BACKGROUND: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is associated with considerable blood loss. Computer-assisted surgery (CAS) is different from conventional TKA as it avoids opening the intramedullary canal. Hence, CAS should be associated with less blood loss. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients were randomized into two groups of CAS and conventional TKA. In conventional group intramedullary femoral and extramedullary tibial jigs were used whereas in CAS group imageless navigation system was used. All surgeries were done under tourniquet. Total and hidden blood loss was calculated in both groups and compared. RESULTS: The mean total blood loss was 980 mL in conventional group and 970 mL in CAS group with median of 1,067 mL (range, 59 to 1,791 mL) in conventional group and 863 mL (range, 111 to 2,032 mL) in CAS group. There was no significant difference in total blood loss between the two groups (p = 0.811). We have found significant hidden blood loss in both techniques, which is 54.8% of the total loss in the conventional technique and 59.5% in the computer-assisted navigation technique. CONCLUSIONS: There is no significant difference in total and hidden blood loss in the TKA in CAS and conventional TKA. However, there is significant hidden blood loss in both techniques. There was no relation of tourniquet time with blood loss.
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/*methods ; Blood Loss, Surgical/*prevention & control/*statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prospective Studies ; *Surgery, Computer-Assisted ; Time Factors ; Tourniquets

Ulnar nerve injury in closed fracture of forearm in children is uncommon.Commonly, neurapraxia is the reason for this palsy but other severe injuries or nerve entrapment has been reported in some cases. The importance of diagnosis concerning the types of the nerve injury lies in the fact that they have totally different management.We present a case of ulnar nerve deficit in a child following a closed fracture of the forearm bones. It is imperative to diagnose exact cause of palsy as it forms the basis for treatment. MRI scan can help diagnosis and accordingly guide the management. Simple nerve contusion should be treated conservatively, and exploration with fixation of the fracture should be done in lacerations and entrapments of the nerve. Surgery is not the treatment of choice in cases that could be managed conservatively.
Accidental Falls ; Child ; Diagnostic Errors ; Fractures, Closed ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Radius Fractures ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Ulna Fractures ; complications ; diagnosis ; therapy ; Ulnar Nerve ; injuries ; Ulnar Neuropathies ; diagnosis ; etiology

Breakage of K-wires and stainless steel wires which are used for fracture fixation is not uncommon, but migration is rare. We report a case of migration of broken K-wire used for patella tension band wiring to the popliteal fossa. The broken hardware was removed surgically. We would like to suggest that K-wire and wire fixation used for treatment of patellar fractures can migrate into the posterior compartment of the knee and cause clinical symptoms. Close clinical and radiological follow-up after internal fixation to identify the presence of hardware breakage or movement and removal of wires once fracture has united can avert such complications.
Adult ; Bone Wires ; Equipment Failure ; Foreign-Body Migration ; etiology ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; instrumentation ; methods ; Fractures, Bone ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Patella ; diagnostic imaging ; injuries ; Radiography ; Time Factors

Background: The fracture obliquity of supination-external rotation injury of the fibula is often amenable to lag screw insertion.The purpose of the study was to determine whether biomechanical differences exist between lag screws inserted from an anterior to posterior direction and from a posterior to anterior direction and the thickness of the anterior and posterior fibular cortices were correlated with biomechanical testing. Methods: Ten cadaver fibulae were harvested and submitted to material testing following 3.5-mm cortical screw insertion from either an anterior to posterior direction or a posterior to anterior direction. Screw torsional insertion strength and axial pullout strength were measured. Computed tomography images of 40 consecutive patients undergoing preoperative planning for fractures excluding the fibula were examined to define fibular cortical thickness and correlate anatomic findings with the biomechanical testing. Results: The axial pullout strength of lag screws inserted from posterior to anterior was significantly greater than that of lag screws inserted from anterior to posterior (p < 0.05). Screw insertion torque measurements demonstrated a similar trend although the data did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.056). The anterior cortex of the distal fibula exhibited a radiographically greater thickness than that of the posterior cortex at the same level (p < 0.001). Conclusions For oblique fractures of the distal fibula, posterior to anterior lag screw insertion exhibited improved biomechanical properties when compared with a similar screw inserted from anterior to posterior. These results correlated with the thicker cortical bone present along the anterior fibula.

