Dislocation Intermediate Cuneiform with Fracture Medial Cuneiform.

INTRODUCTION: Dislocation of intermediate cuneiform is a rare injury in English language literature. Dislocation of intermediate cuneiform with undisplaced medial cuneiform fracture has been reported only once. We report the first case of dislocation intermediate cuneiform with displaced medial cuneiform fracture. CASE REPORT: A 43-year-old male was diagnosed of dislocation of intermediate cuneiform with fracture medial cuneiform after a road traffic accident. This was treated by a method of distractor application that is only reported in navicular fracture dislocation. This treatment method avoids open reduction with minimal of complications and good outcome. CONCLUSION: Distractor technique was applied for the first time in cuneiform fracture dislocation in this case, and we recommend it to avoid open reduction. The previous reported injuries in this region were mostly treated by open reduction. Due to the rarity of this injury and technique, our case adds to the literature a novel reduction method.

Coronal shear fractures of distal humerus: Diagnostic and treatment protocols.

Coronal shear fractures of distal humerus involving the capitellum and the trochlea are rare injuries with articular complexity, and are technically challenging for management. With better understanding of the anatomy and imaging advancements, the complex nature of these fractures is well appreciated now. These fractures involve metaphysealcomminution of lateral column and associated intraarticular injuries are common. Previously, closed reduction and excision were the accepted treatment but now preference is for open reduction and internal fixation with an aim to provide stable and congruent joint with early range of motion of joint. Various approaches including extensile lateral, anterolateral and posterior approaches have been described depending on the fracture pattern and complexity. Good to excellent outcome have been reported with internal fixations and poor results are noted in articular comminution with associated articular injuries. Various implants including headleass compression screws, minifragment screws, bioabsorbable implants and column plating are advocated for reconstruction of these complex fractures. Inspite of articular fragments being free of soft tissue attachments the rate of osteonecrosis and osteoarthritis is reported very less after internal fixation. This article summarizes the diagnostic and treatment strategies for these rare fractures and recommendations for management.

Traumatic bilateral posterior hip dislocation in 10 year old male child.

Traumatic bilateral posterior hip dislocation in skeletally immature patient is reported very less in literature. We report a 10 yr old boy presented to us following farmyard injury with bilateral posterior hip dislocation, which was reduced manually under sedation with uneventful follow-up and complete hip range of motion at 2 year.

Outcome of surgical treatment of type IV capitellum fractures in adults.

OBJECTIVE: Fractures of the capitellum and trochlea constitute less than 1% of all elbow fractures and a shear fracture involving the capitellum and extending medially into most of the trochlea is rarely reported. Type IV capitellum fracture is still controversial in regard to its radiographic appearance, surgical approach and osteosynthesis. We report 10 cases of type IV capitellum fracture with a view to elucidating its clinical features and treatment outcome. METHODS: We treated 10 patients of type IV capitellum fracture with a mean age of 32 years. A uniform surgical approach and postoperative rehabilitation were followed. RESULTS: Nine patients presented to us after a mean of 4 days of injury and one patient was nonunion after 6 months of injury who had been treated conservatively by a bone setter. Double arc sign was absent in 6 cases. Intraoperatively 6 capitellotrochlear fragments were devoid of soft tissue attachments. By Mayo Elbow Performance Score evaluation, 7 patients got excellent, 2 good and 1 fair results. One patient with associated elbow dislocation developed heterotopic ossification. There was no case of avascular necrosis, osteoarthrosis or fixation failures. CONCLUSIONS: Type IV capitellum fractures are rare and belong to complex articular injuries. A good functional outcome can only be achieved with open reduction and stable internal fixation followed by early mobilization. Preoperative radiographic assessment and computed tomography help surgeons in choosing the right surgical approach and implants. Good surgical technique and stable internal fixation are the keys to early mobilization and good functional outcome.

Nonunion of coronal shear fracture of femoral condyle.

Isolated coronal fractures of femoral condyle are rare in adults and nonunion of Hoffa fracture is reported only a few times in the literature. We analyzed six cases of nonunion of Hoffa fractures over a period of three years. Three patients were treated conservatively and three patients had fixation failures. Delay of presentation was 2 months to one year. Treatment protocol consisted of open reduction, excision of pseudoarthrosis, bone grafting and internal fixation along with knee arthrolysis. Union was achieved in all patients at mean 16 weeks. The treatment of nonunion of Hoffa fractures requires careful preoperative planning and meticulous surgical technique. The literature regarding the controversies in fracture management and surgical technique are reviewed.

Treatment of resistant nonunion of supracondylar fractures femur by megaprosthesis.

