A new ankle spanning fixator construct for distal tibia fractures: optimizing visualization, minimizing pin problems, and protecting the heel.

Pilon and ankle fractures and ligamentous injuries about the ankle often require external fixation to allow for soft tissue stabilization before definitive surgery. Often used external fixator constructs can cause obscuring of the site of injury on radiographs, pin tract infections, loosening of calcaenal pin fixation, and heel ulcerations. A novel and simple technique of placing the calcaneal pins posteriorly and using a U-shaped bar allows for a construct that reduces or eliminates many of these drawbacks during the time it takes for soft tissue swelling to permit definitive fixation.

The use of a T-plate as "spring plates" for small comminuted posterior wall fragments.

In the treatment of posterior wall fractures of the acetabulum, a modified distal radius T-plate can be substituted for one third tubular spring plates for fixation of thin, small, or comminuted posterior wall fragments. This technique is described as well as a case series of 33 patients with various posterior wall acetabular fractures.

Bilateral, atraumatic, proximal tibiofibular joint instability.

Dislocation of the tibiofibular joint is rare and usually results from a traumatic event. Only 1 case of atraumatic proximal tibiofibular joint instability in a 14-year-old girl has been reported in the literature, however this condition might occur more frequently than once thought. A wide range of treatment options exist for tibiofibular dislocations. Currently, the first choice is a conservative approach, and when this fails, surgical means such as resection of the fibula head, arthrodesis, and reconstruction are considered. However, no consensus exists on the most effective treatment. This article reports a unique case of bilateral, atraumatic, proximal tibia and fibular joint instability involving a 30-year-old man with a 20-year history of pain and laxity in the right knee. The patient had no trauma to his knees; he reported 2 immediate family members with similar complaints, which suggests that this case is likely congenital. After conservative approaches proved to be ineffective, the patient underwent capsular reconstruction using free autologous gracilis tendon. At 6-month postoperative follow-up, the patient was pain free with no locking and instability. He then underwent surgery on the left knee. At 1-year follow-up after the second surgery, the patient had no symptoms or restrictions in mobility. We provide an alternative surgical approach to arthrodesis and resection for the treatment of chronic proximal tibiofibular instability. In the treatment of chronic tibiofibular instability, we believe that reconstruction of the tibiofibular joint is a safe and effective choice.

Inhalant abuse of 1,1-difluoroethane (DFE) leading to heterotopic ossification: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Heterotopic ossification (HO) is the formation of mature, lamellar bone within soft tissues other than the periosteum. There are three recognized etiologies of HO: traumatic, neurogenic, and genetic. Presently, there are no definitively documented causal factors of HO. The following factors are presumed to place a patient at higher risk: 60 years of age or older, male, previous HO, hypertrophic osteoarthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, prior hip surgery, and surgical risk factors. CASE PRESENTATION: A 33-year-old male, involved in a motor vehicle crash, sustained an irreducible acetabulum fracture/dislocation, displaced proximal humerus fracture, and an impacted pilon fracture. During the time of injury, he was intoxicated from inhaling the aerosol propellant used in "dust spray" cans (1,1-difluoroethane, C2H4F2). Radiographs identified rapid pathologic bone formation about the proximal humeral metaphysis, proximal femur, elbow, and soft tissue several months following the initial injury. DISCUSSION: The patient did not have any genetic disorders that could have attributed to the bone formation but had some risk factors (male, fracture with dislocation). Surgically, the recommended precautions were followed to decrease the chance of HO. Although the patient did not have neurogenic injuries, the difluoroethane in dusting spray can cause damage to the central nervous system. Signals may have been mixed causing the patient's body to produce bone instead of tissue to strengthen the injured area. CONCLUSION: What is unusual in this case is the rate at which the pathological bone formation appeared, which was long outside the 4-6 week window in which HO starts to appear. The authors are not certain as to the cause of this rapid formation but suspect that the patient's continued abuse of inhaled aerosol propellants may be the culprit.