Morel-Lavallée Lesion Diagnosed by Point-of-Care Ultrasound: A Case Report and Review of Treatment Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Morel-Lavallée lesions, also known as an internal degloving injuries, occur hours to months after high-speed shearing trauma, usually in the peri-trochanteric region. These are uncommon injuries, and are often missed as part of the trauma examination. Failure to diagnose or treat these lesions may result in complications, such as infected seromas, chronic cosmetic deformities, capsule formation, or skin necrosis. There are no formalized societal guidelines for management, but smaller studies have recommended compression alone for asymptomatic lesions, aspiration for small symptomatic lesions, and open debridement for large lesions. CASE REPORT: A young woman presented with swelling, fluctuance, and paresthesia to her right hip after falling off her bicycle 1 week earlier. Physical examination showed a fluctuant and hypoesthetic area over the greater trochanter and point-of-care ultrasound showed a hypoechoic and compressible fluid collection between a fascial layer and a subcutaneous layer, confirming the diagnosis of a Morel-Lavallée lesion (internal degloving injury). Symptoms did not improve with compression alone, but did improve after fluid aspiration. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: Morel-Lavallée lesions are frequently missed traumatic injuries. Morel-Lavallée lesions can be diagnosed quickly and cost-effectively in the emergency department through the combination of a thorough history, physical examination, and bedside ultrasound. Although there are no formal societal guidelines, limited studies suggest management strategies, including compression, aspiration, and open debridement, with treatments varying by symptom severity and lesion size.

Performance and return to sport after injury in professional mixed martial arts.

BACKGROUND: Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is an increasingly popular combat sport incorporating striking and grappling that results in a high incidence of injuries. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to analyze the impact of injuries on the return to sport and post-injury performance of professional MMA athletes. We hypothesize that increased age is associated with lower probability of return to sport and diminished post-injury performance. METHODS: Publicly available data (obtained from ESPN.com/MMA, UFC.com, Rotowire.com/MMA) from professional MMA fighters who resigned from fight cards due to injury from 2012 to 2014 were analyzed. Injury history, match history and outcomes, and duration of time to return to professional fighting were recorded and compared to a cohort consisting of uninjured opponents. RESULTS: 454 fighters were included in the analysis. The mean age at the time of injury was 30.0±3.9 years. 94.4% of injured athletes were able to return to professional MMA, and athletes required a mean duration of 6.8±6.7 months between injury and their next professional fight (range 0.3-58 months). There was no significant difference in winning percentage in the post-injury period between the injured group and the uninjured group (p = 0.691). Increased age at the time of injury was associated with the odds of being able to return to professional fighting after injury (OR = 0.822, p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this analysis of publicly available injury data on MMA fighters, there was a high rate of return to professional sport and no evidence of an associated decline in performance following major injury requiring withdrawal from a fight card. Older age at the time of injury was associated with decreased odds of being able to return to professional fighting. With increasing popularity of combat sports, sport-specific prognostic information will help guide and treat specific injuries associated with MMA participation.

Ultrasound-Guided Retroclavicular Approach to the Infraclavicular Region (RAPTIR) Anesthesia for Challenging Upper Extremity Reductions.

BACKGROUND: Upper-extremity injuries are frequently seen in the emergency department (ED), yet traditional analgesic methods are often ineffective (e.g., hematoma blocks) or associated with prolonged ED duration and nontrivial risk (e.g., procedural sedation). Ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia of the infraclavicular brachial plexus offers dense anesthesia of the distal upper extremity. The Retroclavicular Approach to The Infraclavicular Region (RAPTIR) is an ultrasound-guided brachial plexus block that has only recently been described in both anesthesia and emergency literature. CASE REPORT: We report use of the RAPTIR block in an elderly patient with a subacute angulated distal radius fracture that would otherwise require surgical management. The patient presented 11 days post injury and had no hematoma to block, and her age made her high risk for procedural sedation or operative management. Using the RAPTIR block, ED providers achieved dense anesthesia of her arm, allowing for appropriate reduction of a displaced fracture 11 days after injury. The patient followed with orthopedic surgery, never required additional manipulation, and had full return to activities of daily living. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: In this case, the RAPTIR block safely and effectively anesthetized the distal upper extremity. This block provides clear visualization of neck and thoracic structures and has a simpler technique than traditional inferior brachial plexus blocks. It achieves dense anesthesia to allow for complex or repeat reduction attempts without the need for procedural sedation, opiates, or an operative setting. Our report details this patient, the RAPTIR technique, and the state of the current literature.

Management of acute urinary retention in the emergency department.

