Giant osteochondroma of proximal fibula in a skeletally mature patient.

Osteochondroma are believed to be most common benign tumors. The growth of osteochondroma usually ceases when skeletal maturity is reached but becomes a matter of concern to the attending doctor if the lesion becomes painful and shows evidence of increased growth even after physeal closure, which may be an indication of sarcomatous change in the lesion. We present a case with substantial growth of an osteochondroma after attainment of skeletal maturity. The tumor turned out to be histologically benign, and patient had an uneventful recovery with no recurrence.

Transmalleolar approach to a tubercular lytic lesion of the talar body: a case report.

Tuberculosis of the talus is a rare condition, and the diagnosis can be difficult to make because of inconclusive laboratory and ancillary testing. In such cases, accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment may require the use of a transmalleolar osteotomy to gain access to the involved portion of the talar body. In the case described in this article, a transmalleolar approach was used to gain access to a lytic lesion of the talar body so as to obtain microbiological and histopathological specimens for diagnostic purposes, and to thoroughly debride the lesion. After 6 years of postsurgical follow-up, the patient was leading a normal life with a full range of ankle and subtalar motion. The rarity of the diagnosis, and the use of the transmalleolar approach to a lytic and likely infected lesion in the body of the talus, makes this case worthy of public discussion.

Outcome of olecranon osteotomy in the trans-olecranon approach of intra-articular fractures of the distal humerus.

BACKGROUND: The trans-olecranon approach has been suggested to improve the visualization of complex intra-articular distal humerus fractures. Significant osteotomy complications have prompted a search for alternative approaches. The purpose of this series was to study the outcome of the olecranon osteotomy in terms of union and complications and the ultimate outcome of the fracture. METHODS: Ninety-four patients with intra-articular fractures of the distal humerus (type C3) were treated by open reduction and internal fixation using the trans-olecranon approach. The patients were followed from 6 to 48 months, with an average follow-up of 24 months. RESULTS: All osteotomies united in an average of 11 weeks (range, 8-20 weeks). There was no non-union, although union was delayed in four osteotomies, which all healed by 20 weeks without any intervention. The most frequent complication in this study was symptomatic osteotomy fixation in 19% of patients, all of whom underwent a secondary procedure for the removal of the implant after the osteotomy had united. Seventy-one percent of the unsatisfactory results were seen in those patients who had symptomatic olecranon fixation. CONCLUSION: Despite a few manageable complications, the trans-olecranon approach is essential for the adequate visualization and fixation of the complex fracture of the distal humerus. Adequate fixation of the osteotomy is essential to prevent complications and achieve a satisfactory outcome.

Ewing's sarcoma of the ilium mimicking inflammatory arthritis of the hip: a case report.

INTRODUCTION: Ewing's sarcoma is second most common primary malignant bone neoplasm in children and adolescents. We report a case of Ewing's sarcoma of ilium in an 18-year-old female mimicking clinically and radiologically inflammatory arthritis of hip joint, a rare entity not mentioned in literature. CASE PRESENTATION: An 18-year-old girl presented with pain hip, limp and fever off and on. Patient had restricted range of motion, raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leucocytosis and radiograph showed reduced joint space. Magnetic resonance imaging pelvis revealed an altered marrow signal of acetabulum with a large soft tissue component. Histopathology revealed a malignant round cell tumor consistent with Ewing's sarcoma. CONCLUSION: Classical clinical and radiological presentation of Ewing's sarcoma of ilium may not be the rule. One should be highly suspicious of the disease even if there is no direct pointer to the disease as was encountered in our case.

Injuries from bear (Ursus thibetanus) attacks in Kashmir.

