Long-term Outcome of Total Femur Replacement

@#Introduction: Total femur replacement is an option instead of amputation for extensive bone tumour or after revision surgery with a massive bone loss. Over a long period of time the patients may need revision surgery, and this might affect the functional outcome. We reviewed all consecutive total femur replacements done for primary and revision surgery of primary bone tumours in our centre to evaluate the long-term functional outcome and survival. Materials and methods: All patients who had total femur resection and reconstruction with modular endoprosthesis replacement in our centre from June 1997 to May 2022 were reviewed. The respondents were surveyed through WhatsApp using google form which was translated into Bahasa Malaysia based on the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Scoring System (MSTS). The data were presented as descriptive data on the final survival of the limb and prosthesis. Results: Ten patients underwent total femur replacement. There were eight osteosarcoma, one giant cell tumour and one chondromyxoid fibroma. Three patients with osteosarcoma succumbed to pulmonary metastases; all had good early post-operative functional outcomes without local recurrence. Seven patients were available for long term evaluation of function with a mean follow-up of 17.6 years (ranged 10-25 years). Four patients with total femur replacement had good functional outcomes (60-80%) without revision with 10-25 years follow-up. Three patients experienced acetabulum erosion and chronic pain that required early hip replacements. Two of them were complicated with superior erosions and bone loss and subsequently were managed with massive reconstruction using cemented acetabulum cage reconstruction. The other has diabetes mellitus with chronic infection following revision of distal femur endoprosthesis to total femur replacement and subsequently underwent limited hemipelvectomy after 14 years. Conclusion: Total femur replacement offers a good long term functional outcome and prosthesis survival and is a favourable option for limb salvage surgery.

Study of Deep Vein Thrombosis Screening by using Ultrasound Doppler in Patients with Pelvic and Acetabulum Fractures Requiring Operative Intervention

@#Introduction: Pelvic and acetabulum fractures are commonly caused by high impact injuries, increasing the risk of patients developing thromboembolic diseases such as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE). Therefore, this study was performed to determine the incidence of lower extremity DVT in patients with pelvic and acetabulum fractures and the importance of preoperative screening with Doppler ultrasound prior to surgical intervention. Materials and methods: This retrospective study involved 78 patients with pelvic and acetabulum fractures requiring surgical intervention from January 2015 until December 2019. Patients who underwent surgical interventions were screened pre-operatively with Doppler ultrasound to detect lower limb DVT and later compared with the incidence of lower limb DVT post-operatively. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 24. Results: The participants of this study consisted of 30.8% females and 69.2% males. Pre-operative screening with Doppler ultrasound showed that three patients (3.8%) were diagnosed with lower limb DVT, whereas one of them (1.3%) was symptomatic and diagnosed with PE. Postoperatively, one patient developed DVT, and one patient developed PE. Both patients were negative for DVT preoperatively. Conclusion: The incidence of DVT in patients with pelvic and acetabulum fractures requiring operative intervention was significant despite the initiation of mechanical and pharmacological thromboprophylaxis upon admission. Despite the low incidence of DVT in our study, it has a high impact on patients’ morbidity and mortality; thus, preoperative screening is important for early detection and the subsequent reduction of the risk of developing PE. The compulsory use of Doppler ultrasound of bilateral lower limbs as a part of pre-operative screening is highly recommended because it is cost-effective, efficient and readily available in most tertiary hospitals nationwide.

Functional Outcome of Surgical Stabilisation of Acetabular Fractures

@#Introduction: Approach to the management of displaced acetabular fractures has evolved from conservative to operative management after the work of Judet and Letournel. Various surgical methods have been explored and described by authors to address this type of fracture, leading to improved clinical outcome. This study aimed to evaluate functional outcome of surgically treated displaced acetabular fractures in the Malaysian context. Materials and methods: We analysed 43 patients with isolated acetabular fractures who were treated operatively with a minimum of three years follow-up. Anthropometric data, Judet-Letournel fracture pattern, surgical approach and complications were recorded. Post-operative Matta radiological outcome were evaluated for joint congruency and hip functional outcome was evaluated using Merle d’Aubgine-Postel and Harris Hip Score (HHS). All statistical analyses were analysed using SPSS version 24.0. Results: The most frequent elementary fracture type was posterior wall (30.2%) while associated type was both columns (23.3%). Mean functional outcome of Merle d'Aubigné-Postel was 15.77 and HHS was 86.6. Thirty-three (76.7%) patients achieved satisfactory functional outcome, 19 (44.1%) patients achieved anatomic reduction (<2 mm step-off) based on Matta classification while 24 (55.8%) did not achieve the desired outcome. Fracture pattern exhibited strong association with post-operative Matta radiological outcome (p-value 0.001). However both fracture pattern and Matta radiological outcome did not exhibit association with the functional outcome group. The mean time for surgical interventions was 10.8 days and there was no significant association with final functional outcome score. Conclusion: Fracture pattern is a strong contributing factor towards post-operative Matta radiological outcome. However, achieving the perfect anatomical reduction is not of utmost important factor to predict the good functional outcome.

