[The wrapping induced membrane technique for treating recalcitrant non unions]. / La technique de la membrane induite « engainante ¼ pour le traitement des pseudarthroses rebelles sans perte de substance osseuse et le renforcement des reconstructions osseuses segmentaires fragiles. Rapport préliminaire.

The induced membrane technique is now well accepted for reconstruction of segmental bone defect. On the other hand, some cases of aseptic non-union are unsuccessfully treated by several surgical attempts for obtaining bone healing. The two stages wrapping induced membrane technique was developed initially for treating atrophic and recalcitrant aseptic non union without bone loss. At the first stage, the site of non-union was firmly fixed and tiles of cement were placed close to the bone on two or three aspects of the bone. At the second stage, after removing the spacers, the induced cavities were filled with cancellous bone autograft. In the two reported cases bone healing was acquired in 4 months. One case was a recalcitrant atrophic non-union of the humeral shaft, the other case concerned the enhancement of an insufficient segmental reconstruction of the femur. The follow up were respectively 3 years and 2 years without complication. The membrane induced by the cement tiles prevents the bone graft resorption and improves the osteogenicity through its biological properties.

Use of the induced membrane technique for long bone reconstruction in low-resource settings.

The induced membrane technique is a simple and effective method for reconstructing bone defects in limbs. It is suited to low resource settings, if sufficient care is taken in preparing and performing the technique. Key points for the success of this procedure are described here. In austere environments, its use is mostly limited by possibilities for treatment of bone infection, but also by access to surgical cement and available bone stock. Alternatives for overcoming these last two obstacles are presented.

[The fascio-cutaneous fibular island flap]. / Le lambeau fasciocutané fibulaire en ilôt.

The perforators of the fibular artery provide a well vascularised supra fascial network which allows to raise a proximally or a distally based island fascio cutaneous flap with an adipo-fascial pedicle. We present a short series of five cases of this flap for coverage of soft tissue defects involving the region of the knee, the distal third of the leg and the lateral aspect of the heel. All flaps healed entirely without venous congestion. The advantages of the fascio cutaneous fibular island flap are the supine operative position, the preservation of the sural nerve and the lesser saphenous vein and a pivot point which can be located at the middle third of the leg. According to our experience, the fascio cutaneous fibular island flap is especially indicated for repairing defects of the distal leg.

Transverse translunate fracture-dislocation: A rare injury.

Perilunate fracture-dislocation is rare. We report the case of a 24-year-old male who fell from his motorcycle and presented with a transverse lunate fracture with perilunate ligament damage. The initial diagnosis based on X-rays was confirmed by CT scan. A dorsal approach was used to obtain good reduction, double screw fixation and ligament reinsertion protected by temporary K-wires. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of transverse lunate fracture within perilunate fracture-dislocation. The patient returned to normal activities after 6 months.

Balloon humeroplasty reconstruction for acute Hill-Sachs injury: A technical note.

Posterior Hill-Sachs humeral defects are present in 80% to 100% of cases of anterior shoulder dislocation and are a factor in recurrent instability. Several techniques have been described to fill the defect and avoid recurrence. We developed a percutaneous technique to fill the newly created defect in which a percutaneous balloon, analogous to the one used in vertebral kyphoplasty, is used to reduce the defect, which is then filled with calcium phosphate cement. One patient with an acute anterior dislocation of the shoulder with no previous history was treated using this method. Early imaging results showed adequate reduction of the defect and no cement resorption. The patient was followed for 12 months; he had normal function of the shoulder and no recurrent dislocation. Shoulder computed tomography (CT) arthrography with contrast after 3 months showed an intact capsule and no recurrence of the defect. While this technique is certainly in its infancy, we have demonstrated that emergency reduction of the defect in acute first occurrence anterior shoulder dislocation is feasible, helps to restore normal anatomy of the humeral head and leads to good clinical results. Whether it can improve clinical results and prevent recurrent shoulder dislocation remains to be evaluated.

External fixation of the thalamic portion of a fractured calcaneus: a new surgical technique.

