Septic arthritis is a serious medical condition that can lead to significant complications if misdiagnosed or mismanaged. A rare case of a 1st metatarso-phalangeal joint septic arthritis in a native joint is presented in a patient with no significant risk factors. A 41-year-old patient was referred by his general practitioner owing to ongoing pain and swelling over his native 1st metatarso-phalangeal joint with difficulty on weightbearing for three months. After a series of investigations, including blood tests and a foot magnetic resonance imaging, which were inconclusive, the patient was led to the operating theatre for sampling and washout of his joint. The samples taken in the theatres revealed septic arthritis with Streptococcus mitis as the causative microorganism. The patient was treated with six weeks of oral antibiotics with a good functional outcome. This case report illuminates this rare condition and makes foot and ankle surgeons aware of its existence. A high suspicion for this condition can prevent misdiagnosis and mismanagement.
Adult ; Ankle ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Arthritis, Infectious ; Diagnostic Errors ; Foot ; General Practitioners ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Joints ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Risk Factors ; Streptococcus mitis ; Surgeons ; Weight-Bearing

The most commonly accepted system of classification for tibia plateau fractures is that of Schatzker. Increasingly, both high energy injuries and atypical osteoporotic fragility failures have led to more complex, unusual and previously undescribed fracture patterns being recognized. We present a case of a patient with a previously unreported pattern of tibia plateau fracture and knee dislocation. We highlight the challenges confronted and present the management and the outcomes of his injury. A 28-year old male motorcyclist was involved in a head on collision with a truck and was transferred by helicopter to our level 1 major trauma centre emergency department. His injuries were a circumferential degloving injury to his left leg and a right lateral tibial plateau fracture/knee dislocation. The pattern of the lateral tibial plateau fracture was unique and did not fit any recognised classification system. The patient received a spanning external fixator initially and after latency of 12 days for soft tissue resuscitation he underwent definite fixation through an antero-lateral approach to the proximal tibia with two cannulated 6.5 mm partially threaded screws and an additional lateral proximal tibia plate in buttress mode. A hinged knee brace was applied with unrestricted range of motion post-operatively and free weight bearing were permitted post operatively. At the 6 months follow up, the patient walks without aids and with no limp. Examination revealed a stable joint and full range of motion. Plain radiographs revealed that the fracture healed with good alignment and the fixation remained stable. High energy injuries can lead to more complicated fracture patterns, which challenge the orthopaedic surgeons in their management. It is crucial to understand the individual fracture pattern and the possible challenges that may occur. This study reports a lateral tibia plateau fracture/dislocation which perhaps is best described as a reverse Schatzker IV type fracture.
Adult ; External Fixators ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Humans ; Male ; Tibial Fractures ; classification ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSELately there is an increasing tendency of using Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) as a final indicator of the outcome of many surgical treatments in orthopaedics and in other medical specialties. Currently there are many outcome scores in orthopaedics and most of them are site specific. In the contrary there is a lack of trauma specific outcome scores.

METHODSWe have designed a new PROM especially for orthopaedic trauma patients, in order to measure in what extent the patients manage to return to their pre-injury state. This score uses as baseline the pre-injury status of the patient and has the aim to determine the percentage of rehabilitation after treatment for any injury.

RESULTSA total of 60 Chertsey Outcome Score for Trauma (COST) questionnaires were gathered in our outpatients department. The participants were 57% male (aged 46.81 years ± 18.5 years) and the questionnaires collected at mean 10 months post-injury. A Cronbach's Alpha value of 0.89 was identified for the whole construct. The three dimensions of the scale had good internal consistency as well (Cronbach's Alpha test values 0.74, 0.84 and 0.81 for symptoms, function and mental status respectively). Strong/moderate correlation (Spearman's Rho test 0.43-0.65) was observed between the respective physical/mental dimensions of the COST and SF-12v2 questionnaires.

CONCLUSIONThere is a need among the orthopaedic trauma society for a specific PROM of trauma. COST is a useful and easy to use tool for every trauma surgeon.

PURPOSE: Stable Weber B ankle fractures are treated by a walking boot for 6 weeks and bearing full weight through the boot as tolerated. The aim of the present study was to assess the outcome parameters of this treatment protocol, evaluate the efficacy of using the walking boot, and investigate any possible predicting factors that could affect the outcomes. METHODS: All the patients with stable Weber B ankle fractures, treated in our hospital between January 2018 and December 2018, were prospectively included to the study. The patients were evaluated clinically, and the patient-reported outcome measures data were collected at the 2 and 6 weeks post-injury. Chi square, Spearman's rho test, independent samples and paired sample t-tests were used for the monovariant analysis. RESULTS: A total of 128 consecutive patients (aged 52.2 ± 19.1 years) with supination external rotation type 2 fracture were finally included to the study. At the 2 weeks follow-up, the reported outcome measures scores were in moderate levels, but improved significantly at the 6 weeks follow-up (p < 0.0001). Multivariant analysis revealed that the ability to bear full weight without the boot at the 2 weeks after diagnosis was the only variable, which made statistically unique contribution to the foot and ankle disability index score at the 6 weeks (p = 0.005). CONCLUSION Conservative treatment using a walking boot with advice to bear full weight of stable ankle Weber B fractures can bring to good functional outcomes. The ability to bear full weight without the aid of the walking boot at 2 weeks after diagnosis was the only significant predicting factor for better outcomes at 6 weeks after diagnosis.
Humans ; Ankle ; Ankle Fractures/therapy* ; Ankle Joint ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Supination ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged

PURPOSE: Posterior fracture-dislocation of shoulder is an infrequent traumatic event; however, most orthopaedic surgeons may face the challenge of treating it. The aim of this study is to review and summarise systematically the current principles of the management of this complex injury, and create a treatment algorithm. METHODS: Both PubMed and Scopus Databases were systematically searched for the terms "posterior shoulder fracture-dislocation" or "posterior glenohumeral fracture-dislocation" or "posterior glenoid fracture-dislocation" for articles written in English and published in the last decade. RESULTS: A total of 900 articles were identified, of which 13 were retained for analysis. A total of 153 patients (161 shoulders) were identified. These patients were treated either with open reduction and internal fixation, modified McLaughlin procedure, allograft/autograft humeral head reconstruction or shoulder arthroplasty. The mean age was 40.15 years. The mean postoperative Constant score in cases treated by open reduction and internal fixation was 86.45, whereas by bone graft was 84.18. Further, the mean postoperative Constant score was between 79.6 and 67.1 in those that were managed by modified McLaughlin and arthroplasty procedure, respectively. CONCLUSION The management of posterior shoulder fracture-dislocation may be challenging, and the best surgical option depends on many variables such as the chronicity of the injury, the presence of a fracture at the level of the surgical neck or tuberosities and the extend of the Hill-Sachs lesion if any. A treatment algorithm is proposed, based on the current literature in an effort to create a consensus for these injuries. For the acute shoulder fracture-dislocations, an open reduction should be performed. For the chronic fracture/dislocations in the elderly low-demand patients, conservative treatment should be performed. For the rest of the patients, depending on the severity of the Hill-Sachs lesion different surgical options are available such as the McLaughlin technique, the use of an allograft, osteotomy or arthroplasty.