Knee dislocation of a morbidly obese patient: a case report.

Knee dislocations of morbidly obese patients after a trivial fall are not uncommon. We report a case of closed reduction for a dislocated right knee of a 26-year-old obese woman. After closed reduction under general anaesthesia, her knee was supported by pillows in 30 degrees flexion. No external splint was used because of the enormous size of the leg. At day 4 after reduction, the patient had numbness over the dorsum of the right foot and was unable to dorsiflex. She was diagnosed as having peroneal nerve palsy and was fitted with a foot drop splint. One week after reduction, she started active, assisted knee mobilisation and tip-toe weight bearing. At 24 months after reduction, the patient was able to walk unaided and had 100 degrees of knee flexion. She had a good foot function and a grade II in the Lachman's test, with no varus or valgus instability. This case highlights the importance of early mobilisation, which can result in good outcome even without operative treatment.

Flexor to extensor tendon transfers in the hand.

We reviewed 49 cases of flexor to extensor tendon transfer following injury to the radial nerve (22) or brachial plexus (27). Post-operative follow-up average 5.6 years (0.5-12.5). Function was improved in 84% (41) of patients. 16% (8) reported no improvement; of these, four (50%) had associated vascular injuries. In those with improvement, impaired coordination and dexterity were reported by 79% (15 of 19) of the plexus injuries and in 64% (14 of 22) of the radial nerve palsies. Premature fatigue was noted by 89% (17 of 19) of plexus injuries and in 82% (18 of 22) of radial nerve palsies. The power of wrist extension averaged 22% of the contralateral side (8% to 80%), power of digital extension was 31% (5% to 130%), and power grip was reduced to 40% (5% to 86%).

Do augmentin or cefuroxime reach effective levels in lumbar vertebral discs when used prophylactically for discectomy? A preliminary report.

The incidence of discitis following discectomy is reported at between 0.75% and 3.0%. We believe this rate could be reduced if an antibiotic that penetrated the disc tissue with an appropriate spectrum were to be given prophylactically to cover surgery. A prospective study of 20 patients undergoing routine lumbar discectomy was performed. Ten patients received Augmentin 1.2 g and ten received cefuroxime 1.5 g pre-operatively. In eight patients sequestrated disc fragments were analysed, and the majority were found to have drug levels higher than in the attached disc material; the reasons for this are discussed. We conclude that Augmentin penetrates damaged disc material to a limited extent, but cefuroxime achieves levels effective against the most commonly implicated pathogens in discitis tissue and is a rational choice of antibiotic for prophylaxis during lumbar discectomy.

A new burn area assessment chart.

A series of body charts have been designed that are more representative of changing body proportion with increasing age. Being easier to use, these charts have led to a better estimate by the casualty doctor of the body surface area that has been burned.