Bridge plating with decortication, autologous bone graft, and tight closure: a "stepwise surgical diamond concept" for treatment of nonunion in a series of fifty five patients.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to assess a stepwise surgical procedure applied to treat a continuous series of patients with aseptic atrophic nonunion of long bones. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of the medical files of patients treated by the senior author between January 2014 and January 2021 for aseptic atrophic nonunion of long bones using a standard stepwise surgical procedure consisting of four successive surgical steps: bridge locked plating, aggressive osteoperiosteal decortication, copious autologous iliac bone grafting, and tight closure without drainage. Patients were clinically and radiographically evaluated until bone healing, then at final follow-up for the purpose of the study. The primary objective of the study was to assess completion of bone healing; secondary objectives were the time required reaching bone union, the occurrence of complications at the iliac bone graft donor site, and the achievement of bone consolidation after a second attempt of treatment when indicated following failure of the index procedure. RESULTS: There were a total of 55 patients. One patient died from myocardial infarction before reaching bone healing and another one lost from early follow-up. There were remaining 53 patients with 37 years of mean age. The affected bone was the clavicle in five patients, humerus in 14, ulna in four, radius in one, femur in 13, and tibia in 16. The mean follow-up period was 3.4 years. A total of 52 patients (98.1%) achieved bone healing at a mean of 14.8 weeks from the index procedure. The only patient who did not reach bone healing after the index procedure was successfully revised using decortication-bone graft and new fixation with intra-medullary femoral nailing. Four patients (7.5%) developed local complications at the site of iliac bone harvesting. CONCLUSION: Our stepwise surgical procedure was very effective treating aseptic atrophic nonunion of long bones. However, as this study is a retrospective review of a limited series of one surgeon's experience, prospective comparative studies with large number of patients are suitable to define the advantages and indications of the procedure herein described.

The instep flap for anterior ankle coverage with bone and hardware exposure.

PURPOSE: The instep medial plantar flap is a well-known flap based on the medial plantar artery of the foot and usually used for coverage of soft tissue defects of the heel area. It has seldom been reported for coverage of anterior ankle area with exposure of the bone and metallic hardware after open reduction and internal fixation of distal tibial fractures. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and viability of this flap as well as its reliability saving the internal fixation devices and efficiency protecting bone healing; the secondary purpose is to assess the condition of the flap and its cosmetic appearance, as well as occurrence of complications related to its harvesting. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective review of medical records of patients operated from December 2015 to December 2020 with application of an instep flap for coverage of the anterior ankle area with exposure of the bone and metallic hardware secondary to open reduction and internal fixation of distal tibial fractures. All patients were reviewed for the purpose of this study; they were assessed for the viability and functional and sensory condition of the flap, signs of local infection, as well as for residual pain and sensory impairment of the toes; subjective cosmetic appearance of the flap was also judged. RESULTS: There were four patients with 32 years mean age and 35 months mean follow-up. The mean flap size was 7.75 cm × 5.75 cm. At final follow-up, all fractures were completely consolidated, and all flaps were living, stable, and sensitive. No distal sensation disturbance was noticed, and none of the patients had pain or annoyance caused by the flap or presented signs of infection. Only one patient expressed mild aesthetic complain. CONCLUSION: The fascio-cutaneous instep medial plantar flap is a reliable solution to cover the anterior ankle area with exposure of the bone and metallic hardware after open reduction and internal fixation of distal tibial fractures, especially for defects measuring up to 9 cm × 6 cm. This flap is technically valid and reproducible; it offers good quality of soft tissue coverage with satisfactory cosmetic appearance and minimal morbidity.

Cytomegalovirus infection in kidney transplant patients: Prevalence, risk factors, and impact on outcome - A local multicentre experience.

BACKGROUND: CMV infection prevalence in kidney transplant recipients (KTR) is reported to be high in the literature, reaching rates of over 80%. OBJECTIVES: The primary endpoints were the evaluation of the prevalence, the risks factors, and the effects of CMV infection on graft function and survival, as well as patient survival at three years after kidney transplantation. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 288 kidney transplant patients operated in three Lebanese transplant centers between 1998 and 2017 with three years of follow-up. The patients were divided into two groups: those free of any CMV infection (271 patients (94%); Group I) and those who suffered from CMV infection (17 patients (6%); Group II). RESULTS: Baseline demographics of the two groups were similar, including recipient and donor gender and age, cause of renal disease, recipient body mass index, pre-transplant fasting blood sugar and dialysis duration, HLA matching between donor and recipient, degree of sensitization in the recipient, type of CMV prophylaxis, maintenance immunosuppression and immunological characteristics. The prevalence of CMV infection is 5.9% among KTR. There were significant differences between the two groups concerning the type of induction therapy and the duration of anti-CMV prophylaxis. The rate of infected patients and infectious episodes were significantly higher in Group II. At 3-years, graft function and survival, patient survival, and the rate of new-onset diabetes were similar between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The present study is the first to explore the incidence and risk factors of CMV in kidney transplant patients in Lebanon. Comprehensive nationwide studies are therefore necessary to determine the epidemiology and risk factors of CMV infection after kidney transplantation in Lebanon.

