Complete Talar Extrusion Treated With an Antibiotic Cement Spacer and Staged Femoral Head Allograft.

Complete talar extrusion is rare and usually associated with a high-energy mechanism of injury causing complete dissociation of the talus from the surrounding bony and soft-tissue structures with enough force to expel the talus out of the body. Treatment can be complicated by infection, osteonecrosis, posttraumatic osteoarthritis, and leg length discrepancy, which may require multiple subsequent surgeries for improved outcome and quality of life. Reimplantation of the native talus affords maintenance of joint height and favorable outcomes have been reported. Failed reimplantations have been successfully managed with arthrodesis with or without a bone allograft. We report a case of talar extrusion initially treated with a talus-shaped impregnated antibiotic spacer, followed by femoral head allograft and tibiocalcaneal fusion. This treatment resulted in radiographic evidence of bony fusion at 12 weeks without subsequent infection and good clinical outcome at 2-year follow-up.

Technical Errors May Affect Accuracy of Torque Limiter in Locking Plate Osteosynthesis.

In locking plate osteosynthesis, proper surgical technique is crucial in reducing potential pitfalls, and use of a torque limiter makes it possible to control insertion torque. We conducted a study of the ways in which different techniques can alter the accuracy of torque limiters. We tested 22 torque limiters (1.5 Nm) for accuracy using hand and power tools under different rotational scenarios: hand power at low and high velocity and drill power at low and high velocity. We recorded the maximum torque reached after each torque-limiting event. Use of torque limiters under hand power at low velocity and high velocity resulted in significantly (P < .0001) different mean (SD) measurements: 1.49 (0.15) Nm and 3.73 (0.79) Nm. Use under drill power at controlled low velocity and at high velocity also resulted in significantly (P < .0001) different mean (SD) measurements: 1.47 (0.14) Nm and 5.37 (0.90) Nm. Maximum single measurement obtained was 9.0 Nm using drill power at high velocity. Locking screw insertion with improper technique may result in higher than expected torque and subsequent complications. For torque limiters, the most reliable technique involves hand power at slow velocity or drill power with careful control of insertion speed until 1 torque-limiting event occurs.

Fracture of the distal radius with radial artery injury: injury description and outcome of vascular repair.

INTRODUCTION: The ideal treatment of an isolated radial artery injury that is associated with a fracture of the distal radius is unknown. Our purposes were to assess the incidence of this injury pattern and to describe the outcomes of our treatment protocol. We hypothesised that combined routine repair of the artery during operative treatment results in a satisfactory outcome. METHODS: Our study group consisted of 14 patients who were treated by one surgeon with a consistent treatment algorithm. The average follow-up duration was 52 weeks. Our control group consisted of 380 patients with fracture of the distal radius without radial artery injury, who were treated by the same surgeon during a 3-year period. RESULTS: We observed a 2% incidence of isolated radial artery injury in patients treated with open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the distal radius. Outcomes were comparable to those reported for operative treatment of fractures of the distal radius without radial artery injury. CONCLUSIONS: Our protocol resulted in adequate outcomes, a 71% patency rate (five of seven fractures with adequate vascular follow-up) and no evidence of symptoms related to a poorly perfused hand.

Complex reconstruction of the diabetic foot and ankle.

Reconstruction of the diabetic foot presents significant challenges for the surgeon. The goals of treatment are correction of deformity as well as elimination of infection, with production of a stable, plantigrade foot. Certainly not all patients with Charcot deformities require reconstruction. Many can be effectively managed with proper shoe modifications with orthoses. Bracing is also effective in providing support and in preventing further deformity. Surgical treatment is indicated for patients with recurrent ulceration or an unstable foot. Reconstruction of the Charcot foot should eliminate deformity and remove "high-pressure" areas of the foot and ankle. Achieving these goals should help prevent ulceration and infection, thereby avoiding the most devastating complication of the Charcot foot: amputation.

Combination of femoral fracture treatment and corrective osteotomy in a child with osteogenesis imperfecta.

The main feature of osteogenesis imperfecta is an excessive fragility and deformability of the bones owing to reduced mass and bone quality. This leads to angular deformity and frequent fractures. These fractures usually heal rapidly, and conservative treatment is the norm. In displaced and unstable fractures, elastic intramedullary nailing is a treatment option. We report a case of a 3-year-old child with osteogenesis imperfecta type I who suffered an undisplaced femoral shaft fracture in the presence of a preexisting 32 degrees femoral antecurvation. This deformity greatly increases the risk of a refracture due to the pathological induction of stress risers. Therefore, fracture treatment by unreamed elastic intramedullary nailing was combined with simultaneous correction osteotomy, resulting in anatomic alignment and uncomplicated fracture healing. The single-stage surgical stabilization performed allowed rapid mobilization along with a decreased likelihood of refracture.

Functional outcome following scapulothoracic dissociation.

BACKGROUND: Scapulothoracic dissociation is an infrequent injury that is often accompanied by neurovascular injuries with a potentially devastating outcome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional outcome following scapulothoracic dissociation. METHODS: During a twenty-four-year period, we treated twenty-five patients with a scapulothoracic dissociation. The average age was 32.5 years. The average Injury Severity Score was 22 points. Nine patients had a complete brachial plexus avulsion, and ten had an incomplete brachial plexus avulsion. Three patients died from their associated injuries, and six patients required an above-the-elbow amputation. The outcome was assessed with use of the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey, and the shoulder function of the patients who had not had an amputation was evaluated with use of the Subjective Shoulder Rating System. The degree of initial scapular lateralization was quantified with the scapula index. RESULTS: The average duration of follow-up was 12.6 years. The physical and mental component summary scores and the scores on the role-physical, general health, vitality, and mental health subscales of the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey were significantly lower for patients with a complete brachial plexus avulsion (p < 0.05). The Subjective Shoulder Rating System score was also significantly lower in patients with a complete brachial plexus avulsion (33.8 points compared with 72.5 points for the patients with no or an incomplete avulsion, p = 0.046). The average scapula index was 1.29 +/- 0.19. The scores on the Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey scales and the Subjective Shoulder Rating System score did not correlate with the initial scapula index (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of a complete brachial plexus avulsion is predictive of a poor functional outcome in a patient with a scapulothoracic dissociation. Therefore, we suggest a modification of the classification of the severity of this injury, with complete brachial plexus avulsion considered to be the most severe injury type. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic study, Level II-1 (retrospective cohort study). See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.