Correlation of tibial parameters like medial, lateral posterior tibial slope and medial plateau depth with ACL injuries: randomized control study.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to compare variables such as medial posterior tibial slope, lateral posterior tibial slope, medial tibial plateau depth calculated by preoperative MRI, and posterior tibial slope calculated by lateral knee X-ray on randomly selected patients with ACL injuries to a control group of patients without the injury. The secondary aim is to determine the critical value of these parameters and ascertain whether they can be used as a screening tool to identify at-risk individuals. METHODS: Study participants included 426 subjects with noncontact knee injuries. Using stratified systematic random sampling, they were randomly divided into two equal groups of sixty, one for patients with ACL tears, and the other for those with ACL that was intact based on clinical and MRI findings. Based on the blinded assessment, MPTS, LPTS, MTPD, and PTS were assessed in MRI and lateral knee X-ray (PTS only), and the results were compared between groups using appropriate statistical models. RESULTS: There were higher MPTS, LPTS, and PTS scores in the ACL tear group when compared to the control group (p < 0.01), while MTPD was lower when compared to the control group (p > 0.05). ROC analysis for predicting ACL tear revealed an area under the curve for MPTS, LPTS, PTS, and MTPD as 0.942, 0.907, 0.967, and 0.878, respectively. The critical angle for MPTS, LTPS, PTS and MTPD was 8.25°,6.75°,8.5° and 2.25 mm, respectively, which has sensitivity of 91.0%, 86.7%, 93.3% and 80%; specificity of 86.7%, 78.3%, 90.0% and 71.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Medial posterior tibial slope, lateral posterior tibial slope, and posterior tibial slope were significantly higher in individuals in the ACL tear group but there was no significant difference in medial tibial plateau depth. MPTS, LPTS, and PTS are better predictors of identifying at-risk individuals predisposed to ACL injury than MTPD.

Bone Ninja application is reliable alternative to PACS in measuring preoperative and postoperative alignment parameters of total knee arthroplasty.

Background: A picture archiving and communication system (PACS) is a means wherein the images are acquired, displayed, transmitted, and stored digitally. Bone Ninja is an application on iPad (Apple Inc.) on the IOS platform, developed as a teaching tool for deformity corrections around the knee. The principal objective of this study is to determine the reliability and consistency of Bone Ninja application in measuring the preoperative and postoperative alignment in patients undergoing a total knee arthroplasty and compare it with the PACS. Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was done using preoperative and postoperative leg-length radiographs of 50 consecutive patients (50 knees) who underwent unilateral total knee arthroplasty. Using Bone Ninja application and PACS, preoperative Lateral Distal Femoral Angle (LDFA), Tibiofemoral Angle (TFA), Medial Proximal Tibial Angle (MPTA) and postoperative Tibial alignment angle (TAA), Tibiofemoral angle (TFA), Femoral alignment angle (FAA) were measured independently by three doctors (two orthopedists and one radiologist). The measurements were repeated after an interval to determine intra and interobserver reliability. Results: Both preoperative (TFA, LDFA, MPTA) and postoperative measurements (TFA, TAA, FAA) showed highly correlated intraobserver and interobserver correlation coefficients. Cohen kappa values for all the measurements were greater than 0.80 but the values were higher for PACS compared to Bone Ninja application. Conclusions: PACS remains the gold standard, but bone ninja application is a reliable alternative for preoperative and postoperative alignment measures in total knee arthroplasty where PACS is not available.

Prospective comparative analysis of efficacy of local debridement with or without vancomycin impregnated calcium sulphate in chronic osteomyelitis.

The primary objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of use of Vancomycin impregnated bioabsorbable calcium sulphate (VCS) pellets along with surgical debridement to control group without the use of calcium sulphate for chronic osteomyelitis. The secondary objective was comparing the results in different subtypes of chronic osteomyelitis. Methods: 50 consecutive patients were enrolled in VCS group and control group based on used whether VCS was used in treatment in addition to surgical debridement or not. Patients were classified using Cerny Mader Classification and were serially followed up to compare efficacy of eradication of infection and complications between the groups. Results: Patients were followed for a minimum of 24 months postoperatively (range, 24-63 months; mean 32.2 ± 4.2months). 88% (44/50) of patients in VCS group achieved eradication of infection when compared to 64% (32/50) in control group at 2-year follow-up period (p < 0.001). Three out of six patient with recurrence in VCS group and 11 out 18 patients in control group achieved eradication after second stage surgery using same protocol using VCS. Among 10 with persistent infection, 5 among these were those with diffuse osteomyelitis and 5 were those with medullary osteomyelitis. In VCS group, 18/50 patients had persistent serous drainage from the wound for up to 4 weeks which was self-limiting. Conclusion: Local debridement combined with antibiotic impregnated calcium sulphate as a single-stage treatment is effective in treating chronic localized osteomyelitis when compared to debridement alone. However, its use alone in diffuse osteomyelitis may be less effective.