PURPOSE: Resistant nonunion of distal femoral fractures in the elderly is a great challenge to treat because it is often associated with multiple problems like poor bone quality, arthritis, disuse osteopenia, joint contractures, and implant failure. We treated ten patients with megaprosthesis and report the outcome. METHODS: Ten elderly patients of resistant nonunion of distal femoral fractures with arthritis knee were treated with megaprosthesis. The median patient age was 74 years (68-85 years). All these patients had undergone at least two prior operative procedures and were operated by us, 24-33 months following the first index surgery. Modular Resection System was used in all the patients. RESULTS: Eight patients were available for follow-up. Median follow-up period was 4 years. Two patients required extended local wound care for wound skin necrosis. One patient sustained traumatic periprosthetic subtrochanteric fracture following a subsequent trauma. No thromboembolic complications were seen. All knees showed satisfactory alignment and range of motion. Postoperative, median knee society pain score, and knee society function score were 84 (80-88) and 88 (84-92) at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Megaprosthesis can be offered as a one-stage salvage procedure for difficult nonunion in distal femoral fractures associated with bone loss, osteoporosis, and secondary knee arthritis.

Spondyloptosis of C6-C7: a rare case report.

A 35 years old female presented to us after falling from a height. She complained of a neck pain and a complete quadriplegia and was diagnosed as having spondyloptosis of the C6-C7. Skeletal traction was performed on her. CT scan showed fractures of the C5, C6, and C7 vertebral body. The patient underwent anterior approach partial corpectomy with anterior cervical locking plate and strut grafting from ipsilateral iliac crest. Intraoperatively it was found that the disc was completely ruptured and there was a dural tear and cerebrospinal fluid leak. Her postoperative period was complicated by cerebrospinal fluid collection and posterior instrumentation was not performed due to the poor general condition. She had no neural recovery at the last follow-up. Spondyloptosis is a severe and highly unstable injury with a three column ligamentous disruption and may be complicated, as in our case, with a dural tear. Management of these cases is fraught with complications, and prognosis for neural recovery is dismal.

Rubber band syndrome--high accuracy of clinical diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Rubber band syndrome is a rare condition seen in younger children in communities where rubber bands are worn around the wrist for decorative purposes. When the band is worn for a long duration, it burrows through the skin and soft tissues resulting in distal edema, loss of function, and even damage to the neurovascular structures. Recognition of this syndrome at the earliest can prevent catastrophic events. METHODS: We report 3 cases of rubber band syndrome. Three children presented with a discharging sinus at the wrist. There was a linear circumferential scar at the wrist in all cases. Plain radiographs showed a circumferential constriction in the soft tissue shadow in all the cases. There was a history of a band tied around the wrist, which had been forgotten by the parents and eventually became embedded in the soft tissues of the wrist. RESULTS: Surgical removal of the buried rubber band was successful in all the cases. Postoperative follow-up over a mean period of 13 months have shown a surprisingly good outcome of hand function in all our patients. CONCLUSIONS: The cardinal features of a linear constricting scar around the wrist in the presence of a discharging sinus should always alert the clinician to the possibility of a forgotten band around the wrist, which might have burrowed into the soft tissues over a period of time. A radiograph of the affected wrist shows a soft tissue constriction at the wrist. A high index of clinical suspicion and the uniformity of symptoms and clinico-radiologic signs enabled us to make a clinical diagnosis of a constriction band (rubber band syndrome), which was proved after a surgical exploration. STUDY DESIGN: Case series. Level of Evidence--Level IV.

Reverse floating first metatarsal and floating third metatarsal with Lisfranc fracture dislocation: an unusual injury.

A 25-year-old man complained of severe pain in the right foot after a traffic accident. There was a wound on the medial aspect of the foot extending over the length of the first metatarsal. There was no sign of vascular compromise and sensations were intact. Radiographs showed dislocation of the first tarsometatarsal (Lisfranc) and metatarsophalangeal joints with the head of the first metatarsal facing proximally and plantarward (reverse floating first metatarsal), a segmental fracture of the second metatarsal, fracture dislocation of the third metatarsal from the metatarsophalangeal and tarsometatarsal joints (floating third metatarsal), and fractures at the base of the fourth and fifth metatarsals and of cuneiforms. Open reduction and internal fixation were performed. The metatarsal head was buttonholed through the capsule and muscles and was released and reduced. The fractured second metatarsal was reduced and stabilized with a K-wire. The third floating metatarsal was aligned and fixed with a K-wire. A below-knee posterior plaster splint was applied for six weeks. Full weight bearing was started at 10 weeks. The patient returned to his activities with only minimal discomfort. This is the first reported case of plantar Lisfranc dislocation and reverse floating first metatarsal.

Traumatic bilateral hip dislocation with bilateral sciatic nerve palsy.

