The All India Ophthalmological Society - Academic and Research Committee pan-India diabetic retinopathy project "Fixing the missing link": Prevalence data from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Purpose: : To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its risk factors among diabetic patients in the states of Madhya Pradesh (MP) and Chhattisgarh (CG). Methods: : Diabetic patients were screened in the treating diabetologist/physician's clinic by a team that included an ophthalmologist, an optometrist, and a counselor. Demographic details, diabetic control, compliance to eye checkup, awareness regarding diabetic blindness, and visual acuity were recorded using a questionnaire. DR was graded both by indirect ophthalmoscopy and fundus photo taken with a portable fundus camera. Results: : In total, 602 subjects were screened across five selected locations of MP and CG. The prevalence of DR was 13.62%. No significant difference with gender was seen. The presence and grade of DR were related to age, diabetic age, and diabetic control. Conclusion: : This study provides the prevalence data for DR among diabetic patients from the states of MP and CG and highlights important barriers to DR screening in our country.

The All India Ophthalmological Society - Academic and Research Committee pan-India diabetic retinopathy project "Fixing the missing link": Prevalence data from West Bengal.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and its risk factors among diabetic patients in rural and urban West Bengal (WB). METHODS: Patients were screened in the physician's clinic by a team of ophthalmologist, optometrist and counsellor. Demographic details, diabetic control, compliance to eye checkup, awareness regarding diabetic blindness, and visual acuity were recorded using a questionnaire. DR was graded both by indirect ophthalmoscopy and fundus photo taken with a portable fundus camera. RESULTS: A total of 1553 subjects were screened over 39 camps across 14 districts of WB over 17 months. The prevalence of DR was 21.51%, with a significant difference between rural (26.55%) and urban (13.89%) areas (P < 0.01). No significant difference with gender was seen (P = 0.99). Presence and grade of DR were related to age, loss of vision, diabetic age, diabetic control, awareness of diabetic blindness and last eye checkup. CONCLUSION: This study provides the first major prevalence data from WB, and gives valuable insight regarding modifiable risk factors for DR. It is also the first DR study in India to be conducted in the physician's clinic. The study results emphasise the need to "fix the missing link" between ophthalmologists and treating physicians to win the battle against DR.

Heroin-associated anthrax with minimal morbidity.

In 2010, during an outbreak of anthrax affecting people who inject drugs, a heroin user aged 37 years presented with soft tissue infection. He subsequently was found to have anthrax. We describe his management and the difficulty in distinguishing anthrax from non-anthrax lesions. His full recovery, despite an overall mortality of 30% for injectional anthrax, demonstrates that some heroin-related anthrax cases can be managed predominately with oral antibiotics and minimal surgical intervention.

A national questionnaire survey on knee manipulation following total knee arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Adequate range of knee motion is critical for successful total knee arthroplasty. While aggressive physical therapy is an important component, manipulation may be a necessary supplement. There seems to be a lack of consensus with variable practices existing in managing stiff postoperative knees following arthroplasty. Hence we aim to determine the current practice and trend among knee surgeons throughout the United Kingdom. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Postal questionnaires were sent out to 100 knee surgeons registered with British Association of Knee Surgeons, ensuring that the whole of United Kingdom was well represented. The questions included whether the surgeon used Manipulation Under Anaesthaesia (MUA) as an option for stiff postoperative knees; timing of MUA; use of Continuous Passive Motion (CPM) post-manipulation. RESULTS: We received 82 responses. 46% of respondents performed MUA routinely, 43% sometimes, and 11 never. Majority (71.23%) performed MUA within 3 months of the index procedure. 68% routinely used CPM post-manipulation while 7% of the respondents applied splints or serial cast post MUA. 41% of the surgeons routinely used Patient Controlled Analgaesia ± Regional blocks. Majority (55%) never performed open/arthroscopic debridement of fibrous tissue for adhesiolysis. CONCLUSIONS: Knee manipulation requires an additional anaesthetic and may result in complications such as: supracondylar femur fractures, wound dehiscence, patellar tendon avulsions, haemarthrosis, and heterotopic ossification. Moreover studies have shown that manipulation while being an important therapeutic adjunct does not increase the ultimate flexion achieved. Manipulation should be reserved for the patient with difficult and painful flexion in the early postoperative period.

Distal metatarsal coalition: A rare case report.

INTRODUCTION: Metatarsal coalition is an extremely rare condition. We report the second documented case of 4th and 5th distal metatarsal coalition in the literature. PRESENTATION OF CASE: An eight-year-old girl was referred to an orthopaedic clinic with a four-month history of forefoot pain and swelling on the plantar aspect of the right little toe. Radiograph and clinical examination confirmed distal metatarsal coalition between the 4th and 5th metatarsals. Following a period of conservative treatment, excision was eventually performed due to worsening symptoms. Patient re-attended two years later with a recurrence of the coalition confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan. The case was discussed at a tertiary paediatric orthopaedic insititution. Decision was made to manage patient conservatively with insole and physiotherapy until skeletal maturity. A year later, patient's symptoms did not worsen, and her foot displayed no evidence of change in the arch and shape. DISCUSSION: The timing of ossification of coalition varies from one anatomical site to another. Surgery when performed before ossification is complete runs the risk of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our case report illustrates the importance of restoring normal weight bearing dynamics and pain relief when managing metatarsal coalition, or synostosis in skeletally immature patients. We recommend persevering with conservative treatment, with operative treatment reserved only as a later option, and ideally, until skeletal maturity is achieved.

New technique for revising dynamic hip screw fixations with lag screw in situ.

Salvage total hip arthroplasty for failed Dynamic hip screw fixation has widely been advocated as a viable treatment option with successful functional outcomes. However, when revising a dynamic hip screw, removal of the lag screw can pose problems in terms of difficulty and risk of iatrogenic fractures. This is because the lag screw is not reverse-cutting and therefore a large torque is generated which can lead to such fractures. We report on a series of eight cases in which we excised the femoral head with the lag screw in situ. We recommend this technique as a safe and effective method to reduce the risk of iatrogenic fractures.

Conversion of hip arthrodesis to hip resurfacing: a case report.

Patients with hip arthrodeses are at risk of developing back pain or pain in other joints in the long term. Conversion to a total hip replacement or hip resurfacing leads to resolution of symptoms in most patients. We report a 40-year-old man who underwent conversion of a hip arthrodesis to hip resurfacing with good results.

Twelve years' experience of the mini-Bankart repair for recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder.

Stabilization for recurrent anterior shoulder dislocation can be achieved through either an open or arthroscopic approach. The former tends to have a lower recurrence rate but longer rehabilitation.The technique of mini-Bankart repair has been used at this establishment since 1996. We retrospectively reviewed the patients that had undergone this procedure. We describe our experience of the mini-Bankart procedure and the results in 24 patients with a mean follow-up of 56 months (range, 12-144 months).The technique is a direct mini-approach to the shoulder joint, preserving the inferior portion of subscapularis. Where present, a Bankart lesion is repaired with two GII Mitek anchors (Ethicon) and the capsule reefed. There were no incidences of repeat anterior dislocation, and the average time period taken to return to work was 8.8 weeks. We recommend this technique due to its low recurrence rate and satisfactory return to normal function.