Surgical procedures in patients with haemophilic arthropathy of the ankle.

BACKGROUND: In haemophilia, the ankle joint is one of the most common and earliest joints affected by recurrent bleeding, commonly resulting in end-stage ankle osteoarthritis during early adulthood. The surgical treatment of haemophilic ankle arthropathy is challenging. PURPOSE: This review aims to highlight the literature addressing clinical outcomes following the most common approaches for different stages of haemophilia-induced ankle osteoarthritis: arthroscopic debridement, joint distraction arthroplasty, supramalleolar osteotomies, total ankle replacement, and ankle arthrodesis. METHODS: A systematic literature review was performed using established medical literature databases. The following information was retrieved from the literature: patients' demographics, surgical technique, duration of follow-up, clinical outcome including pain relief and complication rate. RESULTS: A total of 42 clinical studies published between 1978 and 2015 were included in the systematic literature review. Eight and 34 studies had prospective and retrospective design, respectively. The most common studies were level IV studies (64.3%). DISCUSSION: The orthopaedic treatment of patients with haemophilic ankle osteoarthritis is often challenging and requires complete and careful preoperative assessment. In general, both joint-preserving and joint non-preserving procedure types can be performed. All specific relative and absolute contraindications should be considered to achieve appropriate postoperative outcomes. CONCLUSION: The current literature demonstrated that orthopaedic surgeries, with appropriate indication, in patients with haemophilic ankle arthropathy result in good postoperative results comparable to those observed in non-haemophiliacs. The surgical treatment should be performed in a setting with the ability to have multidisciplinary management, including expertise in haematology.

A Percutaneous Technique for Reduction and Internal Fixation of Displaced Intra-Articular Calcaneal Fractures.

INTRODUCTION: A retrospective cohort study demonstrated that, in comparison with open reduction and internal fixation through an extensile lateral approach, our percutaneous technique for reduction and internal fixation of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures decreases the rate of complications and achieves and maintains extra-articular fracture reductions just as well. STEP 1 PATIENT POSITIONING AND IMAGING: Position the patient correctly to obtain excellent fluoroscopic views, which are key to the procedure. STEP 2 FRACTURE REDUCTION: The techniques for reducing and fixing joint depression and tongue-type calcaneal fractures differ and will be described separately. STEP 3 SCREW FIXATION: Identify screw entry points and paths using fluoroscopic images, and confirm the final positions with c-arm imaging. STEP 4 POSTOPERATIVE MANAGEMENT: Apply a splint; then obtain postoperative images to confirm fracture reduction and screw placement. RESULTS & PREOP/POSTOP IMAGES: The results of percutaneous reduction of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures in seventy-nine patients with a total of eighty-three fractures were compared with those obtained by another surgeon using the extensile lateral approach. WHAT TO WATCH FOR: IndicationsContraindicationsPitfalls & Challenges.

Lumbosacral nerve root avulsions: MR imaging demonstration of acute abnormalities.

Most of the previously reported lumbosacral nerve root avulsions presented with pseudomeningoceles at the time of delayed initial imaging. We report a case of traumatic lumbosacral nerve root injury associated with an isolated femur fracture and demonstrate the evolution of pseudomeningoceles following nerve root avulsions and edema in the perineural fat identified on the initial MR imaging.