The optimal treatment for intra-articular calcaneus fractures remains controversial, despite internal fixation techniques providing good results. The major point of contention is the need to reconstruct the overall morphology versus to restore the anatomy of the subtalar joint perfectly. We will describe a two-stage technique for treating intra-articular calcaneus fractures in which the primary fracture line goes through the thalamic fragment. The first procedure focuses on the overall morphology by restoring the height and length with osteotaxis being accomplished with a medial external fixator. The second procedure consists of internal fixation through a minimally invasive lateral approach to restore the anatomy of the articular facets. Any defects are filled with injectable bone substitute. This novel technique is compared to the complication rates and radiology and anatomy outcomes in published studies. This two-stage surgical technique reduces the length of hospital stays and the number of complications.

Management of civilian ballistic fractures.

INTRODUCTION: The management of ballistic fractures, which are open fractures, has often been studied in wartime and has benefited from the principles of military surgery with debridement and lavage, and the use of external fixation for bone stabilization. HYPOTHESIS: In civilian practice, bone stabilization of these fractures is different and is not performed by external fixation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifteen civilian ballistic fractures, Gustilo II or IIIa, two associated with nerve damage and none with vascular damage, were reviewed. After debridement and lavage, ten internal fixations and five conservative treatments were used. RESULTS: No superficial or deep surgical site infection was noted. Fourteen of the 15 fractures (93%) healed without reoperation. Eleven of the 15 patients (73%) regained normal function. DISCUSSION: Ballistic fractures have a bad reputation due to their many complications, including infections. In civilian practice, the use of internal fixation is not responsible for excessive morbidity, provided debridement and lavage are performed. Civilian ballistic fractures, when they are caused by low-velocity firearms, differ from military ballistic fractures. Although the principle of surgical debridement and lavage remains the same, bone stabilization is different and is similar to conventional open fractures.

[Functional magnetic resonance imaging. What are the benefits expected in hand surgery?]. / IRM fonctionnelle. Quels apports en chirurgie de la main ?

Functional MRI (fMRI) allowed considerable advances upon understanding of cerebral functioning. Cortical plasticity, which allows the voluntary command of a restored function by a transferred muscle remains to be investigated in its intimacy. The authors present here the round table held at the 48th annual meeting of the French Society for Surgery of the Hand on December 22nd, 2012. It tries to review the analysis of the phenomenon observed during multiple tendinous transfers for restoration of proximal radial nerve palsy. Were successively approached: 1) Methods of acquisition and analysis of the signals (C. D-M.); 2) Movement reorganization (O.M.); 3) Motor plasticity after hand allograft (A. S.); 4) The potential interest of the fMRI in hand rehabilitation (F. D.); 5) The analysis of cerebral plasticity in general (H. B.). A rather philosophical conclusion opens other fields to f MRI (A.M.).

Cryptococcosis in sarcoidosis: cryptOsarc, a comparative study of 18 cases.

AIM: To describe the main characteristics and the treatment of cryptococcosis in patients with sarcoidosis. DESIGN: Multicenter study including all patients notified at the French National Reference Center for Invasive Mycoses and Antifungals. METHODS: Retrospective chart review. Each case was compared with two controls without opportunistic infections. RESULTS: Eighteen cases of cryptococcosis complicating sarcoidosis were analyzed (13 men and 5 women). With 2749 cases of cryptococcosis registered in France during the inclusion period of this study, sarcoidosis accounted for 0.6% of all the cryptococcosis patients and for 2.9% of the cryptococcosis HIV-seronegative patients. Cryptococcosis and sarcoidosis were diagnosed concomitantly in four cases; while sarcoidosis was previously known in 14/18 patients, including 12 patients (67%) treated with steroids. The median rate of CD4 T cells was 145 per mm(3) (range: 55-1300) and not related to steroid treatment. Thirteen patients had cryptococcal meningitis (72%), three osteoarticular (17%) and four disseminated infections (22%). Sixteen patients (89%) presented a complete response to antifungal therapy. After a mean follow-up of 6 years, no death was attributable to cryptococcosis. Extra-thoracic sarcoidosis and steroids were independent risk factors of cryptococcosis in a logistic regression model adjusted with the sex of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Cryptococcosis is a significant opportunistic infection during extra-thoracic sarcoidosis, which occurs in one-third of the cases in patients without any treatment; it is not associated to severe CD4 lymphocytopenia and has a good prognosis.

