Surgical treatment of metastatic long bone disease

A retrospective study of the results of operative treatment of 60 long bones secondaries in 46 patients was carried out. The mean period of follow-up was 10 months. The most common primary in this study was carcinoma of the breast (28.2%), followed by carcinoma of the lung (21.7%) and unknown primary (10.9%). Three groups of patients were studied--pathological fracture group, prophylactic fixation group and a mixed group. In the pathological fracture group, 70% of patients achieved good to excellent pain relief and 60.9% was able to walk with or without walking aids. In the prophylactic group, all the patients achieved good to excellent pain relief and 60% were able to ambulate with or without walking aids. In the mixed group, all the patients achieved good to excellent pain relief and 66.6% of the patients were able to walk with aids. The operative mortality in both the pathological fracture group and prophylactic fixation group was 10% and 33.3% in the mixed group. Multiple internal fixation performed at one operative session was associated with high operative mortality (50%).     

Fractures of the lateral process of the talus: two case reports and a comprehensive literature review

Fractures of the lateral process of the talus are frequently overlooked and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with acute and chronic ankle pain. Early diagnosis is emphasized in all series reviewed in the literature to prevent long-term complications. Thorough radiographic evaluation is necessary to determine the need for operative vs. nonoperative management. Small nondisplaced fractures are treated with cast immobilization, whereas large or displaced fractures usually require open reduction and internal fixation. Comminution of fragments may necessitate surgical excision. To achieve the best possible results, a timely diagnosis is required, and it is our belief that early treatment has better overall results.     

Indications for surgical management of injuries of the cervical spine

The indication for operative treatment of serious injuries to the cervical spine is basically determinated by instability and dislocation. Timing of the operation is based on the neurological deficit. If there is a chance for recovery operative treatment is urgent. For the upper cervical spine defined indications are existing for type-2-fractures of the dens and C 2/C 3-instabilities of the hangman-type with major dislocation. Fractures of C 0 and C 1 are preferably treated by conservative methods. Only cases with compound injury patterns with a high degree of ligamentous instability may require dorsal fusion. For serious injuries of the lower cervical spine operative treatment is needed in most instances. Conservative treatment is only indicated if functional stability can be proofed and injuries to the discs and compression to the myelon are ruled out.     

Pathomorphology of pneumococcal infection in children

The Colles' fracture is probably the most common fracture seen in the Emergency Department. Although there are several different methods of reduction and fixation, the goal of any treatment plan is to return the patient to normal function. Depending on the complexity, the Colles' fracture can be successfully treated open or closed. This article reviews the mechanism of injury, assessment, conservative or operative treatment, and rehabilitation of these fractures.     

Fractures of the hip in children and adolescents

Long-term results of 52 fractures of the hip in 51 children and adolescents are discussed. A distinction was made between fractures in children (aged 1 to 11 years) and those in adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years). Irrespective of the type of fracture it was found that immediate operative treatment leads to the best results. In children as well as in adolescents the risk of avascular necrosis, premature closure of the epiphysis and non-union is less following immediate operative treatment than following delayed operative treatment or conservative treatment. The prognosis of these fractures depends on the amount of damage to the vascularization. Treatment of children consisted of open reduction and fixation with K-wires followed by postoperative immobilization in a hip-spica for 6 weeks. Adolescents were treated with three-flanged nails usually without postoperative plaster immobilization. In both children and adolescents internal fixation may also be carried out with screws, in which case these must not cross an open epiphyseal plate. In both groups a non-weight-bearing period of 6 to 12 months is advisable. The results in adolescents were definitely poorer than in children. Seemingly completely destroyed hips can reintegrate even to a nearly "restitutio ad integrum" state after a period of years.     

Changes in neuron size in cynomolgus macaques infected with various immunodeficiency viruses and poliovirus

Chondral and osteochondral lesions as well as bone bruises of the ankle are caused in the most cases by trauma and are localized almost exclusively at the talus. For diagnosis, operative management and follow up, magnetic resonance imaging was useful, which can be further improved by application of intravenous or intraarticullar contrast enhancement (Gadolinium). In adults operative therapy is favored. Due to new techniques, arthroscopy became an important alternative to arthrotomy. According to the stage of the disease, drilling or curettage, removal or fixation of the fragment, autologous bone transplantation or osteochondral graft can be performed. All procedures can be managed arthroscopically.     

Arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation of a displaced intraarticular lateral femoral condyle fracture of the knee

Anatomic reduction, typically obtained by direct visualization through an arthrotomy and internal fixation (open reduction and internal fixation), is the traditional treatment method for displaced intraarticular condylar fractures of the distal femur. We present a case report describing an alternative treatment method, namely, arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation, of a displaced, malrotated intraarticular lateral femoral condyle fracture of the knee. The potential benefits of decreased blood loss, shortened operative time, excellent intraarticular visualization, decreased soft tissue dissection, and shortened postoperative recovery are outlined.     

