ABSTRACT
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To examine clinical and functional outcomes in patients with intra- and extra-articular distal tibial fractures treated definitively by Ilizarov fixation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with tibial fractures extending within 1 Müller square of the ankle joint were identified from our Ilizarov database over a 5-year period. Data on treatment and outcome were assembled from this database and supplemented by a review of patient records. General measures of health-related quality of life and limb-specific functional outcome scores were recorded. Adverse events were documented according to Paley's classification. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-eight patients with 169 fractures were identified, 28% were open and 63% intra-articular. One hundred and sixty-five (98%) of the fractures united, two following bone grafting in their original frames, at a median of 166.5 days (range 104-537). Three patients with nonunions united with further treatment. One patient (an end-stage diabetic) elected to undergo amputation following multiple early complications during treatment. Closed fractures united more rapidly than open (median 157 vs 183 days; p = 0.005) and true Pilon (43C3) fractures took longer to unite than other fractures (median 157 vs 177 days; p = 0.01).Sixty-seven percent of patients completed functional outcome scores. Sixty-two percent reported good or excellent ankle scores at more than 6 months post frame removal, 38% fair and 10% poor. Patients with intra-articular fractures reported significantly worse ankle scores than those with extra-articular injuries. General measures of health-related quality of life (EuroQol-5D) revealed significant ongoing effects despite good clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates a high union and low serious complication rate, suggesting that external ring fixation is a safe and effective treatment for these injuries. HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Giannoudis VP, Ewins E, Taylor DM, et al. Clinical and Functional Outcomes in Patients with Distal Tibial Fracture Treated by Circular External Fixation: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Strategies Trauma Limb Reconstr 2021;16(2):86-95.
ABSTRACT
We report a systemic study of the stability of organic thin film transistors (OTFTs) both in storage and under operation. Apart from a thin polystyrene buffer layer spin-coated onto the gate dielectric, the constituent parts of the OTFTs were all prepared by vacuum evaporation. The OTFTs are based on the semiconducting small molecule dinaphtho[2,3-b:2',3'-f]thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DNTT) deposited onto the surface of a polystyrene-buffered in situ polymerized diacrylate gate insulator. Over a period of 9 months, no degradation of the hole mobility occurred in devices stored either in the dark in dry air or in uncontrolled air and normal laboratory fluorescent lighting conditions. In the latter case, rather than decreasing, the mobility actually increased almost 2-fold to 1.5 cm(2)/(V · s). The devices also showed good stability during repeat on/off cycles in the dark in dry air. Exposure to oxygen and light during the on/off cycles led to a positive shift of the transfer curves due to electron trapping when the DNTT was biased into depletion by the application of positive gate voltage. When operated in accumulation, negative gate voltage under the same conditions, the transfer curves were stable. When voltage cycling in moist air in the dark, the transfer curves shifted to negative voltages, thought to be due to the generation of hole traps either in the semiconductor or its interface with the dielectric layer. When subjected to gate bias stress in dry air in the dark for at least 144 h, the device characteristics remained stable.
ABSTRACT
Prosthetic component failure occurs in total hip arthroplasty infrequently. Fractures of hemi-arthroplasty components are extremely uncommon. A recent case report highlighted two cases of stem failures in hydroxyapatite- (HA) coated implants. Uncemented Austin Moore hemi-arthroplasties typically fail by loosening or periprosthetic fracture. We report a case and the management of a fractured implant.