Three-year follow-up of a Traumatic Hemipelvectomy Survivor: A Case Report

@#The management of a patient with traumatic hemipelvectomy is complex. We report the acute management and rehabilitation of a 21-year-old patient as well as her prosthesis modification. She was able to return to society as a K3 level ambulator.

Femoral Neck Non-union Treated using Compression Screw with or without Gluteus Medius Trochanteric Flap: A Case Series of Ten patients

@#Non-union is a challenging complication following a femoral neck fracture. Inability to achieve anatomical reduction and compression over the fracture leads to non-union. We reported a 10-case series of femoral neck non-union treated with sliding compression screw and anti-rotational screw with or without gluteus medius local trochanteric flap. When compression could not be achieved and a gap was present over the non-union site, a gluteus medius trochanteric flap was used to enhance the union. Surgeries were performed as a single-stage procedure through the Watson Jones approach. The initial implants were removed, followed by fracture reduction, during which the varus deformity was corrected, and the neck length was preserved as much as possible. Patients were advised for strict non-weight bearing until the presence of trabecular bone crossing the fracture on the radiographs. Union was achieved at three months in all cases. Patients undergoing surgery without trochanteric flap had normal abduction strength, and the neck length was maintained. All cases had no significant loss of function. Patients with trochanteric myo-osseous flap had neck shortening with weak abductors with MRC grade 4. Two out of 10 cases developed avascular necrosis of the femoral head before intervention. One case progressed to collapse of the femoral head requiring implant removal. This and the femoral neck shortening, caused this patient to have weak abductors and a positive Trendelenburg gait. We observed that delayed surgery leads to neck shortening and fracture gap requiring trochanteric myo-osseous flap to achieve union.

A Single Posterolateral Scapular Approach to Drain Post-Traumatic Intramuscular Scapular and Axillary Abscess in an Adolescent: A Case Report

@#Scapular abscess is a rare clinical diagnosis. This is a report of an atypical case of extensive intramuscular scapular abscess involving the anterior and posterior aspects of the scapula with extension into the axillary region following minor trauma in a young healthy adolescent, describing a single posterolateral approach to the scapula to evacuate the abscess. Following surgical drainage and antibiotic treatment, patient recovered without any complication.

Functional Outcome after Treatment of Aggressive Tumours in the Distal Radius: Comparison between Reconstruction using Proximal Fibular Graft and Wrist Fusion

@#Introduction: Restoration of a functional hand is the ultimate goal following a distal radius tumour resection. The early outcomes of mobile wrist reconstruction are satisfactory; however, long-term results are unpredictable due to late wrist instability and degenerative arthritis. Our aim is to compare mobile wrist reconstruction with wrist fusion (pan-carpal fusion) in our cohort of patients. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was performed for functional outcomes of all patients who underwent resection for distal radius tumour and treated with either fusion or reconstruction of the wrist in a single institution from years 2000-2013 with a minimum of three years follow-up. Results: Eleven patients were included in the study, six of whom had wrist reconstruction with proximal fibula graft and the remaining five wrist fusion, with a mean follow-up of 6.3 years. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) score was 82.78%, ranging from 70% to 93.3%. Average grip strength compared to the normal contralateral hand was 60.0% for total wrist fusion, which was better than wrist reconstruction with 58.07%. There was no difference in the functional outcome between fusion and mobile reconstruction in our study. Osteoarthritis changes and subluxation of the wrist joint were the most common findings in the long-term follow-up for this group. Conclusion: There was no difference in the functional outcome of the long-term follow-up between the two groups.

Early Vessels Exploration of Pink Pulseless Hand in Gartland III Supracondylar Fracture Humerus in Children: Facts and Controversies

The management of pink pulseless limbs in supracondylar fractures has remained controversial, especially with regards to the indication for exploration in a clinically well-perfused hand. We reviewed a series of seven patients who underwent surgical exploration of the brachial artery following supracondylar fracture. All patients had a non-palpable radial artery, which was confirmed by Doppler ultrasound. CT angiography revealed complete blockage of the artery with good collateral and distal run-off. Two patients were more complicated with peripheral nerve injuries, one median nerve and one ulnar nerve. Only one patient had persistent arterial constriction which required reverse saphenous graft. The brachial arteries were found to be compressed by fracture fragments, but were in continuity. The vessels were patent after the release of obstruction and the stabilization of the fracture. There was no transection of major nerves. The radial pulse was persistently present after 12 weeks, and the nerve activity returned to full function.

