Three-vessel view debridement of the open tibial fracture: a surgical technique.

Adequate debridement of an open fracture is a key component of successful management. Despite having set debridement principles, there is no structured technique available in the literature to guide the surgeon in achieving this. We therefore present a technical note detailing the structured approach to the debridement of any open tibial fracture. Our unit has developed a novel stepwise technique termed locally as the "three-vessel view". Identifying all three primary vessels of the leg facilitates confirmation of inspection of all lower limb compartments thus minimising the risk of missed devitalised tissue or neglected areas of contamination and the potential for consequent disastrous outcomes as a result of inadequate exposure.

Evaluation and management of atypical femoral fractures: an update of current knowledge.

Atypical femoral fractures are often attributed to the use of anti-resorptive medications such as bisphosphonates (BP). Whilst they have proven effects on fragility fracture prevention, clinical and laboratory evidence is evolving linking BP-related suppression of bone remodelling to the development of atypical stress-related sub-trochanteric fractures (Shane et al. in JBMR 29:1-23, 2014; Odvina et al. in JCEM 90:1294-301, 2005; Durchschlag et al. in JBMR 21(10):1581-1590, 2006; Donnelly et al. in JBMR 27:672-678, 2012; Mashiba et al. in Bone 28(5):524-531, 2001; Dell et al. in JBMR 27(12):2544-2550, 2012; Black et al. in Lancet 348:1535-1541, 1996; Black et al. in NEJM 356:1809-1822, 2007; Black et al. in JAMA 296:2927-2938, 2006; Schwartz et al. in JBMR 25:976-82, 2010). Injuries may present asymptomatically or with prodromal thigh pain and most can be successfully managed with cephalomedullary nailing and discontinuation of BP therapy. Such injuries exhibit a prolonged time to fracture union with high rates of non-union and metal-work failure when compared to typical subtrochanteric osteoporotic femoral fractures. Despite emerging literature on AFFs, their management continues to pose a challenge to the orthopaedic and extended multi-disciplinary team. The purpose of this review includes evaluation of the current evidence supporting the management of AFFs, clinical and radiological features associated with their presentation and a review of reported surgical strategies to treat and prevent these devastating injures.

Sporting participation following the operative management of chondral defects of the knee at mid-term follow up: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review of the reparticipation in sport at mid-term follow up in athletes who underwent biologic treatment of chondral defects in the knee and compare the rates amongst different biologic procedures. METHODS: A search of PubMed/Medline and Embase was performed in May 2020 in keeping with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The criteria for inclusion were observational, published research articles studying the outcomes and rates of participation in sport following biologic treatments of the knee with a minimum mean/median follow up of 5 years. Interventions included microfracture, osteochondral autograft transfer (OAT), autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI), matrix-induced autologous chondrocyte implantation (MACI), osteochondral allograft, or platelet rich plasma (PRP) and peripheral blood stem cells (PBSC). A random effects model of head-to-head evidence was used to determine rates of sporting participation following each intervention. RESULTS: There were twenty-nine studies which met the inclusion criteria with a total of 1276 patients (67% male, 33% female). The mean age was 32.8 years (13-69, SD 5.7) and the mean follow up was 89 months (SD 42.4). The number of studies reporting OAT was 8 (27.6%), ACI was 6 (20.7%), MACI was 7 (24.1%), microfracture was 5 (17.2%), osteochondral allograft was 4 (13.8%), and one study (3.4%) reported on PRP and PBSC. The overall return to any level of sport was 80%, with 58.6% returning to preinjury levels. PRP and PBSC (100%) and OAT (84.4%) had the highest rates of sporting participation, followed by allograft (83.9%) and ACI (80.7%). The lowest rates of participation were seen following MACI (74%) and microfracture (64.2%). CONCLUSIONS: High rates of re-participation in sport are sustained for at least 5 years following biologic intervention for chondral injuries in the knee. Where possible, OAT should be considered as the treatment of choice when prolonged participation in sport is a priority for patients. However, MACI may achieve the highest probability of returning to the same pre-injury sporting level. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

The symptomatic adult flatfoot: Is there a relationship between severity and degree of pre-existing arthritis in the foot and ankle?

