Der Unfallchirurg
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Review
Osseointegrated prostheses for rehabilitation following amputation : The pioneering Swedish model.
The direct attachment of osseointegrated (OI) prostheses to the skeleton avoids the inherent problems of socket suspension. It also provides physiological weight bearing, improved range of motion in the proximal joint, as well as osseoperceptive sensory feedback, enabling better control of the artificial limbs by amputees. The present article briefly reviews the pioneering efforts on extremity osseointegration surgeries in Sweden and the development of the OPRA (Osseointegrated Prostheses for the Rehabilitation of Amputees) program. ⋯ The results of long-term follow-up for transradial, transhumeral, and thumb amputee operations are briefly reported including the prospective study of transfemoral amputees according to OPRA protocol. The importance of refinement on implant designs and surgical techniques based on the biomechanical analysis and early clinical trials is emphasized. Future aspects on osseointegration surgery are briefly described, including novel treatment options using implanted electrodes.
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Nerve entrapment syndromes in the upper extremities are common clinical disease patterns, less often as direct results of accidents. The most frequent compression syndrome is the carpal tunnel syndrome followed by the cubital tunnel syndrome. If the cause of the compression cannot be eliminated by conservative treatment options, an operative therapy is necessary. As the prognosis becomes worse with the duration of the nerve compression, it is important to initiate therapy at an early stage.
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There is an ongoing discussion about demographic change, a possible lack of young doctors and its impact on the healthcare system in Germany. Up to now, no valid data has been available on the exact numbers of residents in orthopedics and trauma surgery. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the actual number of residents in Germany in 2013/2014. ⋯ Looking at the expected number of doctors who will retire within the next five years, there seems to be enough young doctors to fill the gap. However, by 2040, an increased demand for othopedic and trauma surgeons is experted. Thus, we recommend centrally analyzing and coordinating the demand of residents in orthopedics and trauma surgery in Germany.
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In the treatment of complex pelvic fractures hemorrhage control is of primary importance; however, studies regarding the localization of bleeding are contradictory so that various treatment approaches are recommended. The primary aim of external pelvic compression applied in the trauma room is to reduce the pelvic volume and counteract blood loss through self-induced tamponade. This study examined the influence of external pelvic compression on mortality and outcome in cases of hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures in a larger number of cases. ⋯ External pelvic stabilization seems to be an important instrument for the initial treatment of hemodynamically unstable pelvic fractures and showed a positive effect on patient mortality.
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Tendinopathies of the foot and ankle result in substantial impairment of the mobility of patients and have a high clinical significance. Knowledge of the origin of these diseases has been accumulated over decades from the multitude of intrinsic and extrinsic triggering factors based on biomechanical considerations with an evidence-based medicine (EBM) level 5. A high correlation between tendinopathy and hypervascularization of the Achilles tendon was found in a double-blind randomized prospective study using Doppler ultrasound (EBM level 1) but these results were not reproducible; therefore, the importance of these findings is unclear. ⋯ Conservative treatment of tendinopathy is based on medical experience (EBM level 5). The effectiveness of physiotherapeutic eccentric loading and extracorporal shock wave treatment (ESWT) for Achilles tendinopathy was demonstrated in several case control studies and series (EBM level 3). Due to the high rate of healing with physiotherapy, surgery should only be performed following a minimum of 6-12 weeks of unsuccessful conservative treatment, because formation of scar tissue on the foot can result in permanent complaints (EBM level 4).