Bilateral First Rib Stress Fractures with Pseudoarthrosis in a Young Weightlifter: A Rare Cause of Shoulder Pain / 대한스포츠의학회지

Isolated stress fracture of the first rib is quite rare cause of uncertain shoulder pain in athletes. These fractures are stress induced and precipitated by repeated traction of muscles acting on the first rib. A prompt diagnosis can shorten the time required for healing and decrease the risk of associated complication as nonunion or pseudoarthrosis. The diagnosis can be made by taking a thorough history and performing chest X-ray, computed tomography, or bone scan. Early recognition and proper management generally lead to successful outcomes and return to normal activities. Typically, they heal with conservative treatment with rest and mild analgesia. This report describes stress fractures of bilateral first rib in a weightlifter, one of which developed into a pseudoarthrosis as a result of persistent overhead activities due to missed diagnosis.

Outcomes of Degenerative Lumbar Spine Surgery in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease Undergoing Hemodialysis

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the outcomes of degenerative lumbar spine surgery in patients undergoing hemodialysis due to chronic kidney disease (CKD). SUMMARY OF LITERATURE REVIEW: Patients who undergo hemodialysis due to chronic renal disease tend to exhibit accelerated changes in bone quality, deterioration of spinal stenosis, and accompanying neurological degeneration. The surgical treatment of chronic spinal diseases is also becoming more necessary with the increased lifespan of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the medical records and radiographs of patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis who were followed-up for more than 1 year after posterior lumbar spinal surgery. We evaluated clinical, laboratory, and radiologic variables. For a comparative analysis, patients were classified into subgroups according to age (65 years old), duration of hemodialysis (10 years), and type of surgery (simple decompression or fusion). RESULTS: We included 21 patients (5 men, 16 women) with a mean age of 66.2 years (range, 48-87 years). The mean duration of hemodialysis and follow-up was 18.9 years and 43 months, respectively. Decompressions with fusion were performed in 11 patients and simple decompressions in the other 10. The mean visual analog scale (VAS) of leg pain and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) significantly improved after surgery at time of the last follow-up; meanwhile, the mean VAS score for lower back pain did not show a statistically significant improvement. The postoperative ODI was correlated with age (correlation coefficient=0.71, p=0.006). In patients less than 65 years old, the ODI improvement was greater (p=0.035) than in those 65 years of age or older. There was no significant difference in the clinical outcomes according to the duration of hemodialysis. Complications were observed in 11 patients (52.4%, 7 in fusion and 4 in simple decompression), of which 2 cases were infections, and reoperations were performed in 5 patients. The union rate of the fusion cases at the 1-year follow-up was 81.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Appropriate spine surgery improved radicular pain and the ODI in patients with degenerative lumbar disease undergoing hemodialysis. However, postoperative complications were frequent and the improvement of clinical outcomes was minimal, especially in patients over 65 years of age and in those who underwent fusion. Therefore, the surgical treatment of patients with chronic renal disease undergoing hemodialysis requires adequate consideration of age and the duration of hemodialysis.

Clinical and Radiologic Outcomes among Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty, Compression Hip Screw and Proximal Femur Nail Antirotation in Treating Comminuted Intertrochanteric Fractures / 대한고관절학회지

PURPOSE: In comminuted intertrochanteric fractures, various operative options have been introduced. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in clinical and radiologic outcomes among bipolar hemiarthroplasty (BH), compression hip screw (CHS) and proximal femur nail antirotation (PFNA) in treating comminuted intertrochanteric fractures (AO/OTA classification, A2 [22, 23]) MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated total 150 patients (BH, 50; CHS, 50; PFNA, 50) who were operated due to intertrochanteric fractures from March 2010 to December 2012 and were older than 65 years at the time of surgery. We compared these three groups for radiologic and clinical outcomes at 12 months postoperatively, including Harris Hip Score, mobility (Koval stage), visual analogue scale and radiologic limb length discrepancy (shortening). RESULTS: There was no statistical significance among three groups in clinical outcomes including Harris Hip Score, mobility (Koval stage), visual analogue scale. However, there was significant differences in radiologic limb discrepancy in plain radiographs at 12 months postoperatively (radiologic shortening: BH, 2.3 mm; CHS, 5.1 mm; PFNA, 3.0 mm; P=0.000). CONCLUSION: There were no clinical differences among BH, PFNA, and CHS in this study. However, notable limb length shortening could be originated during fracture healing in osteosynthesis, compared to arthroplasty (BH