Salvage procedure for cut-through after surgical fixation of trochanteric fractures with TFN.

INTRODUCTION: Closed reduction and fixation using a cephalomedullary nail represents the accepted management of unstable intertrochanteric fractures. Cut-through has been described as a complication associated with the treatment. Although a hip arthroplasty may be the most predictable revision method, a non-prosthetic option can lead to similar results. The objective is to describe a non-prosthetic revision procedure in cases of cut-through. METHOD: We performed a retrospective analysis of our Institutional Registry for Hip Fractures in elderly patients (RIAFC) from January 2010 to June 2018 searching for cut-through as a failure after unstable intertrochanteric fracture treatment. REVISION PROCEDURE: (A) Helical blade removal, introduction of structural bone graft (autologous or allograft) as a plug to obliterate the communication to the joint and a new blade insertion. (B) Same as in A but augmenting the blade/head purchase with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). Before the cement insertion, a radio-opaque solution was instilled to assure lack of joint leakage. RESULTS: We evaluated 1616 patients. Sixteen of them presented a cut-through complication (1%). Ten of them were females with an average age for all of 84 years. One patient denied an implant revision and opted for a total joint replacement. In four of the patients, the procedure A was done, 2 of them had a new failure, and an joint arthroplasty was performed. In the B group, only one patient needed a revision to a total hip. The other 10 patients healed uneventfully and did not need any further intervention. CONCLUSION: Cut-through revision after fixation of unstable intertrochanteric fractures treated with cephalomedullary nail by blocking of the joint communication and augmenting the head blade purchase with PMMA is a safe and minimal invasive procedure, generates low blood loss and rate of complications and allows bone healing preserving the native joint. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: Nil.

Treatment of Infected Pseudoarthrosis in a Subtrochanteric Fracture in a Patient with Osteopetrosis.

Osteopetrosis is a disease of osteoclasts that results in failure of bone remodeling. Despite the sclerotic radiographic appearance of the thickened cortices and its material hardness, osteopetrotic bone is weak and prone to fracture by minor trauma. We report a case of a subtrochanteric fracture in an osteopetrotic patient, with further pseudoarthrosis and infection. Several surgical procedures were required, with further complications. The outcome of each procedure and the final result are also described.

Short-term complication rate following orthopedic surgery in a tertiary care center in Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: Registration of adverse events following orthopedic surgery has a critical role in patient safety and has received increasing attention. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of postoperative complications in the department of orthopedic unit in a tertiary hospital. METHODS: A retrospective review from the postoperative complication registry of a cohort of consecutive patients operated in the department of orthopedic surgery from May 2015 to June 2016 was performed. Short-term complications (3 months after surgery), age gender, types of surgery (elective, scheduled urgency, non-scheduled urgency, and emergency), operative time, surgical start time (morning, afternoon or evening), American Society of Anesthesiologists score and surgeon's experience were assessed. Complications were classified based on their severity according to Dindo-Clavien system: Grade I complications do not require alterations in the postoperative course or additional treatment; Grade II complications require pharmacological treatment; Grade III require surgical, endoscopic, or radiological interventions without (IIIa) or with (IIIb) general anesthesia; Grade IV are life-threatening with single (IVa) or multi-organ (IVb) dysfunction(s), and require ICU management; and Grade V result in death of the patient. Complications were further classified in minor (Dindo I, II, IIIa) and major (Dindo IIIb, IVa, IVb and V), according to clinical severity. RESULTS: 1960 surgeries were performed. The overall 90-day complication rate was 12.7% (249/1960). Twenty-three complications (9.2 %) were type I, 159 (63.8%) type II, 9 (3.6%) type IIIa, 42 (16.8%) type IIIb, 7 (2.8%) type IVa and 9 (3.6%) were grade V according to Dindo-Clavien classification (DCC). The most frequent complication was anemia that required blood transfusion (27%) followed by wound infection (15.6%) and urinary tract infection (6%). DISCUSSION: The overall complication rate after orthopedic surgery in our department was 12.7%. The implementation of the DCC following orthopedic surgery was an important tool to measure the standard of care.

Corrigendum to "Migration of the Anterior Spinal Rod to the Right Thigh, a Rare Complication of Anterior Spinal Instrumentations: A Case Report and a Literature Review".

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2015/532412.].

Migration of the Anterior Spinal Rod to the Right Thigh, a Rare Complication of Anterior Spinal Instrumentations: A Case Report and a Literature Review.

Posterior and anterior fusion procedures with instrumentation are well-known surgical treatments for scoliosis. Rod migration has been described as unusual complication in anterior spinal instrumentations; migration beyond pelvis is a rare complication. A 32-year-old female presented to the consultant with right thigh pain, rod migration was diagnosed, rod extraction by minimal approach was performed, and spinal instrumentation after nonunion diagnosis was underwent. A rod migration case to the right thigh is presented; this uncommon complication of spinal instrumentation should be ruled out as unusual cause of sudden pain without any other suspicions, and long-term follow-up is important to prevent and diagnose this problem.