Der Unfallchirurg
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We report on a soldier with a gunshot wound to the midfoot. The diaphysis of MT 5 was pounded to pieces and there was a fracture in the diaphysis of MT 4. After debridement and fixation of MT 4 and MT 5 to MT 2 and 3 via two Kirschner wires we conducted a second look procedure with reconstruction of MT 5 via a piece of iliac crest. After eight weeks of unloading and removal of the last wire we started to put successively heavier weight on the foot.
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Multicenter Study
[Interdisciplinary treatment in geriatric traumatology from the trauma surgeons' perspective : Results of a survey in Germany].
Many patients treated on trauma surgery wards are geriatric trauma patients. To improve treatment of these often multimorbid patients, various interdisciplinary treatment concepts have been established in Germany between trauma surgeons and geriatricians. ⋯ The results of this survey underline the impact and the positive experiences in orthogeriatric services. Solutions have to be found to address the emerging problem of capacity constraints.
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Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries are still often overlooked and treatment of a ruptured PCL is inherently different in comparison to anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL). Conservative treatment is the first-line therapy for acute isolated PCL injuries leading to good clinical and biomechanical results. ⋯ The same is true for high grade chronic PCL insufficiency. Meticulous classification of PCL injuries taking all stabilizing factors of the knee joint as well as the time from injury into account are essential for successful treatment of PCL injuries.
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Clinical studies do not allow a quantitative correlation between stability of fracture fixation and outcome of bone healing. This limits the biomechanical improvement of fracture fixation techniques. The most practical quantitative parameter to describe the stability of a fracture fixation is the stiffness. ⋯ To circumvent complex and time consuming calculations for several fixations a map was calculated which shows the expected bone healing quality as a function of the axial stiffness and the shear stiffness of the fixation device. By comparing the stiffness of various fixation techniques with the stiffness map it becomes evident that the methods most often used (e.g. unreamed nail, plate and external fixator) have a low shear and/or rotational stiffness that is too low to achieve the optimal healing outcome. The high axial stiffness of plates next to the plate surface can lead to very low tissue strain directly adjacent to the plate and can delay the bone healing process at this location.
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Volume therapy is a cornerstone of early resuscitation of severely injured trauma patients, but the optimal strategy remains under debate. A recent Cochrane review could not find evidence for or against early volume replacement or large versus small amounts of fluid. ⋯ Current guidelines and recommendations advocate the initiation of volume replacement at a reduced level in bleeding and hypotensive trauma patients in terms of "permissive hypotension," with the aim of maintaining mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) at 65 mm Hg and/or target systolic blood pressure at 80-90 mm Hg so as not to exacerbate the bleeding until its source can be controlled. Advanced Trauma Life Support principles, together with independent measurements of hemoglobin, base excess, and/or lactate, are recommended as sensitive tests for assessing the extent of bleeding and shock. Isotonic crystalloid solutions should be used as first-line volume replacement in bleeding, hypotensive trauma patients. Specific recommendations apply for patients with traumatic brain injury.