BACKGROUND: Strict conservation of wildlife and encroachment into its habitat have led to an increase in the number of wild animal-inflicted injuries and fatalities in Kashmir. The aim of this study was to report injuries inflicted during bear attacks and discuss their management and sequelae. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in the Department of Orthopedics Government Medical College Srinagar, University of Kashmir, from January 2003 to June 2007. A total of 254 cases (186 males, 68 females) with history of bear attacks were recorded over a period of 54 months. RESULTS: Eighty percent of victims were attacked in the maize fields and apple orchards and 20% in the dense forests while collecting firewood or tending to the cattle. Lacerations of the head and neck and fractures of the upper limbs and facial and skull bones were the striking observations. Permanent facial disfigurement, hearing loss, loss of digits, residual neurodeficit, and persistent psychological morbidity were the long-term sequelae in most of the patients. CONCLUSION: Wild animal-inflicted injuries are a neglected part of trauma. There should be a high index of suspicion when treating these injuries, as serious underlying bone or soft-tissue damage can be overlooked. Management of these injuries involves all subspecialties of trauma to achieve the best functional outcome.

Bridge plate osteosynthesis using dynamic condylar screw (DCS) or retrograde intramedullary supracondylar nail (RIMSN) in the treatment of distal femoral fractures: comparison of two methods in a prospective randomized study.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of distal femoral fractures remains a significant surgical challenge. With the rigid fixation of the distal femoral fractures, bone grafting is frequently needed. Biological osteosynthesis using dynamic condylar screw (DCS) and retrograde intramedullary supracondylar nail (RIMSN) preserve the blood supply and limit the need for bone grafting. METHODS: From September 2002 to December 2004, 68 closed fractures of the distal femur were treated by bridge plate osteosynthesis using DCS in 31 and RIMSN in 37. The patients were allocated to one of the two groups randomly and followed for 24-36 months (average: 30 months). RESULTS: With respect to operation time, the DCS group presented significantly better results than the RIMSN group (p=0.000). However, the blood loss was significantly more in the DCS group (p=0.000). There were no significant differences in terms of cumulative rate of union (p=0.855), range of motion of the knee (p=0.727), overall results (p=0.925) and complications (p=0.927) between the two groups. CONCLUSION: No implant or surgical technique is superior to any other under all circumstances for distal femoral fracture. RIMSN is standard care, yet the biological osteosynthesis using DCS is a very good alternative for the treatment of distal femoral fractures.

Differentiating mass disasters. The barzullah classification.

BACKGROUND: To assess the pattern of mass casualty incidents managed at our hospital over the last eight years, and evolve a differentiating classification based on this pattern. A combination of retrospective and prospective assessment was made. MATERIAL AND METHODS: All patients receiving injuries in mass casualty incidents and managed at our hospital. Patients with an injury severity score above 9. Management of injuries as per the trauma management protocol. Classification based on the data collected during the study and application of this classification to the subsequent mass casualty incidents to allow comparison between similar incidents in different settings. RESULTS: A classification system that mainly differentiates mass casualty incidents on the hospital basis, the criteria being: the time interval between the first information to first reception, and the percentage of admission above the maximum normal intake. CONCLUSIONS: The Barzullah classification system is the first attempt at developing a hospital based differentiation in mass casualty incidents. It provides a valid and easy method of comparing such incidents between hospitals and perhaps a basis for developing protocol for mass disaster management.

Operative management of a subtrochanteric fracture in severe osteoporosis. a case report.

BACKGROUND: Fractures of the subtrochanteric region of the femur provide several challenges to the operating surgeon due to anatomic and biomechanical peculiarities inherent to this region. These challenges are compounded several times in a severely porotic bone. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case with severe osteoporosis who sustained a subtrochanteric fracture and was managed with a Dynamic condylar screw DCS. Three years after the surgery the patient is pain free and has a full range of motion. CONCLUSION: This highlights the fact that the DCS provides a viable alternative in the management of fractures of the subtrochanteric region in severe osteoporosis. This advantage is particularly manifest in settings where the image intensifier is not easily available.

Humeral biepicondylar fracture dislocation in a child: A case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Humeral biepicondylar fracture dislocation is a very rare injury reported only once in English literature by G R Taylor et al. We report a case of humeral biepicondylar fracture dislocation in a 13-year-old girl with a unique mechanism of injury. CASE PRESENTATION: A 13-year-old girl presented with trauma elbow. Radiographs showed biepicondylar fracture of humerus with dislocation of elbow. CONCLUSION: In humeral biepicondylar fracture dislocation, reduction is always unstable. So treatment is open reduction and internal fixation.

