Acta Orthop Belg
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Nine patients were treated for complex tibial pilon and talus fractures or non unions from 1990 to 1997 using intramedullary nails introduced through the calcaneus. All patients were followed until healing. The average follow-up was 14 months. Failure of the procedure was defined by the occurrence of complications or reintervention. We used a modified Seidel nail in 5 cases, a tibial shaft nail in 3 cases, and a special nail in one case. All nails but two were locked. ⋯ The first two cases were foot reimplantations after traumatic amputation. Skeletal stabilization was obtained using a transplantar locked tibial nail. Revascularization attempts failed and an amputation was performed on the fourth day in one case. The reimplantation succeeded in the second case. Radiographic fusion was obtained in 2 months. The third case was a distal tibial shaft fracture. The patient was an obese mentally deficient and invalid woman. Bone union was achieved in four months. The last case was a primary arthrodesis for post-trauma necrosis of the talus. Radiographic fusion was observed 45 days after operation. Transplantar locked nailing offers an optimal stabilization for complex ankle fractures. We had two failures not related with the principle of the technique. We think that transplantar nailing is best indicated to obtain tibiotalar or tibiocalcaneal arthrodesis and to treat compound ankle fractures. Another indication could be distal tibial shaft fractures in invalid or mentally deficient patients.
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The author reports a case of fracture-dislocation of the ankle associated with a posterior dislocation of the proximal part of the fibula behind the tibia: Bosworth's fracture. Hugier first described this "new dislocation of the ankle" in 1848, and Bosworth classified it in 1947. ⋯ Open reduction was performed, followed by internal fixation of the fibula. A good functional result was obtained at 12 weeks.
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The results of the operative treatment of 27 humeral shaft fractures treated at the University of Louisville during a 2-year period were reviewed. The aim of this study was to analyze 1) the indications and results of surgical treatment, 2) the indications for nailing versus plating, and 3) the failures and their treatment (especially surgical nonunions). Indications for surgery were polytrauma patients (including open fractures, associated neurovascular injuries, associated ipsilateral forearm injuries) and isolated unstable fractures in which closed reduction failed. ⋯ The frequency was higher after plating (30%) than after nailing (20%), it was more common in comminuted fractures, middle third fractures and after insufficient distal locking. Exchange nailing resulted in union in 5 of the 7 cases. Although excellent results with low complication rates are reported in the recent literature following plate and screw osteosynthesis or locked intramedullary nailing, we found that operative treatment of difficult humeral shaft fractures is still fraught with a high complication rate.
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Thirty-one patients with fracture-dislocations of the tarsometatarsal joint were examined to assess the functional end results after a mean follow-up of 2.9 years (range 20 to 56 months). Sixty-one percent were polytrauma patients; 39% suffered isolated fractures. Forty-five percent had associated lesions of the tarsal joint complex (Chopart and subtalar joint). ⋯ An initial anatomical reduction did not guarantee excellent results but minimized the chance of late degenerative arthritis. Primary arthrodesis demonstrated no advantage in our series. Although partial arthrodesis may be necessary in severely comminuted joints, it cannot be routinely advocated and should be used as a salvage procedure.