Etiologies of acute urinary retention fall into 4 broad categories: structural, medication/ toxicologic, neurologic, and infectious. Although two-thirds of cases in men are related to prostatomegaly, there is also a high burden of concomitant morbid pathology. Acute urinary retention can also result from trauma, drug toxicity, infection, or compressive or demyelinating neurologic pathology, and these must be ruled out, particularly in women, children, and elderly patients. This review provides a best-practice approach to the evaluation and management of acute urinary retention in men, women, and children. Evidence-based recommendations are made regarding the approach to difficult catheterizations, imaging, when to obtain specialty consultation, drug therapies, and the importance of follow-up.

A prospective study of the incidence of intracranial hemorrhage in survivors of out of hospital cardiac arrest.

AIM: Intracranial Hemorrhage (ICH) is an important cause of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA), yet there are no United States (US), European, or Australian prospective studies examining its incidence in patients who sustained OHCA. This study aims to identify the incidence of ICH in US patients with OHCA who obtain return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). METHODS: We prospectively analyzed consecutive patients with OHCA who achieved ROSC at a single US hospital over a 15-month period. Before beginning patient enrollment, we implemented a standardized emergency department order-set for the initial management for all patients with ROSC after OHCA. This order-set included a non-contrast head computed-tomography (NCH-CT) scan. Patient and cardiac arrest variables were recorded, as were NCH-CT findings. RESULTS: During the study period, 85 patients sustained an OHCA, achieved ROSC, survived to hospital admission, and underwent a NCH-CT. Three of these 85 patients had ICH (3.5%). Survival to discharge was seen in 23/82 (28.0%) patients without ICH and in 1/3 patients with ICH. Survival with good neurologic outcome was seen in 14/82 (17.1%) patients without ICH and in 0/3 patients with ICH. Patients with ICH tended to be older than patients without ICH. CONCLUSIONS: In our US cohort, ICH was an uncommon finding in patients who sustained OHCA and survived to hospital admission, and no patients with ICH survived to discharge with good neurologic outcome. Additionally, the incidence of ICH was lower than reported in previous studies.

Ultrasound-guided analgesic injection for acromioclavicular joint separation in the emergency department.

We present the first documented case of an emergency clinician treating the pain of an acute Acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation through ultrasound (US) guided injection of an anesthetic agent. A 41 year old male presented with an acute traumatic grade III AC joint separation after falling off a scooter, and his pain was not significantly improved with oral medication. The AC joint was located by US, and bupivacaine was injected into the joint effusion under US guidance, yielding near complete resolution of pain. In orthopedics and physiatry literature, US guided AC joint injections have been shown to be far more efficacious than landmark guided AC joint injections, yet this is the first known case documenting injection in the Emergency Department (ED). The superficial location of the AC joint, its ease of identification by US, and the rapid onset of analgesia by intra-articular injection makes the US-guided anesthetic injection of the AC joint an ideal tool to incorporate into a multimodal approach to pain management in AC joint separations.

Concussion management in combat sports: consensus statement from the Association of Ringside Physicians.

Various organisations and experts have published numerous statements and recommendations regarding different aspects of sports-related concussion including definition, presentation, treatment, management and return to play guidelines. 1-7 To date, there have been no written consensus statements specific for combat sports regarding management of combatants who have suffered a concussion or for return to competition after a concussion. In combat sports, head contact is an objective of the sport itself. Accordingly, management and treatment of concussion in combat sports should, and must, be more stringent than for non-combat sports counterparts.The Association of Ringside Physicians (an international, non-profit organisation dedicated to the health and safety of the combat sports athlete) sets forth this consensus statement to establish management guidelines that ringside physicians, fighters, referees, trainers, promoters, sanctioning bodies and other healthcare professionals can use in the ringside setting. We also provide guidelines for the return of a combat sports athlete to competition after sustaining a concussion. This consensus statement does not address the management of moderate to severe forms of traumatic brain injury, such as intracranial bleeds, nor does it address the return to competition for combat sports athletes who have suffered such an injury. These more severe forms of brain injuries are beyond the scope of this statement. This consensus statement does not address neuroimaging guidelines in combat sports.

The Thrower's Shoulder.

Overhead athletes subject their shoulders to extreme repetitive torque, compression, distraction, and translation stresses, resulting in adaptive changes of the soft tissues and osseous structures within and around the glenohumeral joint. These anatomic adaptations result in biomechanical enhancements, which improve performance. Understanding the difference between necessary and adaptive changes and pathologic findings is critical when making treatment decisions. Injuries to the shoulder of the overhead athlete can be generally classified into three groups: internal impingement, internal impingement with acquired secondary anterior instability, and primary anterior or multidirectional instability. Although advances in surgical techniques have allowed surgeons to address the pathology in these groups, merely attempting to restore the shoulder to so-called normal can adversely alter adaptive changes that allow high levels of performance.

