Injuries associated with arm wrestling: A narrative review.

OBJECTIVE: Arm wrestling is common sport amongst amateur enthusiasts. Multiple injuries are described as a result of the sport. The authors present a narrative review of the common injuries associated with the sport. DESIGN: Systematic review with a critical appraisal of the literature and a narrative review of the injuries associated with arm wrestling. DATA SOURCES: Seven electronic databases were systematically searched using medical subject headings (MeSH) terms as follows. Arm wrestling, Indian Wrestling, Fractures, Injury, Ligament Injury with Boolean search terms "AND". An extensive review of orthopaedic textbooks was also performed. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES: Inclusion criteria were publications which included patients who suffered bony or soft tissue injuries as a result of arm wrestling published in English language. RESULTS: A total of 152 patients was seen across all studies. Spiral fractures of the distal third of the humerus are by far the most common injury reported in the setting of arm wrestling. The humerus fails due torsional and bending stresses. 23% were complicated by medial butterfly fragment and the incidence of radial nerve palsy was 23%. Fracture patterns differ in the skeletally immature arm wrestler, who show an increased incidence of medial humeral epicondyle fractures. We also report on the atypical fracture and soft tissue injury patterns that present.

Remote Delivery of the Satellite Virtual Fracture Clinic - a Pilot Report of the First 500 Cases.

Presenting to the fracture clinic carries economic, social and societal consequences. The virtual fracture clinic (VFC) has proven to be a safe, patient-focused, cost-effective means of delivering trauma care, whilst reducing unnecessary clinic attendances. Within our institution, a Satellite VFC was established, so as to accommodate an offsite referring emergency department. The VFC database was accessed to identify the first 500 patients who were referred to the Satellite VFC. The decision made for each patient, the rate of returns to the clinic, and the rate of referrals requiring surgical intervention, following discussion at the VFC, ,were identified. A cost analysis and cost comparison was carried out between the Satellite VFC and the traditional "face to face" fracture clinic. There were 500 patients referred to the Satellite VFC within the study period. Of such patients, 288 (58%) were discharged directly following review at the Satellite VFC, 141 patients (28%) were referred to physiotherapy, 50 (10%) were redirected to the trauma clinic, 11 (2%) were sent directly to hand therapy, and 10 (2%) were sent to the ED review clinic. Patients who returned to the fracture clinic accounted for 3.8% of all referrals, and 0.2% of all referrals necessitated surgical intervention. This pilot initiative saved the Dublin Midlands Hospital Group over €50,000. The Satellite VFC is the first of its kind in the literature. Rural communities worldwide would benefit from remote orthopaedic management of suitable fracture patterns. The true value of the Satellite VFC process comes from its use of robust patient care pathways, rationalising resource use and minimising patient travel, whilst demonstrating reliable outcomes and promoting safety.

Acute compartment syndrome of the foot due to a twisting injury while playing sports.

Acute compartment syndrome (ACS) of the foot is one of the most severe injuries of the foot and typically results from a fracture, crush or vascular injury. ACS, isolated to a single foot compartment, is a rare complication following a simple twisting injury of the ankle. In this article, the authors present the case report of a 25-year-old man who developed ACS, isolated to the lateral compartment of the foot, secondary to rupture of the lateral ligament complex and subsequent haematoma formation. An emergency fasciotomy was performed and the patient had complete resolution of his symptoms. ACS is usually associated with significant trauma, however, there are reported cases in the literature associated with a minor injury. In this case report, the authors describe how ACS developed following a simple ankle sprain playing sports in the absence of a high-energy insult or fracture.

