[Arthrodesis of the tarsal tibia for the outcomes in fractures of the collum tali. A review of cases and long-term follow-up]. / Artrodesi della tibio tarsica per esiti di fratture del collo piede. Revisione della casistica e controllo a distanza.

In the wards of the CTO Hospital in Florence, isolated arthrodeses of the tarsal tibia for ankle fractures, or their effects or complications, have been performed on 29 patients in the past 13 years. Of these 29 patients we were able to personally check up on 23, with a follow-up time ranging from one to thirteen years. The patients we followed-up on had been operated on using the Scaglietti technique or its variations in 15 cases, the Charnley technique in 7 cases, and the fixation according to Ilizarov in one case. We examined the pre-operatory clinical-radiographic conditions and the surgical techniques utilized with all of their advantages, disadvantages, limits, and pre and post-operatory complications. In the follow-up studies, for instance, in addition to the subjectivity of the patient we clinically evaluated the commemorative signs and post-ambulatory adaptation phenomena as a function of the residual degree of equinism and, radiologically, the condition of the arthrodesis and the articulation proximal to the tarsal tibia. Tibio-tarsal arthrodesis, notwithstanding the inconveniences common to all types of arthrodesis, has in essence retained its validity regarding the seriously crippling effects of ankle fractures.

[Pathological fractures and prefracture osteolytic lesions due to metastases located in the femoral diaphysis: a clinico-radiographic study, a case history review and considerations of treatment evolution]. / Le fratture patologiche e le lesioni osteolitiche pre-fratturative da metastasi localizzate alla diafisi femorale: studio clinico-radiografico, revisione della casistica e considerazioni sull'evoluzione del trattamento.

The authors reviewed the clinical and radiographic documentation of 44 cases of metastatic lesion in the femoral diaphysis, all treated during a 15-year period at the Centro Traumatologico e Ortopedico of Florence. The results obtained with both initial nonoperative treatment (casts) as well as subsequent intramedullary fixation are evaluated with great care. The evaluation of the results in terms of survival was not possible for several reasons, not least of which the recent progress made in radiation-chemo-hormonal therapy for tumors. Despite the precarious general condition of most of the patients surgical treatment did not cause intraoperative or immediate postoperative mortality. Overall, the postoperative complications were not serious and were compensated for by good progress in systemic therapy, good nursing, and in some cases recovery of autonomy.

[Long-term results of conservatively treated fractures of the upper end of the humerus]. / Risultati a distanza delle fratture dell'estremo superiore dell'omero trattate incruentemente.

The authors have considered 735 fractures of the proximal humerus in 748 patients, with 22% of fractures in 60-70 years old subjects. According to Neer's classification type 3 (surgical neck's fracture) and type 4 (surgical neck's fracture with greater and/or lesser tuberosity fracture) are the most frequent. The Desault bandage and the shoulder spica cast have been the preferred methods of treatment. The follow-up ranged between 12 and 1 year (on the average 5.8 Years). The authors have noted that the good results reduced in proportion to the increasing of the fragments' number and in the four part displacement fractures the bad results were of 55% in this research.