Injury
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The impact of concurrent upper limb and fragility hip fractures has not been well defined. A greater understanding of this can guide decision making in the early peri-operative period and subsequent rehabilitation of such patients. ⋯ Concurrent fragility hip and upper limb fractures are associated with increased length of hospital stay. We recommend early, aggressive, individualised rehabilitation to help improve outcomes and early hospital discharge in this highly vulnerable patient group.
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Ballistic injuries during the Great March of Return (GMR) protests in Gaza have resulted in young, civilian amputees. This article defines this unique population, their injuries and clinical variables that impacted on amputation. ⋯ Youth, proximal injury, high numbers of AKA, psychosocial issues and the need for stump and prosthetic support define this group of amputees. Unifying expertise within a National MDT will promote continuity of care necessary for decades to come. The ultimate aim is an evidence-based amputee care system in Gaza, with lower limb specialists promoting best outcomes, judicious allocation of funds and maximising amputee quality of life.
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The pathophysiology after polytrauma represents a complex network of interactions. While it was thought for a long time that the direct and indirect effects of hypoperfusion are most relevant due to the endothelial permeability changes, it was discovered that the innate immune response to trauma is equally important in modifying the organ response. Recent multi center studies provided a "genetic storm" theory, according to which certain neutrophil changes are activated at the time of injury. ⋯ In a similar fashion, overzealous surgeries and their associated soft tissue injury and blood loss can induce secondary worsening of the patient condition. Therefore, staged surgeries in certain indications represent an important alternative, to allow for performing a "safe definitive surgery" strategy for major fractures. The current review summarizes all these situations in a detailed fashion.
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One of the complications of the surgical therapy for proximal humerus fractures is fracture-related infection (FRI). This multicenter study aimed to investigate the incidence of FRI and clarify the risk factors associated with FRI in patients receiving open reduction and internal fixation for proximal humerus fracture. ⋯ This study revealed an infection rate following open reduction and internal fixation of proximal humerus fracture of 1.8% (9 patients) and that Staphylococcus was the most frequent causative organism. Glenohumeral fracture dislocation is a significant risk for postoperative FRI.
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Proximal fractures of the humerus are at high risk of osteonecrosis if the medial calcar is disrupted and the metaphyseal extension of the head fragment is <8mm. Risk factors for failure of osteosynthesis include: poor bone stock, varus dislocation, head dislocation and medial comminution. During surgical treatment of distal humerus fractures, one should aim to restore the arc and stabilize the columns. ⋯ Several surgical factors are associated with the development of radiocarpal osteoarthritis including the sagittal depth of the articular cavity and the anterior-posterior diameter of the fossa lunata of the distal radius. When managing fractures of the proximal tibia, a four- or more column classification system should be used to plan the surgical steps and choose the appropriate approach(es). In ankle fractures, intraoperative 3-D-Scan should be considered especially in the case of syndesmotic involvement or involvement of the posterior malleolus.