Management of acute glenohumeral dislocations.

The glenohumeral joint is the most commonly dislocated joint in the human body. Glenohumeral joint dislocations account for a large number of orthopedic consultations in inpatient and outpatient settings. A thorough workup is required for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment of this injury. Complete history and physical examination and radiographic studies are essential, and reduction should always be attempted. In this article, we review the literature for each phase of the workup for glenohumeral dislocation and describe the anatomy, biomechanics, and basic science of the injury. Featured is a detailed synopsis of the more commonly used reduction maneuvers plus their risks and success rates.

Biomechanical evaluation of volar locking plates for distal radius fractures.

PURPOSE: Fixed-angle devices have been a major advancement in orthopedic fracture care and have become an attractive option for fixation of distal radius fractures. Several volar locking plates exist, but there is insufficient literature comparing the strengths of these plates. This study compares the biomechanical strength of two popular volar locking plate systems (Synthes LCP and Hand Innovations DVR-A) along with a nonlocking volar T-plate (Synthes). METHODS: Twenty-three formalin-fixed cadaveric forearms were divided into three groups with similar ages and bone densities. An unstable extra-articular fracture was created using a standardized osteotomy. Each group was fixed with one of the three plates. Each specimen was loaded in axial compression for 2000 cycles at a force of 400 N. Each specimen that completed cyclic testing was loaded to failure. Stiffness, yield point, and ultimate strength were recorded for each construct. RESULTS: Each fixed-angle construct completed all 2000 cycles. The nonlocking plates failed at an average of 560 cycles. The mean stiffness of the DVR-A, LCP, and the volar T-plates were 277.00, 343.17, and 175.67 N/mm, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between both fixed-angle plates and the nonlocking plate (p < 0.05). The difference between each fixed-angle construct did not reach significance. Yield point and ultimate strength could only be determined for the two fixed-angle devices. There was no statistically significant difference between the constructs for both yield point (DVR-A = 855.56 N, LCP = 894.15 N) and ultimate strength (DVR-A = 1,021.97 N, LCP = 1,114.87 N). CONCLUSIONS: Given our data, fixed-angle constructs withstand cyclical loading representing normal physiologic forces encountered during post-operative rehabilitation. There was no significant biomechanical difference between the two fixed-angle constructs. Our results support that volar fixed-angle locking plates are an effective treatment for unstable extra-articular distal radius fractures, allowing early postoperative rehabilitation to safely be initiated.

Medial collateral ligament reconstruction of the elbow using the docking technique.

BACKGROUND: Medial collateral ligament insufficiency of the elbow with resultant valgus instability in throwing athletes is typically treated with free tendon graft reconstruction as described by Jobe. HYPOTHESIS: Improved results could be obtained with the use of the docking technique. STUDY DESIGN: Uncontrolled retrospective review. METHODS: The study group consisted of 36 athletes who had symptomatic insufficiency of the medial collateral ligament confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and by surgical findings. Average follow-up was 3.3 years. Key elements of the docking technique included a muscle-splitting approach without routine transposition of the ulnar nerve, routine arthroscopic assessment, treatment of associated lesions, and docking the two ends of the tendon graft into a single humeral tunnel. RESULTS: Thirty-three of 36 patients (92%) returned to or exceeded their previous level of competition for at least 1 year, meeting the Conway-Jobe classification criteria of "excellent." All 22 professional or collegiate athletes returned to or exceeded their previous competition level. CONCLUSIONS: The docking technique allowed simplified graft tensioning and improved graft fixation.