Isthmic spondylolisthesis in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects, epidemiology, and natural history with special reference to disk abnormality and mode of treatment

Observations during the past 35 years on operative and conservative treatment of adult and young patients with isthmic spondylolisthesis, demonstrate the main indications of fusion are pain and risk of further progression of the slip. At one time, posterior fusion was recommended. Posterolateral fusion in situ was adopted in 1975, and during the past ten years anterior fusion combined with reduction and transpedicular fixation has been performed in severe slips. Surgery was mainly indicated to alleviate pain or to prevent further progression of the slip. It seems possible to alter the natural course of the disease by operation, but it is difficult to prove the connection between the radiographic findings and the pain. The epidemiologic study shows that the prevalence of spondylolisthesis in Finland is 6%, but there are no significant differences between these subjects and controls without spondylolisthesis. Symptomatic patients may have pain, however, even after a long observation time. Prevention of the slip is difficult because, statistically, 90% of the slip has already occurred when the patient is first seen. Posterolateral fusion in situ is the method of choice, especially for most young patients. Anterior fusion is indicated if the slip is greater than 40%-50%. Reduction of the slip is indicated in exceptional cases only.     

Traditional methods vs rigid internal fixation of mandible fractures

OBJECTIVE: To compare traditional methods (ie, intermaxillary fixation with interosseous wiring or external fixation) with newer techniques (ie, plating, use of lag screws) of open reduction and fixation of mandible fractures. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of data from medical records. SETTING: Academic urban medical center. PATIENTS: Nonrandomized sample of 356 patients admitted to the hospital for treatment of mandible fractures from 1987 through 1991; 155 patients treated with open reduction and fixation were studied. INTERVENTIONS: Sixty-nine patients were treated with interosseous wire fixation or external fixation, 86 patients with rigid internal fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Presence of infection, nerve impairment, nonunion, malunion, operative time, and follow-up. RESULTS: No significant difference was noted between the two groups for sex, treating service, delay in presentation, antibiotic coverage, mechanism of injury, or type of fracture. The incidence of infection, nerve injury, and unavailability for follow-up were greater in patients treated by the newer techniques. Overall expense and operative time were greater in the group treated with plates and lag screws. CONCLUSIONS: We advocate traditional techniques for patients with mandible fractures requiring open reduction and fixation.     

Results of an operative policy in the treatment of periprosthetic femoral fracture

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical outcome of patients with periprosthetic femoral fractures treated operatively. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis from 1986 to 1993. SETTING: Edinburgh Orthopaedic Trauma Unit, Edinburgh, Scotland. PATIENTS: Forty-five patients identified from a computer database as being admitted to the Edinburgh Orthopaedic Trauma Unit with periprosthetic femoral fractures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Clinical outcome grade (good, fair, poor) dependent on integrity of fixation, refracture rate, and ability to perform activities of daily living analyzed against age, type of fracture, prosthetic alignment, loosening, and method of fixation. RESULTS: Type I fractures were more common in uncemented or loosely cemented prostheses, whereas type II fractures occurred predominantly in securely cemented prostheses. Type I fractures treated by revision had the poorest results. Outcome in type II fractures was equally good whether treated by internal fixation or by revision. Age, loosening, and prosthetic alignment did not influence outcome. The mortality rate in this series was 20%. CONCLUSIONS: If a prosthesis is loose, it should be revised, or treatment varies with fracture and prosthetic type. In type I fractures, an uncemented stem may be revised to a cemented one; however, a securely cemented prosthesis probably is better when fixed internally. Type II fractures should be fixed internally because there is less operative insult. Type III fractures probably are not related to the prosthesis and should be fixed internally according to normal practice. The results of an operative policy compare well with the results of conservative management and avoid the problems of long-term immobilization.     

Operative treatment of fractures of the tibial plafond. A randomized, prospective study

We performed a randomized, prospective study to compare the results of two methods for the operative fixation of fractures of the tibial plafond. Surgeons were assigned to a group on the basis of the operation that they preferred (randomized-surgeon design). In the first group, which consisted of eighteen patients, open reduction and internal fixation of both the tibia and the fibula was performed through two separate incisions. An additional patient, who had an intact fibula, had fixation of the tibia only through an anteromedial incision. The second group consisted of twenty patients who were managed with external fixation with or without limited internal fixation (a fibular plate or tibial interfragmentary screws). Ten (26 per cent) of the thirty-nine fractures were open, and seventeen (44 per cent) were type III according to the classification of Rüedi and Allg?wer. There were fifteen operative complications in seven patients who had been managed with open reduction and internal fixation and four complications in four patients who had been managed with external fixation. All but four of the complications were infection or dehiscence of the wound that had developed within four months after the initial operation. The complications after open reduction and internal fixation tended to be more severe, and amputation was eventually done in three patients in this group. At a minimum of two years postoperatively (average, thirty-nine months; range, twenty-five to fifty-one months), the average clinical score was lower for the patients who had had a type-II or III fracture, regardless of the type of treatment. With the numbers available, no significant difference was found between the average clinical scores for the two groups. All of the patients, in both groups, who had had a type-II or III fracture had some degree of osteoarthrosis on plain radiographs at the time of the latest follow-up. With the numbers available, there was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to the osteoarthrotic changes. We concluded that external fixation is a satisfactory method of treatment for fractures of the tibial plafond and is associated with fewer complications than internal fixation.     