Bilateral hip dislocation rarely occurs. In this paper, a case of bilateral hip dislocation associated with bilateral sciatic nerve palsy resulted from a road traffic accident is reported. Both hips were emergently reduced under general anaesthesia. Acetabular reconstruction was done bilaterally due to the unstable hips. The patient subsequently developed heterotopic ossification and avascular necrosis on the left hip and underwent total hip arthroplasty. The sciatic nerve on the right side achieved complete recovery but that on the left side only partly recovered and was augmented by tendon transfer. Such injuries are serious and one should be aware of the complications because they can resurface and so patients should be followed up for a long time. To the best of our knowledge, this kind of injury has not been reported in the English language literature.

Autogenous non-vascularized fibula for treatment of giant cell tumor of distal end radius.

INTRODUCTION: Giant cell tumor of distal end of radius is treated by wide resection and intralesional procedures with former having better results. The various modalities for the defect created are vascularized/non-vascularized bone graft, osteoarticular allografts and custom-made prosthesis. We report outcome of wide resection and non-vascularized fibular grafting in biopsy-proven giant cell tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Nine patients with mean age of 40 years with Campanacci grade II giant cell tumor of distal radius were managed with radical excision of the tumor and reconstruction with ipsilateral free fibular graft. RESULTS: Mean follow-up time was 56 months. One patient developed recurrence and was treated by amputation. All other patients showed a good union at fibular graft-radius junction. In wrist, average range of motion achieved at last follow-up was 40° of dorsiflexion, 30° of palmar flexion, 45° each of supination and pronation. Major complications encountered included graft fracture (2), wrist subluxation (2), tourniquet palsy (1), aseptic graft resorption (1) and tumor recurrence (1). CONCLUSION: Reconstruction after wide excision by non-vascularized fibular graft is a viable alternative for giant cell tumors of the lower end of radius though it is a challenging procedure and may be accompanied by major complications.

Fractures of capitellum: a review of 14 cases treated by open reduction and internal fixation with Herbert screws.

Fourteen patients with displaced fractures of the humeral capitellum were treated by open reduction and internal fixation of the capitellar fragments with Herbert screws. As per Bryan and Morrey classification, there were seven type I fractures, one type II fracture, three type III fractures, and three non-unions. Patient outcomes were evaluated using the Mayo elbow performance score. The follow-up period ranged from three to seven years (mean 4.8 years). All patients had a stable, pain-free elbow with good range of motion at follow-up. There was no evidence of avascular necrosis or degenerative change.

Management of massive posttraumatic bone defects in the lower limb with the Ilizarov technique.

Massive bone defects have been treated by various methods with variable success rates. The Ilizarov technique has been advocated as a preferred method for treatment of large segmental defects. Twenty five patients with massive post traumatic bone defects of the lower limb (22 tibiae, 3 femurs) were treated using Ilizarov's technique. After radiological evaluation, the patients were subjected to bone transport. Bifocal osteosynthesis was performed in all except those needing >12 cm of bone transport. Distraction was started between day 4 and 7 at the rate of 1 mm per day in four increments. All were males with a mean gap of 8.9 cm (range: 5-17 cm), mean age of 28.24 years (16-40) and having undergone a mean of 2.6 previous surgeries. Mean time in Ilizarov frame was 8.8 months and external fixator index was 0.98 months. Mean duration of follow-up after frame removal was 23.5 months. Union was achieved in 23 (92%) cases. Bone grafting was required in 9 (36%) According to ASAMI criteria, bone results were excellent in 13, good in 1, and poor in 11 patients. Functional results were excellent in 6 patients, good in 9, fair in 4, and poor in 6 patients. A total of 72 complications occurred (2.88 complications per patient). Union was achieved in all except two patients. The Ilizarov external fixator offers a limb salvage solution even in large bone defects but the surgeon should set realistic goals both for himself and his patients while offering this method of treatment.

Total hip replacement as primary treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.

Fifty-three patients with A2.2 and A2.3 intertrochanteric fracture according to the Muller classification were treated with total hip replacement between April 2000 and February 2004. The average age of the patients was 77 years. Average follow-up period was 3.7 years. We studied postoperative complications, mortality rate, functional outcome using the Harris hip score, time to return to normal activities, and radiographic evidence of healing. Two patients died on the third and fifth postoperative days. Seven more patients died within one year. The Harris hip score at one month was 66 +/- 7 (mean +/- standard deviation); at three months 72 +/- 6; at one year 74 +/- 5; at three years 76 +/- 6 and in the 27 patients who completed five year follow-up it was 76 +/- 8. Mobilisation and weight-bearing was started immediately in the postoperative period. Average time taken to return to normal daily activities was 28 days (range 24-33). No loosening or infection of the implants was observed. Total hip arthroplasty is a valid treatment option for mobile and mentally healthy elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures. This procedure offers quick recovery with little risk of mechanical failure, avoids the risks associated with internal fixation and enables the patient to maintain a good level of function immediately after surgery.