The history of tourniquet use in limb surgery.

PURPOSE: As tourniquets have been present in medicine since almost its conception, understanding and following their development through time is not only an exercise in history but also an insight into the evolution of medical devices over more than two millennia. From simple leather bands wrapped around patients' limbs to the modernised digital devices used widely in surgical theatres globally, tourniquets have undergone tectonic change both in their design and application, moving from battlefields to hospitals. Hence, the aim of this article is to outline the historical development of these devices alongside their present and modern use. METHODS: The historical development of emergency and surgical tourniquets is chronologically outlined, with particular emphasis on the impact of warfare on their widespread adoption in trauma and emergency medicine and elective surgery. Novel surgical trends and their impact on the future of tourniquet use are evaluated. RESULTS: The development of tourniquets across two millennia has closely reflected both the scientific understanding of human physiology and anatomy as well as technological discoveries and advancements that have reshaped their design and application. Prominent figures in the field of surgery, such as Sushruta, Fabricius Hildanus, John Louis Petit, Joseph Lister, Harvey Cushing and James McEwen, all fundamentally influenced their evolution and helped popularise and modernise them. The views on their use have been controversial and drastically changed across different eras, with data collected from modern warfare serving to embed their use in clinical practice. CONCLUSION: The historical development of tourniquets since pre-historic times represents an excellent outline of the adaptive nature of medicine, led, firstly, by scientific rigour and discipline and, secondly, by pioneers who serve as catalysts for change and improvement. The modern inflatable cuff tourniquets that are omnipresent in theatres globally will undoubtedly remain the standard of care for the foreseeable future. Tourniquets that can dynamically monitor blood pressure and consequently adjust inflation pressures, as well as ones with inbuilt axonal excitability monitoring, will further improve their safety profile, reduce associated complication rates and represent the next step in the evolution of these devices. Notably, there might be a shift away from tourniquet use altogether, reflected by the wide use of the wide-awake local anaesthesia no-tourniquet technique that has become the new norm in hand surgery.

Advances in 3D Modeling: Preoperative Templating for Revision Wrist Surgery.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a computer-directed process leading to the layered synthesis of scaled models. The popularity and availability of the technique has exponentially increased over the last decade, and as such is seeing a greater number of medical and surgical applications. METHODS: We report 3 cases involving the use of 3D printing as an aid to operative planning in the revision of wrist surgery. RESULTS: All patients underwent successful operative interventions with a £34 average cost of model creation. CONCLUSIONS: A growing number of reports are emerging in reconstructive surgical specialities including maxillofacial, orthopedic, and plastic surgery; from our experience, we advocate the economically viable use of 3D printing for preoperative templating.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Surgically Managed Perilunate Dislocation: Outcomes After Perilunate Dislocation.

BACKGROUND: Perilunate dislocations (PLDs) are uncommon high-energy injuries that may result in significant morbidity if inadequately treated. We report the midterm outcomes following surgical intervention and the validity of the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE) score as an assessment tool post injury. METHODS: We prospectively present outcomes in 16 patients with perilunate injuries. Definitive surgical management comprised fixation of all fractures and anatomical reconstruction of ruptured ligaments where possible. All patients completed the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey, and PRWE, for which internal consistency and construct validity were assessed. RESULTS: At 24 months, the mean grip strength was 59% of the uninjured side (range 33%-85%) and the mean range of flexion was 71% and extension was 58%. Eighty-eight percent of patients returned to work within 6 months and 63% to sport within 1 year. The PRWE score was 36.2 (range 14.5-77.3) and DASH 25.2 (range 7.5-91.7). The mean visual analog scale (VAS) satisfaction score was 7.9 (range 0-10), VAS pain at rest 1.9 (range 0-6) and on activity 3.3 (range 1-6). DASH and PRWE demonstrated similar internal consistencies with Cronbach alphas of .98 and .91, respectively, and a strongly positive correlation coefficient of r = +.7 (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Surgical treatment of PLDs can provide good clinical outcomes allowing patients to return to normal activities in a reasonable timescale when delays to surgery are kept to a minimum. The PRWE demonstrated high internal consistency and was found to be a valid questionnaire with advantages over the DASH for use following severe carpal injures.

Technical tip: coverage of the wrist arthroscopy tower using a sterile concentrical endoscopy camera drape.

Wrist arthroscopy allows complete visualization under magnification and is essentially a diagnostic and therapeutic tool. The first wrist arthroscopy was described by Chen in 1979. Since then, the indications and applications for wrist arthroscopy continue to expand as new techniques and instrumentation evolve.

