No Major Differences in Recovery After Hip Fracture Between Home-Dwelling Female and Male Patients.

BACKGROUND: Studies comparing recovery of men and women after hip fracture have reported conflicting results, some reporting worse recovery in male patients, while others found no differences between genders. METHODS: Recovery was compared in 105 male and 433 female patients with hip fractures and in age-matched groups of patients 50 years or older, who were home-dwelling and received similar rehabilitation. Residential status, walking ability, hip pain and activities of daily living function were recorded at admission and 4 and 12 months postoperatively, along with mortality and re-operations. RESULTS: No differences were observed between men and women 4 and 12 months postoperatively regarding residential status (p = 0.181 vs p = 0.883), mortality rates (p = 0.232 vs p = 0.880) or total activities of daily living scores (p = 0.546 vs p = 0.435). Walking ability was better among male patients prefracture (p < 0.001) and 4 and 12 months after fracture (p < 0.001, p = 0.031, respectively). In age-matched pair analysis, no differences were found regarding mortality, residential status, walking ability, or ADL score. Cox regression analysis identified mortality risk factors as being age, prefracture ADL score, American Society of Anesthesiologists score 4-5 and place of rehabilitation. Sex was not mortality risk factor. INTERPRETATION: Home-dwelling male and female patients had similar courses of recovery from hip fracture, although there were singular differences in specific activities of daily living functions and postoperative pain. There were no differences in mortality, even when prefracture characteristics were considered. Mortality was higher among older patients and who had high American Society of Anesthesiologists scores and low prefracture activities of daily living scores.

Articular bone loss treated with a staged method using bone cement or beads as a spacer and subsequent autografting: a report of two cases.

Fractures with bone loss are rare. Cancellous autografting is commonly used to treat metaphyseal and diaphyseal traumatic bone loss, but little is known about the applicability of this method to the treatment of intra-articular bone loss. We report two cases of articular bone loss that were treated with a staged method of using antibiotic-impregnated bone cement in one case and beads in another as spacer in the primary phase and cancellous autografting in second-stage surgery.

RhBMP-7 accelerates the healing in distal tibial fractures treated by external fixation.

External fixation of distal tibial fractures is often associated with delayed union. We have investigated whether union can be enhanced by using recombinant bone morphogenetic protein-7 (rhBMP-7). Osteoinduction with rhBMP-7 and bovine collagen was used in 20 patients with distal tibial fractures which had been treated by external fixation (BMP group). Healing of the fracture was compared with that of 20 matched patients in whom treatment was similar except that rhBMP-7 was not used. Significantly more fractures had healed by 16 (p=0.039) and 20 weeks (p=0.022) in the BMP group compared with the matched group. The mean time to union (p=0.002), the duration of absence from work (p=0.018) and the time for which external fixation was required (p=0.037) were significantly shorter in the BMP group than in the matched group. Secondary intervention due to delayed healing was required in two patients in the BMP group and seven in the matched group. RhBMP-7 can enhance the union of distal tibial fractures treated by external fixation.

Nonunion after intramedullary nailing of humeral shaft fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To assess results of exchange nailing in nonunion after intramedullary (IM) nailing of humeral shaft fractures. METHODS: This was a retrospective study; 24 patients with nonunion after IM nailing of humeral shaft fractures were reviewed. In 13 cases, nonunion was treated using exchange nailing, and 11 patients were treated nonoperatively. Union was assessed from radiographs. Shoulder joint symptoms and function were assessed after a mean 4.7 years' follow-up using Constant-Murley scoring and self-administered questionnaires devised by L'Insalata et al. RESULTS: Single or repeated exchange nailing resulted in union in 6 of 13 patients. Shoulder joint function was satisfactory (mean Constant-Murley score of 72) for those patients whose fracture eventually united and poor (mean Constant-Murley score of 39) for those left with nonunion. CONCLUSION: Exchange nailing results in a poor union rate in nonunion after IM nailing of humeral shaft fractures. Permanent nonunion of the humeral shaft leaves the patient with severe disability.

Intramedullary nailing of humeral shaft fractures. A retrospective study of 126 cases.

Antegrade intramedullary nailing with four different implants was used in 126 humeral shaft fractures. There were 74 acute fractures, 17 pathologic fractures, 16 fractures malaligned in a hanging cast or brace, 15 fractures with delayed union and 4 fractures that were nailed after failed open reduction and internal fixation. The nonunion rate was 21/95 after primary operation, and after reoperations 14/95. Distraction of the fracture was a significant cause of nonunion, but not type of fracture, localization, implant, and delay between injury and surgery. Shoulder joint function was significantly impaired in 25/67 patients. The patients regarded the result as good or satisfactory in 41/67 of the cases who were followed mean 3 (0.5-10) years. We conclude that antegrade intramedullary nailing of humeral shaft fractures leads to a substantial risk of non-union and impairment of shoulder function. It can be recommended as primary treatment only when nonoperative treatment is likely to fail.

Homology of histone H1 variants with adenine nucleotide-binding proteins.

Significant homology was observed between the adenine nucleotide-binding domain in the catalytic subunit of bovine protein kinase A and the carboxy-terminal half of the globular domain of histone H1. A consensus sequence deducible from several previously characterized adenine nucleotide-binding sites is totally conserved in H1. In addition, several putative phosphate binding-sites were observed within the carboxyterminal tail and one in the cluster of basic amino acids in the aminoterminal tail. Both the putative adenine and phosphate-binding sites are well conserved through evolution in various species and in different H1 variants. The present data thus suggest that histone H1 variants may bind to adenine derivatives and imply that they may recognize a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA.