A Retrospective Analysis of Needle Thoracostomies at a Tertiary Level 2 Trauma Center.

BACKGROUND: A tension pneumothorax is a condition that results in elevated pressure within the pleural space. The effective management of tension pneumothorax relies on needle decompression, commonly performed at the second intercostal space (ICS) midclavicular line (MCL). However, some literature suggests that catheters placed in the second intercostal space midclavicular line are prone to higher failure rates compared to the fifth intercostal space midaxillary line (MAL) (42.5% versus 16.7%, respectively). In this study, we aim to identify and scrutinize the prevalence of prehospital needle decompression from one tertiary care center over eight years and examine their trends, efficacies, or pitfalls. It is hypothesized that preclinical providers are performing needle decompression prematurely and unnecessarily. METHODS: A set of 90 patient records obtained using the trauma registry at Saint Francis Hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma, were retrospectively reviewed to evaluate the management and outcomes of tension pneumothorax, as well as the indications documented for needle decompression. Patient charts were reviewed via Epic Hyperspace (Epic, Madison, WI). The Oklahoma Emergency Medical Service Information System (OKEMSIS) also provided information contributing to the sample population. RESULTS: The most documented indications for needle decompressions included diminished or absent breath sounds (52.70%), hypoxia (15.54%), hypotension, and hemodynamic instability (6.76%). Emergency medical services (EMS) reported improvements in 51 (56.67%) patients after needle thoracostomy. Improvements in vital signs after needle decompression were sporadic. The most common complication was catheter dislodging, which occurred most in the second intercostal space midclavicular line. Only nine patients had an oxygen saturation (SpO2) below 92% and a systolic blood pressure (SBP) below 100 mm Hg prior to receiving needle decompression. CONCLUSION: Current practices for tension pneumothorax show little improvement in vital signs before and after needle decompression. Vital signs prior to needle decompression often do not indicate tension pneumothorax physiology. Preclinical providers may be inappropriately performing needle decompressions, an invasive procedure with complications.

Local Soft-Tissue Thickness vs. Body Mass Index as Predictors of Complications After Total Knee or Hip Arthroplasty: A Literature Review.

¼ Body mass index (BMI) is a nonspecific measure of general fat composition that demonstrates little conclusive or definitive association with surgical site complications after total knee and total hip arthroplasty.¼ Quantifying soft-tissue thickness (STT) around the joint of interest has shown positive correlations with complications and is arguably a better predictor than BMI.¼ In this literature review, 14 articles (7 discussing hips and 7 discussing knees) discussing the association of STT, BMI, and surgical site complications after total hip and knee arthroplasty were scrutinized and summarized to present relevant information necessary to compare STT with BMI.¼ Five of the 7 studies involving hips and 4 of the 7 studies involving knees show a positive relationship between STT and outcomes including complications and infection, with some claiming STT as a stronger predictor of surgery site problems than BMI.¼ Since many variables, such as STT measurement technique, surgical outcomes, sample sizes, and surgical approach, varied between the studies, definitive inferences are difficult to make and future studies of bigger sample size and higher power should focus on the described measurement techniques.

Avascular Necrosis as a Sequela of COVID-19: A Case Series.

Avascular necrosis (AVN) is a degenerative bone condition characterized by cellular death and bone collapse from compromised subchondral blood circulation. AVN begins with vascular interruption, hypertension, intravascular occlusion, or extravascular compression which reduces bone circulation. Although corticosteroids are frequently used to treat acute COVID-19 infections, patients are prone to its side effects, particularly AVN. Furthermore, COVID-19 produces coagulopathies, specifically hypercoagulability, that may contribute to venous thrombosis, which may serve as the impetus of AVN. While the literature discussing COVID-19, AVN, and corticosteroid use is not conclusive, patients being treated with corticosteroids for COVID-19 are at an increased risk for AVN possibly due to the combination of COVID-19 infection and corticosteroid use, or the use of high-dose steroids alone. The purpose of this case series is to elucidate AVN as a long-term sequalae of COVID-19, describe our management of COVID-19 and steroid-induced AVN, and discuss the current literature regarding AVN and COVID-19. Three patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infections were treated with corticosteroids and subsequently developed AVN. All patients, but one, had multiple sites of infarction and were treated with core decompression in the hip where there was no collapse of the subchondral bone. One of these patients had multiple infarcts in bilateral femoral heads, femoral shafts, and knees. This patient had a history of end-stage renal disease, and, therefore, total knee replacement was postponed until medical clearance. Core decompression was performed on the femoral head that showed no collapse to delay osteoarthritis of the hip. Multiple articles in the current literature support the idea that the combination of COVID-19 and corticosteroid use increases the risk of AVN and reduces the onset of COVID-19-related respiratory symptoms. The patient cases discussed in this case series suggest a possible association between COVID-19, corticosteroid use, and AVN.

Surgical Dislocation of the Hip through Lateral Approach for the Treatment of Synovial Chondromatosis.

Introduction: Synovial chondromatosis is a condition where the cells lining a joint form benign cartilaginous tumors. This benign cartilage metaplasia results in the formation of multiple intra-articular loose bodies within a joint. Case Report: This case is a 59-year-old female that presented with constant, severe left hip pain that was localized to the groin and began 2 years ago. There were severe limitation of hip flexion, extension, pain on internal rotation, and a half inch left leg shortening. Radiographs demonstrated multiple round opacities surrounding the left femoral neck. MRI showed numerous, small rounded intra-articular loose bodies, measuring about 5-6 mm each within the left hip joint. Surgical Technique: A lateral approach toward the hip was used to perform an osteotomy at the portion of the greater trochanter. The hip capsule was identified and an S-shaped incision was then made through the capsule. Repetitive hip dislocations allowed for improved visualization making further removal of the difficult fragments much easier. The capsule was closed and the osteotomy was reattached. Range of motion was found to be significantly improved compared to preoperatively. No further fixation was necessary and the patient's subcutaneous tissue was closed in normal fashion. Conclusion: The technique used in our case involves a lateral approach with a trochanteric flip osteotomy to preserve the medial femoral circumflex artery and external rotators. This is similar to the approach described by Ganz in 2001 who used a posterior approach. Following the approach, the hip is then dislocated and exposed anteriorly with full visualization of the joint with a gap of about 11 cm between the femoral head and acetabulum. Surgical dislocation allows for the removal of difficult chondromas and osteophytes around the femoral head-and-neck junction. Multiple studies support the idea of surgical dislocation as an exceptional treatment method for SC.

The Treatment of Heterotopic Ossification With a Dual Mobility Total Hip Replacement System: A Case Report.

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the formation of bone within extraskeletal soft tissue. The development of mature lamellar bone within soft tissues can be acquired in cases like trauma. Clinical manifestations of HO primarily include pain at the site of the extraskeletal ossification and limited range of motion or function when it involves a joint. This case report presents a 56-year-old man with severe HO. His past medical history included a traumatic hip dislocation in 1996. He denied any other past medical, family, or surgical history. This patient had severely limited range of motion and difficulty performing activities of daily living like going up and down the stairs and getting up from a seated position. After failing conservative therapy with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and physical therapy, a non-cemented dual mobility hip replacement system was used to treat this patient. A non-cemented dual mobility hip replacement system was chosen because the patient had significant bone loss and was relatively young. The dual mobility system significantly reduces the risk of dislocation and is a good option for younger patients who require more stability in their hips. The patient progressed well with a full range of motion and no pain. There was no evidence of HO recurrence. Treatment of HO with a total hip replacement, let alone a dual mobility system, is not prevalent throughout the literature. Furthermore, cemented total hip arthroplasty has been associated with increased recurrence of HO, which is why we elected to use a non-cemented technique. Osteoplasty is typically the mainstay of treatment for HO. The purpose of this case report is to introduce an incident of HO treated with a non-cemented dual mobility system and emphasize its use in young, middle-aged, or active patients who have bone loss and require increased stability.

