Hand surgery : an international journal devoted to hand and upper limb surgery and related research : journal of the Asia-Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand
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Case Reports
Extensor pollicis longus tendon ruptures after the use of volar locking plates for distal radius fractures.
Currently, volar locking plates are commonly used to treat distal radius fractures (DRF) because of their stable biomechanical construct and because they cause less soft tissue disturbance and allow early mobilisation of the wrist. Complications such as rupture of tendons have been reported to occur with use of volar locking plates. We describe six cases of rupture of extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendons after the use of volar locking plates. ⋯ These were considered iatrogenic problems. The cause of EPL rupture was unknown in three cases. We should be extremely careful when determining optimum screw length and reducing displaced dorsal roof fragments to prevent damaging the EPL tendons.
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The aim of the study was to assess how adequately distal radial fracture reduction was reproduced and maintained with the distal volar radius anatomic DVR-A (Biomet, Inc) locking plate. ⋯ The DVR-A plate achieved a highly satisfactory reduction of radial length and radial inclination, with a small loss of volar sagittal tilt at final follow-up. A good functional outcome was reported, with a satisfactory range of motion achieved. The DVR-A plate is a safe and effective treatment for unstable and intra-articular displaced distal radius fractures, particularly in younger patients, in the short term.
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A linear constricting scar around the wrist in the presence of a discharging sinus raises clinical suspicion of a forgotten band around the wrist. A 3-year-old girl presented with an encircling scar, swelling and discharging sinus over the right wrist since last three months. There were no trophic ulcers and gross sensations were intact. ⋯ MRI aids in establishing diagnosis preoperatively. The reparative potential of a child's tissues is amazing. Although the lesion heals well after extraction of encircling band, the clinician should be wary of residual neurological changes.
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Embedded ring injury is rarely encountered in clinical practice, and most of the few reported cases share common features, including deliberate neglect, mental illness, poor social support, female gender, and adult age group. Ischemia has never been reported in such injuries. Here, we report the case of a 16-year-old girl who presented with a completely embedded ring in the right index finger and a partially embedded ring in the left ring finger. Revascularization after ring embedment probably explains the intact vessel that was observed on the outer aspect of the embedded ring during surgical exploration of the right index finger.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Short versus long-acting local anaesthetic in open carpal tunnel release: which provides better preemptive analgesia in the first 24 hours?
Open carpal tunnel release is commonly performed under local anaesthesia. No study has compared intra-operative short- versus long-acting local anaesthetics as preemptive analgesics in carpal tunnel surgery. In this single-blinded prospective study, 100 consecutive carpal tunnel releases were performed by a single surgeon at one institution with either lignocaine (n = 50) or ropivacaine (n = 50). ⋯ The time to the first postoperative pain was significantly shorter in the lignocaine group (5.58 vs. 9.17 hours, p < 0.035). There were no significant difference in the incidence of poor first night's sleep (16% vs. 26%, p = 0.28) or mean pain scores in the first day (3.6 vs. 2.9, p = 0.16). Existing evidence advocates for long-acting intraoperative local anaesthetic because it results in a longer duration of postoperative analgesia, however, our study suggests that it may also result in a poorer first night's sleep.