Negative Pressure Wound Therapy for Gas Gangrene of the Fingertip with Prolonged Infection.

Background: We encountered a case of infected soft tissue defect of the fingertip treated using negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT). The development of NPWT was started in the early 1990s, and it is a relatively new treatment method included in insurance coverage in Japan in 2010. NPWT is used for intractable wounds; some reports have examined its use on infected wounds. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has examined its use on infected fingertip wounds. Methods: A patient with an infected soft tissue defect in the fingertip whose epithelialization period was prolonged despite continued antibiotic therapy was treated using NPWT in combination. Results: After NPWT was started, signs of infection and wound granulation were good. Additionally, completion of epithelialization was confirmed 7 weeks after NPWT started. Conclusions: Conventionally, skin flap or graft by hand surgeons have been performed on fingertip soft tissue defects with infection. NPWT does not require specialized and advanced surgical techniques; treatment for infected soft tissue defects can be administered by anyone if they have the required skills. In conclusion, NPWT may be considered a suitable alternative when treatment options such as flaps and skin grafts are not feasible.

Refractory peroneal spastic flat foot successfully treated with a cast in a girl.

An 11-year-old girl presented with pain in the sinus tarsi and a foot deformity after spraining her left foot. She had flat foot due to spasticity of the peroneal tendon, which was difficult to correct manually. An imaging study revealed an accessory anterolateral talar facet (AALTF) and bone marrow oedema at the lateral aspect of the posterior talocalcaneal joint. We diagnosed peroneal spastic flat foot with possible involvement of sinus tarsi syndrome and AALTF. When conservative therapy failed, we applied a cast with the foot in full plantar flexion and an inverted position. After 4 weeks, the patient had a normal range of motion in the foot, the pain had resolved completely and the peroneal spasticity had disappeared. Orthopaedic treatment with a cast may be worth attempting before surgery in such cases.

Inflammation and Bone Metabolism in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Molecular Mechanisms of Joint Destruction and Pharmacological Treatments.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease characterized by a variety of symptoms and pathologies often presenting with polyarthritis. The primary symptom in the initial stage is joint swelling due to synovitis. With disease progression, cartilage and bone are affected to cause joint deformities. Advanced osteoarticular destruction and deformation can cause irreversible physical disabilities. Physical disabilities not only deteriorate patients' quality of life but also have substantial medical economic effects on society. Therefore, prevention of the progression of osteoarticular destruction and deformation is an important task. Recent studies have progressively improved our understanding of the molecular mechanism by which synovitis caused by immune disorders results in activation of osteoclasts; activated osteoclasts in turn cause bone destruction and para-articular osteoporosis. In this paper, we review the mechanisms of bone metabolism under physiological and RA conditions, and we describe the effects of therapeutic intervention against RA on bone.