Proximal femur fracture non-union with or without implant failure: A revision technique with clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: This manuscript presents a revision surgical technique with clinical outcomes for the management of inter and subtrochanteric femur fracture non-union with or without implant failure. METHODS: Between January 2010 and January 2019, consecutive patients presenting with inter and subtrochanteric femur fracture non-union and/or implant failure managed with exchange intramedullary nailing, LCP augmentation and biological supplementation were identified. Patient demographics and perioperative data was recorded. RESULTS: 13 patients with 10 intertrochanteric and 3 subtrochanteric femur fractures were identified. Revision was performed for implant failure in 8 (62%) patients and non-union in 5 (38%) patients. Fracture union occurred in all patients at an average of 9 months post revision. CONCLUSIONS: Exchange intramedullary nailing, with LCP augmentation and biological supplementation is an effective technique to restore anatomy, maintain function and facilitate immediate weight bearing while providing a fixation construct able to withstand the often extended time periods required to achieve fracture union.

Acute atraumatic bilateral acetabular insufficiency fractures.

Bilateral acetabular fractures have been documented in the setting of high-energy trauma, but few reports regarding atraumatic bilateral acetabular fractures exist. The following is a case report of bilateral insufficiency acetabular fractures which occurred acutely in the absence of trauma in a 49-year-old female. The case highlights the importance of perioperative awareness of those patients at significant risk of insufficiency fractures and offers a relatively elegant, less invasive solution for early mobilization in the context of acetabula insufficiency fractures.

Damage control surgery: current state and future directions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Damage control surgery (DCS) represents a staged surgical approach to the treatment of critically injured trauma patients. Originally described in the context of hepatic trauma and postinjury-induced coagulopathy, the indications for DCS have expanded to the management of extra abdominal trauma and to the management of nontraumatic acute abdominal emergencies. Despite being an accepted treatment algorithm, DCS is based on a limited evidence with current concerns of the variability in practice indications, rates and adverse outcomes in poorly selected patient cohorts. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent efforts have attempted to synthesize evidence-based indication to guide clinical practice. Significant progress in trauma-based resuscitation techniques has led to improved outcomes in injured patients and a reduction in the requirement of DCS techniques. SUMMARY: DCS remains an important treatment strategy in the management of specific patient cohorts. Continued developments in early trauma care will likely result in a further decline in the required use of DCS in severely injured patients.

Morphology of the humeral insertion of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons: Application to rotator cuff repair.

In shoulder surgery, a precise understanding of anatomical relationships is required for accurate reconstruction. Reports in recent literature have challenged the traditional definitions of the humeral footprints of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons. This study aims to precisely delineate these footprints. The rotator cuffs of 54 shoulders from 27 Australian Caucasoid donor cadavers were examined. The tendinous portions were dissected down to their region/footprint of attachment upon the humerus. Measurements of those footprints, upon the greater and lesser tuberosities, were made. Those measurements were statistically analyzed for any association with age, sex, height, or side. Twenty-seven cadavers had an average age at death of 74.9 (± 12.8), 56% were male, average height was 168 (± 8.6) cm. Due to premorbid fracture, or degeneration, 11 shoulders were excluded. The footprint of the supraspinatus was triangular, with a medial, anteroposterior length of 20.4 ± 4.2 mm. Its lateral anteroposterior length was 6.3 ± 1.6 mm and its maximal mediolateral width was 6.6 ± 2.7 mm. Its calculated area was 122.0 ± 66.6 mm(2). The footprint of the infraspinatus was trapezoidal, with a medial anteroposterior length 22.6 ± 3.0 mm. Its lateral anteroposterior length was 25.4 ± 3.3mm and its maximal mediolateral width was 12.0 ± 2.7 mm. Its calculated area was 294.9 ± 74.1 mm(2). There was no statistical correlation between size of the footprint and age, sex, side, or height. The humeral footprints of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons upon the greater tuberosity were distinct. The lateral border of the infraspinatus' humeral attachment extended much farther anteriorly upon the highest facet of the greater tuberosity than in traditional descriptions.