An unusual cause of genu valgum and persistent instability.

We present the case of a professional adolescent footballer who attended our clinic with ongoing instability symptoms and valgus knee deformity after conservative management of an medial collateral ligament injury. The patient was found to have sustained a contra-coup Salter Harris Type V injury to his lateral distal femur physis resulting in premature growth arrest and deformity. Salter Harris Type V injuries are rare, and often not diagnosed until growth has arrest has occurred due to lack of identifiable features on initial plain radiographs. The patient was successfully treated with opening wedge femoral osteotomy and plication of the medial collateral ligament. This case reinforces the need for awareness of such injuries to avoid delayed diagnosis and describes options for management.

Multiple sclerosis registries in Europe - results of a systematic survey.

BACKGROUND: Identification of MS registries and databases that are currently in use in Europe as well as a detailed knowledge of their content and structure is important in order to facilitate comprehensive analysis and comparison of data. METHODS: National MS registries or databases were identified by literature search, from the results of the MS Barometer 2011 and by asking 33 national MS societies. A standardized questionnaire was developed and sent to the registries' leaders, followed by telephone interviews with them. RESULTS: Twenty registries were identified, with 13 completing the questionnaire and seven being interviewed by telephone. These registries differed widely for objectives, structure, collected data, and for patients and centres included. Despite this heterogeneity, common objectives of the registries were epidemiology (n=10), long-term therapy outcome (n=8), healthcare research (n=9) and support/basis for clinical trials (n=8). While physician-based outcome measures (EDSS) are used in all registries, data from patients' perspectives were only collected in six registries. CONCLUSIONS: The detailed information on a large number of national MS registries in Europe is a prerequisite to facilitating harmonized integration of existing data from MS registries and databases, as well as comprehensive analyses and comparison across European populations.

Infected total knee arthroplasty due to postoperative wound contamination with Pasteurella multocida.

Pasteurella multocida is a small Gram-negative bacterium comprising part of the normal gastrointestinal and nasopharyngeal flora of domestic pets, such as dogs and cats. It rarely causes infection in humans. Previous reports of P multocida causing prosthetic joint infection have described either haematogenous spread of infection from a distant site through a scratch or bite, or reactivation of infection from a previous injury. We report a case of acute total knee arthroplasty joint infection becoming acutely infected by P multocida. We postulate that the mechanism of infection was direct contamination of the wound as a consequence of the patient being licked by his pet dog. We discuss the potential role played by thromboprophylaxis as a factor contributing to prolonged wound leak.

The young osteoarthritic knee: dilemmas in management.

As a result of increasing life expectancies, continuing physical careers, lifestyles into later life and rising obesity levels, the number of younger patients presenting with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is increasing. When conservative management options have been exhausted, the challenge for the orthopedic surgeon is to offer a procedure that will relieve symptoms and allow a return to a high level of function but not compromise future surgery that may be required as disease progresses or prostheses fail and require revision. We discuss the options available to this group of patients and the relative benefits and potential negative points of each. Total knee replacement (TKR) in the young patient is associated with high risk of early failure and the need for future revision surgery. After TKR, most surgeons advise limitation of sporting activities. If osteoarthritis is limited to only one compartment in the knee there may be surgical options other than TKR. Osteotomy above or below the knee may be considered and works by redirecting the load passing through the joint into the relatively unaffected compartment. A unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) or patella-femoral joint (PFJ) replacement only replaces the articular surfaces in the affected compartment, leaving the unaffected compartments untouched with better preservation of the soft tissues. Which of these options is best for a particular patient depends upon the patient's symptoms, precise pathology, lifestyle, and expectations.

Diagnosing and managing food allergy in children.

The prevalence of food allergy in children in the UK is now around 5%. The number of children put on restricted diets by their parents because of presumed allergy is likely to be much higher. Accurate diagnosis of food allergy is essential in order to ensure that the correct foods are carefully avoided while safe foods are not excluded unnecessarily. IgE-mediated (immediate type) reactions are the result of mast cell degranulation leading to histamine release. The typical signs of lip swelling, urticaria and possible progression to respiratory compromise (anaphylaxis) are usually clearly described, occurring within minutes of exposure to the food. Non IgE-mediated (delayed type) responses tend to start 2-6 hours, occasionally longer, after exposure and cause less specific signs/symptoms, less obviously allergic in origin. Where an immediate type allergic reaction is suspected on clinical history, allergy testing should be performed to confirm the diagnosis. This could involve either skin prick testing or specific IgE blood tests. Results must be interpreted in the context of the clinical history. The mainstay of management is allergen avoidance. The child and carers also need to know how to recognise and treat any future allergic reactions. There should be a written emergency plan in place. The plan should include advice to take a fast-acting antihistamine if any accidental exposure and reactions occur. Where there is a history of anaphylactic reaction or ongoing asthma, adrenaline auto-injectors should be prescribed as these are the major risk factors for future severe reactions. Non IgE-mediated food allergy is most common in early infancy. The diagnosis of non IgE-mediated food allergy relies on a two-stage process: strict exclusion of suspected allergen(s), only one at a time; re-challenge with suspected allergen(s), one at a time, to see if symptoms recur.

Endogenous endophthalmitis after methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus sternal wound infection.

Endogenous endophthalmitis is an extremely rare but sight-threatening complication of cardiac surgery. A high index of suspicion, prompt diagnosis and treatment, and early involvement of the ophthalmic surgeon is essential. We describe what we believe is the first case of endophthalmitis in a cardiac surgical patient with a methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus wound infection.