Journal of orthopaedic trauma
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Comparative Study
Anatomical variations of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and the consequences for surgery.
This two-part study was undertaken to (a) determine the course and variations of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in a cadaver study and (b) develop prospectively the preoperative protocol to diminish the possibility of a postoperative meralgia paresthetica; the latter was achieved by reviewing the patient series retrospectively for complaints of a lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) lesion and by studying the relation of the course of the LFCN and meralgia paresthetica. ⋯ The practical importance of the present study lies in alerting the surgeon to a possible anatomical variation of the LFCN in about 25 percent of the patient population. It also confirms that the new perioperative protocol lowers the incidence of meralgia paresthetica.
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Percutaneous fixation of an unstable pelvic ring injury is becoming a popular method of pelvic stabilization. As posterior pelvic percutaneous techniques become more common, the possibility of iatrogenic complications increases. This case report describes an injury to the superior gluteal artery during percutaneous iliosacral screw insertion and the treatment of this potentially devastating injury.
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Fractures of the medial third of the clavicle are the rarest of all clavicle fractures. We present two cases of medial clavicle fracture nonunions that were initially thought to be chronic anterior sternoclavicular dislocations and describe the entity of pseudo-dislocation of the sternoclavicular joint. Computed tomography should be performed on all patients with suspected or established injuries of the sternoclavicular region to ensure differentiation between fracture and dislocation.
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Case Reports
The spiral compression plate for proximal humeral shaft nonunion: a case report and description of a new technique.
We present a case of humeral nonunion managed with a dynamic compression plate (DCP) contoured in a spiral fashion to preserve the deltoid muscle insertion. A forty-one-year-old woman sustained a closed proximal third humeral shaft fracture with an associated supraclavicular brachial plexus injury. She presented five months later with an atrophic nonunion of the proximal humeral shaft, inferior subluxation of the humeral head, and a resolving brachial plexopathy. ⋯ During the postoperative period, the humeral head reduced spontaneously. Five months after surgery, the fracture healed, and an excellent clinical result was achieved. We recommend the use of the spiral DCP for proximal shaft fractures and nonunions when preservation of the deltoid insertion is desirable.
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Comparative Study
A staged protocol for soft tissue management in the treatment of complex pilon fractures.
To determine whether open reduction and internal fixation of intra-articular pilon fractures using a staged treatment protocol results in minimal surgical wound complications. ⋯ Based on our data, it appears that the historically high rates of infection associated with open reduction and internal fixation of pilon fractures may be due to attempts at immediate fixation through swollen, compromised soft tissues. When a staged procedure is performed with initial restoration of fibula length and tibial external fixation, soft tissue stabilization is possible. Once soft tissue swelling has significantly diminished, anatomic reduction and internal fixation can then be performed semi-electively with only minimal wound problems. This is evidenced by the lack of skin grafts, rotation flaps, or free tissue transfers in our series. This technique appears to be effective in closed and open fractures alike.