Epidemiology of pelvic fractures in adults: Our experience at a tertiary hospital / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#Pelvic fractures are severe injuries and are often associated with multiple system injuries, exacerbating the overall outcome. In India, the incidence of pelvic fractures is on a rise due to suboptimal roads and traffics but related literature regarding the overall epidemiology of these injuries is scarce and scanty. Our aim was to study the epidemiology of patients admitted with pelvic fractures at a level 1 trauma centre in India.@*METHODS@#A 16-month (between September 2015 and December 2016) prospective observational study was carried out on trauma patients with pelvic fractures at a level 1 trauma centre of a tertiary care hospital. Demography of patients, mechanism of injuries and complications were recorded prospectively.@*RESULTS@#We observed 75 patients who presented with pelvic fractures, where 56 were males and 19 were females. Mean age of the study population was 37.57 years. Road traffic accidents were the most common mode of injuries. Lateral compression injuries were the most common pattern. Associated injuries frequently encountered were lower extremities and acetabulum fractures, blunt abdominal trauma, urogenital injuries and head injuries. Out of the 75 patients, 52 were treated surgically and 23 were managed by conservative methods. Associated injuries of the extremities, head, abdomen and urogenital system indicated a longer hospital stay.@*CONCLUSION@#Pelvic fractures, although belong to a relatively rare trauma subset, cause a high morbidity and mortality with considerable burden on the economy. Proper road safety training and driving etiquettes along with its strict implementation in true sense and spirit are the need of the hour.

A rare combination of fractures around the elbow: Bony variant of terrible triad / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Radial head and coronoid fractures without posterior dislocation of the elbow have not been recorded in the literature. There is no literature documenting the combined fractures of the radial head, capitellum and coronoid process together in the same elbow. This is a case report highlighting this combination of fractures in a 30 year old patient treated with open reduction and internal fixation of all three fractures. The patient was followed up for 28 months and had a good range of motion of the elbow without any instability. Thus such a triad with no ligamentous injuries could depict a bony variant of terrible triad and a mechanism for such an injury has also been explained.

Humeral shaft fracture with ipsilateral shoulder dislocation / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Although fracture of the humeral shaft or dislocation of the shoulder joint is a common injury, a simutaneous injury is rare. We present such a case combined with head injury which took precedence over the skeletal injuries. The postoperative rehabilitation was slowed down by the head injury. This case report makes us aware of some problems when managing the patient with this rare injury and helps us understand the management options better. Also the need for proper follow-up and rehabilitation is emphasized.

Cephalomedullary fixation for femoral neck/intertrochanteric and ipsilateral shaft fractures: surgical tips and pitfalls / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Surgical management options for femoral shaft fracture and ipsilateral proximal femur fracture vary from single-implant to double-implant fixation. Cephalomedullary fixation in such fractures has relative advantages over other techniques especially because of less soft tissue dissection and immediate postoperative weight bearing with accelerated rehabilitation. However, the surgery is technically demanding and there is a paucity of literature describing the surgical techniques for this fixation. The aim of the study was to describe the surgical technique of cephalomedullary fixation for femoral shaft fracture and ipsilateral proximal femur fracture.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Sixteen cases (10 males and 6 females with a mean age of 41.8 years) of ipsilateral proximal femur and shaft fractures were treated by single-stage cephalomedullary fixation at tertiary level trauma center in northern India. The fractures were classified according to AO classification. An intraoperative record of duration of surgery as well as technical challenges unique to each fracture pattern was kept for all the patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The most common proximal femoral pattern was AO B2.1 observed in 9 of our patients. The AO B2.3 fractures were seen in 4 patients while the AO A1.2 fractures in 3 patients. Four of the AO B2.1 and 2 of the AO B2.3 fractures required open reduction with Watson-Jones approach. The mean operative time was around 78 minutes, which tended to decrease as the surgical experience increased. There was only one case of malreduction, which required revision surgery.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Combination of ipsilateral femoral shaft fracture and neck/intertrochanteric fracture is a difficult fracture pattern for trauma surgeons. Cephalomedullary nail is an excellent implant for such fractures but it requires careful insertion to avoid complications. Surgery is technically demanding with a definite learning curve. Nevertheless, a majority of these fractures can be surgically managed by single-implant cephalomedullary fixation by following basic surgical principles that have been summarized in this article.</p>

