Central metatarsal fractures: a review and current concepts.

Central metatarsal fractures (CMF) are common injuries. More frequently fractures are those of the fifth metatarsal, followed by CMF and therefore by the first metatarsal. Third metatarsal is injured most frequently than the others and up to 63% is associated with second or fourth metatarsal fractures and up to 28% with both. Anatomy and metatarsal kinematics merits attention due to its influence on function, injuries and treatment options. Diagnosis is based on the history of trauma and clinical examination, relating with instrumental exams. Fractures with less than 10° of angulation and 3-4 mm of translation in any plane are typically treated conservatively, while operative treatment is generally reserved for fractures out if these values. Intramedullary fixation with K-wires seem to be the most common and valid surgical treatment in simple fractures. Spiral fractures should be treated by interfragmentary screws, which positioning may result difficult due to the adjacent metatarsals. Therefore, an alternative approach is an osteosynthesis with a dorsal plate. Multiple metatarsal fractures often occur in the contiguous bones, so clinicians will also have to carefully inspect metatarsals and adjacent joints such as Lisfranc articulation. The clinical and functional outcomes are often influenced by the pattern of fractures and patient conditions and are reported in the literature up to 39% of poor results.

Post-traumatic cystic lesion following radius fracture: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic osseous cystic lesions represent a rare complication in children. Usually a post-fracture cyst is a lipid inclusion cyst, which is radiolucent and may be seen adjacent to a healing torus fracture. It is typically asymptomatic and appears just proximal to the fracture line within the area of subperiosteal new bone formation. CASE REPORT: We report a case of post-fracture cyst of the distal radius in an 8 year-old girl with spontaneous resolution. A fat-fluid level within the subperiosteal cystic lesion in MRI is a typical feature of post-traumatic cystic lesion in children. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: MRI or CT scan is sufficient to confirm the diagnosis of post-traumatic cystic lesions without the need for further management other than reassurance and advise that they may occasionally cause discomfort but resolve with time.

Late bleeding during anterior approach to the hip: case Report.

Vascular injuries represent an uncommon complication of total hip arthroplasty, with an incidence of 0.1-0.3% as reported in the literature. The aim of the study is the description of a case of late bleeding in a female patient undergoing surgery for total hip arthroplasty in right osteoarthritis through direct anterior approach. The treatment carried out was a selective embolization of the main ascending branch of the lateral circumflex artery. This was performed by placing two spirals following an angiography, which was revealing an active spreading of contrast at the right femoral circumflex ascending artery. The effectiveness of endovascular techniques for the treatment of early and late bleeding after surgery is pointed out.

Perioperative intravenous tranexamic acid reduces blood transfusion in primary cementless total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE WORK: Blood loss and transfusion requirements are common in total hip arthroplasty. Tranexamic acid is one of the most interesting options to reduce the need for blood transfusions in a variety of surgical settings. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of perioperative intravenous traxexamic acid regarding blood transfusion rate and volume of transfused blood without increasing adverse events after primary elective cementless total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: A comparative retrospective study was conducted in 86 healthy patients who had undergone primary cementless total hip artrhoplasty for severe joint diseases at a single institution. All surgical procedures were performed through an anterolateral Watson- Jones approach with the patient in supine position. Forty patients (TXA group) received tranexamic acid 1g as an intravenous bolus 10 minutes before skin incision and a further 1 g, diluted in 250 mL of saline solution, in continuous perfusion at 30 mL/h, following commencement of the surgery. Forty-six patients (control group) did not receive TXA. Outcome measures included BT rate, volume of transfused blood, deep vein thrombosis and occurrence of pulmonary embolism. RESULTS: BT rate was significantly less for the TXA group (37.5%) compared with the control group (65%; p=0.011). The mean blood volume transfused was also significantly less for the TXA group (240 mL) compared with the control group (450mL; p=0.009). No adverse events occurred in any group. Conclusons: Perioperative intravenous tranexamic acid is effective in reducing blood transfusion rate and volume of transfused blood, without increasing the risk of thromboembolic events in patients undergoing primary cementless total hip arthroplasty.

Rupture of the femoral component and severe metallosis of the knee 10 years after unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA): a case report.

A case of a 71-year-old man with femoral and tibial osteolysis and severe metallosis of the knee, resulting from abrasive wears of the metal components of a unicompartmental knee arthroplasty, that leaded to the rupture of the femoral component of the prosthesis is reported. An unicompartmental prosthesis, in a varus knee, was implanted in 2007. In March 2017, the patient felt that his knee was becoming increasingly unstable with pain and increasing disability. At clinical evaluation there was an effusion, 110° of flexion and - 10° of extension and a slight instability at the varus/valgus stress tests. BMI was 35. In a CT scan performed in June 2017 no signs of alteration were evident, but an X-Ray performed in January 2018 showed a rupture of the femoral component. A revision surgery was performed in February 2018. At the time of revision surgery, the synovitis and the metallosis were evident. A cemented total knee arthroplasty was performed. Samples of the fluid and surface did not show any bacterial growth. Histological examination confirmed the presence of a massive metallosis. The patient had a satisfactory rehabilitation. According to the literature, metallosis and rupture of the prosthetic components due to polyethylene wear after UKA is a common complication. In our case report the elevated BMI and varus knee accelerated the wear of the polyethylene. The aim of this case report is to enhance how an appropriate diagnosis (clinical and radiographic) and early treatment can lead to a successful result.

Results after revision of the stem in periprosthetic fractures of the hip.

Periprosthetic femoral fractures following primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) represent an emerging challenge for the orthopaedic surgeon, because of their increasing incidence and negative impact on clinical and functional patient outcome. For these reasons, in the last decade, many efforts were made to prevent and manage  this complication  and a large number of studies were focused on finding out the best treatment. The type of treatment depends on several factors such as morphology and location of the fracture, implant stability, quality and quantity of bone stock, patient's age and clinical conditions. Fractures that cause loosening of the stem always require its revision, with a contextual assessment of the quality and quantity of remaining bone stock, which is generally good in type B2 and poor in type B3 according to Vancouver's classification. The latter may require the use of bone grafts. In this context, the  authors performed the following study and analyzed the results of 45 patients treated surgically for periprosthetic femoral fractures with revision of the femoral stem during a fourteen years period, between June 1999 and June 2013.