Extensor Tendon Repair: Avoidance and Management of Complications.

Extensor tendon repair can be technically challenging and can lead to suboptimal outcomes and complications even if managed perfectly. This article describes the pertinent clinical anatomy of the extensor mechanism, reviews outcomes and complications following extensor tendon repair, and provides guidance on how to avoid and manage complications when they occur.

Patient expectations and satisfaction in orthopaedic surgery: A review of the literature.

Patient expectations have been shown to be an independent predictor of outcomes in clinical medicine. In the orthopaedic literature, the majority of studies have focused on the relationship between pre-operative expectations and post-operative outcomes in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty, total knee arthroplasty, shoulder surgery, and spine surgery. Various methodologies have been used to assess patient expectations in orthopaedic surgery, including direct questioning, short questionnaires, and validated surveys. Multiple patient factors have been associated with greater expectations prior to elective orthopaedic surgery, and greater pre-operative expectations have been shown to be associated with better subjective and objective outcomes after total hip and knee arthroplasty, shoulder surgery, and spine surgery. While there are very few validated measures of patient satisfaction after orthopaedic surgery, increased post-operative patient satisfaction is consistently associated with meeting pre-operative patient expectations. Given the relationship between pre-operative patient expectations and post-operative outcomes and patient satisfaction, understanding and defining expectations prior to elective orthopaedic surgery may optimize outcomes. In this review, we aim to summarize the current literature on patient expectations in orthopaedic surgery.

Outcomes Following Cubital Tunnel Surgery in Young Patients: The Importance of Nerve Mobility.

PURPOSE: To investigate the outcomes following surgical management of unstable and stable ulnar nerves at the elbow in young patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 67 patients who were 30 years old or younger when they underwent primary cubital tunnel surgery at our institution over a 10-year period. In 34 (45%) of these patients, the ulnar nerve either subluxated or perched on the medial epicondyle with elbow flexion and made up the "unstable" cohort. The remaining 42 patients made up the "stable" cohort. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were obtained from the patients' charts. Thirty-nine patients completed the following outcome measures: Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH), visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and treatment satisfaction, return to sport or full activities, and the presence of persistent symptoms. RESULTS: At an average of 5.6 years following surgery, the unstable cohort had a significantly lower QuickDASH score (6.4 vs 18.6) and a significantly higher VAS for treatment satisfaction (8.7 vs 5.9) compared with the stable cohort. The unstable cohort was also significantly less likely to experience residual symptoms (43% vs 94%), persistent numbness (39% vs 44%), or persistent tingling (22% vs 56%) compared with the stable cohort. Within the stable cohort, patients who underwent simultaneous carpal tunnel release exhibited improved VAS and QuickDASH scores compared with patients who did not. There were no differences in time to return to sports or full activities or pain VAS between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical management of young patients with symptomatic, unstable ulnar nerves results in superior subjective outcomes compared with surgery in young patients with stable ulnar nerves. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic III.

Modified Sublimis Tenodesis: Surgical Technique for Treating Chronic Traumatic Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Hyperextension Instability.

Many surgical techniques for treating chronic posttraumatic hyperextension instability of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint involve exploration of the PIP joint, often leading to stiffness in an already traumatized joint. This article outlines the indications, contraindications, surgical technique, and postoperative management for a modified flexor digitorum sublimis tenodesis that utilizes 2 small incisions, a slip of flexor digitorum sublimis, a suture anchor, and temporary pinning of the PIP joint, while avoiding violation of the PIP capsule.

Distal radius fractures in athletes: approaches and treatment considerations.

Fractures of the distal radius are common injuries in both athletes and nonathletes. Management is dictated by the nature of the fracture and the patient's level of competition, age, and sport-specific demands. Treatment strategies range from nonoperative treatment for stable injuries to primarily operative treatment for unstable fractures, particularly in active athletes. Once the decision has been made to treat a distal radius fracture operatively, a wide variety of fixation options are available. However, no technique has proven superior to all others, and no single method of fixation will lead to acceptable results in all types of distal radius fractures. This study will highlight important considerations when treating distal radius fractures in athletes, describe the various fixation options available, and discuss our method for determining the fixation needs of each fracture.

Utility of magnetic resonance imaging obtained before evaluation by the hand surgeon.

The objective of this study was to assess prospectively the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained before evaluation by a hand surgeon. Over a 4-week period, the hand surgeon documented the type of imaging used in each encounter, which prereferral MRIs were useful, and if he agreed with the radiologist's interpretation. Of 396 consecutive patients, 14 (4%) presented with an MRI. Of those MRIs, 10 were found to be useful. The hand surgeons agreed with the radiologist's interpretation on 13 of the 14. Eleven patients presented with only an MRI, and 10 of those were helpful. In contrast, none (0 of 3) of the MRIs of patients who presented with both radiographs and an MRI were useful (p = .01). These results suggest that previous retrospective studies may be confounded by recall bias. The data support the selective ordering of MRIs by referring physicians; however, ordering more than one imaging modality is less likely to be helpful.