How well are we managing fragility hip fractures? A narrative report on the review with the attempt to setup a Fragility Fracture Registry in Hong Kong.

INTRODUCTION: In setting up a disease registry for fragility fractures in Hong Kong, we conducted a retrospective systematic study on the management of fragility hip fractures. Patient outcomes were compared with the standards from our orthopaedic working group and those from the British Orthopaedic Association that runs a mature fracture registry in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Clinical data on fragility hip fracture patients admitted to six acute major hospitals in Hong Kong in 2012 were captured. These included demographics, pre- and post-operative assessments, discharge details, complications, and 1-year follow-up information. Analysis was performed according to the local standards with reference to those from the British Orthopaedic Association. RESULTS: Overall, 91.0% of patients received orthopaedic care within 4 hours of admission and 60.5% received surgery within 48 hours. Preoperative geri-orthopaedic co-management was received by 3.5% of patients and was one of the reasons for the delayed surgery in 22% of patients. Only 22.9% were discharged with medication that would promote bone health. Institutionalisation on discharge significantly increased by 16.2% (P<0.001). Only 35.1% of patients attended out-patient follow-up 1 year following fracture, and mobility had deteriorated in 69.9% compared with the premorbid state. Death occurred in 17.3% of patients within a year of surgery compared with 1.6% mortality rate in a Hong Kong age-matched population. CONCLUSIONS: The efficiency and quality of acute care for fragility hip fracture patients was documented. Regular geri-orthopaedic co-management can enhance acute care. Much effort is needed to improve functional recovery, prescription of bone health medications, attendance for follow-up, and to decrease institutionalisation. A Fracture Liaison Service is vital to improve long-term care and prevent secondary fractures.

Bicycle and motorcycle wheel spoke injury in children.

PURPOSE: To review bicycle and motorcycle wheel spoke injuries around the foot and ankle in 24 children. METHODS: Medical records of 12 boys and 12 girls aged 2 to 11 (mean, 5.3) years who presented with an isolated posterior heel injury caused by wheel spokes of a motorcycle (n=9) or bicycle (n=15) were reviewed. RESULTS: All 9 motorcycle injury patients and 8 of 15 bicycle injury patients had lacerations. The remaining 7 bicycle injury patients had abrasions and developed skin necrosis and ulcerations, with 5 requiring debridement. The most common site of laceration was the posterolateral heel; 7 of these patients had deep soft tissue injury, and in 5 the Achilles tendon was partially cut or completely severed. The mean number of operations was 2.2 in the motorcycle group and 1.3 in the bicycle group. Seven patients with severe skin loss required skin grafting or flap surgery for wound coverage. The mean time from injury to definitive treatment was 8.2 days. The mean length of hospital stay was 18.4 days in the motorcycle group and 8.1 days in the bicycle group. Delayed definitive treatment was associated with more operations (r=0.499, p=0.013) and longer hospital stay (r=0.567, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: Wheel spoke injuries may result in severe soft tissue damage and bony trauma. Poor prognostic factors included high-energy injury, contamination and infection, and delayed treatment.

Orthopaedic training in China: experiences from the promotion of orthopaedic specialist training in China.

There is no unified national training system for orthopaedic surgeons in China. With such rapid progress in many aspects of life in China, there is an imminent need for improvement in the training of orthopaedic specialists. Since 2003 the orthopaedic community in Hong Kong has been working in collaboration with their colleagues in mainland China to develop a training system for orthopaedic surgery. We adopted the system from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd), setting up a trial centre in the Beijing Jishuitan hospital in 2006, with trainers and trainees attaining the standards set by RCSEd and the Hong Kong College of Orthopaedic Surgeons (HKCOS). This trial is ongoing, with the success of two trainees who passed the exit examination in 2010 and became the first Chinese orthopaedic surgeons with a joint fellowship of both the RCSEd and the HKCOS. Following this inaugural success, we are confident that China will develop a training system for orthopaedic surgeons to a consistently high international standard.

Premature closure of distal fibular growth plate: a case of longitudinal syndesmosis instability.

Post-traumatic premature closure of distal fibular growth plate is a rare entity and results in shortened lateral malleolus. This can lead to lateral wedging of distal tibial epiphysis, valgus ankle and medial ankle instability. Ramsey and Hamilton noted experimentally that loss of fibular length caused a dramatic lateral shift in tibiotalar surfaces. Even a displacement of as little as 1 mm will distort the areas of tibiotalar contact and lead to early joint degeneration. Colton believed it is due to the oblique articular surface of the malleolus is no longer closely applied to the talus. We present a case of premature closure of distal fibular physis with lateral malleolar shortening. Ankle arthroscopy demonstrated syndesmosis instability resulted from shortened lateral malleolus and stability restored after fibular lengthening.

