Acta Orthop Belg
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of distal forearm intravenous regional anaesthesia (IVRA) with the tourniquet applied 3 cm above the wrist. One hundred and twenty patients undergoing out-patient hand surgery were operated for 13 different hand problems under distal forearm IVRA, using 10 ml of a solution containing 1.5 mg/kg prilocaine. Sensory block onset time was 4.5 minutes (3.5-6.5 min.). ⋯ The mean VAS score for tourniquet pain was 3.8 (range, 2-10). No local or systemic side effects related to the IVRA were observed. The study showed that distal forearm IVRA using 10 ml of a solution containing 1.5 mg/kg prilocaine provides safe, rapid and effective anaesthesia for patients undergoing outpatient hand surgery.
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Comparative Study
Treatment of extracapsular hip fractures with the proximal femoral nail (PFN): long term results in 45 patients.
The authors have retrospectively studied the results achieved with the AO/ASIF PFN system in the treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures of the proximal femur. Between June 1999 and February 2003, 51 patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures of the proximal femur underwent intramedullary nailing with the PFN system. A total of 45 patients (28 women, 17 men, average age 72 years) with 46 unstable pertrochanteric fractures (21 31-A2, 25 31-A3,) were available for outcome analysis. ⋯ The Salvati and Wilson score was > 25 in 27 (60%) of the patients. The PFN modifications might be responsible for the positive results in this study. Technical or mechanical complications seem to be related with the type of fracture, the operative technique and the time of weight bearing rather than the PFN system itself.