Tibial Plateau Fracture After Attack by an Escaped Goat.

Humans come into contact with goats in wild settings. If a goat feels threatened, it may address the perceived threat violently. While out walking, a 55-y-old man was attacked by an escaped domestic goat. Much as goats interact with each other, this goat pushed him over with its horns and then rose up on 2 legs to come back down on him with its head. The man experienced a Schatzker VI bicondylar tibial plateau fracture that required external and then internal fixation. Besides his physical injuries, he experienced acute stress disorder, which is common after traumatic events. Acute stress reactions can progress into chronic posttraumatic stress disorder but also often resolve. Psychological first aid is appropriate after traumatic events, including animal attacks. It is appropriate to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms after such events and treat or refer if present. After 1 y, the man returned to full function and experienced no posttraumatic stress disorder.

Outcomes and Cost Comparison Between Generic and Conventional Cephalomedullary Nails in the Treatment of Peritrochanteric Femur Fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Although generic orthopaedic implants have been available for several years, there has been slow adoption of this cost-saving option. We hypothesize equivalent outcomes between generic and conventional cephalomedullary nails (CMN) in the treatment of peritrochanteric femur fractures. METHODS: We evaluated 419 patients undergoing CMN for peritrochanteric femur fracture with a minimum 6-month follow-up. Demographic data, radiographic assessment, and clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: Ninety patients were treated with generic implants and 329 patients with conventional implants. The overall complication rate was 7.0%, with a revision surgery rate of 5.4%. No significant differences were seen in demographic variables or surgical factors. Although there was an increased incidence of postoperative infections with conventional nails (P = 0.045), no significant differences were seen in other complications. CONCLUSION: At our institution, generic nails cost approximately 38% less than their conventional counterparts. There seems to be no increased rate of implant-associated complications with the use of generic CMNs, although allowing for notable cost savings.

Bilateral Internal Iliac Artery Embolization Results in an Unacceptably High Rate of Complications in Patients Requiring Pelvic/Acetabular Surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To assess complication rates in patients undergoing open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) of pelvic/acetabular fractures with and without pelvic angiography embolization (PAE). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: Level 1 Trauma Center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: One hundred eleven patients with pelvic or acetabular fractures that required orthopaedic fixation. INTERVENTION: Retrospective analysis of outcomes in patients who underwent ORIF of pelvic/acetabular fractures with and without PAE. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Comparison of surgical wound infections, necrosis, and/or fracture nonunions between the PAE group and a control group (no PAE). RESULTS: Final study groups consisted of 50 patients in the PAE group and 61 patients in the control group. Ninety-six percent of patients underwent nonselective PAE. Significantly higher complications were noted in the PAE group than in the control group (20% compared with 4.9%; P = 0.020). In addition, posterior surgical approaches combined with internal iliac artery embolization represented the highest complication rate. CONCLUSIONS: Patients requiring PAE and pelvic/acetabular ORIF should undergo a multidisciplinary treatment approach with the trauma surgeon, interventional radiologist, and orthopaedic surgeon before PAE being performed to decrease complications and avoid nonselective bilateral internal iliac artery embolization. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Short Versus Long Intramedullary Nails in the Treatment of Pertrochanteric Hip Fractures: Incidence of Ipsilateral Fractures and Costs Associated With Each Implant.

OBJECTIVES: Both short intramedullary nails (SIMNs) and long intramedullary nails (LIMNs) are routinely used in the surgical treatment of pertrochanteric hip fractures. The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of ipsilateral femur fractures after the surgical treatment of hip fractures and the overall costs associated with each implant. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Level I trauma center and 2 community hospitals. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: A total of 609 patients with pertrochanteric hip fractures treated with an SIMN or LIMN from 2005 to 2011. INTERVENTION: Review of patient demographics and clinical outcomes over a 5-year follow-up period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Ipsilateral femur refracture rates were recorded for both groups, and a cost analysis was then performed to compare SIMNs and LIMNs while accounting for their observed refracture rates and surgical/hospital costs to determine the overall cost of each implant. RESULTS: Union rates were equivalent between groups and averaged over 97%. The incidence of ipsilateral femur fractures in both groups steadily increased with greater follow-up time to reach nearly 10% at 5 years. Although only 47% of all nails were locked distally, 15 of the 16 refractures occurred in nails that were not distally locked. Cost analysis revealed no significant difference in the use of short versus LIMNs over a 5-year period (P = 0.76). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of ipsilateral femur refractures steadily rose with greater follow-up in both SIMN and LIMNs. Distally locking the initial fixation seems to protect against future femur fractures and may also affect the refracture location when using LIMNs. No differences in overall costs were seen at 1, 2, or 5 years between SIMNs and LIMNs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Autosterilization of Contaminated and Devascularized Bone Fragments Through a Subcutaneous Bone Pouch.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this article was to present results of cases using a subcutaneous bone pouch technique and to assess the potential "autosterilization" effect that occurs when these contaminated free bone fragments are placed in nontraumatized tissue. DESIGN: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data. SETTING: Community-Based Level 1 Trauma Center. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Eight patients were consented for the described technique, and data were collected over an 8-year period. INTERVENTION: Placement of fragments into a surgically created subcutaneous pouch in a nontraumatized tissue zone, followed by delayed, cultured, and attempted reimplantation at the initial injury site. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Culture results after extraction of bone fragments from subcutaneous bone pouch and clinical outcomes after reimplantation into initial open fracture site. RESULTS: All 8 cases undergoing this technique resulted in healing of the subcutaneous bone pouch without signs or symptoms of infection at the time of attempted reimplantation or fragment removal. Four of the 8 cases had successful reimplantation and union at the open fracture site. CONCLUSIONS: Preserving devascularized bone fragments in a subcutaneous pouch in a region of nontraumatized tissue appears to be a safe procedure that allows for an "autosterilization" type of process to occur. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Contemporary management of subtrochanteric fractures.

Cephalomedullary interlocking nails that allow for trochanteric entry and minimally invasive fixation have revolutionized the contemporary management of subtrochanteric fractures with improved union rates and decreased incidence of fixation failure. The most successful alternative to intramedullary fixation remains the angled blade plate. Despite biomechanical superiority of contemporary intramedullary implants to previous intramedullary devices, the importance of achieving and maintaining satisfactory fracture reduction prior to and during hardware insertion cannot be overemphasized. In comminuted and more challenging fractures, additional techniques, such as limited open reduction with clamps and/or cables, can allow for canal restoration and more anatomic reductions prior to and/or during nail insertion.

A radiographic study of proximal radius anatomy with implications in radial head replacement.

Anteroposterior (AP) and lateral radiographs of 20 healthy volunteers' forearms were taken in three views (full supination, neutral rotation, and full pronation). Radial head maximum diameter and angular measurements between the axis of forearm rotation (AFR) and the radial neck axis (RNA) were made with digital calipers. Repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed a statistically significant difference between the three AP groups, with supination having the smallest values (P <.0001), but not for the lateral groups (P =.128). Comparison of the AFR-RNA angle between the AP supinated position and the three lateral views revealed a statistically significant difference among all of the pairs, with the AP supinated position having the smallest values. The RNA most closely approximated the AFR with the forearm in the supinated position. For best approximating the native AFR during radial head replacement, the cut should be made perpendicular to the neck axis with the elbow extended and the forearm in the supinated position.