The adjunct use of lateral hinged external fixator in the treatment of traumatic destabilizing elbow injuries.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of using a lateral hinged external fixator as an adjunct stabilizer in the treatment of a variety of acute destabilizing elbow injuries. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on the medical records of patients in whom a lateral monolateral elbow hinged external fixator was applied by the senior author. The indication to apply the fixator corresponded to a variety of acute injury patterns ranging from simple elbow trauma or dislocation to complex fracture-dislocation, and the decision was based on either the presence of recurrent or persistent instability in any direction and/or to secure a vulnerable or weak bony fixation or soft tissue repair as intra-operatively judged by the surgeon. The fixator was inserted in the same setting after the repair of the associated ligamentous and/or bony structures. Patients operated after one month of the trauma and those presented with open elbow injury or associated humeral or ulnar shaft fracture were excluded. Rehabilitation was immediately started and the fixator removed at six to eight weeks with elbow testing and gentle manipulation under general anaesthesia, and resuming of rehabilitation after removal. Clinical assessment was performed for all patients according to the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) with evaluation of range of motion at regular intervals till the end of the post-operative first year, then at final follow-up for the purpose of the study with radiographic assessment for evaluation of elbow reduction and concentricity. RESULTS: There were 13 patients with a mean age of 42 years. Two patients had instability secondary to LCL rupture; one patient had redislocation because of associated coronoid process fracture; one patient had radial head fracture with rupture of both collateral ligaments; five patients had terrible triad injury with variable association of collateral ligaments lesions; and four patients had posterior Monteggia fracture-dislocation. The mean MEPS was 90 at a mean follow-up of seven years with six excellent, six good, and one fair result. All patients had a concentrically reduced and stable elbow as assessed clinically and radiologically with a mean functional arc of motion of 132° for extension-flexion and 178° for pronation-supination. CONCLUSION: The hinged elbow external fixator represents a valuable adjunct in the therapeutic arsenal for the treatment of unstable elbows after bony and soft tissue repair. It provides satisfactory results in terms of stability and function and should be available in the operating room when a surgeon treats a complex elbow dislocation or fracture-dislocation.

Minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis for treatment of proximal humeral shaft fractures.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a minimally invasive percutaneous plate osteosynthesis (MIPPO) procedure for proximal humeral shaft fractures using lateral minimal proximal and distal approaches and lateral bridge plating with primary radial nerve control, and to assess its clinical and radiographic outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective review was done for the medical records of adult patients admitted for fracture of the proximal humeral shaft without associated injury to the ipsilateral upper limb and who consented to undergo a novel MIPPO technique herein reported. Patients were reviewed at regular follow-up periods and assessed at a final follow-up for evaluation of Constant, normalized Constant, and QuickDASH scores. RESULTS: There were 21 adult patients with mean age of 56 years. Three patients were lost from early follow-up; one of them had post-operative radial nerve paralysis. Eighteen patients were reviewed for the purpose of this study at a mean of 20 months of final follow-up; among them, one patient developed post-operative radial nerve paralysis with complete recovery after three months. Bone healing was achieved without any malalignment in 17 patients at a mean of 15 weeks, and one patient developed nonunion. At final assessment (mean, 20 months), the mean values of Constant, normalized Constant, and QuickDASH scores were 84 (range, 59 to 100), 95 (range, 73 to 100), and 5 (range, 0 to 18.2) respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared to pre-reported methods of MIPPO, this technique of lateral proximal and distal mini-approaches with lateral bridge plating after primary control of the radial nerve seems safe and feasible for proximal humeral shaft fractures. It gives good clinical and radiographic results with excellent restoration of upper limb function, very low incidence of post-operative radial nerve injury, and high rate of bone union in good alignment.

Belt and suspender technique for bipolar bone loss in shoulder instability.

Bipolar glenohumeral bone loss is a challenging condition to address in patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability. In this category of patients, most isolated soft-tissue procedures such as remplissage or infraspinatus capsulotenodesis are associated with high risk of failure and instability recurrence. Even bony procedures such as Latarjet may fail to provide absolute stability, and instability may eventually recur. For a better understanding of the cause of failure in this particular type of patient, we may refer to the glenoid track concept which has been described as a useful tool for surgical planning. In fact, Latarjet procedure alone may leave a place for engagement of the Hill-Sachs defect on the anterior glenoid resulting in an off-track situation and secondary glenohumeral instability. In this technical note, we present the combination of arthroscopic remplissage and an open Latarjet procedure to treat patients with bipolar glenohumeral bone loss with good results at 31-month follow-up. Our aim is to propose these techniques as a possible rescue procedure for highly unstable shoulders combining engaged Hill-Sachs lesion and glenoid bone loss of more than 25%. We believe this technique would be a good option for patients who present other risk factors of recurrence such as past medical history of epilepsy, laxity, and psychiatric illnesses.

Rectus abdominis free tissue transfer in lower extremity reconstruction: Long term follow up in 58 cases.

This study evaluates the long-term results of rectus abdominis free-tissue transfer performed for lower extremity reconstruction. METHODS: Over a period of 8 years 58 were available for long term follow-up. Indications for reconstruction included acute wounds with soft tissue defects, diabetic foot ulcers, and chronic osteomyelitis. RESULTS: At a mean follow-up of 18 years, there were no major complications in the soft tissue defect coverage group except for one patient who continued to have recurrent folliculitis over the weight bearing heel area, which was treated by repeated debridement. Among the diabetic patients, two patients had recurrent ulcerations of the forefoot which were detected early and treated conservatively. In the osteomyelitis group, however, there were no recurrences of the foot infection. CONCLUSIONS: The rectus abdominis free-tissue transfer provided an excellent method of soft tissue reconstruction with a very minimal long-term complication rate, and a very high rate of success in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers and chronic osteomyelitis.

Elbow Cystic Lymphangioma in an 8-Month-Old Boy.

Cystic lymphangiomas are benign tumors originating mainly in the head and neck of the pediatric population. The authors report a rare case of cystic lymphangioma in the right elbow of an 8-month-old baby treated successfully by complete surgical resection.

Calcaneus Metastasis from Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma 12 Years after Total Thyroidectomy.

We report the case of a sixty-eight-year-old female patient who presented for left ankle pain; X-rays and MRI showed a benign calcaneal cyst, found to be delayed distant metastasis from primary papillary thyroid carcinoma. Patient required surgical excision of the cyst. Results of histological examination showed metastatic papillary thyroid carcinoma. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy 12 years prior to presentation, with the same pathology. Postoperatively, she was treated with radioactive iodine. At 10-year follow-up post calcaneal mass excision, she was found to have a right proximal tibial mass and found to be recurrent with the same pathology. This case reports a rare condition that will be taken into consideration in bone metastasis with thyroid cancer.