Traumatic Lumbar Plexopathy by Seat Belt Injury

STUDY DESIGN: A case report. OBJECTIVES: To report and discuss an extremely uncommon cause of lumbar plexopathy seat belt injury. SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: For patients who undergo traffic accidents, most cases of seat belt injury cause trauma to the lower torso. Seat belt injury is associated with variable clinical problems such as vascular injury, intestinal injury (perforation), vertebral injury (flexion-distraction injury), chest wall injury, diaphragmatic rupture/hernia, bladder rupture, lumbosacral plexopathy, and other related conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 38-year-old male truck driver (traffic accident victim) who suffered monoplegia of his right leg due to lumbar plexus injury without spinal column involvement. Injury to a lumbar plexus and the internal vasculatures originated from direct compression to internal abdominal organs (the iliopsoas muscle and internal vasculatures anterior to the lumbar vertebrae) caused by the seat belt. We have illustrated an extremely uncommon cause of a neurologic deficit from a traffic accident through this case. RESULTS: Under the impression of traumatic lumbar plexopathy, we managed it conservatively, and the patient showed signs of recovery from neurologic deficit. CONCLUSIONS: We need to review the lumbar plexus pathway, in patients with atypical motor weakness and sensory loss of the lower extremities which are not unaccompanied by demonstrable spinal lesions. Therefore, close history taking, physical examination and comprehension of injury mechanism are important in the diagnosis.

Comparison between the Results of Minimally Invasive Total Knee Arthroplasty Performed with Mini-Midvastus Technique and Quadriceps-Sparing Technique

PURPOSE: To compare the short-term clinical results of mini-midvatus minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty(TKA) with quadriceps-sparing minimally invasive TKA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between August 2005 and February 2006, 23 bilateral (46 knees) minimally invasive total knee arthroplasties were performed simultaneously using quadriceps-sparing surgical technique at one side and mini- midvastus minimally invasive technique at the contralateral side. The same surgeon performed all the operations with the same type of prosthesis(Nexgen LPS-flex Total Knee System) using MIS quadriceps-sparing instrument. The pos- toperative clinical and radiological results were analyzed in each group. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in the operating time, total blood loss, length of skin incision, radiological results and postoperative HSS scores at 8 weeks and 1 year follow-up(p>0.05). Also, there were no differences in the postoperative range of motion and pain score assessed by visual analog scale at 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 14 days, 8 weeks and 1 year follow-up(p>0.05). Conclusions: Compared to quadriceps-sparing TKA, mini-midvastus minimally invasive TKA revealed no significant differences in the short-term clinical and radiological results. Therefore, it can be considered as an effective, alternative minimally invasive technique.

Effect Of the Polyethylene Wear On Osteolysis in Cementless Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty: Minimum 5 Years' Follow - Up Study / 대한정형외과학회잡지

We measured poiyethylene wear radiographically in 85 cementless primary total hip arthroplasties by the modified technique of Livermore et al. All the patients were followed up for at least five years (mean, 6.31 years; range, 5 years-8 years 2 months). The mean extent of linear wear was 0.88mm (range, 0.0083-3.2839mm), and the mean rate of linear wear was 0.14mm/year(range, 0.00-0.47mm /year). The mean volumetric wear was 539.42mm (range, 5.11 2022.09mm), and the mean rate of volumetric wear was 87.69mm/year(range, 0.65-290.12mm/year). The polyethylene wear was correlated inversely with the patients age only, but was not influenced by weight or gender of the patients, Harris hip score, thickness of the polyethylene, the abduction angle of acetahular cup, or the duration of in situ implantation. Osteolysis developed in the femur of 34 hips(40%) and in the acetabulum of 11 hips(12.9%). Radiographic loosening was found in one case in the femur and none in the acetabul pm. The extent of polyethylene wear was significantly correlated with frequencies and sizes of the osteolytic lesion and was not directly associated with radiographic loosening of the prostheses. Calcar resorption was observed in 39 hips(45.9%) and was not associated with polyethylene wear. These results indicated that polyethylene wear of primary total hip arthroplasty should be considered one of major causes of osteolysis and has no direct relationship with prosthesis loosening. To reduce the extent of polyethylene wear, the material characteristics of polyethylene should be improved or new, durable, articulating materials should be researched.

Bacterial Culture Study of the Hip Joint Fluid during Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Infection in primary total hip arthroplasty may cause catastrophic results and is the major reason for implant failure. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of the hip joint fluid culture as a method of predicting the possibility of a hip joint infection by calculating the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. We performed 628 primary total hip arthroplasty and aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures for hip joint fluid between January 1989 and June 1996. The hip joint fluid culture was routinely performed to evaluate the utility of the femoral head for bone banking. Thirty-two cases out of the 628 hips showed positive intraoperative culture and 596 cases showed negative intraoperative culture. The isolated organisms from 32 positive cultures were 11 for Staphylococcus aureus, eight for Staphylococcus coagulase negative, seven for Enterococcus, three for E.coli and one each for Enterobacter, Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas. Anaerobic culture was negative in all cases. In the positive intraoperative culture cases, none had delayed infection during the follow-up period. But in the negative intraoperative culture cases, one case had acute infection and two cases had delayed infection. In the case with acute infection, Staphylococcus aureus was isolated and on two cases with delayed infection, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus coagulase negative were isolated, respectively. All 32 positive culture cases were fa~lse positive and 595 negative culture cases were true negative and one negative culture case was fa~lse negative. The sensitivity of the hip joint culture was 0%, the specificity was 94.9% and the accuracy was 0%. The specificity of hip joint fluid culture in primary total hip arthroplasty was high, hut the sensitivity score was zero. Therefore, the hip joint fluid culture should not be used for a routine check of infection status in primary total hip arthroplasty. We recommend the hip joint fluid culture in revision arthroplasty or hips in which infection is clinically suspected.

Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis / 대한정형외과학회잡지

We evaluated the clinical and radiologic results of 48 cases (31 patients) who had rheumatoid arthritis of the knee joint and were managed with cementless total knee arthroplasty between November 1988 and December 1994. The mean follow-up period was 3.7 years (range, 2 to 7 years). The knee score of the Hospital for Special Surgery improved from an average of 44 points (range, 5 to 77 points) preoperatively to 83 points (range, 50 to 97 points) at the time of the most recent followup examination. In knee score, 85.4% of cases had excellent or good grade (over 75 points). The range of motion improved from an average of 77 degrees to an average of 103 degrees postoperatively. In tibiofemoral angle, 95.8% of cases were between valgus I degree and 10 degrees. The implants were inserted in an optimal position. Continuous radiolucency was not visible beneath any implant and loosening was not found. In one case, heterotopic ossification was removed to improve the range of motion. There was one case of patellar fracture during operation. Even in relatively poor bone quality in rheumatoid arthritis of the knee, the cementless total knee arthroplasty revealed good clinical and radiologic results.