Case report: unique failure of a Synthes TFNA fenestrated lag screw in a peritrochanteric nonunion.

Background: Intertrochanteric femur fractures are a common orthopaedic injury that are often treated surgically. Cephalomedullary nails (CMN) are frequently the implant of choice for intertrochanteric femur fractures, resulting in low complication rates. Implant failure is a rare but reported complication. Common locations of failure include the proximal nail aperture, distal screw holes, and implant shaft. In this case report, we describe a CMN failure pattern through fenestrated cephalic screw holes. Case: A 70-year-old female sustained an OTA 31A-2.2 peritrochanteric fracture during a motor vehicle collision. She was treated the following day with a Synthes Trochanteric Fixation Nail-Advanced CMN utilizing a fenestrated cephalic screw. There were no intraoperative complications. She was made non-weight bearing for 8 weeks after the procedure due to ipsilateral foot fractures. At 6 months follow-up she was noted to have a delayed union. 11 months postoperatively she suffered a ground level fall and the cephalic lag screw failed through its fenestrations, resulting in varus collapse of her fracture at the femoral neck. The patient then underwent nail extraction and salvage total hip arthroplasty. Conclusion: Cephalomedullary nail implant failure is presented with implant fracture propagation through a fenestrated cephalic screw. Cephalomedullary lag screw failure is rare and can be difficult to manage. It is important to monitor new implants for unique failure mechanisms.

Allergic dermatitis after knee arthroscopy with repeated exposure to Dermabond Prineo™ in pediatric patients: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) secondary to Dermabond Prineo™ is rare, but documented. To our knowledge, there are no described reports of this ACD reaction within the pediatric population following arthroscopic surgery. CASE SUMMARY: We report two cases of pediatric ACD upon second exposure to Dermabond Prineo™ after knee arthroscopy. Both cases presented within two weeks of the inciting second exposure. The cases resolved with differing described combinations of sterile cleaning, diphenhydramine, and antibiotic administration. No long-term sequelae were found. CONCLUSION: This case report elucidates the rare complication of allergic dermatitis secondary to Dermabond Prineo™ repeat exposure use in pediatric arthroscopy.

Hip Arthroplasty Instability After Implantation of a Spinal Cord Stimulator.

A 46-year-old man with a left hip resurfacing that had been stable for over 5 years sustained a hip dislocation immediately after the implantation of a spinal cord stimulator (SCS). He continued to experience multiple episodes of instability after this initial event, requiring several revision hip arthroplasty surgeries with variable degrees of constraint. It was not until after SCS removal and prolonged hip spica casting that the patient returned to pain-free, independent ambulation. SCS implantation may affect spino-pelvic stability and alter the biomechanics of the hip after hip arthroplasty procedures. We present the unique case of a patient with a well-fixed hip resurfacing with no previous episodes of instability who experienced dislocation immediately after SCS implantation.

Atypical Mycobacterial Infections of the Upper Extremity.

Atypical mycobacterial infections of upper extremity synovial-lined structures are often misdiagnosed and unrecognized. Despite an increasing incidence, lack of physician awareness of these pathogens may result in considerable delay in diagnosis and management, potentially leading to permanent disability. The authors conducted a literature review and analyzed 31 cases of penetrating atypical mycobacterial infection to better understand the clinical characteristics and to evaluate their posttreatment complication rate compared with available literature. Medical records for culture-positive cases of tenosynovial or intra-articular atypical mycobacterial infections of the upper extremity that were treated were retrospectively reviewed. Treatment outcomes were analyzed against published case reviews and case series. Thirty-one cases of penetrating atypical mycobacterial infection were identified. Mycobacterium marinum (n=11) was the most common organism and was associated with aquatic exposure. Twenty-eight cases received empiric treatment, 17 of which received contraindicated treatment. Patients saw an average of 5 physicians prior to receiving an accurate diagnosis, and the mean time to diagnosis was 10 months. All cases received antibiotic treatment in addition to surgical management. Twenty cases (68%) failed treatment outcomes. Delay in diagnosis and inappropriate management of atypical mycobacterial infections may lead to a treatment failure rate that is higher than what has been reported in the literature. Mycobacterium avium and M fortuitum had significantly higher failure rates than other organisms. A high index of suspicion is required to make a diagnosis and prevent residual disability. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(3):e383-e388.].