Harvest of cortico-cancellous intramedullary femoral bone graft using the Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator (RIA).

The "Reamer-Irrigator-Aspirator" (RIA) is a device that provides continuous irrigation and aspiration during intramedullary reaming of long bones. The RIA system is first used to collect the reaming material from medullary cavities, a thick paste of finely morselized osseous particles containing significantly elevated levels of stem cells and growth factors as reported by quantitative analyses. The volume of bone graft material available from an adult femur corresponds to the amount of cancellous bone graft obtained from both the anterior and posterior iliac crests. The assembly and technicalities of the RIA system require a training period to prevent any femoral fracture, which appears to be the major RIA-related complication. The elective indications for RIA bone grafting are filling of bone defects in the epiphyseal and metaphyseal regions. Diaphyseal defects may also be managed using the RIA system provided the graft is placed in a constrained system (induced membrane) to prevent dispersion of the graft into the surrounding soft tissues and is aerated with a porous material to promote its revascularization. Other RIA indications include debriding intramedullary infections and reaming for intramedullary nailing of long bone fractures to reduce the risk of fat embolization.

Inter-tibiofibular graft for traumatic segmental bone defect of the tibia.

INTRODUCTION: The present study sought to assess the interest of inter-tibiofibular graft (ITFG), alternatively called posterolateral bone graft, in traumatic segmental tibial bone defect. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-eight ITFGs were performed in 125 tibial reconstructions for traumatic bone defect. Patient's records were reviewed retrospectively in a multicenter study. Tibial reconstruction with and without ITFG was compared for bone healing and patient's return to full weight-bearing status. RESULTS: There were no failures of bone healing in the ITFG group, versus 14 (14%) in the non-ITFG group. Graft-to-consolidation delays were shorter with first-line ITFG, at a mean 10 months (range, 3-20 months) versus 16.5 months (range, 3-63 months) in the non-ITFG group (P<0.05). Weight-bearing was likewise more quickly resumed, with full weight-bearing at a mean 9 months (range, 3-19 months) versus 15 months (range, 1-34 moths) respectively (P<0.05). Return to work was also quicker, at a mean 15 months (range, 4-28 months) versus 27 months (range, 8-56 months) respectively (P<0.05). DISCUSSION: This study confirmed the interest of ITFG in tibial bone defect reconstruction. ITFG may singly be used for small defects less than 4 cm, or in conjunction with another tibial reconstruction technique; ITFG in the present series achieved consolidation in all cases and significantly shortened the times to return to full weight-bearing status and to work. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III: retrospective case-control study.

Traumatic diaphyseal bone defects in children.

UNLABELLED: Traumatic bone defects (BD) are rare in children. There are no pediatric series in the literature on this topic. The aim of this first pediatric series was to determine the epidemiological characteristics and evaluate the results of different treatments in this entity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective multicenter study evaluated diaphyseal bone defects in cases in which bone reconstruction was performed. BD was either initial and associated with trauma or secondary, resulting from infected non-union. RESULTS: The series included 27 patients (17 boys and 10 girls), mean age 11.4 years old (3-16) (20 traffic accidents). At the outset of all patients' history was an open fracture (one stage 1, seven stage 2, 11 stage 3A and seven stage 3B, 1 NR). BD involved 13 tibias, 9 femurs, three humerus, one radius and one ulna. Bone defects were initial in 20 cases and secondary in seven cases. They were less than 2 cm in two cases, between 2 and 5 cm in 9 cases, between 5 and 10 cm in 10 cases and more than 10 cm in six cases. Treatment of BD was immediate in one case and delayed in 26 cases. Techniques used included: induced membrane in 10 cases, bone transport in seven cases, bone autograft in eight cases, vascularized fibular transfer in one case, no bone reconstruction in one case. Union was obtained in 27 patients. Union was obtained within a mean 12.3 months BD (3-62). Fifteen patients presented with sequellae. DISCUSSION: Traumatic bone defects have a better prognosis in children than in adults. The thicker, more active and richly vascularized periosteum in children is an important prognostic factor. Treatment of BD requires good initial bone stabilization. Reconstruction depends on the integrity of the periosteum. In case of an intact periosteum, bone reconstruction does not seem necessary in young children. If one part of the periosteum is intact, a simple autograft seems sufficient even with extensive bone defects. In the absence of the periosteum or especially in case of infection, the induced membrane technique seems preferable, with bone transport or a vascularized bone transfer. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV: retrospective study.