BACKGROUND: The acquired adult flatfoot deformity (AFFD) is a potentially debilitating foot condition with a prevalence thought to be between 3 %-10 %. To the authors' best knowledge, no association has been described between severity of AFFD and degree of pre-existing ankle or foot arthritis. The degree and pattern of preexisting ipsilateral arthritis of the foot and ankle was investigated in those with symptomatic AFFD presenting to hospital. METHODS: Retrospective observational study between May 2015 and May 2018, of patients who presented to our tertiary clinic with symptomatic AFFD. Radiographs of one hundred and forty-eight (n=148) patients were reviewed, excluding those with charcot arthropathy, previous trauma or coalition. The primary outcome measure was severity of OA in the ankle, subtalar, talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints. Secondary outcome was severity of radiographic planovalgus deformity. The independant variables used were age and severity of planovalgus deformity as measured by the Meary angle, calcaneal pitch and medial cuneiform-fifth metatarsal height. A linear regression model was carried out on the outcomes. RESULTS: Median age was 60.0 years (IQR 22). There were 56 males to 92 females, with 75 left sided deformities observed and 73 right sided. With increasing severity of planovalgus measurements, there was no significant association observed in severity of arthritis in the ankle joint (p = 0.766), subtalar joint (p = 0.090), talonavicular joint (p = 0.256) and calcaneocuboid joint (p = 0.091). With increasing age, there was significance observed in degree of ankle arthritis, subtalar, talonavicular and calcaneocuboid joints (p = 0.001). There was no significant correlation observed with age for the angular break of Meary's line (p = 0.73), calcaneal pitch (0.262) and medial cuneiform-fifth metatarsal height (p = 0.937). CONCLUSION: This observational study shows no significant association between severity of radiographic planovalgus deformity and pre-existing arthritis of the ankle, hindfoot and midtarsal joints.

Orthoplastic reconstruction of type IIIB open tibial fractures retaining debrided devitalized cortical segments: the Bristol experience 2014 to 2018.

AIMS: Type IIIB open tibial fractures are devastating high-energy injuries. At initial debridement, the surgeon will often be faced with large bone fragments with tenuous, if any, soft-tissue attachments. Conventionally these are discarded to avoid infection. We aimed to determine if orthoplastic reconstruction using mechanically relevant devitalized bone (ORDB) was associated with an increased infection rate in type IIIB open tibial shaft fractures. PATIENT AND METHODS: This was a consecutive cohort study of 113 patients, who had sustained type IIIB fractures of the tibia following blunt trauma, over a four-year period in a level 1 trauma centre. The median age was 44.3 years (interquartile range (IQR) 28.1 to 65.9) with a median follow-up of 1.7 years (IQR 1.2 to 2.1). There were 73 male patients and 40 female patients. The primary outcome measures were deep infection rate and number of operations. The secondary outcomes were nonunion and flap failure. RESULTS: In all, 44 patients had ORDB as part of their reconstruction, with the remaining 69 not requiring it. Eight out of 113 patients (7.1%) developed a deep infection (ORDB 1/44, non-ORDB 7/69). The median number of operations was two. A total of 16/242 complication-related reoperations were undertaken (6.6%), with 2/16 (12.5%) occurring in the ORDB group. CONCLUSION: In the setting of an effective orthoplastic approach to type IIIB open diaphyseal tibial fractures, using mechanically relevant debrided devitalized bone fragments in the definitive reconstruction appears to be safe. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2019;101-B:1002-1008.

