Removal of a femoral intramedullary nail with impacted nail end cap using a broken screw extraction set: a case report and literature review.

We report the technique we used in extraction of a femoral intramedullary nail with impacted nail cap. The extraction was done using a damaged screw extraction device and a bone hook, with no additional bone or soft tissue damage. This technique has not been reported before in the literature. We also review the cases reported for difficult nail extractions due to impacted nail end caps.

Closed traumatic rupture of the extensor hallucis longus muscle.

A 23-year-old healthy laborer involved in a work-related injury, sustained excessive left ankle plantarflexion, which resulted in closed rupture of the extensor hallucis longus muscle without any predisposing factors. He had an associated fracture of the second metatarsal shaft. The muscle proximal to the musculotendinous junction was excised, and the tendon was looped through a longitudinal slit in the main extensor digitorum communis tendon and sutured to it. The second metatarsal fracture was fixed with Kirschner wires. The patient regained full function and was symptom free 6 months after surgery.

The retroacetabular angle determines the safe angle for screw placement in posterior acetabular fracture fixation.

Introduction. A method for the determination of safe angles for screws placed in the posterior acetabular wall based on preoperative computed tomography (CT) is described. It defines a retroacetabular angle and determines its variation in the population. Methods. The retroacetabular angle is the angle between the retroacetabular surface and the tangent to the posterior acetabular articular surface. Screws placed through the marginal posterior wall at an angle equal to the retroacetabular angle are extraarticular. Medial screws can be placed at larger angles whose difference from the retroacetabular angle is defined as the allowance angles. CT scans of all patients with acetabular fractures treated in our institute between September 2002 to July 2007 were used to measure the retroacetabular angle and tangent. Results. Two hundred thirty one patients were included. The average (range) age was 42 (15-74) years. The average (range) retroacetabular angle was 39 (30-47) degrees. The average (range) retroacetabular tangent was 36 (30-45) mm. Conclusions. Placing the screws at an average (range) angle of 39 (33-47) degrees of anterior inclination with the retroacetabular surface makes them extraarticular. Angles for medial screws are larger. Safe angles can be calculated preoperatively with a computer program.

Fixation of marginal posterior acetabular wall fractures using locking reconstruction plates and monocortical screws.

Marginal posterior wall fractures are often fixed by lag screws, which may be technically difficult and risks articular penetration. Spring plates are used to avoid articular penetration. Both lag screws and spring plates are usually buttressed by reconstruction plates. The aim of this report is to describe a technique for fixing those fractures using locking reconstruction plate and monocortical screws avoiding articular penetration and sparing spring plates. A locking reconstruction plate is placed in a position that allows buttressing of the fracture fragment and fixed proximally and distally first using non-locking screws. The marginal fracture is fixed using monocortical locking head screws. This technique has been performed on three patients; none had secondary displacement or nonunion. Fixing marginal posterior acetabular wall fractures using locking reconstruction plates and monocortical screws saves additional lag screws or spring plates without risking articular penetration.

Epidemiology of foot injury in a high-income developing country.

OBJECTIVES: To study the epidemiology of foot injuries and factors predicting their severity in a high-income developing country so as to define prevention priorities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients admitted to Al-Ain Hospital with foot injury between March 2003 and March 2006 were identified from a prospectively collected Trauma Registry. Injuries were scored using foot and ankle severity scale (FASS). Bilateral, multiple or segmental injuries, open fractures or those with FASS score higher than 3 were included in severe foot injury group and compared with simple foot injury group regarding patients' demography, co-morbidities, trauma mechanism and energy, incident location, number of associated injuries, Injury Severity Score (ISS) and hospital stay using a univariate analysis. A logistic regression model was then used to study factors predicting severity of foot injury. RESULTS: 171 patients (156 males) were studied. The average (range) age was 34 (2-75). 95 had right foot injury, 66 had left, and 10 had both. Fall from height was the most common mechanism. 105 (61%) had work-related injuries. 130 (76%) had isolated foot injury. 151 (88%) had 212 foot fractures. 20 (12%) had soft tissue injuries. 70 (41%) had severe injuries while 101 (59%) had simple ones. The multiple logistic model was highly significant (p=0.002). Number of associated injuries (p=0.025) and location of trauma (p=0.044) were significant while the amount of energy (p=0.054) showed a strong trend to predict severity. CONCLUSIONS: Fall from height is the most common mechanism of foot injury in United Arab Emirates. The number of associated injuries, high-energy trauma, and being work related are predictors of foot injury severity. Prevention priorities include counteractions against falling from height and falling heavy objects as occupational hazards.

