Infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve lesion following tibial nailing: it is possible to avoid it?

BACKGROUND: Iatrogenic injury to the infrapatellar branches of saphenous nerve is a common complication following tibial nailing. This lesion seems to be directly related to the surgical approach adopted for nail insertion. The aim of the present study was to systematically review the current literature in order to assess the eventual superiority of one surgical approach for tibial nailing over the others in limiting the neurological impairment related to infrapatellar branch injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The available literature was systematically screened searching papers dealing with iatrogenic injury to the infrapatellar branch of saphenous nerve after intramedullary tibial nailing. The terms "Saphenous" and "Infrapatellar branch" were used in combination with "intramedullary nailing" and "tibial fractures", supplying no limits regarding the publication year. Only publications in English were considered. Case reports, technical notes, instructional course, literature reviews, biomechanical and/ or in vitro studies were all excluded. Coleman methodological score was performed in all the retained articles. RESULTS: Four articles matched the inclusion criteria. There were one original article and three retrospective study. Hypoesthesia and a larger extension of the area of sensory-loss were more frequently observed after vertical incision approach in three out of four articles. A trend towards a lower rate of iatrogenic nerve damage using a transverse incision was found in the remaining one, without any statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: In order to avoid infrapatellar nerve lesion, horizontal or oblique incisions or percutaneous approaches should be favored, although in some cases a longitudinal incision is required. Limited-extension incisions could minimize the risk and the incidence of this complication.

Arthrodesis of the ankle joint in septic osteoarthritis: six years long term outcomes in authors' personal experience.

OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to evaluate the long-term clinical outcome of ankle arthrodesis, obtained by an extramedullary internal fixation with or without bone-grafting in the treatment of ankle' septic arthritis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients treated with arthrodesis by extramedullary internal fixation for septic arthritis of the ankle joint between January 2011 and December 2016 in the same hospital were included in our retrospective study. Patients were followed-up for a minimum of two years. To evaluate the quality of life, each patient filled in a short form of the physical and mental health summary scale and a visual analogue scale for pain. For the functional evaluation, the American Orthophaedic Foot and Ankle Society Score was used. Demographics and clinical data, including perioperative and postoperative complications, were evaluated. RESULTS: From January 2011 to December 2016, we performed 57 arthrodeses of the ankle joint with cannulated screws in 52 patients. Mean age was 52 years old. 48 patients (92%) had post-traumatic septic arthritis. The most frequently isolated pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 48% of patients reported a postoperative complication after three months; the most commonly reported complications were weight bearing ankle-foot pain (27%) and surgical wound dehiscence (12.25%). Nonunion was reported only in 8.75% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Ankle arthrodesis could allow painless gait, improving patients life quality, even after long-term follow-up, and is, therefore, a solution to be considered in patients affected by septic arthritis.

How to prevent dislocation after revision total hip arthroplasty: a systematic review of the risk factors and a focus on treatment options.

BACKGROUND: Dislocation represents the most common complication after revision total hip arthroplasty (rTHA). Understanding risk factors for dislocation has a great clinical relevance for every hip surgeon in order to consider all surgical options for effective planning. The aim of this systematic review was to answer two main questions-(1) what are the risk factors for instability after rTHA? and (2) what are the best preoperative assessments and surgical options to avoid dislocation after rTHA? MATERIALS AND METHODS: Scientific databases were accessed to identify papers dealing with prevention and treatment of dislocation after rTHA. We performed a search using the keywords 'revision hip arthroplasty' and 'dislocation', 'instability', 'outcome', 'failure', 'treatment'. After removal of duplicates and exclusion of works published in different languages, 33 articles were reviewed completely. RESULTS: Risk factors were analysed in order to establish the most relevant and evidence-based treatments available in the current literature. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of dislocation after rTHA can be reduced using some precautions inferred from the literature. The use of a larger femoral and acetabular component, elevated rim liner and dual mobility implants can significantly reduce the risk of dislocation after rTHA. However, care must be taken regarding patient-related risk factors since these cannot be addressed and modified. Hence, a complete evaluation of risk factors should be performed for each patient and procedure before starting rTHA.

Scanning electron, 3D-confocal and stereotactic microscopies morpho-structural analysis of antibiotic-loaded cement porosity in three different formulations.

Chronic osteoarticular infections such as osteomyelitis or periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) have become a growing problem over the years. The "gold standard" in local antibiotic administration is still the antibiotic-loaded acrylic bone cement (ALABC) which is used in both prophylaxis, because it has been shown it can reduce the risk of infection and used in therapy during a "two-stage surgery" in PJI or in chronic osteomyelitis. We performed morphological analysis of three different formulations of antibiotic-loaded cement (ALABC) using techniques of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and 3D immunofluorescence, in order to explain how the morphological aspects of cement could influence and modulate antibiotic elution.

Saphenous nerve injury during hamstring tendons harvest: Does the incision matter? A systematic review.