Management of lower limb fractures in polytrauma patients with delayed referral in a mass disaster. The role of the Ilizarov method in conversion osteosynthesis.

Polytrauma cases in mass disasters present several challenges to the orthopaedic surgeon. Delayed referral, multisystem involvement and the requirement to manage coexisting injuries by interhospital transfer often make infection an inevitable risk. 28 patients with polytrauma were studied after being referred after being recovered from the debris of their homes in the Kashmir earthquake. All patients were referred more than 24h after sustaining their injuries. The lower limb fractures were fixed by external fixators in all these cases before interhospital transfer for the management of their co existing injuries. Return referral to the orthopaedic facility occurred after an average of 25 days. All cases were converted to Ilizarov fixation. The results bear out the fact that the Ilizarov method may be well suited for conversion osteosynthesis of lower limb fractures in polytrauma cases.

'Damage control orthopaedics' in patients with delayed referral to a tertiary care center: experience from a place where Composite Trauma Centers do not exist.

BACKGROUND: Management of orthopaedic injuries in polytrauma cases continues to challenge the orthopaedic traumatologist. Mass disasters compound this challenge further due to delayed referral. Recently there has been increasing evidence showing that damage control surgery has advantages that are absent in the early total care modality. We studied the damage control modality in the management of polytrauma cases with orthopaedic injuries who had been referred to our hospital after more than 24 hours of sustaining their injuries in an earthquake. This study was conducted on 51 cases after reviewing their records and complete management one year after the trauma. RESULTS: At one year, out of the 62 fractures, 3 were still under treatment, while the others had united. As per the radiological and functional scoring there were 20 excellent, 29 good, 5 fair and 5 poor results. In spite of the delayed referral there was no mortality. CONCLUSION: In situations of delayed referral in areas where composite trauma centers do not exist the damage control modality provides an acceptable method of treatment in the management of polytrauma cases.

In situ instrumented posterolateral fusion without decompression in symptomatic low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults.

Forty patients with an average age of 26.5 years were treated for symptomatic low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis with in situ instrumented posterolateral fusion. All patients had failed previous conservative treatment. Average follow-up was 42.2 months (range: 30-62 months). Low-back pain resolved in 70% of the patients, whereas 65% of those with radicular pain reported complete resolution of the symptoms. At the final follow-up 82.5% of the patients had improvement in their function. Solid fusion was achieved in 70% of the patients. It was uncertain in 10% and a fusion failure was seen in 20%. The anterior slippage as measured by the Taillard method was 31.55% and an average 35% correction was seen after surgery. However, an average 10% loss of correction was seen at the final evaluation. The clinical results were evaluated by Kim and Kim criteria. Satisfactory results were obtained in 65% of patients and this was closely associated with the rate of successful fusion. The results suggest that clinical outcome is closely related to the attainment of solid fusion and decompression or removal of the loose laminar fragment seems unnecessary in patients without major neurological symptoms.

The dynamic condylar screw in the management of subtrochanteric fractures: does judicious use of biological fixation enhance overall results?

Subtrochanteric fractures are fraught with certain anatomic, biologic and biomechanical challenges. Evolution of implants like the Gamma nail, fixed-angle nail plates, compression hip screws and dynamic hip screws with trochanteric stabilization plates underlines a persistent quest for a better implant. We studied the dynamic condylar screw DCS as an implant on a series of 30 consecutive patients with subtrochanteric fractures. Our purpose was to assess this implant as a panacea for subtrochanteric fractures. All cases of AO type A and B were anatomically fixed, whereas type C was biologically plated. The idea was to assess the applicability and adaptability of the DCS. Fractures in 29 cases united, with one patient suffering from an implant failure. There were 17 excellent, 5 good, 5 fair and 3 poor results. The DCS is a definite advance over previous methods of treatment; when combined with the utilization of biological fixation techniques for comminuted fractures, can be relied upon to treat all types of subtrochanteric fractures.