Use of Botulinum Toxin Injections in the Treatment of Cold Intolerance.

There is currently no consensus on the treatment of cold intolerance in extremities in post-trauma patients. We aim to present two cases where botulinum toxin type A injections were used to improve symptoms of cold intolerance. Botulinum toxin type A (Allergan) was injected into the area around the palmar digital neurovascular bundle on both sides of the affected finger. We performed this in two patients, and both had good improvement of symptoms. One patient was discharged, and the other remained under routine follow-up with potential yearly botulinum injections to aid symptoms during the winter months. Both patients are pleased with their outcomes and report significant improvement from the low-risk treatment. In both described cases, injections of botulinum toxin had a significant effect on their symptoms. We conclude that botulinum toxin type A may be used as a treatment modality to improve symptoms of cold intolerance after trauma.

Management of Atraumatic Posterior Interosseous Nerve Palsy.

The posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) is susceptible to a number of traumatic and atraumatic pathologies. In this article, we aim to review our current understanding of the etiology, pathology, diagnosis, treatment options, and published outcomes of atraumatic PIN palsy. In general, the etiology of atraumatic PIN palsy can be divided into mechanical, which is caused by an extrinsic compressive force on the nerve, and nonmechanical, which is caused by an intrinsic inflammatory reaction within the nerve. As per this discussion, there are 3 causes for atraumatic PIN palsy. These are entrapment neuropathy, Parsonage-Turner syndrome, and spontaneous "hourglass" constriction. The typical presentation of atraumatic PIN palsy is a patient with spontaneous onset of weakness of fingers/thumb metacarpophalangeal joints extension. However, the wrist extension is preserved with radial deviation due to preservation of extensor carpi radialis longus/brevis function. Magnetic resonance imaging is the imaging of choice and neurophysiology is indicated in all patients. If there is an obvious structural cause of the nerve palsy, prompt decompression and removal of the causative lesion are recommended to avoid irreversible damage to the nerve/muscles. Otherwise, in general, we would recommend consideration for exploration should there be no sign of recovery after 6 weeks of observation.

All-inside meniscal repair surgery: factors affecting the outcome.

BACKGROUND: Meniscal injury is currently a well-recognized source of knee dysfunction. While it would be ideal to repair all meniscus tears, the failure rate is significantly high, although it may be reduced by careful selection of the patients. Our objective was to assess the outcome of meniscal repair surgery and the role of simultaneous reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospectively, all consecutive patients between January 2008 and 2011 who underwent meniscal repair were included. Patients were identified using the hospital database with diagnosis and procedure codes. Patient notes were reviewed, including details of the type of tear, chronicity, location, and surgery. We used symptomatic resolution as the outcome measure. RESULTS: 136 Meniscal repairs were performed in 122 patients with a mean age of 26.8 years. Mean follow-up duration was 9 months. 63 % of the patients underwent medial and 37 % underwent lateral meniscal repair, with failure rates of 19 % for medial and 12 % for lateral menisci. Ligament injuries were found in 61 % of the patients (n = 83). Failure of meniscal repair occurred in 14.5 % (n = 12) of the patients who had early ACL reconstruction and in 27 % (n = 22) of the patients who had delayed ACL reconstruction (p = 0.0006). The failure rate was found to be 13 % in patients who were younger than 25 years (61 %) and 15 % in patients who were older than 25 years (39 %). CONCLUSION: The success rate of meniscal repair was found to be significantly better when ACL reconstruction was performed simultaneously with meniscal repair. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.