PURPOSE: Infrapatellar branch of saphenous nerve injury is a common complication following hamstring graft harvest during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. The direction of skin incision performed at proximal tibial metaphysis may affect the rate of iatrogenic nerve damage. Aim of the present systematic review was to evaluate evidence that would substantiate the adoption of one incision over another for hamstring graft harvesting. METHODS: The available literature was systematically screened searching studies dealing with iatrogenic injury to the saphenous nerve after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using hamstring tendons. A search was performed using the keywords "Saphenous" and "Infrapatellar branch" in combination with "Anterior cruciate ligament", "arthroscopy" and "hamstrings", supplying no limits regard the publication year. Coleman methodological score was performed in all the retained articles. RESULTS: Five articles matched the inclusion criteria. There were two randomized controlled trials, one prospective comparative study and two retrospective comparative series. Poor methodological quality was found overall. A vertical incision was found to significantly affect the presence of hypoesthesia and the extent of the area of sensory loss in three articles; no difference was registered in one, and a trend towards a lower rate of iatrogenic nerve damage using an oblique incision was found in the remaining one, without any statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Although the low methodological quality of the analysed studies does not permit to draw definitive conclusions, the anatomical course of the nerve along with the results obtained in the available studies seems to suggest lower rate of neurological impairment adopting an oblique incision. This kind of incision may therefore be preferred in the routine clinical practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review, Level II.

Isolate acetabular cup revision through the direct anterior hip approach: surgical technique, early experience and review of the literature.

Direct anterior approach to the hip allows perfect exposure of the acetabulum and an easy proximal and medial extension that makes it eligible for isolate acetabular cup revision although it is seldom used and there are only few published studies. On 23 consecutive acetabular revision (16 cases Paprosky grade 1 or 2, 5 cases 3A, 1 case 3B and 1 case 4) at an average 28-month follow up, we did not record failures or major complications. Early complications included prolonged wound healing in 4 cases and transient femoral cutaneous nerve palsy in 2 cases, the mean postoperative Harris Hip Score was 82.2 with 82.5% of excellent and good results. Our results are consistent with those reported in the literature with similar techniques. The direct anterior approach has shown excellent results for isolated cup revision, though is probably better suited for surgeons that have some experience with the same approach for primary cases.

Quantitative study on Vancomycin release from cement in 3 different formulations: preliminary results and antimicrobial activity.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the best preparation method of the cement powder mixture, solvent and antibiotic in order to obtain the greatest amount of antibiotic in the joint for the longest time as possible. At time T0 the three samples, packed in a sterile environment in different formulations, were placed in sterile tubes, adding to each one 5 ml of saline phosphate buffer solution (PBS) and put in a stove at 37°C for 24 h. A sample of PBS without cement (T control) was also created. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of the incubated liquid with cement was performed along with biochemical analysis with High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The analysis of the raw data demonstrated that at T1 there was a prevalence of antibiotic release from sample , compared to sample 2 and 3. This difference was maintained until the T20; from T21 the antibiotic release gradually leveled in 3 samples. The elution of the antibiotic remained detectable up to T60. Our work shows that the sample preparation is decisive on the quantity of released antibiotic. These results are confirmed by microbiological tests. It is useful to know the actual kinetics of antibiotics in articulation. Further studies are necessary to determine the effectiveness of antibiotic against micro-organisms and how long it acts.

Marchetti Vicenzi elastic retrograde nail in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures: review of the current literature.

Shoulder impairment following anterograde intramedullary nailing for humeral shaft fractures represents a challenging problem for the orthopedic surgeon. Traditional retrograde nailing lowers the rates of shoulder impairment although exposing the surgeons to severe technical issues related to the proximal interlocking. The Marchetti Vicenzi nail (MVN) permits a retrograde insertion along with a self-locking mechanism that lowers the risk of iatrogenic damage during proximal interlocking. Aim of this literature review was to evaluate all the case series dealing with MVN and the obtained results in terms of union rates, complications, and functional outcomes in order to evaluate evidence that would substantiate the adoption of MVN in the treatment of humeral shaft fractures. A search was performed using the keywords "humeral shaft fracture nail," "humeral retrograde nail," "humeral elastic nail," "Marchetti Vicenzi nail," "Marchetti nail," "Vicenzi nail." After accurate revision 13 articles found to be relevant with a total of 532 humeral fractures (traumatic and pathologic) and non-unions treated with MVN. The cumulative healing rate reported is 93.7 % with 6.3 % of non-unions. Despite the fact that obtained results compare favorably to the published data on the outcome of anterograde nailing, the evaluated studies presented a huge number of methodological flaws, thus making it difficult to recommend the adoption of MVN in preference of other better-validated forms of treatment.

[Column and upper limb muscoloskeletal disorders in drivers helpers]. / Valutazione dei disturbi e delle patologie muscolo- scheletriche del rachide e degli arti superiori in autisti soccorritori.

The past two decades have witnessed a sharp rise in the incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD) off the upper extremities and low back pain. The high frequency of these Pathologies and the estimated costs induced a large number of searcher to indentify causes etiological and preventive measure. Epidemiological surveys have inquired people mainly devoted to health clinic, where nurses and health assistants partner; are few data on the rescuers drivers and operators of emergencies. In the sample considered the 3.9% presented abnormalities in at least one section of the column, the 3.8% presented borne disorders of the cervical spine and backbone for the past 12 months. No major disturbances emerged dependents of the upper limbs, pain in the wrist, paraesthesia day and night; No subject also reported disturbances hands as evidenced from examination goal. The 2.3% reported having had an accident at work with prognosis of less than 30 days and 06% over 30 days. The results showed that, through prevention program it is possible to reduce musculoskeletal disorders in specific occupations such as drivers and operators of emergencies.