Iatrogenic brachial artery injury during anterolateral plating of humeral shaft fracture / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

There are several well defined indications for surgical management of humeral shaft fractures. Operative procedures on the humerus are associated with their own complications. Iatrogenic brachial artery injury as a complication of humeral shaft plating has not been reported previously. We report a case of a 48 years old female, who received operation at a district hospital and was referred to us when the surgeon could not palpate the pulse. CT angiogram showed that there was segmental non-opacification of the brachial artery. There was distal reformation and the thrombosis was decided to be managed conservatively. We believe that the arterial injury was a result of improper surgical technique and the segmental block might be due to improper use of plate holding forceps. This case report makes us aware of a rare complication of operative management of humeral shaft fractures and that basic principles of surgery must be always followed to prevent such injuries.

Inferior dislocation of the hip: a case series and literature review / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Inferior hip dislocation is the rarest type among all hip dislocations. Very few cases have been reported in the English literature. Most of the earlier reported cases involves the pediatric age group. No single case series could be found in the English literature. We came across 4 cases of inferior hip dislocation with a varied age profile (range 10 to 56 years, mean 33.8 years). Patients with this disease usually complained of pain and kept the thigh flexed and abducted. The diagnosis can be confirmed by radiographs which reveal that the long axis of the femur varies in alignment with respect to the spine from parallel to an angle almost 90 degree away from the axis. In our series, closed reduction was successful in all patients, either under sedation or general anaesthesia. Skin traction for a period of 6 weeks was applied in all of them and follow-up revealed pain-free, stable and mobile hips. In this study we present the details of these cases along with a review of literature discussing the various modes and mechanisms that produce inferior hip dislocation.

Bilateral inferior dislocation of the hip---a case report / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Inferior dislocation of the hip is the ra- rest type in hip dislocation. Very few cases have been reported in the anglophonic literature, most of which involved the pediatric age group. Surprisingly, we came across a 30-year-old patient with a bilateral inferior hip dislocation. He had sustained a road traffic accident and the attitude of both hip joints was flexion and abduction. The diagnosis was confirmed by radiographs which revealed the long axis of the femur at an angle of 110 (right) degrees and 100 (left) degrees respectively away from the axis. Closed reduction under sedation was successfully performed. Skin traction for a period of 6 weeks was advised and the follow-up revealed an excellent result. We present the details of this case, the first of its kind along with a review of the literature, discussing the various modes and mechanisms of injury inducing inferior dislocation of the hip.

Double segmental tibial fractures--an unusual fracture pattern / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

A case of a 50-year-old pedestrian who was hit by a bike and suffered fractures of both bones of his right leg was presented. Complete clinical and radiographic assessment showed double segmental fractures of the tibia and multisegmental fractures of the fibula. Review of the literature revealed that this fracture pattern was unique and only a single case was reported so far. Moreover, we discussed the possible mechanisms which can lead to such an injury. We also discussed the management of segmental tibial fracture and the difficulties encountered with them. This case was managed by modern osteosynthesis technique with a pleasing outcome.

Simultaneous bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation: report of two cases and review of the literature / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

Bilateral shoulder dislocations are rare and almost always occur in the posterior direction. Simultaneous bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation is even rarer and only a few cases are stated in the literature. The most interesting part of a bilateral shoulder dislocation is about its injury mechanism as a synchronous and simultaneous force is needed to result in it. In cases of epilepsy or electrocution, the mechanism is different and the forceful contractions of the selective group of muscles result in the dislocation. This article reports two cases of bilateral simultaneous anterior shoulder joint dislocation that occurred after a road side accident and after an episode of convulsion in an epileptic patient. The dislocations were diagnosed early and reduced immediately with a proper postreduction rehabilitation. During their follow-up, both patients had sa-tisfactory functional outcome. This article emphasizes on the importance of shoulder examination in road side accident victims and epileptic patients. All orthopedic surgeons and emergency physicians should be aware of such unusual possibilities to have an early diagnosis and treatment. An early reduction and appropriate rehabilitation can provide satisfactory functional outcome. This article also briefly discusses the injury mechanisms, diagnoses and treatments of bilateral shoulder dislocation as reported in the literature.