Breakage of sliding hip screw after fixation of pertrochanteric hip fracture: A rare complication.

INTRODUCTION: The authors report a rare case of lag screw breakage in a patient treated using locking DHS with home-made trochanteric stabilizing plate (TSP) for pertrochanteric hip fracture. CASE PRESENTATION: A 67 year-old female was operated for pertrochanteric hip fracture with incompetent lateral wall using locking DHS with home-made TSP. At seven months postoperative, there was radiographic nonunion with breakage of the sliding lag screw. Patient was consequently scheduled for total hip replacement. DISCUSSION: Breakage of DHS lag screw has been attributed to multiple-cycle, low-stress fatigue failure associated with nonunion. Predisposing factors are: situation of the medial edge of the barrel at the level of the fracture site prohibiting fracture compression, and mechanical obstacle to the lag screw back sliding into the barrel. In our case, the use of handmade TSP interdicted lag screw back sliding and prevented fracture impaction which was already impaired by the location of the medial edge of the barrel at the fracture level. Additionally our fixation construct was very rigid because of the use of locking screws in the DHS side plate. CONCLUSION: When DHS fixation is planned for unstable or potentially unstable trochanteric hip fracture the surgeon should be prepared by making available a TSP from the manufacturer in the operative room rather than improvising intra-operatively with handmade TSP; this augmentation device shouldn't interfere with lag screw back sliding. Furthermore the DHS barrel should ideally not impinge with the fracture site, and the use of locking screws in the DHS plate should be cautious.

The adjunct use of lateral hinged external fixator in the treatment of traumatic destabilizing elbow injuries.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of using a lateral hinged external fixator as an adjunct stabilizer in the treatment of a variety of acute destabilizing elbow injuries. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on the medical records of patients in whom a lateral monolateral elbow hinged external fixator was applied by the senior author. The indication to apply the fixator corresponded to a variety of acute injury patterns ranging from simple elbow trauma or dislocation to complex fracture-dislocation, and the decision was based on either the presence of recurrent or persistent instability in any direction and/or to secure a vulnerable or weak bony fixation or soft tissue repair as intra-operatively judged by the surgeon. The fixator was inserted in the same setting after the repair of the associated ligamentous and/or bony structures. Patients operated after one month of the trauma and those presented with open elbow injury or associated humeral or ulnar shaft fracture were excluded. Rehabilitation was immediately started and the fixator removed at six to eight weeks with elbow testing and gentle manipulation under general anaesthesia, and resuming of rehabilitation after removal. Clinical assessment was performed for all patients according to the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) with evaluation of range of motion at regular intervals till the end of the post-operative first year, then at final follow-up for the purpose of the study with radiographic assessment for evaluation of elbow reduction and concentricity. RESULTS: There were 13 patients with a mean age of 42 years. Two patients had instability secondary to LCL rupture; one patient had redislocation because of associated coronoid process fracture; one patient had radial head fracture with rupture of both collateral ligaments; five patients had terrible triad injury with variable association of collateral ligaments lesions; and four patients had posterior Monteggia fracture-dislocation. The mean MEPS was 90 at a mean follow-up of seven years with six excellent, six good, and one fair result. All patients had a concentrically reduced and stable elbow as assessed clinically and radiologically with a mean functional arc of motion of 132° for extension-flexion and 178° for pronation-supination. CONCLUSION: The hinged elbow external fixator represents a valuable adjunct in the therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of unstable elbows after bony and soft tissue repair. It provides satisfactory results in terms of stability and function and should be available in the operating room when a surgeon treats a complex elbow dislocation or fracture-dislocation.

Unicentric Castleman's Disease: Laparoscopic Approach of a Para-Duodenal Retroperitoneal Mass.

BACKGROUND Castleman's disease is a benign, lymphoproliferative disorder that is extremely uncommon. Multiple classifications have been described; however, the exact etiology remains unknown. Preoperative diagnosis is not common, as imaging cannot distinguish the disease from other processes, and biopsy is insufficient to provide the architecture of the mass, which is necessary for diagnosis. Unicentric retroperitoneal disease has been described, and management includes complete resection of the mass, which is usually curative. CASE REPORT A 34-year-old previously healthy woman presented with hematuria. Evaluation revelated a retroperitoneal mass that was abutting the duodenum and head of the pancreas. Biopsy failed to provide a diagnosis, so laparoscopic resection was performed. Postoperative diagnosis was consistent with unicentric Castleman's disease. CONCLUSIONS Castleman's disease is an uncommon process, and one that is difficult to diagnose. Unicentric Castleman's disease should always be a differential diagnosis of solitary retroperitoneal masses that are well-demarcated, as treatment can be curative with surgical resection.