Syndesmotic fixation in unstable ankle fractures: Does early post-operative weight bearing affect radiographic outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: To analyse whether early post-operative full weight bearing following syndesmotic ankle fixation affected radiographic outcomes suggestive of diastasis. DESIGN: Retrospective comparative cohort study over a two year period. SETTING: Level 1 trauma centre PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: 152 consecutive patients sustaining an unstable ankle fracture requiring syndesmotic stabilisation were included. Exclusions were 49 patients who had trimalleolar fixation without syndesmosis screws, one patient who had concomitant ankle and talar fracture. Five patients were lost to follow up and eleven patients were followed up in other centres. A total of 86 patients were analysed INTERVENTION: Protected or full weight bearing. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENT: The primary outcome measure was early diastasis. The secondary outcomes were late diastasis, wound complications and re-operation. Analysis of variance was used for the predictor variable of weight bearing status. We assumed a priori that p values of less than 0.05 were significant. RESULTS: Median age was 36 (IQR 30), with 54 males and 32 females. Median follow up was 12 weeks (IQR 6). There was no significant difference when comparing weight bearing status and change in radiographic measurements intra-operatively compared to 6 and 12 week follow up radiographs (tibiofibular clear space p = 0.799, tibiofibular overlap p = 0.733 and medial clear space p = 0.261). CONCLUSION: After surgical stabilization of an unstable syndesmotic injury, full weight bearing did not lead to syndesmotic diastasis in the early post-operative period. Full weight bearing is recommended following ankle fixation which includes syndesmotic fixation.

Recovery of knee function in the isolated MCL and combined ACL-MCL deficient knee.

BACKGROUND: The MCL is the prime medial stabiliser of the knee and is a commonly injured structure which leads to valgus instability of the knee. OBJECTIVES: We aim to analyse differences in recovery of knee motion and muscle function over one year follow up in the isolated MCL and combined ACL-MCL injured knee. We hypothesized that combined ACL-MCL injuries lead to greater knee motion and muscle function deficits at 1 year. METHODS: Isolated MCL (Group I) or combined ACL-MCL injuries (Group II) from 2006-2010 were included. Those with a previous MCL injury, injury to contralateral limb or presenting 2 weeks post-injury were excluded. At certain outpatient follow up intervals, we recorded pre-determined parameters of knee function. Follow-up was at weeks 2, 6, 12, 26, 52. RESULTS: The cohort included 82 patients (54 males:28 females) with a mean age of 32 (range 16-56). Group II showed a deficit in Total Range of Movement (TROM) and flexion at 6 month follow up (p < 0.05). Group II showed an extension deficit at week 2 (p < 0.05). The Peak Torque Deficit (PTD) and Average Power Deficit (APD) improved for quadriceps and hamstrings across all follow up intervals (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a TROM and flexion deficit at 6 months in group II, resolving by 1 year. There was no difference in PTD or APD in either group.

The predictive value of hospital admission serum alanine transaminase activity in patients treated for paracetamol overdose.

BACKGROUND: Paracetamol is a major cause of poisoning. Treatment decisions are predominately based on the dose ingested and a timed blood paracetamol concentration because most patients present to hospital soon after overdose, before hepatotoxicity can be confirmed/excluded using serum alanine transaminase (ALT). Nonetheless, ALT is measured at hospital presentation; we investigated its value in predicting hepatotoxicity. METHODS: From March 2011 to May 2012, patients admitted to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh for paracetamol overdose treatment were identified. We determined the value of admission ALT (below or above our upper limit of normal-50 IU/l) at predicting three endpoints: 1-doubling of ALT; 2-peak ALT >1000 IU/l; 3-peak international normalized ratio (INR) >2. RESULTS: From 500 patients, 410 met the entry criteria; 264 presented within 8 h of overdose, 54 between 8 and 24 h, 53 after 24 h and 39 were staggered ingestions. Admission ALT was increased in 71. For endpoint 1 (ALT doubling), the positive predictive value (PPV) of admission ALT was 19% [95% confidence interval (CI) 12-30] with a negative predictive value (NPV) of 98% (95% CI 96-99); endpoint 2 (ALT >1000 IU/l: PPV 23% (95% CI 14-34) and NPV 100% (95% CI 99-100) and for endpoint 3 (INR >2): PPV 14% (95% CI 7-25) and NPV of 100% (95% CI 99-100). The NPV remained high when only late presenters were included. CONCLUSION: Admission ALT within the normal range has a high NPV and could be used, alone or in combination with newer biomarkers, to identify lower risk patients at hospital presentation.