Resection of Thumb Metacarpal Ewing Sarcoma and Primary Reconstruction with Non-Vascularized Osteoarticular Metatarsal Autograft

Ewing sarcoma is a primary bone malignancy that rarely occurs in the hand. Resection and reconstruction will usually result in reduced or loss of thumb function. We describe a case of successful transplantation of nonvascularized osteoarticular second metatarsal autograft following wide resection of Ewing sarcoma of first metacarpal in an 11-year-old girl. The capsule of the graft’s metatarso-phalangeal joint was repaired to achieve mobility of the joint. This enabled preservation of thumb function by a relatively simple surgical technique. Detailed surgical procedures and excellence function after 2 years following surgery are described.

Correlation of psychosocial factor with functional outcome: one year after hip fracture surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the correlation of 8 domains of psychosocial factors with functional outcome one year after hip fracture surgery. A prospective cohort study of patients who had unilateral hip fracture surgery was included. A total of 89 subjects were interviewed between 3rd to 7th day after the hip surgery using the short length Multi-level Assessment Instrument and followed up after 1 year. The functional outcomes were measured through the Harris Hip Score. All of the psychosocial factors have little to no correlation on the functional recovery of the patient but the cognitive domain had a fair correlation in Harris Hip Score (r=0.46) and is significant (p-value<0.0001) The study did not find strong correlation between psychosocial factors and functional outcome one year after unilateral hip surgery. Although statistics have shown little effect on psychosocial factors to functional outcome, it may still be prudent to consider every aspect that may contribute to the whole wellbeing of our patients, which includes their psychosocial background. KEY WORDS: Psychosocial Factors; Hip Fracture Outcome; Biopsychosocial; Hip Surgery; Psychosocial Background.

The outcomes of salvage surgery for vascular injury in the extremities: a special consideration for delayed revascularization.

ABSTRACT: A seven years retrospective study was performed in 45 consecutive vascular injuries in the extremities to investigate the pattern of injuries, managements and outcomes. Motor-vehicle accidents were the leading cause of injuries (80%), followed by industrial injuries (11.1%) and iatrogenic injuries (4.4%). Popliteal and brachial artery injuries were commonly involved (20%). Fifteen (33.3%) patients had fractures, dislocation or fracture dislocation around the knee joint and 6 (13.3%) patients had soft tissue injuries without fracture. Traumatic arterial transection accounted for 34 (75.6%) cases, followed by laceration in 7 (15.6%) and 9 (6.7%) contusions. Associated nerve injuries were seen in 8 (17.8 %) patients using intra-operative findings as the gold standard, both conventional angiogram (CA) and computerized tomography angiogram (CTA) had 100% specificity and 100% sensitivity in determining the site of arterial injuries. The mean ischemic time was 25.31 hours (4 - 278 hours). Thirty-three (73.3 %) patients were treated more than 6 hours after injury and 6 patients underwent revascularization after 24 hours; all had good collateral circulation without distal pulses or evidence of ischemic neurological deficit. The mean ischemic time in 39 patients who underwent revascularization within 24 hours was 13.2 hours. Delayed amputation was performed in 5 patients (11.1%). Of the 6 patients who underwent delayed revascularization, one patient had early amputation, one -had delayed amputation following infection and multiple flap procedures while the rest of the patients' limbs survived. Joint stiffness was noted in 10 patients (22.2%) involving the knee joint, elbow and shoulder in two patients each. Infection was also noted in 5 patients (11.1%) with two of them were due to infected implants. Other complications encountered included nonunion (2 patients, 4.4%), delayed union (1 patient, 2.2%),limb length discrepancy (1 patient, 2.2%), hematoma (1 patient, 2.2%) and leaking anastomosis in one patient (2.2%). Volkmann's ischemic contracture occurred in 3 (6.7%) patients. There was no complication noted in 8 (17.8%) patients Three patients (6.7%) died of whom two were not due to vascular causes. We conclude that early detection and revascularization of traumatic vascular injuries is important but delayed revascularization also produced acceptable results.

Early Functional Outcome of Resection and Endoprosthesis Replacement for Primary Tumor around the Knee.

UNLABELLED: We evaluated functional outcomes for patients who underwent surgery for resection and endoprosthesis replacement for primary tumours around the knee. We used the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society Scoring System (MSTS) for functional evaluations to compare differences between distal femur (DF) and proximal tibia (PT) placements. The study sample included 34 cases of distal femur and 20 cases of proximal tibia endoprosthesis replacement. Primary tumours were classified as follows: 33 osteosarcoma, 20 stage III giant cell tumour (GCT) and one case of mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. The mean MSTS score for both DF and PT endoprosthesis together was 21.13 (70.43%), and The MSTS scores for DF was 21.94 (73.13%) and PT was 19.75 (65.83%) Infection developed in 7 cases and 5 of which were PT endoprosthesis cases. Three deep infections required early, two-stage revision and resulted in poor MSTS scores. We conclude that endoprosthesis replacement for primary bone tumours had early good to excellent functional outcome. There were no differences in functional outcomes when comparing distal femur endoprostheses with proximal tibia endoprostheses. KEY WORDS: functional outcome, bone tumour, knee, and endoprosthesis.