Injury
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Long bone infection remains a challenging situation for the orthopaedic surgeon. For most, treatment comprises a thorough debridement of all the infected bone, the filling of the resultant cavity with a bone substitute, and general antibiotics for a certain time. However, the type of bone substitute to insert in the cavity is still debated. ⋯ From this review, bioactive glass seems to be a useful bone substitute for long bone infection in humans. Few recurrences occurred after its use. In these cases, the volume of bone glass to insert was frequently underestimated and/or the skin coverage not adequate.
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Despite modern advances in fracture care, deep (implant-related) infection remains a problem in the treatment of tibia fractures. There is some evidence that antibiotic-coated implants are beneficial in the prevention of this sometimes devastating complication. In the following study we describe our results using a gentamicin-coated intramedullary tibia nail (Expert Tibia Nail (ETN) PROtect™) for the surgical treatment of complex open tibia fracture and revision cases. ⋯ Musculoskeletal complications place a cost burden on total healthcare expenditure. Better understanding of the epidemiology and pathogenesis is essential because this can lead to prevention rather than treatment strategies. The purpose of the study was to evaluate a gentamicin-coated tibia nail in the prevention of deep (implant-related) infection. In our patient population no deep infections occurred after placement of the gentamicin-coated nail. Following this study and literature data, antibiotic-coated implants seem a potential option for prevention of deep infection in trauma patients. In the future this statement needs to be confirmed by large randomised clinical trials.
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Rib fracture is exceedingly common and remains a leading cause of death in patients with chest injury. Probability of death increases by 19% with each broken rib, and the probability of death increases further with age. Treatment is centered on pain control and early mobilization to provide adequate pulmonary hygiene. ⋯ Whereas there are publications on operative technique, there are no studies describing pitfalls associated with this procedure. The purpose of this paper is to describe pitfalls on the technical aspects of ORIF of the ribs based on the medical literature where possible and based on our experience in instances where peer reviewed evidence is lacking. The paper is not meant to serve as a protocol for managing rib fractures.
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Non-union continues to be the most devastating complication after fracture fixation. Its treatment can be prolonged and often unpredictable. The burden to the patient, surgeon and health care system can be immense. ⋯ We undertook a systematic review of the literature in order to identify the most common and important risk factors based on the hierarchy of level of evidence. Accordingly, a stratification scale was formed which highlighted 10 risk factors including; an open method of fracture reduction, open fracture, presence of post-surgical fracture gap, smoking, infection, wedge or comminuted types of fracture, high degree of initial fracture displacement, lack of adequate mechanical stability provided by the implant used, fracture location in the poor zone of vascularity of the affected bone, and the presence of the fracture in the tibia. Clinicians should take in to account these findings when managing patients with long bone fractures, particularly the femur and tibia in order to minimise the risk of non-union.
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Multicenter Study
Defining reference levels for intra-operative radiation exposure in orthopaedic trauma: A retrospective multicentre study.
There is currently limited data to define reference levels for the use of ionising radiation in orthopaedic trauma surgery. In this multicentre study, we utilise methodology employed by the Health Protection Agency in establishing reference levels for diagnostic investigations in order to define analogous levels for common and reproducible orthopaedic trauma procedures. Four hundred ninety-five procedures were identified across four Greater London hospitals over a 1-year period. ⋯ Grade of surgeon did not influence exposure in dynamic hip screw, and was inversely related to exposure in intramedullary femoral nails. Less variation was observed with exposure time than with DAP. This study provides the most comprehensive reference to guide fluoroscopy use in orthopaedic trauma to date, and is of value both at the point of delivery and for audit of local practice.