with an increased incidence of this serious condition. The forms of ACS secondary to soft tissues injuries represent an extremely variable spectrum of lesions with an insidious tendency for late diagnosis and consequently negative outcomes. In the case of vascular injury, ACS should always be carefully considered as a priority, given the high incidence reported in the literature, as a result of primitive vascular damage or as a result of revascularisation of the limb. Knowledge of aetiology of this serious condition allows us to stratify the risk by identifying a population of patients most at risk, together with the most frequently associated traumatic injuries.
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For trochanteric fractures, helical blade placement is crucial to the prognosis of operations. Existing measurement methods used for blade placement include the Cleveland zone, the tip-apex distance (TAD), the calcar-referenced tip-apex distance (CalTAD), and the Parker's ratio. These methods all lack a direct view on blade direction. The current study proposed the axis-blade angle (ABA) to solve direction problem and investigated its clinical applicability. ⋯ The ABA provides instruction for the intraoperative adjustment of guide wire direction. Placing the helical blade with an ABA > -10° can effectively reduce the risk of mechanical complications.
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Proximal femur fractures account for increased healthcare costs whenever patients are unable to return to their previous state of residence. Studies suggest that patients benefit from early weight-bearing, yet compliance to weight-bearing regimes is poorly investigated. Aim of the study was thus to show the clinical feasibility of a new measurement tool able to determine continuous weight-bearing behavior after intramedullary nail osteosynthesis of intertrochanteric femur fractures, assess the influence of weight-bearing on clinical outcome and determine rehabilitation demand based on early postoperative gait performance. ⋯ Their postoperative use showed, that the continuous compliance to permissive weight-bearing after intertrochanteric fractures is low. The presented measurement technique has the potential to identify patients at risk for reduced outcome and impending loss of previous residence status. Further studies will have to investigate the effects of technology assisted "patient at risk" identification and adapted therapy on clinical outcome.
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We describe results of a cadaveric study and an accompanying surgical technique which simplifies posterior-to-anterior axial screw placement into the calcaneus, often utilized during fixation of displaced intra-articular calcaneus fractures or calcaneal osteotomies. By defining the Tuber-to-Anterior Process Angle (TAPA), this technique facilitates axial screw placement, thereby decreasing reliance on intraoperative fluoroscopy and reducing operative time.