Anatomy of the Sural Nerve in the Posterolateral Approach to the Ankle: A Cadaveric Study.

Sural nerve injury may occur during the posterolateral approach to the ankle during fracture fixation. We aimed to map its location in a posterolateral approach in cadaveric specimens. A posterolateral approach was used in 28 cadaver legs with the incision made halfway between the medial border of the fibula and the lateral border of Achilles tendon, extending proximally from the tip of the lateral malleolus. The sural nerve was identified and the distance from the distal tip of the incision to where it crossed the incision proximally was measured. The mean distance was 3.4 ± 1.2 (range 0.5-7.0) cm. In 22 cases (78.5%), the distance from the lowest part of the incision to the inferior part of the nerve was between 2.7 and 4.5 cm. The nerve did not cross the incision in 2 cases. We have demonstrated that the sural nerve crossed the posterolateral incision between 2.7 and 4.5 cm proximal to the tip of the fibula in the majority of cases. However, there remains individual anatomical variation, and we would recommend that care should be taken to look for the nerve closer to the Achilles tendon proximally and nearer the fibula distally. We hope that this information can help surgeons plan their approach and minimize iatrogenic injury to the sural nerve.

Calcaneus fractures: An evaluation of the quality and reliability of online resources.

AIM: To evaluate the reliability and quality of only resources available online on Calcaneal fractures. METHODS: 70 websites were identified using the search term 'Calcaneus fractures'. Google, Yahoo! and Bing were the three major search engines used for the study. Websites were classified by type and assessed for reliability and readability by means of DISCERN score, Journal of the Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the presence or absence of HON-Code certification. In addition, a Calcaneus Fracture Specific Content Score (CFSCS) was designed in conjunction with two speciality trained foot & ankle surgeons in order to gauge content quality itself. RESULTS: Academic websites made up the majority of URLs that were identified followed by Physician and Commercial. Overall mean DISCERN and JAMA scores were 49.8 (range 16-64) and 2.1 (range 0-4) respectively. Mean CFSCS was 18.3 (range 0-25). 30 of the total websites were HON-code certified. There was a statistically significant correlation identified between presence of HON-code certificate and DISCERN, JAMA and novel CFSCS (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: There is an increasing tendency for patients to peruse online resources to understand their injuries and management options. This is particularly true for the younger cohort of patients in whom Calcaneus fractures occur more commonly. One must understand the varying quality of information available online in order to appropriately direct patients to areas of higher quality and reliability.

Value of procalcitonin as a marker of surgical site infection following spinal surgery.

AIM: To compare the value of Procalcitonin (PCT) as a marker of surgical site infection to other inflammatory markers, including C-Reactive Protein (CRP), White Cell Count (WCC) and Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) in patients undergoing a number of spinal procedures. This study also aims to describe the biokinetic profile of the above-named markers in patients developing surgical site infection and those remaining infection-free post-operatively. METHODS: 200 patients undergoing four routine elective spinal procedures were included for analysis. All patients had blood specimens taken at baseline, day 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 post-operatively for analysis of PCT, CRP, ESR and WCC levels. All patients were monitored for early surgical site infection. Patients with other sources of infection in the early postoperative period were excluded. RESULTS: Procalcitonin was the most sensitive and specific marker for the detection of surgical site infection in the immediate post-operative period with sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 95.2% respectively. Although Procalcitonin is an inflammatory marker, extent of surgical physiological insult did not alter its biokinetics as opposed to the other inflammatory markers making it a valuable marker of infection. CONCLUSION: Procalcitonin was found to be superior to the other inflammatory markers investigated in this study as a marker for early surgical site infection in patients undergoing spinal surgery.

Surfing Behind a Boat: Quality and Reliability of Online Resources on Scaphoid Fractures.

BACKGROUND: Patients seeking information and advice on treatment of scaphoid fractures unknowingly confront longstanding medical controversies surrounding the management of this condition. However, there are no studies specifically looking into the quality and reliability of online information on scaphoid fractures. METHODS: We identified 44 unique websites for evaluation using the term "scaphoid fractures". The websites were categorized by type and assessed using the DISCERN score, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) benchmark criteria and the Health on the net (HON) code. RESULTS: The majority of websites were commercial (n = 13) followed by academic (n = 12). Only seven of the websites were HON certified. The mean DISCERN score was 43.8. Only 4 websites scored 63 or above representing excellent quality with minimal shortcomings but 13 websites scored 38 or below representing poor or very poor quality. The mean JAMA benchmark criteria score was 2.2. The Governmental and Non-Profit Organizations category websites had the highest mean JAMA benchmark score. The websites that displayed the HON-code seal had higher mean DISCERN scores and higher mean JAMA benchmark scores compared to websites that did not display the seal. CONCLUSIONS: Good quality health information is certainly available on the Internet. However, it is not possible to predict with certainty which sites are of higher quality. We suggest clinicians should have a responsibility to educate their patients regarding the unregulated nature of medical information on the internet and proactively provide patients with educational resources and thus help them make smart and informed decisions.

Effect of epidural methylprednisolone on post-operative pain and length of hospital stay in patients undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy.

BACKGROUND & AIM: Intraoperative epidural corticosteroids have been used to decrease post-operative pain post-discectomy. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of epidural corticosteroids on post-operative pain and length of post-operative hospital stay in patients undergoing unilateral lumbar microdiscectomy. METHODS: 150 consecutively treated, comparable patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation were prospectively allocated randomly to receive either a sponge soaked in epidural corticosteroids or saline at the end of the operative procedure. The intensity of spontaneous pain was quantified by using the Oswestry low back pain index pre-operatively, at discharge, at week 1 follow-up and at 1st month of follow up. At the same intervals, each patient underwent the passive straight leg-raising test (PSLRT) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) testing. The duration of hospital stay, time taken to return to daily life activities and quantity of analgesia consumed post-operatively were also recorded. RESULTS: The mean hospital stay was 1.3 ± 0.9 days in the corticosteroids group (group 1) compared to 3.2 ± 1.2 in the control group (group 2). The mean interval until return to daily life activities was 6.7 ± 2.1 days in group 1 versus 9.6 ± 4.1 days in group 2. No statistically significant difference was measured between the steroid-treated and control groups when the data were stratified for sex, age, and site of disc herniation. Differences in the OLBI scores were statistically significant at all post-operative intervals. At baseline (preoperatively), group 1 (DepoMedrol™ group) had an average score of 72.3% (±2.6%) compared to 74.6% (±3.1%) in group 2 (Control group) (P = 0.45). At discharge, OLBI scores declined to 49.7% (±4.5%) in group 1 compared to 63.5% (±3.9%) in group 2 (P = 0.034). At week 1 follow-up, OLBI scores further declined to 41.3% (±2.9%) in group 1 versus 54.2% (±5.3%) in group 2 (P = 0.014). After one month of follow-up, OLBI scores were 34.1% (±6.7%) in group 1 and 42.6% (±4.1%) in group 2 (P = 0.004). Results of VAS and PSLRT are also documented in the manuscript. The mean postoperative analgesic medications consumed was 15.6 ± 1.9 mg of morphine equivalent in the corticosteroid group versus 10.3 ± 1.8 mg of morphine equivalent in the control group. No complications of treatment occurred in either groups. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative application of epidural corticosteroids, Depomedrol, significantly reduces post-operative pain, length of post-operative stay and duration to return to daily living activities following lumbar discectomy.