Eur J Trauma Emerg S
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Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Dec 2008
Postoperative Protocol in the Prevention of Fragility Fractures in Patients with Osteoporosis-Related Fractures.
Osteoporosis is a multifactorial disorder that requires advanced diagnostic evaluation tools. It should not be considered to be an inevitable disease entity or as a logical consequence of the physiological ageing process. Osteoporosis can be diagnosed and - more importantly - properly treated. ⋯ Basic measures for fracture prevention, including dietary supplements of calcium and vitamin D, should be recommended and implemented for all patients, whereas only those patients with the diagnosis of a manifest osteoporosis should receive a specific pharmacotherapy. Antiresorptive and anabolic drugs that are licensed for the treatment of men or postmenopausal women with osteoporosis have been shown to effectively reduce the incidence of vertebral and non-vertebral fractures. An evaluation of the treatment efficiency should also be performed, such as routine clinical re-evaluation and the measuring of the bone mineral density by dual X-ray absortiometry, every 18-24 months after the initiation of the pharmacotherapy.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Dec 2008
Should Echogenic Material in the Urinary Bladder Noticed on FAST Preclude Urinary Catheter Insertion in a Trauma Patient Until Further Evaluation?
Serious urethral and bladder injuries are most often associated with severe blunt trauma. The most common diagnostic tool used to assess lower urinary tract injuries is a retrograde urethrogram. However, the decision to place a Foley catheter is often made on clinical grounds during initial stabilization phase of a trauma victim. If there is a clinical suspicion of a urethral injury, a Foley catheter should not be introduced until further evaluation is made. Focused abdominal sonography for trauma (FAST) is a major tool for primary evaluation of trauma victims. Treating trauma patients, we encountered an unusual "pick up", namely, blood clots in the urinary bladder in two patients. ⋯ We report on two cases of severely traumatized patients on which FAST examination detected an echogenic material in the bladder. This correlated with severe injuries to the urethra and urinary bladder. Moreover, ignorance of this finding in a patient without obvious clinical signs of urethral injury (Patient 1) led to a Foley catheter insertion, and as a consequence, a complex jatrogenic injury to the urethra. On the basis of this study, we hypothesize that the presence of an echogenic material on FAST examination should be considered blood until proven otherwise, and a urinary bladder catheter should not be passed, even in the absence of clinical signs of urethral injury. Since urogenital trauma is rare, this concept should be validated in the prospective study in a high-volume trauma center.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Dec 2008
Aseptic Osteonecrosis of the Humeral Head After Anterior Shoulder Dislocation.
Anterior shoulder dislocation is a very common trauma and the main complications are well documented. We report a case of aseptic osteonecrosis of the humeral head following an isolated episode of anterior glenohumeral dislocation without fracture that, to our knowledge, has never been reported in the literature. A 17-year-old male patient sustained an anterior glenohumeral dislocation following a sport accident. ⋯ A radiologically identified aseptic osteonecrosis appeared 6 months later. The instability had been arthroscopically treated. At a follow-up of 4 years, the osteonecrosis has been stabilized leaving a mild arthrosis with stiffness, but without pain.
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Osteoporosis is a disease that leads to fragility fractures due to the loss of bone mass and bone microstructure. This review presents an update on the fundamental pathophysiological and pathomorphological mechanisms of bone loss. Pathomorphological characteristics such as perforations and microcallus formations are explained. ⋯ Hormones, such as estrogen, follicle stimulating hormone, and leptin, transcription factors, such as Runx2 and osterix, and the wnt signaling pathway are discussed in terms of their roles in bone cell differentiation and function. On the basis of current knowledge, osteoporosis can be diagnosed and treated and fractures can be prevented. However, it is likely that new and even more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies will emerge as our understanding of the remodeling process that controls osteoblast and osteoclast function increases.
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Eur J Trauma Emerg S · Dec 2008
The Second Most Common Bone Disease: A Review on Paget's Disease of Bone.
Paget disease of bone (PDB) is the second most common metabolic bone disease. It is a chronic disease with a mono- or polyostotic appearance that is characterized by an increased bone turnover. The orthopedic surgeon is often confronted with such symptoms and complications as bone pain, skeletal deformities, and pathologic fractures caused by the "out-of-balance bone remodeling process". ⋯ Patients with PDB are at increased risk for surgical complications, such as blood loss and heterotopic bone formation, if operative treatment is necessary. However, advances in surgical techniques and accompanying medical treatment could potentially improve the overall outcome of these patients. To achieve that goal, careful perioperative interdisciplinary management and monitoring are essential.