Der Unfallchirurg
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Review Meta Analysis
[Compatibility and allergies of osteosynthesis materials].
Metal implants for osteosynthesis are nowadays standard in orthopedic and trauma surgery. Steel implants, especially cerclages, bands and wires, can show more corrosion due to friction and lead to encapsulation in connective tissue with fluid borders even without loosening. Corrosion and fluid borders are potentially more susceptible to incompatibility and infections. ⋯ Problems may occur in material removal, especially with titanium implants because material fractures occur more frequently. Particularly with fixed angle constructions, the blocking of titanium-titanium bonding and/or screws in bone can occur by adhesion and ingrowth. Apart from single case reports there is no evidence that modern steel implants cause more allergic reactions than titanium; therefore, in the treatment by osteosynthesis the stability, risk of loosening, manifestation of allergies and the possibility of material removal must always be considered.
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In clinical practice, situations continuously occur in which medical professionals and family members are confronted with decisions on whether to extend or limit treatment for severely ill patients in end of life treatment decisions. In these situations, advance directives are helpful tools in decision making according to the wishes of the patient; however, not every patient has made an advance directive and in our experience medical staff as well as patients are often not familiar with these documents. The purpose of this article is therefore to explain the currently available documents (e.g. living will, healthcare power of attorney and care directive) and the possible (legal) applications and limitations in the routine clinical practice.
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Equestrian sports are one of the most popular forms of sport in Germany, while also being one of the most accident-prone sports. Furthermore, riding accidents are frequently associated with a high degree of severity of injuries and mortality. Nevertheless, there are insufficient data regarding incidences, demographics, mechanisms of accidents, injury severity and patterns and outcome of injured persons in amateur equestrian sports. Accordingly, it was the aim of the present study to retrospectively analyze these aspects. ⋯ Girls and young women could be identified as a group at particular risk. It has been demonstrated in this study that the three most common injury locations after falling from a horse were the head, the upper extremities, the thoracic and lumbar spine. The most frequent injury locations while handling horses were foot injuries, followed by head and mid-facial injuries.
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The German diagnosis-related groups remuneration system (G-DRG) was implemented in 2004 and patient-related diagnoses and procedures lead to allocation to specific DRGs. This system includes several codes, such as case mix (CM), case mix index (CMI) and number of cases. Seasonal distribution of these codes as well as distribution of diagnoses and DRGs may lead to logistical consequences for clinical management. ⋯ The significant clustering of injuries in specific months and seasons should lead to logistic consequences (e.g. operating room slots, availability of nursing and anesthesia staff). For a needs assessment the analysis of main diagnoses is more appropriate than DRGs.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
[Fixed angle carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite plate for treatment of distal radius fractures : Pilot study on clinical applications].
The clinical implementation of a new carbon-fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketon (PEEK) plate for distal radius fractures might offer advantageous properties over the conventional metallic devices. This includes similar elastic modulus to cortical bone, radiolucency, low artifacts on MRI scans and the lack of metal allergies. ⋯ First experience with PEEK plate osteosynthesis demonstrate quick clinical implementation with good clinical outcome and the advantage of excellent postoperative radiological assessment. At early follow-up PEEK even showed a trend for improved functional results.