Extra-articular hip impingement due to heterotopic ossification formation at the anterior inferior iliac spine following previous pelvic external fixation.

Femoroacetabular impingements (FAIs), specifically cam type and pincer type, continue to be accepted as causes of intra-articular hip pathology and sources of hip pain. Reports of other causes of hip impingement including extra-articular causes have surfaced recently. One structure of importance is the anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS) due to its inconsistent bony morphology and the pull of the rectus femoris muscle putting it at risk for an avulsion fracture. Under certain circumstances, open surgical excision of exostosis formation after an avulsion fracture of the AIIS has been used. The case below represents a clinical scenario in which a medically unstable and multiply injured trauma patient had an external pelvic fixator placed as part of the treatment plan for an unstable pelvic injury. Following this pelvic external fixation treatment, the patient went on to develop clinically significant heterotopic bone formation at the AIIS pin site with extra-articular hip impingement syndrome.

Validation of a standardized mapping system of the hip joint for radial MRA sequencing.

OBJECTIVE: Intraarticular gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) is commonly applied to characterize morphological disorders of the hip. However, the reproducibility of retrieving anatomic landmarks on MRA scans and their correlation with intraarticular pathologies is unknown. A precise mapping system for the exact localization of hip pathomorphologies with radial MRA sequences is lacking. Therefore, the purpose of the study was the establishment and validation of a reproducible mapping system for radial sequences of hip MRA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty-nine consecutive intraarticular gadolinium-enhanced hip MRAs were evaluated. Radial sequencing consisted of 14 cuts orientated along the axis of the femoral neck. Three orthopedic surgeons read the radial sequences independently. Each MRI was read twice with a minimum interval of 7 days from the first reading. The intra- and inter-observer reliability of the mapping procedure was determined. RESULTS: A clockwise system for hip MRA was established. The teardrop figure served to determine the 6 o'clock position of the acetabulum; the center of the greater trochanter served to determine the 12 o'clock position of the femoral head-neck junction. The intra- and inter-observer ICCs to retrieve the correct 6/12 o'clock positions were 0.906-0.996 and 0.978-0.988, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The established mapping system for radial sequences of hip joint MRA is reproducible and easy to perform.

Scapula fractures: interobserver reliability of classification and treatment.

OBJECTIVES: There is substantial variation in the classification and management of scapula fractures. The first purpose of this study was to analyze the interobserver reliability of the OTA/AO classification and the New International Classification for Scapula Fractures. The second purpose was to assess the proportion of agreement among orthopaedic surgeons on operative or nonoperative treatment. DESIGN: Web-based reliability study. SETTING: Independent orthopaedic surgeons from several countries were invited to classify scapular fractures in an online survey. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred three orthopaedic surgeons evaluated 35 movies of three-dimensional computerized tomography reconstruction of selected scapular fractures, representing a full spectrum of fracture patterns. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Fleiss kappa (κ) was used to assess the reliability of agreement between the surgeons. RESULTS: The overall agreement on the OTA/AO classification was moderate for the types (A, B, and C, κ = 0.54) with a 71% proportion of rater agreement (PA) and for the 9 groups (A1 to C3, κ = 0.47) with a 57% PA. For the New International Classification, the agreement about the intraarticular extension of the fracture (Fossa (F), κ = 0.79) was substantial and the agreement about a fractured body (Body (B), κ = 0.57) or process was moderate (Process (P), κ = 0.53); however, PAs were more than 81%. The agreement on the treatment recommendation was moderate (κ = 0.57) with a 73% PA. CONCLUSIONS: The New International Classification was more reliable. Body and process fractures generated more disagreement than intraarticular fractures and need further clear definitions.

Sudden cardiac death in young athletes and nonathletes.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article will review the incidence and most common causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in healthy young adults, including competitive athletes, as well as members of the general population. RECENT FINDINGS: SCD is rare but devastating in a young individual. The incidence of SCD in the young ranges from as low as 0.4 per 100,000 patient-years to as high as 13.4 per 100,000 patient-years. SCD occurs in all populations, not only in athletes. SUMMARY: Whether SCD is more common in athletes is the cause of continued debate stemming from conflicting data. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the most common underlying cause of SCD in young athletes in most series; however, in nonathletic populations, the underlying causes of SCD are more varied.

Physiologic impact of closed-system endotracheal suctioning in spontaneously breathing patients receiving mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND: Endotracheal suctioning is required but can have adverse effects, and could affect cardiorespiratory variables that are used to predict whether the patient is ready for extubation. METHODS: In a prospective cohort study in a university hospital's medical intensive care unit, we measured the impact of closed-system suctioning on cardiopulmonary variables in spontaneously breathing patients weaning from mechanical ventilation. All spontaneously breathing, mechanically ventilated patients were screened for enrollment at the initiation of weaning from mechanical ventilation. Before, during, and after standardized closed-system endotracheal suctioning we measured minute volume, heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation, mean arterial pressure, respiratory frequency, oxygen saturation, and tidal volume. RESULTS: Twenty-nine patients were enrolled after a median of 5 (interquartile range [IQR] 3-9) ventilator days. Twenty-five patients (86%) were spontaneously breathing on pressure-support ventilation when suctioned. The median post-suctioning recovery time was > 5 min for minute volume, tidal volume, respiratory rate, and ratio of respiratory rate to tidal volume. The post-suctioning median values of the maximum deviations in the ventilatory variables were clinically important: minute volume -2.4 (IQR 1.6-3.7) L/min, respiratory rate 8 (IQR 2-14) breaths/min, tidal volume -175 (108-220) mL. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and oxygen saturation increased after suctioning (P < .05), but the increases were not clinically important. CONCLUSIONS: Post-suctioning changes in the measured variables persisted longer in these spontaneously breathing patients weaning from mechanical ventilation than in patients who are sedated and paralyzed. The effects of suctioning on cardiopulmonary function should be considered in practice and during the design of future studies on weaning and extubation prediction variables.