Variations in pelvic dimensions: An anatomical and computed tomography study.

The anterior pelvic plane (APP) is a useful anatomical reference with both clinical and research applications in orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation medicine. It is used as a marker for computer-assisted total hip replacement and image-guided assessment of the hip center in clinical gait analysis. Despite its common use, no published data exist on the variations in height and width in an adult population. The aim of this study was to determine the range of dimensions for the anterior pelvic plane found in the Scottish adult population. Thirty-five human cadavers and 100 pelvic computed tomography (CT) scans were examined. Pelvic height and width were measured, and the ratios were determined. The mean width and height for combined cadaver and CT pelves were found to be 238.0 mm (SD 20.1, range 188.3-273.8) and 92.7 mm (SD 10.5, range 71.2-114.7), respectively. The mean width-to-height ratio for all pelves was 2.59 (SD 0.31, range 1.73-3.50). There were no statistically significant differences in means between males and females. The variations of APP dimensions within an adult population are presented. These will be of value in the validation of algorithms for computer navigation and hip joint center calculation in total hip arthroplasty and gait analysis. Furthermore, differences in dimensions between cadaveric and CT measurements have been shown which may have implications for further research and the validity of reference data dependent on data-point acquisition. Clin. Anat. 31:981-987, 2018. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Arthrodesis of the first metatarsophalangeal joint: comparison of three techniques.

BACKGROUND: There are cadaveric and biomechanical studies comparing different methods of fixation for achieving arthrodesis in hallux rigidus. However, there are no comparative clinical studies. We compared the clinical and radiologic outcomes of first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion using three different techniques: lag screw, lag screw and circlage wire, and Memory staples. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 46 patients who underwent first metatarsophalangeal joint fusion. All of the operations were performed by experienced surgeons. Each patient had clinical and radiologic assessments postoperatively. RESULTS: The three groups were matching in terms of demographic features and comorbidity. Intraobserver and interobserver reliability for radiographic metatarsophalangeal joint fusion was excellent. The mean time to clinical and radiologic union in the Memory staples group was earlier (7.6 weeks) than that of the other two techniques (8.0 and 8.1 weeks). The Memory staples group also had the lowest incidence of nonunion (1 of 15 compared with 4 of 15 in the single lag screw fixation group and 3 of 16 in the lag screw and circlage wire fixation group) and no hardware-related problems. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience corroborates the advantages of Memory staples as described in the literature, including good approximation of bone fragments, technically easy application with fewer steps than an AO-applied screw, and an adequate source of internal fixation to achieve metatarsophalangeal joint fusion. There is also a suggestion that the time to achieve fusion is shorter.

The M77 Highway: saving lives and money.

Upgrading of a stretch of the A77, a major road in South West Scotland to Highway status has resulted in a significant reduction in the incidence of serious and fatal road traffic accidents on a major international route. Notwithstanding the pain and suffering prevented, the annual economic savings amount to over pound 6.1 Million ($12.14 M/euro 7.96 M) The Highway, with an effective central reservation barrier, will pay for itself in 17 years and will continue to prevent serious injury and save lives.