Chemoport-associated Complications and Its Management.

Chemoport is being routinely used to administer chemotherapy, blood, blood products, total parenteral nutrition, and also to draw blood for investigations. We started using chemoport in our institute. We use it exclusively to administer chemotherapy. We analyzed our results of chemoport usage and confirm that the rate of complications associated with chemoport usage is at par with the available literature. We also conclude that with regular use, the intra-op and post-op complications will reduce further.

Outcome of Pancreaticoduodenectomy at Low-Volume Centre in Tier-II City of India.

Currently, pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is considered a common and feasibly performed surgery for periampullary tumours, but it is still a high-risk surgical procedure with potential morbidity and mortality rates. Previously, it was emphasised for the need of high-volume centres to perform specialised surgery such as PD. The authors have made an attempt to know the relation between low-volume centre and outcomes of PD. The study was conducted in a Tier-II city referral hospital located in Karnataka, India. A total of 37 patients with suspected periampullary neoplasms underwent surgical exploration with curative intent over a period of 4 years, i.e. from May 2012 to May 2016. Out of 37 patients, 26 underwent PD, either classic Whipple resection (n = 01) or pylorus-preserving modification (n = 25). In 11 patients, resection was not possible, where biliary and gastric drainage procedures were done. All patients were treated by standardised post-operative care protocols for pancreatic resection used at our centre. We recorded the perioperative outcome along with demographics, indications for surgery, and pre- and intra-operative factors of PD. Post-operative pancreatic fistulae were evident in 4 patients. Two patients had hepaticojejunostomy leak. One patient had chyle leak. Three patients had infection at the surgical site. One patient had post-operative pneumonia leading to mortality. None of the patients had post-op haemorrhage. The surgeon volume and surgeon experience may have minimal contributing factor in post-operative morbidity, especially if there is availability of well-equipped ICU and imaging facilities, along with well-experienced personnel like oncosurgeon, anaesthesiologist, intensivist, radiologist, and nursing staff. There is a need of a multicentre study from Tier-II city hospitals/low-volume centres and high-volume centres to come with perioperative surgical outcomes following PD.

Conventional laparoscopic appendectomy versus double-incision, three-port laparoscopic appendectomy: A 1-year randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Management of appendicitis has evolved dramatically in the last 120 years, from McBurney's large incision to minimally invasive laparoscopic appendectomy to hardly noticeable incisions with SILS. As a bridge between conventional laparoscopic surgery and SILS, double-incision laparoscopic surgery further minimizes the invasiveness of laparoscopic surgery by reducing the number of incisions. This study aimed to establish the efficacy of double-incision, three-port laparoscopic appendectomy (DILA) as an alternative to conventional three-port laparoscopic appendectomy. METHODS: A total of 60 patients were divided randomly into two groups: the conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLA) group and the DILA appendectomy group. Demographics, diagnostic history, additional intraoperative findings, and duration of operation were recorded. Postoperative pain after 6 h and 24 h and cosmetic outcome after the surgery were also evaluated. Statistical analysis was done using Fisher's exact test, χ2 test, and Student's t-test. RESULTS: No significant difference was observed in demographic and clinical characteristics in either group (P > 0.05). No significant difference in mean postoperative pain was observed between the two groups at 6 h (P = 0.62) or 24 h (P = 0.484). However, patients in the DILA group were more satisfied with their cosmetic outcomes than those in the CLA group (P = 0.04). The mean operative time was 26.4 min in the CLA group and 27.6 min in the DILA group (P = 0.62). CONCLUSION: DILA can be performed with operative outcomes that are equivalent to CLA but with superior cosmetic outcomes.

