Contralateral fracture of the proximal femur. Implications for planning trials.
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In three consecutive years 462 patients over the age of 60 years presented at Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, New Zealand, with a fracture of the proximal femur. Within two years, 11 (2.4%) returned with a fracture of the contralateral femur. If the effectiveness of any form of treatment aiming at reducing the incidence of contralateral fracture were subjected to a trial, a sample size of 5000, randomly distributed equally between treatment and placebo groups, would be needed for the trial to have a power of 80% to detect a reduction. (+info)
Femur osteomyelitis due to a mixed fungal infection in a previously healthy man.
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We describe a previously healthy, 22-year-old man who, after a closed fracture of the femur and subsequent operation, developed chronic osteomyelitis. Within a few days, infected bone fragments, bone, and wound drainage repeatedly yielded three different filamentous fungi: Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, and Chalara ellisii. Histologic examination of the bone revealed septate hyphae. After sequential necrotomies of the femur and irrigation-suction drainage with added antimycotic therapy, the infection ceased and the fracture healed. This case is unique in that it is the only known instance in which a long bone was affected in an immunocompetent individual, with no evidence of any systemic infection, by a mixed population of two different Aspergillus spp. and the rare filamentous fungus C. ellisii. Environmental factors that could potentiate the infection include blood and edema fluid resulting from the surgical procedure and the presence of the osteosynthetic plate. (+info)
Malunion in the lower limb. A nomogram to predict the effects of osteotomy.
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Nomograms derived from mathematical analysis indicate that the level of malunion is the most important determinant of changes in the moment arm of the knee, the plane of the ankle and alterations in limb length. Testing in five patients undergoing reconstruction showed a mean error of postoperative limb length of 2.2 mm (SD 0.8 mm), knee moment arm of 4.7 mm (SD 3.3 mm) and ankle angle of 2.6 degrees (SD 2.3 degrees). These nomograms provide the information required when assessing whether a particular degree of angulation may be accepted. (+info)
Stimulation of the inflammatory system by reamed and unreamed nailing of femoral fractures. An analysis of the second hit.
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It has been suggested that reamed intramedullary nailing of the femur should be avoided in some patients with multiple injuries. We have studied prospectively the effect of femoral reaming on the inflammatory process as implicated in the pathogenesis of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and multiple-organ failure (MOF). We studied changes in the levels of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) (proinflammatory cytokine), neutrophil CD11b (C3) receptor expression (activated neutrophil adhesion molecule), serum soluble intracellular adhesion molecule (s-ICAM-1), serum soluble E-selectin (the soluble products of endothelial adhesion molecules) and plasma elastase (neutrophil protease) in a series of patients with femoral fractures treated by nailing. We have also compared reamed nailing with unreamed nailing. We found that the levels of serum IL-6 and elastase rose significantly during the nailing procedure indicating a measurable 'second hit'. There was no clear response in leukocyte activation and no difference in the release of endothelial adhesion molecule markers. There was no significant difference between groups treated by reamed and unreamed nailing. Although clinically unremarkable, the one patient who died from ARDS was shown to be hyperstimulated after injury and again after nailing, suggesting the importance of an excessive inflammatory reaction in the pathogenesis of these serious problems. Our findings have shown that there is a second hit associated with femoral nailing and suggest that the degree of the inflammatory reaction may be important in the pathogenesis of ARDS and MOF. (+info)
Spontaneous healing of an atrophic pseudoarthrosis during femoral lengthening. A case report with six-year follow-up.
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A seven-year old girl developed an atrophic pseudoarthrosis at the midshaft of the femur with 8.5 cm of femoral shortening after an open type II fracture. During a femoral lengthening procedure, the pseudoarthrosis filled with spontaneous callus formation and bone union was obtained. (+info)
Comparison of quantitative ultrasound in the human calcaneus with mechanical failure loads of the hip and spine.
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OBJECTIVE: Quantitative ultrasound of the calcaneus is used clinically for evaluating bone fracture risk, but its association with the mechanical properties at other skeletal sites is not well characterized. The objective was therefore to determine its predictive ability of the mechanical failure loads of the proximal femur and lumbar spine. METHOD: In 45 human cadavers (29 males and 16 females, aged 82.5 +/- 9.6 years), we determined the speed of sound, broadband ultrasonic attenuation (BUA) and the empirical stiffness index, using a commercial quantitative ultrasound scanner. The proximal femora and the fourth vertebral body were excised and loaded to failure in a testing machine. RESULTS: Femoral failure loads ranged from 933 to 7000 N and those of the vertebrae from 1000 to 7867 N, their correlation being 0.51 in females and -0.08 in males. Forty percent of the variability of femoral, but only 24% of the variability of the vertebral fracture loads could be predicted with calcaneal speed of sound. In the femur, a combination of speed of sound and BUA improved the prediction (r2 = 50-60%), but not in the spine. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides experimental evidence that calcaneal quantitative ultrasound is capable of predicting mechanical failure at other skeletal sites and has potential to identify patients at risk from osteoporotic fracture. The different association of quantitative ultrasound with femoral and vertebral failure may result from the influence of the cortical bone and a higher microstructure-related similarity of the calcaneus and the femur. (+info)
Correction of genu recurvatum by the Ilizarov method.
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The Ilizarov apparatus was used to carry out opening-wedge callotasis of the proximal tibia in ten patients who had suffered premature asymmetrical closure of the proximal tibial physis and subsequent genu recurvatum. In four knees, the genu recurvatum was entirely due to osseous deformity, whereas in six it was associated with capsuloligamentous abnormality. Preoperatively, the angle of recurvatum averaged 19.6 degrees (15 to 26), the angle of tilt of the tibial plateau, 76.6 degrees (62 to 90), and the ipsilateral limb shortening, 2.7 cm (0.5 to 8.7). The average time for correction was 49 days (23 to 85). The average duration of external fixation was 150 days (88 to 210). Three patients suffered complications including patella infera, pin-track infection and transient peroneal nerve palsy. At a mean follow-up of 4.4 years, all patients, except one, had achieved an excellent or good radiological and functional outcome. (+info)
Transcranial doppler detection of fat emboli.
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The fat embolism syndrome (FES) is characterized by the simultaneous occurrence of pulmonary and neurological symptoms as well as skin and mucosal petechiae in the setting of long-bone fractures or their surgical repair. Its pathophysiology is poorly understood, and effective treatments are lacking. We present 5 patients with long-bone fractures in whom in vivo microembolism was detected by transcranial Doppler. METHODS: Five patients with long-bone fractures were monitored with transcranial Doppler for microembolic signals (MESs) after trauma. Two patients also had intraoperative monitoring. A TC-2020 instrument equipped with MES detection software was used. Detected signals were saved for subsequent review. Selected signals satisfied criteria defined previously and were categorized as large or small. RESULTS: Cerebral microembolism was detected in all 5 patients and was transient, resolving within 4 days of injury. Intraoperative monitoring revealed an increase in MESs during intramedullary nail insertion. The characteristics of MESs after injury varied among patients, with large signals being more frequent in the only patient with a patent foramen ovale. CONCLUSIONS: Cerebral microembolism after long-bone fractures can be detected in vivo and monitored over time. These findings may have potential diagnostic and therapeutic implications. (+info)