Treatment of tibia open fractures with external fixator

Tibia shaft fractures are the most common long bone fractures in the body and its treatment is controversial. One of methods of treatment is external fixator. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the treatment of open tibia fractures by external fixator in Babol. This quasi-experimental study was performed on 106 patients suffering from tibial open fractures treated with external fixator in Babol hospitals from 1991-2003. After admission, patients underwent irrigation and wound debridment and then the external fixator was fixed, Patients were visited regularly and serial radiography was done to control complications for one year and then complications were recorded. In this study 90.5% of injuries caused by traffic accident. Fracture had healed in 98.1% of patients for an average of 4 months. Complications were as follows: pin tract infection in 24% of patients, chronic osteomyelitis in 2 cases, pin loosening in 5.7%, peroneal nerve injury in 4.7% and nonunion in 1.9%. The results showed that external fixator could be reliable method for treatment of tibial open fractures

Outcome of osteotomy of coracoid process in treatment of recurrent shoulder dislocation

According to the high prevalence of recurrent anterior and traumatic shoulder dislocation, different methods have been suggested for treatment. This study was conducted to evaluate the outcome of surgery of coracoid osteotomy and fixation to anterior glenoid. This quasi-experimental study was performed on 43 patients suffering anterior dislocation of shoulder from 1993 to 2004 in Babol. All patients were treated by coracoid transfer and fixation to glenoid by its incision and passing through subcapsular muscle without manipulation on articular capsule. Fixation was done with velpo for 21 days and the rehabilitation performed by physiotherapy program. Outcome was evaluated by different radiographics, range of motion, absence or presence of continuous and night pain, recurrence dislocation, muscle atrophy and returning to normal activity. Mean age of patients was 26.09 +/- 6.3 years. Three to twenty eight dislocations were reported. There were no recurrence after surgery and the mean time for returning to normal activity was 7.7 +/- 1.5 months. Average loss of external rotation and flexion were 8 degrees compared with normal side. Continuous pain after surgery was seen in one patient due to screw loosing that was repaired with screw extraction. Results show that this procedure had good success in treatment of recurrent and traumatic shoulder dislocation. Comparative studies with other procedures are required to evaluate the results of this procedure