Minimal invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion versus open transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present prospective study is to evaluate whether the touted advantages of minimal invasive-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) translate into superior, equal, or inferior outcomes as compared to open-transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (O-TLIF). This is the first study from the Indian subcontinent prospectively comparing the outcomes of MI-TLIF and O-TLIF. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All consecutive cases of open and MI-TLIF were prospectively followed up. Single-level TLIF procedures for spondylolytic and degenerative conditions (degenerative spondylolisthesis, central disc herniations) operated between January 2011 and January 2013 were included. The pre and postoperative Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) for back pain and leg pain, length of hospital stay, operative time, radiation exposure, quantitative C-reactive protein (QCRP), and blood loss were compared between the two groups. The parameters were statistically analyzed (using IBM® SPSS® Statistics version 17). RESULTS: 129 patients underwent TLIF procedure during the study period of which, 71 patients (46 MI-TLIF and 25 O-TLIF) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Of these, a further 10 patients were excluded on account of insufficient data and/or no followup. The mean followup was 36.5 months (range 18-54 months). The duration of hospital stay (O-TLIF 5.84 days + 2.249, MI-TLIF 4.11 days + 1.8, P < 0.05) was shorter in MI-TLIF cases. There was less blood loss (open 358.8 ml, MI 111.81 ml, P < 0.05) in MI-TLIF cases. The operative time (O-TLIF 2.96 h + 0.57, MI-TLIF 3.40 h + 0.54, P < 0.05) was longer in MI group. On an average, 57.77 fluoroscopic exposures were required in MI-TLIF which was significantly higher than in O-TLIF (8.2). There was no statistically significant difference in the improvement in ODI and VAS scores in MI-TLIF and O-TLIF groups. The change in QCRP values preoperative and postoperative was significantly lower (P < 0.000) in MI-TLIF group than in O-TLIF group, indicating lesser tissue trauma. CONCLUSION: The results in MI TLIF are comparable with O-TLIF in terms of outcomes. The advantages of MI-TLIF are lesser blood loss, shorter hospital stay, lesser tissue trauma, and early mobilization. The challenges of MI-TLIF lie in the steep learning curve and significant radiation exposure. The ultimate success of TLIF lies in the execution of the procedure, and in this respect the ability to achieve similar results using a minimally invasive technique makes MI-TLIF an attractive alternative.

Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy: A case report.

INTRODUCTION: Endoscopic thyroidectomy, initially an experimental procedure, is now being performed in increasing frequency. It aims to provide patients undergoing thyroidectomy with a 'scar-free' surgery. Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy is one such novel procedure that is based on the principles of natural orifice translumenal surgery (NOTES) and allows for a truly scar-free surgery with minimal dissection. PRESENTATION OF CASE: A 21-year-old female presented with a swelling over the left side of her neck. Ultrasound revealed a solitary nodule and FNAC showed features suggestive of a follicular adenoma. DISCUSSION: The patient underwent transoral endoscopic hemi-thyroidectomy. The procedure lasted for 2h and is one of the few documented cases of transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy performed on live patients. CONCLUSION: Transoral endoscopic thyroidectomy is proving to be a feasible technique with little or no complications as compared to other endoscopic thyroid surgeries. It provides surgeons with easy access to the thyroid gland and patients with aesthetically pleasing results.

Solid pseudo papillary tumor of pancreas: Presenting as acute abdomen in a female child.

Solid pseudo papillary tumor (SPT) or Frantz's tumor is a slow-growing low-grade malignant tumor, commonly seen in young patients with a female predominance, which is commonly located in the body and tail of the pancreas. We report a case of SPT arising from the body of the pancreas in a 12-year-old girl who presented with acute abdomen and was treated successfully by local excision of the tumor with preservation of head of pancreas and spleen.

A cross-sectional study to detect the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in cases of deep vein thrombosis.

Hyperhomocysteinemia is a known risk factor for the development of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Various studies have been conducted in the western countries to know the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in patients with DVT and in general population. There is no documented literature of the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in Indian population. Thus the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in cases of DVT in our population. To evaluate the prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia, a prospective cross sectional study done on a total of 70 patients admitted in KLES Dr Prabhakar Kore hospital, Belgaum, India. DVT was confirmed by Doppler examination. Serum homocysteine was measured and the data analysed. Statistical significance was calculated using chi square test. A total of 70 patients were studied of which 53 were males and 17 were females. The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia among the cases of DVT was 31.428%.The prevalence among males was 35.85% and among females was 17.64%.There was statistically significant association between hyperhomocysteinemia and presence of ischaemic heart disease with a p value of 0.005 on chi square analysis. The prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia in cases of deep vein thrombosis in our population was 31.428%. There was a statistically significant association between hyperhomocysteinemia and ischaemic heart disease.

Enteral glutamine supplementation reducing infectious morbidity in burns patients: a randomised controlled trial.