Rice-body formation in atypical mycobacterial tenosynovitis and bursitis: findings on sonography and MR imaging.

OBJECTIVE: This article describes rice bodies found in patients with atypical mycobacterial tenosynovitis and bursitis, emphasizing the sonographic and MR imaging appearances of these small bodies. CONCLUSION: Rice bodies occur in patients with atypical mycobacterial tenosynovitis and bursitis. When small, rice bodies are better visualized on MR imaging than on sonography, allowing the radiologist to consider appropriate diagnoses.

Hip pain and childhood malignancy.

In children, neuroblastoma can mimic various orthopaedic pathologies and this may create difficulties for doctors in reaching the correct diagnosis. Stage IV neuroblastoma was initially diagnosed as transient synovitis in this case report of a 7-year-old girl presenting with hip and low back pain.

Internal fixation of valgus-impacted humeral head fractures using the screw-wiring technique.

Between February 1996 and July 2000 eight patients (ages 35-74 years) with nine severely impacted humeral head fractures were operated on with the aim of preserving the humeral heads. Patients were treated surgically with open reduction, autologous bone grafting, and internal fixation with a screw-wiring technique. There were no complications and all patients were satisfied with the results. After 10-63 months there was no evidence of nonunion, arthritis, avascular necrosis, or loosening of implants. The mean Constant score was 83 (66-97) points. Results of this study support the observation that four-part valgus-impacted humeral head fractures without significant lateral displacement have a low incidence of avascular necrosis.

Cheiro-oral syndrome: identification of the lesion sites and a proposal for its clinical classification.

Five cases suffering from unilateral paresthesia over the corner of the mouth and the hand on the same side were examination for cheiro-oral syndrome. Of these, three cases were typical and the other were variant cases associate with transient hemi-signs. Lesion sites were identified by computed tomographic (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or both. Of the five patients, lesions were due to thalamic infarction in three cases, pontine hemorrhage in one case, and tumor compression on the right frontoparietal lobe in the last case. The pathophysiology of all cases were classified according to location of the lesion on the thalamus, the pons, and the parietal lobe, which are the usual anatomical sites responsible for this syndrome. Based on the three typical cases and thirteen cases cited from the English literature, a clinical classification has been established. The classification is based on age at the time of onset, gender, lesion site, etiology, risk factors, and certain clinical features. These sixteen cases fell into three distinct groups: a) those in which the thalamic lesions were related to infarction, b) those in which tumors, or in rare cases infarction, were found in the parietal lobe, and c) those in which hemorrhage occurred in the pons. Using this classification, the cheiro-oral syndrome can be more systematically defined.

Unstable phalangeal fractures: treatment by A.O. screw and plate fixation.

A prospective study of fifty-two fresh traumatic unstable fractures of the proximal or middle phalanges of the hand in forty-seven patients was reviewed. All the fractures were fixed with A.O. miniature screws and plates. The overall results were not satisfactory and complications were frequent. Only 26.9% of the fractures had good results. Fractures associated with significant soft tissue injuries had very poor results. When the present series was compared with a comparable group of fractures fixed with Kirschner wires, there was no significant improvement in the results. The unsatisfactory outcome of this group of unstable fractures may be largely due to the frequent association with poor prognostic factors.

A splint for controlled active motion after flexor tendon repair. Design, mechanical testing, and preliminary clinical results.

A splint for controlled active motion after flexor tendon repair is described. It incorporates a single core-coated elastic band passing around a palmar pulley and attached proximally to a spring wire. Its mechanical properties were tested against six other systems. The tension in various systems all rose near full extension. However, the palmar pulley, the spring wire, and the elastic band each could lower the tension significantly. When the bending moments at the interphalangeal joints were measured, all systems produced a peak during the latter part of extension. With the palmar pulley, spring wire, and elastic band, the rise was minimal and in fact, the bending moments diminished near full extension. Initial results in 28 flexor tendon repairs using this splint showed less flexion contracture when compared with 78 flexor tendon repairs using a standard rubber band anchored at the wrist.

A prospective study on 284 digital fractures of the hand.

We report a prospective study on 284 digital fractures of the hand in 235 patients. Management followed clear guidelines set out in a protocol. Important factors in the selection of the treatment method were, acceptable alignment, functional stability, and associated "significant" soft tissue injuries. "Functionally" stable fractures treated by free mobilization had satisfactory results. Unstable fractures treated by splints or Kirschner wire fixation produced unsatisfactory results. "Open fracture," "comminuted fracture," and "associated significant soft tissue injuries" were identified as unfavorable prognostic factors. The anatomic site of the fractures was not important in determining the final outcome. About 15% of the displaced fractures became functionally stable after closed reduction and their results were comparable with the undisplaced fractures. About 30% of the patients had various degrees of difficulty after they returned to work. About 14% of the patients eventually changed their jobs because of their residual disability.