The Weight-Bearing Shoulder.

The shoulder achieves a wide spectrum of motion, and in a subset of patients, including those who use manual wheelchairs and upper extremity walking aids, the shoulder also serves as the primary weight-bearing joint. Because the weight-bearing shoulder is subject to considerable joint reaction forces and overuse, a broad spectrum of pathology can affect the joint. The combination of muscle imbalance and repetitive trauma presents most commonly as subacromial impingement syndrome but can progress to other pathology. Patients with high-level spinal cord injury, leading to quadriplegia and motor deficits, have an increased incidence of shoulder pain. Understanding the needs of patients who use manual wheelchairs or walking aids can help the physician to better comprehend the pathology of and better manage the weight-bearing shoulder.

Outcomes After Arthroscopic Bankart Repair: Patients With First-Time Versus Recurrent Dislocations.

BACKGROUND: The young athletic population makes up the largest portion of shoulder instability and, when treated nonoperatively, has a recurrent dislocation rate as high as 71%. It is unknown how the outcomes of those who have a recurrent dislocation are affected versus those who have a stabilization procedure after a first-time dislocation. PURPOSE: To report the postoperative outcomes of patients with first-time dislocations versus patients with recurrent dislocations before surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify patients who had arthroscopic Bankart repair between 2003 and 2013. A total of 173 eligible patients were identified across 8 fellowship-trained surgical practices. The first phase of the study was a retrospective chart review. Patients were identified as having a first-time dislocation or as having recurrent dislocations when they had >1 dislocation before surgical intervention. The second phase consisted of a survey to record a Simple Shoulder Test score and return to sport and to report postoperative instability and whether patients had further surgery on the shoulder. RESULTS: A total of 121 patients participated, providing 70% follow-up at an average of 51 months. There were 53 patients in the recurrent dislocation group and 68 in the first-time dislocation group. The postoperative instability rate was 29% in the first-time dislocation group and 62% in the recurrent dislocation group; this difference was significant ( P < .001). The odds of postoperative instability were 4 times higher in the recurrent dislocation group (odds ratio = 4.14). The first-time dislocation group reported a 7% rate of repeat operation to address instability, whereas the recurrent dislocation group reported a rate of 32%; this difference was significant ( P < .001). The odds of needing additional surgery on the index shoulder was 6 times higher in the recurrent dislocation group (odds ratio = 6.01). CONCLUSION: Patients with first-time dislocations had lower postoperative instability rates and reoperation rates when compared with patients with recurrent dislocations before surgery. Young patients with shoulder instability should be offered early surgical intervention to lower the risk of postoperative instability and reoperation.

Discharging Mrs. Fox: A Team-Based Interprofessional Collaborative Standardized Patient Encounter.

INTRODUCTION: In 2003, the Institute of Medicine recommended that interprofessional education be incorporated into the training programs of health care professionals. However, many logistical challenges hinder formal interprofessional learning in health care profession programs. METHODS: This resource is a 3-hour interprofessional small-group session designed for health professions student teams to engage in a standardized patient encounter, each team member contributing a profession-specific perspective to create a collaborative care plan across five discharge decisions. The activity includes a simulated standardized patient encounter and debrief session wherein students discuss the role of bias and communication and create a collaborative care plan. RESULTS: Following the activity, participants were surveyed about the value of the educational experience. Over 12 months, 106 students (81 medicine, nine nursing, 16 pharmacy) participated in the interprofessional activity. Eighty-four students responded to the postevent survey (79% response rate). Students were confident that the experience helped them integrate profession-specific knowledge, create a shared care plan, and understand how interprofessional collaboration contributes to quality care. The debriefing session and interprofessional interaction were an integral component of the experience. DISCUSSION: This resource is a feasible interprofessional small-group activity that has been implemented without excessive faculty time or institutional resources. It is adaptable to institutional needs, local resources, level of trainee, and professions. The session provides interprofessional students the opportunity to engage with one another and with the patient in a collaborative decision-making activity focused around a critical transition of care.