PURPOSE: Enteral glutamine supplements have been shown to reduce infectious morbidity in trauma patients, but their effect on patients with burns is not completely studied. The objective of this study was to measure the impact of enteral glutamine supplementation on infectious morbidity and in turn, the hospital-stay in patients with burns. METHODS: Thirty patients with burns were randomly divided into two groups with 15 patients in each, the study (glutamine supplemented) and control group. Patients were randomised to receive either isonitrogenous mixture without glutamine or isonitrogenous mixture with glutamine until complete healing of the burn wound occurred. Incidence of positive blood culture, wound culture, total leucocyte count, hospital-stay and mortality was recorded. RESULTS: The results showed that the incidence of positive blood culture was considerably reduced in the study group (0.20±0.41) vs. control (0.73±0.96; p = 0.065). The incidence of positive wound culture was significantly reduced in the study group (1.00 ± 1.25) vs. control (3.53 ± 2.47; p = 0.001). In addition, the wound healing was better and hospital-stay days were reduced in the study group (22.73 ± 9.13 days) vs. (39.73 ± 18.27 days; p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that enteral glutamine supplementation in adult burn patients could abate the degree of infectious morbidity and reduce hospital-stay.

Extremely growth-retarded infants: is there a viability centile?

BACKGROUND: It is known that extremely premature infants do less well than more mature infants, and this fact has led some countries to adopt a "cutoff for viability" using birth weight or gestation. Infants affected by intrauterine growth retardation are at additional risk of poor outcome. There are few data to inform decisions about viability and (dis)continuation of intensive care when both extreme prematurity and severe growth retardation are present. OBJECTIVE: We focused on (1) premature infants affected by marked intrauterine growth retardation to determine if there was a cutoff weight centile below which the mortality sharply increased and (2) the short-term outcome of extremely premature and growth-retarded infants to determine a cutoff for viability. METHODS: We evaluated preterm infants of 22-32 weeks' gestation if they were alive at the onset of labor and born to European mothers resident in the Trent (United Kingdom) health region between 1994 and 2003. Infants were categorized into 6 weight centiles, and infants in each category were assessed for survival to discharge from the neonatal unit, duration of respiratory support, length of stay in the neonatal unit, and the age at death in nonsurvivors. RESULTS: We identified a total of 8228 infants who met the study criteria. Of these, 4448 infants were male, 6194 were from singleton pregnancies, and 2887 were born at < or = 28 completed weeks of gestation. Survival to discharge was markedly reduced in the infants born at < or = 28 weeks of gestation with a birth weight less than the 2nd centile. Stillbirth was inversely related to birth weight centile in infants born before 29 weeks of gestation. CONCLUSIONS: The survival for infants born at < or = 28 weeks' gestation and having a birth weight in less than the 2nd centile is poor, and consideration should be given to modifying their management.

Conjunctival inclusion cyst following sub-Tenon's local anaesthetic injection.

Sub-Tenon's local anaesthesia has become a popular technique of infiltrative anaesthesia for small incision cataract surgery. We report the development of an inclusion cyst of the conjunctiva following this technique. The aetiology of this complication and how it can be avoided are discussed.

Is early surgery for congenital cataract a risk factor for glaucoma?

AIMS: To estimate the risk of aphakic glaucoma after lensectomy for congenital cataract and its association with surgery within the first month of life. METHOD: A retrospective case notes review was conducted of all patients who had lensectomy for congenital cataract during their first year of life at Great Ormond Street Hospital between 1994 and 1997. Patients with pre-existing glaucoma, anterior segment dysgenesis, and Lowe syndrome were excluded. The risk of aphakic glaucoma after surgery was estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: 80 patients, undergoing 128 lensectomies were eligible. Of these, six patients (nine eyes) were lost to follow up. Based on eye count, the risk of glaucoma by 5 years after lensectomy was 15.6% (95% CI 10.2 to 23.4). Based on patient count, the 5 year risk of glaucoma in at least one eye following bilateral surgery was 25.1% (95% CI 15.1 to 40.0). The incidence of glaucoma remained at a constant level for the first 5 years after surgery. After early bilateral lensectomy, within the first month of life, the 5 year risk of glaucoma in at least one eye was 50% (95% CI 27.8 to 77.1) compared to 14.9% (95% CI 6.5 to 32.1) with surgery performed later (log rank test, p = 0.012). There was no significant difference (Kolmogorov-Smirnov test: unilateral lensectomy p = 0.587, bilateral lensectomy p = 0.369) in 5 year visual outcomes between eyes operated before and after 1 month of age. CONCLUSION: Bilateral lensectomy during the first month of life is associated with a higher risk of subsequent glaucoma than with surgery performed later. The reason for this is unclear but it may be prudent, in bilateral cases, to consider delaying surgery until the infant is 4 weeks old. As the incidence of glaucoma is similar for each year after surgery, long term glaucoma surveillance is mandatory.