A novel method of open reduction and internal fixation of a displaced manubrial fracture using distal clavicle locking plates.

A 52-year-old man sustained a sternal fracture after a blunt traumatic chest injury. He was in severe pain in the intensive care unit, which resulted in difficulty breathing and increased analgesic requirement, and a decision was made to stabilize his manubrial fracture. Orthopaedic and thoracic surgeons jointly performed open reduction and internal fixation of the displaced manubrial fracture using 2 distal clavicle locking plates. This resulted in improvement in patient's pain and helped with his subsequent recovery and discharge from the hospital. This case report describes a new, safe and effective method of treating this uncommon injury.

Generalised ligamentous laxity and revision ACL surgery: Is there a relation?

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between generalised ligamentous laxity (GLL) and requirement for revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: The study cohort consisted of 139 patients undergoing primary ACL reconstruction, 44 patients undergoing revision ACL surgery and a control group of 70 patients without any knee ligament injury. A Beighton score of four or more was classified as generalised ligamentous laxity. RESULTS: The primary and revision ACL surgery groups had an increased incidence of GLL compared to the control group (p<0.05). The revision ACL surgery group also had higher incidence of GLL as compared to primary ACL surgery group (p<0.05). There was a sub group within the revision cohort, who had failure of the original surgery without an identifiable cause (biological failure). The incidence of GLL in this group was significantly higher than the primary surgery group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study suggest that GLL may be associated with a higher risk of ACL injury and an increased risk of graft failure after primary ACL reconstruction. Based on the results of our study we feel that in the presence of GLL an autogenous graft may not be the best option for either primary or revision ACL reconstruction. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 (III).

The epidemiology, risk of recurrence, and functional outcome after an acute traumatic posterior dislocation of the shoulder.

BACKGROUND: Posterior glenohumeral dislocation is less common than anterior dislocation, and less is known about its epidemiology, functional outcome, and complications. The purposes of this study were to determine the epidemiology and demographics of posterior dislocations and to assess the risk of recurrence and the functional outcome after treatment. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of a prospective audit of the cases of 112 patients who sustained 120 posterior glenohumeral dislocations. Patients were treated with relocation, immobilization, and then physical therapy. Functional outcome was assessed with the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI) and the limb-specific Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score (DASH) during the two years after the dislocation. RESULTS: The prevalence of posterior dislocation was 1.1 per 100,000 population per year, with peaks in male patients between twenty and forty-nine years old, and in the elderly patients over seventy years old. Most dislocations (67%) were produced by a traumatic accident, with most of the remainder produced by seizures. Twenty patients (twenty-three shoulders) developed recurrent instability. On survival analysis, 17.7% (95% confidence interval, 10.8% to 24.6%) of the shoulders developed recurrent instability within the first year. On multivariable analysis, an age of less than forty years, dislocation during a seizure, and a large reverse Hill-Sachs lesion (>1.5 cm3) were predictive of recurrent instability. Small persistent functional deficits were detected with the WOSI and DASH at two years. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of posterior dislocation is low. The most common complication after this injury is recurrent instability, which occurs at an early stage in 17.7% of shoulders within the first year after dislocation. The risk is highest in patients who are less than forty years old, sustain the dislocation during a seizure, and have a large humeral head defect. The risk is lower for most patients who sustain the injury from a traumatic accident, especially if they are older and have a small anterior humeral head defect. There are persistent deficits of shoulder function within the first two years after the injury.