Lumbar spinal steroid injections (LSSI) are universally used as preferred diagnostic or therapeutic treatment options before major spinal surgeries. Some recent studies have reported higher risks of surgical-site infection (SSI) for spinal surgeries performed after injections, while others have overlooked such associations. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature and perform a meta-analysis to evaluate the associations between preoperative LSSI and postoperative infection following subsequent lumbar decompression and fusion procedures. Three databases, namely PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library, were searched for relevant studies that reported the association of spinal surgery SSI with spinal injections. After the comprehensive sequential screening of the titles, abstracts, and full articles, nine studies were included in a systematic review, and eight studies were included in the meta-analysis. Studies were critically appraised for bias using the validated MINOR (methodological index for non-randomized studies) score. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated. Subgroup analysis was performed according to the time between LSSI and surgery and the type of lumbar spine surgery. Meta-analysis showed that preoperative LSSI within 30 days of lumbar spine surgery was associated with significantly higher postoperative infection compared with the control group (OR,1.79; 95% CI, 1.08–2.96). Based on subgroup analysis, lumbar spine fusion surgery within 30 days of preoperative LSSI was associated with significantly high-infection rates (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 2.12–3.35), while no association was found between preoperative LSSI and postoperative infection for lumbar spine decompression surgeries. In summary, given the absence of high-level studies in the literature, careful clinical interpretation of the results should be performed. The overall risk of SSI was slightly higher if the spinal surgery was performed within 30 days after LSSIs. The risk was higher for lumbar fusion cases but not for decompression-only procedures.

OBJECTIVEMetaphyseal-diaphyseal fractures of the distal radius are a major treatment dilemma and orthopaedic surgeons have to pay due consideration to restoration of anatomy of distal radius together with rotation of the radial shaft and maintenance of radial bow and interosseous space. We performed this study to evaluate the clinic-radiological outcome of metaphyseal-diaphyseal fractures of the distal radius treated with long volar locking plates.

METHODSThis prospective study involved 27 patients (22 males and 5 females) with metaphyseal-diaphyseal fracture of the distal radius. Their mean age was (30.12+/-11.48) years (range 19-52 years) and the follow-up was 26.8 months (range 22-34 months). All patients underwent open reduction and internal fixation with a long volar locking plate. According to AO/OTA classification, there were 7 type A3, 13 type C2 and 7 type C3 fractures. Subjective assessment was done based on the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire. Functional evaluation was done by measuring grip strength and range of motion around the wrist and the radiological determinants included radial angle, radial length, volar angle and ulnar variance. The final assessment was done according to Gartland and Werley scoring system.

RESULTSPostoperative radiological parameters were well maintained throughout the trial, and there was significant improvement in the functional parameters from 6 weeks to final follow-up. The average DASH scores improved from 37.5 at 6 weeks to 4.2 at final follow-up. Final assessment using Gartland and Werley scoring system revealed 66.67% (n equal to 18) excellent and 33.33% (n equal to 9) good results. There was one case of superficial infection which responded to antibiotics and another carpel tunnel syndrome which was managed conservatively.

CONCLUSIONVolar locking plate fixation for metaphyseal-diaphyseal fractures of distal radius is associated with excellent to good functional outcome, early rehabilitation and minimal complications.

The combination of ipsilateral humeral fractures at three different levels namely proximal, shaft and supracondyle has been rarely defined in the literature. We present a case report on such a complex injury in a 10-year-old child after falling down from the second floor of his house while playing. To the best of our knowledge, no such case report exists in the English literature. We define it as double floating arm injury. Firstly, shaft of humerus was open reduced and fixed with 4.5 mm narrow dynamic compression plate. Then closed reduction and pinning of the supracondylar humerus under an image intensifier was obtained. Open reduction using deltopectoral approach to the proximal humerus was done and the fracture was fixed with three K-wires. Ipsilateral multiple fractures in children often result from high energy trauma. Immediate reduction and fixation is required. Usually surgeons need to treat simple fractures firstly, which makes the subsequent treatment of complex fractures easier.
Child ; Humans ; Humeral Fractures ; complications ; Male ; Shoulder Fractures ; complications