[Not Available]. / Diagnostic clinique et paraclinique des infections ostéoarticulaires digitales dans les brûlures thermiques de la main.

Infectious complications of finger-joints in association with hand burns are common and dominated by osteoarthritis. However, this issue has hardly ever been addressed in the literature. This ailment can either be identified while patients with extensive burns are undergoing intensive care, or during patient rehabilitation. In the former instance, it is difficult to recognize because patient sedation means the clinical signs are not obvious. In the latter phase, however, the pain, swelling (tumefaction), stiffness and radiological signs are clear. These infections should be diagnosed as soon as possible in order to preserve the function of the hand.

Unusual clinical presentation of a partial tibialis anterior rupture.

Subcutaneous rupture of the tibialis anterior tendon is rare. Diagnosis is usually clear. The essential clinical symptoms are progressively: footdrop gait, loss of ankle flexion strength, ankle foot pain and claw toes. But the occurrence of an asymptomatic time period between the injury and the onset of clinical signs can make the diagnosis more difficult. MRI is the gold standard examination for tendons injuries and associated bone and joints damages. Surgical exploration confirms MRI findings. It constitutes the treatment of choice for tibialis anterior tendon rupture. Surgical or functional techniques used have an impact on the design of the rehabilitation program, essential step in the care management of these injuries. It avoids postoperative tendon adhesions and their functional consequences. We report here a case of a man presenting with footdrop gait as the only clinical symptom.

Patients with complicated Pott's disease: management in a rehabilitation department and functional prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective is to study the rehabilitation management and to assess autonomy in daily life activities as well as walking recovery in patients with complicated Pott's disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Retrospective study in nine patients over a period of 8 years extending from 2000 to 2008, collated in the Department of Physical Medicine and Functional Rehabilitation, CHU Sahloul, Sousse, Tunisia. RESULTS: The mean age of our patients was 43.8 years; sex ratio was 5/4. The spine involvement of tuberculosis was dorsal in seven cases, dorso-lumbar in one patient, and multiple (cervical, dorsal and lumbar) in one case. All patients were paraplegic with a neurological involvement of the bladder. They had prior antituberculosis chemotherapy for at least 8 months. Decompression surgery was performed in six cases. Two female patients presented disorders of spinal posture during treatment requiring surgical revision with osteosynthesis. All patients received additional rehabilitation care. Following a mean duration of hospitalisation in the Rehabilitation department of 47 days with twice-daily sessions of tailored physiotherapy, three patients remained in complete paraplegia, autonomous in wheel-chair and with vesical and sphincter incontinence. The measure of functional independence (MFI) was at admission/discharge 71/92. CONCLUSION: Rehabilitation takes an important place in the medico-surgical management in Pott's disease, to limite or compensate the disabilities and handicap related to this pathology.