Intraosseous schwannoma of the femur in a patient with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

INTRODUCTION: Schwannomas are slow-growing, benign tumours normally originating from the schwann cells of the nerve sheath. Intraosseous schwannomas account for 0.175% of primary bone tumours and are extremely rare, especially outside the axial skeleton. Monoclonal gammopathy has been associated with soft tissue schwannomas but never with the intraosseous variety. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 55-year-old woman with a background of monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) presented with a 2-year history of right thigh pain. CT scan showed a well defined, lytic lesion with a thin peripheral rim of sclerosis in the midshaft of the femur. MRI displayed a hyperintense, well marginated and homogenous lesion. Definitive diagnosis was made based on the classical histopathological appearance of schwannoma. We managed our patient with local curettage and prophylactic cephalomedullary nailing based on her high mirel score. DISCUSSION: Intraosseous schwannomas are poorly understood but most commonly reported in middle-aged women. Radiologically, their differential diagnosis includes malignant bone tumours, solitary bone cysts, aneurysmal bone cysts and giant cell tumours. As a result, they are usually diagnosed incidentally on histology. Although malignant transformation is possible in soft tissue schwannomas, all intraosseous schwannomas reported to date have been benign. CONCLUSION: This case demonstrates the importance of suspecting intraosseous schwannoma as a differential diagnosis for lytic bone lesions to avoid the overtreatment of patients. We also highlight monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance as a potential risk factor for a poorly understood disease and make recommendations about the appropriate management of these lesions.

The Effectiveness of Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Versus Conventional Dressing in the Treatment of Open Fractures: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) versus conventional dressings (CD) in the management of open fractures. DATA SOURCES: A systematic search of English articles in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Library through April 2019 comparing NPWT versus CD in the management of open fractures. STUDY SELECTION: Inclusion criteria were articles in English language, comparing NPWT with CD in skeletally mature individuals who had sustained an open fracture at any anatomical site, reporting on rates of deep infection, flap frequency, flap failure, nonunion, amputation, length of hospital, or intensive care unit stay. DATA EXTRACTION: Two authors independently extracted data from selected studies, and the data collected were compared with verify agreement. DATA SYNTHESIS: Pooled odds ratios were calculated for dichotomous outcomes, whereas continuous data were analyzed using the standard weighted mean difference. A random or fixed effect model was used depending on the level of heterogeneity between the studies. CONCLUSIONS: NPWT results in decreased likelihood of deep infection and flap failure compared with CD in the management of open fractures not directly amenable to early closure. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

History, treatment and analysis of a rare form of Exeter stem fracture.

The Exeter stem by Stryker has become one of the most successful and widely used stems in modern cemented hip arthroplasty. We present a case of a rare stem fracture which was treated by 'cement-in-cement' revision arthroplasty technique. The patient, an 87-year-old man, presented with left hip pain and an inability to weight bear following a cracking sensation when he was standing to dress himself. The patient denied history of fall or trauma. On examination he was noted to have a shortened externally rotated left lower limb without neurovascular compromise. On pelvic radiograph he was noted to have an incomplete stem fracture of his left-sided total hip replacement. He was treated with a cement-in-cement revision. Postoperatively the stem was sent for analysis in the London Implant Retrieval Centre. This is an example of a rare form of stem fatigue failure treated with a well-described technique in revision arthroplasty.

Fluctuating hypercalcaemia caused by cavitary Mycobacterium bovis pulmonary infection.

Hypercalcaemia occurs in many granulomatous diseases. Among them, sarcoidosis and tuberculosis are the most common causes. Other causes include berylliosis, coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, Crohn's disease, silicone-induced granulomas, cat-scratch disease, Wegener's granulomatosis and Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia. Hypercalcaemia in granulomatous disease occurs as a consequence of dysregulated production of 1,25-(OH)2 D3 (calcitriol) by activated macrophages in granulomas. Hypercalcaemia in patients with Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection has been reported in 0%-28% of cases. Uncultured bronchoalveolar lavage cells from patients with M. tuberculosis produce greater amounts of calcitriol compared with controls. Although Nayar et al described hypercalcaemia in a case of sepsis associated with intravesical Bacille Calmette Guerin therapy, there are no published reports describing hypercalcaemia in patients with pulmonary M. bovis infection. We describe a patient with M. bovis cavitary pulmonary infection with sustained hypercalcaemia that fluctuated and recurred repeatedly over the course of therapy, ultimately culminating in normalisation of serum calcium when therapy had led to cure. Treatment consisted of antituberculous therapy, oral corticosteroids and intravenous bisphosphonates with a favourable outcome.