Surgical exploration of hand wounds in the emergency room: Preliminary study of 80 personal injury claims.

BACKGROUND: The SHAM Insurance Company in Lyon, France, estimated that inadequate hand wound exploration in the emergency room (ER) accounted for 10% of all ER-related personal injury claims in 2013. The objective of this study was to conduct a critical analysis of 80 claims that were related to hand wound management in the ER and led to compensation by SHAM. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty claims filed between 2007 and 2010 were anonymised then included into the study. To be eligible, claims had to be filed with SHAM, related to the ER management of a hand wound in an adult, and closed at the time of the study. Claims related to surgery were excluded. For each claim, we recorded 104 items (e.g., epidemiology, treatments offered, and impact on social and occupational activities) and analysed. RESULTS: Of the 70 patients, 60% were manual workers. The advice of a surgeon was sought in 16% of cases. The most common wound sites were the thumb (33%) and index finger (17%). Among the missed lesions, most involved tendons (74%) or nerves (29%). Many patients had more than one reason for filing a claim. The main reasons were inadequate wound exploration (97%), stiffness (49%), and dysaesthesia (41%). One third of patients were unable to return to their previous job. Mean sick-leave duration was 148 days and mean time from discharge to best outcome was 4.19%. Most claims (79%) were settled directly with the insurance company, 16% after involvement of a public mediator, and 12% in court. The mean compensatory damages award was 4595Euros. CONCLUSION: Inadequate surgical exploration of hand wounds is common in the ER, carries a risk of lasting and sometimes severe residual impairment, and generates considerable societal costs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Ankle fractures in the elderly: Treatment and results in 477 patients.

INTRODUCTION: In the elderly, ankle fractures are likely to cause specific complications and have a major impact on their autonomy. The goal of this multicentre study was to assess these outcomes in a geriatric population treated operatively. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 477 patients with ankle fractures treated surgically between 2008 and 2014. The minimum age was 60years for women and 70 for men. Patients with a tibial pilon fracture or less than 3months' follow-up were excluded. Functional (autonomy and comorbidities) and radiological assessments were performed before surgery and at the review. RESULTS: The cohort was 81% female (384 women, 93 men) and had median age of 74years. The preoperative autonomy was 7.8 points on average using the Parker score. Most of the fractures were either Weber type B (n=336) or type C (n=114). At the follow-up, the mean autonomy score was 7.3 points. The fibula was fixed with a plate and screws in 69% of cases (n=325), with additional internal malleolar fixation was carried out in some cases. A satisfactory result, defined as 2 points or less reduction in the Parker score, was found in 89.9% of patients; 71.8% had not lost any autonomy. The main risk factors for loss of autonomy were being more than 80years of age (OR=2.93, P<0.001), poor surgical reduction (OR=2.8, P<0.01), the presence of two or more comorbidities (OR=2.71, P<0.001), being female (OR=2.19, P<0.043) or having a Weber type C fracture (OR=2.05, P=0.023). DISCUSSION: The functional results are satisfactory overall following standard surgical treatment consisting of internal malleolar and fibular fixation for ankle fractures in the elderly. We identified five factors that greatly impact functional recovery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Reliability of radiographic measurements for acromioclavicular joint separations.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of acromioclavicular (AC) joint separations is controversial, particularly for Rockwood type III injuries. Rockwood type IV injuries, which correspond to horizontal instability, are very likely under-diagnosed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the inter- and intra-observer reproducibility of the Rockwood classification through an evaluation of standard radiographs, as described in the original article. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective radiographic study using protocol-based data from the 2014 symposium of the French Society of Arthroscopy (SFA). Fifteen anonymized radiological records were analysed by six independent examiners on two occasions, 1 week apart. The records consisted of a comparative A/P view of the two acromioclavicular joints (Zanca view), an axillary lateral view and dynamic lateral views (Tauber protocol) to uncover dynamic horizontal instability. A detailed analysis protocol was implemented that included absolute and relative measurements on each view; the relative measurements were used to account for radiographic magnification. RESULTS: The inter- and intra-observer reproducibility on the A/P radiographs was good to excellent. The reproducibility was fair to good on the lateral views, but the measurements varied greatly from one subject to another, and significant errors were found with certain records. The reproducibility of the dynamic views proposed by Tauber was poor to fair. DISCUSSION: Radiographic analysis of AC joint separations is reproducible in the vertical plane, which makes it possible to diagnose Rockwood type II, III and V injuries. On the other hand, static and dynamic analyses in the horizontal plane do not have good reproducibility and do not contribute to make an accurate diagnosis of Rockwood type IV injuries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, Diagnostic study.

Reducible valgus flat-foot: assessment of posterior subtalar joint surface displacement by posterior arthroscopy during sinus tarsi expansion screwing.

INTRODUCTION: Subtalar arthroereisis corrects childhood and adult reducible valgus flat-foot in certain indications. Inserting an expansion screw in the sinus tarsi simultaneously corrects the calcaneal valgus of the talocalcaneal divergence and first-ray pronation if these are reducible. The displacement induced in the posterior subtalar joint (decoaptation, translation, rotation) is, however, poorly known. The present study involved arthroscopic assessment of posterior subtalar joint surface displacement during insertion of a talocalcaneal arthroereisis screw, with the hypothesis that displacement varies in three dimensions according to screw size. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eight specimens were used for the study. All ankles were supple, taken from adult subjects. A 4.5-mm arthroscope was used and measurements were taken with a graduated palpator in the posterior subtalar joint. Three sinus tarsi expansion screws of incremental diameter were assessed. Before and after insertion measurements were made of posterolateral and posteromedial talar exposure on the calcaneus, anteroposterior and lateromedial translation, and talocalcaneal joint-line opening. RESULTS: Medial rotation, varization and anterior translation of the calcaneus were comparable in all cases. Mean lateral opening of the posterior subtalar joint was 0.88 mm with 8-mm screws and 1.25 mm with 16-mm screws. Significant differences between 8 and 16 mm screws were found for lateral subtalar joint opening (P=0.028) and for lateromedial translation (P=0.004). CONCLUSION: Sinus tarsi expansion screwing corrects hindfoot valgus and talocalcaneal divergence by inducing medial translation of the calcaneus under the talus and talar medial rotation and varization, proportional to screw size (medial translation and lateral opening of the subtalar joint). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.