Fat grafting and platelet-rich plasma for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: A feasibility-randomised controlled trial.

Chronic, nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers (DFU) are increasing in prevalence and are often unresponsive to conventional therapy. Adipose tissue, containing adipose-derived stem cells, and platelet rich plasma (PRP) are regenerative therapies rich in growth factors which may provide a solution to chronic wound healing. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of conducting a definitive randomised controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the efficacy of these therapies for the treatment of DFU. This was a single centre, feasibility, three-arm, parallel group RCT. Eligible DFU patients were randomised on a 1:1:1 basis to three intervention arms: control (podiatry); fat grafting; fat grafting with PRP. The intervention was delivered once and patients were followed-up for 12 weeks. The primary objective was to assess measures of trial feasibility. Clinical outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) were also evaluated. Three hundred and thirty four patients were screened and 32 patients (9.6%) were deemed eligible with 18 enrolled in the trial (6 per arm) over 17 months. All participants completed the trial with no withdrawals or crossover. Participant engagement was high with most HRQoL questionnaires returned and only 4.8% follow-up appointments missed. There were five adverse events (AEs) related to the trial with no serious AEs. Five (28%) of the wounds healed. There was no difference between any of the groups in terms of clinical outcomes. This feasibility study demonstrated that a multi-centre RCT is safe and feasible with excellent patient engagement. We have highlighted crucial information regarding methodology and recruitment, which will guide future trial design. Registration number: NCT03085550 clinicaltrials.gov. Registered 01/03/2017.

Persistent anterior interosseous nerve palsy following forearm crutch use.

A 43-year-old man presented with weakness of the interphalageal joint of his right thumb following the use of forearm crutches. On examination he was unable to oppose his thumb and index finger to form the 'ok' sign. Nerve conduction showed anterior interosseous nerve (AIN) damage along its path to the flexor pollicis longus. The patient was managed conservatively with little clinical improvement seen at 4 months. AIN palsies are very rare and account for <1% of all upper limb lesions. Although AIN palsies resulting from other causes such as surgery and blunt trauma are more common, we report the second case of AIN palsy following crutch use, and the first case in which clinical identification was confirmed using electrodiagnosis. Usual clinical practice recommends a prolonged period of conservative management with surgical management withheld for a minimum of 12 months. Correct crutch fitting and early identification of signs of associated injuries are of paramount importance.

Metastases of lobular breast carcinoma in the terminal ileum and ileocaecal valve.

Gastrointestinal (GI) metastases from primary breast carcinoma are rare but more common in invasive lobular carcinoma than invasive ductal carcinoma. The symptoms may be non-specific and the presentation can occur many years after the initial primary breast carcinoma. Radiological and endoscopic findings can be difficult to distinguish from inflammatory bowel disease and primary carcinoma of the GI tract. Histological and immunohistopathology assessment will usually confirm the diagnosis of metastatic breast carcinoma. We report the first case of lobular breast carcinoma metastasizing to the terminal ileum and ileocaecal valve 19 years following treatment for breast cancer in an 82-year-old woman. Staging investigations revealed synchronous metastases in bones and the pleura. A high index of suspicion and awareness of the potential long interval in the presentation of metastatic breast cancer help in making an accurate diagnosis and rapid clinical management.