Outcome review on the percutaneous release of the proximal interphalangeal joint accessory collateral ligaments.

The percutaneous release of accessory collateral ligaments was introduced in 1986 as a safe and quick procedure to be attempted before open, more extensive joint release in the treatment of proximal interphalangeal joint flexion contracture. Our study analyzed the long-term results and patient satisfaction following a percutaneous release in 30 joints after a mean follow-up period of 34 months. In one half of cases the preoperative joint flexion deformity was reduced from 78° to 34°. The best results were observed in patients with osteoarthritis and stiff, immobilized joints. In patients with inflammatory arthritides, marked intraoperative correction was maintained rarely, joint contractures recurred early, and patients were unsatisfied. There were no intraoperative complications. Percutaneous release of the accessory collateral ligaments can produce a long lasting correction of the joint contracture, but careful patient selection and strict postoperative rehabilitation are essential for favorable outcome.

The centralization of extensor tendons during wrist surgery.

After a wrist surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the extensor tendons have a tendency to shift toward the ulnar side of the wrist. This is caused by the dorsal tenosynovectomy, disruption of extensor retinaculum, and exteriorization and anatomical orientation of the superficial group of forearm extensor tendons. This article describes a technique as an adjunct to the wrist surgery, which aims to stabilize and centralize tendons of the fourth dorsal wrist compartment over the midline of the wrist. This is achieved by creating a distally based sling, harvested from the extensor carpi radialis longus tendon, then wrapped around the extensor digitorum communis and the extensor indicis proprius tendons, and finally anchored onto the extensor carpi radialis brevis. This adjunctive procedure is recommended in situations when after the wrist surgery, particularly wrist arthroplasty, tendons of the fourth dorsal wrist compartment tend to lay ulnar to the central axis of the hand.

Is there increased risk of local and in-transit recurrence following sentinel lymph node biopsy?

Recent publications have suggested that sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) and completion lymphadenectomy (CLND) increase the rate of local and in-transit disease up to 23% in sentinel node positive group of patients with cutaneous melanoma. This retrospective study combined the data from two national centres on local and in-transit disease in 972 melanoma patients who underwent SLNB procedure over 6.5 years period. In total, 77 patients (7.9%) developed loco-regional recurrence: 41 (4.2%) local recurrence only and 36 patients (3.7%) in-transit metastases during a mean follow-up of 42 months. Patients with positive sentinel lymph node were three times more likely to develop loco-regional metastases than those with no nodal disease (17 vs. 5.6%). Over one third of all recurrences developed following excision of thick (Breslow thickness over 4mm) primary tumours. In both centres age and Breslow thickness were found to be significantly higher in the recurrence group (p<0.001 for both). This study revealed a strong association between increased risk of loco-regional metastases and aggressive tumour biology and adverse patients factors. No conclusive evidence was found to support an increased incidence in patients undergoing SLNB and CLND compared to that published for patients undergoing wide local excision alone.

Psychosexual function in women who have undergone reduction mammaplasty.

BACKGROUND: Reduction mammaplasty substantially alleviates physical and psychological symptoms of mammary hyperplasia, but the effect on psychosexual function has not been analyzed so far. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of this common procedure on both operative and psychosexual satisfaction. METHODS: All women who underwent reduction mammaplasty (n = 90) at the Royal Free and University College London Hospitals between 1997 and 2000 were sent a series of questionnaires on their psychosexual health and satisfaction with operative outcome and postoperative sexual function. RESULTS: Of the 80 women who responded (response rate, 89 percent), 76 percent were satisfied with their operative results. Postoperative sexual satisfaction was improved in 28 percent, worsened in 19 percent, and unchanged in 53 percent of patients. Nobody dissatisfied with surgical outcome reported improved sexual satisfaction. A strong correlation was found between these two main outcome measures and General Health and Female Sexual Function Index scores. Significant correlations were also noted for breast shape, sensation, and symmetry (p < 0.001) and change in nipple sensation (p < 0.01). In contrast, breast size and scars did not significantly affect patient operative and sexual satisfaction (p > 0.1). When compared with the satisfied group, women unhappy with surgical results were more likely to suffer from postoperative anxiety (58 versus 18 percent) and depression (42 versus 8 percent). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that operative outcome following breast reduction does correlate with postoperative psychosexual function, mental health, and some breast parameters. Now that the link is identified, a prospective analysis may clarify the precise relationship between the patient's preoperative psychological status and operative and psychosexual satisfaction.