Osteosynthesis of the hand--indications, technique, results

Between January 1st 1992 and December 31st 1993 140 non-complex (i.e. nerve, vascular, tendon injuries) fractures of the peripheral hand skeleton were operated at the Policlinic of the Kantonsspital Basel. In a retrospective study we analyzed results, complications and absence from work. We treated 110 male and 30 female patients with a mean age of 47 years. 45 fractures were treated by plate fixation, 45 by screw fixation, 53 times we applied k-wires and once a mini-fix-ex (AO-Prototype). Plate and screw fixation were performed with AO-mini-implants. 90% of our patients had an uneventful postoperative course. In spite of functional after-treatment we noted in 8.6% of the patients a relevant loss of movement leading to operative tenolysis in 7 patients. Fractures at the level of PIP were most frequently associated with loss of movement. Absence from work was 59 days in average (1-206)! Conclusions: Peripheral osteosynthesis of the hand (non-complex) are effectively treated on an out-patient basis. In spite of functional after-treatment about 10% of patients have a relevant postoperative reduction in motility. Absence from work is relatively long after operative treatment of peripheral hand fractures.     

Nitric oxide as a regulatory factor in sleep-wakefulness mechanisms

Most screws used in fracture fixation necessitate a separate step for tapping of the screw hole. Titanium screw systems have been developed in which the screws can be inserted directly after a drill hole is made. These self-tapping screws thereby eliminate an operative step. A retrospective study was conducted that evaluated all wrist and hand procedures performed between January 1992 and December 1994 by 1 surgeon using screw fixation. The results of 39 cases treated with standard tapped titanium screws were compared with 28 cases treated with self-tapping titanium screws. Nearly identical union and complication rates were obtained in each group. Comparable results can be obtained with self-tapping screw fixation, which limits the number of instruments needed, eliminates an operative step, and thereby may diminish operative risk and shorten operative time.     

Blue light inhibits mitosis in tissue culture cells

The eponymous term "Monteggia fracture" is most precisely used to refer to dislocation of the proximal radioulnar joint in association with a forearm fracture. It is the character of the ulnar fracture, rather than the direction of radial head dislocation, that is useful in determining the optimal treatment of Monteggia fractures in both children and adults. Stable anatomic reduction of the ulnar fracture results in anatomic reduction of the radial head. The notoriously poor results of treatment of Monteggia fractures in adults improved dramatically after the development of modern techniques of plate-and-screw fixation, which facilitate early mobilization by ensuring anatomic reduction. The relatively good results associated with nonoperative treatment of pediatric Monteggia injuries reflect the prevalence of stable (incomplete) fractures in children. Unstable (complete) ulnar fractures are prone to residual or recurrent displacement and may require operative fixation. Late reconstruction of chronic Monteggia lesions in children can be complicated and unpredictable. The key to a good outcome after a Monteggia-type fracture-dislocation of the forearm remains early recognition of proximal radioulnar dissociation.     

Lidocaine does not depress reflex dilation of the pupil

INTRODUCTION: The goal of this study was to report and evaluate the place of external fixation in the treatment of trochanteric fractures in patients with high unacceptable operative risk to withstand conventional osteosynthesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From January 1990 to December 1991 (2 years period), 42 patients, 13 males and 29 female, mean age 84.1 years, suffering from trochanteric fracture and considered preoperatively as "poor medical status" were treated by external fixation and immediate mobilisation. The average operative time was 18 minutes and no blood transfusion was necessary per or post-operatively. The mean hospital stay was 19 days. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 6 months post-operatively. During this time 8 patients (19 per cent) died due to medical problems unrelated to the fracture. All fractures united in an acceptable position at an average time of 10.4 weeks with no loss of reduction, no pin breakage, no deep infection. All hips were painless. Complications: proximal pin migration occurred in 3 patients (7 per cent) due to fracture impaction and superficial pin tract infection in 16 (38 per cent) with no further consequence. DISCUSSION: External fixation in trochanteric fractures has been applied since 1957 with good results. This series confirms the advantages of the method in patients with a high operative risk; these are short operative time, minimal blood loss, early mobilisation and acceptable morbidity and mortality rates, considering the old and senile age group with poor medical condition, not allowing conventional treatment. The minor complications such as superficial pin tract infection and proximal pin migration are easily controlled.     