Chronic Posterior Tibiofemoral Dislocation of a Cruciate Retaining Total Knee Arthroplasty in the Setting of Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome: A Case Report.

Introduction: Knee dislocations are an uncommon complication following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). There are many causes of TKA dislocation; however, Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is one uncommon neurologic condition that increases the risk of TKA dislocation. Case Report: A 71-year-old male with presented to a local community hospital with knee pain due to advanced osteoarthritis of the knee and subsequently underwent an uncomplicated TKA with a cruciate retaining prosthesis. He eventually returned to the hospital due to infection, medical instability, chronic knee instability, and posterior tibiofemoral dislocation. A revision process was required. Throughout the course of management, the patient had altered mental status and was admitted to the intensive care unit. The first procedure involved removing the cruciate retaining prosthesis and replacing it with a static cement antibiotic spacer. This prosthesis was eventually dislocated through the tibia and a second procedure requiring the placement of an intercalary fusion was needed. The patient has not followed up after the hospital admission. Conclusion: Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome is an uncommon condition that affects alcoholics and complicates treatment with joint replacement surgery. Patients with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome provide a unique set of challenges that may require multiple surgeries and varying prostheses. Chronic posterior tibiofemoral dislocation is one specific complication that may affect the management of these patients. As orthopedic surgeons, it is important to consider alcohol use disorder and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome when treating patients with total joint replacement.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of palatal rugae patterns in Gujarati population: A retrospective, cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Palatal rugae are irregular and nonidentical mucosal elevations seen on the anterior third of palate. They are arranged in transverse direction on either side of the median palatine raphe (MPR) and are protected from high temperature and trauma because of their rational position in the oral cavity. Their number and patterns are not uniform in all the individuals, and they appear to vary in different population subsets. The study of palatal rugae is termed as "Rugoscopy" or "Palatoscopy", and it finds its application in various fields such as anthropology, orthodontics, forensic sciences; including forensic odonto-stomatology. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the quantitative and qualitative parameters of palatal rugae using pre-orthodontic study models of Gujarati samples. OBJECTIVES: (1) To identify the predominant palatal arch forms in the study samples. (2) To evaluate and correlate the rugae count in both male and female samples with the different palatal arch forms. (3) To assess the symmetry and/or asymmetry in rugae count between the right and left side. (4) To analyze and correlate the qualitative characters such as size, shape, direction, and unification in male and female study samples. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred pre-orthodontic maxillary dental stone casts of patients with an age range of 17-25 years were selected. The outlines of the rugae were traced using microtip graphite pencil and examined using magnifying glass for different patterns. The quantity and quality of rugae patterns were recorded according to Thomas et al. classification and the data were statistically analyzed by the statistician using SPSS program. RESULTS: Overall, 962 rugae were observed in the study sample. The mean rugae count was 9.86 in males and 9.38 in females. The left side rugae count was more than the right side in both the sexes and it was not statistically significant. Fifty-six percent of the samples showed asymmetry in rugae count between the right and left. Class B palatal arch form was the most common type in the study samples. The number of primary rugae count was more in both the sexes. The distribution of straight (40.2%) and curved (40.4%) types of rugae were almost equal in males but in females, the straight rugae pattern (42.2%) was more than the curved (36.9%), followed by wavy and circular. Of 962 rugae, 36.4% were of horizontal type followed by forward (33.4%) and backward (29.2%). About 1 % of rugae showed perpendicular pattern and only 9.25% showed unification pattern and the divergent type of unification was more common than the convergent type. CONCLUSION: There is no gender discrimination in relation to any of the metric or non-metric parameters of the palatal rugae in this study samples. No two samples showed similarity in the distribution of palatal rugae patterns. The straight and horizontal rugae distributions were predominant in our Gujarati Study samples.