Der Unfallchirurg
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Most renal injuries in industrialized countries are caused by blunt trauma to the kidney. The management of renal trauma has always been and will always be controversial. Conservative management and aggressive intervention both have their proponents, but conservative treatment is generally favored nowadays, even in the case of grade IV/(V) trauma. ⋯ Overall, there is a tendency toward a multimodal approach in which the interventional radiologist is more and more often part of the team that takes care of the patient with high-grade injuries. The success rate of angioembolization is 70-80%. Long-term consequences can be hypertension or diminished kidney function.
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The results of treating fracture dislocations of the proximal interphalangeal joint are often unsatisfactory for the patient because conservative methods cannot prevent stiffness of the joint. Thus, early functional treatment with external fixation systems is increasingly favoured. ⋯ It is cheap, easy to apply, and well accepted by patients due to its light weight and small size. This paper gives an overview of the therapeutic options and the clinical results of treating fractures of the proximal interphalangeal joint.
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The treatment of fractures of the medial malleolus in juveniles is of particular relevance. In patients under 10 years old fractures of the distal tibia affect almost exclusively the medial malleolus in the extension line of the medial talus edge in a proximal direction. ⋯ When fractures of the medial malleolus remain unrecognized or are treated inadequately, growth disturbances can occur (e.g. excessive or reduced growth, axis deviation). The diagnostics, indications (conservative or surgical treatment), treatment and follow-up care must be discussed and the corresponding legal aspects must be taken into consideration.
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Fractures of and near the epiphysis occur much less frequently in the lower extremities than in the upper extremities. The time required for consolidation of lower extremity fractures is twice as long as for fractures of the arm or hand. ⋯ Additionally, deformities of the lower extremity skeleton result in a more severe functional impairment than would result from epiphyseal fractures of the arm or hand (with the exception of injuries to the elbow). Therefore, proper radiographic diagnostics with precise projection of the required planes are mandatory to accurately determine all further treatment options.
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The German DRG-System was advanced into version 2009. For orthopedic and trauma surgery significant changes concerning coding of diagnoses, medical procedures and concerning the DRG-structure were made. ⋯ G-DRG-System gained complexity again. High demands are made on correct and complete coding of complex orthopedic and trauma surgery cases. Quality of case-allocation within the G-DRG-System was improved. Nevertheless, further adjustments of the G-DRG-System especially for cases with severe injuries are necessary.