Pediatric forearm fractures. Diagnosis, therapy and possible complications

Nonoperative management of forearm fractures in children has a good outcome in over 90% of all cases. In our own series (n = 102) there were only six children (6.1%) with significant limitation (> 25 degrees) of forearm rotation. In these cases two out of four (50%) were located in the proximal third but only two out of 68 in the distal third. Indications for operative stabilization are the following: compound fractures, fractures associated with vessel and nerve injuries, joint fractures, dislocated fractures of the middle and proximal third, and Monteggia/Galeazzi injuries. As implants intramedullary devices are preferred. Twenty children were managed with elastic IM rods between 1994 and 1995 at our institution. At final follow-up all had a free ROM and a maximal axial malalignment of less than 5 degrees. In the region of the distal forearm K-wires are useful. Plates play a dominant role for corrections and nonunions; external skeletal stabilization is indicated for temporary fixation in compound fractures.     

Comminuted fractures of the radial head. Arthroplasty versus internal fixation

Fractures of the radial head continue to challenge orthopaedic surgeons. Fortunately, most simple uncomplicated fractures treated non-operatively with emphasis on early motion achieve good results. Treatment of more complex fractures remains controversial, however. When simple radial head excision is contraindicated, choosing between open reduction and internal fixation and radial head replacement remains difficult. A review of the literature does not provide definite guidelines, but suggest that fracture complexity and technique are critical for success. This paper is not intended to review the treatment of radial head fractures, but rather to focus on choosing between replacement versus internal fixation when preservation of radial head mechanics is indicated.     

Burst fractures of the second through fifth lumbar vertebrae. Clinical and radiographic results

Fifty-five patients who had sustained a burst fracture of the lumbar spine were followed for a mean of seventy-nine months (range, twenty-four to 192 months) after the injury. Thirty patients had been managed non-operatively with a short period of bed rest followed by protected mobilization. The remaining twenty-five patients had been managed operatively: eight, with posterior arthrodesis with long-segment hook-and-rod fixation; eight, with posterior arthrodesis with short-segment transpedicular fixation; six, with posterior arthrodesis and instrumentation followed by anterior decompression and arthrodesis; and three, with anterior decompression and arthrodesis. Thirty-six patients had been neurologically intact at the time of presentation and had remained so throughout the follow-up period. No neurological deterioration or symptoms of late spinal stenosis were seen. Isolated partial single-nerve-root deficits resolved regardless of the method of treatment. Patients who had had a complete single or a multiple-nerve-root paralysis seemed to have benefited from anterior decompression. Although the anatomical results as seen on the most recent radiographs were superior for the group that had been managed operatively with long posterior fixation or anterior and posterior arthrodesis, the most recent pain scores and the functional outcomes were similar for all treatment groups. At the latest follow-up evaluation, some loss of spinal alignment was noted in the patients who had been managed with short transpedicular fixation; the alignment at the most recent follow-up examination was comparable with that in the patients who had been managed non-operatively. For the patients who had had non-operative treatment, we were unable to predict the deformity at the time of follow-up on the basis of the initial diagnostic radiographs. The clinical outcome was not related to the deformity at the latest follow-up evaluation. On the basis of the results of our study, we recommend non-operative treatment for patients who do not have neurological dysfunction or who have an isolated partial nerve-root deficit at the time of presentation. For patients who have a multiple-nerve-root paralysis, anterior decompression is indicated.     

Intestinal flora in the neonate: impact on morbidity and therapeutic perspectives

A nonunion of a diaphyseal fracture of the humerus can present a major functional problem even in the elderly population. Advances in operative exposures combined with newer techniques of achieving stable internal fixation even in the presence of pathologic bone have enabled the surgeon to successfully treat even the most complex nonunions.     

Fractures after total knee joint endoprosthesis. Results of treatment with various stabilizing methods

In 20 patients with a fracture of femur or tibia 5.2 years after arthroplasty of knee the results of the operative treatment are presented. The results show that especially bone damaging diseases as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis and the loosening of the endoprosthesis are favorable for the fracture during the follow-up. The conclusion of the investigation shows that in younger patients the external fixation by plates and screws is the preferential treatment, in elderly people or comminuted fracture an internal fixation, also in combination with an additional osteosynthesis, allows a fast mobilization. The number of observed complications is higher than in primary knee arthroplasty, the full weight bearing 1st delayed. The rate of further operations and unsatisfactory results is also higher being affected by the high mean age of the operated patients (73.4 years). The possible use of a total femur implant must be discussed critically because only an individual production can avoid further damage of the parts of the joint that were not concerned by the fracture.