Evaluation of Malassezia and Common Fungal Pathogens in Subtypes of Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

BACKGROUND: Fungal hypersensitivity and fungal microbiome dysbiosis are possible etiologies of chronic rhinosinusitis. The sinus fungal microbiome is not well characterized; novel sinus-associated fungi, including Malassezia, have only recently been described. The goals for this study were to verify Malassezia as a dominant component of the sinus microbiome, to speciate sinus Malassezia, and to compare select fungal species in chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) subtypes with known fungal association to chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps (CRSwNP) and healthy controls. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were enrolled and categorized as CRSwNP (n = 15), fungus ball (n = 3), allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS, n = 3), or healthy control (n = 7). Brush samples were taken from ethmoid or maxillary sinus mucosa and tested for DNA from 7 index fungi using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Index fungal species were chosen based on existing data of the sinus fungal microbiome. RESULTS: Malassezia species were detected in 68% of patients, without variation among clinical phenotypes (p > 0.99). Malassezia restricta was more commonly detected than Malassezia globosa (p = 0.029). Presence of one Malassezia species predicted the presence of the other (p = 0.035). Aspergillus was identified in 2 of 3 of fungus ball patients (both A. fumigatus) and 2 of 3 AFRS patients (1 A. fumigatus and 1 A. flavus). Aspergillus was absent in control and CRSwNP patients (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study confirmed and speciated Malassezia in healthy and diseased sinuses. Presence of Malassezia species in all groups suggests a commensal role for the fungus. Future work will determine whether Malassezia influences CRS pathogenesis. Aspergillus species were identified in fungal CRS subtypes despite negative surgical cultures, highlighting the importance of culture-independent technology.

Frequency and complications after operative fixation of clavicular fractures.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze whether a recent trend in evidence supporting operative treatment of clavicular fractures is matched with an increase in operative fixation and complication rates in the United States. METHODS: The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery database was reviewed for cases with Current Procedural Terminology (American Medical Association, Chicago, IL, USA) code 23515 (clavicle open reduction internal fixation [ORIF]) from 1999 to 2010. The procedure rate for each year and the number of procedures for each candidate performing clavicle ORIF were calculated to determine if a change had occurred in the frequency of ORIF for clavicular fractures. Complication and outcome data were also reviewed. RESULTS: In 2010 vs, 1999, there were statistically significant increases in the mean number of clavicle ORIF performed among all candidates (0.89 vs. 0.13; P < .0001) and in the mean number of clavicle ORIF per candidate performing clavicle ORIF (2.47 vs. 1.20, P < .0473). The difference in the percentage of part II candidates performing clavicle ORIF from the start to the end of the study (11% vs. 36%) was significant (P < .0001). There was a significant increase in the clavicle ORIF percentage of total cases (0.11% vs. 0.74%, P < .0001). The most common complication was hardware failure (4%). CONCLUSION: The rate of ORIF of clavicular fractures has increased in candidates taking part II of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, with a low complication rate. The increase in operative fixation during this interval may have been influenced by literature suggesting improved outcomes in patients treated with operative stabilization of their clavicular fracture.

Retrieval analysis of nonmodular constrained tibial inserts after primary total knee replacement.

Large angular deformities can be a challenge when performing primary total knee replacement. Some investigators have advocated the use of increased component constraint in these settings. The goal of this study was to determine the location and extent of damage to a consecutive series of retrieved constrained tibial inserts used in primary arthroplasty. There was significant post and articular damage in retrieved implants. Reliance on the polyethylene post for implant stability was associated with post and articular surface damage and may be a potential source of failure. Attempts to achieve implant stability using soft tissue techniques seem justified.

Shoulder function and pain level after revision of failed reverse shoulder replacement to hemiarthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The reverse total shoulder replacement has become a popular treatment option for cuff tear arthropathy and other shoulder conditions requiring arthroplasty in the setting of a deficient rotator cuff. Despite a revision rate of as much as 10%, to date, there are few reports of reverse replacement conversion to hemiarthroplasty, and none specifically examining shoulder function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six patients with a reverse replacement that was dislocated, infected or loose were revised an average of 9.2 months after the reverse replacement. Two of the three patients that were dislocated also had a known deep infection. Patients with known infection were treated with explant of the reverse prosthesis and conversion to a preformed antibiotic spacer hemiarthroplasty. In three cases with gross loosening of the glenosphere without infection, treatment was performed with removal of glenosphere only, bone grafting of glenoid with allograft and conversion of humeral stem to hemiarthroplasty. Patients were evaluated with outcome scores and physical examination an average of 26.5 months after removal of the reverse prosthesis. RESULTS: The average range of motion postoperatively was forward elevation 42.5 degrees and external rotation 1.7 degrees. The VAS pain score was 2.42 (range 0-6); simple shoulder test was 3.17 (range 1-5); and ASES score was 52.1 ± 8.5. There were no reoperations to date, and five patients had anterosuperior escape. CONCLUSIONS: Safe removal of a reverse replacement and conversion to hemicement spacer or hemiarthroplasty can provide pain relief in those patients with a dislocated or infected reverse replacement. However, the shoulder will likely have very poor function and anterosuperior escape postoperatively. Further studies are needed to determine the optimal treatment for the failed reverse shoulder replacement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV.