The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · Mar 2008
Results of polyaxial locked-plate fixation of periarticular fractures of the knee. Surgical technique.
Locked-plate fracture-fixation techniques and designs continue to evolve. Polyaxial locking plates that allow screw angulation and end-point locking have become available; however, there are no clinical data documenting their strength and efficacy, to our knowledge. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of a variable-axis locking plate in a multicenter series of periarticular fractures about the knee. ⋯ The variable-axis locking plates performed well, with a high rate of fracture union and no evidence of varus collapse due to failure of the polyaxial screw fixation, in a series of complex fractures about the knee. Complication rates were similar to those for historical controls treated with fixed-trajectory locking plates. Polyaxial locking plates offer more fixation versatility without an apparent increase in mechanical complications or loss of reduction.
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · Mar 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative StudyNonoperative treatment compared with plate fixation of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures. Surgical technique.
Recent studies have shown a high prevalence of symptomatic malunion and nonunion after nonoperative treatment of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures. We sought to compare patient-oriented outcome and complication rates following nonoperative treatment and those after plate fixation of displaced midshaft clavicular fractures. ⋯ Operative fixation of a displaced fracture of the clavicular shaft results in improved functional outcome and a lower rate of malunion and nonunion compared with nonoperative treatment at one year of follow-up. Hardware removal remains the most common reason for repeat intervention in the operative group. This study supports primary plate fixation of completely displaced midshaft clavicular fractures in active adult patients.
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · Mar 2008
Comparative StudyUninstrumented in situ fusion for high-grade childhood and adolescent isthmic spondylolisthesis: long-term outcome. Surgical technique.
Intermediate-term radiographic studies have shown that anterior and circumferential techniques result in high fusion rates in patients with high-grade spondylolisthesis, whereas posterolateral fusion is less successful. We are not aware of any long-term comparative studies in which these three methods have been evaluated with regard to functional outcome, including systematic spinal mobility and trunk strength measurements. ⋯ As assessed on the basis of patient-based outcomes, circumferential in situ fusion provided slightly better long-term results than did posterolateral or anterior in situ fusion. When the radiographic and functional results were combined with the patient-based outcomes, the overall differences between the three groups were small.
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · Mar 2008
Angle-stable and compressed angle-stable locking for tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis with retrograde intramedullary nails. Biomechanical evaluation.
Retrograde intramedullary nailing is an established procedure for tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of angle-stable locking or compressed angle-stable locking on the initial stability of the nails and on the behavior of the constructs under cyclic loading conditions. ⋯ Regardless of the bone model, the nails with angle-stable or compressed angle-stable locking had better initial stability and better stability following cycling than did the nails with static locking.
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · Mar 2008
Outcomes of posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum. Surgical technique.
The Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (MFA) is a validated, reliable, self-administered questionnaire that is useful for determining functional status. The Merle d'Aubigné score is a clinical measure of hip function. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the outcome information provided by these two instruments after operative treatment of elementary posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum. ⋯ The total MFA scores for patients with a posterior wall fracture of the acetabulum were significantly worse than normative reference values. Thus, complete recovery after a posterior wall fracture of the acetabulum is uncommon, with residual functional deficits involving wide-ranging aspects of everyday living that do not necessarily have an obvious direct connection to hip function. Although the modified Merle d'Aubigné score may be useful for evaluating isolated hip function in patients who have been treated for an acetabular fracture, its shortcomings limit its usefulness as a method for evaluating functional outcome in these patients. Research efforts should be directed toward the identification of the psychosocial and other underlying determinants of functional outcome and potential related treatment interventions.