Fracture-dislocation of the second metatarsophalangeal joint: a case report.

Traumatic second metatarsophalangeal dislocation is extremely rare. This article reports a case of traumatic second metatarsophalangeal dislocation associated with fracture of the second metatarsal shaft. Anatomical reduction is indispensable to preserve the function of the metatarsophalangeal joint and to avoid joint ankylosis and chronic foot pain. The patient was treated with open reduction of the fracture without violating the joint to decrease postoperative stiffness. He was followed-up for 6 months. The patient resumed full activity 3 months after surgery, with his joint attaining full range of movement. He reported no pain or joint stiffness during his last visit. To our knowledge, no similar injury has been reported previously.

Overlapping dislocation of the pubic symphysis: report of three cases and review of the literature.

We present three cases of overlapping pubic symphysis dislocation and revise all the fully reported similar ones in the literature. The mechanism of injury, clinical presentation, radiographic assessment, associated injuries, management and complications of this uncommon injury are discussed.

Causes of delayed diagnosis of scapular fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To study the causes of delayed diagnosis of scapular fractures in blunt trauma cases, and to advise on early fracture detection. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between February 2003 and September 2004, 64 consecutive patients (3 females) with a median (range) age of 35 (8-60) years, treated at Al-Ain Hospital for scapular fractures, were prospectively collected. Fractures diagnosed after more than 24h from admission were considered missed; 8 people with missed scapular fractures were compared with a control group of 56 who had timely diagnosis, regarding the mechanism and distribution of injury, injury severity score, and type and quality of radiological methods used. RESULTS: The median (range) abbreviated injury scale scores for the missed scapular fracture group and the control group were 4 (0-5) and 2 (0-2), respectively. The missed scapular fracture group stayed significantly longer in the intensive care unit compared with the control group, with a median (range) stay of 15 (5-37) days compared with 9 (1-26) days. Associated injuries overshadowed the scapula on chest trauma radiographs. If computed tomography did not cover the whole scapula, some fractures might not be shown. Convulsive seizures were the only significantly different mechanism of injury between the missed fracture and the control groups. CONCLUSION: Delayed diagnosis of scapular fractures can be due to extensive chest injuries overshadowing the scapula on the chest trauma radiographs, inappropriately performed computer tomography or an unusual mechanism of injury.

Multiple-region scapular fractures had more severe chest injury than single-region fractures: a prospective study of 107 blunt trauma patients.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to study the relationship between the number of fractured scapular regions, and the severity and distribution of associated injuries in blunt trauma patients. METHODS: One hundred seven consecutive patients with fractured scapulae (100 men) with a mean age of 35 (8-65) years were prospectively studied between January 2003 and December 2005. Mechanism of injury, associated injuries, Injury Severity Score (ISS), and the number of anatomic scapular regions involved in each fracture were studied. Patients were divided into single-region fracture (SRF), two-region fracture, and more than two-region fracture groups. Computer tomography was used for fracture classification in 99 patients and plain radiographs were used for the remaining 8. RESULTS: Road traffic collisions were the most common cause of scapular fracture. Ninety-five patients (89%) sustained associated injuries. The most frequent was chest injury (68 [64%]). The median ISS was 9 (4-57) for the SRF group (n = 55), 20 (4-59) for the two-region fracture group (n = 30), and 22.5 (4-54) for the more than two-region fracture group (n = 22) (p = 0.02, Kruskal-Wallis test). The median values of the Abbreviated Injury Scale for chest injuries for the three groups were 1 (0-4), 3 (0-5), and 3 (0-5), respectively (p = 0.001, Kruskal-Wallis test). The SRF group had significantly less posterior structure injury (9 of 55) compared with the multiple-region fracture group (46 of 52) (p < 0.001, Fisher's exact test). CONCLUSIONS: Associated injuries are common in patients with scapular fractures. ISS and Abbreviated Injury Scale score for chest injuries are higher and posterior structure injuries are more frequent in patients with fractures involving multiple scapular regions.