Corticosteroid Injection for the Treatment of Trigger Finger: A Meta-Analysis of Randomised Control Trials.

Background: The purpose of this meta-analysis is to provide an evidence-based overview of the effectiveness of corticosteroid injection for the treatment of stenosing tenosynovitis (trigger digits). We have analysed only randomised control trials (RCTs) which compared the effectiveness of corticosteroid injections with control injections. Methods: The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Medline, Web of Science and Scopus were searched to identify relevant studies. The keywords for search in the database were ('stenosing tenosynovitis' OR 'trigger finger') AND injections. After screening titles and abstracts of these studies, full-text articles of studies that fulfilled the selection criteria were obtained. For the meta-analysis, we determined the pooled mean failure rate, odds ratio (OR), relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the risk of failure rate between the corticosteroid injection group and the control group through the random-effects model. Results: Six RCTs were found that involved 368 participants. The corticosteroid injection group included 190 patients and 178 patients were included in the control group. The pooled estimate of successful treatment in the corticosteroid injections group was 63.68 ± 5.32% and that in the control group was 27.53 ± 11.52%. The pooled RR of treatment failure between the corticosteroid injection group and the control group was 0.49 (95% CI 0.40-0.60). The pooled OR of treatment failure between the corticosteroid injection group and the control group was 0.18 (95% CI 0.08-0.44). All the included studies reported either mild or no complications with corticosteroids or placebo injections. Conclusions: In the treatment of stenosing tenosynovitis, the corticosteroid injections have better outcomes compared to the control injections and this meta-analysis provides significant evidence of the effectiveness of corticosteroid injection for stenosing tenosynovitis with minimal adverse effects. Level of Evidence: Level II (Therapeutic).

Is Flexion Gap Rectangular in Native Indian Knees? Results of an MRI Study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the flexion-gap of the native knees in the normal population and to assess any gender-specific variations in the flexion gap of the knees. METHODS: A total of 50 normal asymptomatic volunteers with normal knee radiographs were selected for MRI of the knee. The left knee was scanned in an open MRI using a T1-weighted sequence. Imaging was performed in neutral, passive varus and valgus stress at 90° of knee flexion by placing custom-made blocks on a special board consecutively below the distal part of the leg. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 26 males and 24 females with a mean age of 25.77 years. Under varus stress, the mean lateral flexion gap increased to 9.28 ± 1.53 mm and under valgus stress, the mean medial flexion gap increased to 2.75 ± 1.22 mm from neutral. The increase in the flexion gap on the lateral side was 5.28 ± 1.79 mm, which was significantly higher compared to that on the medial side. In gender-specific analysis, the mean lateral flexion gap was 10.21 mm in females and 8.46 mm in males under varus stress. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study indicate that the lateral soft tissues are more lax compared to the medial soft tissue structures and this laxity is higher in females as compared to males. The study provides evidence of the existing physiological variations of these soft tissue structures resulting in a trapezoidal flexion gap in the native knees rather than the recommended rectangular gap.

A Shepherd's Crook Deformity of Proximal Femur Treated by Valgus Osteotomy and Bone Grafting.

The Shepherd's crook deformity of the proximal femur is a characteristic radiologic feature of fibrous dysplasia. It may be limited to a single bone, which is called monostotic, or may be polyostotic involving multiple bones as seen in McCune-Albright Syndrome. We report a case of a 19-year-old male patient who presented to us with pain in the right hip for one year. He had dysmorphic facies and multiple café-au-lait spots over the back, which were suggestive of McCune-Albright Syndrome. The radiographs of the hip showed varus deformity of the proximal femur. A lateral closing wedge osteotomy was done and the defect was filled with morselised femoral head allografts and fibular strut allografts. At the 14-month follow-up, the patient remained functionally active without any symptoms. The use of morselised femoral head allograft combined with strut fibular allograft ensures both stability and improved biology at the site of the lesion without any donor site morbidity.

Giant Intramuscular Myxoma of Thigh- A Rare Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Myxoid soft tissue tumors consist of a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal neoplasms with a hallmark of the abundant extracellular myxoid matrix. Intramuscular myxomas are rare benign tumor affecting the musculoskeletal system. The common sites include the thigh, upper arm, calf, and the buttocks. Magnetic resonance imaging is the radiological modality of choice in diagnosing these cases, while tissue biopsy is the gold standard. CASE PRESENTATION: A 70-year-old male presented to orthopedics out-patient department with complaints of a humongous swelling engulfing his right thigh all around. The gradual and progressive appearance of burning sensations and rest pain around the affected area with difficulty in bearing weight, over the past 6-7 months forced him to seek medical attention. Biopsy and imaging were performed followed by final excision. The tumor was removed En-bloc and post-operative period was uneventful. The patient did not show any signs recurrence and was asymptomatic until the final followup of 26 months. CONCLUSION: Myxomatous swelling mimics an intramuscular lipoma, sarcoma, hematoma, or a hemangioma and must be carefully evaluated. En-bloc excision without spillage is the treatment of choice which ensures long and lasting recovery.

Focus on uncommon symptoms of COVID-19: Potential reason for spread of infection.

Focus on uncommon symptoms of COVID-19: Potential reason for spread of infection.

Hoffa's Fracture with Associated Injuries Around the Knee Joint: An Approach to a Rare Injury.

Fractures of the distal femur typically occur in the axial and sagittal planes. A Hoffa fracture is a coronal plane fracture of the femoral condyle, which accounts for 8.7% to 13% of distal femoral fractures. It is usually associated with other injuries around the knee joint and hence is often missed. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review of papers published in the English language using PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Database, which reported Hoffa's fracture associated with other injuries around the knee joint. We selected 11 eligible papers for final analysis and review. These papers had 12 patients with Hoffa's fracture, with associated injuries around the knee joint. The associated injuries with Hoffa's fracture were in the ipsilateral distal femur, proximal tibia fractures, patellar dislocation, patella fracture, and patellar tendon incarceration. The management principles for Hoffa's fracture with associated injuries around the knee joint are: having a high clinical index of suspicion for these injuries, obtaining all trauma series radiographs and computed tomography of the knee, achieving complete articular incongruity, and restoring the functions of the knee joint.

Impact of COVID -19 in cancer patients on severity of disease and fatal outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMSBACKGROUND: Currently there is limited knowledge on cancer and COVID-19; we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of cancer on serious events including ICU admission rate and mortality in COVID 19. METHODS: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials were searched on April 16, 2020, to extract published articles that reported the outcomes of cancer in COVID-19 patients. The search terms were "coronavirus" and "clinical characteristics" with no language or time restrictions. We identified 512 published results and 13 studies were included in the analysis. RESULTS: There were 3775 patients, of whom 63 (1·66%) had a cancer. The pooled estimates of ICU admission in COVID 19 patients with and without cancer were 40% versus 8·42%.The odds ratio of ICU admission rates between the cancer and non-cancer groups was 2.88 with a 95% CI of 1·18 to 7·01 (p = 0·026). The pooled estimates of death rate in COVID -19 patients with and without cancer were 20·83% versus 7·82%. The odds ratio of death rates between the cancer and non-cancer groups was 2.25 with a 95% CI ranging from 0·71 to 7·10 with p value of 0·166. The pooled prevalence of cancer patients was 2% (95 CI 1-4). CONCLUSIONS: Presence of cancer in COVID-19 leads to higher risk of developing serious events i.e. ICU admission, mechanical ventilation and mortality. The presence of cancer has a significant impact on mortality rate in COVID-19 patients.