Bone transport techniques in posttraumatic bone defects.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of posttraumatic diaphyseal bone defects (BD) calls on a number of techniques including bone transport techniques: isolated shortening, compression-distraction at the fracture site, shortening followed by lengthening in a corticotomy distant from the site and segmental bone transport. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The multicenter retrospective study combined 38 cases: 22 cases of initial diaphyseal bone defect and 16 cases of secondary diaphyseal BD, sometimes associated with metaphyseal or metaphyseal-epiphyseal BD, involving the humerus, the forearm, the femur and the tibia. These techniques were mainly used on the lower extremity (33 cases), for the most part on the tibia (22 cases) in young men. RESULTS: Bone healing was acquired in 37 cases out of 38 after a mean 14.9 months (range, 6-62 months). A mean 4.3 secondary interventions were required to obtain final union; most notably, a bone graft was necessary at the docking site for the segmental bone transport procedures. DISCUSSION: Many reconstruction techniques can be proposed to treat posttraumatic BD. None responds to all situations. Bone transport techniques have their place and their indications. Isolated shortening is intended for bone loss not exceeding 3cm, notably in the humerus and to a lesser degree in the lower extremity. Shortening associated with lengthening is valuable in the femur and the tibia for bone loss up to 6cm. Segmental bone transport is the only technique that can treat bone defects associated with shortening in the lower limb. For substantial bone loss beyond 10cm, segmental bone transport is particularly indicated. However, these cases of substantial bone loss tend to be resolved by a hybridization of the procedures. The distraction gap of a bone segment can, for example, be prepared using an induced-membrane technique. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV. Retrospective study.

Treatment of posttraumatic bone defects by the induced membrane technique.

INTRODUCTION: Among bone reconstruction techniques, the induced membrane technique, proposed in 1986 by Masquelet, has rarely been studied or evaluated in the surgical literature until recently. The 2010 French Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SoFCOT) Annual Convention symposium was the occasion to evaluate a large cases series having used this technique. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 84 posttraumatic diaphyseal long bone reconstructions using the induced membrane technique (1988-2009). The series included 79 men and five women (mean age 32-year-old). In 89% of cases, the initial trauma was an open fracture. The leg was involved in 70% of cases. The mean delay between the accident and treatment of bone defects (BD) was 8 months. In 50% of the cases, infection was present. Bone defects were larger than 5cm in 57% of the cases. RESULTS: Union was obtained in 90% of cases, a mean 14.4 months after the first stage of the reconstruction. A mean 6.11 interventions were necessary to obtain union. Malalignment was present in 17% of cases. Delayed interventions to correct deformities mostly of the foot were necessary in 16% of the cases. Eight failures (10%) involved severe leg traumas associating extensive bone defects, soft tissue lesions and infection and required amputation in six cases. DISCUSSION: This series emphasizes the severity of open fractures of the leg, especially those with primary or secondary infection. The induced membrane technique has been shown to be effective in treating bone defects, regardless of their magnitude. In a two-step procedure, this simple but demanding technique, which may be more complicated when repair of soft tissue is necessary, provides successful treatment in case of initial infection and fulfills the goal of controlling infection before bone reconstruction. Moreover, the induced membrane technique can be integrated in hybrid reconstruction procedures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV. Retrospective study.